Movie Battles

Movie Battles II (MBII) is a team-based, last man standing multiplayer mod of the 2003 third- and first-person shooter Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.[2] It is a successor of the Movie Battles mod for Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. The primary purpose of the mod is to allow players to experience setpiece battle scenes from the Star Wars films and the Star Wars expanded universe.[3] Although most gameplay features from the base game remain, they received numerous modifications and improvements, while new ones have been added. The mod is notable for improving the lightsaber combat from Jedi Academy, which was already regarded as one of the best in any Star Wars game.

"MBII" redirects here. For other uses, see List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom).

Movie Battles
Developer(s)Movie Battles Team
SeriesStar Wars: Jedi Knight
Engineid Tech 3
Platform(s)Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Linux
ReleaseInitial: 2003 (2003)[1]
Latest Version: v1.7.0.2 (Nov. 2020)
Genre(s)
Mode(s)Multiplayer

In Movie Battles II, players can join one of two sides at the beginning of every round: the Light Side or the Dark Side of the Force. Depending on the map, either side will be represented by a different faction (the Galactic Republic / Rebel Alliance / Resistance for the Light Side, and the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) / Galactic Empire / First Order for the Dark Side), to reflect the various eras of Star Wars. Regardless of faction, each side features customisable character classes; in certain game modes, players only have access to pre-defined classes, which can't be customised. While Movie Battles II has several different game modes, all pit the two teams against each other, either to complete certain objectives, or to eliminate all members of the enemy team.

Gameplay
Screenshot of version 1.4.1 taken in June 2016.

Movie Battles II is a team-based game that allows players to join either the Lights Side of the Force (represented by the Galactic Republic, the Rebel Alliance, or the Resistance, depending on the map) or the Dark Side (represented by the Separatists/CIS, the Galactic Empire, or the First Order). The game incorporates both lightsaber combat and shooter elements, and can be played from either a third- or first-person perspective. The lightsaber combat in Movie Battles has been substantially changed from the original game. Blocking and defensive moves are favored over the unmodded game's "swing-spam". There are meters for both force pool and block stamina which deplete as the player intercepts incoming blaster and lightsaber attacks.[4]

Similarly to games like Counter-Strike, Movie Battles uses an objective system, where one team defends and the other one attacks one or more objectives. Objective types are usually variants on common themes,[5] such as "slicing panels", or NPC guarding. Every round, the attacking team must complete their given objective within a given amount of time, while the defending team tries to delay them until the timer runs out; alternatively, each team can win by eliminating all members of the enemy team. Any player who is killed before the end of the round becomes a spectator. They may follow certain players who are still alive or free-roam in the spectator cam, similar to other first-person shooters, such as Battlefield 2.[6]

Besides communicating with other players, the chat is used for voting. Players may vote to change the map or the game mode. The game also incorporates a voice chat, which is used to give quick commands to the rest of the team, such as "Attack", "Defend Position", and "Charge".

Classes

Most game modes in Movie Battles II let players choose between multiple character classes to play as. Players may select iconic Star Wars characters as "skins" for these classes, and are given a limited number of points to upgrade stats and abilities; every class has a different playstyle and a few unique abilities.[5] If playing as Jedi or Sith, players can also customise their lightsaber hilt.

