Development Diary #5: Expeditionary Warfare, Raptor Troopers, Snipers and more!

A major new gameplay element is being worked on across the next few releases, with the possibility of launching invasions across the Galaxy...

After a lot of focus on ground warfare, I want to zoom out this week for a look at the galactic-level campaign. As the mod moves towards a Total War-style experience, a whole new category of galactic maps will become available.

Expeditionary Warfare And Trade Routes

Ever since Hyperspace explorers Gav and Jori Daragon discovered the ancient Sith Empire, control of vital trade routes has been crucial for warfare (and politics) in the Star Wars Galaxy. From the Hydian Way to the Corellian Trade Spine, these routes are as famous as the planets they lead to.

In existing campaigns, you typically have a certain region of the Galaxy, or else scattered planets across the Galaxy relevant to the particular story being told. So in the Orinda Campaign you have the key New Republic and Imperial worlds, and an emphasis on their disputed border. While in Vector Prime the scenario includes planets across the Galaxy that were a part of that novel.

The action is either confined to particular disputed regions, or else to story worlds.

But as we move towards v1.4 and the release of the TOTAL WAR experience, there will be a whole new set of campaigns in addition to the Historical and Infinities scenarios already on offer. These Total War campaigns will include a large number of factions set in their historical positions and, like a Total War campaign map, you set out to conquer the map from your initial starting base.

But we’re talking about galactic warfare, not just trying to control Europe with land armies. In Star Wars, a fleet can leave Kamino and arrive on Geonosis, or travel from Mon Calamari to Yuuzhan’tar/Coruscant in a matter of days or hours (assuming no gravity wells block your path).

So, in the new Total War scenarios, the Galaxy will contain all of the major Trade Routes, allowing you to whizz around the Galaxy to different regions quickly, just as Star Wars factions should be able to.

Planning is in an advanced state, and work has already begun. This is my work-in-progress map of the mod’s Galaxy map, with some of the main Trade Routes clearly marked.

Imagine: you could be playing as the Rendili Magistracy. You’ve built your fleet of Assault Frigates and Invincible Dreadnoughts. Maybe you want to conquer a particularly valuable region of space, rather than poor or else heavily defended local worlds.

In these maps, instead of having to slog through dozens of battles in a local area, you can go to a Trade Route and travel across the Galaxy: perhaps you want to send an expeditionary fleet to conquer the Tapani Sector, or you want to annex some of the Corporate Sector.

Free of the constraints of having to tell a particular story or follow the lore, we can take a historical starting position and then let a completely original campaign map unfold. You won’t just be confined to one area.

This will add a whole new dimension of gameplay, but it will also make playing as the dozen or so new playable minor factions I have planned hugely varied and enjoyable.

Now, these Trade Routes can be defended. But in the mod you will not be able to build space stations on them. Fleets travelling along these routes might encounter each other and fight a pitched battle; hegemonic super-powers like the New Republic might garrison them with defensive fleets; regional powers like the Hutt Cartel might do the same in their local area to control trade, as these Trade Routes will provide substantial income.

But that’s not all. There are a huge range of strategic options in these new maps: if you lose your home territory, you could find yourself as a refugee fleet or horde moving along trade routes trying to find a new home. Of you might find yourself suddenly surprised by an unexpected foe turning up. If you are the largest power on the map, you will want to try and control these Trade Routes to make sure you don’t have any nasty surprises. But that won’t be easy!

The existing historical maps already feature some of these Trade Routes, but they will largely remain as they are: to ensure the focus is on the stories those particular scenarios are exploring.

Raptor Troopers and NEW Stormtrooper Types

Now, I promised some pictures this week and I won’t disappoint!

v1.33 is bringing a new Raptor Trooper, with a whole range of different sub-types. Zsinj’s roster will feel completely unique, as the warlords continue to diverge and become more distinctive.

WIP texture for the new Raptor Trooper Squad Commander: standard Raptor Troopers will not have a command skirt. There will also be Plex and Sniper variants, among others - for a whole range of Raptor-themed infantry.

And that’s not all. As subscribers know, I’m introducing three different standard infantry classes: Light, Line and Assault. Each with different jobs to do.

I want each branch of the Imperial military to have its own type of each class, including the Stormtrooper Corps. The Unarmoured Light Stormtrooper will be a garrison unit (as seen in ANH on the Death Star) for Zero Command, and will be Warlord Harrsk’s light infantry type: