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| This
guide is split into two main sections. The first deals
with general hints, tips and techniques that apply to
any situation you’ll find yourself in. The second,
on the other hand, takes a detailed look at the strengths
and weaknesses of each of the six craft you get to fly and what you’ll be flying
against. |
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| In
the Beginning
Although TIE Fighter
enables you to jump straight into a battle and start
crushing the rebellion immediately, it’s well worth
taking time out to train and qualify on each craft beforehand.
Not only do you get a promotion and some nice certificates
and medals, but you also learn a lot that’s useful
later on.
The Training Simulator
This relatively simple obstacle course is good for sussing
out TIE Fighter’s basic controls, and demonstrates
the main differences between the various craft - their
speed and weaponry. To qualify on a ship you must finish
level 8. Bear in mind that the course is essentially
passive - nothing shoots at you, and hitting things
doesn’t damage your ship - so when flying a fighter
with shields, turn the recharge rate down to minimum
to gain speed. Likewise, keep the laser recharge rate
at normal until your lasers are running low, and then
increase it for a while. The TIE Advanced and Defender
pose a unique problem in the Training Simulator - they’re
both too fast! If you turn the shield recharge to minimum
you’ll find yourself smacking into things all the
time on the later levels, so put the laser recharge
up to maximum to compensate, and be prepared to lower
your speed even further if necessary.
The Combat Chamber Whereas
the Training Simulator gives you a good idea of how
the ships fly, the Combat Chamber introduces you to
the kind of situations you’ll find in actual battles.
For each craft there are four progressively more difficult
and more ‘realistic’ (i.e. more like actual
events) missions. Even if you skip the Training Simulator,
you really should fly all these missions because they
enable you to experiment and gain experience without
putting your pilot at risk, as well as introduce most
of the objectives you’ll face later on - from identifying
neutral craft to taking out minefields or attacking
capital ships. Other than the instructions given on-screen
in the earlier missions, there is little that refers
specifically to these missions - treat them as battles
and use the rest of this guide to help you out.
The Battles TIE Fighter’s
campaign is split into seven battles, each consisting
of five or six linked missions. Although you are free
to skip between the first four whenever you want, it’s
best to complete them in numerical order - not only
do they get more difficult, but it helps maintain the
game’s storyline. The rest of this guide is aimed
at these missions. |
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| Take
Control
It might sound obvious,
but it’s important to learn and understand the
controls if you’re going to do well. Outside of
the basic movement, firing and targeting controls, the
majority of TIE Fighter’s key commands are designed
to make life easier for you. Read the manual and play
around in the Combat Chamber until you’ve mastered
them. You’ll not only be better at playing, you’ll
have more fun too. |
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| Situational
Awareness
A flash way of saying
‘knowing what’s going on,’ situational
awareness is the key to success in TIE Fighter. You
might be the best pilot in the Empire’s history
and a master of your starfighter’s controls, but
if you’re not in the right place, attacking the
right thing at the right time, you’ll fail miserably.
Luckily, TIE Fighter contains a whole range of features
designed to help you keep track of what’s going
on, estimate what’s going to happen in the near
future and then do something about it. The first is
the Mission Briefing itself. As well as telling you
your main objectives, this gives you an idea of the
starting positions of craft - and, by talking to your
briefing officer, what you’ll be fighting too.
Remember to speak to the shadowy figure if he’s
there and get your secondary objectives. As soon as
the mission starts, go to the Goals screen. This gives
you the specific mission objectives, and often a hint
as to what ships may be appearing later on. Exit the
Goals screen and go to the Map, taking a close look
at what’s about and where they are. Now decide
on your first target - and go for it. Throughout the
mission, keep an eye on the Goals, Map and Log screens.
The best way to do this is to check them immediately
after each combat engagement (i.e. after blowing up
or disabling a ship). By doing this, you’ll know
what’s going on, be able to spot dangers and problems
early on and have time to deal with them. This is of
great importance in missions which involve defence -
spotting attacking groups before they can do you harm
is vital. |
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| ELS
Settings
However, awareness of
your starfighter’s condition and current performance
is just as important as an awareness of the overall
situation. What this really comes down to is ensuring
that you use the ELS (Engine, Laser, Shield) settings
effectively and to your advantage. What makes this more
complicated, though, is the fact that each fighter you
fly behaves slightly differently. The TIE Interceptor’s
maximum laser recharge rate, for example, is phenomenal
-it can actually charge up while firing at maximum rate.
