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Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Happy New Year Wingnuts! We made it through another year. Some very cool projects got off the ground in 2023, and we're super excited where they go in 2024. Our annual new year's poll is live now. Got an idea for something that might interest Wing Commander fans in the year ahead? Or just want to hang out with a bunch of retro video game nerds? Stop on by the CIC Discord server!

LOAF also pointed out that we've got quite a few exciting 30th anniversaries on deck this year!

Some pretty big 30th anniversaries this year! 1994 was one heck of a year.

• Privateer: Righteous Fire - February 24
• Super Wing Commander - March 23
• Wing Commander (Sega CD) - March 24
• Wing Commander Privateer (CD-ROM) - June 13
• Wing Commander Armada - September 22
• Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger - December 8
• Wing Commander Armada Proving Grounds - December 20

And... here are the results from the birthday poll!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Klavs is back with a gift to share with Wing Commander fans this week. He's officially releasing a handful of enhanced 3D models that were put together over the last couple years. The direct art assets were originally available in exchange for a donation towards his family's medical bills, but now they are available at SketchFab for free. Hit the links below for links to each. These designs have made their way into a variety of fan projects over time, and we're excited to see what else fans can do with them!

• Rapier II
• Movie Rapier
• Sabre
• Ferret
• Dralthi
• Hornet

Hi everyone, the Wing Commander redux models are now available for free on Sketchfab. MANY many thanks go out to those who purchased them, your support is so greatly appreciated, and if we ever meet in person I owe you a coffee!

They are a little rough in spots! As with the original models, I was using them as a way to learn substance a little better.

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 Wing Commander News-Bot

Starfield isn't even fully out yet, but those who purchase one of the premium editions have been able to play for the last few days. We've already seen lots of interest from Wing Commander fans, including the first designs inspired by Wing Commander ships!

One of the very first is a vessel based on the Banshee from Wing Commander 4, built by Chris Kabigting. You might recall that he was also one of the initial modders to create WC ships in Rebel Galaxy Outlaw among other projects. While these might not be pixel-perfect recreations of the originals, keep in mind that they are not conventional 3D models. This is what fans have been able to accomplish in just a day or two using the in-game ship customizer tools, which is amazing!

Here's another that is a great first attempt at a Kamrani corvette from LordTyrranus!

If you haven't kept up with the game otherwise, here's a trailer with what it looks like!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Weird choice for a publication to rank games on a scale of 1 to 57, but it takes all sorts!

Team Nerd: Bill Walsh College Football (Mega Drive) / Wing Commander Secret Missions (Super Nintendo) - reviews from Computer And Video Games Issue 144 - November 1993. #RETROGAMING

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If you haven’t filmed an exhaustive retrospective of the Wing Commander series on a hillside while sitting on a giant boulder, are you even a Wing Commander fine? Yes, if you’re reading this, you definitely are, but this is still one of the most unique takes on the WC series rundown video I’ve seen in a while. Where will the next Wing Commander fan vid take place?

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Another wonderful Origin ad layout from 1993! What are the odds? I wonder if there's anything interesting in here...

Academy's stunning key art is by Chris Douglas (again!) and Jake Rodgers, another one of Origin's talented early 3D artists. It has two Return of the Jedi explosions, too! The oddest part is the ships which... aren't in the game at all, no "Dralthi MK VII" in Academy.

These ads started running late summer 1993 and continued through the end of the year. There was a pretty significant running change towards the end of the campaign that's worth comparing to the scan above:

The first one: "holodeck console" becomes "holographic simulator". I've worked in game marketing long enough to know EXACTLY how that conversation with legal went.

The other one is that "The Wave" becomes "The Gauntlet"... that's clearly a development change and it is a much better name!

The screenshots are fascinating.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Johann Fleischer, the recently appointed head of the mining corporation Caine-Massey, has been shot and killed on Mars.
Fleischer was attending a Federal Commerce Authority seminar at the Olympus Village Conference Centre. He was targeted in the audience by long-range plasma fire that proved immediately fatal. Security forces were unable to locate the shooter, but the weapon and other items were recovered.
Philippa Barlow-Lyons , the COO of Caine-Massey, told the media:
"I am saddened and sickened by this tragedy, as is everyone in the Caine-Massey family. Johann was approved as our new CEO late last year. He was a much-respected champion of enterprise, and a close personal friend. No effort must be spared in finding his murderer."
Executive Agent Viola Trask provided a statement from the Federal Intelligence Agency:
"At present, the assassin's identity and whereabouts remain unknown. The

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The Wing Commander Movie turns twenty-four today! As crazy as that sounds, it also means we're just a year away from it being a quarter century old. The film may be getting up there in age, but there's still plenty to learn about it. Check out the list below for some of our recent analyses and stories from just the last year!

• A Visual Guide to Uniforms
• Star Wars Actor Crossover
• Counting Ships of the Fleet
• On Declaration of War
• Vintage TV Spots
• The Diligent in Space Engineers
• Odd Connections
• Flight Suit for Sale
• Supertitle Megapost
• Tweeting in Real Time
  • Day Zero
  • Day One
  • Day Two
  • Day Three
  • Epilogue

For a nice visual pop, here's an upgraded trailer that AD put together as well as a gorgeous Rapier wallpaper by Klavs:

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Greg14 shared this French preview of Wingleader from a June 1990 issue of Génération 4. It appears to be based off previews from the Consumer Elections Show in Chicago. The name change to Wing Commander happened relatively close to launch, so a lot of the prime promotional materials from this summer emphasize the 'Leader' name. Can you imagine how amazing these huge screenshots would have looked at the time? Also check out that small in-game Wingleader logo!

