Thrawn's Revenge

Imperial Civil War [Empire at War] => Discussion, Suggestions & Feedback => Topic started by: Mitthrawnuruodo on June 27, 2015, 03:17:51 PM

Title: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Mitthrawnuruodo on June 27, 2015, 03:17:51 PM
Something I always enjoyed in other RTSes like the Dawn of War games is incorporating a little role-playing in the manner of shaping your forces to fit a theme and making your own little story in your mind behind your battles. My own example is an era 5 NR campaign with the idea that at this point, the New Republic is just repeating the same mistakes as the Old Republic, having become so corrupt and heavy-handed that they've started turning into a resurrected Empire themselves. This is reflected in using heroes with Imperial ships like Wedge and Booster, and using the biggest and heaviest units available like the Viscount, Nebula Star Destroyers, Heavy Trackers, etc. It takes time to form your themed forces and they're not always efficient forces to actually fight with, but it certainly is fun forging your own backstory while playing the game.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Lord Xizer on June 27, 2015, 04:37:47 PM
Interesting.  I like to try and put myself in the Warlords boots and recreate their battles.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: KommissarReb on July 18, 2015, 11:34:42 AM
Something I always enjoyed in other RTSes like the Dawn of War games is incorporating a little role-playing in the manner of shaping your forces to fit a theme and making your own little story in your mind behind your battles. My own example is an era 5 NR campaign with the idea that at this point, the New Republic is just repeating the same mistakes as the Old Republic, having become so corrupt and heavy-handed that they've started turning into a resurrected Empire themselves. This is reflected in using heroes with Imperial ships like Wedge and Booster, and using the biggest and heaviest units available like the Viscount, Nebula Star Destroyers, Heavy Trackers, etc. It takes time to form your themed forces and they're not always efficient forces to actually fight with, but it certainly is fun forging your own backstory while playing the game.

I think its awesome someone else is a DoW fan too.

Maybe when I learn how to make mini mods for ICW, I will make an Imperial Warlord Splinter faction that centers around myself.  :angel: IDK just a thought.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Revan0123 on July 18, 2015, 01:01:16 PM
My own example is an era 5 NR campaign with the idea that at this point, the New Republic is just repeating the same mistakes as the Old Republic, having become so corrupt and heavy-handed that they've started turning into a resurrected Empire themselves.
At least it's not the Galactic Alliance when it was led by a former Solo turned Sith Lord :P
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Revan0123 on July 18, 2015, 01:02:19 PM
I think its awesome someone else is a DoW fan too.

Maybe when I learn how to make mini mods for ICW, I will make an Imperial Warlord Splinter faction that centers around myself.  :angel: IDK just a thought.
Will you be like Palpatine and base your faction around OP superweapon ships? XD
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: KommissarReb on July 18, 2015, 02:35:47 PM
Will you be like Palpatine and base your faction around OP superweapon ships? XD

Not necessarily. My flagship would be a Sovereign-Class Super Star Destroyer, but I would only have a few SSD's at most. SSD's in my Empire would seldom be used for anything but defense.

If I did create my own splinter faction, I'd call it the "Berrasimmok Hegemony". I would make alliances and pacts with native species, and use Imperial ships, weapons, and troops to enforce order.

My empire would probably use turtle strategies, except I would launch offensives only as a response to attacks. If a faction attacked me, I'd attack them until I take over one of their planets. I would use probe droids a lot to spy on my enemies or potential foes, and use battle droids to support my ground forces. Like the PA, I'd use Imperial Navy Troopers extensively, and give them combat experience so they know what to do in a fight. Black would be their urban/temperate uniforms, but I'd use Sand/Snow troopers for more harsh climates.

I would also be a grey Sith using Force Lightning and Force Drain. I wouldn't follow the Rule of Two, but have multiple dark force users in my Empire that got their power from the Valley of the Jedi. It would be similar to the Sith Empire (Post-Great Hyperspace War), but those force users would be brainwashed from birth to be loyal to me and would not be permitted to abuse their powers.

Essentially my empire would be like the Galactic Empire except there would be less emphasis on conquest, Clone Wars-era ships mixed in with Imperial Ships, a lot less xenophobia, less corruption, and my empire would be smaller (being a splinter faction), and I would not be at war with the New Republic (unless they attack me). Now it seems like I just described the Pentastar Alignment, except my empire wouldn't necessarily be at war with the NR, or at peace with other Imperial Factions.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Revan0123 on July 18, 2015, 03:01:03 PM
Interesting backstory. I like it :)

You just had to hope no astromech unit comes onboard and reprograms your Sovereign to ram into another SSD  :D
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: KommissarReb on July 18, 2015, 04:23:54 PM
Interesting backstory. I like it :)

You just had to hope no astromech unit comes onboard and rams your Sovereign into another SSD  :D

That wouldn't happen. That kind of thing happening in any story is huge BS. I would have lots of security, including Dark Force Adepts who would have caught that astromech, then reprogrammed/destroyed it.

