[Luvian]

D&D online has a monthyl fee.

I have Star Wars: Empire at War and I think it's fun.

There is 2 gameplay mode, maybe 3. Strategic map, rts space and rts ground.

In a typical game, You start out on the strategic map. This could be compared to Master of Orion. You have planets, and you can build buildings on them, so that they can produce different units and bonuses.

Planets are linked by hyperspace routes, you attack the ennemies from picking up a stack of units and droping them on an ennemy nearby planet. This would then start a space battle, if the system is defended. You have the choice of auto resolving or doing it yourself. If you do it yourself, it load up a rts space battle. You've got your ships, the ennemy has his plus his space station, you've got to blow up his space station and defeat his defense fleat. Once you're done you can send in ground troups to take over the planet. A similar battle take place, but on the ground. If the defender had military building on the planet, like barraks, those will spill out exrea soldiers every once in a while, so you want to destroy them, but you can't buy troops like in other rts game. You don't get extra reinforcement like the defender, but if you have bombers into orbit you can do bombing runs. To protect yourself from bombing run while defending you can build shield generators like on Hoth.

There is a campaign with a story, basically from a little before episode 3 to the destruction of the death star, or the destruction of the rebel if you're imperial.

The game is fun. Each faction has heroes, you get to control Vader, the Emperor, Luke, Han solo etc. You even get to build the Death Star and blow planet if you want. Most units have special skills, for example Imperial Star Destroyer have tractor beam.

There are plenty of units, like Correlian Corvettes, Star Destroyers, Tie, X-Wings, every know units plus some not so known ones. On the ground you've got speeder, swoop bikes, artilery, AT-AT, AT-ST... All the things from the movies.

If you're not interested in the strategy map, you can play more traditional 2-6 players rts matches. You pick a battlefield, say Hoth, you can add computer ai ennemies or play in multiplayer. You chose your faction, and this is the mode where you gain money by controlling resources, buy troops at barracks and such, and destroy the ennemy base. There are both space and land maps you can chose from.

[ 03-08-2006, 08:16 AM: Message edited by: Luvian ]