Expanding Fronts is a massive modification for Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds aimed to breathe life back into the classic LucasArts strategy game by adding various new units, features, and gameplay elements. Each of the 8 civilizations are being reworked and enhanced to make each feel more unique and authentic to the universe, while maintaining the classic Battlegrounds gameplay. In addition, the Scenario Editor is being filled with hundreds of new units, buildings, effects, triggers, and objects to allow campaign and scenario designers more freedom than ever before.

Report RSS Expanding Fronts 1.5.0 Now Available!

Expanding Fronts version 1.5.0 is now available! Three new playable civilizations join for fray in Expanding Fronts’ largest update yet! Take command of The Imperial Remnant, New Republic, and Black Sun. If you are uncertain what version of the mod to download and install, then please install the 1.5.0 Full version.

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Legends black


AT LONG LAST!

It's time again for another Expanding Fronts update! The version 1.5.0 release is finally here! This is our biggest update yet! This update features three new civs, some balance changes, and a plethora of editor units and content.

Expanding Fronts 1.4.1a (Full)



1.5.0 CHANGES


EF1 5 01



BUILD SPOTLIGHT

3 New Civilizations!

Three new playable civilizations join for fray in Expanding Fronts' largest update yet! Take command of The Imperial Remnant, New Republic, and Black Sun.

EF1 5 02



GAME

Performance & Stability

  • Corrected an issue that caused stuttering on some systems.
  • Made improvements to the Alternative Text Rendering setting.
  • Added Alternative Chat Box option to Configurator to correct issues with flickering chatbox text.
  • Various miscellaneous bug fixes and optimizations.

Gameplay Fixes & Improvements

  • Changed Worker resource carry logic. Different Food types are now treated as one, and Workers re-assigned to collect different resources will no longer drop their current load until they start gathering.
  • When Team Together is enabled, players will be placed in clockwise order according to their colors, starting from wing position.
  • Added Random Color option to game setup.
  • Enabled Color selection for AI players.
  • Corrected issue that caused various projectiles to be unaffected by the Tracking tech.

Graphics

  • (CF) Hvy Destroyer: Unit sprite updated with an additional energy weapon and effect.
  • (RS) Grenade Trooper: Adjusted timing for muzzle flash during attack animation.
  • (TF) Transport Mech: Unit now has updated sprite and a new projectile effect.
  • (WK) Monitor: Unit now has a new graphic set.
  • (ZC) Bombers, Air Transport, and Cannon have new graphics.
  • (ZC) Cruiser, Adv Cruiser: Attack graphics now display correctly.
  • (ZC) Hvy Destroyer: Unit sprite updated with an additional energy weapon and effect.
  • Skyhopper: Corrected issue in which two sets of unit graphics were superimposed.
  • Tree (Torrey): Corrects layering issue.
  • Jakku Scrap: Object no longer contains empty frames.
  • Made corrections to projectiles and firing positions for numerous units.
  • Adjusted hover heights and HP bar positions for numerous air units.
  • Adjusted HP bar heights for Assault Mechs.
  • Corrected engine fire and attack effects for multiple vanilla units that had unintended player colors within them.
  • Corrected graphics and anchors for many death and decay animations.

Audio

  • Added new sound and voice files to many units that lacked them previously, primarily in the CF and GO rosters.
  • Various Scenario Editor units and heroes now have unique sounds.
  • Workers now have audible movement sounds.

Interface

  • Corrected tooltip description text for (CF) Undeployed Cannon, (CF) Scout, and (GO) Scout.
  • Made various corrections to Civilization descriptions.
  • Gungan and Geonosian farms now have unique tooltip descriptions.
  • Fixed numerous typos and inconsistencies in names and descriptions.
  • Fixed instances of various units/objects having missing or incorrect icons.
  • Adjusted Prefab Shelter description for where the current/supported population limit is displayed.
  • Alt+# Player Switch hotkey is now based on player color rather than number.
  • Added a preview sidebar to Scenario Editor and Game Setup Scenario selection screens.
  • New Databank entries for the new civilizations, as well as various characters and locations.
  • Replaced various Rebel, Imperial, and Zann AI name selections, as many have been shifted to v1.5 civs.
  • New Main Menu art and audio.

