Surviving units can then be deployed to the planet's surface to engage in tactical ground battles influenced by both weather and terrain. Yet before players can set foot on one of the over 40 featured planets, including Tatooine, Hoth, and Dagobah, players must first gain orbital control of each planet through space combat. The more star systems under control of the Empire or Rebellion, the more resources it will have to build defense systems, bases, and units. The goal is to defeat the opposing side by gradually taking control of as many star systems and strategic points as possible. Each faction makes real-time choices on a galactic map using available ground troops, fleets, and other units from the Star Wars universe, including such iconic characters as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and Boba Fett.
Instead of concentrating on one particular region, players must also consider the ramifications of their actions on other planets as well as in space.
Set a few years before the events in Episode IV, the game distinguishes itself by letting players take command of the Rebel Alliance or Galactic Empire throughout the entire galaxy, offering a wider assortment of strategic possibilities. LucasArts and its most popular license from a galaxy far, far away explore the real-time strategy genre for a third time with Star Wars: Empire at War.
