I played through original WC in the early 2000's, trying to win all missions. I got stuck on one that you really were meant to lose(escort, large numbers of attackers meant you had to execute with speedrun precision to have a chance) and stopped there. Later I looked more carefully at the walkthroughs and learned that the campaign progresses along the win path if you win most of the missions in the sector - you don't have to get 100% of them.

I always admired the series for its world-building sensibilities. It's simple stuff - Star Raiders had the essence of the gameplay in 1979 - but injected with a lot of atmosphere.