News categories list

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Dad holograms are the rage right now which means it's time to talk about Merlin! There are a lot of takes on Wing Commander but one of the most most unexpected is that it would've been better with a holographic wizard talking you through the plot. And that wizard was… Merlin!

Merlin was said to be the 'interface' to Blair's Portable Personal Computer (PPC), a 16" tall holographic wizard who can appear to provide needed information. Kind of like Alexa or Siri… or the Great Gazoo.

And Merlin was IN THE MOVIE as filmed. Freddie Prinze Jr. shot scenes where he talks to a 1/6th scale action figure. The plan was that the second unit would shoot (or CG) a hologram to composite over the doll (like Jabba the Hutt in A New Hope).

Merlin is half Attack of the Clones C-3PO-style comic relief and half tool for providing extremely important exposition. He appears throughout the film but has four important scenes which

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Today we've got an updated look at the exotic Double Helix design that Klavs is experimenting with. Instead of a static image, this time we've got a subtle video where it ominously hangs in space. It's both beautiful and eerie at the same time!

Playing with the Double Helix spaceship again, fiddling with camera angles & focal lengths to make the ship appear to shift and stretch in slightly unsettling ways. It all happens probably too slowly to notice, but then maybe that's the poinnnnnnt.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Newsfeeds and ICE-casts have reacted to Aegis's theory that the Thargoids have purposefully captured tens of millions of living humans.
Eyewitness testimonies provided by independent pilots have given credence to this theory. Citizens' Chronicle featured the following account from Imperial auxiliary Commander Luca Redondo:
"It was a sickening sight, watching Scythes hunt down survivors. A part of me wanted to start blasting the escape pods rather than let those poor people be eaten, or experimented on, or whatever the hell the Thargoids want them for. There was nothing my squadron could do to save them, not without risking the refugees we were carrying. I don't think I'll be sleeping well for a long time."
Many reporters have interviewed people still waiting to hear from those who once lived in Thargoid-occupied systems. Vox Galactica has published several such stories:
"My ex-husband took our

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Wing Commander composer

George Oldziey

has another update on the progress of his

album campaign

. He's still diligently working on sending out the discs that backers ordered, but the timetable has been slower than he'd have liked. He has had some exciting distractions, however! In addition to moving from Austin to LA, he's had a couple of major professional jobs to attend to with great results. The full update is below:

Greetings all! I just wanted to apologize for the slowness of delivery on this phase 1 of Volume 2 campaign. I did complete recording the bar music and delivery of digital files and score pdfs. But I still owe some of you physical CDs as well as MIDI mockups of the (hopefully) soon to be recorded orchestral music (pending success of a subsequent phase).

This has been a year of huge transition for me and my wife Suzi. I've been spending most of my time in LA trying to kickstart

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

We're now just a bit more than three days away from the conclusion of George Oldziey's campaign to create a new Wing Commander album with a live orchestra. Just since this past weekend, the project has added another $1,000 to approach $19,500. With only a few more days left to go, is $22,000 possible? The project has already crossed the minimum $16K threshold, but we'd love to see it hit the $22K stretch target to add a live choir as well. Wing Commander fans have shown up in force many times before, so it's certainly possible!

Here's some samples of George's wonderful 2019 jazz album full of Wing Commandar bar music. A handful of reprinted copies are up for grabs as part of the new album campaign:

George Oldziey · Wing Commander Bar Music!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Great job, everyone! Once again, hundreds of Wingnuts have come together to pull off a successful crowdfunding campaign! The finally tally was $24,300, which is more than 50% over the $16,000 target. This means that a live orchestra will be able to record the entire Wing Commander album in Budapest and it will be supplemented by a live choir in Salt Lake City. The entire project will come to more than $40,000 when combined with a separate mega donation from Matt Hiltner, so Wingnuts will truly be in for a treat. When all is said and done, the effort will include reprintings of the prior albums on CD as well as vinyl editions of both orchestra pieces. This will be a collectible set for the ages! Even if you're only interested in hearing the final product digitally, it will surely be a treat. Composer George Oldziey has already started placing deposits to secure time with the musicians later

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
A fundraiser hosted by Princess Aisling aims to finance a support network for Imperial citizens affected by Thargoid aggression.
The Citizens' Relief Trust has been established in the Cemiess system, prompted by the loss of thousands of military personnel during the Battle of HIP 22460. She announced:
"While the Empire is focused on increasing its military strength, we must not forget the human cost of ongoing conflict with the Thargoids. Those who died in battle will be honoured by assisting the families and dependants left to mourn them. The Citizens' Relief Trust plans to establish support centres to ensure their financial and emotional needs are met."
"To raise funding, I have requested deliveries of Eshu Umbrellas, Xihe Biomorphic Companions and Chateau De Aegaeon. These luxury commodities will be auctioned or sold at a special gala I plan to host for Imperial

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Anti-slavery campaigner Jarl Toredo has disclosed that he and Princess Aisling Duval have been conducting a secret romantic relationship, despite her betrothal to Federal Ambassador Jordan Rochester.

