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Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Commanders have been asked to help destroy the rogue Grey Swan pilots killing civilians in the Shamash system.
Military squadrons taking part in Fleet Exercise Grey Swan became irrationally violent following an unexplained mass hysteria that swept through Garrett Orbital during a fleet training exercise. Captain Ulrich Maurer, commanding officer of the San Tu State Network megaship Khonsu Gleam, broadcast the following message:
"Shamash Future's security forces have asked us to help stop the carnage taking place throughout this system. No medical or technological solution has been found for affected pilots, who seem reluctant to leave Shamash. Therefore, to prevent the loss of more innocent lives, there is regrettably no choice but to eliminate every ship in the Grey Swan fleet."
"We are urgently seeking to recruit independent pilots with combat experience. Financial

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's something you don't see every day! Billy Joe Cain was the lead designer on Wing Commander Prophecy, and his connections to the team have helped him come into possession of a highly collectible jacket! If you haven't followed his adventures in our previous updates, Billy has been out of the commercial game scene for a bit. He's founded the Radical Empathy Education Foundation to fight human trafficking. If you're in an especially giving mood, the jacket has been listed on eBay for $8,900 with the proceeds going to these anti-trafficking efforts. The price will gradually decrease until it goes to a good home!

Today, a Wing Commander "holy grail" came into my life and I'm selling it to raise money to end human trafficking through prevention education.

If you liked Wing Commander Prophecy, this is the ultimate collectible. There may have been 30 of these "Development Team Only" bomber jackets

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Federal citizens who were captured by Thargoids then rescued from the Titans will not yet be permitted to leave secure medical facilities.
The decision comes after the Alliance ended quarantine restrictions for returnees from their systems, with newly rescued civilians expected to spend no more than a week in observation. Prime Minister Edmund Mahon has called on other governments to do the same.
President Zachary Hudson discussed the situation during a press conference:
"The consensus of Federal medical experts is that it would be foolishly optimistic to allow these people – some of whom were held aboard the Titans for months – back into the general population. When at war with such an implacable enemy as the Thargoids, we simply cannot afford to take any risks."
"Rest assured that Federal citizens are not suffering in any way. They are allowed to receive visitors, albeit without physical

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

President-elect Felicia Winters has officially selected new heads for each executive department of the Federal government.
She announced her choices during a session of Congress, where she gave a short speech about her upcoming presidency. This was followed by a similar statement from Isolde Rochester, who will serve as Winters's vice president.
Sofia Trevino, political journalist for The Federal Times, reported:
"With these appointments, Felicia Winters is laying the foundations on which to build a new Federal government. Long-serving figures in the Liberal Party are finally being rewarded with key positions in the upcoming administration."
"One notable loyalist is Congressman Bai Zheng, who will be Secretary for Security. She is already well-known for opposing the Proactive Detection Bureau, and will undoubtedly take pleasure in overseeing the surveillance unit's closure, as per Winters's

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Switching gears today, LOAF found a Tumblrer named NMA Nekro who specializes in fan art of Matthew Lillard. That means we get to see their glorious take on Todd "Maniac" Marshall. It's pretty amazing that people are still making content like this after 25 years. The Buzz Lightyear-style action figure is also a nice touch. As a point of comparison, the actual action figure features Maniac in his shipboard uniform and not a flight suit!

How you doing? Allow me to introduce myself. Lieutenant Todd Marshall!

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Think you own a copy of pretty much every Wing Commander book out there? The truth may shock you! LOAF is on a mission to acquire a copy of every book in existence, including all those crazy, unofficial German guides. More than eighty books have been added to the

Background

section, covering both novels and game guides (official and unofficial) and their translations into

Czech

,

German

and

Russian

. We've even included some unrealized projects (did you know that author Andrew Keith had planned to pitch a pair of follow-up novels to

False Colors

?) and some interesting odds and ends, like the

Polish Honor Harrington

novel that reuses the cover art from End Run. Please get in touch if you own something we've overlooked, or if you have a copy of that elusive

Italian guide

and would be able to provide us with a scan or additional information.

Display More

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The head of personnel at Rackham Capital Investments has died in an accident, becoming the second senior-level employee to have died in recent weeks.

Journalist Bryanna Blanco commented in The Federal Times:

"Senior executive Derrin O'Shea was killed when his personal limousine malfunctioned and crashed. The incident has not been ruled as suspicious. O'Shea's position was filled within hours by a supporter of Taja Gavaris, however. Gavaris herself inherited the CFO role in a similar fashion following her predecessor's recent death."

"With two close allies gone, CEO Zachary Rackham must feel under threat. This corporate power struggle increasingly resembles two pirate captains fighting to become overall leader."

