News categories list

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

As the Federation readies itself for a new president, the Empire is preparing for potential changes to its relationship with its historical rival.
Last year Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval severed all official collaboration with the other superpowers, except for limited contributions to Aegis. But this does not mean the Empire is ignoring the potential impact of either Jerome Archer or Felicia Winters becoming the next Federal president.
Senator Denton Patreus remarked on the election during a military parade through the city of Port Isabelle:
"The Federation's leaders always reinforce their popularity by framing the Empire as the 'great enemy'. I expect Archer will have those same aggressive tendencies. In truth, I'd prefer to deal with that predictable approach, since Winters is clearly the more cunning and deceitful candidate."
Princess Aisling Duval was asked her opinion while visiting a

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Due to popular demand, Mac has rendered out his recent preview animation as a glorious 4K wallpaper. This is the one absolutely chock-full of destroyers, cruisers, carriers, transporters and more. Klavs' iconic Concordia also forms the core of this mega fleet. It must be a challenge to figure out which ship you're supposed to land your fighter on!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's a scene cut from Privateer 2! It's from the main plot (between your visit to the hospital and Taffin Reclamation) and has Lev flying a mission for the police to find the Canera's registration number.

Interestingly, there's a space for this in the game's internal file structure. I wonder if they shot it! I also initially read the 'menace to navigation' line as a Babylon 5 nod... but this predated the B5 finale by several years!

The scene was boarded, too!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

FEEDBACK NEEDED! The reason we've been looking at Privateer 2 the past few days is that we're using the Privateer 2 intro cutscenes as the demo for a totally overhauled Holovids section at the CIC!

These new pages will collect all kinds of interesting supporting material with each cutsscene: storyboards, alternate versions, artwork, etc. You can find the first one here. Before we move on to the cinematics for rest of Privateer 2, WC3 through Prophecy and beyond we'd love to know what else you'd like to see in these spaces! What would help organize it, make it usable/less confusing, etc.

And special thanks to AD who has been taking charge of the video section of the project, aka the hard part that requires actual talent. And if you'd like to sign on and help, stop by my office anytime!

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The first humans rescued from the Thargoid motherships have started to arrive, almost all of whom have so far survived extraction.
The highly dangerous task requires using an upgraded pulse wave xeno scanner to detect human life signs on the Titans. The new sub-surface extraction missiles then target and jettison the bio-storage capsules – as the structures are officially designated – which are then recovered using a cargo scoop.
All recovered individuals are being assessed by medical specialists. The tri-superpower agency Aegis released this statement to the media:
"In each case, research teams successfully cracked open the capsules and removed the comatose person. They were suspended within a chemically complex gel, not unlike amniotic fluid, with tubes supplying breathable air and basic nutrients. Between thirty and ninety minutes later, the person wakes."
"All recovered individuals are

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Look what's hiding in the 1994 Claw Marks: the Comm Relay logo is the planet from the cover of the 1992 Origin catalog! The planet is a painting by Terrell Powell and it was used for a bunch of different corporate things (press kit folders, convention signage and such). This is the version of Claw Marks included with Super Wing Commander.

Claw Marks' Comm Relay is also what we were referencing with Star Citizen's now ubiquitous Comm Links!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

LOAF, AD and the team have been doing big and exciting things lately with Privateer 2. To further their research and project prep, we're holding a group watch-along of the "director's cut" footage posted by P2 director Steve Hilliker for the game's 25th anniversary. To join in, visit Discord #Wingnut on Monday evening at 9 PM Eastern Time. This YouTube link is all you need!

LOAF: Set your nav computers for fun: join us on Monday at 9 PM Eastern at the CIC Discord for a group watch of the Privateer 2: The Darkening 25th Anniversary movie cut!

If you want to enhance the experience even further, there is also AD & ODVS' special remastered version of the material that improves the quality and resolution even more. You can download it here (2.7 gig mkv) and watch with something like VLC. Here's a comparison of the two versions:

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Look at the logos on that French Wing Commander ad: built by Origin, licensed for sale in Europe by Mindscape and distributed en France by Ubisoft! The early '90s were crazy.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Aegis xenologists are focusing their efforts on the mysterious alien growths reported on multiple planets and moons in the Trianguli sector.
These have been designated 'Thargoid barnacle matrix sites', due to their resemblance to the barnacles that produce meta-alloys, but are far greater in size and complexity.
Commander Yoselin Aquino described visiting one of these sites to Vox Galactica:
"This wasn't an easy place to explore, since I had to avoid Revenant drones and the occasional Thargoid scout. Once I did get up close, I found it unsettling as all hell. Each barnacle clump was a mound-like structure over a kilometre across, with several rounded peaks. Spaced around these were weird coral trees, which squeeze out a caustic sap-like stuff and dropped bizarre-looking 'fruits."
"What really made me nervous were the spear roots in the middle of the site. They're made of some toughened

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Mac has posted a new teaser for his next Wing Commander project. This one picks up on the Concordia theme from last week and now has the famous dreadnought anchoring an absolutely massive battle fleet. It's flanked by some of Klavs' most popular models, including Bengal class carriers and Waterloo cruisers. There are also scores of smaller destroyers, corvettes and fighters filling the space throughout. What an epic scene!

