Tie Fighter

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Like the really bad modern Star Wars movies, people often lament the state of Star Wars gaming as well. When people speak of a diamond in the rough they say…

Tie Fighter.

I remember living in North Uxbridge, MA and playing Tie Fighter for hours in my dad’s office downstairs. I was in full view of two windows and the front door, but still, I would prepare for Tie Fighter in true geek form. I had my joystick that was the control stick in my cockpit. I had over sized headphones that were my communications gear to tell my wingmen how they might further assist the Empire. My bike helmet was never going to be used for crash landings as I was never going to fail the Dark Side alive. I even simulated a seat belt harness and everything.

This game was not just a flight simulator. As a matter of fact, I don’t really like flight simulators. What I do like are games that can make you suspend disbelief. I felt like I was a soldier of an Empire. I really was communicating with my fellow pilots, completing missions, and controlling the outcomes of battles as much as any one pilot could. This game had elements of RTS and sunk you into a story. I can’t think of any other flight simulators that ever did that.

Tie Fighter.

Maybe it’s time I again jump into my Missile Boat and kick some rebellious but.

  • SteveJ

    Very well done. I’ve never tried to identify what made Tie Fighter so special. But you’re right, it’s completely immersive, intuitive, and effortless.

    I was first introduced to tie at my best friend’s house. It was installed on his dad’s computer and I was always a little scared of his dad. We’d carefully broach the subject, tentatively settle ourselves in his office, and then play until we were kicked out. You wouldn’t think it would work as multiplayer, but our standards were so much lower then. It was FUN to cheer your friend on, point out details on the edge of the screen, and anxiously await your time with the stick.

    I bought my own version for our brand new (handmedown) 486. No sound, so…well, you deal.

    Then I got a new PC w/windows 98. I spent hours configuring the dos compatability mode to get it to run. Again…no sound. Eventually I shelled out for the fancy shmancy windows version. I still have the 3.5 floppies though.

    It’s a good thing I’m going out of town this weekend or I might just spend it in a tie fighter cockpit.

  • I was first introduced to Tie Fighter at the comix/Magic The Gathering shop in front of my house called Reign of Terror. In the ‘back room’ there was a PC and Super Nintendo if I remember. The owner would play a lot and I was his copilot in charge of regenerating the shields. So that’s all I did was watch and when I saw shields were getting low, would redirect laser power to the shields. So, yeah, that was pretty multi player to me. I was a crew member.

    I have Tie Fighter on a cd. I haven’t had the courage to try to get it to work on my XP lappy. I don’t have a pilot-esque joystick, so I’m hesitant.

  • SteveJ

    Shields????

    You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor! Take her away! ;)

  • Yes, shields. Remember tie advanced, gun boats, and missile boats. The Empire is not so ill equipped that all of its ships do not have shields. Maybe you like using the plain old tie fighter, tie bomber, or tie interceptor, but not me. I like shields.

    However, if I had to chose say an x-wing or a tie fighter, I’d go with the speed and maneuverability over the x-wing. If it were an a-wing, I might take it.

  • SteveJ

    That’s was my problem with “X-Wing”. I played “Tie Fighter” first so I thought shields were a pretty crappy trade off for lumbering around like a bantha.

    Yep, I’m a plain-jane tie fighter guy. The interceptors are a touch too maneuverable. Same thing with the Battlefront series, give me a boring ol stormtrooper most days. I also love peanut butter and jelly and boring ol raisin bran. I do love me some tie defender though. Giddyup.

  • I like missile boats, sushi (it’s like a sandwich), and Crispix. But I need wingmen like you! Too bad there isn’t multiplayer Tie Fighter. I’d soooo be there.