Has anyone else pointed out that the XG-1 is a superior choice to the TIE series in atmosphere yet? Cause I feel that's a big one.

Has anyone pointed out a large furnace that you are free to crawl into?

Has anyone pointed out that the XG-1 Assault Gunboat is the superior choice for long-range, starship independent reconnaissance missions and patrols? HYPERDRIVE, BAYBEE!

I might have to try reinstalling XWA tonight. And this time I might leave off the XWAU backgrounds pack. Some of them are OK, some of them are really awkward in a dogfight.

TIEs in atmosphere always seemed wrong to me, even Bombers would look strange making a bombing run on a planet surface, except on airless moons or asteroids. But then that's the space historian in me.

ESB personal head-canon puts howlrunner in a GUNBOAT. Not that TIEs occasionally flying into upper atmosphere couldn't be a thing...

TIEs in atmosphere are pretty standard to be honest. Force Awakens, TESB, Battlefront, Rogue Squadron and more.

Now planetary landings, of course... that's a different matter. TIEs would still need specialist launching platforms, be it a planetside or orbital installation or a supporting capital ship. XG-1's can land anywhere there's flat ground.

Has anyone pointed out that the XG-1 Assault Gunboat is the superior choice for long-range, starship independent reconnaissance missions and patrols?

Only it's not because the TIE Scout exists.

Has anyone pointed out that the XG-1 Assault Gunboat is the superior choice for long-range, starship independent reconnaissance missions and patrols?

Only it's not because the TIE Scout exists.

Only it is because the TIE Scout couldn't fight it's way out of a paper bag. A gunboat squadron can both patrol and deal with most threats they happen to encounter without having to call in somebody else.

A gunboat squadron can both patrol and deal with most threats they happen to encounter without having to call in somebody else.

You know what's even better than a Gunboat squadron at that? Half a Scout squadron and half an Avenger squadron.

TIEs in atmosphere are pretty standard to be honest. Force Awakens, TESB, Battlefront, Rogue Squadron and more.

Now planetary landings, of course... that's a different matter. TIEs would still need specialist launching platforms, be it a planetside or orbital installation or a supporting capital ship. XG-1's can land anywhere there's flat ground.

Rebels shows TIEs having no trouble landing on ground. Not that I particularly like that situation though.

A gunboat squadron can both patrol and deal with most threats they happen to encounter without having to call in somebody else.

You know what's even better than a Gunboat squadron at that? Half a Scout squadron and half an Avenger squadron.

Though I love the ugly beauty of the TIE Scout it just isn't suited for every recon mission. Back in the CW there was the ARC-170, or Aggressive Recon starfighter that carried heavy weaponry and a crew of three plus astromech. The fact that the Empire, decades later, would need to resort to mixed squadrons of TIE ships to replace the earlier model shows the need for a single multipurpose ship like the Gunboat. Excuse me, I mean GUNBOAT.

If the Scout gets in trouble and can't flee it will die. Hypercapable TIEs like the X1, Avenger or Defender can certainly escort a Scout but these ships are far more expensive than the scout itself, and are usually required on missions other than recon and escort. Gunboats could easily escort dedicated scout ships at a much lower price, as well as act in a recon role themselves without support.

Oh, if only the TIE scout had a turret, then all things would be right with the world.

(Did the TIE Aggressor have a hyperdrive?)

Well you've got Scouts and then there's also Vanguards (which look cooler).

Has anyone pointed out that the XG-1 Assault Gunboat is the superior choice for long-range, starship independent reconnaissance missions and patrols?

Only it's not because the TIE Scout exists.

There's Decimator around, why worry about routine patrols when you have the bricks of awesome

Has anyone pointed out that the XG-1 Assault Gunboat is the superior choice for long-range, starship independent reconnaissance missions and patrols?

Only it's not because the TIE Scout exists.

I had to look this thing up...

The TIE Scout arrived on the scene more than a decade *after* the Assault Gunboat and its design looks like garbage. Wow.

Not sure what happened with Galactic Battlegrounds, Galaxies, and Empire at War... Their designers simply had no sense of aesthetics at all. I literally cannot name one original ship from these games that looks good.

Compare that to the TIE Defender, Assault Gunboat, Z-95 Headhunter (the visual representation), IG-2000, YT-2000, YT-2400, and StarViper from the mid-90s games X-Wing/TIE Fighter/X-Wing Alliance and Shadows of the Empire.

It's not even a contest. IMHO.

You'll get no argument from me in the looks department. The TIE Scout looks just awful.

Well you've got Scouts and then there's also Vanguards (which look cooler).

