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Woah, it's December! That means the year will be over in a blink, and we've got some annual CIC traditions to get to! In order to prepare, we're accepting nominations now for any Wing Commander fan projects that you'd like to recognize for their contributions in 2023. Email news@wcnews.com and let us know! There are some very strong contenders this year. Below is a rundown of our past winners:
Jun
…Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval has responded to criticism from Hadrian Duval regarding her decision to contribute to Aegis.
During a public address at the opening of a naval research and development complex on Achenar, the Emperor stated:
"For the avoidance of doubt, my decree to halt interaction with the Alliance and the Federation remains in effect. Whatever advancements in weaponry or defence are made at these impressive facilities, they will be used exclusively by the Imperial Navy to protect Imperial citizens."
"Aegis's status as an independent agency makes it a legal exception under the Cornelius-Lasky Convention. Only a small fraction of the Empire's military expenditure is being devoted to Aegis's anti-xeno forces."
"As for Hadrian Duval, some may recall when his Nova Imperium extremists once threatened to trigger widescale civil unrest. I chose to spare him from the fate of his
Apr
…*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Fierce combat in the Tavgi system has resulted in Torval Mining Ltd overcoming Caine-Massey's partner Tavgi Blue Life Inc.
The conflict was triggered by the murder of Caine-Massey's former CEO Johann Fleischer. The assassin was tracked from Mars to the Torval Mining megaship Orchestral Falcon. Circumstantial evidence suggested he was an undercover Imperial agent.
Senator Zemina Torval, whose family owns the company, declared:
"Loyal defenders of the Empire have helped to bring hostilities to an end and can now collect their rewards from the Orchestral Falcon. This accusation from Caine-Massey is baseless – I am not in the habit of assassinating my business rivals. Our security teams have detained the interloper from Federal space who was using false ID as an Imperial mining prospector, and handed him over to the authorities."
Shortly after, a statement was released
Mar
…*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Aegis and Universal Cartographics have announced that the project to survey ammonia worlds has ended satisfactorily.
Special mention goes to Commander aRadish, Commander Lone WolfPack and Commander T'Verez for their efforts.
The exploration initiative was praised by Congressman Tom Gillespie, who oversees Federal contributions to Aegis:
"An impressive number of terrestrial planets with ammonia-based atmospheres were scanned and catalogued over the last two weeks. Universal Cartographics certainly considers the project to be a great success, and I know our xenological scientists do too."
"This is the kind of task for which independent Commanders are absolutely unmatched in dedication and expertise, and they remain our indispensable allies."
Vice Admiral Skylar Anderson, the Imperial military liaison to Aegis, added:
"This information is of considerable strategic
Mar
Folks, I've uncovered some shocking cut content hidden in Privateer's files. The game has... TWO UNUSED NOSES.
For comparison, here's a few actual faces from Privateer:
Mar
…Recent activities by the Kumo Crew syndicate in the California Nebula have been formally condemned by the Alliance.
Councillor Jed Trager supervised an investigation into the Kumo Council's attempt to take control of several systems, ostensibly to defend them against a wave of Thargoid attacks. He summarised its findings during a session of the Assembly:
"Intelligence provided by Alliance Interpol agents proves that the underlying objective of the Kumo Crew's anti-xeno militia was to dominate the California Nebula. The syndicate had gathered ships and infiltrated civil institutions weeks earlier, using bribery and coercion to pave the way for their takeover."
"Further Thargoid attacks in the region were seen as inevitable, based on past behaviour and the prevalence of barnacle sites. When they occurred the Kumo Crew mobilised their pre-prepared forces, overthrowing local authorities under the
Mar
Mac is back with another exciting new wallpaper to share. This one features Klavs' recent Sabre model positioned at the ready on a carrier's flight deck. You can see it means business, because it's armed to the teeth! A second one hangs back in the shadows alongside a trusty Rapier. Enjoy!
Well I might have not been the first one to buy her, but we're still going to have fun together nonetheless.
Feb
…Princess Aisling Duval has assumed oversight of the Empire's contributions to the tri-superpower agency Aegis.
