TIE Golf

TIE Golf is a style of competition whereby pilots are challenged to complete single player missions with the lowest score possible. While there has some dispute with regards to its origins, the first recorded TIE Golf event was hosted by Tempest Squadron under the command of Locke Setzer based on a conversation with his Flight Leader, Sephiroth. Early iterations of the competition were mostly kept to the Challenge, but have since spread to the entirety of the TIE Corps.

Standard Rules

The standard rules conditions for TIE Golf competitions are as follows:

• Lowest possible score is 0
• Score is calculated using the following formula:
  • TIE Golf Score = Mission Score + Lasers Fired x 2 + Warheads Fired x 100 - Laser Hits x 3 - Warhead Hits x 100
• Only the primary goals in each mission must be completed.
• In-game cheats are not allowed. All missions must be flown with collisions on, limited warheads, and vulnerable craft.
• Intentionally destroying friendly craft is not allowed.
• Your pilot file must not show a lost player craft.
• Calling for reinforcements is allowed (but selecting missions with reinforcements is discouraged)
• Flying missions on Easy difficulty is allowed and encouraged.

The formula utilized by this particular ruleset removes the bonus for laser/warhead hits, but converts each and every laser and warhead shot from being a deduction to an addition to the score. As a result, every short fired takes the pilot further away from having a perfect 0 score.

Rules History

The general rule behind TIE Golf has been the same since the beginning: complete the mission with the the lowest score possible. Earliest iterations of the competition dictated that scoring would be "laserful" instead of laserless - meaning points for firing lasers would count. Nearly all occurrences of TIE Golf prior to the standardized score calculation have kept to that standard.

The inaugural TIE Golf competition run by Tempest Squadron resulted in a winning score of "0" and highlighted the need to address the issue of pilots firing off as many lasers as possible to run down their score. The second TIE Golf competition, run one month later between Tempest, Typhoon Squadron, Thunder Squadron, and Inferno Squadron, stipulated a minimum score of "1" to help reduce this risk. Future TIE Golf competitions occasionally gave a warning regarding the laser burn tactic, with threats of disqualifying pilot files that appeared to abuse it, but did not include formalized standards for doing so.

A handful of TIE Golf competitions have instituted a par score, requiring the pilot to get as close as possible to that score and assigning negative points for the difference (regardless of whether or not the pilot's score is higher or lower than the par), but this is has not been a common rule and is arguably a different style of competition than traditional TIE Golf altogether.

While most iterations banned use of cheats (invulnerability / unlimited ammo), this has not always been consistently enforced. Some iterations have even required cheats.

At present, most modern implementations of TIE Golf have used the standard rules listed in the above section. The scoring calculation specifically, and the above ruleset in general, is currently considered the standard for all current and future TIE Golf competitions in the fleet.

While TIE Golf is typically played using a TIE Fighter mission, this is not a requirement, and some TIE Golf competitions have used missions across other platforms.

Origins

The following IRC log (occurring in #isd_challenge channel) serves as a historical record of the moment that TIE Golf was conceived as a competition. Involved parties included Mell Kerrigan (`M), Badlan, Domi, Sephiroth, Locke Setzer (`Locke), Andronicus (VA_Andron), and Piett.

