Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Developer(s)	LucasArts, Ensemble Studios
Publisher(s)	LucasArts
Designer(s)	Garry M. Gaber
Engine	Genie
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Release date(s)	November 13, 2001 (original) May 14, 2002 (expansion) 2002 (bundle)
Genre(s)	RTS
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ELSPA: 11+ ESRB: Teen (T)
System requirements System Requirements For: Galactic Battle Grounds All In One. Operating System: Windows 95/98/me/2000/xp. Computer: 100% DirectX compatible computer required. CPU: Pentium II or Athlon class 233 MHz or faster cpu required. Memory: 32 MB RAM required 64 MB required for windows 2000 and XP. Graphics Card: 2 MB PCI or AGP graphics card required . 4 Mb graphics card recommended. Sound Card: 100% Direct X compatible 16-bit sound card required. CD-Rom: Quad Speed IDE or SCSI CD-ROM drive required. Input Device: 100% Direct Input compatible keyboard and mouse required. DirectX: Microsoft DirectX 8.0a or Higher (Direct 8.0a included on CD) Multiplayer Pentium II or Athon Class 300MHz or faster recommended for multiplayer. LAN supports up to 8 players. Supports Internet Play.

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds is a real-time strategy computer game set in the Star Wars universe.

Players have a choice of factions and campaigns. The factions in the original game include the Wookiees, Royal Naboo, the Trade Federation, the Empire, the Rebels, and the Gungans. There are two campaigns in the game centered on the Wookiee race, and one campaign each for the Gungans, the Trade Federation, the Galactic Empire, and the Rebel Alliance. An expansion pack, Clone Campaigns, was released in 2002, adding two new factions and campaigns. Later that year, both Galactic Battlegrounds and Clone Campaigns were released in a box set, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga. No sequels have been made, although other Star Wars themed RTSes have been made such as Star Wars: Empire at War.

The games were built on the Genie engine, the same one used in Age of Empires, and Age of Empires II. Online play is mainly played through GameRanger, maintaining a small base of users. Mainstream online play was considerably damaged after Zone.com, the main site for online play, closed down all CD-ROM games on June 19, 2006 due to financial problems. Microsoft has suggested that the game be played now on GameSpy or GameRanger.^[1]

The game features the voices of Tom Kane and Charles Martinet; Jake Lloyd reprised the role of Anakin Skywalker.

Gameplay

The player starts the game with a Command Center, a scout, and three workers (in a normal random map game) for whichever of the six original factions they choose.^[2] The player search and gather resources such as Food, Carbon, Nova Crystals, and Ore and then using the resources in order to create new buildings, units, workers and so on. Food is used for low-end units and troopers, as well as the work force. Carbon is used in place of Wood in Age of Empires 2 for buildings and artillery. Nova Crystals create the more high-end units and can be gathered through getting special "holocrons" (from Relics in AoE 2). Ore is used for defensive structures as well as the Gungan unique unit Fambaa. The player can build separate units at separate buildings designed specifically for different types of units. The player can advance through the four Tech Levels by paying a certain amount of resources. When a player advances a Tech Level, more units, buildings, and upgrades become available.

There are a total of seven military structures in the game. These are the Troop Center, the Shipyard, the Mech factory, the Jedi Temple or Sith Temple depending on the faction, the Heavy Weapons Factory, the Airbase, and the Fortress. The Troop center produces 'cannon fodder' early game units. These are the Grenadier, the Anti-Air trooper, the Mounted Trooper, and the ubiquitous Trooper. The Shipyard produces ships, these being the Frigate, the Destroyer, the Cruiser, and the Anti-Air Frigate. The Mech Factory produces Scouts, Assault Mechs, Strike Mechs, and Mech Destroyers. The Jedi Temple or Sith Temple is a depository for Holocrons and produces Jedi Padawans/Sith Apprentice and Jedi Knights/Sith Knights as well as Jedi Masters/Sith Masters. The Airbase produces aircraft such as fighters, bombers and transports, and the Heavy Weapons Factory produces pummels, artillery, anti-air mobiles, basically the big guns needed to mount a full scale assault. The Fortress serves as a defensive structure and produces the civilization's unique unit and an anti-jedi Bounty Hunter, as well as long-range cannons, and the massive Air cruiser. It fires high-damage, area-of-effect shells at air, sea or ground targets over long reload times. It is the most directly powerful unit in the game (not including cheats.)

