Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
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| Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds | |
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Single player, multiplayer |
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Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds is an RTS game built on the Age of Empires II engine.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
The player controls a race and guides them through four "technology levels". The game begins in the First Tech Level, where very few buildings and units are available. After a short time, the user gains the ability to advance to the Second Tech Level (at no small cost), where more upgrades, buildings, and units become available. The next age is the Third Tech Level, and finally the Fourth Tech Level.
The player directly controls the workers (usually labor droids), and can order them to construct buildings, collect resources, and attack.
There are four types of resources, all of which are necessary: Carbon (wood, carbon deposits), food (muja fruits, fish, meat by hunting or farms, and nerfs/ bantha garrisoned in an Animal nursery), nova crystals, and ore. Often, one of the difficulties of a certain scenario or map is that it is short one type of resource, forcing players to adjust to this shortage.
The original game comes with six campaigns, and the expansion adds two more, all of which reflect some events in history. There is also a Standard Game feature, which pits a player against a set number of Computer players for control of a map. The usual goal in standard games is to defeat your enemies and force them to surrender, but other goals like building and protecting a special type of building also exist.
In multiplayer mode, up to eight players compete with other nations for world dominance, online or offline.
There is also a Scenario Editor mode, that lets the player create their own scenario and campaign. In this mode players could insert units and buildings that is not in the single-player mode, for example players could insert Obi-Wan Kenobi and some other heroes that are not in the single player campaign.
[edit] Technology
To acquire technology, the player must first construct buildings. Each building can create new units and/or offers a range of technology which can be researched, for a price. Technologies build upon each other. As technologies are researched, a wider range of buildings and units become available. Technologies may benefit military units (by perhaps increasing their attack or defense attributes), civil units (workers/droids can hunt more effectively), or buildings (e.g. that allows buildings and turrets to fire at a broader range). Technologies vary greatly in benefits and costs.
Technology plays a central role. Early in the game, players must constantly assess priorities and allocate scarce resources between creating new units, upgrading existing units, and researching to upgrade to the next Level. Too much emphasis on researching technology and moving through the Levels without creating manpower, can leave an army vulnerable to attack. On the other hand, putting resources into a large population at the expense of progress, can lead to defeat if the enemy has progressed and is able to field a small but more powerful attack force.
Selecting which technologies to research is also vital in military strategy. For example, you might choose to research the next level (which opens up more technologies and skills), which would take time and resources but enable you to create more sophisticated fighting units - or you may stay in a lower Age and use the same resources to quickly build a large number of basic fighting units instead.
The cost and number of technologies increase through the levels. For example, the technologies of the first cost about 100-150 resources while those of the fourth cost between 700 and 1500 resources.
[edit] Monuments and holocrons
Holocrons are special unique items that are scattered around the map, and can only be picked up by Jedi or Sith. Once placed within a Jedi Temple or a Sith Temple, a holocron steadily generates free nova crystals for the civilization that holds it (this reflects the historical realities of the power and influence that possessing knowledge has). To capture a holocron from an enemy temple, the temple must be essentially destroyed. The holocron will then be expelled so that a player may capture it with a Jedi or a Sith. It is possible to set the game such that victory is achieved by collecting all available holocrons, or building a Monument. This is the case in several campaign scenarios. To win, all the holocrons must be held for a specific uninterrupted period of time (usually 400 game days). It should be noted that, the Holocrons are very similar in function, to the Relics from Age of Empires II, for they are both stored in Temples, and generating resources: Nova crystals and gold, respectively.
Monuments are massive structures that require large amounts of resources and time to build. If a player completes a Monument, and it stands intact for an uninterrupted period of time (400 game days), they win. Each civilization has their own Monument (typically a famous work of historical architecture)
[edit] Plot
The original game has six campaigns. Some of the missions represent actual battles from the movies, like the Battle of Hoth.
- The first campaign (the tutorial) centers around Chewbacca, his cousin Shoran and Attichitcuk, the father of Chewbacca, and their quest to rid Alaris Prime of the Trade Federation. You are guided through the tutorial by Qui-Gon Jinn.
- The second campaign from Episode I is that of the Trade Federation. It follows OOM-9, the de facto droid leader of the Trade Federation's army.
- Battle of Naboo
- Sieges of Naboo
- First Battle of Harte Secur
- First Battle of Spinnaker
- First Battle of Theed
- Naboo Swamp Battle
- Battle of Grassy Plains (non-canon, alternate history simulation)
- Battle of Naboo
- The third campaign is that of the Gungans, centered first around Boss Gallo, then Boss Rugor Nass, the leader of the Gungans at the time of Episode I.