"The authorities have again declined to begin a formal investigations into Gavaris and Rackham, claiming a lack of evidence. How many more casualties must occur before this conflict is

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Here are this week's main stories.

Princess Aisling Duval, patron of the anti-slavery charity Unchain, has criticised activist group Autonomy for freeing thousands of slaves on Eotienses A 3. While sympathising with leader Garrett Kline's motives, Duval condemned the lack of proper care or long-term consideration for the newly emancipated individuals.

A leader of the notorious Red Family drug cartel, Jan Sandoval, has handed herself in to the Federal Intelligence Agency. Reports suggest she plans to testify against all prominent cartel members, including kingpin Oberon Church. Sandoval has been placed into protective custody, and Executive Agent Viola Trask has been assigned ownership of the case.

And those are the main stories this week.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Hardcore Gaming 101

has kicked off a lengthy two-part Wing Commander retrospective. It's not too uncommon to find a classic review of Wing Commander here or there, but author AB Silvera has gone into considerable depth this time around. The piece starts with a nice introduction to the history of Origin and how the company went from being Ultima-centric to branching out to games such as Wing Commander. That's followed up with some solid backstory on how Chris Roberts found himself making the game in Austin. The article also goes into detail concerning ports and expansions, which is subject we're particular fond of. This includes five-way screenshots to show how people and places could differ from one platform to the next. It's great to see someone spend so much time to scratch beneath the surface! Check out both segments below:

• Wing Commander
• Wing Commander II

'In the distant future, mankind

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

Five new patrols are coming to Star Trek Online, bringing new challenges and story to the universe. J’Ula, sister of T’Kuvma, is on the march once again. She is seeking the spores of prototaxites stellaviatori to fuel her devastating new superweapon. With the aid of Lt. Commander Paul Stamets and Captain Kuumaarke, captains can stand tall in the fight against the dangerous matriarch of House Mo’Kai. We’ll be revealing the new patrols one at a time in the lead up to Awakening – check back with Startrekonline.com for more! The Ninth Rule The player deals with mercenaries working for the Ferengi Daimon Madran as he steals mycelial spores from the Kinjer System to sell on the open market to the highest bidder. You will first be able to access these new Patrols from your mission journal after completing the episode “Beneath the Skin.” If you are on a Patrol mission from the journal,

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The cause of mass crop spoilage on key agricultural worlds has been attributed to a new disease affecting plants.
Dr Genevieve Kane of the Interstellar Association for Agriculture summarised the organisation's findings:
"The rapid decay of plant life on multiple planets was caused by the same strain of advanced blight. Its origin and vectors remain unknown, and it has so far resisted all established methods of treatment."
"Our analysis has not determined if the blight is a natural mutation or an artificial pathogen. Until we confirm this and develop a method of preventing further spread, viable cropland will become scarcer and the production of staple foods will continue to drop."
"The Vandermeer Corporation has offered to assist the IAA with its research. The company's experience of molecular diagnostics will hopefully contribute to a breakthrough."
Journalist Adalyn Cross reported on this

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

In the run up to Wing Commander 3's 25th birthday, All Wings Considered has been playing through both the PC and 3DO versions of the game. The classic DOS edition is the gold standard we all know and love while the 3DO is an exotic animal with slightly different features, graphics, weapons and even missions. It's been fascinating to compare the two side by side, but there is another major console port for the Sony Playstation. It's not part of the playthrough because it's decidedly the least advanced of the three, but that doesn't mean it's not without its own unique charms. Here's a new review by TTBurger88 to give you a rundown of what it's like. As you can see, he's a huge fan of this version and has plenty of praise to share. As an extra bonus, he also covered WC4 for the Playstation as well.

Today we continue our review of more FMV Games, by looking at one of the most popular FMV game

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The new year's train keeps rolling, and now it's time for our annual fan project contest. Based on Wingnut nominations and our review of the news from the past twelve months, we've narrowed down the long list of amazing fan projects from 2019 into ten nominees. We know it's super hard to pick just one, but try your best! Good luck to all!

• Adm_Maverick Tabletop Adventures began as papercraft models. After Maverick got some practice making miniature WC ships, he branched out into a full fledged game. He's since produced a wide range of supporting items and has been actively playtesting to work out the kinks.
• AircPirateNinsei's radio controlled flying Hornet model has to be seen to be believed! He's combined his aerodynamic skills with Wing Commander fandom to produce an incredible tribute to the WC series that actually goes airborne!
• DefianceIndustries has his own personal Wing Commander projects,

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The Origin art piece destined for Through the Moongate, from Wing Commander and Ultima VII to Portalarium continues to come together. Manda, the painter, has posted these step-by-step illustrations to show how the Kilrathi face and Dralthi fighter have been added. As this is a KF-100 fighter, it's greenish tinged as it soars by. Project backers who supported the book, but not the higher art tiers, have an option to add a cloth version of this painting for €30 by contacting author Andrea Contato.

