It really is amazing how scuffed the rebel starfighters were in vanilla XWA. I remember thinking the X-wing model looked weird even back then, although the overall graphics for their time were outstanding,
Thanks so much for a great and much needed tutorial. Why in 2021 this tutorial is even necessary is beyond me, but here we are... with another extremely overly-complicated install and upgrade.
Thanks my friend! This kind of thing until never seems to work out for me. Ive been trying to patch this game for over a decade, and this feels like much more of a life changing accomplishment then it probably should be.
I successfully got this installed last year but was overwhelmed by the old m&k controls and had a lot of trouble mapping my stick and throttle. My stick and throttle were stolen and I’m totally willing to play m&k but does anyone have a good keybinding scheme I can take inspiration from?
I have the current version of the beta effects 2022-07-14. It does not show the same thing on my screen when I open it. So I can’t get the game running. Could you please give me help with this
I have a similar problem. I managed to install the main updates (Mega Patch, and Update Patch), but the Blue Max Legacy Effects is different now, it's got different files. I didn't install that one as it's completely different files; trying to run the game with just the Mega and Update patches, it tries to run but blocks with a "Please insert XWA CD" prompt. I'm using a Steam version and succesfully bypass the Steam launch issue by launching directly from the folder, but the CD prompt prevents the game from being played.
Thanks Calmputer!! I have a question: at about 5:04 you mention "HD cutscenes come with an installer as well..." Is that the "TgSmush"? And do you have a video that walks through their install?
While TgSmush does indeed allow for the playing of HD cutscenes... it on its own does not give you the actual HD Cutscenes. for that you need to follow the link in the description: X-Wing Outpost (HD Cutscenes): www.xwingoutpost.com/ (Go to upgrades and scroll down to the "videos" section). it comes with its own installer and it works exactly like the installer for XWAU itself.
Your voice reminds me of someone else I'm subscribed to Skallagrim. Very informative video though, watching another of yours after this to get TIE Fighter Total Conversion working next. That was my Favorite game. Thank you!
Thank you, that's very high praise indeed (we're both from northern Europe, I believe... so have very similar accents). As for the TFTC video, I would suggest you go watch Angel's 1.2 Tutorial video instead, it is much more thorough and up-to-date: ua-cam.com/video/9xkTvWJ6CW0/v-deo.html
On Win 10, how do you install the game if the actual installer keeps giving an error sayin "This program don't run in your PC"?I'm trying to emulate the actual .iso but the Setup don't open
hmmm... when you say 'the actual installer' do you mean the one on the game's CD? If it's the former, then I think it *should* be possible to fix it by: right-clicking the .EXE clicking 'properties' clicking the 'Compatibility'-tab. 'run this program in compatibility mode for': Windows XP. This is happening, I think, because most versions of Windows 10 don't support 32-bit programs any more. but the compatibility mode *should* fix it. If it doesn't... then I think your best bet might just be to buy X-Wing Alliance on GOG, it's fairly frequently on sale. If it is the XWAU installer, I would suggest you go to the X-wing Alliance Upgrade forum and ask for help, cause that would be way above my pay-grade to solve.
Is there anyway to remove the ship you are flying. I dont want to see my own ship in the view. I always flew with the top two left and right panels, the centre panel on the bottom and no ship in the way just the crosshairs
Certainly. Pressing "." (period) will hide your cockpit. Pressing "D" will give you back the old classic UI. Then you can show/hide each element with the insert, delete, home, end, pgUp and pgDn.
Did a clean install of XWA and when installing the mega patch, it crashes with error "Process cannot access the file ...Alliance.exe...because it is being used by another process.
Depends on which version you have installed. If it is the Steam-version, then completely exit out of steam before installing, as in tight-click the steam icon in the system tray and choose exit/close. Alternatively the ALLIANCE.EXE file has been write-protected. Open the game’s install folder, right-click ALLIANCE.EXE, choose properties, and un-tick “write protected” near the bottom of the resulting windows. Hit apply/okay. Then try again.
X-Wing, TIE Fighter and XvT uses a different engines. The upgrades in this video will not work on those games. However, it is possible to import the *missions* from those games into X-Wing Alliance Upgrade (look for a link to Waylon's website in the description). As for 'how much better' it'd look compared to the 320x200 resolution DOS graphics? You'd need a poet.
The one I use is a Logitech X52 Pro... but I can't really recommend it. the little mouse-nub is glitchy and will move your mouse-cursor randomly... the throttle doesn't have enough buttons and... it's just not good. don't buy it. As for what I *would* suggest? If money isn't a concern, then go for basically anything by Virpil. If you're on a budget, then the *Thrustmaster t.16000M FCS Hotas* is probably the absolute best bang-for-your-bucks you could possibly get... and despite being plastic, it'll last basically forever.
I crashed into other ships in the game plenty of times... but I don't think that's what you meant... I've seen some people report that this or that mission crashes for them on the XWAU website's forum... but I think maybe I had one crash-to-desktop in my entire playthrough of the game, and that was in between two missions.
Is this channel owner Dan from LinusTechTips (refer to WAN show or 3d printer views)? I swear, your voice and manner of speaking seem identical to me. 🙂
It should work if you copy over the "Wave" (and "Music" if there is one) folder on both of the CD-ROMs to the game's install folder. the original CD version didn't install any of the sounds or music into the install folder, and the updated EXE that comes with XWAU assumes that those are installed.