  • Soldiers - the most basic class, it is available for both the Light Side and the Dark Side. Soldiers are equipped only with a blaster, a pistol and possibly grenades, but can have up to three lives, allowing them to respawn multiple times during the same round.
  • Elite Troopers / Commanders - a superior version of Soldiers, the Elite Troopers and their Dark Side equivalent, the Commanders, have overall better weapons and stats, but can have only two lives. They can also have a unique ability called "Rally", which allows soldiers to respawn next to them.
  • Jedi / Sith - Jedi and their Dark Side equivalent, Sith, can use lightsabers and the Force in combat. Both can use their lightsaber to deflect blaster fire or lightsaber strikes, and have Force abilities such as Push (used to push enemies), Pull (used to disarm or pull enemies), Jump (used to jump higher than regular classes and stick to walls), and Sense (used to see allies and enemies through walls and on the map HUD). Jedi can also use Force Speed and Mind Trick, while Sith can use Force Choke and Lightning. All these Force powers, as well as blocking attacks with the lightsaber, cost Force Points to use, which regenerate over time.
  • Heroes / Bounty Hunters - Heroes and their Dark Side equivalent, Bounty Hunters, are a marksman class. They have the best overall weapons in the game, including a sniper rifle, and can have one or more special abilities. Heroes can quickly dodge incoming blaster fire or lightsaber strikes and heal damage over time, while Bounty Hunters have tracking and poison darts.
  • Wookiees - A class exclusive to the Light Side, Wookiees can deal high amounts of damage with their melee attacks, killing most enemies with only a few punches. They also have very high HP and a special ability called "Rage", which reduces the amount of damage they receive and the damage they deal for a short time period. Wookiees can also be equipped with weapons like bowcasters and frag grenades.
  • Clone Troopers - A class exclusive to the Light Side, clone troopers are armed with repeater blaster rifles and a pistol. The rifle can be upgraded into a minigun or to fire ion and electricity blasts, while the pistol can be upgraded to fire bolts that ricochet on walls. Clones can also have one additional life.
  • Advanced Recon Commandos (ARC Troopers) - A class exclusive to the Light Side, ARC Troopers are a superior version of Clone Troopers. They can have dexterity, which allows them to roll to dodge attacks, jump higher, and run on walls, as well as roll instead of being knocked down. The ARC Troopers can be equipped with one or two pistols, a rocket launcher, and a blaster rifle, which can be converted into a sniper rifle or a grenade launcher.
  • Mandalorians - A class exclusive to the Dark Side, Mandalorians have jetpacks and are armed with one or two Westar Pistols and a blaster rifle (which can be converted into a sniper rifle). They can also have a flamethrower, a wrist laser, and a one-use jetpack rocket.
  • Droidekas - A class exclusive to the Dark Side, Droidekas are equipped with shields and arm-mounted blasters, which have unlimited ammunition, but need to be recharged. While slow in their regular form, they can change into their rolling form to move faster, although this makes them more vulnerable. Droidekas can also discharge their shield, unleashing a shockwave that knocks down all nearby enemies.
  • Super Battle Droids - A class exclusive to the Dark Side, SBDs are large and slow, but have very much HP. They are equipped with arm-mounted blasters and also have one melee attack, with which they can instantly knock down most enemies. However, SBDs rely very much on their internal battery, which affects both their firepower and damage reduction, making them almost useless when the battery is depleted. To recharge the battery faster, they can activate the low power mode, but this makes them even slower and unable to fire their weapons. SBDs can also have advanced logic (which makes them immune to Jedi mind tricks), advanced targeting (which gives them a zoom-in option for their weapon), and advanced radar (which allows them to see enemies on the map HUD when in low power mode).[7][8]

Game modes
  • Open - the basic game mode of Movie Battles II, it pits two teams (attackers and defenders) against each other; the attackers attempt to complete a certain objective, while the defenders try to stop them. Each player can select between the classes corresponding to their side, which are fully customisable.
  • Duel - this mode's primary purpose is to allow players to recreate iconic duels from the Star Wars saga. They can only play as Jedi or Sith (who are fully customisable), and have three lives; if a player loses all their lives and dies, they will be able to respawn shortly thereafter. Because of this, it is difficult for either side to win, and rounds usually don't end until the timer runs out.[9]
  • Full Authentic - similarly to Open, this mode pits a team of attackers against a team of defenders. The difference is that players don't have access to customisable classes; instead, they must choose from a limited number of characters with pre-defined traits. Each character is accurate to the map, as the mode's purpose is to recreate scenarios from the Star Wars saga exactly the way they were originally depicted (therefore its name). Some characters have unique abilities that can't be found in the Open mode, thus giving them some diversity.
  • Semi-Authentic - a combination of the Open and Full Authentic modes. It plays very similarly to the former, except that players can only select characters that are accurate to the map. Unlike the Full Authentic mode, the characters' abilities can be customised by the player, similarly to the classes from the Open mode.
  • Legends - similarly to Full Authentic, this mode lets players choose only from a limited number of character with pre-defined traits. The difference is that these characters aren't map-accurate, and are the same across all maps, regardless of the era they are set in.

