Star Wars : X - Wing vs . TIE Fighter Star Wars : X - Wing vs . TIE Fighter is the third release of the " X - Wing " computer game series . With its lack of story - driven campaigns , it is not generally viewed as a part of the regular series of " X - Wing " games , with the successive , instead , considered by fans to be the third installment in a trilogy preceded by and . Gameplay and features . Technically superior to its two predecessors , the game is multiplayer oriented . XvT runs on Windows , and requires a joystick ( the others could be played with mouse as well ) . Technical improvements include : CD audio soundtrack , high resolutions , texture mapping to the ship models of the in - flight game engine , 3dfx support and a sophisticated pilot and mission selection system which tracks the points and awards the player accomplishments . The game engine was completely rewritten . In the previous two games , the player ' s craft was at the center of the game grid ( at coordinates 0 , 0 , 0 ) and the position of all other items was stored relative to the player craft . " Movement " of the player craft therefore meant that the relative position of all other items was altered . This approach was only possible in single player mode , however , and had to be abandoned for a multiplayer game . An important addition is the ability to choose the squadron that the player wants to participate in ( e . g . in a disable and capture mission , the player can choose between either the Y - wings that disable a ship , or the X - wings that support them ) , ship , and armament . Furthermore , due to the multiplayer aspect most missions featured in the game can be flown by teams of players , either together against the computer or even pitting player teams against each other . Response to the game , on the other hand , considered it infamous for being the only part of the series designed exclusively for multiplayer and / or personal practice only . The original " X - Wing vs . TIE Fighter " game lacks a storyline , coherent scenarios , and cutscenes . Instead , the game only features two " Battles " : These Battles comprise eight individual combat missions each which can be played on either the Rebel or the Imperial side , either as single missions ( Combat Engagements ) or as a " Battle " where three successful missions are required for one side to be considered the winner . The individual scenarios grouped together in a " Battle " are stand - alone . They do not follow a storyline and have no clear chronological order . Expansion pack . An expansion was released on November 30 , 1997 in order to fix what much of the fanbase considered missing . " Balance of Power " features a Rebel and an Imperial campaign of 15 missions each with cutscenes that advance the story , and a third Battle : The pack also adds B - wing starfighters and other various craft that were lacking from the original game . Storyline and Canonicity . The scenarios from the " Battles " , and the two Campaigns provided in the BoP expansion , contribute canon in a similar fashion to the storylines of previous ( and subsequent ) games of the series . Original Battles . Although grouped together into Battles , the isolated nature of these combat scenarios makes it difficult to pinpoint when or even in which order they occurred . It seems clear that they take place prior to the Battle of Endor though , while the deployment of TIE Avengers in some missions means that these missions at least take place no earlier than the inception of this particular starfighter around 2 ABY . Balance of Power . The third Battle , " Balance of Power in the Airam Sector " , and the two Campaigns presented in the BoP expansion together form the Airam Sector storyline . Based on circumstantial evidence , the timeline of events can be summarized as follows : Airam smugglers deliver stolen Imperial munitions to the Rebels , but the cargo transaction comes under attack from imperial forces bent on reclaiming the stolen goods . Imperial forces attempt to kidnap a Rebel leader after a meeting with neutral Airam . Prelude . The chronological order is unclear , but it is evident that both missions took place prior to the later Airam campaigns , having occurred during operations Quick Strike and Clean Sweep , respectively ( and not during the Battle " Balance of Power in the Airam Sector " ) . The Empire deploys Gunboats in both scenarios , but not from Talon squadron , and TIE Avengers from Zeta squadron ( not Avenger squadron ) only in the former , indicating that Task Force Vengeance had not yet been formed , or at least had no part in these particular scenarios . Opening moves Part 1 . Rebel campaign missions # 1 through # 4 take place roughly around the same time as Imperial campaign missions # 1 through # 7 . The Rebels retreat into the Airam sector and evacuate their outlying bases , with the Empire in pursuit . A cutscene shows the destruction of a Rebel asteroid base by a Star Destroyer following its detection by Avenger squadron . Following Imperial mission # 5 , the Interdictor cruiser " Compellor " is sent away to a repair yard in the Swellen system to have an anti - warhead defense system installed . During Imperial mission # 7 the Imperial task