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Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

I decided to try and take apart Wing Commander Armada to learn about how it generates maps. The 'Campaign' mode has 11 pre-set sectors that are always the same but the 'Armada' mode creates random ones. Where do the names come from and how many are there?

Long story short, I found the table of all 704 system names with a hex editor and cross referenced them with the published campaign maps. 704 systems is 11 blocks of 64 each. The first systems in the start of each block all appear in their respective campaign sector while the Armada mode can pull from anywhere in the table for a random map. So here's a spreadsheet of them all... the immediate takeaway is that I've discovered 118 new star systems previously uncataloged in Wing Commander lore! Also the list is super fun, lots and lots of 1994 gags and obvious Origin in-jokes.

Next I wanted to learn more about the planet graphics. I've found they're

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

It was just last week when we featured a post by PC Gamer UK remembering the February 1995 (#15) issue of their magazine... which surprised us all because it featured a long forgotten portrait of Prince Thrakhath! Thanks to X-Wing Game Series we have an excellent quality scan of the magazine and we've pulled out all the Wing Commander material for you.

The most exciting discovery was the story behind the painting... along with an unobstructed, high resolution scan of the full piece! It turns out it was painted by Paul Kidby, an English artist notable for his work in Terry Prachett's worlds, and the original was given away in an Electronic Arts contest run through the magazine. How did history forget this?!

The review itself is comprehensive and accurate... Wing Commander III is an immaculate game!

The issue also included a short article on actors appearing in CD-ROMs that features a photograph of Mark

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

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.

Quote from No Man

Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone playing the Fractal Update, especially those taking the time to report any issues they encounter via Zendesk or console crash reporting.

We are listening closely to your feedback, and have identified and resolved a number of issues. These fixes are included in patch 4.12.1, which is live on Steam.

Bug fixes

• Fixed a number of network-related crashes.
• Fixed an issue that could cause controllers to disconnect when playing via Steam.

We will continue to release patches as issues are identified and resolved. If you experience any issues, let us know by submitting a bug report.

Thank you,
Hello Games

The post Fractal 4.12.1 appeared first on No Man's Sky.

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Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Dominus of Exult has managed to track down another rare and exotic Wing Commander find. While scoping out a lot of vintage games, he noticed some extra pack-ins with WC1/2. It turns out they were physically mailed patch disks that the original owner received after working with Origin Tech Support. That’s how it worked before patches were easily downloadable online! A few of these pop up from time to time and they’re always very cool to see.

Bought a Wing Commander lot for $50 (1-5, Secret/Special, Privateer2, Academy, Armada). Mainly because I didn‘t have the regular Prophecy and spied some oddities. I think it was worth it

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Aegis's initiative in the Duamta system has kick-started production of a ship module designed for caustic environments.
Shipments of advanced catalysers, heatsink interlinks and palladium were delivered following a request from Professor Alba Tesreau. Pilots also provided tissue samples extracted from the caustic generators inside each Maelstrom, which are a vital component of these modules. Manufacturing bases have now been established, allowing stocks of the caustic sink launcher to reach the public market.
Dr Maximo Fonseca, head of xenological research at Gateway Laboratories, published a statement on behalf of Aegis:
"The Thargoids have developed powerful defences to prevent their enemies reaching the heart of the Maelstroms. The dangerously caustic gas clouds are an effective deterrent, and have sadly claimed the lives of many intrepid pilots."
"So, the

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Universal Cartographics has announced a two-week initiative to locate planets with ammonia atmospheres.
The survey was outlined by Cynthia Sideris, chairperson of Universal Cartographics:
"Aegis has urgently requested an update to our database of terrestrial planets with ammonia atmospheres. It is no coincidence that each Maelstrom is located in a system containing such worlds, given that Thargoid biochemistry is ammonia-based."
"We are therefore liaising with Aegis to chart as many ammonia worlds as possible. As well as contributing to xenological research, our intent is to identify potential staging grounds for Thargoid fleets and arrival points for additional Maelstroms."
"Over the next two weeks, pilots can obtain increased payouts for delivering cartographic survey data to Angus Manwaring starport in the Eta Cassiopeiae system. Only ammonia world data will be

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 No Man

Hello everyone,

Thank you to everyone playing the Fractal Update, especially those taking the time to report any issues they encounter via Zendesk or console crash reporting.

We are listening closely to your feedback, and have identified and resolved a number of issues. These fixes are included in patch 4.12, which will be live on all platforms soon.

Bug fixes

• Fixed an issue that caused bases built next to some building types to become buried in the ground.
• Fixed an issue that prevented recolouring of portable base building objects constructed outside of a base.
• Fixed an issue that caused ship cockpit screens to flicker.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Galactic Trade Room on freighters to be non-interactable.
• Fixed an issue that allowed cursor or stick sensitivity to be set to 0, preventing cursor use.
• Fixed a bug that caused farmable plants to appear in the wrong visual state.
• Fixed an issue that caused ByteBeat

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Scribbler was inspired by that other Maverick and his new Top Gun movie to make this fun fan trailer. "Wing Commander Maverick" is presented in both English and German for your enjoyment. Check it out below. There's a lot of good cuts in there!

Tom Cruise is celebrated, Top Gun Maverick might get an Academy Award? Our Maverick was probably forgotten last year. Here is our version of Maverick. In English and German (including a new scene that nobody knows yet. Not even the actors ). Have fun

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's a fantastic gem from the February 1995 issue of PC Gamer in the UK. The cover is all about Wing Commander 3 with a stellar piece of Kilrathi art. We haven't been able to track down the big four page review inside, so if you have a copy of this buried away, let us know! This time capsule was surfaced by none other than the official PC Gamer Twitter itself with the caption, "It's time to bring back Wing Commander with Mark Hamill. We deserve it."

