RFA Flight Manual

May The Force Be With Us All.

1.Cut your power to one-third when you need to turn sharply.

2. A number of melees can involve head-on passes with guns blazing. Tryquick, sharp turns, shoot, and turn again.

3.If a missile is on your tail, try the following:

Pull back on the throttle to one-third, then make a quick left roll, followed by a dive for about a second or so, and then a sharp rightroll; then pull into a quick climb. This set of maneuvers will go a longway toward breaking the missile lock.

4.Missiles do the most damage when striking the rear of a ship.

5.Do not fire missiles when in a twisting, turning dogfight less than 1.5kilometers in range. The larger turning radius of the missile will cause it to go wide. Only use missiles in this situation if you want to try and confuse your opponent to provide yourself with a better opening.

6.If an opponent fires a missile at you from long range, try going to fullspeed. When the missile is about one to two kilometers away, go into asharp turn and keep turning. The missile will eventually explode harmlessly.

7.If there is more than one enemy, try launching all your missiles at justone of the targets. After the first target is destroyed, the missiles automatically target the next ship. If your craft lacks countermeasures for missile attack, press the "L" to get a lock on the missile, go to one-third throttle for the fastest turnrate, and begin blazing with your lasers. Missiles are actually rather easy to destroy if you shoot at them fast enough. If the missile is in front of you and you don't want to shoot it forsome reason, throw all your energy from your weapons and shields intoyour engines and keep the missile in view at all times. It willeventually explode.

8.If in a TIE fighter, be careful about attacking ships that can firebackwards, as you are unshielded. Try this in multiplayer when some of your friends are in the area:

9.Once an enemy is on your tail, call another player for help and then fly directly towards them. When you get real close to the friendly ship, dart down to avoid them and let the enemy taste your friend's lasers. If you have a TIE Fighter on your tail and its hull has been damaged, try dropping a flare. Since a flare fires backwards, there is a chancethat it can strike the TIE Fighter and destroy it, which is a pretty nifty little trick.When fighting TIE Fighters, link your weapons for heavier damage. A couple of shots, and they're history.

10.When fighting in an asteroid field, try hugging one of the larger asteroids. The artificial intelligence will reduce speed and turn the craft chasing you, and possibly crash it into the asteroids.

11.Sometimes in one-on-one melees, cut your engines, max out the energy to your shields and lasers, put your shield to double-front and wait foryour target to approach. Wait as they close, wasting their laser energy on your healthy shield. Shoot any missiles that come your way. Chances are the opponent hasn't boosted shields at all. Try quad-linking your lasers and get two to three good solid hits on them before they turnaway.

12There are two normal fight outcomes in online play with X-Wing vs. TIEFighter.

First, in head-to-head passes, the one who fires most accurately and quickly wins.

Second, the one who breaks away usually dies first, as the suppressor will cut to one-third throttle and line up another shot where the breakaway ship will pass. The best way to avoid this is through constant suppression fire, breaking the enemy's will to attack. Jog your ship out of the line of fire and return to fire again.Keep doing this and the enemy player will have to cede at some point, giving you the upper hand.

Joystick Advantages:

Careful mapping of your buttons on your joystick can save your life inbattle. Set up a button for dumping energy from your weapons into yourshields. Hitting SHIFT+F10 is a difficult trick to do in battle. Also,try mapping your inflight map to another button. Staying aware of everyone's location is critical.

X-Wing Aces Have Some Things to Say. Three of the best online X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter players recently participated in an interview with the Internet Gaming Zone. Find out what it takes to be a top player of this great game.

Participants:

DOH_Viper (the DOH stands for his squadron, the Destroyers of Hope, andViper comes from Tom Skerritt’s character in the movie Top Gun)

_Muxxy_NIR (who has his own X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter Web site)

Deceptikon_NIR (who has lots of other aliases, and plays out of the Niten IchiRyu Ronin squadron)

Zone:

How many games, or how long, did it take for you to become a top player?

DOH_Viper: I started off by playing the single player game until Ireached the rank of Top Ace, then I hit the Zone with a vengeance, challenging anyone that would play me and going after the big hitters in the current squads. I went unbeaten in my first two weeks of Zone play until I met a guy called Durron, he's now DOH_Durron. Anyhow, he beat me in my favorite ship, and showed me a couple of things, then we swapped a few tactics and played some 2on2. If you can find a guy who you get on well with, I recommend 2on2, it's the best fun going, and really helps your awareness. A few names that need to be mentioned here for their help and general goofing are: DOH_Heatwave, DOH_JackOften, DOH_Starscream, B_B, EF_Thrakk and all the guys in the 49th. Special mention for DOH_CRZY_MAN_AL for being a gibbon.

Laddering is great for developing your skills, if you approach it with a good attitude and an open mind.

