X-wing Vs Tie Fighter 2 Help

Instructions

Welcome to the X-Wing vs TIE Fighter II instruction page. This game is easy to learn, but difficult to master. There are several new features to this game as well that warrant such an information page. Here you can find descriptions of all the games icons, as well as how to control your ship and some basic information as to how the game functions.

Start:
You begin by pressing enter at the title screen. This takes you to the choose ship screen, where you get to choose from each of the following ships, each with different attributes.

Power:	2	3	2
Armor:	1	2	0
Speed:	8	5	10

Each ship starts with these base stats, but powerups can be acquired throughout the game to increase all three. The power, armor, and speed stats max at 8, 6, and 12, respectively.

Controls:
The controls are very simple. The arrow keys are used to move and the space bar is used to shoot. The 'X' and 'Z' keys are used to shoot special types of weapons. When shift is not held, 'X' shoots a torpedo and 'Z' shoots a bomb. When shift is held down, 'X' begins Super Laser fire and 'Z' launches a Super Bomb. The effects of these will be explained later. This is what the status icons look like depending on whether or not shift is held.

No Shift:	Shift:

You can tell what button to pressed based on the location of the icons. The upper icon (bombs and super bombs) are used with a 'Z' press, and the lower icons (torps and super lasers) are used with an 'X' press. Keep in mind that you must have one of these types of weapons in your inventory to use them.

The 'A' Key is also used in this game, as a way to detonate bombs before they reach their peak point. If, for example, you launch a bomb and there are some ships you want to kill near the bottom of the screen, the 'A' key will detonate any bombs that you may have on the screen. Use this to your advantage!

Gameplay/Enemies/Scoring:
Enemies come in a variety of types. Each individual enemy has a different amount of health, armor, laser power, and a percentage to shoot special weapons. These are important things that need to be taken into account when deciding how to attack a specific enemy.

Enemies move down from the top of the screen in what are called "Attack Groups." These groups are formed by one to two rows of up to two types of enemy ships, and they can follow three different patterns (although those patterns can have different speeds and initial directions). The patterns are Sweeping, Bouncing, and Diagonal, all three of which are explained in the image below (click on image to enlarge):

The goal of each level is to survive the onslaught of enemies until the end of the level, when a "Boss Group" will appear. The boss group sweeps back and forth across the top of the screen until it is killed, and then the level ends. Boss Groups are the only groups that actually need to be killed, as all other types of groups will eventually move off of the screen. Bosses usually appear 90 seconds to 2 minutes into a level.

Points are awarded for each enemy ship killed. They are also awarded for the acquisition of power ups, some of which just contain point bonuses, while others may provide some other type of bonus to your ship. You also will receive points at the end of each level, based on how much health you have left. End of level points are calculated as follows:

score = shields_left * (100 * level_number)

In other words, you receive 100 points per shield per level. Points are also awarded at the end of the game for every life you have left above 1, as well as weapons left in your inventory.

Weapons:
There are six different types of weapons in the game: lasers, triple missiles, torpedoes, bombs, super lasers, and super bombs.

Lasers: These are obviously the basic weapon of the game. Their power is equal to your ship's current power. They are fired with the space bar and proceed to the top of the screen, impacting enemies or disappearing at the top. Enemies fire green lasers and you fire red lasers.

This is what laser fire looks like.
Its not too complicated is it?

Bombs: Bombs are a special type of weapon launched by TIE Bombers and Dreadnaughts, as well as some bosses. Bombs fall to a certain point on the screen, where they then explode outward in a circular fashion. Large groups of bombs can often be a great threat. You can acquire them as well, and use them with the 'Z' key. Remember that you can detonate them prematurely with the 'A' key. Also, beware of enemy bombs, because if you happen to run into one as it journeys to the bottom of the screen, it will detonate (click on image to enlarge).

Bombs look like the left until they
reach the explode point, then boom.

Torpedoes: Torpedoes behave in much the same way as lasers, but have double a laser's power and proceed upwards through the top of the screen, not stopping when they strike an enemy. With torps several small enemy ships can be taken out, or a great deal of damage dealt to a larger ship. Beware enemy torpedoes though, as one hit is typically sufficient to kill you. Fire them with 'X'.