I need some help clearing some things up. What is the difference between XWA and the Special Edition and does SE work in XWAU? Also do the other games have support as well like TIE Fighter? Going to purchase and follow this as soon as I know what is what.
Special Edition refers to the remasters of X-Wing and TIE Fighter that came out in 1998. X-Wing Alliance is the fourth game in the series and came out in 1999. XWAU is the project to update the graphics of X-Wing Alliance. I am not sure what you mean with "support as well like TIE Fighter"?
@@Calmputer So only the standard XWA and not SE works? And is the Tie Fighter game have any VR thing going for it? I'm sorry I'm new to this series, had VR and bought a x56 HOTAS for Elite Dangerous and my friend told me about XWAU. He never tried Upgrade though but I convinced him to get a HOTAS.
No worries! I'm also sorry, due to how the developers named these games... there can be quite a lot of confusion, so I added a list of the games, and their release dates at the end of this post. There is only one version of XWA (X-Wing Alliance). SE only refers to TIE Fighter and X-Wing (and for clarity: X-Wing is not the same as X-Wing Alliance). You can get VR support for XWA/X-Wing Alliance if you install the XWAU mod from this video. TIE Fighter SE and X-Wing SE cannot support VR support.. they're simply too old (though there IS technically a way to import the missions from those two games into XWA/X-Wing Alliance, and play them in VR that way... I've never managed to do it, so you'd have to find help on that from some one else...). Release dates and names of the various games: X-Wing (1993) TIE Fighter (1994) X-Wing Vs TIE Fighter (1997) X-Wing Special Edition(SE) (1998) (remaster of the original) TIE Fighter Special Edition(SE) (1998) (remaster of the original) X-Wing Alliance(XWA) (1999)
@@Calmputer Thank you for your reply. And I just noticed it was just X-WIng SE. I don't know how my brain put X-Wing Alliance Special Edition together. Thanks again, I'll be getting XWA and following t he video.
Great video thanks for the initial help/guidance. However my Babu Frik looks nothing like yours (I dont have the Spyder/Darksaber verisons to name just one difference). Not sure where Ive gone wrong and if anyone has any ideas? I'm also not sure how to tell if the graphical mod is working - the cockpit in the first mission looks the same to my untrained eye, but I booted up the cheat profile and it looked totally different so I assume its worked in that sense?
Since this video was made the Babu Frik Configurator has been updated... and my current configurator also is missing the Darksaber and Spyder X-wings (and instead I get generic, azzameen, new republic and red squadron). The first few missions are flown in the YT-1300 (millenium falcon) ship, which has not gotten a new cockpit upgrade. Only the fighters (X, Y, A, B, and Z95) have been upgraded so far. If you're wondering whether your graphics have been properly upgraded or not, you can go to 20:07 to see what they look like *un-upgraded* ; )
@@Calmputer wow thank you so much for your fast and detailed response! You've settled my nerves in the sense that everything is as it should be and that yes, its all working - when you see the old graphics compared to the new its very obvious. Now to try and figure out how to get a side throttle working with the joystick!
For some reason after installed the update and patch my STEAM version of X-wing Alliance didn't boot up, so I switched to my GOG version and booted up fine but it has choppy frame rate and it's difficult to control.
if using the steam version, you cannot launch the game *from* steam after installing the mod. You have to launch from the ALLIANCE.EXE directly. As for the choppiness, I'm not sure... I would suggest checking in on the X-Wing Alliance Upgrade Project's forum. (just remember to mention your computer specs, if you ask for help).
@@Calmputer Not to worry! I believe this is the second time I watched your video, in this occasion I paid more attention. At the end it was my fault, I didn't notice what you did on the STEAM version, booting up the game from the shortcut instead of using the STEAM app, and for the frame issue I just changed some of the settings, I had to turn off all the fancy lighting and F/X and now it works fine. I'm gonna leave the GOG version with the update and the STEAM will be the original released, now I gonna looking for that update for X-Wing and TIE Fighter. Thank you for your video and for answering my comment. Have a happy!
I managed to install the main updates (Mega Patch, and Update Patch), but the Blue Max Legacy Effects is different now, it's got different files. I didn't install that one as it's completely different files; trying to run the game with just the Mega and Update patches, it tries to run but blocks with a "Please insert XWA CD" prompt. I'm using a Steam version and succesfully bypass the Steam launch issue by launching directly from the folder, but the CD prompt prevents the game from being played.
You only need the Mega Patch and Update patch. Blue Max's effects are already contained in those. the extra link is just for when there's been a new discovery... As for the CD... I've never seen that error on a digital version of the game. are you starting the game with ALLIANCE.EXE (correct), or XWINGALLIANCE.EXE (incorrect)?
@@Calmputer Thank you for the quick response! I've been starting the game with Alliance.exe and had that failed to detect CD problem, never even tried XWingAlliance.exe, but that does the same thing. Do you think that maybe uninstalling and reinstalling everything might fix this?
@@Calmputer I finally managed to make it work by fully deleting both the mods and the X-Wing Alliance steam folder and files, and re-installing everything! Thanks for your quick response.
Alright, I'll try to recreate it. which version of the game are you playing (steam or GOG). Did you install the beta effects by BlueMax? and what are your settings in Babu Frik's Configurator?