She discussed her new role during an interview with The Imperial Herald:
"Loathe though I was to defy the Emperor's decree, every instinct told me that the Aegis initiative can develop methods of protecting the Empire from enormous losses in this war. I'm grateful that Arissa recognised the value of my plea."
"I've been liaising with Professor Alba Tesreau, as well as Dr Fonseca, Vice Admiral Anderson and the rest of my team. Our challenge is to make the most of the Imperial resources allocated to Aegis."
"It's true that I was critical of Aegis's effectiveness in the past, but I've always believed that cooperation with other superpowers can bring mutual benefits. The mass slaughter inflicted by the Thargoids eclipses the NMLA's atrocities – a challenge we faced together. We must
Jan
…Princess Aisling Duval has publicly asked Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval to reconsider pledging Imperial resources to a cross-superpower anti-xeno initiative.
Her message was shared on all Imperial newsfeeds:
"The Empire's capability to defend itself is not in question. But neither is there any doubt that we are facing a protracted war. The ferocity and scale of the Thargoid onslaught on human space is unprecedented. Of course the Empire will survive, as it has for over a millennium… but at what cost? How many systems must fall? How many citizens will grieve for lost loved ones?"
"Emperor Arissa, I implore you: work with the Alliance and Federation to reform Aegis. Our combined resources are needed to develop new technologies to overcome the alien armadas. Corporate interests must not dictate this path. Let Imperial ingenuity and courage light the way to victory over a common enemy."
A handful
Jan
…
We are cruising right through January, which means our annual Fan Project of the Year contest is moving quickly towards its conclusion. If you missed voting initially, you can still get your ballot in before the winners are called! Here are the nominees once again. Scroll down below to vote!
- Challenge Coins - ZOmegaZ’s successful 2021 crowdfunding campaign resulted in these beautiful trinkets in 2022! He took fan feedback to balance the sizes of the ships in the design and the results turned out great.
- elend’s Physical Models - elend is a master craftsman and his recently completed Dralthi model is high professional grade art. It belongs in a museum!
- Emulation Technology - Whether getting DOS games to run on Linux, Mac WC games running on PC or Xbox games going on PCs, this has been another great year of technological advancement in emulation.
- Gemini Sector RPG - One of the longest running and
Jan
…Origin: Wing Commander IV taught us what the price of freedom was... but where does the quote originate? It is commonly but incorrectly attributed to American founding father Thomas Jefferson. While the line sounds like something Jefferson might have written, it does not appear in any contemporary reporting or in his extant writing. It brings to mind another of his actual famous quotes that "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants" but is in fact a fundamentaly different idea. The quote actually derives from an 1790 speech by Irish lawyer John Philpot Curran: "It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." Countless
Dec
Mac has a special gift for Wingnuts this week. It's a new preview of his upcoming End Run lore video. The clip is chock full of new cuts and scenes that will be used to highlight the epic battles from the Vukar Tag campaign. There's some absolutely majestic fleet action depicted and very explosive combat in store. Check it out below!
The past month has been an utter journey of making 3d scenes for the upcoming End Run video, and learning new skills for use in said video along the way.
Nov
Today we've got a really awesome physical Wing Commander model that popped up on YouTube. capi spotted the Tarsus from Privateer in an episode of Me, Myself and Die! The ship becomes the centerpiece of a game of Five Parsecs From Home. We see the host, Trevor Devall, play around the table and get really into the action. The game itself looks cool, but I can't get enough of that gorgeous ship! capi asked about its origin, and apparently a viewer of the show sent it in previously. What an awesome find!
Jul
…*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
New Federal and Imperial capital ships have arrived in HIP 22460 as Azimuth Biotech's operation nears its conclusion.
The following message was provided to all newsfeeds for public broadcast:
"This is Salvation. The Proteus Wave's core mechanism will be fully constructed one week from today. We will then begin integration with the surface site on HIP 22460 10b, using designs of mine which are unique to the superweapon's operation."
"As anticipated, the Thargoid presence in the HIP 22460 system has escalated considerably. Providing the sufficient majority of their fleet is within range of the Proteus Wave, the casualties will be devastating enough to drive the Thargoids out of the core systems forever."
"I urge all superpower-affiliated and independent ships to hold the line. Only through determination and sacrifice will we finish our crucial work."