CAMPAIGNS & SCENARIOS

Chewbacca and the Liberation of Kashyyyk

  • Corrected an AI error that affected several missions.

Darth Vader's Search for the Rebels

> Scenario 2. Breaking Bread

  • Removed a duplicate of Darth Vader used for testing purposes.

EF1 5 03



BALANCE & UNIT STATS

General

> UNITS

  • Assault Mech: Unit now has 100% accuracy. Corrected an issue that caused TF and GO Assault Mech projectiles to not hit Farms correctly.
  • Monitor/Hvy Monitor: Reduced overall unit strength.
  • Cargo Hovercraft: Corrected issue that caused unit to be unable to traverse certain terrains.
  • Adjusted selection sizes for various Scenario Editor air units.
  • Added new, separate armor classes for Jedi and Bounty Hunters.
  • Corrected an animation error that caused various Mech units to have an unintentional firing delay.

Confederacy

> CIVILIZATION

  • Fortress bonus now provides a consistent +6 damage vs all Jedi levels. (Previously +11 vs Padawans, +6 vs Knights, +0 vs Masters).

> TECHNOLOGIES

  • Confederacy Alliance: Tech now applies to Cargo Freighters.

Geonosians

> TECHNOLOGIES

  • Geonosian Engineers: Tech now reduces reload time of Pummels and Artillery by 15%, instead of Artillery and AA Mobiles by -0.25 seconds.
  • Received access to Shield Modifications, Which also affects Geonosian Warriors.

Gungans

> TECHNOLOGIES

  • Faster Growth Chambers: Reduced ship training discount from 20% > 10%.

Resistance

> UNITS

  • Ski Speeder: Reduced Speed from 2.5 > 2
  • Ski Speeder: Increased Carbon Cost from 80 > 100
  • Ski Speeder: Increased Reload Time from 1.25 > 1.50.
  • Ski Speeder: Increased Minimum Range from 0 > 1.
  • Ski Speeder: Increased damage vs Hvy Weapons armor class from 9 > 15 (12 > 18 Hvy)
  • Ski Speeder: Increased damage vs Mech armor class from 0 > 4 (0 > 5 Hvy)
  • Ski Speeder: Increased damage vs Decimator armor class from 2 > 4 (3 > 5 Hvy)

> TECHNOLOGIES

  • New Tech: Scavenged Components: (Mech Factory) Reduces Carbon cost of Mechs by 25%. Also increases their train speed by 25%. (500C, 300N; TL3)
  • Sensor Cloak: Reduced cost from 350C, 800N, 400O > 350C, 600N; 200O.
  • Received access to Hvy Duty Carbon Extractor.
  • Received access to Armored Platework.
  • Received access to Hvy Armor.
  • Received access to Hvy Weapons Engineers.
  • Received access to Presidium.

Wookiees

> TECHNOLOGIES

  • New Tech: People of the Trees: (Research Center) Carbon deposits last 15% longer

EF1 5 04



RANDOM MAPS

New Maps!

  • ARTUS PRIME
  • BPFASSH
  • COMET
  • HIDEOUT
  • SPACE RAIDERS
  • ZEFFO

AI

Computer AI

  • Fixed bad difficulty checks for Moderate and lower difficulties that resulted in bad age-up times and other behaviors.
  • Fixed oversight in Troop Center build rules that made only Moderate construct more than one Troop Center.