Where did you get that from anyway?
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: tlmiller on July 18, 2015, 05:55:51 PM
That's how the Eclipse II was destroyed in the novels.  R2-D2 takes control over the entire ship and rams it into the Galaxy Gun, causing the Galaxy Gun to shoot Byss, thus destroying Byss and all the armadas there.  Huge, stupid, plot bunnies that made the entire series go from a moderately well written (if incredibly lacking originality) story to absolute, utter shite not worthy of being used for toilet paper.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: KommissarReb on July 18, 2015, 07:51:59 PM
That's how the Eclipse II was destroyed in the novels.  R2-D2 takes control over the entire ship and rams it into the Galaxy Gun, causing the Galaxy Gun to shoot Byss, thus destroying Byss and all the armadas there.  Huge, stupid, plot bunnies that made the entire series go from a moderately well written (if incredibly lacking originality) story to absolute, utter shite not worthy of being used for toilet paper.

Can't argue with that. And I thought the movies Waterworld and Battlefield Earth were bad...  :o

I bet a four-year old could write better than Tom & Jim.   
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Revan0123 on July 19, 2015, 08:32:14 AM
Can't argue with that. And I thought the movies Waterworld and Battlefield Earth were bad...  :o

I bet a four-year old could write better than Tom & Jim.
I still say Battlefield Earth is worse.

Seriously? A combustable atmosphere that can destroy a whole planet?
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Pali on July 20, 2015, 04:36:03 AM
In fairness, in a sci-fi universe where ships have central computers that largely control the entire ship, the idea that another computer could hack into and override the control computer fits in pretty well.  R2-D2, as well as certain other astromechs within the EU (Corran Horn's partner Whistler, for instance), is across the board painted as having enhanced abilities compared to most astromechs, as well as specifically having advanced slicing skills (he hacks into the Death Star computer without trouble multiple times in A New Hope alone).

Honestly, R2-D2 is at least an equal to any other Star Wars hero, and arguably the greatest of them.  Counting the movies, EU and Clone Wars show, you can find a time where nearly every other Star Wars hero (not to mention a number of planets and billions of off-screen people) would have died at some point but for R2's actions.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: KommissarReb on July 20, 2015, 08:34:53 AM
In fairness, in a sci-fi universe where ships have central computers that largely control the entire ship, the idea that another computer could hack into and override the control computer fits in pretty well.  R2-D2, as well as certain other astromechs within the EU (Corran Horn's partner Whistler, for instance), is across the board painted as having enhanced abilities compared to most astromechs, as well as specifically having advanced slicing skills (he hacks into the Death Star computer without trouble multiple times in A New Hope alone).

Not all Star Dreadnoughts are run that way. He hacked into the Death Star Computer multiple times, but who's to say that the Imperials didn't let him do that? Keep in mind, Grand Moff Tarkin (or Vader, IDK) deliberately let the Millennium leave the Death Star so the Imperials could use them to find the Rebel Base on Yavin 4. He may have wanted R2-D2 to discover what he found.

Honestly, R2-D2 is at least an equal to any other Star Wars hero, and arguably the greatest of them.  Counting the movies, EU and Clone Wars show, you can find a time where nearly every other Star Wars hero (not to mention a number of planets and billions of off-screen people) would have died at some point but for R2's actions.

I don't care. In my mind, any "hero" who kills that many people with one single action isn't a hero at all.  I expect that from villains like Palpatine, but that's because he's the main antagonist of the Star Wars movies. Its different if it wasn't done all in one shot like eliminating an armada with an armada, or taking a near-equal amount of crew to do the job.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: kucsidave on July 20, 2015, 11:14:08 AM
I don't care. In my mind, any "hero" who kills that many people with one single action isn't a hero at all.  I expect that from villains like Palpatine, but that's because he's the main antagonist of the Star Wars movies. Its different if it wasn't done all in one shot like eliminating an armada with an armada, or taking a near-equal amount of crew to do the job.
Then you hate everyone in star wars. For instance, Luke became a mass murderer when he blew up the first death star(if we don't count the stormtroopers he shot down when he escaped with Leia). What do you think, a battle station as big as the death star must have heck of a maintenance group, whom are just simple engineers or stuff like that. If not that, we saw that the death star had heck of a prison complex. All the prisoners(so basically innocent civilians) died when luke shot that proton torpedo.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: KommissarReb on July 20, 2015, 11:33:34 AM
Then you hate everyone in star wars. For instance, Luke became a mass murderer when he blew up the first death star(if we don't count the stormtroopers he shot down when he escaped with Leia). What do you think, a battle station as big as the death star must have heck of a maintenance group, whom are just simple engineers or stuff like that. If not that, we saw that the death star had heck of a prison complex. All the prisoners(so basically innocent civilians) died when luke shot that proton torpedo.

