Preamble

Hello everyone, and this week we are doing something "different." Instead of continuing my self-flagellation with the Final Fantasy franchise, I decided to take a much-needed break. This week I elected to tap into one of my "true" obsessions in life, the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The impetus for this blog is simple, a few weeks ago Disney announced they were launching a new batch of Star Wars comics set in the "Legends" timeline. For those "not in the know," the term "Legends" applies to all formerly canonical storylines before Disney purchased LucasArts. Some of the most popular story arcs include the Thrawn trilogy, Operation Shadow Hand, the Yuuzhan Vong Wars, Jacen Solo's fall to the Dark Side, and Natasi Daala's rise to power. For fans of the original Expanded Universe, it was an exciting announcement, and one met with universal praise.

However, and I lament we have to address this matter before continuing, I do not despise the current batch of Disney movies. While I have a few misgivings about The Last Jedi, I would be hard-pressed to declare it objectively "bad." It's a fun romp for a new generation, and the minds in charge of the franchise should be allowed to experiment with the series' formula. Simply put, I don't refer to the Disney films in mocking tones. To me, doing so comes across as biting the hand that feeds you. Even more, Disney has thrown quite a few bones to dedicates fans like us. In fact, several of our favorite Legends characters have returned to the Star Wars canon! Speaking of which, let's run down a few examples:

1. Admiral Thrawn is back thanks to Star Wars: Rebels. Other Star Wars Legends characters like Gilad Pellaeon have joined him as well.
2. Disney tapped Timothy Zahn to write a new trilogy of Thrawn novels, and he's mostly in charge of the current Star Wars Expanded Universe.
3. As mentioned earlier, Marvel Comics is launching a new series set in the Legends timeline.
4. Several Marvel characters are back in the canon thanks to a variety of Easter Eggs. That includes Jaxxon, the motherfucking rabbit!
5. The Black Sun played a significant role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Additionally, the Zann Consortium has been referenced in official Star Wars novelizations.
6. Valance the Hunter is canonical, and he's still a badass!
7. Ancient pre-KOTOR conflicts like the Hundred-Year Darkness and Great Hyperspace Wars are canonical.
8. If you like the Old Republic era of Star Wars, then it may comfort you to know that Darth Bane is canon, and he's a cool looking samurai.
9. Several Star Wars video game characters are canonical. The most prominent example is Dash Rendar who appeared in the novelization of the Halo Solo standalone film.
10. Finally, and this is a "BIG ONE," the Yuuzhan Vong are back in the canon! This time around they are called the "Grysk," but Timothy Zahn describes them as having "sloping foreheads and skull-like faces."

Hopefully, all this prattle shows that it is an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. But, what in the world does any of this rambling have to do about Star Wars: Empire at War? Well, when I heard they were rebooting Marvel's Star Wars comic line, I decided to give Empire at War another shot. Unfortunately, with the game and its expansion pushing fourteen years, I found its engine and pathfinding to be "wanting." I wouldn't say the game is "horrible," but instead an artifact from a by-gone era. Likewise, the ground battles in Empire at War are, and always have been, a major sore point. They are sluggish, hard to manage, and no fun to play. Luckily for all involved, the modding community for Empire at War is as active today as when the game launched!

Today I will be looking at FOUR total conversion mods in hopes of being able to share my Star Wars fandom, and personal feelings about each modification. This blog is in NO WAY a complete representation of what is out there for Empire at War. For fuck's sake, there's a modification that recreates the Halo universe and another that pits the world of Dr. Who against Stargate. As I said, the community here is surprisingly active! If you own Empire at War on Steam, you will find many of these mods on the game's "Workshop" page. Similarly, I encourage all of you to give the game a try especially if you enjoy classic RTS games.

Mod #1: New Jedi Order Compilation Mod v0.7

Time and time again, I have argued there are two types of Star Wars Legends fans. There are those who say the Yuuzhan Vong represents too significant a continuity break from the original series. On the other hand, there are those who like "fun." Honestly, the post-Endor Star Wars storylines are among my favorite in the Legends timeline. Ignoring when Luke fell in love with a ghost, or anything involving the Sun Crusher, this era is a treasure trove of enthralling and charming characters. Which leads us to the Yuuzhan Vong, a much-needed addition to the standard Star Wars formula. Similar to a prescription of insoluble fiber, the skeletal warriors from another galaxy offed consistent legacy characters, thus allowing the Legends cast to stand on their laurels in future story arcs.

