News categories list

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Fun, minor change to Privateer: the build used for the manual screenshots says 'engage' versus 'launch' in the final game.

There are a few more of these in the manual! Since printed docs had to go to print well before a game went gold you can often find little changes like this. The price for the plasma gun was increased (inflation!) as has the location where the weapon gumps appear on the Tarsus:

The mission computer screenshots all show that this build had a '+' before the credits. Additionally, neither of the briefings for the missions on the greyscale shots are possible in the final game's mad libs random mission generator.

The Merchants' Guild mission example IS possible, though! Still has the old credit display:

The Orion cockpit has a Centurion VDU showing upgrades only possible on the Centurion... and one that isn't in the final game, a central tractor beam slot.

Big change in scanner prices!

The

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

USA used this first 2D Wing Commander Academy title for all the print ads, commercials and bumpers... but they swapped it for a kind of incongruous 3D version in the actual show. I like the original better!

The EARLIEST print ads reuse the titles from the (narratively unrelated) game of the same name.

Members of the production team received a snazzy crew jacket. It used the original 2D logo!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Last fall we introduced a creative new project where EmuMusicFan began sketching out Freedom Flight's interrogation of Ralgha nar Hhallas in comic book form. We only had one page to go off then, but now Emu has released an additional six. It's enough to set up a pretty suspenseful scene! Check them out below and give you feedback to Emu at the CIC Forums.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
A successful initiative to hold the California Nebula against Thargoid invasion has succeeded, for now at least.
Systems recently invaded by Thargoid fleets were protected by a militia organised by the Kumo Council, the criminal syndicate's ruling authority in the enclave. But an attempt to assume control of the region's ports has been surprisingly repelled by opponents of Delaine.
The Pegasi Sentinel reported on the situation:
"There can be no doubt that Archon Delaine takes the security of the California Nebula seriously. Many lives were saved thanks to his decisive actions. A Kumo Crew anti-xeno militia is already being considered for future Thargoid attacks."
"Local residents remain wary of Delaine's reputation, however. Security forces deployed to local ports have been driven out, with communities apparently unconvinced by claims of 'emergency security

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Something from Privateer I never noticed before: the Blockade Point Alpha system is totally redone for Righteous Fire! So I got to wondering what else might be different...

...so I extracted the game's SECTOR files, diff'd them and learned how Privateer handles its random encounters (thanks greatly to the Playtester's Guide!). Here's a Google Doc with all the changes. Most of these are tiny changes to encounter tables in systems you play missions in, all of which are intended to make your life harder: more chances of Retros and Kilrathi, fewer Confed and Militia forces.

I also found that there's a "Test Bed" system still in the game but not connected to the rest of the map (no jump points). Crazy! It has an encounter table that can spawn any of the regular ships. I added it as the appendix to the doc linked above.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Federal government has declared the Order of the Far God to be a potential enemy of the state.
The following press statement was delivered from the White House on Mars:
"The Federal Navy Intelligence Office has uncovered sufficient cause for concern to suspect the Far God cult of treason. They are believed to be responsible for leaking classified audiovisual data from the HIP 22460 system, while sharing other sensitive Thargoid-related material internally. Due to this, the risk that they will frustrate anti-xeno operations is deemed considerable."
"President Hudson has therefore ordered military units to take control of all hive-chapels in Federal systems. Their inhabitants will be placed in detention facilities and subject to questioning."
In related news, Secretary of State Lana Berkovich has sponsored a resolution petitioning Congress to make the Order of the Far God illegal. She has

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's another Spanish retro review from Maxi de Sokar. We've seen several of these articles recently, but this time OKPC really liked Wing Commander Armada! It earned a whopping 93% to beat out other top scorers like WC2 and Privateer each at 90%. The game got a four page spread littered with screenshots. They credit Armada's replayability, option to play as the Kilrathi and the multiplayer - including split screen mode. These are all things I love about Armada, but I don't often see reviews agree so enthusiastically. "Excitement will be served!"

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The Downloads section is where we index all of our downloadable items, from soundtracks and official patches to fan-created tools or enhancements. This time of year is when we usually comb through the news archives to bring our index (in excess of 240 gigabytes!) up to date. We've done a thorough refresh so every file, patch and program is at your fingertips and easy to grab.

Highlights include the French, German and Spanish translations of WC1 DOS, the latest version of WCDX, Prophecy controller profiles for Saitek joysticks, the soundtrack to SegaCD WC1 and ODVS's various HD video packs.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

After several months of diligent effort, Greg14 has completed his French Translation of WC1 made with the WC Toolbox. See the game in action is below! French Wingnuts can grab the update package from a link in the description of the YouTube vid below. Greg is continuing to research methods to translate WC2, WC4 and the Kilrathi Saga. You can also find a previously translated update to WC2 here.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Spacedock has posted a new video about the different types of faster-than-light travel in science fiction. It's a wonderful breakdown of the different ways that different franchises do it. The type of visitors that frequent this site are probably going to be familiar with most of this information, but the organization is thoughtful and fairly comprehensive. Wing Commander, of course, gets a nod for its jump drive system. Check it out below!

Spacedock delves into Science Fiction's many flavors of Faster than Light travel.

Thanks to Rattler for the heads up!