I'm sorry.. I can't reproduce the crash at all. Suggestion: uninstall the game, delete the folder, restart your computer and reinstall the game + mods. failing that, go to xwaupgrade.com and ask/search for help on their forum. It has plenty of active users that could help you. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.
go to the XWAUpgrade website, then in downloads get the "XwaToolsDownloader" it contains the "Xwa Imc Editor" which will let you change the music. the music is stored in \music\ as .IMC files... you load them in the imc editor and then you can replace the music with any .WAV you want. here's more in-depth instructions: www.xwaupgrade.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=11350
Are you sure the mod installed properly? If the installer quits out suddenly without any error messages or an "it's done"-type message... then it means you don't have enough room on the harddrive you're trying to install to. but... The unmodded game itself should have an ALLIANCE.EXE already, as well... is that also gone?
It shouldn't be a problem, it's a 22 year old game. I've ran it on a laptop that have roughly the same hardware as you without any problems. There are some graphics settings you can change to make it run better if need be as well, in the Configurator ("Customize Special Effects", then uninstall bloom effects, disable shading model, disable MSAA and FXAA, cockpit shadows, dynamic laser lights, etc.) You shouldn't have to, but it's there if needed. ... and you're very welcome ; )
@@Calmputer Great, thank you for the informative reply. I'm playing Squadrons for the first time on PS5 and it has awoken my nostalgia for space flight combat. X-Wing Alliance and Wing Commander were a huge part of my childhood. Such a shame that there aren't more story driven space combat games like this. I'm only around 7 missions into Squadrons but I'm loving it. The gameplay and simcade mechanics are very solid. I really hope we get a sequel with a bigger budget and a bigger focus on story/single player.
Ditto on Wing Commander and X-Wing Alliance being my childhood ; ) I still remember watching the Wing Commander III intro and being floored at seeing *real actors in the game*. As for other story driven space combat games, there are a few... Tachyon: The Fringe for instance, or more famously Freespace 2 (both available on GOG)! There's also Freelancer, which is less easy to get hold of, but definitely worth the effort. Two more recent games that I would also suggest checking out are Rebel Galaxy, and Rebel Galaxy Outlaw.
@@Calmputer Thanks, I've heard of most of those and have thought about playing some. I get picky though, like with Rebel Galaxy Outlaw I didn't like how the outer space looked so blue. And I heard Freespace 2 is great but I would need to install some cockpit mods. The feeling of being in a cockpit is a big part of the appeal for me, I thought Squadrons did this really well. Speaking of which, have you seen the trailer for the fan remaster of Wing Commander IV? They made modeled cockpits that look pretty great.
Sorry for the wait... If you open the "Babu Frik Configurator" tool, You will find "Joystick Emulation" in the *Main Configurator* section. In there, set it to "On", and then choose if you want Light, Medium or High Mouse sensitivity.. or maybe even Keyboard only.
Mostly Yes. It will require a stronger computer than the vanilla version... and If the laptop has an integrated GPU, then you're probably going to run into a "Direct3D not enough memory" error. In that instance, you need to go into the Babu Frik Configurator and disable special effects (mainly Bloom, Shading, MSAA and FXAA). You should still be able to use widescreen, the dynamic cockpit and cockpit shadows. If it has a dedicated GPU you'll be good to go, no problem (I have a GTX 1660 in my laptop and it runs like melted butter).
it might be possible to get it to look a little better. By default XWAU will try using the integrated GPU, but if you go into NVIDIA's control panel, you can force XWINGALLIANCE.EXE and ALLIANCE.EXE to use the 620 instead. Then go to XWAU's download section and install ddraw-2.0, as it can offload a lot of calculations from the CPU unto the GPU. forums.xwaupgrade.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=13810
I have no clue on how to configure the damn joystick. A glowing example of why programmers should not be allowed to design UI. My pilot does backflips on the cockpit as he's shot down and I can't make it stop. Anyone got a tutorial on how to use their configuration program? Better yet, is there a way to bring back the default configuration program?
backflips are a new one... but it sounds like a problem with the windows calibrating. wait, hold on... I've seen something similar. does your joystick have a throttle? the joystick configurator probably confused the throttle axis with the Y-axis on the joystick. use the configurator to switch them (Pitch and throttle) and things should work. (or test it by moving the throttle up-down it should stop or even reverse the backflips, if I'm right).
@@Calmputer I'll need to reinstall to test it out. My thought was to possibly put together the controls/calibration in vanilla before modding. I'm unsure if it's the joystick though, is there a new mapping for controlling where the player's head is facing in the cockpit now? I thought that was done via keyboard or vr if equipped?
oh! I'm sorry, I thought you meant that the *ship* was doing backflips (whenever someone has said 'pilot does X' in the past, it turns out that they actually meant 'ship does X'). Right... it's possible to control the pilot's head with either the Mouse (after pressing ScrollLock), or with a joystick-hat... or the numpad 2, 4, 8, 6 (your backflips could be achieved by something pressing down 8). Another possibility is if you have another controller plugged in and one of it's buttons (d-pad Up for instance) is being pressed in. in XWAU's joystick configurator, first try enabling "Use the POV as regular buttons" at the very bottom.
I think so. Most fighters are smaller than in the original, yet I don't find myself "hitting" them when shooting vacuum. Same thing with transports like the Millennium Falcon, which is bigger than in the original; If I shoot near the edges of their models, the shot doesn't go straight through the model.
