Actually very good. Most games I play aren't as good, but this game really takes the beating. If you can't tell, this is one of my most favorite packs ever.
A great game, currently mostly played because of very dedicated modding community with some superb mods available, but also still pretty solid on its own. In its time, this was one of the - if not the - most innovative RTS games, and it definitely does its source material justice in terms of quality. My real play time of this game is probably upwards of 600 hours, as I had an original box copy of the game and the expansion, and I only bought the Steam version once my disc got damaged. I return to the game then and again for shorter or longer playthroughs - though the last couple times just with mods.
The game features three different styles of RTS gameplay and blends them together very well, and these are then further expanded in the expansion Forces of Corruption. You have an overworld / galaxy map mode, where you direct your armies, improve your planets. Then, there are the two combat parts - first is the space combat part, where you battle with your fleet of ships against the enemy, targeting enemy ships - or their subsystems, allowing you to micromanage certain engagements to gain advantage. The ground / planetary combat is closer to other RTS games - where you command squads of soldiers and vehicles.
You do not actually build buldings in the combat maps, aside from some minor defense turrets which you can build in specific spots, the combat is only done with the units you bring on the overworld / galaxy map.
The game, for its time and being RTS, is pretty solid in terms of visuals, and especially the falling apart destroyed spaceships, burning and exploding, look well even by todays standards. The musical score is also pretty fitting, though it could use some more original tracks.
The only issues I can really think of are some minor compatibility issues with newer Windows versions that can lead to occassional crashes, and the unit pathing, specifically in space combat, can be a bit weird sometimes and it will take some time and playing with clicking on specific spots to get your ships to do what you want them to do.
Overall, it is a very good game, and if you are thinking about buying it, I can only recommend it even when not discounted. If you have never played it, and are thinking about buying it for the currently very popular mods, I would recommend to actually play the base game first. While a bit clunky due to age, it will teach you a lot about the game itself. The mods are often more complex and harder and without any tutorials, as they expect you to have decent knowledge and skill with the base game.
An amazing game for an amazing franchise this game really encapsulates star wars. the game itself is a 7/10 but the steam workshop for this game is flooded with insanely detailed mods with vast stories wich modernize the game. 9/10 would game
Got this on Steam sale for about $15 and it was worth the price. It was enjoyable enough for a Star Wars game, but I couldn't really get into it beyond the relatively short campaign. The land battles are pretty boring, but the space battles can be rather fun. Unfortunately, its unit cap keeps them from ever getting too exciting, as you can only have a handful of ships at any given time.
Game has balance issues. for example: empire tanks are weak and empire does not have rocket troops. IT fells like a half thought out rush job that heavily borrows upon battlefront. The units feel like they were borrowed from command and conquer 2 in design and control. Only buy this game if steam sells it for a few dollars.