When you stop and think about it, it's SHOCKING how poorly represented the New Jedi Order arc is in video games. The entire storyline came from R. A. Salvatore and was a perfect fit for virtually any genre! You could go the RTS route due to the series' emphasis on warfare and tactics, or the action-adventure route due to the inclusion of several self-contained origin stories. Equally important, the New Jedi Order had an uncanny ability to make even the most benign footsoldier a character worth following. Maybe you don't know who Finn Galfridian is, but I do, and he's a true hero! And if there's one thing the New Jedi Order Compilation Mod does right, it's the inclusion of virtually every possible significant figure from this era.

Speaking of which, the New Jedi Order Compilation Mod is a complete celebration of the Yuuzhan Vong War. There are other scenarios you can simulate, such as the ones involving the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium and the Empire of the Hand. These campaigns provide bite-sized maps that pit two factions against each other, thus allowing you to learn its mechanics better. These are all well and good, but the real appeal of this mod lies in the campaigns that tackle the Yuuzhan Vong War. From the get-go, things appear as they should seem. When playing as the New Republic, you manage a militarized government struggling to keep itself together. The Yuuzhan Vong, on the other hand, gain an early lead thanks to a deluge of powerful biotechnological warships. The attention to detail by the authors is impressive, and to think they worked within the game's limited toolset is an even more stunning feat.

Additionally, this mod leaves virtually no stone unturned. For example, it features the most exhaustive list of recruitable heroes of any of Empire at War's mods. Almost every member of the Hapan Dynasty is represented, as well as fan-favorites like Garm Bel Iblis. Likewise, every conceivable New Jedi Order era-specific starship is represented. Whether it be the diverse fleet of the Yuuzhan Vong or the laughable TYE-Wing, everything you could imagine is here. If there is one nitpick worth mentioning, it is the textures of the Yuuzhan Vong starships. Their unit models seem like low-poly versions of everything else in the game.

Unfortunately, the historical accuracy of this mod leads to its most pressing issue: it is flat out impenetrable for newcomers. Simply put, if you do not know your shit, you are doomed. By design, none of the "normal" Star Wars icons exist anywhere in the game. Those only familiar with the movies will struggle to play along with the game's rock-paper-scissors mechanic. Everyone knows their A-Wings and X-Wings, but to be successful here, you are going to need to know your E-Wings, V-Wings, and K-Wings. On top of that, the optimal build paths for the factions are not clearly defined unless you know its reference material by heart. This problem is worse for factions such as the Yuuzhan Vong which require a lot of trial and error, but I bet plenty would struggle to remember this era of the New Republic was building Bulwark Mark IIIs instead Mon Calamari MC80s.

Verdict: Despite these misgivings, I would recommend people check this mod out for the pure novelty factor. If you are a huge Star Wars Legends fan, it is one of the only video game representations of the New Jedi Order.

Mod #2: Awakening of the Rebellion 2.6 & 2.7.1

If instead of a faithful recreation of the fringes of the Star Wars Legends timeline, you would rather play a fun rendition of familiar territory, look no further than Awakening of the Rebellion. This mod takes the base game and ramps it up to eleven. It adds new heroes, planets, and story missions to vanilla EaW. On top of that, the author's included the Black Sun as a playable faction. Honestly, I prefer the maps that exclusively pit the Rebellion against the Empire, but I am aware plenty enjoyed playing as the Zaan Consortium in Forces of Corruption. If that is you, then you'll undoubtedly enjoy controlling the Black Sun under the ward of the legendary crime lord, Xizor.

While on the surface it may appear to be a reskin of vanilla Empire at War, the opposite is true. Awakening of the Rebellion adds an abundance of new content while also fixing one of the most pressing issues with the base game. The main problem I have with vanilla Empire at War is the playable nations begin to lose their distinct qualities in later eras. Mercifully, that is not the case in Awakening of the Rebellion. Here, the Rebels always utilize hit and run tactics to divide the Empire's enormous fleet and employ its bevy of heroes. Correspondingly, the Empire needs to pool its resources to plan top-heavy invasions while also organizing pitched battles elsewhere. The result is Awakening of the Rebellion plays out like a game of intergalactic chess.

As mentioned earlier, I much prefer the maps that pit the Rebellion against the Empire. Not only do these scenarios better lend themselves to Awakening of the Rebellion's roleplaying sensibilities, but they also provide a more tactical experience. When the Rebellion goes toe-to-toe against the Imperial Navy, they have to rely on their starfighters to counter larger Star Destroyer models. Whereas Imperial players have to shore up their finances to churn out a disposable, yet endless, fleet of dreadnaughts. Additionally, the heroes perfectly fit the needs of their respective factions. The Empire has a team of Admirals and Field Marshals that reinforce their armada. On the other hand, the Rebels utilize a diverse mix of scoundrels, generals, pilots, and political leaders.

