Wing Commander I & II: A primer
Updated: 37 minutes ago
An earlier article covered running the original Wing Commander with the Wing Commander AllTinker (WCAT) mod, the optimum way to run this classic under DOSBox. The mod provided full stick, throttle and rudder support and the speed issues which had plagued the game for years were resolved.
Now we have the first v1.0 release of not one but two WCAT mods, one for the original Wing Commander and it's sequel Wing Commander 2: Vengeance of the Kilrathi. This seems like an ideal time to take a look at running both games as optimally as possible, but first a look at the history of the first two games in the series.
Contents
Strategy
This guide will be taking a historical look at the first two Wing Commander games, official and fan made patches in a 'mostly chronological' order. Within the guide the following abbreviations are used:
WC1: Wing Commander.
SM1: Wing Commander: The Secret Missions.
SM2: Wing Commander: The Secret Missions 2: Crusade.
SM1.5: Secret Missions 1.5
WC2: Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
SAP: Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Speech Accessory Pack.
SO1: Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 1.
SO2: Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 2.
KS: Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga.
Version & patch history
The version and patch history looks at the two Wing Commander games, compilations and the Kilrathi Saga as separate entries. It briefly covers Super Wing Commander due to the connection with the Secret Missions 1.5 mod.
The Wing Hard patch is not included below, as it is a separate app which can modify game parameters making it more of a tool then a patch.
Wing Commander
There seems to be three different version systems used with the Wing Commander 1 series, although this is unconfirmed. They also seem to used interchangeably and inconsistently making accurate version identification difficult. This guide names them the 'product', 'installer' and 'game' version. Taking each in turn:
The 'product' version seems to be used for each separate product in the series, it is assumed that Wing Commander would use v1.0. Secret Missions 1 uses v1.1 as supported by this version number appearing on SM1 disk labels. It is speculated that the Wing Commander compilation edition including The Secret Missions, which never materialized, may have been product v1.2. This may explain why Secret Missions 2 uses v1.3.
The 'installer' build version number can be found in the disk.00X files found on each installation disk. They seem to indicate the media type and density the installation build is designed for, plus version and disk number, e.g.
Wing Commander Version B2.4: LO 5.25 Disk 1The very first builds used version B1.9 with everything else afterwards using version B2.4 across different media. This is only present in WC with SM1 and SM2 dropping this convention.
It is also possible that these version numbers relate to a 'game' build version used during the installer development but never released and superseded by later game builds.
The 'game' build version number is probably the most informative, used by the game executables (wc.exe, sm2.exe) and accessible in flight areas of the game. The game version number seems to be used consistently for WC, but SM2 breaks this convention sticking with SM2v1.3. This version number also seems to appear on some earlier disk labels.
Disk numbering across the series is consistent based on Double Density (DD) and High Density (HD) media as shown below:
Media | Wing Commander | Secret Missions 1 | Secret MIssions 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
5.25" DD 360K | Disk 1 - 11 | Disk 12 - 15 | Disk 16 - 19 |
3.5" DD 720K | Disk 1 - 6 | Disk 7 - 8 | Disk 9 - 10 |
5.25" HD 1.2M | Disk 1 - 3 | Disk 4 | Disk 5 |
3.5" HD 1.44M | Disk 1 - 3 | Disk 4 | Disk 5 |
WC versions are best described using the game build version. SM1 versions are always v1.1 although these missions use the WC executable to run, with its own build version. SM2 versions are always reported as SM2v1.3.
The following cannot be guaranteed to be correct but is a best attempt to unpick the Wing Commander versions chronologically.
Wing Commander (September 1990)
Wing Commander was initially released in September 1990, developed and published by Origin Systems.
This version used a B1.9 installer build version and a B2.3 game build version.
The documentation included a disk swap offer indicating the game was released on:
11 x 5.25" DD 360K floppy disks.
6 x 3.5" DD 720K floppy disks.
3 x 5.25" HD 1.2M floppy disks.
There may also have been another release on 3 x 3.5" HD floppy disks, or this release may have restricted to certain regions. The 3.5" 1.44M HD floppy disks may have reused the 5.25" 1.2M installation images (or vice versa), as installation files from some 1.2MB disk images have the installer identifier:
Wing Commander Version B1.9: HI 3.5 Disk XWing Commander (September 1990)
Another release may have occurred at the same time or in conjunction with the initial release. This release continued to use a B1.9 installer version but a later B2.6 game build version. The game continued to be distributed on 5.25" and 3.5" DD and HD floppy disks.