@@Calmputer That’s great to hear, thanks for the reply and excellent video! I’ll definitely give this mod another try since they simplified the installation process.
Some people have gotten it to work on the Steam Deck. I've only seen one person posting about it on the XWAU forums, and they said they needed to install dotnet48 with winetricks and disabling DXVK, to get it to work.
This was my secong pc game that I got!!! Wow 1999. I have tried XWAU several times in the past, I got the game again on digital in Steam, wanna pass the game before trying this XWAU version!! Last time several years ago the Accuser gave me too much trouble in a mission lol!!! It looks now like Scuadrons, that game is a meh for me...
Hey youtube algorythm I don't give a fuck about starwars, mass effect videogames, speed runs. And many others. Yet reccomended is entirely these things. And these creators do not deserve the intensity of my wrath.
when youtube suggests something to you, you can click the three dots to the right of the title and choose "Not interested" or "Don't suggest channel". it's annoying that you have to do it for every video... but eventually youtube will learn. I should also mention, clicking on the videos counts as "youtube getting the suggestion right", and *commenting* on the video counts as "youtube getting it *SUPER* right".
@@Calmputer I click those buttons least 200 - 400 times daily yes daily. Infact id wager I hit the "do not reccomend" and not intrested button. more than any other youtube user. Despite this this channel and many others keeps popping up. I have no kids and my wife has her own computer and account. And I know youtube thinks he commented he must like this. well I 99.99999% of the time I dont click these videos. Now it's been 2 years of this shit. I've told youtube on several occasions this is unacceptable but they have their corporate head up their corporate ass. I've unsubbed from. Every channel in protest I never click like or dislike this has been a problem for over 2 years. Truth be told I was hoping one of the channels I left this exact same comment on would report it so some actual human would actually have to deal with it. starting a new email from not google and I'm closing this one. I was kinda hoping to keep my mail but they are attached. And I have hundreds of accounts to realocate to. my new mail account and that's annoying. But I'm done with this platform. A platform that wants me to pay them to remove adds. I was happy to watch before they removed them from all the content I enjoyed. UA-cam has become a rotting husk probably result of an army of yes men (and women) who have their heads firmly planted up their bosses ass.
Apologies for underestimating what you're going through. I have no solution for you, except start a new youtube account... me reporting your comment will do nothing to get it in front of an actual human at google/youtube though. All it will do is make it so *fewer* people see any comments you leave (algorithm goes: "this person's comments are getting reported, lets limit how often they get showed". The ultimate problem is that youtube relies so much on automation... There really is no way to get a real person to look at any problem one might have, and in the event that one DOES look at it? they misunderstand or underestimate the problem entirely, then dismiss it as "already solved".
I have this game since 1999! Entire box! French i am! I'll install this mod and love this game forever!!!❤️
Big thanks for your generosity to guide us how to play this game again with new upgrades, of course. 🤩👏🏻👍🏻
Of course!
It is a tiny bit out of date now... So at some point I might have to make an updated tutorial.
It really is amazing how scuffed the rebel starfighters were in vanilla XWA. I remember thinking the X-wing model looked weird even back then, although the overall graphics for their time were outstanding,
Thanks so much for a great and much needed tutorial. Why in 2021 this tutorial is even necessary is beyond me, but here we are... with another extremely overly-complicated install and upgrade.
This is awesome. I wish the VR had touch controller support.
Thanks Calmputer - with this guide I have successfully set this up with trackir + a hotas controller!
Happy to help! : )
Thanks my friend! This kind of thing until never seems to work out for me.
Ive been trying to patch this game for over a decade, and this feels like much more of a life changing accomplishment then it probably should be.
I Love the Midi Soundtracks from X-Wing Dos
Thank you for sharing :)
Have a great day!
I successfully got this installed last year but was overwhelmed by the old m&k controls and had a lot of trouble mapping my stick and throttle. My stick and throttle were stolen and I’m totally willing to play m&k but does anyone have a good keybinding scheme I can take inspiration from?
I have the steam version but it asking for me to insert the game disc when i run the executable, any ideas?
So this looks great but... how do we get this to work in 32:9 now?
I have the current version of the beta effects 2022-07-14. It does not show the same thing on my screen when I open it. So I can’t get the game running. Could you please give me help with this
I have a similar problem. I managed to install the main updates (Mega Patch, and Update Patch), but the Blue Max Legacy Effects is different now, it's got different files. I didn't install that one as it's completely different files; trying to run the game with just the Mega and Update patches, it tries to run but blocks with a "Please insert XWA CD" prompt. I'm using a Steam version and succesfully bypass the Steam launch issue by launching directly from the folder, but the CD prompt prevents the game from being played.
Thanks Calmputer!! I have a question: at about 5:04 you mention "HD cutscenes come with an installer as well..." Is that the "TgSmush"? And do you have a video that walks through their install?
While TgSmush does indeed allow for the playing of HD cutscenes... it on its own does not give you the actual HD Cutscenes. for that you need to follow the link in the description:
X-Wing Outpost (HD Cutscenes):
www.xwingoutpost.com/
(Go to upgrades and scroll down to the "videos" section).
it comes with its own installer and it works exactly like the installer for XWAU itself.
