Game Informer Preview

[OMEGA]

For those of you who don't know, Game Informer is the post popular (and most un-biased in my opinion) gaming magazine out there. They previewed Empire at War this month, so I thought I would take the liberty and scan it for you guys to read. From what I see, things are looking exellent so far with not just Game Informer, but all preview and review sites. It's hard to tell from the scanner, but the graphics in the screenshots are "blow your socks off" exellent! We really have something to look forward too guys, and I can't wait!

 

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/9430/eawpreview3pp.jpg

[Nevets]

Hmmm cool.

 

Don't like what they say about the imperial engineers tho. Sounds like all the imp units will be flawed.

 

Also do they have to mention "droids chopping trees" in every single interview?

[Dorkthehunter]

Don't like what they same about the imperial engineers tho. Sounds like all the imp units will be flawed.

 

Also do they have to mention "droids chopping trees" in every single interview?

 

Yes. Because it is the biggest change in this game!

Imp. Engineers are bad!

[Junker]

Nice info about the Death Star.

[Teradyn_pff]

I wonder if it will be as simple as taking over one of those worlds for the Rebellion or even just blockading one, to destroy all progress made on and in-construction Death Star? That would suck big time.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn 889]

hahaha Theres my method of stopping you from building it then take away Geonsis and then on to KAshyyyk but it does suck that you need two specific places to build it (Not that plan to.)

[Junker]

On the other hand: If you do not want to see any Mon Calamari ships as an Imperial Gamer, so blow up the planets with the Death Star which the Rebels need to produce their Mon Calamari ships.

[Teradyn_pff]

On the other hand: If you do not want to see any Mon Calamari ships as an Imperial Gamer, so blow up the planets with the Death Star which the Rebels need to produce their Mon Calamari ships.

 

Hmm, would you be able to restrict that entire ship class from being available to the Rebels by destroying that planet? Or is it a moot point after they aquire it?

 

This is vewy vewy intewesting.

[EJM]

Good bye Mon Calamary

[chewieusma]

What a great little article.

 

imo - once the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser is available, it's always available unless the empire can get their hands on all of the plans for it. So what, no Mon Calamari left? We can imitate their lovely design process and build those marvelous ships.

[Teradyn_pff]

No, you wont be able to build Calimari cruisers if you take over Mon Calamari as the Empire.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn 889]

the article was a bit bias towards the Empire though! all the screenies are of the empire or the Empire winning! and Teradyn don't you like the Mon Calmari Cruisers?

[Phantom_pff]

it will not even load up for me

[OMEGA]

Mon Calimari is the first planet on my "Deathwish" list to destroy.

[Teradyn_pff]

the article was a bit bias towards the Empire though! all the screenies are of the empire or the Empire winning! and Teradyn don't you like the Mon Calmari Cruisers?

 

Well, it is about time! All the videos keep showing the Empire getting pwned in battles they should be pwning in.

 

Anyway, I like Mon Calamari just fine with a little cocktail sauce or lemon.

 

What I was saying was that the game will not allow the Empire to build Mon Cal cruisers if you capture their planet. The best you can hope for is to prevent the rebels from being able to build them. As the Empire why would I want to build a Mon Cal anyway if I can build an Imperial Star Destroyer?

[MiKl]

NO no no no no no Teradyn Mon cals taste good with butter duh

 

but anyway 'twas interesting not much new info but still good

[Darkmark]

it will not even load up for me

 

Because others might be in the same boat there, I retyped the article for anyone on a slow connection or who can't view it.

 

Forget the prequals

 

Developed by much of the former Command & Conquer team over at new studio Petroglyph, Star Wars: Empire at War holds a lot of promise for strategy and Star Wars fans both. David Silverstein, the game's associate producer, had a lot to say in our recent interview with him. "It's not the same old traditional RTS experience or historical timeframe and fantasy genres," he declares. "You can create some great battles and really get a good Star Wars movie feel and gaming experience."

 

Obviously, the man has some good things to say about his own game. But from what we've seen and heard of the gameplay, Silverstein's praise is well-grounded in reality. For one thing, the scope of the project is hugely ambitious. Players will command all of the war efforts of either the Empire or the Alliance, both on a strategic (managing the movements of troops and ships on the galactic map) and a tactical (running individual battles RTS-style) level. Space combat, ground assults, building Death Stars - it's all by your orders. Even the best tactician has to have an army to win battles. "The galactic mode in Empire at War is played in real time and has an effect on spce and ground combat. The fleets and ground troops you build in glactic mode will be the fleets and troops you get to bring into combat when you attack a planet," says Silverstein.

 

As you can clearly see, Empire at War is far from another "me-too" RTS. "We tried to draw upon the fun and positive features of other RTS games as well as improve upon other features that aren't as fun," says Silverstein. "We don't have traditional resource gathering, like cutting stone or mining gold. We've removed the tedium from the process - it just didn't feel very Star Wars to have droids chopping wood." Instead, you'll have to hold planets that have industrial capabilities, or improve more primitive worlds. Ideally, this will divorce the economic aspects of the game from the fun of stomping around with a big army, while keeping that element still present and important.

 

As with any project that tries to break away from genre norms, it's not guaranteed that Empire at War will be able to deliver everything Lucasarts is promising. But with the RTS experience of the talented development...

 

Here the article ends, because it originally continues to a page we do not have. Also on the page we have:

 

The ultimate weapon

 

It goes without saying, given the timeline of Empire at War, the death star will make an appearance. This time, though, getting the thing operational is the player's responsibility. You'll have to hold the worlds of Geonosis (for its mineral resources.) and Kashyyyk (for the slave labor.) as well as have lots of experience building space stations to create the Death Star. Even then it'll still have those pesky exhaust ports... But surely some sort of legendary pilot would be able to defend those from a raging group of whiny rebels.

 

There are also some pictures and their captions, but nothing worth quoting without the appropriate pics. Hope that helps some people.

[Teradyn_pff]

NO no no no no no Teradyn Mon cals taste good with butter duh

 

but anyway 'twas interesting not much new info but still good

 

Duh, how could I forget the butter, or better yet, lemon butter! mmmmm tasty.

[Phantom_pff]

Thank you darkmark