Wing Commander (November 1990)
November 1990 saw the next release, the installer build used a later B2.4 version which would continue to be used for all other releases going forward. The game build version increased to B2.8. The game continued to be distributed on 5.25" and 3.5" DD and HD media.
Wing Commander: The Secret Missions (November 1990)
The first expansion was released in November 1990. It was envisioned to be included in a future 'deluxe' or 'gold' compilation only, but fan interest led to its release as a separate product far sooner. Disk labels indicate the version as v1.1 although the expansion continues to use the game executable (wc.exe) with it's own build version number.
It was distributed on 4 x 5.25" DD 360K, 2 x 3.5" DD 720K, 1 x 5.25" HD 1.2M or 1 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Joystick patch (January 1991)
Origins first official PC patch for Wing Commander resolved joystick drift issues. It is a file replacement patch replacing the game executable (wc.exe). This patch changes the game build version to B3.1. This patch is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Patches, Joystick Patch.
Wing Commander: The Secret Missions 2: Crusade (February 1991)
The second expansion was released in February 1991. This release would install using the expansion disk(s) only.
The SM2 game version is reported as SM2v1.3 as it uses its own game executable (sm2.exe). There is no accompanying installer build version.
It was distributed on 4 x 5.25" DD 360K, 2 x 3.5" DD 720K, 1 x 5.25" HD 1.2M or 1 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Wing Commander: The Secret Missions 2: Crusade (March 1991)
Another release of SM2 occurred a month later. It seems to use the same game build version, SM2v1.3. There is no accompanying installer build version, however it seems to use a different installer, as an original WC disk will be requested during installation.
It is assumed to be distributed on the same media as the previous SM2 release.
Wing Commander (September 1991)
Another release of Wing Commander occured a year after the initial release. The installer build version continues to be B2.4. The WC game build version is changed to F3.1. It is speculated that F indicates a final build version (including the Joystick Patch) as there would be no later versions of WC.
This release seems to have used HD media only with 3 x 5.25" HD 1.2M or 3 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Wing Commander: Deluxe Edition (September 1991)
The Deluxe Edition would be a compilation of Wing Commander (3 disks), Wing Commander: The Secret Missions (1 disk) and Wing Commander: The Secret Missions 2: Crusade (1 disk).
The installer version continues to be B2.4, while the WC/SM1 game build is F3.1 and the SM2 game build is SM2v1.3.
This release seems to have used HD media only with 5 x 5.25" HD 1.2M or 5 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Wing Commander: Deluxe Edition (November 1991)
A CD-ROM release of the Deluxe Edition would occur a month later. Like the earlier floppy edition, the installer version continues to be B2.4, while the WC/SM1 game build is F3.1 and the SM2 game build is SM2v1.3.
Present on the CD-ROM is a list of product versions (version.lst), shown below:
Wing Commander 3-d Space Combat Simulation......Version F3.1
Wing Commander The Secret Missions..............Version 1.1
Wing Commander The Secret Missions 2: Crusade...Version 1.3This CD-ROM was sold at the start of multimedia PC era, with comparatively (for the time) large amounts of space on the CD-ROM while hard disk space remained limited. This led developers (including Origin) to run the game from the CD-ROM and only store system specific configuration settings on the hard disk.
This makes it difficult to install the game under DOSBox as the methods used to install and run the game depend on DOS commands which are not available. It's recommended to copy the CD-ROM WC game folder into the DOSBox hdd folder and either create identical config files (wingcmdr.cfg, crusade.cfg) manually or run the games with command line options.
Install patch (January 1992)
The second PC patch was a file replacement patch for the WC1 installer. It allowed the hardware sensing capabilities of the original installer to be disabled. This patch is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Patches, Install Patch.
Wing Commander Hit Squad budget re-release (October 1993)
Nearly a year after the previous release, the publisher Ocean released Wing Commander on their Hit Squad budget label. This release contains the base game only, without the expansions. The installer version is B2.4 and the game version is F3.1 making it equivalent to the Wing Commander (September 1991) release.
The only known distribution was 3 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Super Wing Commander (March 1994)
Super Wing Commander was a updated remake of Wing Commander and the Secret Mission expansions for the 3DO and Macintosh platforms.