If Victory is set to standard, the player can win in three different ways. He/she may win by destroying all of the enemies buildings and units with his/her army. Also, the player can use a Jedi/Sith to bring all of the Holocrons to the Jedi/Sith Temple and preserve them for 400 "days". The final way to win is to build a monument that is only available at Tech Level 4. If the monument stays standing for 200 days, then the player wins.

Campaigns

• Tutorial - The campaign sees the player assume the role of Chewbacca's father, Attichitchuk. In this campaign, the player gradually learns the game's play mechanics as Attichitchuk marshals a Wookiee army to force the Trade Federation off Alaris Prime.
• Trade Federation - The campaign has the player assume the role of OOM-9, a droid ground commander leading the Trade Federation's actions during the blockade of Naboo in the Phantom Menace, which includes a conquest of Theed city. The campaign also features the movie's ground battle between the Trade Federation and the Gungans but as an alternate history setting wherein Darth Maul has killed Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi while Federation droid ships destroy the Naboo starfighters.
• Gungans - The Gungan campaign is set years in the past as a sub-faction of Gungans under the command of Boss Nass try to unite the other warring tribes under a single banner. It also features the movie's ground battle against the Trade Federation.
• Galactic Empire - The Empire campaign begins just after the events of A New Hope, as Darth Vader personally leads the assault on the Rebels' Massassi Ruins base and captures General Jan Dodonna. The rest of the campaign focuses on suppressing other Rebel bases, including a mission to protect an AT-AT prototype, with a cameo by Empire Strikes Back character General Veers (a colonel in the mission). The campaign's last mission is the Imperial attack on Hoth, where the player has a chance to totally destroy Echo Base and prevent Han Solo and company's escape. The bonus missions depict the Empire's hostile takeover of Bespin and an alternate retelling of the Battle of Endor where the Empire routs the Ewoks.
• Rebel Alliance - The Rebel campaign is mostly set between the events of A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. It features the Rebels' efforts to recover some Jedi artifacts while fending off Imperial forces. The bonus missions include the Battle of Hoth, the ground phase of the Battle of Endor, and a mission to attack an Imperial asteroid base.
• Wookiee - The mission features Chewbacca's efforts to liberate Kashyyyk from the Trandoshans and the Empire. Its bonus mission is the liberation of Kessel.

Clone Campaigns Expansion

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns is an expansion pack that was released shortly after the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It introduced two more playable factions and campaigns: that of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Galactic Republic. The Clone Campaigns also added more units, such as the Decimator and the Air Cruiser, support for movable power supplies, and more.

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns

The Clone Campaigns occur during the first months of the Clone Wars.

Confederacy Campaign

In the Confederacy campaign, the hero is Sev'rance Tann, and guided by Count Dooku himself. The player's goal is to capture the energy-mining platforms of the Galactic Republic so that they can effectively hold Coruscant hostage, and take control of the Decimators, a secret weapon developed by the Republic.

