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HAPPY NEW YEAR TROOPERS!
We hope you've all had a great Christmas break and wish you all the best for 2014.
Those of you following our recent progress and new release map updates will note that with today's news post we have missed a map out and jumped straight to Parmel Invasion. We have done this as we intend to postpone Dathomir Prison Break until a patch shortly after the next release so we can bring First Strike 1.6 to you all the sooner, but fear not, it is on its way. Now without further ado, let us head once more to Parmel.
'Following a critical victory for the Rebellion, Alliance forces have captured a key Imperial advanced starfighter research station at Parmel. The occupying force must now capitalize on their good fortune by securing all the data they can regarding the facilities advanced starfighter program. Unfortunately an Imperial carrier group patrolling the sector has been diverted to the system to investigate after receiving a distress call from the station. Now the Alliance forces must defend the installation until they've completed their mission, and on seeing multiple landing craft launching, prepare for boarders.'
With Parmel Invasion we address a long sought after desire among First Strike players, and that is to produce a dynamic boarding map which takes in all the scope and complexity that a Star Wars battle can offer. Space conflict featuring capital ships and starfighters, boarding craft objectives for you to defend or destroy, and the thrill of landing a boarding craft on a space installation and disembark with the intent of invading and capturing that installation, with all the dynamic complexities and gameplay choices that scenario suggests.
 
 
The station itself, a fantastic asset built by FSDev Redmonkey some years ago has undergone an overhaul to get it up to date with new statics and other dynamic effects to really breathe life into the thing and add atmosphere. The gameplay within the location should prove most interesting too, with wide open hangars, cargo bays and a multi-level central core to fight over, not to mention claustrophobic compact corridors and broad sub hallways and observation decks littered with makeshift barricades to assist in the defence of the installation. There are also a few little surprises in there for you to look out for, so keep your eyes peeled.
 
 
As far as the space aspect of the map is concerned there should be a lot of interesting and unique elements to the gameplay choices on offer. Taking on the role of boarding craft the Lambda Shuttle and Sentinel Landing Craft make their First Strike space map debut. Ever wondered how the Lambda handles in the vastness of space? Or how a Sentinel would fare going toe to toe with a capital ship? Well on this map you'll find your answers.
 
 
In addition to this we are proud to announce another First Strike debut, with the inclusion of a new carrier model of the Imperial Carrack Cruiser equipped with fully operational TIE racks. This means that for the first time in the mod you'll be able to launch fighters from a playable capital ship. This should add a very interesting dynamic to the flow of the map's gameplay. The capital ships do not respawn. Once they're gone, they're gone. So if the Imperial faction want fighter support for their landing craft they'd better keep their Carracks in one piece. Similarly, for the Rebel faction several CPs are linked to the various landing platforms and hangars of the station. If they are captured they lose their ability to wage war out in space, with the exception of their capital ships and a small number of starfighter reinforcements in the form of a squad of B-Wing starfighters. So things should get very interesting indeed.
 
 
What this map is going to be all about is choice. Do the Rebel defenders commit all their forces to the battle in space, fielding the maximum number of space assets possible in the hope of vanquishing the Imperial forces before they have a chance to set foot on the station? They could, but they risk the chance of someone getting through only to find there is no one home. Or do they deploy ground troops at key locations around the station in preparation for the imminent arrival of Imperial boarding parties? Do you focus your Sentinel on making it to the station to help facilitate that boarding action, or do you turn its powerful weapons on the capital ships defending the station? It is all about choice, and we fully expect this to become another fan favourite map.
 
Well we hope you've enjoyed our informative and image extravaganza of a last news post of 2013, and look forward to bringing you First Strike 1.6 very early in the new year, so keep checking back for more updates on our progress and news of the amended release date.
WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST FOR 2014, AND WE'LL SEE YOU ON THE BATTLEFIELD TROOPER! | |
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Closed Alpha Test & Deth..