[edit] Later Missions
- The fourth campaign of the standard game is the campaign of the Galactic Empire. Darth Vader is your main character in this campaign, and the events take place just before and during Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
- The fifth campaign is the campaign of the Rebel Alliance/New Republic. Your main character this time around varies from level to level, primarily between Princess Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker. The events of this campaign are outside the scope of the movies.
- The sixth and final campaign is the Wookiee campaign. This campaign takes place after Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, during which time the Imperial remnants are trying to keep the Empire together, and have attacked Kashyyyk. The main characters of this campaign are Han Solo and Chewbacca. Attichitcuk makes appearances, as do Lando Calrissian, Shoran and Luke Skywalker.
- The Royal Naboo also appear in the Gungan and the Trade Federation campaigns but have no campaign on their own. However they are playable in the multiplayer game.
[edit] Unit list
Note: units separated with commas means different versions of the same unit.
[edit] Galactic Empire
- Troop Center:
- Stormtrooper Recruit, Stormtrooper, Armored Stormtrooper, Stormtrooper w/Repeater
- Dewback Trooper, Heavy Dewback Trooper, Advanced Dewback Trooper
- Thermal Detonator Trooper
- Missile Launcher Trooper, Armored Missile Trooper
- Mech Factory:
- Speeder Bike
- AT-PT, Heavy AT-PT (strike mech)
- Light AT-ST, AT-ST (mech destroyer)
- AT-AT (assault mech)
- Shipyard:
- Utility Trawler
- Light Scout, Scout, Advanced Scout (frigate)
- Transport Ship
- Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser
- Destroyer, Heavy Destroyer
- Missile Destroyer, Heavy Missile Destroyer
- Fortress:
- Star Cruiser (air cruiser)
- Dark Trooper Phase 1, Dark Trooper Phase 2
- Shock Cannon
- Command Center:
- Heavy Weapons Factory:
- Artillery, Heavy Artillery
- AT-AA, Heavy AT-AA (anti-air)
- Energy Pummel, Heavy Energy Pummel
- Airbase:
- Imperial Lander (air transport)
- TIE/sa bomber, TIE Heavy Bomber, TIE Interdictor
- TIE Fighter, TIE/In interceptor, TIE/D Defender
- Spaceport:
- Sith Temple
[edit] Gungans
- Troop Center:
- Gungan Trooper Recruit, Gungan Trooper, Heavy Gungan Trooper, Gungan Repeater Trooper
- Kaadu Trooper, Heavy Kaadu Trooper, Advanced Kaadu Trooper
- Gungan Booma Trooper
- Gungan Missile Trooper, Heavy Gungan Missile Trooper
- Mech Factory:
- Swift
- Kaadu Cavalry, Heavy Kaadu Cavalry (strike mech)
- Lerraa, Large Lerraa (mech destroyer)
- Fambaa (assault mech)
- Shipyard:
- Utility Trawler
- Bongo Light Scout, Bongo Scout, Bongo Advanced Scout (frigate)
- Transport Ship
- Bongo Behemoth, Bongo Advanced Behemoth (cruiser)
- Bongo Laser, Bongo Fast Laser (destroyer)
- Bongo Missile, Bongo Heavy Missile
- Fortress:
- Aquanna (air cruiser)
- Fambaa Shield Generator, Heavy Fambaa Shield Generator
- Fambaa Sonic Cannon
- Command Center:
- Heavy Weapons Factory:
- Energy Catapult, Heavy Energy Catapult (artillery)
- Raaptur, Large Raaptur (organic anti-air)
- Cerrabore, Large Cerrabore (pummel creature)
- Airbase:
- Dunsenn FlopCarrier (air transport, flying puffer fish)
- Gungan Bomber, Enhanced Gungan Bomber, Advanced Gungan Bomber (unnamed flying creature)
- Gungan Fighter, Fast Gungan Fighter, Advanced Gungan Fighter (unnamed flying creature)
- Spaceport:
- Jedi Temple
[edit] Rebel Alliance
- Troop Center:
- Rebel Trooper Recruit, Blaster Trooper, Heavy Blaster Trooper, Armored Repeater Trooper
- Tauntaun Trooper, Heavy Tauntaun Trooper, Advanced Tauntaun Trooper
- Rebel mortar trooper
- Missile Launcher Trooper, Armored Missile Trooper
- Mech Factory:
- Swoop Bike
- Combat Speeder, Heavy Combat Speeder (strike mech)
- Hover Tank, Heavy Hover Tank (mech destroyer)