In the years between Geonosis and his death, Count Dooku's most trusted general was Sev'rance Tann. Therefore, he gives her the job of finding out any information on a certain Republic experimental weapon - the Decimator. The campaign begins with the Battle of Geonosis, as Tann's forces clear an escape route for Count Dooku. After rebuilding the Separatist army, Count Dooku directs her to Tatooine, where she finds Boorka the Hutt. In exchange for destroying a Republic outpost, she is given information regarding the location of a Decimator testing base on Eredenn Prime. General Tann manages to capture the base and the Decimators, but their Wookiee manufacturers include a failsafe locking code and prevent the CIS from using them. However, Tann manages to also capture a Data Droid, which she takes with her to the Wookiee colony on Alaris Prime. Alaris Prime soon serves as one of many probing attacks by the CIS on Wookiee territory before the Battle of Kashyyyk. After destroying the Wookiee Decimator facilities, Tann makes the droid unlock the Decimators. At this point the objective is revealed: Sarapin, a world providing much of the Republic's power. With the Decimators, Tann attacks Sarapin, penetrating the defences in the planet's rings. Capturing the planet's energy facilities, Sev'rance destroys the Republic base and kills Jedi Knight Jor Drakas, the Republic commander.

Republic Campaign

The Galactic Republic campaign also begins at the Battle of Geonosis. Jedi Master Echuu Shen Jon leads a force of clone troopers and Jedi including his young Padawan, Stam Reath, in destroying Trade Federation core ships. The mission is successful, but Reath is brutally killed by Sev'rance Tann, sinking Echuu into depression. Months later, the Republic is shaken by the capture of Sarapin by CIS forces under the command of Sev'rance Tann. The Jedi Council sends Echuu Shen-Jon along with his new padawan, Naat Reath (Stam's sister) there to reactivate the energy platforms. The wreckage of a Decimator found on the planet reveals the usage of stolen Republic technology to take the planet. Echuu reactivates the energy platforms and retakes Sarapin, capturing and interrogating Zian Finnis, a Confederate officer, who gives away the Confederacy's presence on Tatooine.

Seeking his enemy Tann, Echuu is led to Tatooine, where he strikes an alliance with Jabba the Hutt. He learns that the Confederacy has struck an alliance of its own, with Boorka the Hutt, a local rival of Jabba's. After defeating a band of Tusken Raiders and the combined Confederate and mercenary forces, Echuu discovers some supply crates destined for the distant world of Krant. The chase continues.

Having found out about the Confederacy's presence on Krant from supply crates on Tatooine, Echuu and his padawan Naat Reath destroy a Trade Federation mining camp on Krant's moon, creating a staging point for the invasion of Krant. With the help of some stranded Wookiees, Echuu and his soldiers destroy the Confederate Decimator labs, but not without casualties: Naat is captured by Sev'rance Tann, who takes refuge inside her fort. Echuu then manages to penetrate the fort and kill Sev'rance in a duel. However, the dark side had taken root in him so much that he stays on Krant when Naat and all Republic forces under his command leave. Echuu later meets with Princess Leia on Krant during the Rebel campaign.

The last mission follows the Rebel Alliance in their conquest of Coruscant's Imperial Palace following the Battle of Endor.

Development

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds was developed by LucasArts by licensing the Genie game engine from Ensemble Studios. The game, as well as the Clone Campaigns expansion pack, was designed and directed by Garry M. Gaber.^[3]

Reception

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds received generally positive reviews, both from critics^[4] and fans.^[5][6] GameRankings give the game a score of 77%, based on 38 media outlets.^[7] GameSpot gave the game an 8.2/10, calling it "perfect for a generation of gamers raised on Star Wars".^[8] However, Brian Gee of Game Revolution gave the game a "C" and said that it "doesn't feel very Star Wars".^[9]

References

1. ^ CD-ROM Matchmaking To Be Retired on MSN Games
2. ^ "Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds :: PC Game Review". Kidzworld. http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1573-star-wars-galactic-battlegrounds-pc-game-review. Retrieved 2009-04-13. 
3. ^ MobyGames - Garry Gaber
4. ^ List of reviews for Galactic Battlegrounds.
5. ^ GameSpot User Reviews for Galactic Battlegrounds
6. ^ Moby Games Profile of Galactic Battlegrounds, with User Reviews
7. ^ GameRankings score for Galactic Battlegrounds
8. ^ GameSpot Review for Galactic Battlegrounds
9. ^ Game Revolution Review for Galactic Battlegrounds.

External links

• Star Wars Games wikia