Nevertheless, there are some general points that apply
across the board.
Lasers always recharge
faster than shields. This means it’s more efficient
to transfer energy away from shields than to up the
shield recharge rate. ELS management in unshielded ships
is remarkably easy. In normal conditions just leave
the laser recharge at normal. For extra speed drop it
down - and when in combat put it up. It’s that
simple. Your first priority on starting a mission should
be to fully charge the shields (if you’ve got them).
Immediately transfer all laser energy to your shields,
put shield and laser recharge rates up to maximum, and
keep transfering energy across from lasers until they’re
fully charged. At this point, drop the recharge rates
down to normal until combat starts. To get the most
speed - and yet still be able to fight effectively -
drop shield recharge down to minimum and put the laser
recharge up to increased or maximum, then keep transferring
energy across to the shields, a little at a time.
Always keep an eye on
your laser and shield levels during a mission, and get
used to playing around with the recharge rates and transferring
energy around until it becomes second nature. Also get
into the habit of spreading your shield evenly between
fore and aft by hitting the shield key (S) three times
whenever you’ve taken some damage. |
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| Weapons
Weapons in TIE Fighter
are basically divided into warheads and beams. While
all craft have lasers, the other types of weapon are
only available on certain fighters or in certain missions.
Warheads:
There are six types of
warhead in TIE Fighter, each with different characteristics.
The common link between them is that all require a lock-on
if they’re to hit the target with any degree of
accuracy - which means flying straight towards the object
for some time. The most important thing to remember
is to pull away once you’ve fired, otherwise the
target will fire once you get in range. However, by
moving away from the warhead you can easily divert the
target’s attention - and the weapon is then unlikely
to get hit by any stray laser blasts. Also remember
that your speed is added to the weapon’s when you
launch it. Concussion Missiles: Only effective against
enemy fighters and small craft, and best used while
at a distance of about two kilometres. It’s a good
idea to save these for A-Wings and similar nasties -
most of which need a couple of hits, so launch in pairs.
Proton Torpedoes: A good multipurpose weapon, effective
against the slower fighters as well as moderate sized
ships. Not so good against the real capital ships -
they lack the required punch - but better than nothing.
Heavy Rockets: The best weapon for dealing with large
ships, combining a significant bang with a good range.
Space Bombs: Unpowered and thus very short ranged, but
the most powerful weapon available. It’s best to
release these as close as possible to the target and
pull away quickly. Advanced Missiles and Torpedoes:
Improved versions of the basic missile and torpedo -
always use them when the opportunity arises.
Lasers:
The most versatile weapon
in the game, your trusty lasers will never let you down,
provided you keep them nicely charged up. For more on
the best configurations to use, see the run-down on
the individual fighters over the page. Ion Cannons:
Ion cannons don’t damage craft as such but scramble
a ship’s controls and electronics, effectively
disabling the craft and putting it into a helpless,
immobile state. Only use ion cannons when the situation
specifically demands it.
Tractor
Beam:
This weapon system, only
available in the final stage of the game, slows down
enemy craft and makes them easier to hit. To be honest,
for the amount of energy it requires it’s not that
effective, so you’re probably better off reducing
its recharge rate to minimum and making use of the extra
speed it provides instead. |
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| Know
Your Enemy
During the course of
TIE Fighter, you’ll come up against a whole host
of different ships, some more dangerous than others.
While it’s worth spending a few minutes comparing
their statistics in the Tech Room, the numbers alone
don’t tell the whole story... |
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| Rebel
Fighters
Z95
Headhunter:
This obsolete fighter
is dead common, especially in the earlier battles, with
its pathetic shields and unimpressive speed and manoeuvrability.
Dangerous only in large numbers.
Y-Wing:
Although its shielding
and armour are quite strong, the Y-Wing suffers from
lack of speed. They pose the biggest threat during dogfighting
when there’s a risk you’ll run into the back
of them. Their ion cannons and torpedoes can also threaten
large ships.