force receives a full shipment of TIE Avenger starfighters for their elite " Avenger squadron " and Gunboats which are subsequently formed into the newly created " Talon squadron " . The new starfighters almost completely replace the previously used more common designs among Task Force Vengeance . Balance of Power . The Rebels reconnoiter the Imperial fleet massing at a staging point in the Almaran system ( Rebel campaign mission # 5 ) , then initiate the Skirmish near Almaran to draw two Star Destroyers and Interdictor " Compellor " ( diverted from its mission to Swellen to intercept the Rebels ) into an ambush that only " Compellor " survives ( Rebel campaign mission # 6 ) . Subsequently , ISD " Rage " launches punitive strikes against Airam suspected of supporting the Rebels and the Empire wins the support of one Airam clan leader ( Imperial campaign missions # 8 through # 10 ) . In addition , the individual engagements depicted in the " Balance of Power in the Airam Sector " Battle all take place during this phase , after Task Force Vengeance has received its new starfighter complement . They depict an attempt by the Empire to deploy biological weapons against Airam supporters of the Rebel Alliance and numerous small fleet engagements between Imperial and Rebel forces . However , none of these encounters yields a decisive result for either side . Gravity well technology . Having located the Interdictor " Compellor " in dock near Swellen , the Rebels unsuccessfully attempt to destroy the strategically valuable ship ( Imperial campaign mission # 11 ) . They later manage to capture it and , with help from friendly Airam , proceed to remove its gravity well projectors and install them on a Modified Strike Cruiser while the Empire frantically searches for their stolen Interdictor cruiser ( Rebel campaign missions # 7 through # 9 ) . War of attrition . The Rebels use their modified cruiser on its maiden flight to intercept and destroy a large Imperial supply convoy ( Rebel campaign mission # 10 ) and then scuttle the empty hulk of the " Compellor " in full view of an Imperial battle group to cover their tracks . Subsequently , the Rebels defend their new Airam allies from an Imperial attack , resupply , capture the renegade Airam clan leader who had sided with the Empire , and finally manage to intercept another Imperial supply convoy ( Rebel campaign missions # 11 through # 14 ) . Meanwhile , the Empire manages to obtain at least some supplies despite Rebel counterattacks ( Imperial campaign missions # 12 and # 13 ) and pinpoints the location of their secret shipyard . The Battle of Nocto . Admiral Senn has taken a great risk in not following the Emperor ' s orders to the letter , and desperately needs a quick success against the Rebel Alliance . Despite being low on supplies , he opts for a gamble and launches an all - out surprise attack against the recently located Rebel stronghold , their shipyard in the Nocto system ( Imperial campaign missions # 14 and # 15 and Rebel campaign mission # 15 ) . Both the shipyard and " SSD Vengeance " perish in the climactic battle ; the Empire and the Rebel Alliance have achieved a draw by wiping out each other ' s forces . Canonicity problem . Since the combat missions from the Battles are standalone missions that can be played for either side , the outcome of these engagements naturally depends on the actions of the player ( s ) . While the actual occurrence of the individual mission can therefore be considered canonical , the outcome is unknown ; generally it is safe to assume that a given Battle mission ended in a draw and neither side managed to fulfill their mission objectives . This is different for the sequenced campaign missions in BoP , because all of these missions have to be completed to advance to the next mission within the Campaign . Here it can be assumed that both sides successfully accomplished their respective campaign missions . This and the events depicted in the cutscenes are thus canon . The timeline given above is based on this premise . However , this approach creates a problem in the last mission ( Battle of Nocto ) because of the conflicting mission objectives : The Rebel side must destroy the " SSD Vengeance " and prevent the destruction of their shipyard , while the Imperial mission objectives are reversed . This can only be resolved by assuming that the destruction of the " SSD Vengeance " and the shipyard occurred more or less simultaneously . This assumption is supported , although not proven , by a number of points : The ultimate canonical outcome of the Airam campaigns remains arguable , however . " X - Wing vs . TIE Fighter : Flight School " . A cut - down version of " X - Wing vs . TIE Fighter " , subtitled " Flight School " , was re - released as part of the " X - Wing Collector Series " , which also contained the Collector ' s CD - ROM versions of the first two games . In this edition , " X - Wing " and " TIE Fighter " are retrofitted with the " X - Wing vs . TIE Fighter " graphics engine , which uses texture mapping instead of Gouraud shading and uses XvT physics ( Most notably faster ' laser ' speed and de / acceleration ) , but omits the I - MUSE dynamic music system . External links . Clubs and Servers