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Another Star Wars RTS in the Works

Posted by Zonk on from the better-than-battlegrounds,-please dept.

Voodoo Extreme is reporting on a piece coming out in PCZone UK about another Star Wars Real Time-Strategy Game, to be called Empire at War. From the article: This new PC game is set two years before ANH with a certain amount of cross over from Episode 3. Screen shots look superb. It appears to include ground battles set in dessert and greenland areas with attacking AT-AT's and a new Imperial ground based vehicle called "TIE Crawlers" which I've not seen before (cross between a tank and a TIE Fighter).

27 comments

  1. The Candy Man Can by babbage · · Score: 2, Funny
    It appears to include ground battles set in dessert

    Would that be because Chewie was standing on a chewy birthday cake in the screen grab?

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    1. Re:The Candy Man Can by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My first thought was that it included Jell-O wrestling. ;-)

    2. Re:The Candy Man Can by andfarm · · Score: 1

      ground battles set in dessert... well, hmm. It's kind of like mud wrestling, but with pudding instead of mud.

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  2. Obligatory Star Wars Nerd Whining by TychoCelchuuu · · Score: 2, Informative

    The TIE Crawler is not "new." It's been around for forever; look up an old version of the Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels if you don't believe me.

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    1. Re:Obligatory Star Wars Nerd Whining by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's still EU and therefore not canon. Just like the "E-Wing" fighters and the many many clones of the Emperor and the "Kloan Wars" and all the other fan fictions that people wrote that have been thrown out of the window every time Lucas makes a new movie.

    2. Re:Obligatory Star Wars Nerd Whining by Masami+Eiri · · Score: 1

      Actually, EU is canon, until a movie contradicts it. So, if nothing is said in a movie to the contrary, the E-Wing, the K-Wing, the V-Wing, the TIE Defender, the Scimitar Assault Bomber, and Grand Admiral Thrawn all exist.

  3. space... by baloogan · · Score: 0

    star wars was about the grand space wars...
    why does lucasarts nearly always protray ground combat as the norm for star wars RTSs?

    I know that there was one medicore grand strategic space war game that they made...

    1. Re:space... by Squatchman · · Score: 1

      A starwars version of Homeworld would be really cool, but you've got to go with what is going to sell. People need two dimensions. Adding a third in only confuses many.

    2. Re:space... by FortKnox · · Score: 1

      How about simply modding homeworld?? Not up for it?? No worries, someone is already working on one.

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    3. Re:space... by Squatchman · · Score: 0

      Well ! My life will soon be complete.

    4. Re:space... by obeythefist · · Score: 1

      Star Wars: Rebellion had a simplistic 3D space combat system on a fleet scale. The game didn't go down well, but every Warsy fan I know liked it.

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  4. but TIE stands for ... by SamSeaborn · · Score: 1

    Twin Ion Engine ... why would a tank need such a propulsion system?

    1. Re:but TIE stands for ... by Invectus · · Score: 1

      It's a TIE fighter cockpit between a set of tank treads.

    2. Re:but TIE stands for ... by eclipser13 · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's called a TIE crawler because it looks like a TIE fighter crawling on the ground. Do a GIS for "tie crawler"

    3. Re:but TIE stands for ... by Squatchman · · Score: 1

      Those flat things on the sides of the cockpit aren't the engines.

    4. Re:but TIE stands for ... by HaloZero · · Score: 2, Informative

      The flat things on either side of the cockpit in the normal TIE/ln aren't engines, either. They're solar panels; the engines are located horizontally across the back of the cockpit ball, one on the left and the other on the right.

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      Informatus Technologicus
    5. Re:but TIE stands for ... by escher · · Score: 1

      They're solar panels

      I thought they were cooling panels. Solar panels don't seem to make much sense as there's not enough area to convert light to the amount of energy needed to power one of those things.

      Although you'd think that if they're cooling panels then they'd be radiating in the visible spectrum during battles...

    6. Re:but TIE stands for ... by dsparil · · Score: 1

      It's not really called the TIE crawler. It's "official" name is the Century Tank; TIE crawler is just a nickname because the body of the tank is the same as a TIE pod.

  5. Petroglyph by code-e255 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    For those who didn't read the actual "article", the game's being developed by Petroplyph (http://www.petroglyphgames.com/), a new team constisting of lots of ex-Westwood (known for the Command & Conquer games) dudes.

    I wish them luck, and I hope they make something good! They should be able to, given their experience.

    1. Re:Petroglyph by Guspaz · · Score: 1

      Indeed, the company (Petroglyph) is made up mainly of ex-Westwood employees, who were responsible for every Command & Conquer game up until (Not including) Generals.

      But even bigger news is that the music will be provided by the award winning Frank Klepacki, who did the music for every single C&C game up until (not including) Generals.

      I'm looking at this project as a new Command & Conquer game in a different universe. It will be interesting to see how much of C&C's gameplay mechanics they keep. Certainly EA threw out all of C&C's trademark gameplay mechanics when they made Generals.

      Regardless, Former-westwood and Frank Klepacki working on a game, you know it's going to be good fun.

    2. Re:Petroglyph by Sigma+7 · · Score: 1
      Indeed, the company (Petroglyph) is made up mainly of ex-Westwood employees, who were responsible for every Command & Conquer game up until (Not including) Generals.
      Personally, I'd only give them credit for pioneering the RTS genre with C&C and Red Alert. While TS was okay, it wasn't perfect as it was still limited by clicking required to build units.

      The series went downhill after Red Alert 2 - the AI looked like it was obviously scripted and could be countered without problem. This left the focus on the multiplayer, which isn't working as well as it was a few years ago (e.g. cheaters beginning to run rampant and the more intellegent players switching to other games.) The good news is that the blame can be laid on EA rather than Westwood.

      However, I do hope that they will be successful in their RTS, and perhaps remove the most damaging bottlenecks from the genre (clicking and scrolling).

      Certainly EA threw out all of C&C's trademark gameplay mechanics when they made Generals.
      EA certainly threw out more than that. The only thing that makes Generals looks interesting is the Multiplayer, and that's beginning to be swamped by cheaters ever since EA broke off it's support prematurely.
    3. Re:Petroglyph by obeythefist · · Score: 1

      Shame it was Dune 2000 that pioneered the genre. But it was a Westwood game so we'll let that slide. Having said that, the other games were quite lackluster.

      C&C Generals is excellent fun in multiplayer, because of the large number of factions in Zero Hour (12 playable sides).

      My group is also enjoying Battle for Middle Earth which is based on the Generals engine, and likewise it is quite enjoyable.

      The same engine is being used for a new Red Alert game, which will hopefully be as successful as Generals was.

      --
      I am government man, come from the government. The government has sent me. -- G.I.R.
    4. Re:Petroglyph by king-manic · · Score: 1

      For those who didn't read the actual "article", the game's being developed by Petroplyph (http://www.petroglyphgames.com/), a new team constisting of lots of ex-Westwood (known for the Command & Conquer games) dudes.

      I see, knowing the amount of creativity left on that team, it's going to look and play exactly like red alert with sharper graphics.

      Didn't you notice the C&C games stopped changing after RA. They just sorta got a graphic upgrade and released the same game again.

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  6. NOO!!!! by Axis+of+Weasel · · Score: 0

    we need more KotOR like games!!!

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  7. Information & Pictures of TIE Crawlers... by antdude · · Score: 1

    See them on Star Wars's Web site. I also never heard of this as well.

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    1. Re:Information & Pictures of TIE Crawlers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's really no wonder the Empire fell... They keep designing ships with HUGE blindspots to the left and right of the pilot.