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Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Azimuth Biotech urgently requires deliveries of Guardian artefacts to HIP 22460 as vital components of the Proteus Wave.
Salvation issued an official request to the Allied, Federal and Imperial taskforces, which was then shared via public channels:
"We have now begun assembly of the Proteus Wave. Our existing stockpile of Guardian material was sufficient to begin construction, but we must now establish a supply line capable of delivering the quantity needed to finish the weapon."
Azimuth Biotech has established an initiative to encourage independent pilots to supply the Bright Sentinel megaship with Guardian commodities. Azimuth are also offering additional ship liveries to contributors.
Pilots can deliver any combination of Guardian caskets, orbs, relics, tablets, totems and urns to the Bright Sentinel megaship in the HIP 22460 system.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

You might think GOG's Summer Sale is still in full swing, but it actually came to a close on June 27. Don't despair, however, as a new Weekend Sale is discounting Wing Commander, Ultima and more! The GOG Twitter account also put out a little trivia message that included references to Ultima 8 and Wing Commander Academy. There's only about 24 hours yet to go as of this writing, so act fast! And if you miss it, don't worry, I'm sure there will be another Wing Commander sale in our near future.

Can you name the titles from our Good Old Games Weekend? No cheating! 😏

You can find more classics up to -90% here 👉 https://t.co/0ueswjwej9 | #GOGSale pic.twitter.com/xvJMQsjBWI

— GOG.COM (@GOGcom) July 3, 2022

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Azimuth Biotech's operation in the HIP 22460 system has been publicly denounced by the Thargoid-worshipping fringe religion.
A video message from a hooded young woman aboard the Testament, the cult's missionary vessel, was transmitted directly to the newsfeed Vox Galactica:
"This plan to entrap and destroy the heralds of the Far God must cease immediately. As the newly appointed First Apostle of the True Chapters, I beseech those in authority not to support Salvation's evil crusade. To slaughter these holy beings is a monstrous act of deicide."
Dr Alfred Ulyanov, a leading authority on the enigmatic sect, commented:
"It is extremely unusual for Far God believers to make any kind of announcement or acknowledge current events. They accept their own deaths with equanimity, believing as they do that all life will be extinguished when the Far God emerges from hyperspace. But they are clearly

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

This weekend we have more Symphonic Remakes for your aural enjoyment! This time the SR composer took a crack at digitally reorchestrating both the Patrol and Rescue tunes from George Oldziey's Wing Commander 3 soundtrack. Both are pretty great! Give them a listen below and find more here!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Embarrassing discovery: “grimalkin” is a real word which means cat, often a witch’s familiar. This means I have been missing a joke in Special Operations 2 for THIRTY YEARS. Paladin renames a captured freighter the Grimalkin for the titular special operation. I always assumed it was just a second Kilrathi name because the cats knew the Gamal Gan had been captured!

Additionally: I learned this not by noticing it in Shakespeare or Hawthorne but because ballroom_blitz got me PYEWACKET, an old children’s book about a gang of cats. We’ve been reading a bit before bed each night!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

At the CIC we're all huge fans of the new Star Trek shows, and Mark Glass must be an even BIGGER fan because he's combined his two loves - new Star Trek and Wing Commander - into one project. The Strange New Worlds introduction is already near perfection, but Mark wondered how he could make it better. The answer is clear: add Wing Commander. His version features the WC Overture theme. Check it out below!

And here's the originals for comparison!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

By Christopher Lee. I dig it.

A school project where I used the title sequence form Wing Commander III as inspiration

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The anti-xeno operation in HIP 22460 involving Azimuth Biotech and the superpowers has drawn comments from prominent political figures.
Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval: "I agree with Senator Patreus that supporting Azimuth's proposal remains our most practical course of action. However, alternative options for tackling the Thargoid threat are required."
Princess Aisling Duval: "Salvation is clearly a master of self-promotion and public manipulation. I only hope that the Empire does not regret associating with this distasteful individual."
Prime Minister Edmund Mahon: "Our military presence in HIP 22460, coupled with the strategic defence pact with Sirius Corporation, shows that the long-term security of Allied systems remains our priority."
Councillor Nakato Kaine: "Two ruthless corporations with disreputable histories, and the Alliance is now collaborating with both. This a deeply regrettable