No doubt.

Though I love the ugly beauty of the TIE Scout it just isn't suited for every recon mission. Back in the CW there was the ARC-170, or Aggressive Recon starfighter that carried heavy weaponry and a crew of three plus astromech. The fact that the Empire, decades later, would need to resort to mixed squadrons of TIE ships to replace the earlier model shows the need for a single multipurpose ship like the Gunboat. Excuse me, I mean GUNBOAT.

If the Scout gets in trouble and can't flee it will die. Hypercapable TIEs like the X1, Avenger or Defender can certainly escort a Scout but these ships are far more expensive than the scout itself, and are usually required on missions other than recon and escort. Gunboats could easily escort dedicated scout ships at a much lower price, as well as act in a recon role themselves without support.

No. Although the ship was introduced in SWG, which means it could have anything the player wanted on it, in source books it's one of the few non-movie TIEs to actually follow the TIE design philosophy of not having shields or hyperdrives.

The TIE Scout arrived on the scene more than a decade *after* the Assault Gunboat and its design looks like garbage. Wow.

Not sure what happened with Galactic Battlegrounds, Galaxies, and Empire at War... Their designers simply had no sense of aesthetics at all. I literally cannot name one original ship from these games that looks good.

Compare that to the TIE Defender, Assault Gunboat, Z-95 Headhunter (the visual representation), IG-2000, YT-2000, YT-2400, and StarViper from the mid-90s games X-Wing/TIE Fighter/X-Wing Alliance and Shadows of the Empire.

It's not even a contest. IMHO.

I truly don't get why ships from those games have go so much attention in this game, while most of the ones in the X-Wing saga have been ignored.

The designers from the mid-90s were just much closer in tone to the original designs from the movies, most of them working in other projects in Lucasfilm Games and then LucasArts.

Galactic Battlegrounds, and Empire At War were totally outsourced to third parties, but it is even more blatant with Galaxies, where most of the game designs was made by Sony, and just approved by LucasArts.

I am sad that we will probably have to go thru every single little horrid ship in Star Wars Galaxies before the designers in this game deign themselves to look at the much better ones in X-Wing, TIE-Fighter, XvT and XWA.

I have this hypothetical design philosophy I came up with where the TIE series is broken down into two categories, and 7 roles.

Category 1 is for ships that should fit the classic TIE role of cheap, expendable ships without shields or hyperdrives. While Category 2 is for the Advanced line more valuable elite pilots. But both categories have a ship that fills each of these 7 roles.

I truly don't get why ships from those games have go so much attention in this game

Are there others besides the TIE Punisher?

Has anyone pointed out that the XG-1 Assault Gunboat is the superior choice for long-range, starship independent reconnaissance missions and patrols?

Only it's not because the TIE Scout exists.

I had to look this thing up...

The TIE Scout arrived on the scene more than a decade *after* the Assault Gunboat and its design looks like garbage. Wow.

Not sure what happened with Galactic Battlegrounds, Galaxies, and Empire at War... Their designers simply had no sense of aesthetics at all. I literally cannot name one original ship from these games that looks good.

Compare that to the TIE Defender, Assault Gunboat, Z-95 Headhunter (the visual representation), IG-2000, YT-2000, YT-2400, and StarViper from the mid-90s games X-Wing/TIE Fighter/X-Wing Alliance and Shadows of the Empire.

It's not even a contest. IMHO.

TIE Scout was in WEG RPG rulebooks before X-wing and TIE fighter came out, it was definately designed before the GUNBOAT. You can't blame its ugliness on those 2000s games.

I have this hypothetical design philosophy I came up with where the TIE series is broken down into two categories, and 7 roles.

Category 1 is for ships that should fit the classic TIE role of cheap, expendable ships without shields or hyperdrives. While Category 2 is for the Advanced line more valuable elite pilots. But both categories have a ship that fills each of these 7 roles.

I truly don't get why ships from those games have go so much attention in this game

Are there others besides the TIE Punisher?

The TIE Advanced program did not include the Punisher, sentinel, oppressor or Phantom. In fact the Phantom was based on the V-39 starfighter (or 38, I forget which). Basically the Advanced Program was about a decade long and produced many prototypes, some of which made it to production. The latest revelation is the v1, earliest known Advanced TIE. X1 is of course the ship Darth Vader had (or customized). The rest of the ships are a little fuzzy but I believe the Avenger was x3 or x4 while the Interceptor prototype was x2 or x3. The aggressor might have been part of this line as well. The defender prototype was definately the X7.

Nice chart but it doesn't exactly fit with the Legends evidence.