It featured enhanced graphics, CGI movies, sound and music. It was a faithful reproduction of Wing Commander and the SM1 campaigns.
However, the SM2 campaign was changed significantly, combining additional story, and elements of SM2 into a new third campaign following on from the SM1 missions.
GameTap digital release (April 2007)
Wing Commander was added to the GameTap digital platform in April 2007 and removed from the platform in December 2007 due to licencing issues. The removal means the following is speculative.
It seems to have included the base game only, this is due to the expansion documentation being omitted. The copy protection was left enabled and copy protection questions did not seem to include any generated by the Secret Mission expansions. Wing Commander CIC forums threads, show The release date seems to indicate a release of the game equivalent or identical to the Wing Commander (September 1991) release.
Secret Missions 1.5 (June 2015)
Secret Missions 1.5 is a fan made mod, created by delMar, UnnamedCharacter and WingOver, converting the third campaign of Super Wing Commander into a compatible format for the PC version and renamed Covert Missions (although commonly referred to using the fan name, Secret Missions 1.5).
It is based on the SM2 expansion (SM2v1.3) and can be installed alongside existing Secret Mission campaigns as it is run using it's own executable (cm15.exe). This mod is not supported by the WCAT mod, but renaming SM1.5 files back to their original SM2 names will allow the mod to be used (see Wing Commander 1: Secret Missions 1.5). This mod is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Add-ons, Secret Missions 1.5 (DOS).
Wing Commander Reduced Asteroid Damage Patch (June 2016)
This is a fan made patch created by Sheppard. It is a file replacement patch replacing the game executables (wc.exe, sm2.exe) and reduces the collision radius for asteroids. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Patches, Wing Commander Reduced Asteroid Damage Patch.
WC1 Gamedat Text Tweaks (March 2021)
This is a fan made patch created by YPersonified. It is a file replacement patch replacing WC1 data files. It polishes the original games text and dialogue by fixing typos, grammer, formatting and lip-sync issues. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Patches, WC1 Gamedat Text Tweaks.
Fan Translations (March/April 2021)
Fan made translations were created for the French (by Greg14), German (by Marty2Life) and Spanish (by L@Zar0) languages. They are available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Patches, WC1 French Translation.
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Patches, WC1 German Translation.
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Patches, WC1 Spanish Translation.
WCAT Overhaul Mod (Wing Commander 1) (June 2025)
The WCAT Overhaul Mod is the creation of AllTinker. It combines speed limiting, bug fixes, content fixes, full stick, throttle, rudder support and additional options all bundled with a launcher that matches the look and feel of Wing Commander! The mod is also designed to be compatible with legacy period correct hardware and operating systems. The mod comes in three options:
A Windows installer package with DOSBox Staging bundled.
A zip archive with DOSBox Staging bundled.
A custom option (for existing DOSBox Staging installations).
The latest version (for WC1 at time of writing) is v1.0.1. More information is available at the download link below and the Wing Commander A.T. (WCAT) DOS Overhaul Mod [1.0.1 Released] thread at the Wing Commander CIC forums.
This mod is incompatible with other fan made mods/patches. It provides a highly modified executable and It is available from:
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
This section includes Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi, and the expansions, the Speech Accessory Pack, Special Operations 1 and Special Operations 2. Version numbering is used far more consistently, with versions listed in the disk label and as part of the game executable (wc2.exe, so1.exe, so2.exe) and viewable during flight. The physical disk numbering starts from disk 1 for each expansion (unlike WC1).
The latest versions of the WC2 and SO1 executables were updated by patches, but were never used for the CD-ROM editions of the game.
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi (August 1991)
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi was initially released in August 1991, developed and published by Origin Systems.
The in-game version is reported as: Wing Commander Ver. 4.0 Aug 19 1991 and this seems to be confirmed by the logical disk label, WC2 VF400. It is speculated that F refers to a final build at v4.0.
The games was distributed on the following media, with the game no longer considered suitable for distribution on Double Density (DD) 5.25" disks:
14 x 3.5" DD 720K floppy disks.
8 x 5.25" HD 1.2M floppy disks.
7 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Speech Accessory Pack (August 1991)
The same month saw the release of the Speech Accessory Pack (SAP) adding speech to the game while in-flight. There was only a single version listed on the logical disk label as SAP F200, which may indicate a v2.0 final build. As it does not use it's own executable this is only version available for the SAP.
