Realignment

[Vulcanus]

Good points about Thrawn and Shadow Hand and I don't disagree with them at all. I didn't mean that the Empire was stronger in raw military power under Thrawn or Shadow Hand, just as the NR wasn't in early post-Endor campaigns. Just observing that there is nothing to suggest that by 6 ABY the Empire had the military means to turn the tide until Thrawn arrived, and even if it still may have held the edge in numbers for a short time, it couldn't turn that into an effective force with demotivated troops, poor leadership and local troubles tying down most of the military.

For GC balancing, there should be significant reshuffling for the NR conquest of the Core to happen. I find little enjoyment playing era-advancing GCs as the Empire when you can just squash the NR in Era 1 and be done with it when there was no way that could have happened in-universe. Weakening the Imp starting fleets, adding some for the NR (+more powerful heroes with the leadership edge NR had) and changing the GC maps to allow the NR to bypass Duro, Corellia and Kuat on its way to Coruscant would help.

It would make Art of War so much sweeter for the Empire if you had to actually reclaim Coruscant as Thrawn or Palpatine instead of the entire campaign being one large clean-up operation where you only change eras to have some new units to toy with when you have already secured everything by Week 10.

[Pali]

Maybe have the NR start era 1 with Coruscant and Borleais linked up to Noquivzor, a decent fleet above Coruscant (maybe a pre-built ion cannon and Golans to make it harder for the IR to just instantly retake), and Isard starts in Lusankya above Thyferra?  Granted, after leaving Coruscant the rest of the Empire stopped listening to her orders, but we could forget that for the sake of gameplay - it's not like we could simulate the Krytos virus and the NR's bankruptcy for the time either.

[Lord Xizer]

Maybe have the NR start era 1 with Coruscant and Borleais linked up to Noquivzor, a decent fleet above Coruscant (maybe a pre-built ion cannon and Golans to make it harder for the IR to just instantly retake), and Isard starts in Lusankya above Thyferra?  Granted, after leaving Coruscant the rest of the Empire stopped listening to her orders, but we could forget that for the sake of gameplay - it's not like we could simulate the Krytos virus and the NR's bankruptcy for the time either.

I do like this idea. Also the earlier comments about NR heroes, perhaps add Nantz and buff the hero bonuses some to simulate that?

[kucsidave]

this is actually a good idea!
But if we're talking about heroes, may I say that the PA is still in a lack of heroes.
I think it might be a good idea to give them a TIE hunter squadron hero to further highlight it's importance in the Alignment.
I am very sad that in skirmish there are no pentastar heroes available at all, and this is because of the lack of heroes worthy of skirmish.
Out of 4 heroes 2 have SSD, so the only one worthy of space skirmish is Grant, which is not even close to enough.
I know that it is not heroes that make a fraction, but they can turn the fate of one.
It would be really nice to "link" heroes to places. like if you conquer Dathomir you get one, and so on with important planets. It would also give an importance to planets in the core as the PA.

[Lord Xizer]

It could work

[tlmiller]

The biggest problem is finding heros for the PA.  Since they were so little featured in anything, there's very little about them outside of the major characters.

[Pali]

It would be really nice to "link" heroes to places. like if you conquer Dathomir you get one, and so on with important planets. It would also give an importance to planets in the core as the PA.

Vulcanus's submod already does this, actually, granting the PA a number of different heroes based on taking certain locations.

[Vulcanus]

Maybe have the NR start era 1 with Coruscant and Borleais linked up to Noquivzor, a decent fleet above Coruscant (maybe a pre-built ion cannon and Golans to make it harder for the IR to just instantly retake), and Isard starts in Lusankya above Thyferra?  Granted, after leaving Coruscant the rest of the Empire stopped listening to her orders, but we could forget that for the sake of gameplay - it's not like we could simulate the Krytos virus and the NR's bankruptcy for the time either.

Or one could take it just a step backwards by having NR hold Brentaal that can be reinforced from Gyndine and the NR power base, Brentaal connected to Kuat (blocking it from IR's base) and Corulag (blocking direct path to Coruscant) as well as Champala (NR) that is connected to Noquivzor and Borleias (NR or IR), while Coruscant is blocked from Corellia by adding a NR held planet in Aargau and/or Vulpter southeast from Coruscant. In this set-up holding Coruscant would be hard for the IR and there would have to be some tough early choices made on which of the big three planets in Corellia, Kuat and Coruscant are fortified, while still giving the NR a very good chance to capture Coruscant no matter what you do as the player, setting up a challenging late-era GC for the IR.

Of course, playing as the NR, you'd still get the satisfaction of getting to liberate Coruscant.

[kucsidave]

Vulcanus's submod already does this, actually, granting the PA a number of different heroes based on taking certain locations.

Exactly.
If we think practically the small amount of mentions kinda leave a big open space for the PA to expand.
For example there were the Storm Commando leader Crix Madine, who used Hunters, and could be easily be given to PA as both space and ground hero.
In ground he could be a bit boosted Storm Commando, while in space piloting Hunters.

[Vulcanus]

Exactly.
If we think practically the small amount of mentions kinda leave a big open space for the PA to expand.
For example there were the Storm Commando leader Crix Madine, who used Hunters, and could be easily be given to PA as both space and ground hero.
In ground he could be a bit boosted Storm Commando, while in space piloting Hunters.

Madine was New Republic all the way.

[Pali]

Madine was New Republic all the way.

And deserved a far better death than he got.

[kucsidave]

Well, in wookiepedia they only written as Storm-commando and i assumed that he then be PA, as Ardus used them. Also there were absolutely nothing on his death.
Weird...

[Pali]

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Crix_Madine

Madine was actually in Return of the Jedi - he gave the briefing on the ground assault for Endor.

[Lord Xizer]

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Crix_Madine

Madine was actually in Return of the Jedi - he gave the briefing on the ground assault for Endor.

He was the first film character killed in the books. Shot by Durga the Hutt

[Pali]

He was the first film character killed in the books. Shot by Durga the Hutt

Hadn't realized that before, but you're right.  I still say he should've gotten a better end, though - Durga sucked.

[Lord Xizer]

Hadn't realized that before, but you're right.  I still say he should've gotten a better end, though - Durga sucked.

No argument there, where's a falling Moon when you need one?

[kucsidave]

Maybe there was a shooting star, and Durga wished he could kill someone important...
The revenge of the plot bunnies

[Revanchist]

Bellator . . . My dreams have come true. Now I can die in peace