Star Wars capital ship-vs-capital ship games?

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Of all Star Wars games I know about, none seem to be specifically about capital ship-vs-capital ship combat where you captain a capital ship in an attempt to defeat other capital ships and space stations (much like Starfleet Command I-III or Bridge Commander if you ever played those games) where one can capture other ships, target a ship subsystem, boost sensors or shields, and in SFC3, microjumps. I wonder why there seems to be no such Star Wars games... but also what kind of player wouldn't want to captain Star Destroyers (if you're a classical trilogy fan) or Droid Control Ships (if you're more of a prequel buff) in combat?

Even the closest equivalents (Empire at War) seem to have both a ground component and a space component and, while the space component does feature craft each with their own strengths and weaknesses, it does not feature the level of detail in how a captain can control a capital ship that the SFC series does.

I understand that Star Wars lore seems to be more small craft-based than capital ship-based, however, in the sense that the major canon characters seem to mostly fight in fighters or other small craft (Millenium Falcon being the best-known example) than capital ships - it seems that capital ships play more of a supporting role in SW lore (or at least those without superweapons mounted on them), despite their importance in space combat.

 

[Jeron Verity]

[member="Charzon Loulan"]

Do you mean Flagship versus Flagship? I don't feel there are any or many games that do large-vessel combat as it's less personal than a starfighter. But in the Clone Wars episodics and movies, they did mostly or equal large-vessel and small-vessel fighting. In the Old Republic and Rebel Era, they mostly were Large-Vessels for enemies (fewer) and more small-vessels for the goodies because of, what I can only guess, resource and time. Old Republic saw mostly a few 3km ships and mostly 500m ships, while the most iconic Rebel ships were the Freighters and Corellian Corvettes. So towards the games, this was what happened, unfortunately.


Battles like Star Trek Online where the players can run in with the biggest and baddest, well... I love Commanding over Piloting. So I agree.

I love Droid Control Ships

 

[Jsc]

Space combat makes zero sense in SW. Ask any physicist. So it's hard to really jump into, imo. I sorta prefer Mass Effect physics myself. Besides. As long as there are better alternatives like EVE and Steam games? Who cares.

As for why so few games. Erm. That's a discussion about LucasArts, money, forecasting, and the games industry of the 90's itself. Ya know. History, mostly. Now? Sure. What Disney does with it moving forward? Well... We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Cyrus Tregessar]

There is a lack of such games in general. Even those that claim to be about large ships have controls or a sense of scale that are functionally identical to space fighter sims.

But there is Star Wars Armada, which is a board/miniatures game that is all about the fleet battles. It's fucking fantastic too.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Empire at War has big ships hammering each other. It's kinda cool.

 

[Onyx Stygian]

A good way a game like this could balance out is if players chose Crew, Pilot, or Soldier. Where crew run the ship, whether it's using the turrets, repairing systems, or just anything the ship needs. Pilots obviously pilot the smaller ships, both fighters and landing ships. The soldiers would simply be the infantry, guarding their ship from sabotage and assault, or boarding the enemy craft to wreak havoc. Imagine how hectic it would be to be a crewman running up and down a ship to repair and maintain it, or a pilot who keeps dropping off boarding parties.

They could even make it so there's either a two ship battle using flagships or larger conflicts with smaller craft. (I dunno, entire thing is rough idea)

 

[Xiarr Sair]

[member="Valiens Nantaris"]

"It's kinda cool".

Calling Empire at War "Kinda cool" is a HUGE understatement.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

@Xiarr Sair
Your mileage may vary.

 

[Ylva Alfrún]

Star Wars games have been nerfed for years and plagued by tons of issues (many of which having to do with what Lucas himself was willing to authorize for publishing).

They've always had a great potential, but throughout the Lucas era, no one ever took full advantage of that potential. Exceptions are BFII, Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast/Jedi Academy, the old X-wing/TIE Fighter, and a couple of others. But for the most part, SW games have been bleh over the last twenty years.

 

[Cyrus Tregessar]

Well since this thread is already kinda necro'd.

Hey [member="Valiens Nantaris"] or anyone else, got a recommended mod list for EaW? Preferably of the Total Conversion kind that expand both the strategic gameplay and make the space battles more interesting/longer/slower.

Basically I'm looking for the Stainless Steel (for MTW2) for EaW. Assuming it's not already the 'Revenge of Thrawn' mod. Alternatively, what's the best Star Wars mod for SoaSE?

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Cyrus Tregessar"]
There's a good one (fate of the republic?) which goes from Clone War to New Republic with tech. It's pretty good.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

[member="Cyrus Tregessar"]

I don't recall what the mod is I think it might be Imperial Civil War or something, but it gives a whole bunch of scenarios from various points in the Galactic Empires history including the Dark Empire under a reborn Palps, and the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn. It's pretty fun.

 

[Cait Falcor]

SW: Armada handles this on the table-top level, but is probably at a price point that exceeds what a lot are willing spend on it :/

Sadly the "Ship to ship" combat arena has been left utterly barren.

Also, getting the Starfleet Command games to run on modern windows PC's is also problematic :C

 

[Druchi]

I actually have a small budding Imperial fleet for Armada, ISD and a Raider corvette for now. I've played a little with a friend and I really enjoy it. As for capital ship warfare there is a game Empire at War which you really need the Thrawn Mod to make decent I used to play a little league of it with some friends. But even just setting up a few AI to watch them duke it out in a multi flagship combat was quite fun. Suddenly the map filled with Star Destroyer wrecks and TIE fighters. It's a very dated game but it seems to be what you're about.

 

[Verz Horak]

I actually have a small budding Imperial fleet for Armada, ISD and a Raider corvette for now. I've played a little with a friend and I really enjoy it. As for capital ship warfare there is a game Empire at War which you really need the Thrawn Mod to make decent I used to play a little league of it with some friends. But even just setting up a few AI to watch them duke it out in a multi flagship combat was quite fun. Suddenly the map filled with Star Destroyer wrecks and TIE fighters. It's a very dated game but it seems to be what you're about.

I've got a Victory-II, two Gladiator-IIs, a Raider-1 and a Gozanti flotilla in my fleet.