In The
Beginning: A Galaxy, Far, Far Away ...
A Tactical Officer's explanation of the basics and
history of Star Wars Gaming
by Scott (A'Kula) Schimmels
4/2/99
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I've received several questions regarding some of the terminology, and basically, what the X-Wing series is all about. After some reflection, I thought it might be worthwhile to give a discourse on the history of LucasArts and Totally Games X-Wing® series. |
Part 1 "X-Wing": How It All Began
In March 1993, following a renewed interest in
the Star Wars universe following the best-selling Thrawn trilogy series by Timothy Zahn, LucasArts released its first Star Wars® space
combat simulation, called X-Wing®. This was the first title where players could
pilot their own Star Wars® craft in a realistic manner. In this game, the player
flew for the Rebel Alliance in X-wings, A-wings, Y-wings and B-wings, and the title
recreated the excitement from the films with compelling environmental details, cut scenes
story elements and starfighter cockpits. The subsequent releases (TIE Fighter, X-Wing vs
TIE Fighter, X-Wing Collector series) provided different kinds of space combat
experiences. The original X-Wing® game (given the acronym XWFD for X-Wing®,
floppy disk version) was a DOS-based floppy disk release, with two expansion or mission
disks: Imperial Pursuit and B-Wing. Eventually, a CD version of the game was
released (XWCD) that contained the original game, plus the two expansion sets.
The game was tremendous success, earning several achievements
for LucasArts including:
With the rise of CompuServe Forum, several groups of people banded together to form "squadrons". One person in particular, Peter Simmons, created the concept of an on-line Rebel Alliance and several new Rebel squadrons were formed in the CompuServe Flight Sim Forum, each having a particular role in the Alliance. These included Red (Training), Blue (Fleet reserves), Gray (Heavy Assault), Green (R&D testing - B-Wing), Gold (Advanced Intercept and Armed Recon), Black (Covert Ops) and Rogue (Elite). Shortly after that two more squadrons were created: Praying Mantis (Heavy Assault and Escort) and Kalidor (Black Ops - operating in Imperial Space). Gray and Green switched roles with Green taking Heavy Assault and Gray becoming the R&D unit for the Alliance. These groups met in the FSForum of CompuServe and shared tactics for winning various missions, defeating various Imperial ships and starfighters, and writing fictional stories called Points of Views (POVs). When the Internet became a reality, these squadrons soon moved over to websites, most still active in one form or another.
XWCD - which is essentially XWFD with the expansion missions included, gave rise to new terminology that is confusing to anyone not familiar with the game. I'll try to cover it in as logical a progression as possible.
Rebel Fighters |
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| There were four main rebel fighters. The X-Wing (XW), Y-Wing (YW), A-Wing (AW) and the B-Wing (BW) which appeared in the second expansion disk entitled, oddly enough, as B-Wing. | |
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The X-Wing was the Rebel's best all-around fighter, similar to the P-51 Mustang of the WWII era. With four lasers, six proton torpedoes, and four engines, it had enough energy to replensh shields and do heavy damage to enemy fighters and shipping. A good Rebel pilot, in a fully shielded X-Wing, could decimate a TIE Fighter squadron with ease. |
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The Y-Wing was the initial Rebel assault fighter. The Y-Wing, carrying 8 torpedoes and having very tough shields and hull strength, was the Rebel's choice for the typical Hit-n-Fade attacks the Rebels made on various Imperial convoys and depots. In addition, the Y-Wing carried ion cannons. These could disable enemy ships and fighters, once their shields were down, rendering them immobile and defenseless. A sharp pilot would use these ion cannons to offset the Y-Wing's incredibly slow rate of speed and turning rates. |
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The A-Wing was the Alliance's main interceptor fighter. Blindingly fast, it required a deft hand to maintain control of this speed-demon. The A-Wing carried 12 concussion missiles, but was underpowered in the areas of shielding and hull strength. Only the bravest of A-Wing pilots would face and Imperial Star Destroyer alone. |