@@Calmputer How did I not see that? Thanks for the reply and the wonderful install video!
@@SceneoftheCrymes it's all good ;)
and thank you too for the kind words! :)
Your voice reminds me of someone else I'm subscribed to Skallagrim. Very informative video though, watching another of yours after this to get TIE Fighter Total Conversion working next. That was my Favorite game. Thank you!
Thank you, that's very high praise indeed (we're both from northern Europe, I believe... so have very similar accents).
As for the TFTC video, I would suggest you go watch Angel's 1.2 Tutorial video instead, it is much more thorough and up-to-date: ua-cam.com/video/9xkTvWJ6CW0/v-deo.html
@@Calmputer Thank you again! I'll check it out.
This was a great help and you got a sub from me today!!! going over your videos to catch up great job
I'm glad I could help, and welcome aboard! ; )
so is there a way to play x-wing in x-wing alliance without that dcup? because i can't find it anywhere?
On Win 10, how do you install the game if the actual installer keeps giving an error sayin "This program don't run in your PC"?I'm trying to emulate the actual .iso but the Setup don't open
hmmm... when you say 'the actual installer' do you mean the one on the game's CD?
If it's the former, then I think it *should* be possible to fix it by:
right-clicking the .EXE
clicking 'properties'
clicking the 'Compatibility'-tab.
'run this program in compatibility mode for': Windows XP.
This is happening, I think, because most versions of Windows 10 don't support 32-bit programs any more.
but the compatibility mode *should* fix it.
If it doesn't... then I think your best bet might just be to buy X-Wing Alliance on GOG, it's fairly frequently on sale.
If it is the XWAU installer, I would suggest you go to the X-wing Alliance Upgrade forum and ask for help, cause that would be way above my pay-grade to solve.
Is there an option to make zoom on CMD console of ship?
Or to make bigger in order to see speed and ships description text better?
Can you do an updated version for 2024 please
This video is pretty out of date, so I am thinking about it. Just don't have the time right now...
Is there anyway to remove the ship you are flying. I dont want to see my own ship in the view. I always flew with the top two left and right panels, the centre panel on the bottom and no ship in the way just the crosshairs
Certainly.
Pressing "." (period) will hide your cockpit.
Pressing "D" will give you back the old classic UI.
Then you can show/hide each element with the insert, delete, home, end, pgUp and pgDn.
Hey, I have a problem where the screen just show the galaxy when choosing fighters in the hangar. Any idea how to fix it?
Did a clean install of XWA and when installing the mega patch, it crashes with error "Process cannot access the file ...Alliance.exe...because it is being used by another process.
Depends on which version you have installed. If it is the Steam-version, then completely exit out of steam before installing, as in tight-click the steam icon in the system tray and choose exit/close.
Alternatively the ALLIANCE.EXE file has been write-protected. Open the game’s install folder, right-click ALLIANCE.EXE, choose properties, and un-tick “write protected” near the bottom of the resulting windows. Hit apply/okay.
Then try again.
Thanks for the tutorial and useful tips
No worries! Hope it was helpful!
the problem you encountered with steam not loading the game that happens in base game too.
Question, how much better does this make the graphics in xwing and xwing vs tie fighter does it update the models like in xwing alliance ?
X-Wing, TIE Fighter and XvT uses a different engines. The upgrades in this video will not work on those games.
However, it is possible to import the *missions* from those games into X-Wing Alliance Upgrade (look for a link to Waylon's website in the description).
As for 'how much better' it'd look compared to the 320x200 resolution DOS graphics?
You'd need a poet.
Just wanted to ask since I just downloaded and got the upgrade working. What joystick controller do you recommend for this game?
The one I use is a Logitech X52 Pro... but I can't really recommend it. the little mouse-nub is glitchy and will move your mouse-cursor randomly... the throttle doesn't have enough buttons and... it's just not good. don't buy it.
As for what I *would* suggest?
If money isn't a concern, then go for basically anything by Virpil.
If you're on a budget, then the *Thrustmaster t.16000M FCS Hotas* is probably the absolute best bang-for-your-bucks you could possibly get... and despite being plastic, it'll last basically forever.
@@Calmputer thanks for the suggestions
Can we get a guide 4 configuring joysticks? Mine worked fine b4 the mod now my throttle is not working at all
Sorry, I beleive the one im using is the Microsoft sidewinder
I played this back in 2019 and it caused crashes on certain missions. Is this still a thing?
I crashed into other ships in the game plenty of times... but I don't think that's what you meant...
I've seen some people report that this or that mission crashes for them on the XWAU website's forum... but I think maybe I had one crash-to-desktop in my entire playthrough of the game, and that was in between two missions.
Is this channel owner Dan from LinusTechTips (refer to WAN show or 3d printer views)? I swear, your voice and manner of speaking seem identical to me. 🙂
Thank you for the comparison, but no... We're both in the Cold North, but they're in Canada and I'm in Sweden.
GREAT JOB!!!!
can not get the sound to work with the cd rom version
It should work if you copy over the "Wave" (and "Music" if there is one) folder on both of the CD-ROMs to the game's install folder.
the original CD version didn't install any of the sounds or music into the install folder, and the updated EXE that comes with XWAU assumes that those are installed.
I need some help clearing some things up. What is the difference between XWA and the Special Edition and does SE work in XWAU? Also do the other games have support as well like TIE Fighter? Going to purchase and follow this as soon as I know what is what.
