Playing this game has got me thinking about the old flight sims, especially Tie Fighter. Wondering if we will get any cameos from those characters, in particular Maarek Stele, protagonist of Tie Fighter. Now if I could just find my old copy and a joystick!

Yeah, I was surprised -- but quite pleased -- that they chose to use Maarek Stele as one of the TIE Advanced pilots. The only gripe I had about it is that I really thought he'd be a TIE Defender pilot. But who knows? Maybe they'll have a new Maarek Stele that pilots a TIE Defender when/if it is released.

I am waiting in hot anticipation for the Assault Gunboat. Realistically it's more likely the TIE Defender will be appearing, wherein I will also buy multiple copies since that's my favorite TIE fighter

TIE Fighter and X-Wing had a lot of thought put into the storyline, balance of fighters, and so on that I also think it deserves mention. I think a number of players- maybe not a great many but a few- immediately think of the computer game when they hear about the "X-wing game" and I also think it should be honored in some way within the miniatures game.

It's remarkable to see Stele and even see him appear so quickly. They almost got it right… according to Wookiepedia Stele preferred to fly a TIE Avenger over a TIE advanced model (Which, technically, you're never able to fly in the TIE Fighter games). I can forgive the little bending of canonicity as long as we'll eventually see the TIE Avenger someday.

Wonder if we will get any of the cargo ships to defend. Some of those were smaller than a Croillian Corvet IIRC.

Spike 1382, I'm assuming you don't have the TIE adanced yet, because Stele is indeed a pilot for it, if you haven't gathered that yet.

I am glad to see other people being reminded of the old flight sims thanks to this game! I was wondering if it was just me. It's great to see so many people hoping for those classic fighters from the X-wing and TIE fighter games!

One of the reviews of X-wing on board game geek uses footage from the old computer games.

Spike1382 said:

You mean like this card (that someone mentioned is included with the Tie Advanced pack):

Actually, this game has me wishing for new TIE Fighter/X-Wing computer games with updated graphics… Some of my favorite PC games of all time.

Many people want that. Unfortunately it seems the bulk of video gaming audiences are on consoles, so in-depth flight sims like TIE Fighter and X-Wing are in the niche category. Go to your local game store or general store with an electronics section and count how many joysticks and rudder pedals you find there- that's a clear sign that Flight Sims are in specialist territory.

Norsehound said:

There was three… among a crapload of gaming keyboards, gaming mice, headsets and gamepads.

Baphomet69 said:

I know! There's a group updating a new Wing Commander game… but the X-wing, Tie Fighter, XvT… all of them were so great. To think LucasArts released Rebel Assault, too…

Still trying to get my hands on something other than X-Wings and basic Ties. Would have figured Maarek for an interceptor pilot, but it looks like that will be Fel (and someone else).

Seems someone could just slap on better textures on the last version of the games released. I'd be fine with that. Maybe the game engine couldn't handle that? A remake like Monkey Island got would be welcome too. Game pads can work fine for space sims IMHO. I mean, the D-Pad plus eight buttons is a lot of orders and systems.

I was able to get X-wing and TIE Fighter up and running on my current PC today. Thanks be to PC users.

Playing with the 360 controller is going to take some getting used to.

Y'know what would be great? A model for the Delta-class DX-9 Stormtrooper transport .

This vessel served in every role from VIP transport to being a torpedo attack craft and ion-capture platform. It had even more functions than the Lambda shuttle in the X-Wing and TIE Fighter games.

Really, the VIP transport cut-out should have been a Delta DX-9. It was more or less the same size, moved about the same speed, functioned in the same way, but could be adapted for so much more for other scenarios. I wonder if it occured to anyone in FFG to do just that, but they were forced to use the prequel transport because that's more recognizable by mainstream SW fans than the DX-9.

Norsehound said:

Or it could be because the design looks like an garbage barge designed by the guy who made that beginner Star Wars origami book.

Yeah, like they replicated the original TIE Defender design when they made it into titanium and the action fleet.

C'mon, really? Of course you'd improve on the design when rendering it in another medium.

Norsehound said:

A garbage barge with more detail is still a garbage barge.

magadizer said:

It looks like the underside of an Origami Serenity. To each their own, but that design doesn't even look like the developers of the game cared to put much thought into, either. I don't even remember it for some reason, and I played that game religiously.

CaptainRook said:

It's like a Star Trek shuttle with the nacelles on top. Didn't these things exist for the purpose of either being blown to bits, or as craft to be defended in cruel escort missions?

Norsehound said:

No offense friend. That one just doesn't cut it for me. I suspect that good feelings about the game experience are being transferred to this ship. The ship just looks dumb to me. But don't let that spoil your enjoyment. I just hope they don't make something official for the game that looks like that.

qwertyuiop said:

You just referred to it as a Star Trek thing. This makes me want to petition FFG to make them now so that I can blow them up in every game. Of course, if they're coming from the Starship Voyager, it just means they somehow have an endless supply of them, anyways.

Why so much hate?

It's a utilitarian vehicle used for nearly everything. Sometimes you had to defend them, sometimes they'd trundle on to the map and attack your mothership with warheads. Sometimes they'd be escaping rebel ships and you had to gun them down. Sometimes they'd hyperspace on to the map to re-load your fighter, or when you disabled a ship/station they would trundle out with stormtroopers to capture it.

It was used nearly everywhere for many kinds of support duties, and I think it would be a perfect support craft and/or target for scenarios just like it was in X-Wing. Y'know, the game that some people remember when they hear "X-Wing" and "Game" in the same sentence?

I can say the Corporate Action IV Transport is an unimaginative crap design by calling it a flying rusty toolbox in space, but people don't ***** about the Wild Karrde much do they? The DX-9 looks utilitarian… which it was in every role it was used in the computer games. It was never designed to be pretty but that's not the point.

In a thread where people are wishing TIE Fighter and X-Wing would make more of an impact on the miniatures game, I am perfectly in line with wishing the stormtrooper transport could be something we can shoot at or protect for a scenario, because it was in nearly every other mission in both games, where you would be shooting, protecting, or getting reloads from it.

I also forgot to mention that Stormtrooper transports also lay mines. THAT would be another thing to see in X-Wing and an interesting challenge for solitare scenarios… do X, while a minefield is involved. No dodge roll when fired at but they attack at initiative 0, one attack die at range 2.

Mine type Cs, when they die, would automatically attack with concussion missiles.

Norsehound said:

This is an assumption, but close inspection of the Firespray's array in the teaser picture implies it may have some sort of mine-laying function.

The only time we've seen it in combat is during the prequel trillogy where it dropped mines and used the auto-blasters. Maybe being a minelayer and shooting in two different directions is the trick to the unit, like turrets are for the Falcon.

I wonder what rules they'll write to represent the mines. I thought the computer game mines were pretty straightforward… if I had more time in my day I'd complete the mockup I was setting out to do to make a few for scenario purposes. Of course, if I also had more time I'd be making paper model DX-9s and cargo containers for objectives. *shrug*