- Attack Tank (assault mech)
- Shipyard:
- Utility Trawler
- Light Scout, Scout, Advanced Scout (frigate)
- Transport Ship
- Prowler, Heavy Prowler (cruiser)
- Hunter, Heavy Hunter (destroyer)
- Javelin, Heavy Javelin (anti-air cruiser)
- Fortress:
- Light Corvette (air cruiser)
- Airspeeder, Armored Airspeeder
- Blaster Cannon
- Command Center:
- Heavy Weapons Factory:
- Artillery, Heavy Artillery
- Proton Torpedo Launcher, Heavy Torpedo Launcher (anti-air)
- Energy Pummel, Heavy Energy Pummel
- Airbase:
- Rebel Transport (air transport)
- Light Y-Wing, Y-Wing, Heavy Y-Wing
- Z-95 Headhunter, X-Wing, Advanced X-Wing
- Spaceport:
- Jedi Temple
- Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight
- Jedi Master
[edit] Royal Naboo
- Troop Center:
- Royal Trooper Recruit, Royal Trooper, Royal Heavy Trooper, Armored Repeater Trooper
- Tuskcat Trooper, Heavy Tuskcat Trooper, Advanced Tuskcat Trooper
- Thermal Detonator Trooper
- Missile Launcher Trooper, Armored Missile Trooper
- Mech Factory:
- Udopal Speeder
- Gian Speeder, Heavy Gian Speeder (strike mech)
- Champion, Heavy Champion (mech destroyer)
- Steadfast (assault mech)
- Shipyard:
- Utility Trawler
- Light Scout, Scout, Advanced Scout (frigate)
- Transport Ship
- Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser
- Destroyer, Heavy Destroyer
- Missile Destroyer, Heavy Missile Destroyer
- Fortress:
- Royal Air Cruiser (air cruiser)
- Royal Crusader, Elite Royal Crusader
- Royal Cannon
- Command Center:
- Heavy Weapons Factory:
- Energy Catapult, Heavy Energy Catapult (artillery)
- Mobile Missile Launcher, Heavy Missile Launcher (anti-air)
- Energy Pummel, Heavy Energy Pummel
- Airbase:
- Spaceport:
- Jedi Temple
- Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight
- Jedi Master
[edit] Trade Federation
- Troop Center:
- Battle Droid Beta Version, Battle Droid, Heavy Battle Droid, Repeater Battle Droid
- Beetle Trooper, Heavy Beetle Trooper, Advanced Beetle Trooper
- Thermal Detonator Battle Droid
- Missile Battle Droid, Baron Battle Droid (heavy anti-air)
- Mech Factory:
- Speeder Platform
- STAP, Heavy STAP (strike mech)
- AAT, Heavy AAT (mech destroyer)
- MTT (assault mech)
- Shipyard:
- Fortress:
- LAATAK long-range air attack mechanism (air cruiser)
- Destroyer Droid, Heavy Destroyer Droid
- Bio Cannon
- Command Center:
- Heavy Weapons Factory:
- Airbase:
- Neimoidian Transport (air transport)
- Droid Starbomber, Shielded Droid Starbomber, Advanced Droid Starbomber (E-STAPs)
- Droid Starfighter, Heavy Droid Starfighter, Advanced Droid Starfighter (Vultures)
- Spaceport:
- Sith Temple
- Sith Apprentice, Sith Knight
[edit] Wookiees
- Troop Center:
- Wookiee Trooper Recruit, Bowcaster Trooper, Heavy Bowcaster Trooper, Repeating Bowcaster Trooper
- Dragon Trooper, Heavy Dragon Trooper, Advanced Dragon Trooper
- Thermal Detonator Trooper
- Missile Launcher Trooper, Armored Missile Trooper
- Mech Factory:
- HummBike
- Sentinel, Heavy Sentinel(strike mech)
- Kas Tank, Heavy Kas Tank (mech destroyer)
- Battle Scythe (assault mech)
- Shipyard:
- Utility Trawler
- Light Scout, Scout, Advanced Scout (frigate)
- Transport Ship
- Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser
- Destroyer, Heavy Destroyer
- Liberator, Heavy Liberator (anti-air destroyer)
- Fortress:
- Kas Air Cruiser (air cruiser)
- Wookiee Berserker, Advanced Wookiee Berserker
- Decimator cannon
- Command Center:
- Wookiee Medic
- Wookiee Villager
- Heavy Weapons Factory:
- Catapult, Heavy Catapult
- Proton Torpedo Launcher, Heavy Torpedo Launcher (anti-air)
- Energy Pummel, Heavy Energy Pummel
- Airbase:
- Kettrifee Air Mover (air transport)
- Blade, Heavy Blade, Advanced Blade
- Agr, Fast Agr, Advanced Agr
- Spaceport:
- Jedi Temple
- Jedi Padawan, Jedi Knight
[edit] Species
[edit] Planets
Battles take place in the following background settings, also available for custom missions.