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Admiral Ackbar, as part of the Shantipole Project, worked closely with the Verpine to design a replacement for the Y-Wing. What was developed was the B-Wing. The B-Wing was nearly as fast as an X-Wing, had far more tougher shields and hull strength, and carried 10 proton torpedoes. The B-Wing was designed primarily to take on an Imperial Star Destroyer, and win. The two factors that weighed against the B-Wing was its odd laser and ion cannon arrangement, and its incredibly poor rate-of-turn. The B-Wing was undoubtably the most difficult fighter in the Rebel Allaince's inventory to dogfight in. |
| Imperial Fighters | |
| The Imperials had five fighters to confront the Rebels with. | |
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Their mainline fighter was the standard Imperial TIE (Twin Ion Engines) Fighter (T/F). Incredibly agile fast, the T/F also had an incredible rate of fire. An experienced T/F pilot could erode even the strongest of Rebel starfighter shields in a matter of seconds. However, they were unshielded and had very weak hulls. Two full laser hits and they were scraps of quadanium and steel. TIE Fighter's nickname is the Eyeball due to its configuration of a ball cockpit with twin solar panels. |
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The TIE Bomber (T/B) is the Empire's mainline bomber. The T/B has a tougher hull than the T/F, requiring five full laser hits to take it out. However it is as slow as a Y-Wing, making it easy pickings for the alert Rebel. T/Bs were called Dupes due to their double-hull configuration. |
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The TIE Interceptor (T/I) was created to offset the Rebel's advantages in the X-Wing and A-Wing over the T/F. A T/I carried four lasers, linked in a similar manner as the X-Wing, but had the speed of the T/F. It also had somewhat tougher hulls, requiring three full laser hits to be destroyed. The T/I or Squint (due to the slots in the solar panels that TIE pilots had to squint through to see out the left and right sides) was a formidable opponent. The T/I had the best turning rate of either Rebel or Imperial. The alert Rebel pilot always knew where the T/Is were, cause they could swing the balance in the Empire's favor, if left unattended. |
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The TIE Advanced (T/A) was the premier starfighter of the Empire. It had something no other TIE had - shields! It also carried concussion missiles. Blindingly fast, as fast as an A-Wing, the T/A or Bright as it was called by Rebel pilots, was a very dangerous opponent. Fortunately, the T/A was very expensive to produce and the Empire decided not to mass-produce these. As a result, the T/A did not proliferate into the outer Star Destroyers and only made their appearance for extremely critical assets or missions. |
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The final Imperial fighter is the Gunboat (GUN). The Gunboat was a step up from the T/B in that it had shields, a generous load of torpedoes or missiles, and also had ion cannons and shields. A flight of GUNs could easily destroy a Rebel convoy or depot. When GUNs appeared, the Rebel pilots immediately attacked them, fearing the high volume of torpedoes or missiles a GUN could deliver on target. The main drawback on the GUN was its large profile, making it easy to hit, and its very slow rate of turn. A Y-Wing, in the hand of an experience Rebel pilot, could take out a flight of GUNs single-handedly. |
Rebel Capital Ships |
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The first ship, the Corellian Corvette (CRV) is probably the most familiar because its the same type of ship Princess Leia was captured in by Darth Vader during the opening scenes of A New Hope. The CRV was used by both Rebel and Imperial forces, but for differing missions. The Rebels used the CRV for transporting injured troops, VIPs whereas the Imperials invariably used the CRVs as smaller patrol vessels, usually near planetary systems. The CRV had a fairly tough hull, but 6 proton torpedoes were enough to destroy it. It's pair of turbo-laser batteries, one on top and one on bottom, were blocked by the massive bank of engines in the rear, creating a "blind spot" allowing even a slow Y-Wing the opportunity to destroy it unimpeded. |
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The Nebulon-B frigate (FRG) was the premier middle-class capital ship of both Rebel and Imperial fleets. Capable of carrying two squadrons worth of fighters (12 fighters to a squadron), the FRG was a formidable foe. It has no shield generators, so taking down a FRG in a lone starfighter was a daunting task. This was made more difficult by the FRG's 12 turbo-laser and 12 laser batteries. Only the bravest Rebel pilot dared closed with a fully-armed FRG. One small mistake, and the pilot would find his shields gone and either ejecting in space, or being shipped out into space in a coffin. The FRG could absorb a significant amount of damage, thereby allowing the FRG's fighter screen time to engage a host of enemy fighters and still survive. |
