Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: InsaneBaron on August 31, 2015, 09:12:29 am
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So I just bought Tie fighter on GOG. I was interested to discover that there are three versions of the game: the original 1994 version, the updated 1995 version, and the further updated 1998 version.
Now I have to decide which version to use...
According to what I've read online...
1994 version: VERY old graphics, no voice acting.
1995 version: Adds voice acting, more cutscenes, and moderately better graphics.
1998 version: Even better graphics, and... different soundtrack?
What surprised me is that a lot of Tie Fighter vets insist on the 1995 version instead of the newer 1998 version. The only reason I've heard that they prefer it is the soundtrack (often referred to as iMuse); apparently the 1998 soundtrack was such a letdown that they would rather put up with older graphics.
So, to the Tie Fighter vets of HLP: which version would you recommend, and why?
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Haven't tried any of the non 5inch floppy versions, however, TIE Fighter's original soundtrack is the bee's knees.
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Haven't tried any of the non 5inch floppy versions, however, TIE Fighter's original soundtrack is the bee's knees.
Incidentally, I'm familiar with the basics of MIDI files, and the 1994 & 1995 versions run on DOSBox. I started up the 1995 version and watched the intro video: opening crawl with crummy 8-bit imitation of John Williams. Then I dug around in the DOSBox options and turned on Gravis Ultrasound emulation... holy cow the IMPROVEMENT! :eek2: Now it sounds like a particularly Warhammery take on John Williams, which given that this is Tie Fighter makes perfect sense.
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Also, the 1998 version's "better" graphics really just look worse these days, plus the area transition cutscenes (like entering the simulator) are just not as good. It has better joystick support, but DOSBox's mapping capabilities at least partially counter that. Everyone recommends the 1995 version for a reason, and iMuse is just one part of that (but probably still a big part; it's a cool system).
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You can also do the 1998 version with the "Tie Fighter Reconstructed" mod which restores higher quality voice acting with a remastered version of the iMuse soundtrack. The soundtrack is not dynamic, but it has the amazing music that made TIE Fighter so memorable.
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The music in Tie Fighter really sets the atmosphere to the game. There was nothing better than hearing the theme when your Star Destroyer arrives.
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Interesting, thanks everyone! It looks like I'm going to be using the 1995 version. So far I've just been playing with the simulators to get the hang of the game; it looks a lot harder than Freespace.