I know there's a pretty major priapism of nostalgia on these forums for the TIE Fighter computer game but, as X-Wing is a separate, turn-based game played with miniatures and dice, I'd hope we could agree that it's not necessary to replicate the PC game experience exactly.

Well, in my case, my memories of Tie Fighter and X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter ... and of course SWG:JTL brought me to this game. It was like "Hey look: X-Wing vs Tie Fighter as board game ... how adorable ... I simply must have it."

I know there's a pretty major priapism of nostalgia on these forums for the TIE Fighter computer game but, as X-Wing is a separate, turn-based game played with miniatures and dice, I'd hope we could agree that it's not necessary to replicate the PC game experience exactly.

I couldn't agree more. However, that said...

I know there's a pretty major priapism of nostalgia on these forums for the TIE Fighter computer game but, as X-Wing is a separate, turn-based game played with miniatures and dice, I'd hope we could agree that it's not necessary to replicate the PC game experience exactly.

If I thought it would actually ruin the game? Then yes. But I don't think that.

Would emulating some of the things from the video games be very powerful and have a huge impact on the game? Yes. But this is a game where the power and impact of something is measured in squadron points. And that, as long as the designers do a good job, just about anything can be evened out simply by making sure it costs the right amount.

If putting a tractor beam on every ship in the game in exchange for their modification slot would be problematic, then price the Beam Projector at a level that you wouldn't WANT to put it on every ship.

Alternatively, go with the System version, so only the more advanced ships have access to it.

Unless of course I'm completely misremembering(which is entirely possible, as TIE Fighter is the only game in that series I've replayed recently), and only certain ships were allowed to take a Beam. In which case, it being a System slot instead is more fitting.

I fear you are misremembering.

In XvT only certain ships were able to use the tractor beam weapons, because in that game engine (being a direct evolution of the TIE Fighter's engine), ships actually had to have room in the cockpit panels for the beam weapon power bar and energy balance.

It was in X-Wing Alliance, where they rebuilt the engine from the ground up and cockpits were all just cosmetic background, were you could put anything on anything during a custom skirmish. Sincerely, I doubt that could happen for real in the lore. No way old mass produced designs like the BTL-S3, T65 or the TIE/LN could just squish in a beam weapon. In my head canon, XWA random skirmishes aren't canon.

In TIE Fighter (and XvT as consequence) there were ships that came with an empty slot for future system upgrades. For example, the Assault Gunboat and TIE Advanced had a sealed panel in the cockpit that later on they actually give an use for when they install the tractor and jamming beams. But it was not all of them. So I guess a System upgrade would be better, as it limits the beam weapons to those extensible ships designed to be able to equip advanced systems.

If it were a System upgrade, then this game would allow it on B-W, E-W, T/A, T/Pu, Shuttles, Starvipers, IG-2000... It sounds about right.

If it were a System upgrade, then this game would allow it on B-W, E-W, T/A, T/Pu, Shuttles, Starvipers, IG-2000... It sounds about right.

...and of course the G1-A Starfighter it comes with...

In TIE Fighter (and XvT as consequence) there were ships that came with an empty slot for future system upgrades. For example, the Assault Gunboat and TIE Advanced had a sealed panel in the cockpit that later on they actually give an use for when they install the tractor and jamming beams. But it was not all of them. So I guess a System upgrade would be better, as it limits the beam weapons to those extensible ships designed to be able to equip advanced systems.

If it were a System upgrade, then this game would allow it on B-W, E-W, T/A, T/Pu, Shuttles, Starvipers, IG-2000... It sounds about right.

Sounds good to me. Thanks for clearing it up.

Must confess, I'd half expected the Tractor Beam to actually show up in the Systems slot.

I don't mind that it didn't, but it's almost as valid (high-powered complex equipment) as it is as a cannon (thing wot shoots energy out the front)

Basically: X-Wing is not a video game. The TIE Advanced is not the TIE Avenger. Defenders are not the King Hell God Emperor of Starfighters. Two plus two is not Four. We were never at war with the Rebellion. Spinning is a bad trick.

Does triple back-to-back K-Turns with an HLC Defender count as spinning?

It could. Defenders were awesome but they had some problems that made it so they werent the best at everything IMP starfighters were expected to preform. If they were all the most elite squadrons would have them, Baron Fel wouldn't voulntarly be using Interceptors, including when he took on a Rogue IMP that was using a TIE Defender, the Royal Guard wouldnt be using Interceptors ether, and Stele wouldn't voulnarly use Avengers when he was offered a chance to use Defenders in the 181st way after Fel was gone from the picture.

I can't think of any ships that would actually need this.

That's an odd conclusion to come to without knowing what the Tractor Beam even does yet.

Uhhhh... I don't really take Tipperary's side on much but wouldn't the fact that your mod would give EVERY ship in the game a tractor beam maybe be kind of an odd suggestion without knowing what it does? Just saying that this may be a "pot and kettle" situation.

Technically speaking every craft should be able to have a beam weapon, its just some can have it easily mounted, while others need a modification to make room for the equipment, and to make sure the reactor wont be over taxed running it with the other systems, also that it is well insulated, if need be, from emitions.

Uhhhh... I don't really take Tipperary's side on much but wouldn't the fact that your mod would give EVERY ship in the game a tractor beam maybe be kind of an odd suggestion without knowing what it does? Just saying that this may be a "pot and kettle" situation.

It would, IF I cared about gameplay. I don't. I care about replicating the lore. My opinion is always "do what the source material does, then figure how many points you have to charge to make it balanced".

Allowing every ship to have one is okay with me because(if I remember correctly) any ship could take one in XWxTF. I don't need to know what the mechanics of a tractor beam are to know that, according to the lore, every ship should have the option of having one.

Tipp's argument though was clearly talking about gameplay(as it generally does). To which, not knowing what the tractor beam actual DOES in gameplay yet, seems premature.

Unless of course I'm completely misremembering(which is entirely possible, as TIE Fighter is the only game in that series I've replayed recently), and only certain ships were allowed to take a Beam. In which case, it being a System slot instead is more fitting.

Outside of TIE Fighter they show that most other TIEs can have beam weapons, probably the same story for all the Wings. I know in Rogue Squadron Omnibus 1 Y-Wings have tractor beams, in XvsTIE add-on the TIE Interceptor Squadron "Avenger Squadron" has their Interceptors fully loaded with shields, beam weapons (in the lore they had more than one beam weapon mounted on some of the Interceptors I believe,) Multipurpose Launchers, hyperdrives.

Some day FFG will make an upgrade card/s that will allow craft to have just about any other type of equipment or modification, cannons, and anything else I didn't mention. But the trade off will be that it probably wont be cheep.