IT DIDNT CRASH THE COMPUTER ON RENDER!
WOOOOO#wingcommander pic.twitter.com/gG7aYVGwq6

— Mac's Lore (@MacsLore) October 5, 2023

  

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Rescue megaships now stock Aegis's modified mining tool, designed to extract bio-storage capsules from Thargoid Titans.
The sub-surface extraction missiles went into rapid production following a delivery initiative in the Senlu system. Aegis has confirmed that pilots who transported CMM composites, neofabric insulation and osmium to Springer Gateway can now collect their rewards. Bounty vouchers for all wanted ships destroyed during the past week will also be redeemed at the same location.
Aden Tanner discussed tactics for using the new module:
"These specialised devices are designed to be used alongside the pulse wave xeno scanner, which can now pinpoint human life signs beneath the hull of a Titan. If accurately targeted, an extraction missile should penetrate far enough into the outer hull to jettison the pod-like structures containing captives. Assuming the

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
A series of public events to celebrate the forthcoming presidential election are being held in the Sol system.
Congress approved a request by President Zachary Hudson to finance a range of festivities, concerts and shows across the home system of the Federation.
Billions of people are expected to attend, leading to a request for supplies of Crystalline Spheres, Gerasian Gueuze Beer, Indi Bourbon, LTT Hyper Sweet and Pantaa Prayer Sticks to be delivered to Li Qing Jao starport in orbit over planet Earth. Congress also agreed to authorise a temporary two-week permit for all Pilots' Federation members to access the Sol system.
President Hudson announced the events across all Federal news channels, where he said:
"Now we approach the time, as determined centuries ago by the Federal Accord, of our civilisation's most profound tradition: the peaceful transfer of power. I

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Space poetry! There’s a shot in a Wing Commander IV briefing (M2) where we get a block of text behind Mark Hamill… and it’s mostly legible on the DVD! I can’t find it printed anywhere… must be a stray transmission from the Vogons.

A whirlwind ride down the spiraling drains of desire drowning dying to breathe your air before the darkness settles in. Ahh, if I could wake next to the golden green pools of your eyes in the liquid hazel dreams of my imagination someday in the distant near future you will return to me in my dreams. Once again we {illegible}

Display More

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Today we've got a very cool video unearthed by Sega City. It's a preview of the Mega CD version of Wing Commander in Japan that was included on the April 1994 issue of SEGA Video Magazine. Contrary to what the name implies, this wasn't a print magazine with a cover disc - it was a VHS tape that included various game preview clips. A video advertisement for WC1 from Japan is quite a special find!

A preview of 'Wing Commander' on the SEGA Mega CD. SEGA Video Magazine, April 1994.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

True to my word, I will play these missions LIVE tonight! Tune in at 8 PM Eastern to talk Academy and fly some Origin-made Wing Commander missions for the first time.

The search for the 'PC Player' Wing Commander Academy missions continues... but it HAS spun off something even more exciting: a set of five demo missions that Origin made in house and posted to their BBS in September 1993?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I've also collected about one hundred fan made missions from old BBSes and Warez CDs during the hunt! Except a feature with downloads soon.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Alright, I can't think of a good reason for this, but here's the Wing Commander knife post. To start, WC always loved using knives to show a character was troubled. The one Cobra is sharpening in WC III is a Marto-Brewer Explora, a Spanish survival knife from the 1980s.

Hawk’s thematically similar knife in Wing Commander Prophecy is called a hunting knife in stage directions but the actual prop is a United Cutlery Bushmaster survival knife. These are still made!

Seether’s knife in Wing Commander IV is a Hibben Double Shadow, a design often used in sci fi productions including Star Trek and Babylon 5. The script calls it a “laser-blade” which it describes as “a curved handle with a lethal thread of light that pulses from one end of the handle to the other”. As a result, the novelization refers to Seether’s blade as a “laser knife” and says they are “plunging weapons that could also

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Imperial Senate has formally raised the issue that Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval has not yet produced any direct heirs.
The debate was instigated by Senator Lysandra Courcelle :
"The continuation of the Duval bloodline has formed the linchpin of our society for over a thousand years. But it has been eight years since Arissa Lavigny-Duval became our ruler. In that time there has been no spouse or consort, no indications of marriage, and no biological heir to the throne. We politely remind the Emperor of her duty to ensure the line of succession."
Following a highly spirited exchange among senators, Chancellor Anders Blaine proclaimed:
"Her Majesty has sacrificed much for the Empire. It is not our place to question her personal choices, but rather to support her vision for our prosperity and security."
Gudrun Vestergaard, royal correspondent for The Imperial Herald, analysed the situation:

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

This weekend is the last chance to grab the Wing Commander games on sale via GOG's 15th Anniversary Sale. Coincidentally, this timed perfectly to overlap with the Wing Commander series' birthday earlier this week. It's also a slightly higher discount than we've seen recently with a full 75% off each title in the franchise. Grab them below!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Mac is back with a fabulous new wallpaper. It depicts Klavs' exquisite Concordia model with the sun at its back. This casts a dark and moody light on the superstructure of the ship while various running lights, engine components and weapon emplacements light up the landscape. There's also a full complement of Sabre and Rapier escorts in tow to round out this very imposing scene!

It is time.#wingcommander

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

German friends! We are still looking for this diskette. Do you know any packrats or collectors?

Requesting assistance from the German retro gaming community! It looks like the October 1993 PC Player cover diskette had a Wing Commander Academy campaign on it. Does anyone have a copy?