[ICW] Playable Faction Profile: Corporate Sector Authority

[Corey]

We've shown off a little bit in terms of feature changes being made in 2.3, but it's time for us to take a look at the new playable faction being added to the mod, the Corporate Sector Authority


As always, if you prefer to see these news posts in video form with some (very early) footage of the CSA and their units in action, I've done a video version of the news post on Corey Loses:






Leader: Executive Officer (ExO)
Capital: Etti IV

Historical Overview

"CSA attorneys can find a loophole even when there isn't a loop." - Klin-Fa Gi

The Corporate Sector originally began as an administrative division at the end of the Tingel Arm within the Galactic Republic, 490 years before Yavin to mediate disputes between corporations and the galactic governing body. This allowed corporations to acquire large swaths of space which were allegedly devoid of sentient life, though this often proved to be untrue and caused many armed conflicts between the original inhabitants and the new corporations. During the Clone Wars, the Corporate Sector would largely support the Confederacy, however some companies remained at least nominally loyal to the Republic. This group formed the Galactic Corporate Policy League, which supported Palpatine in his bid for power within the Republic. Over its existence, the Corporate Sector seemed to gain some increasing level of self-determination, with some level of independence having been gained in fact if not in law by 27 BBY. Under the Empire, the CSA would buy up significant amount of Clone Wars surplus, including the entirety of the Corporate Alliance's remaining assets and other CIS equipment. It was also expanded to up to 30,000 systems under the Empire, and soon after the Declaration of the New Order by Palpatine, the Corporate Sector officially organized into the Corporate Sector Authority, which was granted a significant level of autonomy even under the Empire. Many citizens who tried to flee the Empire, hoping for a better life in the CSA would quickly find that the CSA could be equally draconian. After Palpatine's death, the CSA attempted to remain neutral and sell to both Imperial and New Republic clients, although many in the New Republic felt the CSA to be as bad as the Empire, or worse. Despite these attempts, the CSA found themselves under the thumb of Warlord Zsinj for the year before his death, and Grand Admiral Makati died fighting to keep the CSA territory under Imperial control.

The CSA in Thrawn's Revenge

"The Corporate Sector is completely by the book, and when they feel they are right, according to that book, there is no stopping them." -Reen Irana

While we've added several new playable factions over the years, all of these have been Imperial splinter groups since the first release with the New Republic and Empire of the Hand. The CSA is the first of a few upcoming factions which breaks that trend and offers the chance for us to work on not just a set of more unique rosters, but also opens us up for a few other new gameplay mechanics within these playable factions which we'll be going over as we continue with previews. With the CSA, this will generally mean some some different interactions with corporations and mechanics based upon their leadership. As a military-surplus based faction there is still quite a bit of overlap with the existing factions in their space roster, however on land an entirely new roster within the mod has been added using a mix of the Clone Wars surplus and the equipment of the Espos, a very well-armed police force within the CSA Security Division. The CSA will be playable in several existing galactic conquests, including all eras of the era progressive GCs, as well as being the focus of another more local galactic conquest, focusing on their conquest by Zsinj, as well as the events leading to Makati's death.

Thrawn's Revenge has always focused on making our own assets rather than using free released or otherwise collected assets, but many of the assets for the CSA are being developed in cooperation with Phoenix Rising, another EaW mod made by one of the Thrawn's Revenge developers, Evilbobthebob. If you want to check out the CSA in that mod, you can do so by clicking here.

Roster Overview

(Green denotes the unit is fully implemented ingame, yellow that it's nearly done)

Space Unit Roster
Lucrehulk | Invincible | Bulwark Mk III | Bulwark Mk I
Recusant | MTC | Gladiator | Neutron Star | Dreadnaught | Dauntless | Victory-I | Victory-II
Etti Light Cruiser | ILH-KK Citadel | Gozanti | Nebulon-B | Marauder
Authority IRD | Preybird | Authority IRD-A | #2 Warpod | Mankvim-814 | T-Wing | Skipray Blastboat

Ground Unit Roster
Espos | B1 Battledroid | Droideka
Espo Walker | K-222 | SX20 Airskimmer
X10 Groundcruiser | Strikebreaker | GX12 Hovervan
Persuader | JX40 Jailspeeder | Corporate Alliance Artillery

[t78]

Is there any particular theme/ combat style for the CSA (for both ground and space)? From the video of the ground combat it looked like fast aerial units with slug-throwers, though I can only presume.

[Corey]

Yeah, there's a lot of physical projectiles and old fighters.

[Vlado87]

It is nice to see new units in mod but can I suggest that you put providence dreadnought for CSI.

You have several good units from corporate and I think that mod would be much more interesting also with those units in mod.
space - starviper fighter, skipray, Crusader-class corvette, Aggressor-class Star Destroyer, Keldabe-class battleship
land - Vornskrs, Droideka Mark II, MZ-8 Mobile Pulse Cannon, F9-TZ Transport, Missile Attack Launcher, Canderous-class assault tank,

[Magus]

[deleted]

[Mr.Puerto]

It is nice to see new units in mod but can I suggest that you put providence dreadnought for CSI.