- Alaris Prime
- Tatooine
- Krant
- Hanoon
- Hoth
- Yavin 4
- Aereen
- Naboo
- Sarapin
- Eredenn Prime
- Kessel
- Geonosis
- Bespin
- Zaloriis
- Reytha
- Avatar Orbital Platform
- Kaer Orbital Platform
- Kashyyyk
- Endor
- Coruscant
- space, asteroids and asteroid fields.
- Zalor system
[edit] Reception
Critics believed that the game showed the limitations of the engine, which was probably not fit for sci-fi games: Laser shots often hit their target even when the craft wasn't pointing at them, and the proportions (like in the cases of AT-ATs or Rancors) were unrealistic. Perhaps balancing this criticism was the many units and civilizations players could choose from, much more than in Star Wars: Force Commander.The game also shows some historical inconcistencies including telling players that the AT-AT was developed during the Galactic Civil War when in fact it was developed during the Clone Wars.
There are some inconsistencies among the assault units in the game. For example, the basic Trade Federation trooper is a B1-series battle droid, and the basic Confederacy trooper is a B2-series super battle droid. While the B2 is manifestly an upgraded version of the B1, the game makes them equal. Also, the NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcer, identified vaguely in the game as the "Corporate Alliance Tank Mech," is portrayed as much larger and more powerful than it actually is. The IG-227 Hailfire-class droid tank is improperly assigned as an anti-air unit.
[edit] Easter eggs
Some levels also featured some 'easter eggs': In some marginal and hard to reach places (like mountain peaks, or areas behind trees that have to be harvested in order to reveal), some well known characters can be found if the player decides to explore the corners of the map with air units:
- On Naboo, during the second Trade Federation mission there is a place where you find Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jar Jar Binks
- In the third mission of the Gungan campaign, Luke Skywalker, Yoda and R2-D2 can be spotted standing near Yoda's hut.
- In the fourth Gungan mission OOM-9 can be spotted in the eastern corner of the map.
- On Tatooine, C-3PO and R2-D2 can be found next to an escape pod.
- Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker are near a Sith Temple in one mission based on Krant.
- Anakin Skywalker, Senator Padmé Amidala, C-3PO and R2-D2 can be found on another Krant mission.
- Jar Jar Binks can be seen among the skyscrapers of Coruscant.
- On the first two Imperial missions, Mara Jade can be found somewhere on the map, though this requires cheat codes and she runs away when seen. Darth Vader will sometimes ask, "What is this?" when the player locates Jade.
- Simon and Bongo Marauder appear when cheat codes are entered (see below).
- One of the game's taunts is a parody of Samuel L. Jackson's line in Pulp Fiction: "Pigs are filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals". In the game, "pigs" becomes "banthas".
- A secret level can be found in the first Wookiee campaign; if the player advances to Tech Level 3, they can build a fighter, then pilot it to the far right of the map. This will uncover Obi-Wan Kenobi and Captain Panaka, and will begin a mission to rescue Padmé Amidala from Tusken Raiders.
- When you click on an Imperial trooper he will occasionally say the phrase "THX 1138 ready sir." This is a clear reference to THX 1138, the first movie made by George Lucas.
- When you click on an AT-AT walker, the pilot will sometimes respond by saying "They won't be back for the sequel!", which in turn, breaks the fourth wall.
