Dev Diary #31: Imperial Navy fleet reserves! SIX new (old) ship types
The Empire is getting a lot of extra obsolete naval surplus units in the next release, amid the huge expansion of their roster made possible by new systems.
Greetings! The Galactic Empire’s roster is being dramatically expanded in the next release, and a big part of that is their Naval Surplus Yard, which is going to provide access to a whole range of new old units not available to the Empire in the current public build. I’ve written previously about the highly customisable Star Destroyer squadron loadouts you’ll be getting.
This system will also provide a source of relatively cheap units that can be accessed in an emergency. And they will be available across all eras too. This is really exciting in terms of adding new flavour, in enabling lots of different fleet combination options and of course for fans of Clone War era units. But it is much more than merely adding on Venators and Acclamators to the Empire.
Because in v1.34 the Empire will have no fewer than six capital ships available from the reserve yard, offering some unique, older squadron spawns as well.
Here they are…
Praetor I
The KDY successor to the Procurator, below, the Praetor is outclassed by modern warships, but it can still be deployed usefully as a second-line battleship and for planetary security. It is heavily-armed, though its weapons are of course old.
Spawns: 2x T.I.E Starfighter, 2x Skipray, 1x LAAT/i (Space)
Procurator I
An ancient, lumbering warship currently available to the Eriadu Authority. It has low yield turbolasers by modern standards (it is two centuries old) but it has powerful shields and can, in extremis, serve as a flagship - especially against early New Republic ship types like the many MC80 variants coming in v1.34.
Spawns: 2x T.I.E Starfighter, 2x LAAT/i (Space)
Venator
The ship that needs no introduction. It carries early Empire-era fighters, on the basis that the Empire refitted its Venators and Acclamators to carry TIEs, as seen in vanilla Empire at War. We can speculate that these ships would have been placed in surplus at some point around or prior to the Battle of Yavin, so they are configured for Imperial, not Republic fighters. Though I’ve let them retain their LAAT/i (Space) squadrons.
Spawns: 4x TIE Fighters, 4x TIE Targeters, 2x LAAT/i (Space)
Gladiator
A classic ‘early Empire’ ship design. It is found in the mod in warlord service, especially for Zsinj’s Empire. But I wanted the Empire to retain access to this design too.
Spawns: 1x TIE Fighters, 1x Skipray, 1x Delta DX-9 Storm
Acclamator II
The more anti-capital variant of the Acclamator. It has far fewer squadrons but remains useful against frigates, or as fire support for larger warships.
Spawns: 2x TIE Fighters, 1x TIE Targeters
Acclamator I
The ship that needs no introduction. Like the Venator, it is an Imperial-era, not a Republic-era configuration. Hence TIEs and not V-wings. But it too keeps its LAATs.
Spawns: 4x TIE Fighters, 3x TIE Targeters, 2x LAAT/i (Space)
See Steam mod description for all model credits 🙏
Now if you do want Acclamators flying Torrents and ARC-170s, you’ll have to hold out for ‘Age of Legends: Reconquest of the Rim’ which I’d love to make about the early Imperial period, one day, if I ever have time…
For now, I hope you’'ll be satisfied with a look at all of the ship types above constituted as reserve force fleet in this battle preview video..