Rust Lord is right though.
There's a lot being given to this made up faction including the largest capital ship in the game. That makes no sense. The Empire must be an Empire.
I don't like making comparisons to StarCraft, but it was one of the greatest, most diverse, and most balanced RTS in gaming history. Now we have three factions and if any one of these factions was going to be the 'slow moving heavy-weights' take a guess which faction should fit that description. Take a guess which faction should fit the description of 'zerglings on land' (*cough*Stormtroopers*cough*). Take a guess which faction should be the mobile, adaptable Terrans (HaachhoooREBELS!) and who should be the tough yet micromanaging Protoss-like third faction (Pirates I guess).
Who should NOT get the largest capital ship in the game... Uh... Pirates...? Please. Don't tread on the empire, man. Keep the teams diverse! We shouldn't have Broadside-Cruisers on one side and Missle Cruisers on the other. Change it up a bit!
Not whining. I admittedly got very frustrated with this game initially. Really bad bugs and boredom (before modding) really irked a lot of our community and I admit I lashed out right away when they anounced FOC, but there are many things I'm hearing about this expansion that's making me have a new hope. It sounds really awesome, but then, of course... they go and... do something... add something totally contrived and...*sigh*... what shall we say, let's just call it the Jar-Jar curse?
Why does everyone automatically assume that the Underworld faction will be GIVEN the Eclipse? It's not as though they build it themselves; the Eclipse is under construction at some secret Imperial shipyard somewhere, and the Underworld campaign is centred on STEALING it from the Imperials. I'm thinking they'll get to use it in the very last mission, and that will be it. It might not even be available in Galactic Conquest mode; this is currently being discussed in a thread somewhere. The Eclipse is a plot device, not a unit per se.
Just to clarify because I know a lot of people on forums like to nit-pick on the slightest discrepancy whether it was said sarcastically or not. I read the witch is force sensitive and she is running around doing evil stuff. Sounds like a Sith to me, or are the devs further complicating factions? There was a time when users of the force where either good and bad. Now there seem to be some only in it for the money :p
I’m not against making criminals a faction, the game needs a third faction, and I agree that they have to use cunning and sneaky tactics to achieve their aims but if it is translating into galactic domination by force, including some pretty awesome warships then I don’t think much of it. It seems pretty clear to me after watching the demo that the capture of the Eclipse is central to the criminals plot and their victory will culminate in stealing it, using it and demonstrating their status in the galaxy. The agenda of this new criminal guy is not and should not be overthrowing ol' Palpatine and taking the chair himself. I highly doubt the Eclipse will be available in skirmish or galactic conquest. I think if there is an extra campaign for the rebels or imperials then it will be a usable unit, presuming it is part of those campaigns too, because somehow you have to be able to destroy it. The expansion may very well include only the criminals campaign and only they can get their hands on the ship.
The way their influence is going to be measured is a great idea. It will allow for control of a planet without having to get involved in alot of combat. In combat though, they should get some better ships than pirates currently get but nothing exceptional. Their strength should be in modifications and hampering the enemies production and effectiveness. What about sneaky stuff like a false transponder that many smugglers and bounty hunters were supposed to have that gives them the ability to appear as a friendly until you close right in to an advantageous position and let them have it, like German raiders in WW2. If their stuff is not the best then it is going to be cheap too. I am curious to see how comparable the criminals will be in skirmish mode when one of their strengths is to slow production?? This is something I would expect could only be done by a minor hero or above.
As for the scales, it’s a no brainer the scales are off, I agree, but I just don’t want to see the great game play messed up by some gimmick of including vessels half the size of the screen or more. It’s pretty ambitious. Time for a bigger monitor?
You know what, I won’t buy the game, not until I have played it and it impresses the hell out of me. If it doesn’t I wont buy it, I will shelve EaW and I will play something else (NWN2). However I think there will be some things in the game that I really do want to see like B-Wings and Interceptors, and wished had of been in the game from the start. I do think in the end the game will be pretty good and all the extravagances they are putting out there will be reigned in. A lot of it is just to hype the game up. Cant blame them, they want to sell as many copies as possible.
Sure I may sound like I am whining, but do I care…no. It just disappoints me when games get close to the mark but a few things let it down. I never thought of EaW in comparison to Starcraft, Tronus; very interesting and I think your assessment is pretty valid. And you are dead right about the broadside and missile cruisers; cant believe I forgot to have a whinge about that too ;p
I Highly Doubt ESSD would be a Planet killer and its a Capital Ship killer. But I revisit the fact if the ESSD is a Backround object (Like Death Star ) we WOULD NEED A SECOND SUPER WEAPON KILLER (Like red Squadron unless it is Luke) and you People need to learn to read. Tyber Zann Steals the Eclipse Super Star Destroyer. He does not Own it. He does not Build it. He Steals it in its Construction stage when Axil Super Laser is complete and brings in a fleet to attack the Ship yard or do the Han solo method and steal a shuttle Get on board kill its crew and Destroy the yard (Kuat or something.)
And If this Expansion was only for the Pirates Petroglyph would have Dug thier own grave of stupidity and a very Large Reconstruction Mod for Factions which would not be Hard (Due to Original Empire at War XMLs) Then make a few Tweaks :)
Wookiepedia says that the Eclipse featured in Forces of Corruption is a prototype, constructed early in the Galactic Civil War.