Computer Expanded AI

  • Moved sn-minimum-dropsite-buffer settings from difficulty-based settings to difficulty+map size+Tech Level.
  • Added rules for expanding maximum walking drop-off distance for Nova/Ore past TL3.
  • Fixed issue with not countering Air in TL2 due to an oversight in Anti-Air Trooper train rules.
  • Improved Food Processing Center build rules so AI will construct more of them if they have fewer Farms than expected.
  • AI is less likely to conduct Worker rushes into enemy bases to destroy Turrets.
  • Altered Worker training considerations in TL4 for Hard/Hardest difficulty.
  • Altered resource checks for Forage/Nova/Ore/Fish so that only 10 or more resource patches constitutes the resource being present, rather than 1 or more.
  • Tuned performance to reduce lag by randomizing when timers are run. Matches with multiple Computer Expanded AI should run smoother as a result.
  • AI now waits until the game has exceeded 5 minutes before asking for resources if an ally has a spaceport.
  • AI will ask for resources less frequently.
  • Fixed attack handler getting stuck under certain circumstances.
  • Modified scenario mode triggers to use acknowledge-event.

EF1 5 05



SCENARIO EDITOR

Editor Interface

  • Added scenario preview to Open Scenario and Select Scenario screens.
  • Units in the Disable/Enable list now use the new two-letter civ tags

Triggers

  • New Trigger Condition: Player Civilization.
  • Renamed Condition: Unit Variable > Object Variable.
  • Renamed Effect: Change Unit Data > Change Own Object Master.
  • Renamed Effect: Change Unit Property Object > Change Player Object Master.
  • Condition: Objects in Area: Corrected an issue that could cause crashes under certain circumstances.
  • Effect: Change Own Object Master/Change Player Object Master now has additional variables for use.

Units & Objects

  • Changed civilization of heroes: (BS) Prince Xizor, (BS) Guri, (NR) Kyle Katarn, (NR) Kyle Katarn (Lightsaber), (NR) Mara Jade (Lightsaber), (IR) Admiral Daala, (IR) Joruus C'baoth, (IR) Tavion Axmis, (IR) Hazard Trooper, (CF) Zian Finnis.
  • Adjusted names for all bridges to have the style in parenthesis.
  • Adjusted names for all Invisible Barriers to have the size in parenthesis.
  • Fixed some cases with incorrect shown stats of editor units.
  • (BS) Guri is now mechanical instead of biological.
  • Hutt Palace (Capturable) now correctly functions as a building.
  • Faction banners are now associated with the relevant civ, making them easier to locate in the Editor.
  • Added various new units, buildings, and props.

KNOWN ISSUES

New issues:

  • Some techs in the Tech Tree were moved around because of a mysterious duplication bug (see Animal Nursery duplicated column).
  • Not implemented: Imperial Remnant World Devastators fortress tech. Destroyed enemy buildings reward 20% of their value in Carbon.
  • Not implemented: New Republic holocron and monument victories require 25 fewer days to achieve.
  • Building art for the Imperial Remnant, New Republic, and Black Sun are placeholders; recolored assets of other civ buildings until final art can be made.
  • Some new editor units do not have sounds. (There were just too many to get to them all.)
  • AT-AT Swimmer cannot garrison.
  • New civ Mounted Troopers do not require Animal Nurseries.
  • The Rebel Animal Nursery food generation rate resets to base rate (without nursery techs) after researching Evacuation Protocols.
  • Geonosian Fortress bonus is broken.

Previously known issues that have not been resolved:

  • There is a rare bug that prevents building a command center. It happens randomly and is unrelated to any specific map or scenario/campaign. To resolve the issue, you should exit the game entirely. Loading a saved game that previously had the problem will likely still persist.
  • There is a rare bug in which you can start a match sharing control of an opposing AI player and unable to control your own units. To resolve the issue, you should exit the game entirely. Loading a saved game that previously had the problem will likely still persist.


Some of these bugs will be addressed in the next patch.


THANK YOU

Again, thanks to everyone who has supported and contributed the mod over the past years. We plan to continue work on the mod for the future. As we receive feedback on the three new civs, we'll likely have some balance changes in store in the next few months along with some other concepts we have in mind. Stay tuned!


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Voobly


Post comment Comments
SPi-99
SPi-99

Those changes look amazing, great work to the team!