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The final capital ship the Rebels used in XWCD was the Mon Calamari Cruiser (CRS). The CRS carried a full wing (six squadrons, seventy two fighters) and had very tough shields, hull, and a significant number of turbo-lasers. The CRS was the Rebel's answer to the Imperial Star Destroyer. The original set of CRS were luxury liners created in the Mon Cal shipyards, then converted to mainline battlecruisers after the Rebel Alliance was formed. Each CRS was slightly different, due to the creativity of the Mon Cal ship designers. A CRS could withstand incredible punishment, which was well indeed, since there were only a handful of them available to the Rebels before the Battle of Yavin. |
Imperial Capital Ships |
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In addition to the CRV and FRG previously mentioned, the mainline Imperial capital ship was the Imperial Star Destroyer (ISD) - Class I. The ISD, like the CRS, carried a full wing of TIEs, usually T/Fs, T/Bs and T/Is. Occasionally, the ISD would have GUNs and T/As for a critical mission, but more often than not it was simply the basic mix of two T/F squadrons, two T/B squadrons and two T/I squadrons. The ISD was a formidable foe, usually requiring coordinated attacks between X-Wings and Y-Wings for a successful misson. However, the ISD Class 1's had one significant weakness - their shield generators. Unlike the CRV, FRG or CRS, the ISD's shields were created by a pair of generators, appearing as balls, ontop of the ISD's bridge section. Taking out these shield generators dropped the ISD's entire shields, leaving it vulnerable for attack by the Rebel's fighters and bombers. Three proton torpedoes would eliminate a shield generator, so even a lowly X-Wing could drop an ISDs shields, allowing his fellow pilots to hammer it without mercy. A lone B-Wing pilot could drop an ISDs shields, immobilize it with his ion cannons, and the hammer the ISD until the hull breached and it the ISD went to its fiery grave. It soon became an honor to "bag" and Imperial ISD or FRG, and many a Rebel pilots status within his or her squadron was directly correllated to how many Imperial capital ships he or she had bagged while completing XWCD's Tours of Duty. |
Other Game Pieces |
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| Besides the starfighters and capital ships, XWCD included several other items to round out the game play. Probably the most recognized article what the standard space container (CON). CONs were used by both Rebels and Imperials as storage units in space. They could contain food, medicine, parts, war material, even house prisoners, technicians or fighters. A CON usually would hold 2-4 fighters, though at times, the Imperials were able to hide as many as 12 T/Fs in a CON (Hmmm, how did they do that?) For most Rebel missions, the CONs were either a source of supplies to steal from the Empire, or simply targets of opportunity. Usually, 12-14 full laser hits, or two proton torpedoes, were enough to destroy a CONs shields and reduce it to space flotsam. The freighter (FRT) was exactly what the name implies - a cargo vessel in space. The FRT would be used to ship foodstuffs, technicians, parts and war material from one system to another. A FRT had decent shields but lumbered through space, making them easy targets for the either Rebel or Imperial pilots. Six proton torpedoes were enought to destroy a FRT, though a smart Rebel pilot would use four torpedoes to drop a FRT's shields, then finish her off with lasers. Shuttles (SHU) were used to ferry VIPs from one ship to another. While having little in the way of shielding or hull strengh, SHUs carried lasers or ion cannons and could ruin your day, if you were not careful. Transports (TRN) were used to ferry larger complements of personnel than a SHU, like a commando squad or an entire stormtrooper platoon. TRNs were used by the Rebels to carry out assault and capture, or assault and retrieve missions. Imperials used TRNs to ferry large numbers of prisoners or stormtrooper units. TRNs were equipped with ion cannons and could take down a FRTs shields fairly quickly, if left alone. While their shields were toughter than a SHUs, they were easy targets to the adept Rebel pilot. Tugs (TUG) were used in depots by the Imperials to shunt dormant TIEs, CONs, SHUs and FRTs from one position to another. They were lightly shielded and had no hull strength. A single laser blast was enough to destroy them. The final pieces to the XWCD game were mines, bouys and probes. Mines were used to protect stationary assets like depots and capital ships. They would target based on IFF (identify friend or foe). Bouys were navigational aids in space, usually to allow accurate hyperjumps from one sector in the galaxy to another. Probes were intellligence and data gathering devices used by the Empire (remember the opening sequence in Empire Strikes Back?). All three of these items could be removed with a single laser blast. In some missions, this was necessary to complete or win the particular mission. | |