The SAP was released on High Density (HD) media, but no releases on DD media have been found. The SAP was distributed on the following media:
3 x 5.25" HD 1.2M floppy disks.
3 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 1 (November 1991)
The first expansion, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 1 was released in November 1991, developed and published by Origin Systems.
SO1 uses its own game executable (so1.exe) and reports the version as: Special Ops 1 Ver 1.3F Nov 15 1991, with a logical disk label of: SO1VF13, which seems consistent.
The expansion was distributed on the following media:
4 x 3.5" DD 720K floppy disks.
2 x 5.25" HD 1.2M floppy disks.
2 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Special Operations 1 Patch (December 1991)
The first official patch was for the Special Operations 1 expansion. It was a file replacement patch replacing the game executable (so1.exe). This patch corrected autopilot issues and changed the game executable version to: Special Ops 1 Ver X1.2F Dec 10 1991. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi Patches, Special Operations 1 Patch.
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 1 (December 1991)
Another release of Special Operation 1 occurred in December 1991, with this release being pre-patched with the Special Operations 1 Patch, making the version: Special Ops 1 Ver X1.2F Dec 10 1991. The logical disk label lists it as WC2VF14, which is why this version is sometimes reported as v1.4.
Wing Commander 2 Patch (December 1991)
The base game also received it's first and only patch in December 1991. This is a file replacement patch, replacing the game executable (wc2.exe). There were no release notes included with the patch so its purpose remains unknown. This patch changed the version to: Wing Commander Ver. X5.1 Dec 11 1991. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi Patches, Wing Commander 2 Patch.
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 2 (June 1992)
The final expansion Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 2 was released in June 1992. , developed and published by Origin Systems.
SO2 uses its own game executable (so2.exe) and reports the version as Special Ops 2 Ver 7.3F jun 09 1992, which is consistent with the logical disk label: SO2 V73F. It was distributed on the following media:
4 x 3.5" DD 720K floppy disks.
2 x 5.25" HD 1.2M floppy disks.
2 x 3.5" HD 1.44M floppy disks.
Wing Commander II: Deluxe Edition (August 1992)
The first deluxe edition of Wing Commander II was published in August 1992. This deluxe edition included the base game, speech pack (integrated into the base game) and both expansions in the following versions:
WC2: Wing Commander Ver. 4.0 Aug 19 1991
SO1: Special Ops 1 Ver 1.3F Nov 15 1991
SO2: Special Ops 2 Ver 7.3F Jun 09 1992
Neither the WC2 or SO1 games are patched, with only the initial release version of each product included. This pattern would be repeated for later deluxe editions. This CD-ROM was sold at the start of multimedia PC era, with comparatively (for the time) large amounts of space on the CD-ROM while hard disk space remained limited, resulting in the game running from the CD-ROM, another pattern repeated in later deluxe editions.
The easiest way to install versions of the game that run from the CD-ROM, is to copy the installation folder (wing2) from the CD-ROM to the hard disk and run the installer (winstall.exe) to create the required config file.
EA Top Ten Pak (August 1994)
The EA Top Ten Pak was a compilation featuring Wing Commander II: Deluxe Edition.
Unlike other deluxe editions this compilation included each of the Wing Commander II products separately. It was also one of the few deluxe editions that explicitly allowed the game to be installed to a hard disk, with the following installation options available:
WC2 base game only.
WC2 + Speech Accessory Pack.
WC2 + SO1 + SO2.
WC2 + Speech Accessory Pack + SO1 + SO2.
However, like other deluxe editions each product is unpatched as it uses the following versions:
WC2: Wing Commander Ver. 4.0 Aug 19 1991
SO1: Special Ops 1 Ver 1.3F Nov 15 1991
SO2: Special Ops 2 Ver 7.3F Jun 09 1992
Wing Commander II: Deluxe Edition (CD-ROM Classics re-release) (February 1995)
A re-release of the deluxe edition occurred in February 1995. This deluxe edition is designed to run from the CD so the earlier deluxe edition method of copying the game folder to the hard disk is required.
Like the earlier editions, products are unpatched with the versions being:
WC2: Wing Commander Ver. 4.0 Aug 19 1991
SO1: Special Ops 1 Ver 1.3F Nov 15 1991
SO2: Special Ops 2 Ver 7.3F Jun 09 1992
The only notable difference is that the manuals and additional promotional material are included on the CD as pdf documents and a help test file refers to Wing Commander II CD-ROM Classics.