[edit] Aurebesh texts
Galactic Battlegrounds also contains many text easter eggs, found in the game's briefing/debriefing screens. While many of the screens contain gibberish phrases, some seem to be inside jokes between LucasArts employees. Notable excerpts are presented here by civilization:
Gungan: boss gallo/he has a big robe/one four/mesa sicka gungan guys; jerb wi 2 wjbe eks oh and by the way this is boss rogoe/a slave gungan why did george have to bring jar jar back in ep2?; so sad its my last day/i am going to miss this/its a game i hope like it; the two jedi in the gungan city hey did anyone see any gungan women?; orb of peace/naboo is victorious/long live naboo/PCP
Wookiees (Colonization of Alaris Prime): chewie/jp i love you/two one/harvesting food/status: not done yet/tomorrow for sure; image one/one two/wookies [sic] approach/status; guarded heavy/will move forward cautiously [sic]/end transimission [sic]; obi-wan's lightsaber is long and dngerous [sic]/two hands are better than one/the ring; one two four/final town buildings/qui-gon/status: obi-wan is lost/check out the trees/hes in there
Trade Federation: teh tf tanks dstryd [sic] the the buildings/-dstry-capture-pillage; the search for the gungans has ended/c-whats d-up; -warning-droids no longer functioning
Galactic Empire: ooold/vader speaks/the lord of the sith/dodonna learns his lesson; Salvage the rebel base--take all survivors to command/processing for detention block b; mara jade occupation: bad ass/location death star code red surveylance [sic]; stormtroopers bad guys/s--jim tudner f--bob billy newman b--jack burton k--mike terpsta j--chris williams l--paul c pierce f--haden blackman
Note: the names of Paul Pierce and John Paul Soto appear at the bottom of all screens in the Imperial campaign.
Rebel Alliance: random troopers/joey russo/this is echu shen can yog guess it really is; <Screen displays two X-wings flying over a forest> bob see any deer/yeah this is more fun than those banthas/not yet remember year when got that buck with my proton torpedo; all your base are belong to us; -you are here (pl)ease keep all (han)ds inside the boat at all times; yes its an eye ball uh 282n good old rotj; leia and luke looking on at rebels/what will they do who knows: ben kenobi does; boom yey the empire bast is one fire too bad its not jar jar/and this is fire shooting out of the doorw ohh ahh; the rebel transport ship otherwise known as a tunaboat/kiptan the boat smells like fish again/this will be earth in a few million years who would have ever thought future site of dr. evil's new asteroid base...ohh haha
Wookiees (Liberation of Kashyyyk): han chewie buddies/solo action status: huge/gone today; bowcaster safety lock/chewie will kick your ass; run chewie/one two three/wookiee transports sail across the water sttus: safe and secure/next mission comb matted fur; many parties among the trees/hiding ewok babies/wookie [sic] party house; run run/free at last today/wookiee freedom at last/lando and han looking on
Confederacy: I have forseen [sic] the great battle/go to the battle and win; settlement/snowy terrain today/write a haiku/final day/frank say; devestator [sic] ships are loaded/data: find the ships that are good/secondary untits [sic] available/today found/final day/ figure out how the end comes; final chat with palpatine/who knows what the shadow knows/tomorrow will see the sun; severance tann weilds [sic] her saber today
Republic: luke who are you/the jedi you say or a fool; this guy hides in the darkness when will he know; mace windu looking out the window at me; this city is the best/i know what when/i find a place that/i never want to leave; the day has come/final celeration [sic] comes but once a millenium [sic] oh happy day
[edit] Cheats
While playing, press 'Enter' to open up the chat screen. Type one of the following codes and press 'Enter' again (Note: Some codes require you to highlight a unit for the code to work)
- forceexplore - Entire map is explored.
- forcesight - Remove fog of war.
- forcebuild - Building, harvest, and research time becomes instant. (This happens to all teams, including the enemy)
- forcecarbon - Get 1,000 carbon.
- forcenova - Get 1,000 nova.
- forceore - Get 1,000 ore.
- forcefood - Get 1,000 food.
- tarkin - destroy everything belonging to all other players
- darkside(1-8) - Destroy a specific civilization according to their # (1-8).
- skywalker - Win the battle.
- simonsays - Get Simon the Killer Ewok.
- scaryneighbor - Get a Bongo Marauder.
[edit] Notes and references
- ↑ An alternate, "what-if" scenario that shows what could have happened if Gungans had won the Battle of Grassy Plains
[edit] Voice Cast
[edit] External links
LucasArts and Ensemble Announce Battleground on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
- First Look: Galactic Battlegrounds on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
- Galactic Battlegrounds Demo on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
- Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds Heaven -Modification Downloads Site
- Battlegrounds Wiki
- Unofficial Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Forums
- Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds on MobyGames
