Key points
- Windows version may have issues on modern systems.
- GOG.com version has hardware mode disabled.[2]
- Hardware mode can have issues with modern systems.[2]
General information
- GOG.com Community Discussions
- GOG.com Support Page
- GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
- Steam Community Discussions
- Official Forums (Defunct)
- Woookiepedia - A Star Wars wiki
Availability
Source |
DRM |
Notes |
Keys |
OS |
Retail |
|
DRM: Manual lookup (DOS version) or CD check (Windows CD-ROM versions) |
|
|
GOG.com |
|
Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special Edition |
|
|
Steam |
|
Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special Edition |
|
|
DLC and expansion packs
Name |
Notes |
|
Defender of the Empire |
Also included with the 1995 and 1998 CD versions. |
|
Enemies of the Empire |
Only released as part of the 1995 and 1998 CD versions. |
|
Version differences
- Playing the DOS version in DOSBox is the easiest and most straightforward way to experience the game, but the Windows port has some features that might make it worth fiddling with to get running.
- The DOS version has a unique soundtrack that is not available for other versions.
Collectors CD-ROM Edition (1995)
The original release came on five floppies and ran at 320x200 resolution while the collectors CD-ROM came on a single CD, features a 640x480 mode as well as improved cutscenes and full voice-overs throughout missions and briefings. They both run great in DOSBox without major issues and don't require a joystick to play.
Collector Series Edition (1998)
In 1998 a bundle of TIE Fighter and X-Wing ported to Windows 95/98 was released. This version features further enhanced graphics, including 3D-acceleration support (Direct3D), the use of proper textures instead of primitive gouraud-shading and completely redone concourse graphics. The iMUSE dynamic music system, however, was removed in favor of conventional CD-audio tracks. Furthermore, this version requires a joystick/gamepad, cannot be played with the mouse unless a joystick-emulation program such as PPJoy is used, and removes support using the joystick/gamepad to navigate menus.
- The problems and fixes in this article mostly relate to this version of the game.
Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special Edition
The available digital copies of the game include the original 1994 DOS floppy disk version, the 1995 Collector's CD, and the 1998 Collectors Series edition Windows release of the game along with all expansions (1995 Collector's CD was added to the GOG.com version on 28 April 2015). They also have compatibility fixes for modern systems.
Essential improvements
Patches
Collector series fixes
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System |
Location |
DOS |
|
Windows |
|
Mac OS (Classic) |
|
macOS (OS X) |
|
Linux |
|
Steam Play (Linux) |
<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/355250/pfx/[Note 1] |
- It's unknown whether this game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux. Please fill in this information.
Save game data location
Video settings
Template:Video settings
Input settings
Template:Input settings
- In the windows version, Buttons can be assigned from the in-game options menu (press ESC when not flying).
- Although intended for joysticks, the game supports gamepads out of the box. For dual-stick gamepads, the right-stick is used as throttle (except for Xbox controllers, where it detects LT/RT.)
- Only the Dos version permits using the keyboard or controller to navigate menus.
Audio settings
Template:Audio settings
- This game supports the MT-32 and General MIDI for music (Floppy and DOS CD versions only).
Localizations
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
|
|
|
|
German |
|
|
|
|
French |
|
|
|
texts only in French retail version (collector cd rom and floppy)
cinematic voices were dubbed only on the floppy version (extensions were never dubbed in french). |
Issues fixed
Game crashes in battle 6 mission 3
Game installer won't run on 64-bit versions of Windows
Modify the installer files to work on 64-bit operating systems[citation needed]
|
- Since the X-Wing and TIE Fighter installers are 16-bit programs they won't work in 64-bit operating systems.
- To remedy this, use the appropriate fixed installer found here: [1] to create an updated install disk with which you can install and run the game. Detailed instructions are found here: [2].
- When installing, the autostart menu seems to be bugged so you might need to run the
setup.exe file directly from the disk you created.
|
Game doesn't run on modern versions of Windows
Run the game directly from TIE95.exe instead of from the menu[citation needed]
|
Sound is crackling/distorted/weird in Windows Vista/Windows 7
Use Creative Alchemy[citation needed]
|
- If you're using a Creative sound card and have the Alchemy software installed try adding the following to it:
**RegPath=HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC\TIE95\1.0\Install Path
**Buffers=5
**Duration=10
|
Cockpit flashes rapidly while flying
Disable Crossfire/SLI[citation needed]
|
Objects/textures seem to disappear when moving the ship around in hardware accelerated mode
Use Reimars XWAHacker[citation needed]
|
- Download it here.
- Extract it into your TIE Fighter folder.
- Run
tie95fixedclear.bat . This should fix the graphical corruption.
Notes
- If all the ships/stations are invisible and the above fix doesn't work, and in case an ATI card is being used, the old DLL files (
atiumd64.dll and atiumdag.dll ) may fix the problem. It has been reported to work on Windows 8 64-bit with a 5870 video card.[citation needed]
|
Colors are messed up
- See Rainbow color problems in older games for solutions.
Forcing anti-aliasing messes up graphics
Instructions[citation needed]
|
This seems to happen with some combinations of cards and drivers. I don't know of a fix other than to try a different driver.
|
Capital Ships and Space Stations rarely fire their Lasers
Change DOSBox Cycles[citation needed]
|
- This happen if you use the DOS version in DOSBox. The firing rate seems to work opposite to the game speed.
- More Cycles = Less Laser Fire - Fewer Cycles = More Laser Fire.
- About 60000 Cycles for 640x480 and 30000 Cycles for 320x200 should be a good compromise.
|
Graphical Tweaks
Higher resolutions
While digging through a cracked version of the .exe in search of entries related to in-game resolution I came across a few numbers that when changed gave interesting results. At one point the game was running at 1920x1200 with the menu as a square up in the corner, but upon entering flight-mode I would always get a crash. It seems playing in higher resolutions might be possible, but someone with a greater knowledge of hex-editing should probably take a look at it.[citation needed]
Other information
API
Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
DOS video modes |
|
|
Executable | PPC | 16-bit |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
Windows | | |
|
|
|
macOS (OS X) | | |
|
|
Linux | | |
|
|
Mac OS (Classic) | | | |
|
|
Middleware
|
Middleware |
Notes |
Audio |
iMuse (DOS), WinMM (Win9x) |
For music only. GOG.com version uses an OGG wrapper for WinMM. |
System requirements
DOS | Windows | Mac OS (Classic) | macOS (OS X) | Linux |
DOS |
|
Minimum |
Operating system (OS) |
|
Processor (CPU) |
33 MHz |
System memory (RAM) |
2 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
15 MB |
Video card (GPU) |
VGA |
Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
95 | |
Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium 90
| Intel Pentium 133 |
System memory (RAM) |
16 MB | |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
100 MB | |
Video card (GPU) |
PCI graphics card DirectX 5.2 compatible | |
Sound (audio device) |
16-bit sound card | |
Controller |
Joystick required. Mouse required. | |
Notes
References