In HIP 22460, the
Jul
…Azimuth Biotech's operation in the HIP 22460 system has been publicly denounced by the Thargoid-worshipping fringe religion.
A video message from a hooded young woman aboard the Testament, the cult's missionary vessel, was transmitted directly to the newsfeed Vox Galactica:
"This plan to entrap and destroy the heralds of the Far God must cease immediately. As the newly appointed First Apostle of the True Chapters, I beseech those in authority not to support Salvation's evil crusade. To slaughter these holy beings is a monstrous act of deicide."
Dr Alfred Ulyanov, a leading authority on the enigmatic sect, commented:
"It is extremely unusual for Far God believers to make any kind of announcement or acknowledge current events. They accept their own deaths with equanimity, believing as they do that all life will be extinguished when the Far God emerges from hyperspace. But they are clearly
Jul
This weekend we have more Symphonic Remakes for your aural enjoyment! This time the SR composer took a crack at digitally reorchestrating both the Patrol and Rescue tunes from George Oldziey's Wing Commander 3 soundtrack. Both are pretty great! Give them a listen below and find more here!
Jun
…*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
The HIP 22460 system will be the stage for a decisive strike against the Thargoids by Azimuth Biotech and the superpowers.
The following message was broadcast across all public channels:
"This is Salvation. Construction of the Proteus Wave has officially commenced. This version of my anti-xeno superweapon has been designed to bring absolute victory against our adversaries."
"HIP 22460 will serve as the final battlefield in the Thargoid war. As with previous superweapons, we anticipate that the Guardian-based technology incorporated within the Proteus Wave will once again attract the Thargoids. However, this time it will eradicate the alien threat not just from the system, but from the entire galaxy."
"Everyone who wishes to see this hostile species defeated once and for all should view this project as a call to arms. This is not a time for politics or debate. It is
Dec
…Salvation has confirmed that his anti-xeno superweapons successfully routed Thargoids from the Delphi, Maia and Merope systems.
The following message was submitted to all newsfeeds:
"The Thargoid spearhead into human space has been severely blunted. Commodore Halloran coordinated the operation with military precision, and many loyal pilots acted swiftly to provide components for my unique technology."
"At present, I am not able to deploy these weapons in other systems suffering alien infestation. Next year, we will deliver a decisive blow in the war against the Thargoids."
"I urge the peoples of the galaxy to unite behind my crusade. Aegis is finished. I am the only remaining defence for humanity. I am Salvation."
Independent pilots and anti-xeno squadrons have been asked to continue combating the remaining Thargoid vessels in the Coalsack, Pleiades and Witch Head Nebula regions. Repair
Nov
…*Pilots Federation ALERT*
A distress call has led independent pilots to locate an abandoned settlement in the Snake Sector GW-W c1-1 system.
The SOS was initially detected by one of the megaships that form the Colonia Bridge, inspiring many ships to search nearby systems. The source was eventually identified as Holloway Bioscience Research Facility 15 on the moon Snake Sector GW-W c1-1 AB 5 b.
Pilots unearthed a series of mission logs recorded in the year 3255 by a freelance military unit named Excalibur Troop. As yet, the contents of these logs have not been made available to newsfeeds.
Aanya Gupta, CEO of the Holloway Bioscience Institute, gave a statement to the press:
"Research Facility 15 was one of the first wave of planetary survey laboratories established by our founder, the esteemed scientist Lord Roland Holloway. Our records of these settlements are patchy, so we are grateful that
Oct
…DefianceIndustries shared this fun new model with us today. Everyone loves a good Midway megacarrier, but the Flight IIA are much less represented in fan projects. As the story goes, the TCS Port Broughton that we see in Arena was scuttled, abandoned and them brought back to life as a floating outpost by militia forces, so it's very much past its prime. For this particular take on the ship, Defiance sought to imagine what it looked like in its heyday before enduring a decade of hard fighting the Nephilim. It looks super tough!
Got a bit of time today (for a change) and did some more detailing on the Arena Midway. I wanted to do a version of the "flight 2" Midways as they would've appeared in service. As you can see, it has less structure between the hulls, the engine pods are smaller etc. The original is a peace time design where as the arena version was designed to counter Nephilim swarms.
