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Star Wars: Battlefront is the upcoming wargame from LucasArts and developer Pandemic. The game drops you into battles set during both the original and prequel movie trilogies. You' ll be able to play as either the Rebels or Imperials from the original trilogy or as the Republic' s Clone Army or the Separatist Force' s Droid Army from the prequel trilogy. Over the next few months we' ll be looking at the 10 planets that will serve as the battlegrounds mentioned in the game' s title, and we' ll be offering some insight into their history and layout in the game.
Entry 1: Yavin IV
Entry 2: Naboo
Entry 3: Endor
Entry 4: Geonosis
Entry 5: Kamino
Entry 6: Hoth
Entry 7: Rhen Var
Entry 8: Tatooine
Entry 9: Bespin
Entry 10: Kashyyyk
Yavin IV The jungle moon called Yavin IV was colonized by ancient Sith warriors and their Massassi slaves more than 5,000 years before the Rebellion landed there. The massive stone temples of the Massassi are incredibly strong and make for perfect hangars and command facilities. The Great Temple, located at the crest of a great hill, is the largest of all the ruins and naturally becomes the de facto HQ for any force making Yavin IV its base of operations. There are two approaches to this temple. The first leads up the ruined steps and past a giant altar. The brush is thick, and the space between trees is narrow, making it ideal for fast-moving infantry. The second approach winds past a waterfall and up a wider, more sparsely covered path. Vehicles will find this route easier, but savvy defenders will compensate and place defensive tower turrets among the treetops.
Naboo The canals and bridges of Theed are the pride and joy of the peaceful planet Naboo. However, as a result of the growing galactic conflict, Theed has seen its graceful gardens transformed into a battleground. The streets of Theed vary from open avenues and plazas to narrow backstreets, alleys, and cul-de-sacs. Any commander worth his salt will use the buildings as cover to set up ambushes and will escape down narrow streets to avoid direct fire from heavy combat vehicles. Control of the Royal Palace is key to claiming the city, but the large river that bisects the city is only passable in two areas, so control of these bridges will be essential to victory. Defenders will place many turrets and bunkers around these key intersections.
Endor The Endor system is very difficult to reach because it rests in uncharted territory, and the gas giant' s massive gravitational shadow requires several complicated hyperspace jumps. Covered by woodland, savannas, and mountains, the forest moon of Endor is one of nine moons orbiting the gas giant. Sometimes called the " sanctuary moon," it is inhabited by a wide range of intelligent creatures, such as the ewoks. The trees where the industrious ewoks build their sprawling villages can reach thousands of meters in height. Endor' s remote location, forest terrain, tree villages, and dense vegetation provide many places to hide, and it would be a good location to house a secret facility.
Geonosis Geonosis is a ringed planet, located along the outer rim of the galaxy, near Tatooine. Its uninviting surface is marked by mesas, buttes, and barren stretches of parched desert hardpan. The rocks and sky are tinted red, and the creatures that evolved on Geonosis are well equipped to survive in the harsh terrain. Geonosis is also home to sentient insectoids that inhabit towering spire-hives. The Geonosians, as they are known, maintain large factories for the production of droids and weapons. The droid foundries and the planet' s remote location make Geonosis ideal for a base of operations.
Kamino A lonely world beyond the Outer Rim and just south of the Rishi Maze, Kamino is a planet of tumultuous oceans and endless storms. Mysteriously, its entry was at one time purged from the otherwise-complete Jedi Archives. Few hints of technology mark Kamino' s surface save for massive stilt-mounted cities where the austere Kaminoans reside. Floating above the vast ocean, Tipoca City is the primary operation base for Kamino' s most prized export: clone armies. Though nonnative pilots often have difficult times successfully navigating through the planet' s stormy climate, Tipoca City' s terrace-based structural design houses many landing pads and temporary residences for unexpected visitors.
Hoth Hoth is the sixth planet in the remote system of the same name. Despite a landscape of constant snow and ice, Hoth sustains a number of indigenous life-forms, including the wampa ice creature and the tauntaun. The daytime temperatures of Hoth are bearable for properly equipped explorers, but the Hoth nights are too hostile even for its native creatures. Hoth' s remote location and icy surface make the planet an attractive base of operations for smugglers and other groups with something to hide, yet Hoth offers little in natural defenses against massive planetary assaults.
Rhen Var The frozen wasteland of Rhen Var was once a fertile paradise, but an atmospheric cataclysm devastated the planet' s ecosystem millennia ago. Now prone to blizzards and ice falls, the landscape consists of icy plains, tundra, and glacier-carved mountains. Long ago, the ancient Jedi built monuments that are now buried beneath the ice. Snow-covered passages and temple hallways allow forces to move quickly or succumb to a cold, icy conclusion.
Tatooine Tatooine is an outer-rim world of seemingly endless desert, cooked by the intense energy of twin yellow suns. Rocky mesas, canyons, and arroyos break up the monotony of shifting dunes. The days are hot, and the nights are frigid. Yet life persists on Tatooine with a mixture of hardworking locals attempting to extract a living from the unforgiving environment and transients visiting the world for illegal ventures. Controlled by the Hutts and their shady operations, Tatooine' s few port cities attract mainly spacers, bounty hunters, thieves, and other malcontents. Anyone attempting to gain control of Tatooine will be faced with the dangers of an open desert and a wretched hive of scum and villainy lurking on the city streets, looking to profit from someone else' s demise.
Bespin The planet of Bespin is actually a gas giant, covered by huge billowing clouds and an array of colorful vapors. Bespin has no land but does possess a liquid core. A band of temperate breathable air exists in the upper atmosphere where colonists have established floating colonies such as Cloud City. Since it was founded, Cloud City' s primary industry has been mining tibanna gas, which can be used as a hyperdrive coolant or as an energy source for blasters and other weapons. Under the direction of Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian, Cloud City has developed a small tourist industry that includes casinos and luxury resorts. Those trying to escape the turmoil gripping the galaxy can find sanctuary here.
Kashyyyk Kashyyyk is a lush world teeming with immense forests standing kilometers tall. The planet has several horizontal levels of ecology throughout the trees, with the Wookiees occupying the uppermost level. The mighty wroshyr trees have limbs so thickly intertwined that the Wookiees have perched entire cities in the natural cradle they form. Wookiee architecture utilizes many narrow catwalks and ladders to connect the large huts and platforms, and this design aids in the defense of Wookiee cities.
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