Has anyone pointed out that the XG-1 Assault Gunboat is the superior choice for long-range, starship independent reconnaissance missions and patrols?

Only it's not because the TIE Scout exists.

Only it is, because armed with twin laser cannons, twin ion cannons and twin concussion missile launchers, the durable XG-1 can effectively react to and respond in a timely manner to a wide range of local emergencies and threats. Equipped with crew, supplies, an excellent sensor suite and... very little else, the Scout is merely a surveillance ship. All the Scout does is send messages back to the main fleet and then get the hell out of dodge

As for the Defender and Phantom - well, they're clearly superior fighters to the XG-1, however they're very expensive, very elite ships, produced in limited quantities. Regular long range recon and patrol missions are not what they were designed or intended for. Those type of missions are exactly what the cheap, numerous and multi purpose XG-1 was designed and intended for however.

Nice chart but it doesn't exactly fit with the Legends evidence.

Absolutely. But since none of that stuff is canon anymore, I say take the opportunity to streamline it.

The biggest change to old canon there though is turning the TIE Hunter into a cheap unshielded TIE. Wheras, in the EU, it's basically a Defender with 2 less lasers.

Turning it into a cheap expendible Ion Cannon carrier would do a lot to give the ship a more unique space in the TIE line.

Only it is, because armed with twin laser cannons, twin ion cannons and twin concussion missile launchers, the durable XG-1 can effectively react to and respond in a timely manner to a wide range of local emergencies and threats.

You mean a list of situations you're supposed to actively avoid when on a reconnaissance mission?

A TIE Scout with half a squadron of TIE Avengers is also several times more expensive than the same assault gunboats, and would draw more attention (something a recon flight generally shouldn't do).

Completed TOD2 mission1 yesterday for x-wing. I need to improve my accuracy and dial into my joystick.. it's been 7 months. I did get away with 36 T/F kills, 38 T/I kills, 38 T/B kills 1 Stormtrooper transport and one Imperial star destroyer kill though. So not too shabby. Despite my joystick fu being not as sharp as it was, my ELS management, shield control and tactical positioning has never been better.

TOD2 Mission 2 is the mission that introduces the Gunboat, so i'll let you all know.

A TIE Scout with half a squadron of TIE Avengers is also several times more expensive than the same assault gunboats, and would draw more attention (something a recon flight generally shouldn't do).

I'll grant you more expensive, but how does it draw more attention?

12 ships is 12 ships. And since none of the ships in question have stealth capabilities, I don't see how one group is any more or less likely to be detected than the other.

You mean a list of situations you're supposed to actively avoid when on a reconnaissance mission?

You seem to be deliberately ignoring the key word patrol, and are thereby missing the point. If XG-1 saw half a dozen pirates engaging an undefended Imperial cargo transport, they would engage and destroy them, thereby protecting the transport and Imperial interests. The TIE Scout would simply ID the pirates, signal for reinforcements (which would most likely be XG-1 Assault Gunboats, as they'd be the most numerous hyperspace-capable Imperial ships able to quickly respond) and then flee.

Face it, there's no TIE series platform out there that can fulfill the roles the XG-1 Assault Gunboat was designed for. Which is exactly why it was designed in the first place.

In a recon mission, you only want one or two ships. One or two relatively cheap ships.

That rules out the Defender and Avenger.

The choice of better ability planetside or in space basically decides if it's XG-1 or Scout. XG-1 can fight it's way out of a paper bag in space, yet the scout can deploy scout bikes on the ground.

In X-wing terms, the Gunboat is the obvious choice out of the two. It is also a cheap medium cost Imperial version of the warthog Ywing.

You seem to be deliberately ignoring the key word patrol, and are thereby missing the point.

You said the Gunboat was the best recon and patrol ship. Those are two different mission types. And I'm not arguing it's status as a patrol ship. I'm arguing it's status as a recon ship.

Face it, there's no TIE series platform out there that can fulfill the roles the XG-1 Assault Gunboat was designed for. Which is exactly why it was designed in the first place.

TIE Hunters we'll just ignore, because ew.

TIE Defenders can neither land well on the ground, draw all the attention, were only made in limited quantities and were as expensive as hell. Yes, they performed better than gunboats, but do you send the SAS when the Para Regiment will do?

I award you nul pointe.

TIE Hunters we'll just ignore, because ew.

TIE Defenders can neither land well on the ground

were only made in limited quantities and were as expensive as hell.

draw all the attention

Like a Rebel ship is going to encounter an Imperial Gunboat and go "Eh? Gunboat? I'll just ignore it"?