Sometimes it's fun to be the bad guys, especially when their ships are so freaking cool.  Tie Fighter is undeniably one of the best space combat flight simulators of all time.  It withstands the test of time because it does so many things well and, even though it is dated visually, it is just plain fun to play.



First thing is first.  Let's install Tie Fighter using the original CD-ROM (or floppies depending on which version you have) and DOSBox.  There are 3 basic steps here:

(1) Mount your DVD/CD-ROM or floppy drive in DOSBox so the program can run the setup.  I'll be mounting a DVD-ROM drive but the steps are exactly the same.  I would just mount it as A: instead of D: for clarity.
(2) Create a virtual hard drive in DOSBox for the game to install to
(3) Run the Setup/Installation for the game

Launch DOSBox and type intro cdrom.  This will bring up the cheat sheet for how to mount your CD-ROM drive as a virtual drive in DOSBox.  The DVD drive on my PC is drive H: so I entered the command:

mount d h: -t cdrom

and now DOSBox sees my the DVD drive on my PC with the Tie Fighter CD as the D: drive.

Back in Windows, create a folder called something simple like DOSGAMES as close to the root of the drive as possible to save you from unnecessary typing.  I created the DOSGAMES folder in the root of my D: drive and now I will mount that folder as a virtual hard drive in DOSBox. (type intro mount if you need a hint or check out the pic below


After entering 2 simple commands, my virtual DOS environment thinks I have a hard drive to install games on and a CD-ROM drive to install them from.  Now, simply navigate to the drive where the installation CD is (in my case, the D: drive so I enter D: and hit enter) and run the setup.  In the case of Tie Fighter, the setup file is called "install."  With any DOS game, I always recommend the maximum install option.

Remember that any reference to the C: drive in DOSBox is not refering to the local C: drive on your PC but rather the folder that you mounted as the C: Drive.  In the case of this install, a folder called TIECD will be created in the DOSGAMES folder since that is my virtual DOSBox C: drive.


I also recommend choosing the express sound install option.  Your sound card will be automatically detected and a few sounds will be played for you to confirm that sound has been set up correctly.  After you verify that the sound is working correctly, exit the install program.  From your DOSBox command prompt, navigate to the path where the game is installed (if you left the default values in the install process it will be C:TIECD) and type "TIE" and hit enter.  Now, get ready for a phenomenal intro!

Alright.  Down to business

In Tie Fighter, the player takes on the role of Maarek Stele as a pilot in training in the Imperial Navy.  The game is set shortly after the Battle of Hoth and ends just before the Battle of Endor.  As an Imperial Pilot, Maarek is charged with seeking out and destroying "Rebel scum," escorting cargo transports and defending them from "Rebel scum," and he even has to fight other Imperial forces who have decided to defect and become "Rebel scum."  The traditional Star Wars story crawl gives some basic setting info and after a few cut-scenes, Maarek arrives at Pilot Registration.


Once you have cleared security by telling them your name, you arrive at the Concourse.  This is the main hub of the game.  Your first stop should probably be the Training Simulator followed closely by the Combat Chamber.  The Training Simulator focuses only on ship handling.  This is very important.  Controlling the speed of your ship, while avoiding ships, asteroids, and other obstacles, is an essential skill.  Just like in a real Tie Fighter, all the controls are not on one input device.  You will have to use the keyboard as well as the joystick to operate your Imperial fighter.


Let's talk about the keyboard and how indispensable it is in a flight sim.  On a PC flight sim with a keyboard, you have much greater control over your ships and its functions than you do on a 6-button SNES or Genesis pad.  It's one of those things you don't think you need until you have it and then it makes it difficult to give it up.  For example, The + and - keys increase and decrease your speed, but you also have 4 hotkeys that set your engine to 0 power, 1/3, 2/3, and full.  You also have a key that sets your throttle to the current speed of your target.  I can't think of a single dogfight where I didn't use this key. The nine number keys on the keypad give you quick views of the entire clock around your fighter and the "5" key gives you a straight up view.  Many times throughout the game, you will be in a dogfight with several enemy ships.  With a keyboard, you have a key that targets the next available craft, one that goes to the previous target, another that targets the newest craft in the area, one that selects the enemy closest to you, and so on.   The downside to all of these keys is that there is a slight learning curve.  The upside is that once you have most of the controls memorized, you will have complete control over your TIE.


Once you have the basic navigation and throttle controls down, it wouldn't hurt to try a mission or two in the combat flight simulator just to get your feet wet.  In many of the best flight and space combat sims, the projectiles that you fire don't reach the area where your crosshairs are pointing right away, they take a little time to reach this point in space.  Tie Fighter is no exception.  I hadn't really played any other PC combat sim before Tie Fighter and the first thing that jumped out at me was that you have to lead your target by aiming at the space where they are going to be, instead of where they are.  It is hard for me to describe just how cool I thought this was when i first saw it.  I felt like this was an actually three dimensional space simulation, not just some game where you hit fire and the lasers go right to the crosshair, wherever that may be.

As the training missions and the game progress, you will face stronger and faster ships (The A-Wing is an absolute pain, a little speed demon), but you will also unlock stronger and faster ships of your own.  The ships don't feel like carbon copies either.  Each ship has a unique cockpit, different weapon loadouts, different speed and handling, as well as a unique "feel."  The game is very well-balanced and has several difficulty modifiers so that you can tailor the experience to a difficulty that is the most enjoyable for your personal skill level. 


I really can't say enough good things about this game.  I know I keep saying it, but it holds up incredibly well to this day.  If you happen to come across a Microsoft Side Winder PC Flight stick in working shape, snag that baby up.  That joystick and this game were made for each other.

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