Notice how the torpedo kills one
TIE Fighter and proceeds to kill the next.

Triple Missiles: This is a timed bonus upgrade that replaces your typical laser fire with a specialized triple missile weapon. They are a unique type of torpedo, and three of them are fired at once, one heading straight up, one heading slightly to the left, and one heading slightly to the right. They can be fired incredibly rapidly and are devestating to enemy forces. But enemies use this weapon as well, and can often strike your ship unexpectedly. It lasts for 10 seconds and is fired with the space bar.

Its really cool isn't it?

Super Lasers: Your ship is immobilized for two seconds in order to fire an immensely powerful blast. The two seconds are used to charge the weapon, as indicated by a white beam emerging from your ship, and then a large devestating blast kills all enemies directly above your ship. Be careful when you use it though, since those two seconds you are immobilized could spell your death. Beware this white line when you see it coming from above, however, as it indicates an enemy ship is about to fire this weapon. It is fired by holding shift and pressing 'X'.

The laser on the left is in charge mode.
The laser on the right is being fired.

Super Bombs: This is the ultimate weapon of the game, and is therefore very rare to come by. Indicated by the 'US' logo on the front, this atom bomb destroys all enemies on the screen in an immense explosion. The only side effect is that you cannot see for a moment as it blows, so be sure you aren't below any enemy bombs or torpedoes. Enemies cannnot acquire such a powerful weapon, which is launched with shift and 'Z'.'

Its all you get to see now.
The explosion is too cool.

Power Ups:
Power ups randomly fall from enemies when you kill them. There are 4 types of power ups in the game: score, permanent, temporary, and usables. Score power ups are the most common, and permanent power ups the least common. Power ups drop more often as you progress in the game.

Score power ups award points in the amount displayed on the power up. All other powerups give between 100 and 200 points as well, but their real bonuses extend beyond that. Usable powerups give you more special weapons or act as shield refeills. Temporary powerups activate one of the 10 second bonuses, which make your ship especially strong. Permanent powerups can increase your power, armor, and speed, eventually making your ship ultra-powerful.

Here is a run-down of every power up in the game:

Scores:
100 Points	-Gives a 100 point bonus
250 Points	-Gives a 250 point bonus
500 Points	-Gives a 500 point bonus
1000 Points	-Gives a 1000 point bonus
5000 Points	-Gives a 5000 point bonus
10000 Points	-Gives a 10000 point bonus
Usables:
Shield Boost	-Restores one unit of health
Torpedoes	-Adds two torpedoes to your inventory
Bomb	-Adds one bomb to your inventory
Superlaser	-Adds one Super Laser to your inventory
Superbomb	-Adds one Super Bomb to your inventory
Temporaries:
Double Shot	-Activates double shot for 10 seconds, which doubles your ship's current number of lasers
Rapid Fire	-Activates rapid fire for 10 seconds, which lets you hold down space bar to fire
Triple Missile	-Activates triple missile for 10 seconds, turning your lasers into 3 ultra-powerful missiles
Invincible	-Makes your ship impervious to all attack for 10 seconds
Permanents:
Power	-Adds one to your ship's power, maxing at 8
Armor	-Adds one to your ship's armor, maxing at 6
Speed	-Adds one to your ship's speed, maxing at 12

Calculations:
Damage is calculated as follows:

damage_dealt = weapon_damage - ships_armor

Weapon damage is based on a ship's power. For example, laser fire is equal to the ship's power, but torpedo damage is double a ship's power. Enemy ships always receive one damage, regardless of whether their armor is equal to or greater than your weapon's damage.

Super bombs and super lasers are an exception to this rule, however, since they deal so much damage that they automatically kill practically anything in their path. If you see an enemy use these weapons, avoid them at all costs.

Secrets:
Everyone's favorite secret level from the first game makes a return, and it is reached by achieving a very high score during the regular game. Usually it is necessary to not die over the course of a game to reach the secret level, though it is possible to achieve a high enough score otherwise.

This game has two other secrets as well, though, at least one of which is a hidden type of ship. Do your best to find it, as I will not be revealing anything more for some time...