EA 10 For $10 Pak (May 1997)
The second EA compilation featuring a deluxe edition of Wing Commander II was the EA 10 For $10 Pak compilation.
It features a copy of the Wing Commander II: Deluxe Edition (CD-ROM Classics re-release) including the help text file that still refers to Wing Commander II CD-ROM Classics.
German Translation patch (August 2004)
A fan translation patch created by Karl Frank was released in August 2004. This patch requires the game to be installed to a hard disk. The translation is applied to the WC2 base game subtitles but not speech. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi Patches, German Conversion Patch.
GameTap digital release (October 2007)
Wing Commander II was added to the GameTap digital platform in October 2007 and removed from the platform in December 2007 due to licencing issues. The removal means the following is speculative.
Wing Commander CIC articles and the GameTap documentation tend to suggest that Wing Commander II included the SAP, SO1 and SO2 expansions making it a deluxe edition (or equivalent to a deluxe edition).
Given the release date the build was probably based on a Wing Commander II: Deluxe Edition (CD-ROM Classics re-release) (February 1995). The pdf manual in this release closely matches the rebranded GameTap version. This would have made game executables consistent with every other deluxe edition release.
Brightened Wing Commander 2 Crosshair patch (July 2014)
The default Wing Commander II crosshairs are much darker then the Wing Commander 1 crosshairs. This patch created by Dondragmer restores the colour to a much brighter green (like WC1). It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi Patches, WC2 Gunsight Patch.
Wing Commander 2 Reduced Asteroid Damage Patch (June 2016)
This is a fan made patch created by Sheppard. It is a file replacement patch replacing the game executables (wc2.exe, so1.exe, so2.exe) and reduces the collision radius for asteroids. This is the WC2 version of a similar patch available for WC1. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi Patches, Wing Commander 2 Reduced Asteroid Damage Patch.
Spanish Translation (April 2021)
A fan translation patch created by L@Zar0 was released in April 2021. This patch requires the game to be installed to a hard disk. The translation is applied to WC2, SO1 and SO2. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi Patches, WC2 Spanish Translation.
WCAT Overhaul Mod (Wing Commander 2) (October 2026)
The WCAT Overhaul Mod is the Wing Commander II version of the original WCAT Overhaul Mod, covered above. It was released in October 2026, a few months after the original WCAT Wing Commander 1 mod.
The latest version (for WC2 at time of writing) is v1.0.1. It comes in similar options as the original WCAT mod. This mod is incompatible with other fan made mods/patches.
For further info see WCAT Overhaul Mod (Wing Commander 1) above.
Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga
The Kilrathi Saga was a rebuild of Wing Commander, Wing Commander II and Wing Commander III for the Win95 platform using DirectX. In addition digital music and sound was introduced and HUD only (removed cockpit) views added to Wing Commander I and II.
This guide omits the Movie Crashing Patch (Kilrathi Saga edition) as it is applicable for Wing Commander III only.
Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga (September 1996)
The only version of The Kilrathi Saga (KS) was released in September 1996, developed by Origin Systems and distributed by Electronic Arts.
It was distributed on 5 x CD-ROM, with the first CD-ROM containing Wing Commander 1 and 2 and the remaining 4 CD-ROMs containing Wing Commander III.
This versions are identical for both games:
WC1/WC2: Wing Commander Ver 1.03F-95.
Secret Missions 1 & 2 (November 1996)
The Kilrathi Saga was released without the Wing Commander Secret Missions expansions available to the DOS game. This was rectified in November 1996 with these expansion released for free and available from the Electronic Arts FTP site (now defunct).
Each expansion game executable (sm1.exe, sm2.exe) reports the version as Wing Commander Ver 1.03F-95. These expansions remain available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Add-ons, Secret Missions for the Kilrathi Saga.
Special Operations 1 & 2 (December 1996)
A month later the Special Operations expansions were released for The Kilrathi Saga. They were made available, for free, from the Electronic Arts FTP site (now defunct). The versions of the game executables (so1.exe, so2.exe) are reported as:
SO1: Special Operations (Win95) Ver. 1.03F-95
SO2: Special Ops 2 (Win95) Ver. SO2 1.00F-95
These expansions remain available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi Add-ons, Special Operations for the Kilrathi Saga.
Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga (Wing Commander 1, PC Gamer release) (July 2000)
In July 2000, the PC Gamer magazine included a cover CD-ROM with a number of Origin titles, including a special edition of The Kilrathi Saga containing the Wing Commander base game only.
This uses the same version of Wing Commander as the standard Kilrathi Saga: Wing Commander Ver 1.03F-95. This version of The Kilrathi Saga remains available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander, Wing Commander Miscellaneous Files, 2000 PC Gamer Coverdisk Release.
Windows 2000 Update (Kilrathi Saga edition) (May 2004)
The Windows 2000 Update was created by NStriker, to patch The Kilrathi Saga to run on a Win2000 platform. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga Patches, Windows 2000 Update (Kilrathi Saga edition).
Kilrathi Saga Snakeir fix (March 2008)
The Snakeir fix, created by Skanks, is a file replacement patch for the Secret Missions 2 game executable (sm2.exe). It restores the flak fired from the Snakeir capital ship, which was disabled due to a bug. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga Patches, Kilrathi Saga Snakeir fix.
Compatibility Super Patch (May 2010)
The Compatibility Super Patch, created by Mincemeat, providing application compatibility fixes for a variety of Wing Commander titles, when running in WinXP. There are specific settings for The Kilrathi Saga versions of WC1 (including SM1 and SM2) and WC2 (including SO1 and SO2). It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga Patches, Compatibility Super Patch.
DirectDraw Hack (September 2010)
The DirectDraw Hack created by Jari Komppa, was initially a set of compatibility and palette fixes and includes graphics smoothing filters for The Kilrathi Saga and Wing Commander IV, originally developed for a Win7 platform. The latest version includes additional graphics filters. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi Patches, DirectDraw Hack.
Secret Missions 1.5 (June 2015)
The Kilrathi Saga received it's own version of Secret Missions 1.5 in June 2015, at the same time as the DOS games. Created by delMar, UnnamedCharacter and WingOver. The Secret Missions expansions must be installed to use this patch as it replaces a Secret Missions 2 data file, requiring a backup to be made to switch between Secret Missions 1.5 and 2. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander Add-ons, Wing Commander Patches, Secret Missions 1.5 (Kilrathi Saga).
Kilrathi Saga Compatibility Patch (WCDX) (October 2020)
The Kilrathi Saga Compatibility Patch was created by Stinger in October 2020. It replaces DirectDraw library calls with Direct3D alternatives. The patch fixes colour and resolution issues, as well as looping music, CD-ROM, autopilot and save game issues. This allows the games to run under later versions of Windows including Win10. This patch is incompatible with the Kilrathi Saga Snakeir fix. It is available from:
Wing Commander Encyclopedia, Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga Patches, Kilrathi Saga Compatibility Patch (WCDX).
WC1 Gamedat Text Tweaks (March 2021)
This is the same patch as used by the DOS version of the game. The patch only modifies data files making it compatible with The Kilrathi Saga version of WC1, (see WC1 Gamedat Text Tweaks above).
Wing Commander Deluxe Edition compilations
This section cover the deluxe edition compilations, these were releases combining a Wing Commander deluxe edition (WC1, SM1, SM2) with a Wing Commander II deluxe edition (WC2, SAP, SO1, SO2).
The Kilrathi Saga is not included as it did not include the expansions on release and is covered separately above.
Wing Commander / Wing Commander II (Special CD-ROM Edition) (June 1994)
A Special CD-ROM edition was released in June 1994, published by Origin Systems and distributed on a single CD-ROM.
The Wing Commander game uses a unique installer, designed to use a hard disk. It uses a HD floppy disk version of WC1 and the SM1/SM2 expansions.
A later installer build: B2.4, is used, while the WC1/SM1 game build is F3.1 and the SM2 game build is SM2v1.3.
The Wing Commander II game is designed to run from the CD-ROM, like many of the other deluxe editions. The following unpatched game executables are used:
WC2: Wing Commander Ver. 4.0 Aug 19 1991
SO1: Special Ops 1 Ver 1.3F Nov 15 1991
SO2: Special Ops 2 Ver 7.3F Jun 09 1992
The digital release of Wing Commander I & II Deluxe Editions occurred in August 2011 and is probably the easiest version to obtain at present.
The Wing Commander game is built from a 3.5" 1.44M HD floppy disk release. While the expansions are both built from a 3.5" 720K DD floppy disk release.
