The campaign is huge.
I have placed over 9,000 pirate units into 158 planets, and that's just the space forces! We have also re-written all of the planet historical texts, many of which contain valuable information about the potential forces on the world.
The range of units is just as vast as the quantity. There are now more than 250 different unique pirate units in this campaign, compared to the, er, 12 pirate units in the current version!
The number of starting locations for each faction has also been expanded to 8 planets each, some in the Core and some in the Rim. While your core planets may have reasonable facilities, the Rim worlds are new and pretty much devoid of technology and have considerable scope for development. I should also warn you that the AI forces have been given some hidden headstarts, especially with respect to their economy, as I expect AI forces to take heavier losses in battle than you do.
It does take a wee length of time to load, but as they say 'Good things come to those who wait'. You need to be patient on this bit.
Don't worry though, we will release a Light version of GFFA with many of the minor planets removed, for users with older PC's so that everyone can enjoy the work, age of PC not withstanding! And of course there are still the Core Worlds, Inner Rim and Outer Rim Campaigns, which are simply sections of the entire GFFA campaign, so be assured, you will get to see the full universe in all its glory one way or another. This is a campaign for all to enjoy.
Scope and scale
The scope of space forces is fairly well documented in my previous post, but I can at last reveal some of the older model ships that many of the pirate forces use:
Gamma-class ATR-5 Assault Transport - CW-era iteration of the sturdy transport
Action V Transport - the most popular model in the Action line
Action VI Transport - as the famous Wild Karrde
GR-45 Medium Transport - the civilian version of the GR-75
CR70 Corvette - like the Tantive IV originally
DP10 Gunship - the ship that launched the DP line
Super Transport VII Bulk Cruiser - predecessor to the Imperial's escort carrier
Valiant-class MC40 Luxury Liner - such as the Kuari Princess
Super Transport IX Bulk Cruiser - a gigantic container ship
Liberty-class MC80 Star Liner - pre-militarised version of the MC standard
Independence-class MC120 Star Liner - galactic equivalent of the Titanic
Just remember, this is just 11 units out of the 250 total!
I am pleased to say that the re-vamp of land forces is also in progress, although on a more modest scale compared to space.
Still, many changes have been made.
Across the galaxy you will meet a range of forces, from the Imperial and Rebel troops that you already know to a whole subset of civilian and criminal society that gives depth and variety to the Galaxy.
Civilians range from unarmed urbanised cannon fodder to grizzled colonials with ancient hunting rifles, as well as those who actively work in the spacing sector, and are therefore used to the rigours and dangers of inter-planetary travel. Some have naturally made this living a career choice and you will also find many smugglers in the galaxy.
There is also a thriving criminal community, ranging from street gangsters, thugs and gang members to the type of major career hood that takes care of problems with a 'direct and personal' service. Even nastier fringe elements can be found in the darker corners of the galaxy, with violent corsair-pirates, outlaw slavers and bounty hunters that specialise in live capture or the deadly death-mark hunters and assassins. Many of the tougher criminals carry outlawed weapons and can deal with a range of threats in a swift manner.
Naturally, some worlds have a strong law-enforcement segment to deal with these hoods, and you will find many types of police, mercenaries, ESPOS and SWAT-type auxiliaries protecting the innocent.
We also have your usual mix of vehicles, tanks, juggernauts and repulsor-craft, including the following new land units, currently only available to Pirate forces:
Digger-Crawler - a millennia-old tracked mobile mining facility
All-Terrain Attack Pod - formerly known as the Pod Walker
IG-72 Combat Droid - luckily this proved to be too irritable for widespread sale
P-series Droideka - the original
Infantry Support Platform - formerly known as the Swamp Speeder
Bantha-II Cargo Skiff - formerly known as the Pirate Skiff
Storm-IV Twin-Pod Cloud Car - of Bespin fame
X-34 Landspeeder - a civilian model
RHHT-6 Transport - A repulsorlift speeder truck
All of the original Rebel and Imperial vehicles are in the mod, albeit changed to their correct names.
You should also be careful that you don't waste fire on the many non-combat units when you should be concentrating on the units that fire back!
Structural development
We have also massively expanded the range of structures, to a total of over 15 garrisoned buildings with additional defensive structures, mines and other buildings. Each structure will have a different garrison mix, based on the variety of different units already described. The problem is you can't easily tell from the outside which is which. You will also find that most planets contain several different structures, instead of the original single pirate barracks, which made the old campaign so mind-numbingly dull.
I intend to give each planet a different look, by blending the garrisons, cantinas and factories, to give you a feel for the planet, its people, and their way of life. Even if a planet is seen to have 6 garrison structures from space, you won't know till you land if they are filled with unarmed civilians or the worst sort of violent criminal, so be prepared for some heavy land fighting.
With the 9,000 pirate fleet units already placed, I expect to add a further 1000 or so ground units and structures, and this, together with the Empire and Rebel starting forces will easily smash the 10,000 unit barrier and give you a campaign to die for.
Edited by Phoenix Rising, 28 November 2008 - 08:18 PM.