| Joining the Rebel Alliance | |
| After installing the game, and getting the music, graphics etc all configured, you're now ready to join the Rebel Alliance and fly with Luke Skywalker, Wedge Antilles and Bigg Darklighter. After signing in on the CRS Independence, the flagship of the Rebel Alliance and its primary training center, you entered the main concourse of the Independence. Here you face several options. | |
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I would suggest that you first fly The Maze to familiarize yourself with each Rebel Alliance fighter's characteristics, and to learn the various keystrokes needed (shifting energy from shields to lasers and vice versa, using the targeting computer, roll rates etc). Once you are comfortable with each fighter, then move onto the Historical Missions. These are invaluable as they will aid in your learning basic dogfighting (d/f) and combat tactics. If used correctly, these missions will aid in your identifying the correct Engine, Laser, Shields (ELS) settings for each particular fighter for a specific combat scenario. Finally, after you're able to win the Historical Missions with ease, it's time to move on to actual combat, the TODs. Be warned, if you crash your fighter or have to eject, you may face capture or death. If so, your pilot will be INACTIVE or CAPTURED and you will have to start with a new pilot. If you REVIVE your pilot, you lose your TOD total scores and stats.
While to some the scores and stats may not mean much, to those of us who have joined an online squadron, they form the core of your evaluation as a member. The critical areas to keep in mind are: total number of kills (any ship), number of capital ship kills (FRG or ISD), number of Imperial fighter kills (T/F, T/B, T/I, GUN, T/A), percentage laser hits (%L) and percentage missile hits (%T). Also, each TOD mission score, and the overall cumulative score are considered. A pilot would be considered elite if he or she has killed more than 20 capital ships and well over 1500 enemy fighters by the time he or she completes TODs 1-5. Also, his or her %L would be above 50% and his or her %T would be above 90%. It is also not uncommon to see cumulative TOD scores near or above 2,000,000. In addition, an elite pilot should lose, at most, one ship per TOD. This means that you ejected but lived and were not captured by the Imperials. I only mention these as I've had one or two direct questions about pilot stats and what is considered to be outstanding stats.
For A Job Well Done:
One of the additional facets to XWCD was the advent of promotions in rank, medals and combat badges. A Rebel pilot could see his progress by viewing his uniform and/or medal case in between each mission. For each historical mission completed, the Rebel pilot earned a combat badge for that particular fighter (so six in all). In addition, if a pilot reached level 8 in The Maze, the pilot earned a fighter qualification patch for that particular fighter. For achieving significant mission scores in the TODs (i.e. 20000 or greater), a Rebel pilot would earn the Kalidor Crescenet, then additional badges for the Crescent. For each TOD mission completed, the pilot earned a combat ribbon. Finishing a TOD earned him or her a TOD medal. A truly elite pilot would have the rank of General, the Kalidor Crescent with Bronze Talons, Silver Scimitar, Gold Wings and Diamond Eyes by TOD1M10 (first TOD, mission 10).
For the its time, XWCD gave new life to the Star Wars universe, and satisfied many gaming enthusiasts (like myself) desire to join Luke and battle Imperial tyranny. XWCD gave the "feel" of being a member of the Rebel Alliance's starfighter corp, and gave some historical information regarding the Star Wars universe from the Battle of Turkana to the Battle of Hoth. All in all, it was, and still is, one of the best space combat sims around. I play the latest version of XWCD, which is the Windows 95 version of XWCD, called X-Wing the Collectors Series (XWCS). I will be discussing XWCS later.
So the Rebels have their space combat simulation. But what about the Empire? Will the Empire Return? Knowing LucasArts, the answer is - of course! On to TIE Fighter...