Special Edition refers to the remasters of X-Wing and TIE Fighter that came out in 1998.
X-Wing Alliance is the fourth game in the series and came out in 1999.
XWAU is the project to update the graphics of X-Wing Alliance.
I am not sure what you mean with "support as well like TIE Fighter"?
@@Calmputer So only the standard XWA and not SE works? And is the Tie Fighter game have any VR thing going for it? I'm sorry I'm new to this series, had VR and bought a x56 HOTAS for Elite Dangerous and my friend told me about XWAU. He never tried Upgrade though but I convinced him to get a HOTAS.
No worries!
I'm also sorry, due to how the developers named these games... there can be quite a lot of confusion, so I added a list of the games, and their release dates at the end of this post.
There is only one version of XWA (X-Wing Alliance).
SE only refers to TIE Fighter and X-Wing (and for clarity: X-Wing is not the same as X-Wing Alliance).
You can get VR support for XWA/X-Wing Alliance if you install the XWAU mod from this video.
TIE Fighter SE and X-Wing SE cannot support VR support.. they're simply too old (though there IS technically a way to import the missions from those two games into XWA/X-Wing Alliance, and play them in VR that way... I've never managed to do it, so you'd have to find help on that from some one else...).
Release dates and names of the various games:
X-Wing (1993)
TIE Fighter (1994)
X-Wing Vs TIE Fighter (1997)
X-Wing Special Edition(SE) (1998) (remaster of the original)
TIE Fighter Special Edition(SE) (1998) (remaster of the original)
X-Wing Alliance(XWA) (1999)
@@Calmputer Thank you for your reply. And I just noticed it was just X-WIng SE. I don't know how my brain put X-Wing Alliance Special Edition together. Thanks again, I'll be getting XWA and following t he video.
Great video thanks for the initial help/guidance. However my Babu Frik looks nothing like yours (I dont have the Spyder/Darksaber verisons to name just one difference). Not sure where Ive gone wrong and if anyone has any ideas? I'm also not sure how to tell if the graphical mod is working - the cockpit in the first mission looks the same to my untrained eye, but I booted up the cheat profile and it looked totally different so I assume its worked in that sense?
Since this video was made the Babu Frik Configurator has been updated... and my current configurator also is missing the Darksaber and Spyder X-wings (and instead I get generic, azzameen, new republic and red squadron).
The first few missions are flown in the YT-1300 (millenium falcon) ship, which has not gotten a new cockpit upgrade. Only the fighters (X, Y, A, B, and Z95) have been upgraded so far.
If you're wondering whether your graphics have been properly upgraded or not, you can go to 20:07 to see what they look like *un-upgraded* ; )
@@Calmputer wow thank you so much for your fast and detailed response! You've settled my nerves in the sense that everything is as it should be and that yes, its all working - when you see the old graphics compared to the new its very obvious. Now to try and figure out how to get a side throttle working with the joystick!
Many thanks my man!
For some reason after installed the update and patch my STEAM version of X-wing Alliance didn't boot up, so I switched to my GOG version and booted up fine but it has choppy frame rate and it's difficult to control.
if using the steam version, you cannot launch the game *from* steam after installing the mod. You have to launch from the ALLIANCE.EXE directly.
As for the choppiness, I'm not sure... I would suggest checking in on the X-Wing Alliance Upgrade Project's forum. (just remember to mention your computer specs, if you ask for help).
@@Calmputer Not to worry! I believe this is the second time I watched your video, in this occasion I paid more attention. At the end it was my fault, I didn't notice what you did on the STEAM version, booting up the game from the shortcut instead of using the STEAM app, and for the frame issue I just changed some of the settings, I had to turn off all the fancy lighting and F/X and now it works fine.
I'm gonna leave the GOG version with the update and the STEAM will be the original released, now I gonna looking for that update for X-Wing and TIE Fighter.
Thank you for your video and for answering my comment. Have a happy!
But but, I thought the original XWA was the best ever!!!!
It was. in 1999... and with these modifications, it still is in 2023.
I managed to install the main updates (Mega Patch, and Update Patch), but the Blue Max Legacy Effects is different now, it's got different files. I didn't install that one as it's completely different files; trying to run the game with just the Mega and Update patches, it tries to run but blocks with a "Please insert XWA CD" prompt. I'm using a Steam version and succesfully bypass the Steam launch issue by launching directly from the folder, but the CD prompt prevents the game from being played.
You only need the Mega Patch and Update patch.
Blue Max's effects are already contained in those. the extra link is just for when there's been a new discovery...
As for the CD... I've never seen that error on a digital version of the game.
are you starting the game with ALLIANCE.EXE (correct), or XWINGALLIANCE.EXE (incorrect)?
@@Calmputer Thank you for the quick response!
I've been starting the game with Alliance.exe and had that failed to detect CD problem, never even tried XWingAlliance.exe, but that does the same thing.
Do you think that maybe uninstalling and reinstalling everything might fix this?
@@Calmputer I finally managed to make it work by fully deleting both the mods and the X-Wing Alliance steam folder and files, and re-installing everything! Thanks for your quick response.
I'm glad you figured it out!
I've never seen that error before... but it was probably caused by some files being corrupted...
The game crashes at the end of the first mission, when I try to go to debriefing.