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

TV Spot Movie Fan has just posted a fun collection of television ads from the March 1999 marketing campaign for the Wing Commander Movie. We've essentially got these same clips in our video archive, but in some cases ours lack the temporal bits. For example, at the 13 second mark of the 4th video and 19 second mark of the 4 5th video, there is an "in XX days" countdown reference. Other clips refer to the upcoming "March 12" release date or the movie being "out now." I had the extreme privilege of catching these countdown commercials as they were broadcast live in real time back in the day, so they really trigger some fond memories here. It's nice to see them again!

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
The HIP 22460 system will be the stage for a decisive strike against the Thargoids by Azimuth Biotech and the superpowers.
The following message was broadcast across all public channels:
"This is Salvation. Construction of the Proteus Wave has officially commenced. This version of my anti-xeno superweapon has been designed to bring absolute victory against our adversaries."
"HIP 22460 will serve as the final battlefield in the Thargoid war. As with previous superweapons, we anticipate that the Guardian-based technology incorporated within the Proteus Wave will once again attract the Thargoids. However, this time it will eradicate the alien threat not just from the system, but from the entire galaxy."
"Everyone who wishes to see this hostile species defeated once and for all should view this project as a call to arms. This is not a time for politics or debate. It is

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Medical and military commodities are needed to support the cross-superpower operation in the HIP 22460 system.
Commodore Morag Halloran, who is coordinating for Azimuth Biotech aboard the Bright Sentinel megaship, outlined the requirements:
"The Proteus Wave is designed to attract the bulk of the Thargoid fleet before destroying them. We are making preparations to defend Salvation from the alien vessels until the superweapon is ready."
"Azimuth Biotech is offering generous payment for shipments of advanced medicines, basic medicines and reactive armour. These can be delivered to the Heart of Taurus megaship in HIP 22460."
"Specially tailored ship liveries are available as additional rewards, in gratitude to those loyal Commanders who are dedicated to Salvation's cause of defeating the Thargoids."
The anti-xeno taskforces of the Alliance, Empire and Federation are

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
A coalition of independent Commanders has been formed to destabilise Salvation's anti-xeno organisation.
The Alliance, Empire and Federation are providing military backing to Azimuth Biotech – formerly Taurus Mining Ventures – to end the Thargoid threat. Many members of the Pilots' Federation have also declared their support, but some have organised a resistance movement.
To undermine Azimuth Biotech's presence in several systems, a series of civil actions and combat strikes are being coordinated under the banner 'Operation Wych Hunt'. This refers to evidence that suggests Salvation's real name is Dr Caleb Wycherley, also referred to as 'the Witch' in several sources.
The Commanders are directly protesting against Salvation, claiming he is responsible for numerous illegal activities that resulted in multiple deaths. These include developing the mycoid bioweapon for

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

ZOmegaZ has a new Kickstarter campaign for a new run of challenge coins inspired by various video games and TV shows. Although the emphasis this time around is on his new items, there are a small number of remaining Wing Commander coins from his previous effort available. They are sure to go fast, but if you act now, there's a chance you can snag one for $13 plus shipping. Find out more here!

Wing Commander: Vega Campaign 2" (limited quantities)

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The concluding article in this series examines events leading to the resurrection of Azimuth and Salvation's plans for the future.
During February and March 3308, Aegis suffered a slow death as its operations were shut down by the superpowers. Its leaders continued calling for its reinstatement, not just to battle the Thargoids but also to oppose Azimuth Biochemicals. They claimed that this sinister corporation was still performing unlicensed xenological research and was responsible for thousands of deaths.
Meanwhile, the number of Thargoid incursions was increasing, perhaps in response to Salvation's Guardian-based superweapon. This culminated in a simultaneous invasion of the Didio, Novas and Sosong systems in April 3308. These were major population centres for the Alliance, Empire and Federation respectively, with over ten billion lives at risk.
Salvation and the superpower militaries

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

I love these European CD-ROM Classics that came in thick jewel cases. How cool would it be to have a collection of them in all the different languages? Here's a recent photo posted by Stephan:

I really appreciated the CD-ROM Classics and bought them regularly. If I remember correctly, they had their own EA displays at the POS. Great selection of excellent titles. I have kept a few to this day.

