Star Wars: Rebellion (video game)

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Star Wars Rebellion
Star wars rebellion box.png
Developer(s)Coolhand Interactive
Publisher(s)LucasArts
Director(s)Scott Witte
Designer(s)Scott Witte
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Real-time strategy, 4X
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Star Wars Rebellion (known as Star Wars Supremacy in the United Kingdom and Ireland) is a real-time strategy game released in 1998 by LucasArts and set in the fictional Star Wars expanded universe.

Gameplay[]

Although a RTS in the wider sense of the term, it belongs more to the genre of 4X games resembling Master of Orion. There are elements of turn-based games as well, as the events of each 'day' of game time are processed at the end of that day. The player commands the manufacturing of facilities, troops and starships, resources, fleet deployment, and mission assignments of units and characters (60 in all: 6 major, 54 minor, 30 per side) around the (up to) 200 available systems.

The player assumes the role of a military administrator and takes control over either the Galactic Empire or Rebel Alliance. The game interface consists of a map of the Star Wars galaxy and an advisor droid (C-3PO for the Rebellion and IMP-22 for the Imperials). The map consists of sectors of 10 systems each (the number of sectors is customisable to be either 10, 15 or 20), all known from the Star Wars universe. Some of them belong to 'unknown' regions and need to be explored while known systems can be either under control of one of the two main factions or neutral at the start of the game.

The player has to undertake colonization, diplomacy, creation of buildings and units, supervising of mines, refineries, and stockpiled resources, building and commanding fleets in a tactical mode, conversion of systems to one's own side through various means, recruitment of characters, and dispatching characters or units to systems or fleets, and finally the assigning of missions to characters and special forces.

Characters[]

Major characters are always available at the beginning of the game, while most minor ones must be recruited. Only major characters can embark on recruitment missions. The major characters for the Alliance are Mon Mothma, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa. The Empire's major characters are Darth Vader and the Emperor.

Minor characters will sometimes randomly be generated Force-sensitive and can be trained by certain Jedi characters (Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader) to augment their abilities (Luke must be a Jedi Knight). Characters can also enhance their abilities by conducting missions. Characters with higher Force ratings are better at diplomacy, espionage and combat, and can therefore conduct missions with a higher chance of success.

Some characters can be given military ranks by the player to put them in specific roles.

  • An Admiral increases a fleet's performance in both tactical battles and orbital bombardments.
  • A General increases the performance of troops and reduce the likelihood of successful enemy missions on a friendly planet.
  • A Commander increases the combat efficiency of starfighter squadrons.

Unit management[]

There are several kinds of buildable units. Each kind can be constructed by one of three construction facilities.

  • Installations are buildings on a planet's surface or in orbit. They can be construction facilities or defense installations.
    • Mines produce raw material from planets, while refineries refine them into processed materials that can be used for construction. Both increase maintenance and thus allow for larger military forces.
    • Construction Yards build other installations.
    • Troop Training Facilities create troop regiments and special forces.
    • Shipyards construct starships and fighter squadrons
    • Planetary cannons attack assaulting or bombarding starships and troop transports or defend units escaping a blockade
    • Shield generators defend everything on the planet from orbital bombardment
  • Troops are used to conquer and defend planets, and to claim uninhabited systems.
  • Starships can blockade systems, unleash orbital bombardments and be the platforms for planetary assaults. They can carry troops and starfighters up to their respective limits and an unlimited number of characters and special forces. Ships are grouped together in fleets. When opposing fleets meet at a system, the battle between them is fought at the beginning of that 'day'.
  • Starfighters can be stationed on planets or capital starships and are built in squadrons of 12 apiece. They can fight in fleet battles, and have bombardment power and detection ratings.
  • Special forces include spies, saboteurs, and long-range reconnaissance teams.

As research progresses, new units and facilities become available for construction. Research can be sped up significantly by ordering characters with the corresponding ability to conduct design missions. Characters can have the ability to research facilities, starships or troop designs.

