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Posted by8 years ago
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Every few weeks I see a post on Reddit about how great this series was, and inevitably there's a lot of moaning and gnashing of teeth that we can't play them anymore, if only LucasArts would re-release them with new graphics...
Well, STFU. There's a great modding community out there for these games, and updated models are available for most of them. So download them (they're in the public domain now, so it's legal to download), and try out these awesome updates!
LucasArts’ 1997 game, X-Wing Vs TIE Fighter, allowed Star Wars fans to play as either a rebel or an imperial TIE fighter pilot and duel with other players in deep space. The original version of this game was, unusually for the time, a multiplayer only title.
- Atlas update version 11 is available to download now on PC. Here are the full patch notes for this update. Atlas is from Studio Wildcard who are. But judging from the rough launch of the game.
- How to install and play the game. Files for Mac can be run immediately on all versions of OS X (Lion, Maverick etc). You just need to uncompress the ZIP archive and move the '.app' file into your Applications folder. Then you can launch the game. See the Help page for more info.
- In addition to some minor mission updates, the X-Wing Alliance Patch version 2.02 includes further enhancements to 3D sound support and is compatible with all foreign language versions.
- X-Wing: have a look at X-Wing Redux This was an updated modelset originally in Spanish, ultimately translated to English. Trailer
- TIE Fighter: Definitely download the TIE Fighter Total Conversion which brings TIE Fighter to the X-Wing:Alliance engine. There are other model packs available too.
- XWing Alliance: You're in luck! As the most current game engine, this is the one that's really got a strong modder community. You will definitely want the Ultimate Craft Pack, with over 250 updated models. There are lots of alternate storyline mods available too... Enjoy the X-Wing Alliance Mod Database, or just google it! Also, sleet1 mentioned:
There is a patch for XWA that allows you to run it in 1080p, 32-bit graphics mode, 16:9 or 16:10. It is truly glorious when combined with the Ultimate Craft Pack.
- Looking for a new X-Wing universe game? Play with those XWA mods, or have a look at some other, more recent space sim mod communities. Personally, I'm rooting for the Freeworlds modvideo , but there's also the Fate of the Galaxy mod.
Enjoy!
UPDATE: woohoo! Frontpage! AND one of the XWA dev team posted! I feel so affirmed. Very happy that so many people are learning about the modding community tonight. Is there any chance our famous Reddit social spirit could help one of these big 'total conversion' projects along? Maybe one of the badass freespace based ones?
UPDATE 2: To my knowledge these games are all free at this point, classified as Abandonware. This means that it was either designed for obsolete hardware, or it is not maintained by the rightsholder. If the only place to buy it is secondhand, it's abandonware. IANAL, but I am a convincing paragraph of text on the Internet.
UPDATE 3: sleet1's comment
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Some games are just too good to die. Lucasart's classic Star Wars space sim X-Wing is one of them. A recent post on Reddit gathered together a series of mods that will let you play the old X-Wing campaign in a more recent engine, in high resolution and widescreen. We knew right away that it was time to blow the dust off a joystick and get it up and running. Here's a four step guide to getting the classic space sim working on a modern PC in full retextured glory. All you'll need is a copy of X-Wing Alliance and these four steps and you'll be locking onto Interceptors in no time.
1. X-Wing Alliance
The first step is to get X-Wing Alliance installed and patched up on your system. It may be an old game, but it still works fine on modern operating systems. It's worth noting that the and graphical overhauls we'll be using will not work unless your copy is patched up to version 2.02. You can grab the patch right here on Lucasart's support site.
2. Ultimate Craft Pack
Next up, it's the Ultimate Craft Pack, a mod that updates and reskins hundreds of craft with lovely new high resolution textures, and even adds a few new ships to the mix. During the installation process you'll be asked to select your preferred resolution and choose whether you want to use some of the custom sounds and laser effects added by the mod.
Now we've got a full working, souped up version of X-Wing Alliance on our hands. Stop here if you want to play through the Alliance campaigns, as the next step will overwrite them with missions from the original X-Wing.
3. X-Wing Missions
An old project called X-Wing Redux converted all of the original X Wing missions into updated versions that would run in X Wing Alliance, the trouble was, they were all in Spanish. Fortunately Waylon and a team of dedicated modders have localised and updated the old mod. Both parts can be downloaded here under the heading XWC3.1. Before starting a mission, it's a good idea to head into the menu and make sure that your graphics settings are maxed out, this will stop the game crashing when you launch a mission.
Now, if you start as a new pilot and enter the briefing room, you'll find yourself playing through the original X-Wing campaign. Heading to the flight simulator will let you play the Death Star assault missions. If you change your pilot to 'XWC' then you'll have access to a series of bonus missions that will put you in charge of some of the nimble A-Wing or the noble space-tank and bane of Star Destroyers everywhere, the sturdy B-Wing.
4. Widescreen Support
X Wing Pc Game Download
This is the most fiddly part of the whole process. There are two ways to hack the game and enable widescreen. The first uses xwahacker. To use this unzip the files from xwahacker you want into your X-Wing directory, and then run the xwahacker application. If this doesn't work then the alternative is to edit the XWingAlliance.exe using a utility called Be.Hexeditor. Details on how to do this can be found in the ReadMe of XWC3.1. Be sure to back up your .exe file before editing it, as it's very easy to accidentally break the file, which means reinstalling the whole thing again.
New X Wing Game
And there you have it. A joystick is still mandatory, but if you've got the equipment and the patience to get widescreen working then you're in for a treat. For more X-Wing Alliance mods check out Darksaber's X Wing Station, an excellent resource for additional ships and missions.