The installer build is B2.4, while the WC1/SM1 game executables use version F3.1 and the SM2 executable uses the SM2v1.3 version. The game installation folder also includes the WC1 Install patch.
The Wing Commander II game uses unpatched versions as used by every other deluxe edition, as shown below:
WC2: Wing Commander Ver. 4.0 Aug 19 1991
SO1: Special Ops 1 Ver 1.3F Nov 15 1991
SO2: Special Ops 2 Ver 7.3F Jun 09 1992
The Wing Commander 1+2 digital edition can be obtained from gog.com.
Patching strategies
The following patching strategies should not be considered installation instructions. They provide an overview of recommended patching suggestions and should not be considered definitive for all platforms. Alternative strategies may be required in order to use a particular patch, e.g. Kilrathi Saga Snakeir fix.
The DOS releases of WC1 and WC2 use the WCAT Overhaul mod due to quality of life improvements (stick, throttle and rudder support) and the compatibility with period correct legacy hardware. Therefore no distinction is made between DOSBox or legacy hardware environments.
The Kilrathi Saga patching strategies assume a Win10/11 platform.
Wing Commander
Due to the WCAT Overhaul Mod replacing game executables the original Origin patches are not required.
Floppy disk releases & Special CD-ROM Edition release
Install WC1.
Install SM1 (if required).
Install SM2 (if required).
Install WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Apply game data to WCAT Overhaul Mod.
CD-ROM Deluxe Edition releases
There is no need to install to a hard disk first as the required game data can be copied directly from the CD-ROM.
Install WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Apply game data from CD-ROM to WCAT Overhaul Mod.
gog.com digital release
Install WC1 (with Galaxy client or offline installer).
Install WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Apply game data to WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Secret Missions 1.5
A Secret Missions 2 install is a prerequisite before installing Secret Missions 1.5.
Follow Wing Commander 1 steps appropriate to the release being installed.
See Wing Commander 1: Secret Missions 1.5 guide to apply SM1.5 data to the WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
Due to the WCAT Overhaul Mod replacing game executables the original Origin patches are not required.
Floppy disk releases
Install WC2.
Install SAP (if required).
Install SO1 (if required).
Install SO2 (if required).
Install WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Apply game data to WCAT Overhaul Mod.
EA Top Ten Pak release
As this uses a unique installer, the steps are slightly different. This assumes all components (WC2, SAP, SO1, SO2) will be installed.
Install using WC2 + SAP + Special Operations option.
Install WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Apply game data to WCAT Overhaul Mod.
CD-ROM Deluxe Edition releases
There is no need to install to a hard disk first as the required game data can be copied directly from the CD-ROM.
Install WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Apply game data from CD-ROM to WCAT Overhaul Mod.
gog.com digital release
Install WC2 (with Galaxy client or offline installer).
Install WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Apply game data to WCAT Overhaul Mod.
Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga
This assumes the game is installed on a Win10.11 platform. Other strategies may be appropriate to use other patches on earlier platforms.
Wing Commander
Install WC1.
Install Kilrathi Saga Secret Missions 1 & 2 (if required).
Apply Kilrathi Saga Compatibility Patch (WCDX).
Apply WC1 Gamedat Text Tweaks (if required).
Secret MIssions 1.5
A Kilrathi Saga Secret Missions 1 & 2 install is a prerequisite before installing Secret Missions 1.5.
Follow steps above to install WC1 and Kilrathi Saga Secret Missions 1 & 2.
See Wing Commander 1: Secret Missions 1.5 guide to apply SM1.5 data to The Kilrathi Saga.
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
Install WC2.
Install Kilrathi Saga Special Operations 1 & 2 (if required).
Apply Kilrathi Saga Compatibility Patch (WCDX).
Finally...
Credit and thanks goes to the following individuals and groups without which this guide would not have been possible:
The Wing Commander Combat Information Centre (CIC) for hosting a wealth of Wing Commander knowledge, patches, mods, addons and their forums.
The Internet Archive for hosting information, releases and documentation.
Secret Mission 1.5 creators delMar, UnnamedCharacter and WingOver.
Sheppard, YPersonified and Dondragmer for WC1 and WC2 fan patches.
Greg14, Marty2Life, Karl Frank and L@Zar0 for fan language translations.
AllTinker for the WCAT Overhaul Mod.
NStriker, Skanks, Mincemeat, Jari Komppa and Stinger for Kilrathi Saga fan patches.
Good hunting!
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