Session Start: Mon Dec 10 17:56:11 2001
...
<`M> �4�10 MINUTES OF ECR LEFT
<`Badlan> So? :P
* Domi already submitted his score. I get the prize for lowest score. :P
<Sephroth]]> Hey, theres an idea for a comp...TIE-Golf.  Lowest score wins. :P
<`Locke> lol! ;P
* Domi would win most of the time, which would be a refreshing change. :P
<`Locke> that's... such a incredibly cool idea
<`M> lol
* VA_Andron would 0wnz j00 at TIE Golf :P
<`M> i'll get a - score :P
<Sephroth> Callista woiuld allways lose. :P
<`Badlan> Something I could win! :P
<`M> fly out and crash into my ship :P
<VA_Andron> ah, that wouldn't count
<VA_Andron> you'd have to finish with the lowest score :P
<`Locke> lol aye andy's got the idea
<VA_Andron> that'd be the equivalent of Eagle-ing the first hole and buggering off :P
<`Locke> I'm so going to do that one time ;P
<`Locke> that would be the coolest comp ;P
<`M> i could win a lowest score comp
*** Wys|Ind has quit IRC (bye�)
<Domi> Make it so you still have to complete all of the primary goals but you have to do it with the lowest score.  In other words, just get the job done and get out.
<`Locke> exactly
<`Locke> you have to complete the mission, but that's all
<`M> ���4 THIS IS A 2 MINUE WARNING....
<`Locke> so the question is... how cheap can you be?
<VA_Andron> after you finish your mission, fire your laser energy into space to lower your hit % :P
<Piett> blow up your wingmen.
<Piett> or call for reinforcements and then blow them up, too.
<VA_Andron> lol
<Domi> No no.  With this system you get rid of laserless scoring.
<`Locke> aye
<`Locke> so you want to get as little shots as possible
<`M> ���4DEADLINE IS UPON US!
* VA_Andron hears the Hallelujah Chorus
* Domi thinks it would be fun to at least attempt something like that
* Domi will mention it to Bol when he is not away
<Sephroth> COM: Launch Fighters!
<Sephroth> WC: FORE!
* VA_Andron gasps as the cast of the entire Street Fighter series is launched into space
<`Locke> heheheh
<VA_Andron> WC: Fighters away sir!
<`Locke> I'm actually going to start this comp in Tempest in like a hour or so ;P
<VA_Andron> COM: NO!  NOT CHUN LI!
<VA_Andron> nice one Locke :D
<Domi> Yeah, let us know how it goes.  
<`Locke> aye, will do
<VA_Andron> if it does well I want a cut of the royalties.  Why?  Because! :P
<Sephroth> TIE-Golf (c) Sephiroth 2001. :P
...