Alright, I'll try to recreate it.
which version of the game are you playing (steam or GOG).
Did you install the beta effects by BlueMax?
and what are your settings in Babu Frik's Configurator?
@@Calmputer Gog, no beta effcts, Frik settings all default except 16:9 ratio.
I'm sorry.. I can't reproduce the crash at all.
Suggestion: uninstall the game, delete the folder, restart your computer and reinstall the game + mods.
failing that, go to xwaupgrade.com and ask/search for help on their forum. It has plenty of active users that could help you.
I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.
May I know how to change the music in xwa ?
go to the XWAUpgrade website, then in downloads get the "XwaToolsDownloader"
it contains the "Xwa Imc Editor" which will let you change the music.
the music is stored in \music\ as .IMC files... you load them in the imc editor and then you can replace the music with any .WAV you want.
here's more in-depth instructions: www.xwaupgrade.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=11350
@@Calmputersuper thanks. Will try that later.
After I download everything I cannot find Alliance exe. I have tried five times and can’t get this working properly. Can you help me?
Are you sure the mod installed properly? If the installer quits out suddenly without any error messages or an "it's done"-type message... then it means you don't have enough room on the harddrive you're trying to install to.
but... The unmodded game itself should have an ALLIANCE.EXE already, as well... is that also gone?
thanks
Does the upgrade require a beefy GPU? I have a modest 1650, i5-9300, and 8 gigs of RAM.
Also, thank you so much for this tutorial!
It shouldn't be a problem, it's a 22 year old game. I've ran it on a laptop that have roughly the same hardware as you without any problems. There are some graphics settings you can change to make it run better if need be as well, in the Configurator ("Customize Special Effects", then uninstall bloom effects, disable shading model, disable MSAA and FXAA, cockpit shadows, dynamic laser lights, etc.) You shouldn't have to, but it's there if needed.
... and you're very welcome ; )
@@Calmputer Great, thank you for the informative reply. I'm playing Squadrons for the first time on PS5 and it has awoken my nostalgia for space flight combat. X-Wing Alliance and Wing Commander were a huge part of my childhood. Such a shame that there aren't more story driven space combat games like this. I'm only around 7 missions into Squadrons but I'm loving it. The gameplay and simcade mechanics are very solid. I really hope we get a sequel with a bigger budget and a bigger focus on story/single player.
Ditto on Wing Commander and X-Wing Alliance being my childhood ; )
I still remember watching the Wing Commander III intro and being floored at seeing *real actors in the game*.
As for other story driven space combat games, there are a few... Tachyon: The Fringe for instance, or more famously Freespace 2 (both available on GOG)! There's also Freelancer, which is less easy to get hold of, but definitely worth the effort.
Two more recent games that I would also suggest checking out are Rebel Galaxy, and Rebel Galaxy Outlaw.
@@Calmputer Thanks, I've heard of most of those and have thought about playing some. I get picky though, like with Rebel Galaxy Outlaw I didn't like how the outer space looked so blue. And I heard Freespace 2 is great but I would need to install some cockpit mods. The feeling of being in a cockpit is a big part of the appeal for me, I thought Squadrons did this really well. Speaking of which, have you seen the trailer for the fan remaster of Wing Commander IV? They made modeled cockpits that look pretty great.
when i do it it says disk full?
the mod does take a LOT of drive space. ~20 GB or so.
Can we play this with mouse and keyboard
Yes you can.
I don't have joystick so i mean to say is there any way to play with mouse
Sorry for the wait...
If you open the "Babu Frik Configurator" tool, You will find "Joystick Emulation" in the *Main Configurator* section.
In there, set it to "On", and then choose if you want Light, Medium or High Mouse sensitivity.. or maybe even Keyboard only.
@@Calmputer ok thankyou eve very very much i have a dream to play this game
@@Calmputer tell me where i can get this babu farik configurator ???
Is this mod able to run on even potato laptops? This looks great!
Mostly Yes.
It will require a stronger computer than the vanilla version... and If the laptop has an integrated GPU, then you're probably going to run into a "Direct3D not enough memory" error.
In that instance, you need to go into the Babu Frik Configurator and disable special effects (mainly Bloom, Shading, MSAA and FXAA).
You should still be able to use widescreen, the dynamic cockpit and cockpit shadows.
If it has a dedicated GPU you'll be good to go, no problem (I have a GTX 1660 in my laptop and it runs like melted butter).
@@Calmputer It worked! It doesn’t look as good as your video of course but looks so much better than it did. Besides I’m on a 620 graphics card lol
it might be possible to get it to look a little better.
By default XWAU will try using the integrated GPU, but if you go into NVIDIA's control panel, you can force XWINGALLIANCE.EXE and ALLIANCE.EXE to use the 620 instead.
Then go to XWAU's download section and install ddraw-2.0, as it can offload a lot of calculations from the CPU unto the GPU.
forums.xwaupgrade.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=13810
I have no clue on how to configure the damn joystick. A glowing example of why programmers should not be allowed to design UI. My pilot does backflips on the cockpit as he's shot down and I can't make it stop. Anyone got a tutorial on how to use their configuration program? Better yet, is there a way to bring back the default configuration program?