_Muxxy_NIR: I seriously started competing on the ladder back in Novemberof 1997. I have always loved the Star Wars movies. My dream was one day to be able to fly in a spaceship as a fighter pilot. Thanks to the Internet, LucasArts, and Microsoft, this dream has become reality. Before joining the ladder, I was already an experienced XVT pilot. I wanted to make sure that I understood the ships and how to play over the Internet before I started on the ladder. After joining the ladder, I was totally amazed at how quickly I gained rank. My first three losses of my total 5 losses out of 173 games came early because I was still learning how to play 1 on 1. 1 on 1 is very different than 3 or more players. I made my adjustments and began winning games.

Deceptikon_NIR: It took a while actually. I didn't ask anyone for help really, I was stubborn and wanted to figure things out on my own, which paid off in its own way really. I definitely learned the most during the games where in I lost by a large margin. After the loss I would examine where I went wrong and what my opponent did to have his success. Emulation of good players brought me to where I am now. As for the ladder, it is a 1 on 1 match and I really didn't concentrate on that aspect of the game until around late November. Previous to that I focused on 2 on 2's and 8 player games. The adjustment was difficult at first, but my experience in 2 on 2's helped me greatly. I started flying at the end of August and started having moderate success at the end of December, so it definitely took a while.

Zone:

Describe your path to proficiency. How did you learn about the game in order to get so good?

DOH_Viper: My advice here would be to play your opponent in the craft they pick...[B]eing an all round good pilot is more vital than I can stress. In terms of how I got better, I got one word for you, practice. That's it, there's no magic formula for success, but the more you play the better you get.

_Muxxy_NIR: The absolute and only proficiency you need to be aproficient pilot is to master how to play with lag. Learn this and you'll be an excellent pilot.

Deceptikon_NIR: Well, as for learning about the game it was a rigorous process of trial and error. I really enjoy the game, my affinity for simulation games and my enjoyment of Star Wars lore made it a must have for me. I went into debt to upgrade my computer so I could play this game, I am still feeling it on my credit card statements to this day! As for being so good? Well, that is a subjective term, I just play LOTS and try to enjoy myself as much as possible. But the more you play the better you get.

Zone: What is your favorite way to play the game?

DOH_Viper: Well, in terms of scenario I love 2on2 in X-Wings, I swear it can't be beat. Another great thing is missions, 49th_DarkOne and I blew the Super Star Destroyer in Balance Of Power the other day, and it rocked. For one on one, take your pick of craft and get scrapping. Personally though, I dislike ion craft; I find them slow and boring,with the possible exception of the B-wing.

_Muxxy_NIR: My favorite way to play the game is 4 vs. 4. Eight players, two teams battling it out amongst the stars.

Deceptikon_NIR: My favorite set up is playing a 2 on 2 game with Optimusas my wingman. We're best friends in real life, so it's pretty cool being able to fly with your best friend. As for the details of the game, my favorite ship is the TIE Fighter. Its combination of maneuverability, speed and lethality make it an extremely fun way to play. I never play with missiles, counter measures or beam devices, just raw laser melees, in order to get to the mano a mano aspect of the game. 8 player games are also very fun, but they demand a high bandwidth connection to been joyed. I dislike Y-Wings and Gunships for their ion/laser cannon "bug" just doesn't inspire me to fly those ships. 8-player game Free For Alls must be experienced at least once.

Zone:

Talk about some of the winning strategies you use when playing. Tell us about your favorite maneuvers, tricks, and styles of play.

DOH_Viper: Well, ok, here it is, the first time I've made a compilation of advice for winning melees. I hope it is of some help, and that I don't go on too long.

Know the ships -- All craft in the game are very different from each other, learn them ALL. Don't be afraid to lose, the most learning I have done is when I have been beaten.

Power management -- This is VITAL, read the manual, then read it again, it really helps. Remember, fastest turning speed is 33% but don't limit yourself to that, be spontaneous, be original. DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE.Remember you can adjust shield and laser levels for that extra bit of speed or a quick shield boost when you need it.

Approach -- One thing I see people fail to do a lot is develop a good approach. I'm about to go into some really advanced imagery, so bear with me....here it is. Imagine an ice cream cone, yes, I'm serious. The cone is a fairly shallow one. Now, imagine your opponent's ship is at the point of the cone. Your approach should be within the borders of this imaginary cone. It keeps them in your line of sight and also infront of your guns. Keep dodging, take ONE shot, and move. As you develop, you'll be able to shoot ON the move, an indispensable skill.

Turning -- Deceptikon's the real expert on this but I'll put my 2 cents in for the heck of it. There are a few key points to remember. First is that the more power you have to your engines, the faster you turn so, in the turn, keep the lasers at normal recharge and if you have shields, give their power to the engines. Try to predict where your opponent is going and intercept. If you feel uncomfortable or vulnerable, pick your moment and slam the throttle to max. Watch the distance between your craft and theirs, when it exceeds .30, cut back to 33%, flip the craftover and slam a shot straight into them. You might die in the process, but you'll take them with you.