Competition History

Name	Participants	Start Date	End Date	Mission	Organizer	Winner	Lowest Scorer	Notes
TIE Golf	Tempest Squadron	12/2001	01/2001	TIE-FREE #184	Locke Setzer	Rover	Rover	First TIE Golf tournament. No cheats, lowest score wins
Thunder vs. Tempest vs. Typhoon vs. Inferno TIE Golf	Tempest Squadron, Thunder Squadron, Typhoon Squadron, Inferno Squadron	01/2002	02/2002	TIE-FREE #176	Locke Setzer	Tempest Squadron	Shadow	No cheats, lowest score higher than 0 wins, non-participants assigned mission high score
Omicron vs. Eta TIE Golf	Omicron Squadron, Eta Squadron	02/2001	03/2001	TIE-FREE #22	Daniel Klivian	Omicron Squadron	Ardeth Mordor	Lowest score wins, cheats allowed, squadron with best pilot wins
ISD Colossus TIE Golf	ISD Colossus	9/15/2002	9/22/2002	TIE-FREE #201, TIE-FREE #202, TIE-FREE #204, TIE-FREE #205	Indaro Gallia	?	?	Lowest laserless score wins, cheats allowed, four rounds
Wing XI Golf Comp	Wing XI	12/18/2002	12/27/2002	?	Autoris Maximus	?	?	Lowest score wins
The Back Nine (TIE-Golf)	Wing X	2/17/2003	4/21/2003	TIE-FREE #195, TIE-FREE #121, TIE-FREE #94, TIE-FREE #217, TIE-FREE #130, TIE-FREE #193, TIE-FREE #56, TIE-FREE #48, TIE-FREE #219	Sephiroth	Master	Master	Nine rounds, lowest score wins, no cheats, don't fire lasers endlessly
Immortal Golf Open	ISD Immortal	8/5/2003	8/19/2003	?	RogueWing	?	?	Cheats required, score closest to par score set by Arso Slyth wins, non-participants assigned 50 points to team score
Intrepid Golf, hole #1	ISD Intrepid	10/24/2004	10/31/2004	?	Gidda	?	?	Multiple rounds, score closest to par score set by Gidda wins
Challenge Birthday TIE Golf Tournament	ISD Challenge	2/2005	2/2005	TIE-FREE #180	Coranel Both	Alexi	Alexi	Lowest score wins, individual pilot wins, no laser burn
Wing X Birthday Competition - TIE Golf	ISD Challenge	2/7/2006	2/14/2006	TIE-FREE #149	Coranel Both	?	?	Lowest score wins, no destroying friendly craft. In celebration of the Challenge's 10th birthday
ISD Challenge Domination Bonanza - TIE Golf portion	ISD Challenge	8/2005	8/2005	?	Coranel Both	Dirty Vader (TIE), Daniel Bonini (XWA)	Dirty Vader (TIE), Daniel Bonini (XWA)	Lowest score wins, individual pilot wins, TIE and XWA
Prae Golf	Praetorian Squadron	8/1/2006	8/31/2006	?	Ric Hunter	?	?	Lowest combined score from four selected missions wins, no cheats allowed, missions completed "straight-forward and honestly"
TIE Golf 2006	TIE Corps	11/1/2006	11/30/2006	?	Master	Dave Darklighter	Dave Darklighter	First EH-wide TIE Golf tournament
TIE Golf 2006 - Grand Championship	Master, Dave Darklighter	1/1/2007	2/1/2007	?	Master	Master	Master	Grand Championship played over nine rounds
TIE Golf 2007	TIE Corps	10/1/2007	10/31/2007	?	Anahorn Dempsey	?	?	4 weeks of flying Free Missions, lowest score wins
TIE Golf 2008	TIE Corps	10/1/2008	10/31/2008	?	Anahorn Dempsey	?	?	4 weeks of flying Free Missions, lowest score wins
TIE Golf 2009	TIE Corps	11/15/2009	12/16/2009	?	Anahorn Dempsey	?	?	4 weeks of flying Free Missions, lowest score wins
Sin Goes Golfing	Sin Squadron	9/15/2014	10/12/2014	TIE-FREE #282 (1), ? (2), TIE-FREE #280 (3), TIE-FREE #287 (4)	Plif	Flelm (1), ? (2), WraithDog (3), WraithDog and Plif (tie)	Flelm (1), ? (2), WraithDog (3), WraithDog and Plif (4) (tie)	Standard rules, four rounds, winner each round
TIE Golf 2014: The ISD Warrior Invitational Tournament!	TIE Corps	10/11/2014	11/22/2014	?	Frodo March	Plif	Plif	Standard rules, Five rounds, penalty of 3x opponent score for missed hole, disqualification for two missed holes
TIE Golf 2014: Grand Championship	Plif, Frodo March	1/2015	2/2015	?,?, TIE-FREE #289	Frodo March	Plif	Plif	Standard rules. After two ties occurred, Anahorn Dempsey created a special free to serve as Tiebreaker
Warrior TIE Golf Warmup	Wing II	9/9/2017	9/20/2017	TIE-Free #195, ?, ?, TIE-FREE #7	Plif	Rando	Rando	Standard rules, 4 rounds
Sin Goes Golfing!	Sin Squadron	6/1/2020	12/31/2020	?	Zekk Terrik	Rando	Rando	Standard rules, 5 rounds
Sin Goes Golfing!	Sin Squadron	1/1/2021	12/31/2021	?	Robert Hogan	?	?	Standard rules, multiple rounds
Typhoon TIE Golf Invitational	Typhoon Squadron	10/11/2023	12/13/2023	TIE-FREE #209, TIE-FREE 1, TIE-FREE #206, XWA-FREE #157, XWA-FREE #139, XWA-FREE #121, XWA-FREE #142, TIE-FREE #232, TIE-FREE #222, TIE-FREE #141	Triji Boliv	Master	Master	Standard rules, ten rounds. Fourth round counted as mulligan.
2024 TIE Golf Invitational	TIE Corps	10/12/2024	12/14/2024	TIE-FREE #250, XvT-FREE #200, XWA-FREE #114, TIE-FREE #104, XvT-FREE #211, XWA-FREE #126, TIE-FREE #300, XvT-FREE #212, XWA-FREE #133	Jagged Fell III	LPhoenix	LPhoenix	Standard rules, nine rounds. Average of the lowest seven rounds for final score.