The 2.8 update for AotR is finally here! Here's a list of the high level changes:

2.8 Final Patch Notes:
● Gravity well station can now reveal incoming fleets and contents of nearby fleets
● New Model for Gravity Well Station
● New Models for shipyards, along with hardpoints and small free defense
● Upkeep cost redo of production/defense buildings. Defense buildings now build slower,
cost less initially, but have a high upkeep. Production buildings have high initial cost,
build quickly, but have less upkeep.
● All new campaigns:
○ New small “Canon” layout campaigns, Rebels v. Empire and New Republic
○ New “Classic” web layout campaigns, Rebels v. Empire, Outerrim
○ New Random campaigns using the previous campaign layouts
● Brand new ship names and fighter pilot names
● BIG STORY ADJUSTMENTS, all stories are useable by both Canon and Web
campaigns.
● Adjusted Ackbar, Empire Bespin, Empire Sullust missions, so that they work better now
● AI will prioritize planets with no space and ground bases for defense duty
● Random mission reward units and amounts adjusted to not give large rewards if support
value is lower
● New defensive/support structures in space.
● Completely new Starbases for the main three factions, limited all starbases to 3 levels.
● Minor Starbases now use main faction starbases temporarily.
● Added Iridonia to the “Canon” campaign
● Ground Overhaul:
○ Ground Heros Completely Reworked
■ New abilities for blaster heros
■ Melee heroes revamped for increased lethality
■ Jedi heros have all new abilities to assist them in combat
○ Ground Infantry overhaul
■ Brand new infantry squads
■ New Icons under each infantry indicating role
■ Brand new infantry abilities
■ Complete infantry weapon overhaul
■ New effects for buffs/debuffs of infantry (increased/decreased fire rate,
defense, and speed). Certain weapons will cause debuffs, while other
abilities will buff units.
○ Ground Vehicle overhaul
■ New vehicle weapon balancing
■ New custom minimap icons for large vehicles and air units
■ Air units are always visible through fog of war allowing for better anti-air
effectiveness.
■ Many new ground vehicles such as T-16 Skyhopper, Keldalbe tank, T1-C
hovertank, Uwing…
■ Different movement behaviors for different vehicle types.
Tracked/Wheeled vehicles have quick acceleration, quick turning, and
can drive forwards and backwards. Hover vehicles have a high top speed,
low acceleration, and can move over water. Walkers have instant
acceleration but slower turn speed.
■ Some hover/air vehicles can strafe while moving to keep aiming at the
enemy.
■ Certain small vehicles can move in the same areas that only infantry can
move.
○ All 90+ ground maps completely overhauled by the mad man Maxim himself!
■ 20 maps from Phoenix Rising have been ported over, to replace vanilla
maps and other before used maps, that didnt fit into our gameplay vision
■ 9 new maps were created by Maxim: Felucia, Rhen Var, Bespin, Bilbringi,
Geonosis, Iridonia, Thyferra, Concord Dawn and Manaan, which together
with Ord Mantell and Malastare makes 11 original MaxiM maps
■ All 93 maps were adjusted to feature new big landingzones, medium build
pads, more infantry accesible areas, which also often provide cover
bonuses, and less obstacles, that block pathing
■ Of these adjusted maps, one was made by ThatOneBullet, Yaga Minor,
one comes from Clone Wars 4.0, Umbara, 26 were given to us by Radical
Edward, 6 are old SMG maps and finally 28 are vanilla maps
■ It is planned to free release the adjusted Vanilla, the SMG and my new
maps, so other mods can use them, if they chose to do so
○ Ground combat overhaul
■ New Medium Build Pads now contain Sensors, Bacta, Repair, and the all
new Bunker Turret
■ Forests and Barricaded paths are now used as covert infantry routes,
some provide additional cover to infantry.
■ Reinforced barricades around bases provide safety from small arms fire
■ Civillian forces are now a powerful force, but do come in limited numbers
■ Most buildings can be garrisoned by infantry and allow them to shoot from
safety
■ New features such as multiple attacker starting zones, multiple affiliation
civillians.
■ New Indigenous units, such as: Naboo Guard, CSA Espos, Kaleesh
Warrirors, Umbaran Militia.
■ Mercenary Refitter reworked to Mercenary Recruiter. This building allows
you to recruit either Kaleesh Warriors, Trandoshan Hunters, Noghri
Assasins and Mandalorian Mercenaries, that will fight for you until the
battle is over. You can only build one of them, after the purchase is
completed the Recruiter will shut its doors.
■ Ground bombing runs now carry additional weapons based on the
bomber’s weaponry.
○ Brand new Ground AI
■ AI properly garrisons/ungarrisons troops
■ AI moves in their army in a group
■ AI prioritizes players structures over neutral/third-party structures
■ All unnecessary AI behaviors removed
○ Overhauled ground textures for better visual fidelity
○ New ground particle effects, weapon effects, and damage effects.
○ Replaced many models for ground scenery.
● Updated Shaders to increase visual fidelity
● Random campaigns reworked to have additional starting credits and population
● All heros are now buyable in all GCs that do not intially spawn them from the faction’s
designated command buildings (Black Sun Palace, Alliance Intelligence Center, Imperial
Palaces). Random campaigns will no longer automatically spawn heros.
● Minor space weapon balancing and unit weapon loadouts
● Redone Description Texts for Planets/Buildings
● Ground transports deploy troops much faster
● Added Freefall/Scurrg/Kimogila and their respective bombing runs.
● All new ground/space weapon sounds.
● All new community Voice overs and one very special VO :>)
● Moff Palace system replaced to have an upgraded progression: Governors Palace ->
Moff Palace -> Emperor’s Palace. All three buildings can recruit different heros.
● Black Sun now has Shields and all other standard buildings in ground skirmish
● Changed Repair drones, so that the GR-75 doesn’t turn when spawning them
● New Galactic AI behavior
○ Save Fleet: If the AI detects a stranded fleet over an enemy planet, they will route
that fleet through enemy territory to the nearest friendly planet.
○ Rampage: The AI will choose an important player controlled world and do a
heavy assault on all planets leading to the target planet.
○ Changed the AI to only leave 10 ground units after an invasion and use the other
units of the invasion force to protect other planets
○ All Galactic AI has been overhauled yet again for faster responsiveness,
removed cheating of free units, and building the correct ground/space structures
in opportune locations.
○ AI will continue to attack a lot, even in later stages of the game
○ AI will be more active while teching up
● Fixed AI Raiding for Rebels and Black Sun
● Reworked space engine effects
● New model for The Wheel station
● New space squadron formations based on the role of the units.
● Reworked space movement on all fighters and bombers
● Rodian/gammorean global death scream finally gone
● Ground Stealth companies now have stealth indicator in icon
● Replaced victory/defeat voiceover sounds.
● Removed warnings about incoming fleets.