On a side note, while switching to mouse emulation stops the cartwheels, my pilot is now drunk, and also can't shoot anymore....
backflips are a new one... but it sounds like a problem with the windows calibrating.
wait, hold on... I've seen something similar. does your joystick have a throttle? the joystick configurator probably confused the throttle axis with the Y-axis on the joystick. use the configurator to switch them (Pitch and throttle) and things should work.
(or test it by moving the throttle up-down it should stop or even reverse the backflips, if I'm right).
@@Calmputer I'll need to reinstall to test it out. My thought was to possibly put together the controls/calibration in vanilla before modding. I'm unsure if it's the joystick though, is there a new mapping for controlling where the player's head is facing in the cockpit now? I thought that was done via keyboard or vr if equipped?
oh! I'm sorry, I thought you meant that the *ship* was doing backflips (whenever someone has said 'pilot does X' in the past, it turns out that they actually meant 'ship does X').
Right... it's possible to control the pilot's head with either the Mouse (after pressing ScrollLock), or with a joystick-hat... or the numpad 2, 4, 8, 6 (your backflips could be achieved by something pressing down 8).
Another possibility is if you have another controller plugged in and one of it's buttons (d-pad Up for instance) is being pressed in.
in XWAU's joystick configurator, first try enabling "Use the POV as regular buttons" at the very bottom.
@@Calmputer Thanks man, I'll give that a try!
Are ultra wide monitors supported?
Yes, it is supported.. but you need to lower the FOV to prevent some pop-in issues:
forums.xwaupgrade.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=13407
Can u make a video how to to play in vr.
I would love to... but I don't have a VR headset. So that's probably impossible.
Do the new models affect hit boxes in any way?
I think so.
Most fighters are smaller than in the original, yet I don't find myself "hitting" them when shooting vacuum.
Same thing with transports like the Millennium Falcon, which is bigger than in the original; If I shoot near the edges of their models, the shot doesn't go straight through the model.
@@Calmputer That’s great to hear, thanks for the reply and excellent video! I’ll definitely give this mod another try since they simplified the installation process.
Is there any way to increase the FPS?
You mean beyond 60fps?
Or do you mean the game is chugging for you?
@@Calmputer No it runs at the original FPS which is low (I think 24). I'm hoping to get it to 60 FPS with the XWUA 2020 pack.
Aaah, I misunderstood.
Yes, the XWAU mod will give you 60fps by default.
Does this work on Steam Deck? :)
Some people have gotten it to work on the Steam Deck.
I've only seen one person posting about it on the XWAU forums, and they said they needed to install dotnet48 with winetricks and disabling DXVK, to get it to work.
@@Calmputer intriguing. I may dig out my old CDs and give it a try. And raise to head-tracking. I've a good track record (haha) on that :D
This was my secong pc game that I got!!! Wow 1999. I have tried XWAU several times in the past, I got the game again on digital in Steam, wanna pass the game before trying this XWAU version!! Last time several years ago the Accuser gave me too much trouble in a mission lol!!! It looks now like Scuadrons, that game is a meh for me...
Why does this run terribly in VR? its not a very resource intensive game.
Thank you ! You will find the "Darksaber's X-Wing Station"-pack at web . archive . org ;)
web.archive.org/web/20200511162639/darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/archive/DSUCPv2.6.exe
Explanating the right installation: www.xwaupgrade.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=163441#p163441
Hey youtube algorythm I don't give a fuck about starwars, mass effect videogames, speed runs. And many others. Yet reccomended is entirely these things. And these creators do not deserve the intensity of my wrath.
when youtube suggests something to you, you can click the three dots to the right of the title and choose "Not interested" or "Don't suggest channel".
it's annoying that you have to do it for every video... but eventually youtube will learn.
I should also mention, clicking on the videos counts as "youtube getting the suggestion right", and *commenting* on the video counts as "youtube getting it *SUPER* right".
@@Calmputer I click those buttons least 200 - 400 times daily yes daily. Infact id wager I hit the "do not reccomend" and not intrested button. more than any other youtube user. Despite this this channel and many others keeps popping up. I have no kids and my wife has her own computer and account. And I know youtube thinks he commented he must like this. well I 99.99999% of the time I dont click these videos. Now it's been 2 years of this shit. I've told youtube on several occasions this is unacceptable but they have their corporate head up their corporate ass. I've unsubbed from. Every channel in protest I never click like or dislike this has been a problem for over 2 years. Truth be told I was hoping one of the channels I left this exact same comment on would report it so some actual human would actually have to deal with it. starting a new email from not google and I'm closing this one. I was kinda hoping to keep my mail but they are attached. And I have hundreds of accounts to realocate to. my new mail account and that's annoying. But I'm done with this platform. A platform that wants me to pay them to remove adds. I was happy to watch before they removed them from all the content I enjoyed. UA-cam has become a rotting husk probably result of an army of yes men (and women) who have their heads firmly planted up their bosses ass.
Apologies for underestimating what you're going through.
I have no solution for you, except start a new youtube account... me reporting your comment will do nothing to get it in front of an actual human at google/youtube though. All it will do is make it so *fewer* people see any comments you leave (algorithm goes: "this person's comments are getting reported, lets limit how often they get showed".
The ultimate problem is that youtube relies so much on automation... There really is no way to get a real person to look at any problem one might have, and in the event that one DOES look at it? they misunderstand or underestimate the problem entirely, then dismiss it as "already solved".
You sound a lot like Skallagrim