I believe there were three Wing Commanders:

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

An overview of how Aegis was impacted by the rise of Salvation as a competing anti-xeno force.
"For now I cannot provide you with my credentials. Suffice to say that I am a man of science, unconnected with modern politics. I am recruiting agents to investigate the work undertaken by Azimuth Biochemicals two hundred years ago, which I believe to be of enormous scientific importance. Much has been lost in that time, but our dedication will allow us to rewrite history."
This was how the anonymous figure known only as Salvation introduced himself to Pilots' Federation members in April 3307. Faceless and voiceless, he remains unseen to the present day. His messages characterised him as a dedicated scientist, one with enormous confidence in achieving his goal to destroy the Thargoids and "save all of humanity".
It was clear that Salvation possessed detailed knowledge about Azimuth Biochemicals,

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

A look at the rivalry between Aegis and Salvation during the escalating war against the Thargoids.
Salvation's success in purging the Thargoid presence from the Cornsar system had many repercussions, not least from the aliens themselves. Several inhabited nebulas were suddenly overrun with Thargoid vessels, leading some to believe they were reacting aggressively to the Guardian-based nature of the anti-xeno superweapon.
Aegis's hands were tied by the ongoing public inquiry, but its chief military liaison Admiral Aden Tanner was convinced that the superweapon was designed to attract Thargoids as well as repel them. Claiming that evidence for this could be found at Hind Mine in the T Tauri system, he commanded the megaship Musashi to launch an assault.
This was a battle that Taurus Mining Ventures won with much support from independent pilots, showing how much faith was now placed in Salvation.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Let's look at some chalkboards! The kill board in Wing Commander I is one of those great immsersive touches: instead of scoring points like an arcade, you stay in the game world and compete with the characters you recognize.

All the characters' kills increase as the game progresses but they start from the same numbers. It's nice environmental storytelling, too: you can tell right off that Maniac is the rookie, Iceman is the top gun, etc. There's a million untold stories in this picture!

That environmental storytelling started to become linear storytelling as the series went on: here's a bit added to the Super Wing Commander Claw Marks that tells the story of how Maniac became an ace (as had already been reflected on the original board):

Quick aside: the kill board is based on actual 'scoreboards' used aboard aircraft carriers, particularly in World War 2. Here's a neat article with some history and

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Last year we mentioned Plywood Fiend's alternative take on a Wing Commander playthrough. Rather than just add typical commentary to the stream, he spices up the episodes with his own animations, supplemental dialogue and unique captions. After winning the Vega Campaign, he's moved on and is now well into the Secret Missions. You can find a few samples below or check out his full Wing Commander playlist on YouTube here.

Woe, calamity and me, for I have returned with more stuff. Specifically I've gone back to do a play through of Secret Missions 1 in my own peculiar fashion; the playlist can be found here (scroll down for the new material, I'm currently up to the Gwenhyvar mission.) Below are a few samples of the added extras I've twisted in, most notably is a pixel art animation I made showing a fateful distress call from the TCS Johann which, suffice it to say, was not the luckiest of vessels, as

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Today has been exhausting, and we know many of you are exhausted too. We'll be back with some more upbeat Wing Commander stories tomorrow, but for now, here's the topically relevant angle on current events: the owner of the WC franchise, Electronic Arts, has announced tepid support for abortion rights in the US. Although they didn't come out and use the word "abortion" in their public-facing statement, they have internally communicated to employees that they "will soon offer expanded travel health benefits" to employees seeking basic healthcare that they will only be able to access out of state. They join a number of other game developers and tech companies who have announced similar measures today. With the competitiveness of the industry at a fever pitch these days, these types of benefits will be critical incentives in the future.

Anyhow, take care of yourselves out there. Hit us up on Discord