Brilliant Strategical Starwars Game

Beyond being a Starwars game it absolutely has the best components for a strategy game. This summarize the Galactic Battlegrounds. It has characteristics of Red Alert, Warcraft, Age Of Empires, Settlers and Civilization.

In strategy games, producers create a world. Units and buildings are the main objects. In most games we see only a limited number of those, possibly around 20 different. Also environmental issues are not very well implemented. For example in some you gather wood, gold and hunt for food. But the number of gathered materials are few in militaristic strategy games. In Galactic Battlegrounds the gathered materials are:

Food:

Farms: Workers plant a farm and gather food. By time it must be rebuilt.
Bushes: Given by the start of the game and is gathered. Finishes by time.
Animals: Workers kill Nerfs and collect food from them. By time the amount of food gets low due to bacterial issues.
Animal Nursery: Animals are send to a building and food is obtained from this building. Animals don't die in there.
Sea: Fish given by the start of the game is gathered.
Fish plant: Sea workers produce plants and gathers food. By time it must be rebuilt.

Carbon: Gathered from trees. Main material for building.
Ore: Used as money.
Nova Crystal: Necessary for some troops and buildings.

As you see there are too much sources to be considered. This makes the game more realistic. A very good thing is that you can see what your workers are doing by numbers. The numbers are shown in the bottom right corner. Idle workes can be selected by pressing a flashing warning icon.

Food, Carbon, Ore and Nova Porduction centers are different and can be built near those sources. You don't have to build those but they have upgrades and it lowers the carriage distance. Even workers can be upgraded several times. Carrying capacity, speed and armor is upgraded.

You can trade with friendly federations. Sometimes it becomes a must. Further the trade route is more the profit is made.

In most games there is a limited number of units. I had no chance of counting but I think each federation has around 30 or 40 different units. There are sea, air and ground units. Most games don't include sea or air fights. Also there are invisible units.

Many units can be selected by once and a shortcut number can be assigned to those. This number is not limitless but probably 45. Buildings can also have numerical shortcuts. Those who played Starcraft will remember Scanning option.

Units from the same kind can be selected by double clicking on that unit.

Hit penalties and bonuses are extremely important. If a unit is anti air use it just against them. Trying to demolish a turret with those will cause total destruction of those troops. For example a cannon is said to have 200 damage points but against buildings this is 400.

The number of buildings are nearly the same. When a number of Food and mineral is gathered Command Center upgrades Technology level and new buildings can then be built. This upgrade brings opportunities for upgrades in existing buildings. Also unit upgrades are a lot. Walls can be built around the base. Walls are also upgraded from Light to Medium and Heavy walls. Defensive and Militaristic and General buildings are in the game. Militaristic buildings trains units. Defensive are walls turrets and etc. General are the food, upgrade related ones. A building that creates a unit can set a rally point. Power buildings increases production speed and some buildings must be in the radius of those. Shield generators creates a shield to buildings and units that are in the radius.

Some buildings can be captured by Jedi or Sith. Some buildings are more resistant to capture and resistant can be upgraded.

In original game there are 7 chapters. Those are consisted of levels. As far as the upgrade manual says an additional 200 units and some chapters are added. Chapters are in chronological order but you can start playing from any of them. The Starwars history is the main theme of the scenario. There is a complicated training chapter. As game concepts are large in number this tutorial provides great help. Also there is a Databank section that informes about the historical facts.
There is a chapter dedicated to Darth Vader, to Chewbacca and another to Princess Leia.

There are heros and Jedis. Padawans can be trained from Jedi or Sith temples. Heros are given by the game and must survive.

Technology is very important. Upgrades follows others. Tech Tree gives necessary relations and prerequisites of buildings, units and upgrades. It is like the Civilization tech tree.

First I thought the game would not be too challenging but later I understood that if I don't fight wih the correct troops it becomes very hard. The artificial intelligence is average. In long travel distances troops may go from the wrong way or stick between trees. But if the enemy troop is attacked by stronger troops and there is a base nearby it may escape to there. Air units generelly don't do that as they can attack anyone.

Environmental and building graphics are really good but units are very small. You can differ them but it could be better. Some units are very slow. This is really good as many games treat different units the same speed. Speed can also be upgraded.

There are no Intros mission briefing is dull. Only some text is displayed and voiced. Some pictures are shown. This game surely deserves much better intros and movies.

Any but any unit we have seen in the movie is in the game. Also there are additions. This upgrade mainly concentrates on the Second Movie. You need the original game to install the expansion. It also includes the demo of Jedi Knight II.

This game is not just a Starwars game, Lucasart did a great game. The engine of this game should be used for many other games.