X-Wing:
A good all-rounder, the
X-Wing is well armed, fairly well protected and capable
of decent speed. In the hands of a skilled pilot they
can be very dangerous in a dogfight, and the torpedoes
pose a moderate threat to larger ships.
A-Wing:
Not particularly tough
and quite lightly armed, the A-Wing is nevertheless
one of the hardest ships to deal with because it’s
so amazingly fast. They’re best dealt with by concussion
missiles from a distance, but beware the A-Wing may
have the same idea. Once you get up close, your best
bet is to maximise your speed and hope to get in a couple
of good shots - A-Wings slow down noticeably once damaged.
B-Wing:
Something of a super-charged
Y-Wing, the B-Wing is heavily armed, incredibly tough,
but only moderately agile. The biggest problem is that
it can soak up such a vast amount of damage and still
be very dangerous to large ships. |
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| General
Craft
Shuttle:
These are slow, unwieldy
and make nice big targets. Beware of flying head-on
into them, though, because their lasers can do a lot
of damage given the chance. And be careful when matching
speeds flying along slowly behind an unmanoeuvrable
shuttle makes you an excellent target for enemy fighters.
Transport:
Virtually identical to
shuttles (see above), except they’re a slightly
smaller target and, when armed with torpedoes, can pose
a threat to large craft. Escort Shuttle: Unless you’ve
got a lot of missiles or torpedoes, you’d be taking
a big risk attacking these in an unshielded ship. They’ve
got some serious guns up front and the rear turret (which
can also fire sideways) is a nightmare. In a shielded
craft, divert all energy to forward shields and make
repeated attack runs, equalising shields as you go past
don’t match speeds and sit behind an Escort Shuttle
under any circumstances. |
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| Miscellaneous
Craft
This covers all the various
freighters, transporters, cargo craft and containers.
As a rule, these are big, slow or non-moving targets
that pose little or no threat and take a lot of pounding
to destroy. However, occasionally some of the larger
craft are armed with the odd turbolaser turret or two,
so don’t go blazing in immediately. Make a fast
fly-by and see what happens to prevent any nasty surprises. |
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| Capital
Ships
These are the big ships
- Frigates, Calamari Cruisers, Star Destroyers and so
on (including Space Platforms - which don’t move).
The first thing to remember is that attacking these
ships in a TIE Fighter or Interceptor is suicide. A
TIE Bomber’s only chance depends on launching a
large supply of torpedoes, rockets or bombs from outside
laser range. Capital ships, with their profusion of
turrets and lasers, nearly always do some damage to
an attacking fighter, so shielded craft are a must.
The second thing to bear in mind is that you can attack
and destroy various parts of the larger ships separately.
By experimenting in the Combat Chamber with invulnerability
turned on or by recording a mission and using the camera
controls you should easily be able to pinpoint any weakly
defended areas - the Calamari Light Cruiser’s underside,
for example. Once you’ve destroyed all the weapons
in that area you’ll be able to pummel the ship
mercilessly without fear of retribution. So, to take
out a large craft...
Destroy any fighters
protecting the ship (some will continue to launch fighters
as you attack - it’s best to deal with these as
they’re released, rather than let them build up
to dangerous numbers). Make sure your lasers and shields
are fully charged. Get into a position from where you
can attack a weakly defended area. Soften up the target
with any heavy weapons you have, while outside laser
range if possible. Remember you can target specific
locations with torpedoes and rockets, so try taking
out as many weapons as you can at this point. Get in
close enough to use your lasers and make repeated strafing
attacks against any remaining defences, taking time
to fully recharge your shields between runs. Blast away
to your heart’s content and blow the target to
bits (this might take some time with the real biggies,
so be patient).
Although not technically
capital ships, Assault Transports and Corvettes should
be treated in much the same way. A skilful pilot should
still be able to deal with them in a TIE Interceptor
or even a basic Fighter though. |
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| Imperial
Fighters
TIE
Fighter:
The TIE Fighter is the
most basic ship you can fly and, in many respects, the
weakest. It can only take two laser hits before it’s
destroyed, and even one is normally enough to blow its
sensors and make it virtually useless. This means it’s
vital you keep a careful eye on the three threat indicators
above the laser sight, and pull away sharply if one
lights up. On the plus side, the TIE Fighter is moderately
fast and very manoeuvrable. In addition, you only fly
this ship at the start of your career, where you normally
only encounter the older and less dangerous enemy ships
and have a strong numerical superiority. Make sure you
use you wingmen well - strength in numbers is the TIE
Fighter’s main advantage. As its lasers are right
next to each other, always use dual fire - if one beam
hits, the other will too.
