In comes Forces of Corruption, an expansion pack which manages to do the rarest of things: not only does it address some of the design problems in the original game, it also adds new gameplay options and a lot of new units.
Forces of Corruption is set during and after the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi time period. It introduces the Zann Consortium, a third faction led by the cold, methodical, but witty Tyber Zann. After escaping from the Kessel spice mines and settling his old rivalry with the hated Jabba the Hutt, Zann is intent on getting rich as quickly as possible. The goal of his Consortium is not to conquer the entire galaxy… it is to own it. Starting out with outdated ships and technology, Zann uses his troops to seize Empire and Rebel vehicles and weapons alike, thus creating a hodgepodge army capable of withstanding either of those aforementioned factions.
The key to success is the possibility to corrupt planets. This is a new option that was not available in the core game. It is done by moving a Defiler unit, recruited at any Consortium-controlled planet, to the “Spread Corruption” slot of any enemy planet. This begins the corruption process. Depending on the type of planet and prerequisites, there are up to 8 corruption options to choose from: intimidation (which requires a ground combat mission to intimidate a senior planetary official), piracy (which requires a space combat mission), kidnapping (which requires a special tactical mission) and 5 options that need to be unlocked. These are: racketeering (this enables the Consortium to get a cut of any action resulting from combat), bribery (this allows the Consortium to get special favours and information from officials), corrupt militia (which causes the natives to fight for the Consortium), black market (which makes illicit technology available for purchase) and slavery (which forces the local population to become combat units).
Interestingly, while the Rebels and the Empire often needed to conquer certain worlds before being able to move on to the next one in Empire at War, the Consortium is able to bypass corrupted planets in order to strike at a more distant world. They can still try to conquer worlds in the same way the two other factions can, but the added option of corruption greatly enhances gameplay and the longevity of this game. It also risks to tip the game balance slightly towards the Zann faction, as skilled strategists will have an advantage over the Empire and the Rebels. Still, even in multiplayer mode, we have found that the balance certainly isn’t disrupted badly, and it’s a lot more fun to be pitted against two other factions than against a single enemy.
Both the Empire and the Rebellion are able to detect corruption and remove it. However, they often aren’t very eager to do this right away, as they actually receive benefits from this taint themselves. This includes cheaper production, faster build times and smugglers that do not timeout when siphoning credits on corrupted worlds. There’s a trade-off, of course, as allowing a world to get more and more corrupted also gives Zann more and more power.
Three of the new characters presented in this Expansion – self-proclaimed leader Tyber Zann, his second-in-command, the ancient hand-to-hand fighter Urai Fenn, and the devious, force-wielding Nightsister Silri – are able to access the Black Market to purchase new technology. It’s often a good idea to have multiple Black Markets available, though, as prices vary in relation to the Empire or Rebellion tech levels.
The Advance Base Layout allows players to organize troops and structures better, Outpost Build Pads can be captured in Skirmish mode, orbital bombardment is finally possible (and it looks pretty cool, as well), the maps are a lot bigger than before, Mobile Defence Units provide build pad functionality on a mobile platform and can be deployed just about anywhere on the battlefield, bunkers offer more tactical opportunities, troop transports are introduced, and units can be set to use their special abilities automatically.
Those are not the only new features available. Some of the existing units and structures are updated and terrain now impacts troop movement much more. Only infantry units can move through some of the forests and thick shrubbery, units that pass through water are usually much slower than normal, lava can affect and damage troops and there’s now a height bonus for units on higher ground.
There are several new ‘heroes’ and vehicles. Many of them tie in directly to either the Star Wars movies or the novels, a decision that should be applauded by most fans. For example, the I6-88 assassin droid and the bounty hunter Bossk are both available as Consortium heroes. Rebels include Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Garm Bel and the pilots of Rogue Squadron and we also get General Rom and Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Empire. The Consortium ships are new, but fit into the Star Wars universe neatly. They also often include interesting new abilities, but none are as fearsome as the humongous Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyer and the Death Star II, which is not only capable of destroying planets, but also capital ships. There are TIE Interceptors, TIE phantoms, TIE defenders, B-wing heavy fighters, MC30 frigates, and 8 different Consortium space units.
Even though ground combat is still less impressive than the amazing space combat, some of the most fun units are found on the ground. Here, we find new combat droids, cloaking transports, the Canderous Assault Tanks, the Nightsisters of Dathomir, Empire Dark Troopers, and much more. One troop type has immediately become a player favourite: the Ewok handler. These fat, disgusting slavers capture Ewoks, strip bombs to their chests, stuff them in big bags and then release them in battle… There’s nothing so satisfying as seeing one of these cuddly furry creatures squeal as they explode! Fun stuff!
The sound effects are pretty standard for Star Wars, but the soundtrack is actually very good, owing a lot to the original John Williams score.
Petroglyph has obviously listened to player input and has succeeded in improving the game in just about every possible way, but the campaign on offer here is actually pretty short, clocking in at about 10 hours for experienced gamers. It’s also ended a little abruptly, possibly making room for a second expansion in the near future. The best missions are the ones that expand on standard continuity, such as the one in Bespin and the one where players need to salvage parts amongst the destroyed first Death Star. Obviously, one can play a lot longer in Conquest mode and the Skirmish mode is actually a lot tougher than the one offered in the core game. Also, multiplayer capabilities and the possibility to play any of the three factions make the game a lot more interesting.
Still, the expansion is far from perfect. The UI is still pretty miserable (especially during space combats) and frame rates still slow down considerably during the larger battles, even though the game performs well on high-end systems. It may be worthwhile to check out optimal requirements before buying this expansion.
Despite its (few) shortcomings, Forces of Corruption is what every expansion pack aspires to be and more. It adds many options, troop types and features, making for an excellent RTS game that should delight strategy gamers and Star Wars fans alike! This is one you gotta have, folks.
