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Review: Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds - Clone CampaignsReviewed By: Bill Stiteler Review Date: December 4, 2002
Ring, ring. "Hello?" "Hey, Bill, it's Kirk." Click. Ring, ring. "Hello?" "It's Kirk. Don't hang up." Click. Ring, ring. "Hello?" "Why do you keep hanging up on me?" "Because you're going to tell me I have to review Clone Campaigns." "What is it with you and the Episode movies?" (Deep breath.) "In the first place - " (Thirty minute profanity-laden interlude) " - topher Lee as Count Chocula!" "Well, you still have to review the game. And be fair." Click. I wanted to hate this game. I ended up taking the game off my computer, however, because I was spending too much time playing it.
Based on the Age of Empires II engine, Clone Campaigns is a real-time strategy (RTS) where you attempt to build an army and research technologies to improve that army in order to crush your opponents who are trying to do the same. It's also set in the Star Wars universe, during the second "Episode," but I'm just taking them at their word on that point. For all I know, it could be based on Pocket Massage for Stress Relief. But whether based on an unfortunately-named book on relaxation or the worst cinematic disaster since the Hindenburg was filmed, Clone Campaigns is still fun.
So, you gather resources to construct building which will allow you to build your army. The storyline of the campaign seems to involve "Decimator" tanks and shadowy meetings...that part's about as compelling as your average G.I. Joe. What saves the game is its intuitive controls. I'm more a fan of turn-based strategy because it gives me time to do the things I enjoy, like plan and build, as opposed to running all over a battlefield trying to coordinate my units which behave stupidly versus the perfectly coordinated units of the computer. Clone Campaigns continues Galactic Battleground's ease-of-use level with intuitive commands, beacons, and queuing. Selecting a unit (by clicking on it), and then option-clicking on a location or target will cause the unit to take an intuitive action. If you select an enemy, units will attack it. If you select an empty location, units will go there. If you select a work and a resource, they'll work it. You can also give individual units various commands such as patrolling a certain area, defending a particular unit or building, or simply standing their ground no matter what. Useful, because they tend to wander off a lot in search of adventure. Or perhaps a latte.
None of this is new to Clone Campaigns, of course; it was part of the original Galactic Battlegrounds that made me enjoy that game as well. So, what does Clone Campaigns bring to the table in and of itself? For the casual player, a little. For the junkie, a lot. Each civilization gets new units of its own. However, it ultimately boils down to a question of how much flavoring you like in your RTS. Yes, you now get the A-Wing, but it's simply a variation on other aircraft. Faster, less armored. I enjoyed the little spiders that were produced by the Confederacy forces, but they are, ultimately, just the lighter mech that this particular civ produces. Your own style of play may be wildly influenced by an A-Wing or the new types of soldier, but I play "weenie madness" style: I build as many units as possible, and send them off to a screaming death which will hopefully break the defenders by sheer numbers. It doesn't really matter what race I'm playing, I still use the same tactic: numbers. CC is also compatible with the races from the original game in multiplayer, if you're into that sort of thing. The campaign scenarios are challenging and engaging enough to bring you back for more. As an add-on, CC dispenses completely with "teaching levels," dropping you right into the action. You'll encounter such objectives as scouting an area and protecting units as they try to escape before getting into full-bore army construction, but you'll complete those in a few tries, before the novelty wears off. The real fun in CC are the levels where your tiny initial base is surrounded by enemies, and you must slowly build your expeditionary forces while holding off much better established opponents. It was the design of the scenarios which saved the game for me, striking just the right balance between being difficult enough to challenging, without turning into an impossibility.
For those who were of less than strong opinions about the original Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds, Clone Campaigns won't change anything. If you enjoyed SWGB, however, I highly recommend the this expansion pack. If multiplayer's your bag, this should add a few new tricks to your bag. If you just want an enjoyable set of strategic brainteasers to while away your evenings, that's here too. I didn't give a damn about the setting and the back story, but the great design won me over. Just remember that by buying these games, you're giving George Lucas money to make more movies. That makes you an Enabler. Crap. That makes me a pusher.
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Clone Campaigns is the expansion set for 
The storyline of CC takes place in two parts. In the first, you are General Sev'Rance, representing the forces of evil. You can tell they're evil because you're working for Christopher Lee, your cinematic icon for evil since the 60s. In the second part, you're working for Samuel L. Jackson, who must therefore represent good, but would still probably smack you for being a fool.
Beacons work the same way for unit-producing buildings. You select a building, then pick a location and option-click. All units from that building will automatically travel to that point. Queuing in buildings allows you to set up several units all at once, and then leave the building to do its work.
The graphics are 3-D sprites. They move cleanly across the screen (as opposed to boxy vector-graphics which everyone else seems to love). The sound is sharp and taken directly from the sound effects department at LucasArts. May I digress? Remember when you watched "The Making of Star Wars" and they showed the sound engineer going into the desert to hit telephone cables to get the laser sound? Or when they showed him dancing around with a long microphone to get the feedback for the lightsabers? Remember how cool you thought that was? I ask you to remember that the next time the New Lucas starts going on about digital effects. Thank you.