Thrawn's Revenge - A mod for Star Wars, Empire at War

Era System

The original tech-tree system from vanilla Empire at War, whereby the player researches or steals technology to gain access to new and better units, does not exist in Thrawn’s Revenge.  Instead the mod is structured around five discrete eras covering the years after Battle of Endor (4 ABY) up until shortly after the Pellaeon-Gavrisom Treaty (19 ABY), with allowance for technology up to the start of the Yuuzhan Vong War (25 ABY).  Each era is centred on the predominant Imperial leader of the period and includes a range of appropriate units and heroes for each faction (e.g. the New Republic gains access to some of its New Class starships in later eras).

Progression between eras, where allowed, occurs when the respective Imperial leader is killed (an Imperial player would need to sacrifice their faction’s current leader in order to advance).  The driving principle behind this is that although we don’t force events to happen as the result of canonical battles (e.g. kill Thrawn at Bilbringi), the progression of the leaders would happen independent of player actions, Thrawn leaving the Empire of the Hand to take over from Isard, Palpatine making his renewed bid to control the galaxy, etc.

Note:  Unlike with tech levels there is no guarantee that advancing era will provide access to better units or heroes, and in some cases it is possible that units or heroes may be lost when the era is advanced.

The Eras

Era 1:  Director Ysanne Isard (6-7 ABY)

It is less than two years after the fateful Battle of Endor.  The Empire is fragmented with many of its former leaders dead or fighting amongst themselves.  Ysanne Isard, former Director of Imperial Intelligence, has taken control of those planets and forces still loyal to the Empire.  Meanwhile, the Rebel Alliance has consolidated its forces and reformed into a New Republic led by a Provisional Council.  Strengthened by new members its attention has now turned towards the Core and set its sights on Coruscant – the seat of galactic authority for millennia.

Era 2: Grand Admiral Thrawn (9 ABY)

Now five years after Endor, the New Republic has liberated Coruscant and grown to encompass thousands of worlds.  With the Imperial fleet and warlords driven back and nearly three quarters of the known galaxy on side, many in the New Republic believe the war is over and are turning their attentions to their own needs and ambitions.  But thousands of light-years away, Grand Admiral Thrawn has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the New Republic.

Era 3: Reborn Emperor Palpatine (10-11 ABY)

Mere months after Grand Admiral Thrawn’s death at Bilbringi a mysterious message, using high level command codes, recalled all Imperial forces to the Deep Core.  Using an arcane Force technique, Emperor Palpatine was able to transfer his spirit from his dying body at Endor to one of the many clones hidden at his secret fortress on Byss.  After six years rebuilding his strength, the newly reborn Emperor is ready to re-conquer the galaxy.  The New Republic, still in disarray from Thrawn’s campaign, is totally unprepared for this renewed thread.

Era 4: Admiral Natasi Daala (12 ABY)

One year after Emperor Palpatine’s dramatic and destructive bid to regain power the Empire is once again in a state of collapse, divided between worlds obeying the authority of a revived Ruling Council and a scattering of Warlords secreted in the Deep Core.  Returning to galactic affairs after more than a decade spent guarding a secret Imperial research facility, Admiral Daala, former lover of Grand Moff Tarkin, is attempting to unite the disparate elements of the Empire and take the fight back to a war weary and insecure New Republic.

Era 5: Grand Admiral Pellaeon (17-19 ABY)

Having succeeded Admiral Daala as Supreme Commander of Imperial forces after her short lived campaign against the New Republic, Pellaeon endured a long and bloody rearguard action to retain as much of the Empire’s remaining territory as possible in the face of renewed New Republic offensives.  Now faced with almost certain defeat, Pellaeon has been charged by the Moff Council to undertake a final push in an attempt to restore some measure of security from this perpetual and now existential threat.