Frequently Asked Questions

What will I need to play TFTC? 

To install and play TFTC, you will require the following:

• A copy of the game X-Wing Alliance

  • XWA on GOG

  • XWA on Steam

  • XWA on Origin

  • Original CD Version - Extra installation step required, check the installation section for more information.

• The X-Wing Alliance Installer Manager which you can get from the XWAU website.

How do I install TFTC?

We have a full video tutorial guiding you on how to setup and install XWA, XWAU and the TFTC mods along with other potential issues you may face, Watch it here. Otherwise check the installation section of the website for more info.

What does TFTC include? 

TFTC comes in two separate flavours, Classic and Reimagined. TFTC Classic is the original TIE Fighter experience that includes Battles 1-13 (Base game, Defender of the Empire and Enemies of the Empire expansions) + all original voice acting. The gameplay of Classic is adjusted to match the original TIE Fighter as closely as possible, this includes slower laser speeds, rate of fire, reduced weapon ranges and many more nuances that the original game has which is not standard in the XWA engine.

TFTC Reimagined is an expanded version of TIE Fighter, imagining how the game could've been if the technical limitations of the time hadn't restricted it such as larger battles and expanded narratives. This includes Battles 1-8 (Base game + 1 Battle from Defender of the Empire). Battles 9-13 are still under development along with a totally new balance structure for the game. See the Rebalance project for more information. But also included is all 28 TF Training missions tucked away in the training simulator. These unlock as you progress through the main campaigns. All the original cutscenes, including the Secret Order. A pilots room that will fill up with Imperial memorabilia as you progress, as well as all the original medals and even the Secret Order arm tattoos. 

There is also a completely remastered TIE Fighter IMUSE score along with 5 other soundtrack choices, including 3 classic MIDI sountracks (Roland SC-55, Sound Blaster AWE32 and Gravis Ultrasound (GUS)), a more modern remaster of the TIE Fighter soundtrack by Alexey Savelyev and just the vanilla stock XWA soundtrack which is the John Williams standard Star Wars fare (be careful streaming with that option, it might get copywronged!)

To explore what is contained in each version, please visit either the TFTC Classic or TFTC Reimagined sections.

How does the Secret Order work? 

XWA does not have the individual character interactions that TIE Fighter had, sadly, so we've had to compromise a little here. All Secret Order objectives and missions are now primary mission objectives instead of secret or bonus goals. When ingame, any Secret Order based objective will have the [SO] tag next to it. Completing them is necessary in order to beat a mission. There are still plenty of bonus/hidden objectives to earn more points and which get you closer to unlocking higher Secret Order ranks! 

Do I need a Joystick or Controller? 

While the game is best played with a Joystick (and to a much lesser degree a gamepad controller), it is also possible to use the Keyboard and Mouse exclusively to fly. To do this, open up the XWA Launcher, click on the Babu Frik Configurator and enable 'Joystick Emulation'. You can also set the mouse sensitivity there or just use the Keyboard. Please note this will disable any joystick or controller if emulation is turned on. We have stored a variety of Joystick and Controller profiles here. You can also get even better KB+M control by taking a look at this video by LPhoenix.

Is there be VR support? 

Yes XWAU has integrated VR support which means TFTC can do it as well! VR requires a beefy system, even then you may experience some lag. Check the ⁠vr-help channel for advice from fellow VR enthusiasts if you need assistance. We also have this handy guide for VR here.

Are the campaigns playable in Co-op? 

We hope to include a co-op version of the campaigns in the future. While the issues of desync seem to have been largely solved, there are still issues to overcome before we feel this is a viable gameplay element to spend time implementing for the campaigns. 

How can I donate? 

As much as we might like to, we cannot accept ANY kind of financial donation to the project due to the increased risk of legal troubles with Disney if we did so. You can reward us by playing the mod and spreading words of its existence to others who would be interested!

Will you be doing a remaster or reimagining of X-Wing? 

The team has no plans to do this to X-Wing. There is currently the XWVM project which aims to recreate X-Wing into a brand new engine and is now available to download and play. It is being built with backwards compatibility to the mission files so that in the future, the same can be done with TIE Fighter. To keep up with the latest news on XWVM, we recommend you join their Discord server.

Does TFTC Support Linux? 

Currently older versions of TFTC mostly work on linux however the implementation of the HD concourse as well as the movie files we use currently do not work and this seems to be down to how this has been programmed. We would absolutely love for TFTC to be 100% compatible, especially given the shifting, more hostile tech landscape, but we need help from Linux experts. If you're one of those, please do join the conversation and see how you can contribute in our Discord server.

How can I report a bug or issue? 

Please do join our Discord server and report any bugs in the #tftc-bug-report-forum channel. Please do try to be as detailed as you can and make sure you specify which version of the game you are r unning (Classic/Reimagined and/or version number).

What happened to that intro video by Otaking? 

Otaking delivered the full, finished animation to us last year, its just over 7 minutes long. However its still being scored and SFX need to be added, we have hired a composer who is in the process of doing this. The plan is to release the final finished product when TFTC Reimagined is fully completed. 

How can I tell what version of TFTC I have installed? 

Press ESC to reach the main menu, at the bottom you will see what version of TFTC is running. 

Does TFTC use any generative AI? 

No, we do not use any kind of generative AI to make our models, voiceovers, missions, music and pretty much anything else. While existing tools to optimize textures or to do any tedious work are of course beneficial and used, we firmly believe in using human creativity and talent and allowing that person to express their creativity, not whatever AI prompt can scrape and steal into some form of slop. A humans need to express their creativity is not something that should be taken away, so yes even if our voiceovers aren't the most professional for example, its better we gave someone the opportunity to try.