Naja

Our apologies if we came off as saying that, Delphi. We know that it will be moddable, it's just that we...don't...trust...LucasArts. We're apprehensive about having to get our modding software through them.

I think another important thing to consider as to why some people are so incensed is that a lot of claims about the game have been contradicted at such a late point in the game's development. "Barely noticeable pop cap" --> 20 max for space, 10 max for ground defense That's one of the examples, and frankly, I find them to be legitimate reasons to be a tad peeved. So while true, Phantom, we have not seen the meat of the facts, we still are quite aware of the existence of the facts; and when these facts are touted as one thing only to be contradicted by the same people a mere few months from release, then I believe it's a classic example of not having to put your hand in the fire to know it's hot.

I agree with DMUK...let's differentiate between the two: we are pissed about aspects of the game we were tacitly guarenteed slowly being proven to be false; we are NOT pissed at Petro devs, nor are we inclined to shoot the messanger.

The Star Wars franchise is only worth more in GDP than a small Carribean island. Why doesn't someone like Timothy Zahn just usurp George Lucas already? It'd be a classic palace coup.

Right. One of the greatest aspects of this game that so attracted me was the notion of unequel warfare! The Empire has the advantage in the obvious respects, and the Rebels in the others. It's a classic Sun Tzu situation! If the population cap restriction does indeed introduce a foux 'equality' of forces, then blahh.

Delphi said very recently that the game won't be immediately moddable outside the box, and will require outside software in order to mod it. In other words, the moddable properties will have been blocked off. While we believe that Petroglyph (themselves all being die-hard gamers) would love for us to mod the game to our heart's content, it is most probable that LucasArts wants the properties restricted to reserve novelty for an EaW expansion pack or sequel. At least, that's what the more cynical of us are starting to believe.

Yes, like a lot of you, I'm quite bitter about some of the more recent announcements about the liliputian scope of population caps during battle, the possible lack of moddability, and all that, but I've also noticed a more disturbing pattern: And that is, whenever they seem to reserve an answer to a major question, unlike most instances, it's always bad news. Example the first: "Will there be an SSD?" Answer: "We'll tell more about that later." Reasonable expectation: "It's not a yes, it's not a direct no - they wouldn't be dick-teasers like this unless they were hiding its existence." In most real life situations, this sort of answer is a tacit yes. From the answer to "Will you go out on a date with me?" to "The President has not denied or confirmed whether____", a coy smile and a maybe often point to yes. Actual result: No SSD. Example the second: "Will there be a population cap?" Answer: "We'll tell more about that later." Subsequent answer: "The population caps will be barely noticeable!" Most recent answer: "No more than 20 population units per space battle, no more than 10 for the defender in a ground battle." Example the most recent: "How moddable will this game be?" Immediate answer: "Very mod friendly! XML and LUA will allow you do wonders with this game!" Recent answer: "The game will not be inherently moddable. You'll have to go through LucasArts to get the required modding software, if they feel so inclined ['if they're not planning to restrict modding to make room for an expansion/sequel']. Prove to me my wrongness!!!

This all depends on how moddability is handled. Everything that we are dissapointed about rests on it. If LEC decides to be cool, and more or less universally provides the correct tools (or at the very least, provides the tools to all serious modding groups like Legacy of War), then the dissapointments are negligible; we'll just change them to our liking, and then have a truly 100% kickass game as a result. If LEC decides to be...well, a bunch of suits who value short-term revenue over long-term quality, then EaW may very well end up like Battle for Middle Earth - obsolete and forgotten to the very impulse RTS gamers that the game would be pitched to; like a used up (censored) with broken teeth, left to die in a dark alley.

No, no worries. I'm still looking forward to this game. It's just a little bit of a kick in the teeth to hear a game touted as "very mod friendly" from its own devs, only to hear months before the game's release that modding will depend on seperate software provided from the game's greedy, non-commital parent company (LucasArts).

Wesolych Swiat! (Polish for 'Merry Christmas!')

The only thing that I'm honestly sweating about is the moddability of the game. It's obvious that there are a lot of creative people that want to put their own spin on EaW, but the fact that the game will need additional software to mod? That strikes me as a little draconian. At least, that's how it sounded to me. Like C3PO, I'd love to be wrong.

I hope I'm taking this too far, I really do. But EaW not being moddable right off the shelf? Is LucasArts trying to suffocate its first good Star Wars game in several years? I wouldn't be taking this so hard if the moddability of this game wasn't reinforced so constantly for months, and confirmed by devs themselves! My only hope is that the "tools" (most likely SDKs, I presume?) are going to be universally available to anyone who wants them, and not held on a choke chain by those mental invalids at Lucas Arts.

Makes me wonder: since the Empire needs to own those two planets to build the Death Star, is there going to be any other technology that's dependant on ownership on any number of planets?

You can just blockade a planet. Winning the space battle over an enemy world in no way forces you to immediately begin a ground assault. A blockade can be useful: while you still don't own the world and its resources, the enemy cannot profit from any of the resources that come from that world you've just blockaded. Rock.

I mean shit, if they have something as antiquated as the Acclamator, I wouldn't understand their reasoning at all.

Both your guys' Imperials' Santa hats look like Yamakas.

Is RoR going to mod it so that the bodies of infantry that are killed remain on the ground and do not dissapear? If so, are there going to be any other changes to unit destruction graphics?

Even if unit balance still is loopy after the game is released for whatever reason, it is probably the single easiest value to mod. Graphics look decent online, I'm sure they'll look pants-crappingly good when they're on my high-res system.

Yeah, the AT-AT doesn't look nearly as imposing as it should, in comparison with all of the other WEAK FOLK!

Is there any solid information on the release date of the demo?

We don't know that. We know that planets are capable of rebelling, and that popular support will play some sort of role. Didn't Delphi somewhat hint towards diplomacy being an option in the game? In any case, I'm sure that there will be a political benefit to the Death Star being constructed. Maybe several neutral planets will join the Empire simply out of fear.

Like I've said, I think they're deliberately making the Imperials lose; for whatever reason. I mean, look at the way he was playing the game: he was clicking "move" into hostile fire. He wasn't using "attack move," when he was targetting specific units he was targetting them carelessly (like not keeping track of Vader when he's in a shitstorm of artillery fire ), and he didn't focus his units' fire on one enemy unit at a time(most basic RTS rule in the book). Conclusion? Good guys kicking ass is good advertising. Every new review tells the direct opposite: the Imperials are a near-unstoppable war machine. Calm yourselves.

AT-ATs can generate Stormtroopers and have them rapell from cables. The Empire still seemed to get its arse kicked in the most recent Gamespot showing of it, but I think it was mainly due to how the player was using his forces (moving his forces, rather than attack-moving or having a group of units focus fire on one enemy unit, etc).

Smugglers and bounty hunters sounds pretty likely, although we do have the Hutt Palace for that, so who knows. A long time ago, in an interview far, far away, I recall hearing that cantinas are y our general purpose recruitment buildings. What that translates into eludes me. Perhaps this means that you have a "base" recruitable body that you need before you can begin constructing ground units?

Accuracy would be a huge factor...and one that modern RTS's haven't quite gotten the hang of. That's the main reason why they have to use rock paper scissors formulae so that a bazooka trooper can mysteriously soak up tank shells. Or a TIE Fighter turbolaser fire, for that matter...