Science fiction and fantasy painters benefit from painting wildlife. The Kilrathi are a cat-inspired race of aliens. I’ll be better able to paint fantasy felines if I’ve made a few real ones along the way. GrrAWWRRR!!! The asymmetry is very deliberate. This one is a bad guy. I want them in the mean and angry and crazed side of things.

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

Starfleet Engineers, in conjunction with the finest minds in singularity technology of the Romulan Republic, have finally made a breakthrough in investigating the incursions from the Galaxy of Great Sales, which occasionally merges with our own to set off the anomaly known as the “Flash Sale.” This newfound research has allowed Starfleet to create not one, not two, but three major sales over the next week! Keep checking back for more information on the great deals to come. For the first sale, from November 22nd at 8am PT to November 25th at 10am PT, we’re putting all Master Keys on sale for 30% off. Not only that, but the Infinity Lock Box is returning, fresh with its latest updates. Grab yourself some keys, and a chance at a great T6 ship of your choice! .share-footer a { margin: 20px 10px 10px 0; background: url(d7afaaa14e96d0d973f76157ae31ec5b1466398539.png) no-repeat 0 0;

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We've got an exciting triple pack from Klavs to share today. First up is the new Hornet that Klavs has been perfecting recently. It looks nicely battle worn without being dirty, which is a slick effect. There are also two wallpaper-style images. The first has both old and new flavors of Bearcat. It's also a good looking fighter. Finally, you've got a couple of Rapiers providing ground support for a handful of landing craft. Perhaps a Vukar Tag inspiration?

Probably a little TOO subtle with all the effects, streaks, rivets and fasteners, but here she is!

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

From February 13th at 8am PT to February 17th at 10am PT, we are having a 20% ship sale. Enjoy not just a discount on our ships, but fleet modules, dry dock slots and ship upgrade tokens as well! Have you been eyeing a new ship or ship bundle in the C-store? Now is the time to grab the ship you've always dreamt of commanding, including the new ships of the Temporal Warship Bundle! All ships and dry dock slots in the C-Store are 20% off. This includes bundles which are comprised only of ships. This does not include bundles that have items other than ships in them. The ship upgrade token, ship upgrade token bundle, and the fleet module are all 20% off as well. .share-footer a { margin: 20px 10px 10px 0; background: url(d7afaaa14e96d0d973f76157ae31ec5b1466398539.png) no-repeat 0 0; opacity: .5; display: inline-block; height: 60px; width: 60px; padding:

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We haven't covered Elite Dangerous much over the years, but it's had a very good run since its release. The base game has sold more than three million units while a number of additional expansions have kept things going for more than five years. They've just announced another big upgrade for the game that will add planetary missions in early 2021. While not everyone is a fan of mixing genres and gameplay types like this, it seems like a practical way to grow a game that's managed to mature its core experience and is ready for something different. The game is available for PC and PS4/XBox, so it's also a good way to get players of all types interested in space sims. You can check out the new Odyssey teaser below and a fuller recap of the Elite game beneath that.

“Odyssey is our most ambitious Elite Dangerous expansion to date,” said David Braben, Founder and CEO of Frontier. “Extending

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Rear Admiral Tarsus wants to remind everyone that the Wing Commander Gemini Sector RPG is alive and kicking! The group transitioned to Discord a while back and conducts most of their activity in real time chat rooms. A new event calendar has been added to the game's official wiki so players can stay on top of upcoming role playing events. There's also tons of background information at the site that you can read up on before joining yourself! Reach out and introduce yourself if you want to try something different - engaging with your Wing Command buddies is always tons of fun!

In the distant future, mankind is locked in a deadly war…

The year is 2659. War between the Terran Confederation and the felinoid aliens known as the Kilrathi has raged for twenty years, with no end in sight. Seeking to break the stalemate, the Kilrathi have launched a surprise offensive through the edge of Terran-controlled

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Councillor Nakato Kaine is visiting key systems across the Alliance as part of her bid to be elected as the next prime minister.
Of all the challengers to the incumbent Edmund Mahon, Kaine has the most support from fellow council members. She has represented the Tionisla system for nearly a decade, and is renowned for delivering forceful speeches before the Assembly.
Kaine's disapproval of the expansionist policies in recent years has struck a chord with people in many systems. She also has a strong reputation among the 'Old Worlds', which are viewed as the historic hub of the Alliance.
During a political rally on Leesti, Councillor Kaine directly criticised her election opponent:
"Prime Minister Mahon clearly thinks that the Alliance must mimic the Empire's arrogance and the Federation's corporate greed. He has repeatedly led us into conflict with the Thargoid race, risking millions of lives