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The Force Engine

The Force Engine icon

Overview

The Force Engine (TFE) recreates classic LucasArts shooters such as Dark Forces and Outlaws. REG-Linux exposes it as a ports entry that loads your own game files and community mods.

Quick reference

  • ROM folder: /userdata/roms/theforceengine
  • Accepted format: .tfe
  • Emulator: theforceengine
  • System group: ports

ROMs

Copy the original game installation (Steam, GOG, etc.) into /userdata/roms/theforceengine/. For Dark Forces, include DARKWAR.WAD, DARKWAR.RTL, DARKWAR.RTC, REMOTE1.RTS, and other required assets. For Outlaws or other supported titles, place their data into uniquely named subfolders inside the ROMs folder.

Create a marker file per title such as:

touch "/userdata/roms/theforceengine/Star Wars - Dark Forces.tfe"

This .tfe file keeps the entry visible in EmulationStation. The port reads the original files and maps them through the TFE binary.

Mods

Drop mod archives (zip files only) into /userdata/system/configs/theforceengine/Mods/. To launch a mod directly, create a .tfe file whose contents are the mod zip filename (e.g., aons_modern.zip), then select that entry in the ports list.

HD textures

If you have the remastered version of Dark Forces, copy enhanced.gob into the game folder before launching TFE so the engine can read the upgraded textures.

Emulators

The Force Engine

The theforceengine binary loads the selected .tfe file and reads the configuration from userdata/system/configs/theforceengine/. Use the Quick Menu to adjust video or controller settings after the first profile creation.

Controls

The port prefers a mouse and keyboard for setup, though the engine can map keyboard events to gamepads after the profile is established.

Troubleshooting

  • Keep the directory names exact (e.g., /userdata/roms/theforceengine/Star Wars - Dark Forces/) so the port can locate the assets.
  • Delete /userdata/system/configs/theforceengine/ to reset settings or to clear mod references when launching new packages.