Development

Movie Battles was started by Richard Hart (online alias RenegadeOfPhunk) in 2003,[1] with the goal of mixing the round- and objective-based gameplay of Counter-Strike with the lightsaber and gun mechanics of Star Wars.[2] The first versions of the mod were developed for Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, the third game in the Jedi Knight series.[1] This version already had the key elements of Movie Battles in it, such as the modified lightsaber combat and the last man standing system. The mod was later remade for Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. A spin-off of Movie Battles II, titled The New Era (TNE), was developed using Source engine, which would have allowed for improved graphics and a better physics engine, but was cancelled in 2013. While meant to be a successor to Movie Battles II, the mod would have been closer to the deathmatch genre. Many members of the development team for TNE were also part of the Movie Battles team.[10][11] On 2 April 2011, a trailer revealing a sequel was released.[12] Movie Battles 3 was going to be a standalone, free game developed on the Unreal Engine,[13] but due to a general disinterest among developers and the game's community, coupled with the lack of developers willing to stay on board the project to begin with, it was cancelled after a few years in development. Since then, developers have focused on expanding and improving Movie Battles II, with several updates being released every year. The latest update, 1.7.1.1,[14] was released on 23 December 2020.

Reception

In 2005 the UK edition of PC Gamer printed an article covering the mod. In the same year Sky News mentioned Movie Battles alongside other user-made game modifications.[8][15] It was also mentioned by Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Alec Meer in the sites 2015 list of best Star Wars video games. Of the mod, Meer said the mod was something players should "probably [...] check out."[16] Matthew Znadowicz of Eurogamer Poland called the game's action "unique and fresh", yet noted that battles often became "stressful, intense, but extremely pleasant."[17] As of June 2016, 400 users on the website Mod DB have rated the game with the average score of 9.4.[18]

References
  1. "'Movie Battles' has gone open Beta". LucasForums. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  2. "This is what Siege mode should have been..." The Jedi Academy. Archived from the original on 6 June 2004. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  3. "Movie Battles II". ModDB. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
  4. "Art of the Saber". Movie Battles Website. Archived from the original on 5 November 2006.
  5. "The Forms of Combat". Movie Battles Website. Archived from the original on 27 October 2006.
  6. "20 Kickass mods". Games Radar. Archived from the original on 10 January 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2007.
  7. Plunkett, Luke (6 February 2017). "You Can't Kill A Good Star Wars Game". Kotaku. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  8. "The Importance of Mods". Sky News. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
  9. "New Duel Mode". Movie Battles Forums. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  10. "Team". Star Wars: The New Era. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
  11. "Credits". Movie Battles Website. Archived from the original on 5 October 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
  12. "Moviebattles 3 Official Reveal Trailer". Retrieved 9 August 2015 – via YouTube.
  13. "Moviebattles 3 states the usage of Unreal Engine @1:17". Retrieved 9 August 2008 – via YouTube.
  14. "MovieBattles II V1.7.1.1 Released". Movie Battles II Community. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  15. "PC Gamer". PC Gamer (UK Edition) (152). September 2005. p. 111.
  16. Meer, Alec (22 December 2015). "The 10 Best Star Wars PC games". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  17. >Znadowicz, Matthew (12 July 2016). "Jedi Knight: Movie Battles - mod, w którym Moc była silna". Eurogamer Poland. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  18. "Mod DB Movie battles 2 reviews". Mod DB. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
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