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SuperHunterX
SuperHunterX

It was a long wait, but its bounty is great! I look forward to exploring the Expanded Universe factions of the New Republic, Imperial Remnant and the Black Sun Syndicate.

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jfpoliveira12
jfpoliveira12

Thanks for the Christmas gift. Now I will have something to play until Return to Rome or Chaos Dwarfs DLC drops.

The Galaxy will once again fear the Dark Side!

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SuperHunterX
SuperHunterX

I'm curious - Would you be equally excited if the Dev team (while unlikely) decided to explore KOTOR factions and they added in the Sith Empire alongside the Old Republic and the Mandalorians?

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jfpoliveira12
jfpoliveira12

They already added the horrible Disney Star Wars factions, and those were done well enough that I actually like them.

Granted, I liked the Resistance more before the recent buffs, because I like civs like teh Minoans, Goths and Trade Federation, with very limited Tech Trees, but big bonii to compensate, and the recent buffs just give the Resistance more techs.

Still, if they added "KotOR" factions, they could not name one of them "The Old Republic", because the Galactic Republic faction is already The Old Republic.
I would not mind more civs from older Star Wars lore, like the Mandalorians, Sith Empire and Yuzzhan Vong, so long as they actually do add smething new to the game.

Wookies, Rebel Alliance and Galactic Republic, for example, are awful to me, since they all do the same thing, in a very similar way: Troopers, Air and Jedi.

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av29
av29

Old Republic would be very different to reformed Republic

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jfpoliveira12
jfpoliveira12

It has the naming issue. The Galactic Republic civ from the Clone Wars, is still the same as the Old Republic.
"Reformed" (New) Republic is teh one we already got this patch.

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av29
av29

I was thinking of (Ruusan reformed) Galactic Republic to differentiate from the Old Republic.

Nevertheless, if Old Republic is done someday on EF, I guess that they will stick to Old Republic, Galactic Republic and New Republic naming convention.

But first IRC they had said that they are interested first on Trandoshans, Mandalorians and Mon Calamary, while they have to finish Black Sun, New Republic and Imperial Remnants build set... that is like 2-3 years of work.

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jfpoliveira12
jfpoliveira12

Yeah, the game needs a few more alien civs, rather than just continuous new versions of the Republic and the Empire.

As much as I would like the Sith Empire, they would be yet another version of the Galactic Empire, at this point, unless it would be a very radical design, like having no Mech Factory.

Trandoshans are also one of the coolest races in Star Wars. True that they are a copy of Star Trek's Gorn, but a race of slaving lizardmen just oozes character, not to mention that the original game already had a structure and a few units for them.

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TiberiousKirk
TiberiousKirk

Huzzah! Time to crush the New Republic!

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JjForcebreaker
JjForcebreaker

So much new amazing stuff! Thank you for updating this mod. Such a fantastic project!

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the_rev92
the_rev92

i gotta say i had so much fun and enjoyed a lot this with my friends,Excellent work guys pd:any chance to have the Mandalorians as a civ? xD

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bobmcguffin
bobmcguffin

3 Questions:

Is this website and Download link trustable?

Is this the most recent version of the MOD? (Does it contain all the contents of the previous MOD/Updates inside it?)

Do I have to copy paste the installer of this into my SWGB Steam folder in order for the MOD to actually work?

MONOLOGUE

Hey guys, so from what it looks like, 1.5 is the highest number ive seen out of the list of "Expanding Fronts" updates, after searching around for it. This seems to be the website everyone is getting it from. I saw that many people are getting the 1.1 update, but i'm assuming this update (1.5) is the most recent one and it has everypart of the previous updates inside it?

So I've pretty much zerod in here, considering all these comments are recent and are praising the project, I'm new to the community. Thing is, I tried getting Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 for free when I was a kid and destroyed my families computer, and this is the first time I've ventured off to another unknown website to try installing something. This looks trustable but can't be 100% sure.

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