Shooting and guns -- For almost every ship, laser recharge should be at increased. My personal preference for cannon use is to always link fire. I prefer to line a shot up and send it home rather than wave a hose pipe of fire around.

Melees other than 1on1 -- The "E" is the "key" to success, it targets who is targeting you. As the guy sneaks up on you lining up his shot, the last thing he expects is you to whip round and laser-engrave your name on his hull. In anything other than 1on1, resist the urge to turn and only do so briefly. At 33%, you're a sitting duck, so keep the speedup.

_Muxxy_NIR: Wow, give away my secrets? What I can tell you is that there is not tweaking of the system, or using special joystick, or making any modifications to the game. Again, it's all about how well you play with lag. If you make a mistake, don't make the same mistake twice. Practice does make perfect. Don't be afraid to experiment with different tactics. Also, one tactic may not work with others.

Deceptikon_NIR: The best tactics are self-taught. Every time I play I try to alter something or vary it in whatever way possible; never be stagnant in your flying set up. Thinking too much will kill you, you have to be able to adapt to everything and not let your actions get bogged down by over thinking. On the approach, speed kills. In the turn,observe where your opponent is going, and meet him there with a six pack of fiery death. Don't get impatient, always keep your composure. It's easy to see a pilot fixated on doing one thing and one thing only.

Zone: What are some of the common mistakes your opponents make?

DOH_Viper: Everyone makes at least one mistake in a melee, it's only human. The most common one is probably waiting too long before dodging, or being so hell-bent on a kill that they disregard their position; then they're space dust.

_Muxxy_NIR: The most common mistake some opponents make is making the same mistake twice or even more. My term for a newbie is a pilot who does not make adjustments during a game, and repeatedly makes the same mistake over and over. An experienced pilot will exploit these mistakes and win the game.

Deceptikon_NIR: Repetition of mistakes. I must fly [against] people who commit the same error continuously for the entire match which makes things very easy for me. Seriously, if you make yourself vulnerable to me, you are making things easy. All I have to do is exploit your mistake and kill you. Also, 1 on 1 tactics don't necessarily translate very well into other match ups, such as 8 player free for alls and 2 on 2's.

Zone: What was your most satisfying experience playing this game online?

DOH_Viper: Wow, take your pick, winning a smooth 4-player mission is agreat feeling. Winning a melee against a tough opponent is also fantastic. But if I had to pick one, I think it would be when I played MrScary in an X-Wing ladder game. We drew 7 all and agreed to leave it at that, we had given it our all and just couldn't face winning or losing such a contest!

_Muxxy_NIR: The most satisfying experience playing this game is beingcompetitive. As long as I am competitive, I am happy. The more players you can fly with at a time, the more fun the game is for me. I love playing against or with great pilots like Deceptikon, Viper Optimus, Syncope and others.

Deceptikon_NIR: Definitely meeting the people. Nebten was the first person I met in XvT and we have been boys ever since. Forming NIR with Nebten, StormT and Optimus, we became good friends and have kept that philosophy for our squad to this day. Getting compliments from people you respect; it's humbling in a sense but it makes you feel very good when someone says that you're a good pilot. Duelling with great pilots,such as Muxxy, Viper, BijoHammax, MrScary is very satisfying because you have to put everything you got into it. They inspire you to try your hardest.

Zone: What was your least satisfying experience or alternatively, your most embarrassing experience playing this game online?

DOH_Viper: Least satisfying experiences for me include being accused of cheating when I blow the heck out of someone, getting muted by sysops, getting caught paying a compliment to Deceptikon when I thought he wasn't there and generally making a doofus of myself. :)

_Muxxy_NIR: I guess all games are competitive in nature. There are winners and there are losers. Yet one thing remains constant. XVT is agame. Some people forget this and make a fool of themselves by getting upset over a game.

Deceptikon_NIR: Least satisfying is having my wins contested by people saying that I have modified my game to turn better. Once I was even accused of using a special joystick LOL. I guess in a way it's sort of flattering, seeing as how they believed that I cheated in order to do what I did. There are some people who come to the Zone just to elicit a reaction out of the people in the chat. It usually works, the best thing to do is just ignore them.

Zone: Anything else you'd like to say about the game?

_Muxxy_NIR: XVT is an excellent game. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys flying and loves Star Wars. The Zone has made a family of pilots who have the same dreams of flying. Join the family, you'll have a lot of fun. I LOVE the ZONE!

Deceptikon_NIR: Be sportsman like, always clear up any animosity inprivate, don't air it on the Zone. If you think someone has done you wrong, go to them first and see what the deal is. Meet people whenever you get the opportunity and be nice to them, keep the game alive and fun.