TIE
Interceptor:
A souped-up TIE Fighter,
the Interceptor is faster, better armed and can take
three or four hits. Despite this, it’s still a
fragile craft and you should be just as careful with
it. The craft’s main feature is the speed of its
laser recharge - at maximum rate you can fire continuously
and still build up charge! This means you’ll normally
only have to put it up to increased rate to maintain
a full charge, which frees up more energy for your engines.
Although not quite as critical as for the TIE Fighter,
wingmen are still important and you should take care
to assign them specific targets. Due to the distance
between its four lasers, configuring your weapons is
more difficult. Dual fire is a good compromise for most
situations, combining a good rate of fire with a higher
chance of hitting, but single fire is best against defenceless
targets such as containers.
TIE
Bomber:
The Bomber is the slowest
of the unshielded craft, but also the toughest and most
heavily armed. You can afford to soak up a good two
or three hits before you’re in any danger, and
it can take up to six to destroy. It’s just as
well, though, because the sluggish responses combined
with the need to fly straight at enemies acquiring locks
makes the Bomber a prime target. Luckily, Bomber missions
are normally supported by Fighter and/or Interceptor
squadrons and a significant number of wingmen who you
should use to make group attacks on your objectives.
In a couple of missions you’ll be required to dogfight
in this craft. You should selectively use missiles against
the fastest enemies- but beyond that it’s just
a matter of keeping your laser recharge rate down to
normal for as long as possible in order to maintain
speed while fighting. Dual fire is normally best in
these situations, with single fire against non-threatening
targets.
Assault
Gunboat:
The slowest and most
unwieldy of the shielded craft, the Gunboat is also
the one you’ll be flying most of the time. Because
of its hyperdive, the Gunboat is ideal for surprise
raids, and with its ion cannons it’s perfect for
when something needs capturing. To get the most out
of the Gunboat, make maximum use of its shields and
play around with the ELS settings as necessary. For
dogfighting, it’s best to drop the shield recharge
to minimum and put the laser recharge up to maximum,
then transfer energy across when the shields start to
disperse. Luckily, the Gunboat can carry a very heavy
warhead load - 12 missiles in total - which you should
use to take out A-Wings and the like while you finish
off Y-Wings and so on with your lasers. Like the TIE
Fighter, these are right next to each other in the nose,
so set them to dual fire at all times.
TIE
Advanced:
The TIE Advanced is a
joy to fly and suitable for almost any type of mission.
Even A-Wings pose little problem for its high speed
and agility, strong shields and four laser cannons.
It really is very impressive indeed. Unfortunately,
you only gain access to it later on in the game, and
it’s only used in the toughest of missions (in
some you’re flying against Imperial traitors).
It’s when you have to fight enemy TIE Advanceds
that you really begin to appreciate what a tough ship
it is. As well as being a great fighter, the TIE Advanced
is also ideal for attacking large ships. Its high speed
means you can put shield and laser recharge rates up
to maximum and still be going more than fast enough
to attack other craft. It’s normally best to use
dual fire against fighters and single fire against large
targets.
TIE
Defender:
The TIE Defender is,
quite simply, the most ridiculously powerful ship of
them all. It’s insanely fast, loaded down with
guns and has shields that are twice the strength of
any other fighter. Even TIE Advanceds pale into insignificance
next to this baby. As such, it’s actually quite
hard to give any useful advice about flying it - if
you’re good enough to have reached the last few
missions (where this ship appears), then you shouldn’t
have many problems. To be honest, there’s very
little you can do wrong with a ship like this. It’s
best to keep the lasers set to dual fire when dogfighting,
and turn the tractor beam down to minimum recharge,
unless you find it more useful than we did. For a real
challenge, try completing the first Combat Chamber mission
after you’ve shot every container (thus triggering
all the enemy ships to arrive at once). Have fun. |
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