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RebelSim 1.1

Updated 9/22/22 - See Changelog 1.1

(Note: This submod is not affiliated with or supported by the Steiner Modding Group AOTR development team.)

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"That's what you Imps always missed, the rebellion wasn't about planets, it was about people... it wasn't about power, but about freedom. People will do a lot to win freedom for themselves and for those they hold dear." - Kapp Dendo

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OVERVIEW:

RebelSim is a submod built on Awakening of the Rebellion 2.9.3 that focuses on an authentic Rebel Alliance experience. It is very difficult and should only be played as a challenge, with no expectations of balance or success.

This submod was born out of a desire to see the Rebel Alliance portrayed as the insurgency that it was. Essentially all Star Wars strategy games treat the Rebels as an equally powerful force in mostly conventional battles. This was never the tone or intention behind the source material. Hoth, for example, was not defended by Mon Cal cruisers and battle tanks. Rather, the Alliance was a small group of fiercely ideological warriors, hiding in abandoned corners of the galaxy while trying to drum up support from the population. The Galactic Empire they opposed had nearly limitless resources, with only hubris to hold them back. That the Alliance to Restore the Republic succeeded at all had very little to do with any military or economic victories, but with the defection of Imperial officers and the growing wellspring of support by individuals across thousands of star systems. In the meantime, the Alliance was pursuing a "stateless strategy," something antithetical to the map control mechanics of EAW and most other games.

In this submod, you will take up the mantle of Alliance Chief of Staff immediately after the destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin. Such a grand title means very little. In response to their humiliating defeat, the Empire has begun a deliberate campaign to crush the movement once and for all. Across the galaxy, scores of small Rebel cells are being destroyed one by one. Resistance on Chandrilla faces the imminent threat of a punitive expedition. The Mon Calimari have thrown off their shackles, but stand isolated and fearful at the galaxy's edge. Worst of all, Yavin Base itself has been placed under Imperial blockade - its destruction is just a matter of time.

The Alliance cannot afford to stand toe-to-toe with the Empire. Forget everything you know about EAW. You must use all of your wits and creativity to survive to fight another day.

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GAME MECHANICS:

RebelSim is a modification of a single scenario for the Rebel Alliance (other factions are playable but the experience has not been tailored for them) and makes the following changes to the existing AOTR experience:

• An old-school, canonical setup as of 0 ABY, utterly lopsided against the Rebels.
  
  
• An expanded and rearranged galaxy of 120 systems, with trade routes and numerous connections to create a very fluid environment.
  
  
• The addition of GC-level stealth mechanics for all Rebel hero units, as well as all snubfighters and smuggling ships.

These adjustments completely overturn the usual style of play. No longer will players command vast swathes of the galaxy from the start. Rather, they must shepherd a fleet and army without a home, moving from system to system with the Empire hot on their heels. Some of these forces can run indefinitely with their added stealth mechanics, but true victory cannot be achieved with these alone. AOTR story missions now take on a very different character, being one of the few ways of achieving some tangible "victory" in the face of a galaxy-spanning foe. It is hoped that this experience is taken in the spirit in which it was made: the Hardest Mode.

Many players will find the difficulty frustrating. Normal difficulty (modified from AOTR) should be used to slow down the Imperial response to your actions but keep the battles aggressive. On Hard, the Empire and other factions move quickly and total victory is mostly out of reach. Expert mode is likely too lethal to even attempt for most players, but it certainly makes things interesting.

For added immersion (and difficulty), a few "house rules" are suggested but not enforced by game mechanics:

• Ships of the Mon Calimari and Sullustans, and their tech bases, should only be produced in their respective home systems.
  
  
• "Good" independents including the Azzameens, Ithorians and Cloud City should not be attacked until after the Empire or Black Sun has overrun them first.
  
  
• No additional structures or stations should be built on Bothawui until after the Empire has attacked it (to better reflect Bothan "neutrality" during the war).

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Subscribe to this mod in addition to the (Outdated) AOTR 2.9.3 build. On your Library page, right click EAW Gold Pack and select Properties. On the General tab, enter the following into the Launch Options text field:

STEAMMOD=2855720887 STEAMMOD=2901345515

Launch the game from the Library page so that it prompts you to play the FOC expansion instead of vanilla EAW.

Lastly, only the campaign marked "RebelSim" is playable. All other scenarios were left in place to avoid various problems, but they will all be unplayable due to the changes made to underlying data files. The intended faction is obviously the Rebels, so do not expect it to be nearly as interesting as the Empire.

Note that this mod is incompatible with any other submod and is definitely not compatible with any existing saved games. When you wish to switch back to AOTR, delete "STEAMMOD=2855720887" while leaving the other line, and to revert to vanilla simply delete that as well.

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TIPS AND HINTS:

• Stealth mechanics should be used to the maximum. There are two key parts to this:
  
  > First, stealth units can engage in space so long as a non-hero stealth unit is also present in the stack. This is done by moving them into the third (empty) space stack. If you do not wish to attack, make sure everyone stays in the same stack together.
  
  > Second, stealth units can permit easy break-outs of blockades: They can temporarily "escort" non-stealth units from the surface into enemy-occupied orbit and permit them to escape. To do this, place any stealth unit in an empty fleet slot first, then move the non-stealth unit into the same slot before moving the whole fleet somewhere else (they will still be forced to fight at their destination, so this is not always a good option).
  
  
• Controlled territory is less important than your overall resources, including your saved money and your military units. Your primary goal should be building a core, all-stealth force which can successfully hop around taking fringe systems. So long as at least one system is under control, you can remain in the game. Spreading out also slows down the Imperials from attacking places where you intend to make a stand.
  
  
• The Imperial AI is not very intelligent, but it has more than enough resources to make up for it. They will recover any losses very quickly, making attacks on their garrisons hopelessly expensive. When you go on the offensive at all, focus on things that slow them down the most: Tech Centers, Major Shipyards, Expensive non-garrison units and Fringe star systems to stay alive with a roaming stealth fleet.
  
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  - WARHAWK GAMES -