Entertainment journalist Solomon Helios gave full details on his programme:

"Following Jarl Toredo's resignation from Unchain, I offered to tell his side of the story. Although he declined a formal interview, he did disclose that he could no longer bear working alongside Princess Duval."

"He admitted that he has been romantically involved with the princess since their first meeting several months ago. It seems they both felt it wise to keep the relationship a secret."

"According to Toredo, the princess claimed not to have any romantic feelings for Ambassador Rochester, and insisted that the marriage was merely a means to advance her political plans. Initially Toredo accepted this, but it seems

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Federal news channels have announced that the wedding of Princess Aisling Duval and Ambassador Jordan Rochester has been cancelled.

The statement came from Congress member Isolde Rochester:

"The planned wedding between my son Jordan Rochester and Her Imperial Highness will no longer take place. We have contacted everyone involved with the event and closed down all related projects."

The announcement follows anti-slavery campaigner Jarl Toredo's confession that he and Aisling Duval were romantically involved for several months. Toredo also claimed that the planned marriage was purely a political matter.

The cancellation was confirmed by the Imperial Palace on Emerald, but there has been no direct response from Princess Duval or Ambassador Rochester.

Political journalist Cassia Carvalho of The Imperial Herald commented:

"The fact that this news comes from Isolde Rochester gives weight to Jarl

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Princess Aisling Duval has publicly rejected the isolationist group Nova Imperium and its figurehead, Hadrian Duval:

"These extremists cause only division. Hadrian may well be the grandson of Hengist Duval, but that hardly makes him suited to the throne. Arissa has been silent for too long – she must act quickly to resolve this volatile situation."

Senator Zemina Torval responded:

"Much to my surprise, I find myself in agreement with Princess Duval. The notion of an independent pilot becoming ruler of the Empire is preposterous. I am confident that the Emperor will respond accordingly."

Despite this united front, Senator Pal Vespasian stated:

"Many senators are willing to recognise Hadrian Duval as Emperor-in-waiting. Nova Imperium is now a legitimate political movement with several million supporters. The only way the Empire will survive is by accepting the Imperator's proposals."

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Last weekend, Princess Aisling Duval hosted a diplomatic function at which Federal Ambassador Jordan Rochester was the guest of honour.

Although security at the event was tight, entertainment journalist Solomon Helios managed to obtain an exclusive insight for his programme.

"If you're wondering what happened to your invitation to the Princess's soirée, it probably ended up in the same black hole as mine. But I can still bring you a little peek from behind closed doors!"

"It's not unusual for the Imperial family to hold parties for visiting ambassadors. What is unusual is that on this occasion, Aisling invited all of Jordan Rochester's staff, including the captain and crew of his ship. Since the FNS Pioneer's commanding officer is none other than Vice Admiral Juno Rochester, one of Jordan's sisters, perhaps this was seen as an opportunity to meet a future in-law?"

"My contacts tell me that

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Princess Aisling Duval has revealed that she recently visited Imperator Hadrian Augustus Duval, leader of the isolationist group Nova Imperium.

The Imperial Herald published her statement:

"For some time, I have regretted my initial dismissal of Hadrian. Had I known that Arissa intended to carry out such a brutal purge of his followers, my approach would have been different."

"Although he has been labelled an enemy of the Empire, I found myself unable to ignore this new member of the Duval family, and so requested a meeting in the Paresa system."

"Another reason to make contact was to verify his claim to be Emperor Hengist's grandson. All the genetic tests were conclusive – Hadrian is indeed my cousin by blood."

"We have now opened a dialogue to see if there can ever be common ground between us. Perhaps together we can heal divisions within the Empire."

Display More

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Anti-slavery charity Unchain has criticised the radical activist group Autonomy for liberating 4,000 Imperial slaves on Eotienses A 3.

Princess Aisling Duval, the charity's patron, told the media:

"I fully appreciate Garrett Kline's desire to free slaves, which I'm sure comes from a place of genuine empathy, but I feel I must condemn his methods. Autonomy's reckless actions have left thousands stranded in Port Isabelle without employment or protection."

"Unchain has run similar operations to give illegal slaves their freedom, but licensed Imperial slaves require more care. The manumission process must be managed legally by a registered organisation, and each individual's wellbeing ensured. You cannot simply set huge numbers of people loose as if they were zoo animals being released into the wild."

"My dream is that one day the Empire will abolish the indentured servitude system, and that every

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

An attempt to assassinate Princess Aisling Duval has been prevented by the Imperial Internal Security Service.

The attempt occurred in the Zhao system during a fundraising event for Unchain, the anti-slavery charity formed by the princess and campaigner Jarl Toredo.