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Trillionaire entrepreneur Zachary Rackham has launched his campaign to be elected as Federal president in the forthcoming election.
He outlined several policies during a press event in the tropospheric suite of Rackham's Spire on the planet Homeland:
"As I see it, the job of president is to help ordinary, hard-working people from humble backgrounds – just like me. So I pledge to reduce all civil taxes and public service fees, and boost government funding for business grants and commercial opportunities. Let's make everyone rich and successful – just like me!"
Mr Rackham is running for the position of Federal president as an independent candidate and claims support from several corporate interests including Rackham Capital Investments. His manifesto has triggered a surge in popularity, with several high-profile celebrities promoting his campaign slogan: 'Just Like Me'.
However, economists have

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Yesterday's look at the supertitles was a big hit, so here's a closer look at how they evolved throughout production.

The approach to the Claw doesn't really change much at all, except that nearly every cut save for the final calls it the C.S.S. Tiger Claw. Most of the preliminary titles are also green instead of blue.

The Pegasus attack at the beginning of the movie probably morphs the most in some ways. Some of the early edits start with a flyover of a destroyed Pegasus and then flash back in time to the attack. The final cut of the film is linear and so does away with a lot of the supertitles. There were at least two alternate cuts of the opening, both opened on the Pegasus debris field after the attack.

The more straight forward version has a flyby over the debris and then jumps back in time to show the attack:

The second is a more condensed version that intercuts the debris fly-over with flashbacks

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Aegis has produced a prototype module that increases a ship's ability to survive within caustic environments.
Professor Alba Tesreau, head of the newly reformed agency, published this statement:
"The blueprints provided by Petra Olmanova have been rapidly developed by Aegis's newly acquired chemical engineers, metallurgists and ship technicians. Utilising their combined skills, they have constructed a working prototype."
"This new module functions along similar lines to a heatsink launcher. It is designed to channel the corrosive reaction experienced within a Thargoid Maelstrom to specific replaceable anodes prior to ejection, thereby extending a ship's range and operating time. We hope this will allow more data to be acquired about these mysterious objects."
"Aden Tanner has volunteered to personally pilot the ship in the live tests taking place this week. Time is of the essence, since the

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

An overview of recent developments regarding the Thargoid conflict, as reported by Jade Sanderlyn on the Vox Galactica newsfeed.
"Over the last month, Thargoid fleets have continued expanding outwards from the eight Maelstroms. The front lines of the war are relentlessly encroaching deeper into the core systems, leaving desolation and death in their wake."
"A dedicated resistance force won a few precious victories, with 61 systems fully liberated from Thargoid control. But compared to the 634 systems that have been overrun, it would be optimistic to suggest the aliens' advance is being significantly impeded at this stage."
"Fierce fighting has also broken out in the California and Witch Head Nebulas. It's been speculated that the Thargoids seek to secure the barnacle sites seeded in those regions millennia ago… a reminder that this species may view all of our space as its original

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Deliveries are requested in Duamta to fast-track production of a module that protects ships in caustic environments.
Professor Alba Tesreau, the head of Aegis, provided these details:
"We are grateful to Aden Tanner for personally testing our prototype caustic sink launcher. The electrochemical reaction within the Maelstrom cloud was successfully channelled into semi-liquid anodes for ejection. This kept the ship hull intact for considerably longer before Tanner was forced to withdraw."
"Aegis is setting up manufacturing and distribution centres to make the caustic sink launcher widely available. The Alliance, Empire and Federation will all contribute, but we know that the process can be accelerated with the direct support of the galactic community."
"Therefore, we have an open order for shipments of advanced catalysers, heatsink interlinks and palladium. We also

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

RedBahamut loves George Oldziey's classic Wing Commander 3 music, but he wishes there was more of it! Since there aren't all that many fan remixes to add to the variety, he's created his own remastered album. Back in 2021 he released a test track, and now he's ready to share the entire composition. I'm listening to it right now. It sticks closely to the tone of the original while adding some refreshing flourishes here and there. Give it a listen below!

I started playing Wing Commander 3 a few years ago and the first thing that really got me was the absolute fantastic soundtrack. After checking a bit on Youtube, I am quite surprised of not finding much music related to WC3 or even remakes from remixers, so here is my take and my contribution to the Wing Commander community, hope you enjoy, Cheers!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

I just thought all four of the supertitles from the Wing Commander movie would be a good post. And I was right.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Doubles is best! Or at least so says the April 1996 issue of GamesMaster, a UK-based gaming magazine that ran from 1993 to 2018. It features a cover story promoting not one but two big Wing Commander reviews: the PlayStation port of Wing Commander III and the original PC release of Wing Commander IV. But the biggest story here is surely the stunning 1990s magazine layouts seen throughout which are sort of like a mesmerizing surrealist landscape that you can't stop from staring it:

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

I think I might have found a neat reference. Ultima fans, follow me for a moment. Here are screenshots of (some of) bartenders from Privateer. The heads are animated in front of a background that was rendered in 3D Studio.

A larger version of each background is actually stored in the game which gives you a better view. They're for a cut feature so don't ever actually display. But if you look closely there are four different labels for the liquor applied to a variety of different bottle shapes.

But we can get even more detail because the original 3D models and their textures have survived all these years in dev material we've recovered at the CIC!

So Ultima fans: is that last bottle not a map of Britannia?!