That's different because a lot of X-wing & Y-wing pilots, along with the population of Alderaan, all died as well. I think its okay as long as there was not too much of an imbalance of casualties concerning something like this in particular.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: jordanthejq12 on July 20, 2015, 12:39:56 PM
War is a dirty business, and I definitely agree that it's a stupid plot bunny, but it's efficient. Instead of risking dozens of ships and tens of thousands of lives, R2 was able to remove the threat with minimum casualties. I'd think it's actually pretty awesome if the Imps didn't keep getting taken down like that.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: kucsidave on July 20, 2015, 01:10:47 PM
those rebel scum should have never opose the empire, then nobody would have had to die. They blew up alderaan to threaten the rebels. No rebellion, no planet blowing. simple as that.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: tlmiller on July 20, 2015, 04:59:41 PM
War is a dirty business, and I definitely agree that it's a stupid plot bunny, but it's efficient. Instead of risking dozens of ships and tens of thousands of lives, R2 was able to remove the threat with minimum casualties. I'd think it's actually pretty awesome if the Imps didn't keep getting taken down like that.

And therein lies the problem.  It was cool the first time.  After the 70th time in the SAME NOVEL...it's just become a stupid "I don't know any other way to make the good guys win and aren't a good enough writer to avoid these old, tired, stupid cliches"
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Pali on July 20, 2015, 06:42:28 PM
Not all Star Dreadnoughts are run that way. He hacked into the Death Star Computer multiple times, but who's to say that the Imperials didn't let him do that? Keep in mind, Grand Moff Tarkin (or Vader, IDK) deliberately let the Millennium leave the Death Star so the Imperials could use them to find the Rebel Base on Yavin 4. He may have wanted R2-D2 to discover what he found.

R2 pulls off hacks long before the Imperials even know that the Falcon's crew is still present - he hacks into the detention records and tractor beam schematics almost instantly while the Imperials think the freighter is a decoy due to the missing escape pods and no sign of the crew.  It's when they assault the detention center that the Imps first become aware that our heroes are present, and I suspect that it was then that Tarkin/Vader decided to try letting them escape and tracking them.

Quote
I don't care. In my mind, any "hero" who kills that many people with one single action isn't a hero at all.  I expect that from villains like Palpatine, but that's because he's the main antagonist of the Star Wars movies. Its different if it wasn't done all in one shot like eliminating an armada with an armada, or taking a near-equal amount of crew to do the job.

That's different because a lot of X-wing & Y-wing pilots, along with the population of Alderaan, all died as well. I think its okay as long as there was not too much of an imbalance of casualties concerning something like this in particular.

Um... the Galaxy Gun had already been used to destroy a few planets by the time R2 destroys it, as well as ships with hundreds of thousands of troops.  Even by your logic (which I find fairly strange), it would seem justified.

P.S. If an oppressive, racist dictatorship willing to murder billions of innocents in acts of terrorism isn't worthy of rebelling against, I don't know what is. ;)
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Revan0123 on July 21, 2015, 09:08:22 AM
Cause those planets, that the Galaxy Gun destroyed, were allied with the New Republic. It's simple propagan-sorry, truth  :D
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Mitthrawnuruodo on August 15, 2015, 01:19:00 PM
At least it's not the Galactic Alliance when it was led by a former Solo turned Sith Lord :P

I know, it's far cooler :P I'm torn over whether I Order 66 the Jedi again or pretend they're just going with it.

Other RPs I've come up with use the Pentastar Alignment's Clone Wars era units to play as any of the following: a group of Republic forces who fled the rise of the Empire, a resurrected Trade Federation and Banking Clan, or combine both side's units to make an unholy union of the former and Separatist holdout allies-of-convenience.

And a simple concept to realise, play FTGU as the Remnant and imagine you're the Remnant of the Remnant on its absolute last legs.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Pali on August 15, 2015, 07:24:44 PM
And a simple concept to realise, play FTGU as the Remnant and imagine you're the Remnant of the Remnant on its absolute last legs.

Hah, that's exactly what I'm doing in my current campaign.   ;D
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Mitthrawnuruodo on August 16, 2015, 11:11:03 AM
Mind you, it might make a bit more sense to play era 5 and just kill off all your heroes.
Title: Re: Role-playing with your forces
Post by: Pali on August 16, 2015, 09:22:45 PM
Mind you, it might make a bit more sense to play era 5 and just kill off all your heroes.

Yeah, but then you don't get to play with superlasers.