Encyclopedia[]

Every element of the game has its own encyclopedia-like 'card' with a short description and abilities sheet. This amounts to a total of several hundred encyclopedia cards.

Objectives[]

The standard objective set of each game is to take the HQ of the enemy (Coruscant or the mobile Rebel base) and capture the two leaders of the opposing side: The Alliance must capture Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine while the Empire must capture Luke Skywalker and Mon Mothma. Before starting a new game, the player may select the alternative objective set which only requires the destruction or capture of the opponent's HQ.

Tactical interface[]

Most of the game is played in the Galaxy view, where the player can manage different systems. When two enemy fleets meet, the player can switch to the tactical interface, which allows control over the fleet in a real-time space battle.

Story[]

The game starts right after the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the Death Star. The Galactic Empire is ready to strike back against the Rebel base of Yavin IV, while the Rebel Alliance is readying to move to another system.

Apart from the given time of the beginning, the game stops being story driven, and the scenario expands freely. Although events of the later movies might occur (like the capture of Han Solo by bounty hunters and the construction of a second Death Star), or are even scripted to happen, (like the Jedi training of Luke Skywalker), the player can change or avert some events of the canonical timeline, including such things as not migrating to Hoth after Yavin, having Luke become a Jedi Master before he even meets Vader or the Emperor, creating more than one Death Star or even lead the Empire into victory.

For gameplay purposes, many elements of the game are randomized at the beginning. For this reason, troop, fleet, and resource locations, as well as the allegiance of most planets, do not reflect canon information.

Reception[]

The game received poor reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[2] Next Generation said, "LucasArts should start looking more closely at what it slaps the Star Wars brand on, as consumers will be less likely to forget or forgive."[10]

According to PC Data, the game was the U.S.' 18th-best-selling computer game during the January–November 1998 period.[13]

The game won the award for "Most Disappointing Game of the Year" at GameSpot's Best & Worst of 1998 Awards.[14] It was also nominated for "The Underachiever Award" at IGN's Best of 1998 Awards, which ultimately went to Trespasser.[15]

Macworld saw LucasArts' 2006 game Star Wars: Empire at War as a successor to Rebellion.[16]

References[]

  1. ^ Gentry, Perry (March 23, 1998). "What's in Stores This Week". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Star Wars Rebellion for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  3. ^ Dembo, Arinn (April 16, 1998). "Star Wars: Rebellion". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  4. ^ Ocampo, Jason (April 7, 1998). "Star Wars Rebellion". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on November 6, 2003. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  5. ^ Cirulis, Martin E. (July 1998). "Got a Millennium to Kill? (Star Wars Rebellion Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 168. Ziff Davis. pp. 172, 177. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  6. ^ Shaw, John (April 17, 1998). "Star Wars Rebellion". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions, Inc. Archived from the original on August 27, 2002. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Bergren, Paul (June 1998). "[Star Wars] Rebellion". Game Informer. No. 62. FuncoLand.
  8. ^ McDonald, T. Liam (April 8, 1998). "Star Wars Rebellion Review [author mislabeled as "Tim McDonald"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 12, 2004. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  9. ^ Airainecer (February 11, 2013). "Test: Star Wars Rebellion". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "[Star Wars] Rebellion". Next Generation. No. 43. Imagine Media. July 1998. p. 117. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Trotter, William R. (June 1998). "Star Wars: Rebellion". PC Gamer. Vol. 5 no. 6. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 10, 2000. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  12. ^ Argy, George (May 1998). "[Star Wars] Rebellion". PC PowerPlay. No. 24. Next Media Pty Ltd. pp. 68–70. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  13. ^ IGN staff (January 4, 1999). "Best Selling Games of 1998". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  14. ^ "Best & Worst of 1998 (Most Disappointing Game of the Year)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 18, 2000. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  15. ^ IGN staff (January 29, 1999). "IGNPC's Best of 1998 Awards". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 27, 1999. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  16. ^ Holt, Chris (June 3, 2010). "Star Wars: Empire at War". Macworld. IDG. Retrieved August 25, 2021.

External links[]

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