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval has attended a public ceremony following her year-long abduction by the Lords of Restoration.
Her proclamation from Trasken Square, standing before millions of Capitol's citizens and flanked by legions of Imperial Guard, was broadcast across all channels:
"To those who protected the Empire during my enforced absence, I offer my deepest gratitude. My trusted chancellor, senators and security agencies are to be commended."
"To those who dared to attack Imperial citizens, who dared to impersonate me and mislead my people…who took the lives of my family. Know this: there will be no place to hide from my wrath."
"And to all citizens who may fear these uncertain times, I vow that your Emperor will lead you into the glorious future that is ours by right."
Subsequent messages from the Imperial Palace praised ACT and its supporters for their work in freeing Arissa and

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Achilles Corporation! A fanciful place
Where prdfit is power, no room for grace
Its namesake was felled by a lucki arrow
As this corporation's fortune grows narrow
Surveillance is the crime for which it must pay
Monitoring those who dare get in tho way
For figures too mighty to speak of aloud
Each secret indeed is o-so loud
A prototype robot Achilles did lose
To a merry thief who can take what they shoose
And now to you, my friend, a share of the spoils
Some goodies and gifts to help in your toils

Display More

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Orion University has been informed that its ownership claim of the Scriveners Clan dredger is placing its population at great risk.
In the Oochost PC-C c29-0 system, the university's megaship Scientia Aeterna has used override codes to prevent the dredger from departing. But the nomadic tribe's refusal to abandon their home has placed them under great pressure, as observed by freelance reporter Casey Kilpatrick:
"Dredger-class bulk cruisers are the sharks of space – they must always keep moving, constantly gathering raw materials to synthesize into fuel, air and other resources. The Scriveners Clan remained stationary for months while salvaging the Hesperus, but in this system they are trapped without such vital intakes."
"Independent observers are now reporting malfunctions in the vessel's power and life support systems. If the Scriveners maintain their siege mentality, further mechanical

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Nintendo shipped its new aptly named Switch (OLED Model) today, so we wanted to point out a few options for Wingnuts with the new console. These are all perfectly valid for existing owners of the prior revisions as well.

Space Commander: War and Trade is an interesting newcomer. It looks kind of like a modern combination of Wing Commander Arena and Privateer. The game employs a version of Arena's first person mode that sets up some fairly simplistic but engaging space combat. It's also a medium scale Privateer-style sandbox game, which is a novel pairing with this type of engine. The Nintendo World Reports review below describes how the economy isn't set up great, but it's hard to go wrong for just $10.

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is a fan favorite among Wingnuts. We've talked about it extensively in the past, and if you haven't tried it out on PCs or consoles to date, it's an easy recommendation.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Maiden Ariana has posted a fun video about her journey to getting Wing Commander 3 running on a vintage computer. There have been similar videos in the past that have emphasized things like the config.sys and autoexec.bat type configuration, but she goes on an entire quest that ends up involving both CD-ROM and sound card replacement. While WC3 is not the most speed-sensitive Wing Commander game, it can still produce some quirky results with higher end Pentium era hardware, which led to some issues. But with enough time, effort and retro hardware, it's possible to get the game working smoothly! Check out the video to see how she did it:

I take you on a bit of my troubleshooting journey to get Wing Commander 3 hopefully running flawlessly on actual vintage/retro hardware (no DosBox cheating here).

This is my first full length Retro Alcove video. Many more to come in this series. If you like what

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Look at that little thing go! The Mars Perseverance team successfully flew the Ingenuity helicopter today. The first powered flight on another planet. Despite all the Earthly setbacks of the past year, it's just wonderful to see the progress still being made.

Witness the historic moment in full. The Mastcam-Z cameras on @NASAPersevere show us the takeoff, hovering and landing of the #MarsHelicopter. pic.twitter.com/ypdIWmC4D1

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) April 19, 2021

  

Have you heard? We flew a craft on another world for the first time ever with flying colors. Now, relive the scene in Mission Control as news of Ingenuity's nail-biting takeoff made it back to Earth.#MarsHelicopter pic.twitter.com/ER25G6uhdp

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) April 20, 2021

  

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Survivors from the Neo-Marlinist Order of Mudhrid have arrived in the Marlinist Colonies, requesting political asylum from the Empire.
The faction was recently defeated by Imperial forces in the Mudhrid system, after an ACT investigation confirmed that it provided logistical support for the NMLA attacks on starports.
Landgrave Delacroix and his loyalists fled aboard the Steel Majesty megaship to the Hyades Sector RO-P b6-2 system, which is controlled by the Marlinism Reformation Party. Minister Aaron Whyte, its elected leader, announced:
"Not every individual within the Neo-Marlinist Order of Mudhrid is an NMLA activist. We have the right to offer asylum to protect innocents from persecution, just as the Federation protected us when we were refugees."
The Empire has officially demanded that the Neo-Marlinists be apprehended, with Senator Patreus claiming "The Landgrave of Mudhrid is a traitor

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Mr. Freight was scrolling through Facebook and something caught his eye. Peeking out of a box in this advertisement for Country Living Magazine is the Wing Commander VHS. It's the poster child for an article about "garage sale finds worth a ton." They credit the picture as just a stock image from Epics/Getty, but little do they realize the WC Movie is actually creeping up in value! Since the distribution rights reverted to Chris Roberts from Fox a couple years ago, physical copies have been out of print. While the VHS is decidedly still affordable, DVD and Blu-ray editions can be pricey. Fortunately digital copies are starting to be made available again for as low at $8.

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

General: Resolved an issue that was causing crashes on multiple maps include the Dyson Battlezone. Known Issues: There is currently an issue that would prevent completion of the “Khitomer in Stasis” TFO. This TFO has been temporarily disabled.

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

General: Picard Bundle: The Picard bundle no longer directly unlocks the bridge. When you buy the bundle, you will get a version of the bridge unlocked in the promotions tab. Claiming will unlock the bridge. Resolved an issue that was preventing purchase of the Picard Bundle, if the player already owned the Replica Thompson Submachine Gun.