Furthermore, this mod, along with the next two we will talk about, features a surprising amount of production values. Not only does it have a custom made opening story crawl, but there are user-made cutscenes as you progress the campaign. Moreover, each faction has a suit of story missions that guide your progression on the galactic map. While these serve to throw in a bit of storytelling flair, they also oversee the player's progress, thus making the mod more accessible. The consequence is the single-player campaign takes some "liberties" with the Star Wars canon. For example, the Imperials can recruit Thrawn to prevent the destruction of the second Death Star. Which, now that I think about it, is more of a positive than a negative.

If there is one black mark against this mod, it is its inclusion of the Black Sun as a playable faction. Xizor and his Leia kidnapping escapades sucked back in the day, and they suck now. More fundamentally, the Black Sun employs the groan-inducing "corruption mechanic" from the Forces of Corruption expansion pack. It's a fun feature to use when you can take advantage of it, but it is a colossal pain in the ass if you are on the receiving end. In summary, corruption allows certain factions to siphon credits, steal technology, and bypass enemy defenses when invading opposing planets. As such, it's a handful to deal with, and only a select few hero units can remove it from the map.

Verdict: This mod is a "MUST OWN" and is a fantastic gateway mod to other community offerings related Empire at War.

Mod #3: Republic at War

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is a low point for the Star Wars franchise. To many, myself included, it represents everything wrong with the Star Wars prequels. The sad thing is the supporting media for Attack of the Clones is more than decent. Whether it be Genndy Tartakovsky's animated micro-series or the criminally underrated 2008 Clone Wars TV show, the actual Clone Wars have provided fans with streams of memorable moments, storylines, and characters. Ahsoka Tano immediately comes to mind, and she's by far one of my favorite Star Wars Expanded Universe characters.

Which leads us to Republic at War, a total conversion mod for Empire at War that attempts to recreate the Clone Wars. This mod, unlike the others on this blog, is entirely a one vs. one affair. Players can either control the Confederacy of Independent States (i.e., CIS) or the Galactic Republic. Each faction employs a myriad of heroes pulled from Star Wars Legends and canon. Again, anything that contains Ahsoka Tano gets my stamp of approval. On top of that, Republic at War takes a note from Awakening of the Rebellion and doubles down on the asymmetrical nature of both factions. The CIS, for example, takes advantage of a fleet of droids and swarms opponents via brute force. Finally, in terms of overall gameplay, the mod correctly emphasizes starfighters instead of massive dreadnaughts.

In a lot of ways, Republic at War reminds me of the board game, Memoir '44. Like several of the campaigns in Memoir '44, each faction has a different but viable pathway to victory. The CIS has an early technological advantage and needs to conquer planets from the get-go, or otherwise risk falling behind the Republic's military-industrial complex. The Republic, on the other hand, plays defensively for the first two eras before being able to counterattack the Confederacy's enormous number advantage. It takes some getting used to, but the result is an oddly compelling asymmetrical match of chess. However, the added benefit is you know the mindset of your opponent in every campaign.

Nonetheless, this sentiment is ignoring the dozens of hero units who can be significant game changers. While the Republic often struggles to stave off swarms of droids, the use of a few Jedi can quickly rectify that shortcoming. Likewise, the CIS can employ an array of bounty hunters who can discreetly assassinate the leaders of the Republic. The use of Star Wars icons and asymmetrical gameplay leads us to the best aspect of Republic at War. While certainly not on par with the final mod we will be examining, Republic at War features a faster and more cinematic experience than vanilla Empire at War.

Because you are controlling two entrenched factions gearing up for a war, there's no "dead time" where you and the AI spend hours assembling fleets. Indeed, massive naval battles and land invasions pop off within minutes of starting a campaign. Which oddly enough, leads us to the three most common complaints about Republic at War. The first being the Republic's Acclamator assault ships SUCK ASS, and I can confirm this to be the case! The second criticism relays the mod's faster tempo representing too much of a gameplay break from vanilla EaW. While I view this change as a net-positive, I have to admit there is a significant learning curve when transitioning to Republic at War. The final issue returns us to those heroes I mentioned earlier. Flat out, some of the heroes, especially the Jedi, are BROKEN!

Verdict: This mod is a "MUST OWN" for anyone who enjoyed the Clone Wars animated series and wants to relive that universe in an RTS.