You have several good units from corporate and I think that mod would be much more interesting also with those units in mod.
space - starviper fighter, skipray, Crusader-class corvette, Aggressor-class Star Destroyer, Keldabe-class battleship
land - Vornskrs, Droideka Mark II, MZ-8 Mobile Pulse Cannon, F9-TZ Transport, Missile Attack Launcher, Canderous-class assault tank,

The providence deadnought just give the CSA way too many CIS assets, its fine staying with the Greater Maldrood.

The Skipray, Crusader class, and Keldabe class are already in the mod.

There's alot of units that you want that only have exclusive use with the ZC and wouldn't really work with the mod.

[Corey]

Yeah, ZC/Mandalorian stuff doesn't really fit with the CSA.

[Vlado87]

How I now Greater Maldrood have providence carrier destroyer not providence dreadnought (bigger and stronger version of providence carrier destroyer).

Give Droideka Mark II to Zsinj (replace droideka MK I with MK II).

You can made that whan CSI conquer Mandalor can build Canderous-class assault tank and Keldabe-class battleship only on Mandalor.

Maybe you can made Confederation (Mandalorians, Hapes, Bothans and fondor) , yes I now thats this is from second galact. war but it would be interesting

Maybe subjugator heavy cruiser but without those super ion weapon in CSI

[Mr.Puerto]

How I now Greater Maldrood have providence carrier destroyer not providence dreadnought (bigger and stronger version of providence carrier destroyer).

Give Droideka Mark II to Zsinj (replace droideka MK I with MK II).

You can made that whan CSI conquer Mandalor can build Canderous-class assault tank and Keldabe-class battleship only on Mandalor.

Maybe you can made Confederation (Mandalorians, Hapes, Bothans and fondor) , yes I now thats this is from second galact. war but it would be interesting

Maybe subjugator heavy cruiser but without those super ion weapon in CSI

I still think that would be redundant, considering its just a bigger providence, there's probably better ships out there that fill the role.
Zsinj won't have a Droideka period since that's moving over to the CSA
There's really no point to having the Canderous tank buildable on Mandalore, same with keldabes, but you can capture the one that sits over Mandalore.
Confederation as you said is way out of the span of the mod.
No, that wouldn't make too much sense given the history of the CSA and the history of the subjugator

[Vlado87]

Well CSA was in beggining weak but if they conquer more planets and become richer then they would search better and stronger warships and weapons. It is normal to commanders and leaders to buy some better weapon and ships when they have more money (more planets) so subjugator buildable only on Calamary moon was interesting option.
Yes it is old ship from clone wars but it is also very strong and powerful ship and with some new tehnology and weapons can be enough strong for imperial and post imperial era.

Or maybe this suggestion for new ship
https://pre00.deviantart.net/6125/th/pre/i/2009/138/f/1/nova_hvydd_by_miragenight.jpg

[Mr.Puerto]

Well CSA was in beggining weak but if they conquer more planets and become richer then they would search better and stronger warships and weapons. It is normal to commanders and leaders to buy some better weapon and ships when they have more money (more planets) so subjugator buildable only on Calamary moon was interesting option.
Yes it is old ship from clone wars but it is also very strong and powerful ship and with some new tehnology and weapons can be enough strong for imperial and post imperial era.

Or maybe this suggestion for new ship
https://pre00.deviantart.net/6125/th/pre/i/2009/138/f/1/nova_hvydd_by_miragenight.jpg

The CSA was already quite strong and rich, so they already have access to the ships that they would want already. And there's just no point to having the subjugator in at all

[Corey]

The CSA bought up surplus, but no matter how rich they get, they can only buy stuff that was actually produced in large enough quantities. The stuff you've suggested there is basically just slotting an entire Mandalorian faction into the CSA, which doesn't really work thematically, or the most obscure Imperial stuff, which again doesn't fit with th idea of being surplus. Unit overlap is already enough of a problem in the mod, we don't want to continue exacerbating that.

[DarthRevansRevenge]

so i assume in coming updates that after Zsinj's death these guys will be a pain in that GC?

i like these choices for the CSA

no thank you,the Subjugator as not an option. the last of those died with the holdouts

where did you find that Nova heavy destroyer? because that looks very unique

very well done, are you still working on the Hapans? for that will be another unique faction

[Mr.Puerto]

so i assume in coming updates that after Zsinj's death these guys will be a pain in that GC?

i like these choices for the CSA

no thank you,the Subjugator as not an option. the last of those died with the holdouts

where did you find that Nova heavy destroyer? because that looks very unique

very well done, are you still working on the Hapans? for that will be another unique faction

The CSA will probably be difficult to conquer, unless you had a pretty decent fleet gathered. So it will be painful to deal with them. Also if you are the CSA, it will also be a bit harder to deal with expanding as well, because it'll just be difficult to get yourself going in terms of your military.