Captain Takio Diomedes of the IISS gave this statement:

"Shortly after the fundraiser began, Princess Duval's security detail detected explosive charges in key locations across the event centre. We immediately evacuated the building. The explosives, which were of amateur design, were disabled. Forensic analysis is underway to determine their origin."

Aisling Duval has not addressed the incident, and is continuing her fundraising duties for Unchain. Her fiancé, Federal Ambassador Jordan Rochester, made this comment:

"Had the explosives not been found, they would have killed hundreds of innocent people. Aisling and I are grateful to

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Princess Aisling Duval has made an unexpected announcement regarding her relationship with Federal Ambassador Jordan Rochester.

At a press conference in her palace on Emerald, the princess looked radiant as she addressed the media:

"It's no secret that Jordan and I grew close during his official visit. The time has come to let you know that we are to be husband and wife."

"I'm aware that some will see this as unorthodox, even controversial, but love knows no borders. It's our wish that our marriage will build lasting bridges between the Empire and the Federation."

A statement from Ambassador Rochester appeared in a special edition of The Federal Times:

"Representing the Federation has been my life's work, but meeting Her Highness – Aisling – made me realise that being by her side means even more. We hope that our betrothal will usher in a new era of cooperation between the two superpowers."

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Princess Aisling Duval has challenged the Empire's shift in priority towards reduced interaction with other superpowers.
During an interview with the Citizens' Chronicle newsfeed, she remarked:
"It's obvious that the Imperial Navy is deeply embarrassed by its commitment to Salvation, and is as good as paralyzed without his superweapon technology. The Emperor is now attempting to save face by severing all collaborative projects with the Alliance and Federation. Frankly, I think this is short-sighted and self-defeating."
"Our naval crews in HIP 22460 died as heroes, of course, but we should not ignore that they were acting in coalition with Allied and Federal taskforces. This tragedy affected all of us, and we do not honour the dead by pretending otherwise. All of us with the ability to help, no matter our allegiance, must do more to support the families of everyone lost in that appalling

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Techmaster has a new channel that's playing around with various video games and AI enhancement programs, and Wing Commander is ripe for fusion of the two. One of their first clips is an upscaled sample of Wing Commander 3, which is very challenging to enhance due to its vintage 1994 low-res, low-framerate & high compression footage. Kilrathi fur doesn't make it any easier either. I would say the thumbnail looks a bit better than the video in motion, but it's not a bad first effort. Overall, it's just good to see more people dabbling in this technology!

Crazy AI video upscaling 240p to 4k Wing Commander III PS1 game topaz veai + dain app

As you're probably familiar, ODVS has been spending considerable effort over the last couple years to perfect his own AI-enhanced upscaling efforts. Comparing the two, you can see the improvement that comes from all of this investment!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

We've stayed pretty far away from the recent AI art craze, but Patrick Buechner found a phenomenal use for it this week. He's run several of the original Wing Commander characters through the Stable Diffusion package with stellar results. These are an interpretation, of course, and you may or may not like the specific output character, but it's very cool to see a new realistic take on these iconic pilots (yes, Shotglass used to be a pilot "till the fleabags shot me up so bad I couldn’t fly"). Even the backgrounds and choice of collar detail on their clothing is pretty interesting!

It's raining so I'm playing with Wing Commander 1 characters in #stablediffusion #AIart

Patrick has a long resume as an Electronic Arts executive among many other roles in the gaming industry. You can find more on his accomplished background here.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Interstellar Association for Agriculture has announced that below-average crop yields are expected in several key locations.
Dr Genevieve Kane, writing on behalf of the organisation, published this statement:
"Recent audits conducted on two primary agricultural worlds, located in Diso and Orerve, indicate that staple food harvests have been markedly lower in recent months."
"Broader data analysis suggests that crop returns in several other systems may also fail to meet projected quotas. An investigation is underway to identify the reasons for this drop in produce."
"To prevent a shortage of produce from impacting consumers, the IAA is reviewing options to enhance the fertility of cropland used for domestic consumption. These include newly proposed synthetic treatments that we hope will increase the sustainability of essential harvests."
The situation was first highlighted during the

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

New Episode - Secrets This is Admiral Kensington. I have a special assignment for you. A Klingon raiding party attacked one of our science stations near the Delta Volanis Cluster. Please assist them in any way you can. A Klingon raiding party attacked a Starfleet research facility near the Delta Volanis Cluster, but left survivors and took nothing. The station is damaged, however, and the staff could use your help to resume normal operations. Be on your guard – this could be a Klingon ruse. Be ready for anything. If things get desperate, one of Starfleet’s top-secret vessels is in the area and can assist if necessary. Get on this as soon as you can – Starfleet Command needs to know what the Klingons are up to out there. Secrets is the first episode available to Discovery-era Captains after completing the tutorial. It will also be available to 2409 and TOS-era Captains as a historical