Mod #4: Thrawn's Revenge: Imperial Civil War 2.2.5

Now it is time to tackle the "big daddy" of the Empire at War modding community. Thrawn's Revenge: Imperial Civil War is by far one of the most compelling user-created mods I have ever seen. Not only is this mod still being supported with updates, but it has an additional modding community that designs quality of life additions for Thrawn's Revenge. Thrawn's Revenge is an enormous total conversion mod that attempts and succeeds in recreating the entirety of the Star Wars Legends timeline from the Battle of Endor to the final moments before the Yuuzhan Vong War. There are eight playable factions and thirteen era-specific campaigns to enjoy. The smaller scenarios feature fan-favorite storylines such as the Bacta Wars from the X-Wing novels and Operation Shadow Hand from the Dark Empire comic series. These smaller scenarios provide more accessible starting points instead of the standard Galatic Campaign which features over one hundred planets.

Now if I am allowed to go on a bit of a tangent, I want to talk about Admiral Thrawn, the namesake of this mod, and why he's one of the best characters in Star Wars canon. While all you motherfuckers have been debating if The Last Jedi is "good," I am over here reminding everyone that Star Wars Rebels is the best thing to bear the franchise's name in ten years! A significant reason for this was the show's inclusion of Grand Admiral Thrawn as its antagonist from seasons three to five. For once, the Imperials felt like a threat not guided by plot convenience. It was a massive breath of fresh air to see a Star Wars villain outsmart the protagonists without the use of a super weapon. Finally, his meditative nature allowed Star Wars Rebels to embark upon its best storylines.

With that aside, let's talk about Thrawn's Revenge! This mod not only provides a total conversion of the Empire at War we know and love, but it also rehauls several of the base game's core mechanics. As mentioned earlier, the pace of the combat is faster than any rendition of Empire at War I have ever seen. From the start, the Imperial Remnant has Ysanne Isard blundering with her Executor-class Super Star Destroyer; the New Republic hits hard with several MC80 Home One types; Thrawn attacks from the Unknown Regions under the banner of the Empire of the Hand; all of the significant Imperial Warlords (i.e., Zsinj, Ardus Kane, and Blitzer Harrsk) are armed to the teeth. Consequently, Thrawn's Revenge reforms the overpowered nature of EaW's hero units. In this mod, if a hero dies in combat, they are permanently removed from the game.

Above all, this mod is a pure love letter to the Star Wars Legends timeline, as it allows you to live out power fantasies and "what if" scenarios in real-time. Equally impressive, each faction evolves as the match moves from one era to the next. The clearest example is the Imperial Remnant which juxtaposes from several disparate but interesting war philosophies and leaders. In one age you play under the careful tutelage of Grand Admiral Thrawn, and in the next, you steamroll with the cloned Emperor and two Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyers. And if you cannot win by then, don't worry, because Natasi Daala is waiting to lay waste on everything that stands before her. As you might suspect, how you play the game evolves in response to these timeline shifts, and in some cases, these are not insignificant changes.

It is worth mentioning some factions evolve more than others, but that adds to the fun. Nations such as the Pentastar Alignment or Zsinj's Empire have to win the game within the first two to three eras or otherwise risk becoming irrelevant in the late game. As such, whether you or the A.I. control them, these factions must go for broke right from the get-go. Other nations, such as the New Republic or Empire of the Hand need to play a careful waiting game until their best units unlock. At any rate, the mod's "Era System" rehauls Empire at War's tech-tree. The eras make the progression of time contingent on the player's actions rather than an arbitrary set of design criteria. There are still missions to complete, but you always feel like you have enough time to enjoy each era for as long as you would like.

My fawning should not be interpreted to mean Thrawn's Revenge is "perfect." Several of the new units have severe pathfinding issues, and the A.I. can be needlessly frustrating. Furthermore, several of the shorter scenarios run the gamut in quality. Some are resolved in a single session, and others require hours of careful planning. The mod also has a multiplayer feature, but unless you enjoy continually fighting Executor or Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyers, I would advise you to avoid it at all costs. Finally, there's a steep learning curve to Thrawn's Revenge due to it unpinning virtually everything you know about Empire at War. I think this is to the mod's benefit as I have always found vanilla Empire at War to be too slow and methodical for a Star Wars RTS, but it's worth mentioning. Even then, this is by far a MUST PLAY for anyone with even the slightest nostalgia for Star Wars. Virtually everything is here, and it is afforded a great deal of love and respect.

Verdict: This is one of the most significant total conversion mods I have ever seen. If you own a copy of Empire at War, you MUST play this mod right now! It's that good! It has Thrawn, Issard, Zsinj, and Daala! What's not to like?