Been meaning to get back into X-Wing Alliance (I never actually finished the game way back when *shock*HORROR*!) and in the process of doing that, I went back to the X-Wing Alliance Upgrade project, to see how far along they are and if it's as complicated to install as it used to be.

spoiler, it's real easy these days. two downloads and you're done. three if you also want some of the beta versions of the lighting and effects. four downloads if you also want HD cutscenes.

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY-0xVJLdOM

here are the links to the websites in question (also available in the description of the video):

X-Wing Alliance Upgrade:
https://xwaupgrade.com
click downloads and download the 2020 mega pack, as well as the 2020 update version.
scroll down a couple of lines for the beta versions of the effects.

X-Wing Outpost:
https://www.xwingoutpost.com/
only if you want the HD cutscenes (they're stretched into 16:9, rather than maintaining aspect ratio though).