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Federal government has announced plans to extend Zachary Hudson's term as president beyond the legally allotted span.
Every Federation president serves a single term of eight years. President Hudson assumed the role in June 3301, and is therefore due to step down in June 3309 following an election to select his replacement.
Secretary of State Lana Berkovich delivered the proposal to Congress:
"We live in extraordinary times, and all signs point to further challenges in the coming years. Our people deserve a steady hand at the helm rather than being forced to change political course, especially with the tempestuous developments found within our neighbouring superpowers."
"It is therefore in the public interest that we temporarily suspend the arbitrary eight-year limitation, to allow President Hudson to continue steering the Federation through the coming storms."
Shadow President Felicia

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Today we have a very sleek Heretic model built by AdamKop. As you can see from the comparison shots beneath, the design stays close to the in-game model. It's a little bit less weathered than most versions we encounter, which comes across as nice and clean. The motion blur and engine effects are also a nice bonus!

From left to right: the in-game model, the front box cover and a 1995 promo shot.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

RedBahamut has put together a pretty epic remaster of one of George Oldziey's famous tracks. This is the music that sets the stage for escorting the Behemoth in Wing Commander 3. At five and a half minutes, it's a lengthy composition too! Give it a listen below.

I make remix of old video game music because I like it and it's awesome!

Oh, and if you're wondering about the thumbnail, the answer is that "the universe keeps... expanding." Here's the full spread ad:

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

My friends! My benefactors! My, dare I say it, potential customers! Did I not say that Harcourt Fenton Mudd was the king of all deals? Over the past weeks of my establishment being officially open to the public – although a bit mobile to keep away from prying Federation eyes – I believe I have demonstrated the value you can only find here. And now, there are three new items becoming available! The Klingon’s own personal demons, the Fek’ihri, have granted me their S’torr Warship! It sounds like a sneeze to me, but I’m told it’s the ‘new hotness,’ if you will. And look at this, a holographic recreation of Federation legend Geordi La Forge! Wouldn’t you want an engineer of that caliber on your bridge crew? But that’s not all, folks, I’ve also made available a Crystal Prism Device from the mysterious world of Paahvo, and I’ll even throw in an amazing tech upgrade for your

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

General: Resolved an issue that caused some Bridge Officers to be generated with an incomplete costume. Visiting the tailor should resolve affected Bridge Officers. Resolved an issue that was causing the, “Into the Breach” Welcome screen to be inaccessible when first logging in. Removed the disclaimer on the Cyborg Miracle Worker Bridge Officer that you cannot reclaim them for free after purchase. Made the Reman Liberated Borg Bridge Officers purchased from the Zen store tradable. Resolved an issue that would sometimes prevent the Plasma Plumes from being visible during the “Into the Breach” Task Force Operation. Systems: Resolved an issue that was causing certain choice-based rewards to lump items that should always be rewarded, in with the choices that players are asked to make. This change should revert all such behavior to how it is intended to work, and

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

80s Baby recently posted their review of the Wing Commander movie in honor of the film's 20th birthday. Back in 1999, the author was fortunate enough to stumble on a double feature of Never Been Kissed and Wing Commander bundled together. She recounts her review as a memory of the events all those years ago. The recollections meander about as much as the reviewer did when the NBK credits rolled, but it's honestly not the worst WC Movie review I've ever read. At least there's no nerd complaining about sound in space! Check out the full article here.

Ah, memories. They can be hazy and hard to trust, but some of them — some of the lucky ones — stay trapped in your brain as crystal clear as the day the experience happened right before your eyes.

In 1999, I was living it up in one of the best cinematic years of my generation. I feel like I was at the movie theater every weekend that year, with extra

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

We'd like to wish Wing Commander 4 actress

Elizabeth Barondes

a happy birthday! Today is her 55th. She

shares

the occasion with Elon Musk, Mel Brooks and Felicia Day. Ms Barondes played popular Border Worlds Lieutenant Colonel

Tamara Farnsworth

. After WC4 she went on to star in numerous TV movies and shows, although it appears she's mostly retired from acting today. The only credit on her resume in the past decade was a role in

Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses

in 2014. Thanks to E. Lee Zimmerman for the

tip

!

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Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

We were originally planning to mix up the news a bit to start the week off, but George Oldziey’s campaign is off to such a roaring start that it’s become newsworthy again! In barely over a day since going live, the campaign to create a new live album of Wing Commander music has hit the 50% funding mark! This means more than $8000 of the $16,000 target has been achieved. When combined with Matt Hiltner’s previously mentioned large donation, we are very much well on the way to making this a reality! Things are going so well that George is already starting to firm up plans for some of the hypothetical stretch goals that have been on his mind. No one expected to be talking about that so soon, but it’s a wonderful situation to be in. All of this is made possible by the ongoing support from so many dedicated Wing Commander fans. This is just the beginning; so we’re very anxious to see where

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

I added a WCpedia page for the Wing Commander II Demo with all kinds of neat history:

Wing Commander II Demo is a rolling demo of Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi. It features an early version of part of the game's introduction showing Prince Thrakhath's audience with the Emperor. It was the first Origin product to include recorded speech. The demo was created by Origin Systems to demonstrate the game at Winter CES 1991 (January 10 to 13 1991) and was released to the public via BBS afterwards. At the time it was published Wing Commander II was scheduled for a Summer 1991 releasee. It ultimately shipped in September, making the eight months between the demo and the final product the longest such stretch in Wing Commander history. The demo is not known to have received a physical commercial release.

Differences

• The 3space engine section uses a version closer to the original Wing Commander. It

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

It's a good week to buy Wing Commander games thanks to GOG's Sci-Fi Sale! Each of the WC titles is marked down 75% to $1.49. Since the theme is science fiction, the discount doesn't extend to games like Strike Commander, but it does include Bioforge, Crusader, System Shock and others. The sale should last all week.