| Imperial Alliance - AD Khadgar
Based on materials printed by FA Den Darkhill.
The first thing the Science Office asserts about Imperial Alliance is that it is more than a "mod" of Freespace 2. It is a flight simulator based on the source code of Freespace 2, but stands as an independent platform. Anyone will be able to download and play Imperial Alliance, regardless of if they Freespace 2 or not. Currently the only people with copies are those pilots on the ISD Immortal involved in closed beta testing. However, there will be an "open beta" for all pilots of the Emperor's Hammer eventually.
Imperial Alliance is inspired by the popular flight simulators that form the basis of the TIE Corps and, indeed, the Emperor's Hammer itself. The game features 3D modelled starcraft and screens to represent the Star Wars universe and the Emperor's Hammer. Voice actors from within the club were hired by the Science Office to produce realistic sounding voices for the game.
The CRL Firehawk is destroyed by Imperial forces.
The game already features both single player and multiplayer modes. An interesting feature of Imperial Alliance campaigns is that they do not need to be linear. The player can be diverted to one mission or another based on their success in the prior mission. The Science Office intends to create a full campaign for the final release. Also, whereas X-Wing Alliance is limited to 96 craft per mission, Imperial Alliance is only limited by your computer.
Imperial Alliance seems to be exactly what the TIE Corps ordered - a fresh flight simulator in the absence of one from LucasArts. Since Imperial Alliance will include a mission editor, ImpEd, Imperial Alliance's release will doubtless be a significant event in the history of the Emperor's Hammer.
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