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Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Wing Commander I's manual, Claw Marks, includes sixteen pages of hand drawn art of the game's ships. These schematics were part of a larger group draughted by Origin artist Glen Johnson as reference for the game's outsource 3D artist. While the original art consisted of 21 ships with 5 views each, Claw Marks reproduces only 16 ships with 3 views, two of those split in half to save space. We thought it would be a fun experiment to 'unsplit' the top and bottom views from the Claw Marks artwork! Here are the results, quick-and-dirty edits to show what the ships looked like when they were originally drawn:

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

A three-day symposium has begun that will outline proposals to reform Aegis, the tri-superpower anti-xeno agency.
The event is taking place at the national conference centre in New Apollo City on the planet Biggs Colony. It has been organised by Professor Alba Tesreau, Aegis's former head of research. In her opening address to attendees, she said:
"In the aftermath of HIP 22460's failure to end the war, humanity remains locked in this fight against the Thargoids. I believe that we have become hyper-focused on military action, meaning we may never truly understand this species. Aegis's collaborative nature was ideally suited for such work, but internal and external pressures resulted in its closure. I am officially declaring my aim to convince the Alliance, Empire and Federation to reverse that closure."
Detailed plans to reform the organisation were presented by other former members of Aegis

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

We have purchased a little bit of Wing Commander history and are passing the information on to you! Artifacts from the Origin Museum are currently being auctioned on eBay which has the excellent effect of revealing some interesting Wing Commander material we did not know survived! In this case, a set of twenty seven polaroids from Wing Commander IV's Second Unit shoot which are full of fascinating behind the screens and lore information, including some better-than-ever looks at some of the game's different costumes and never-before-recorded identities of various background characters! We're studying each polaroid and collecting what we can about how it relates to the game and will be updating one at a time. Wing Commander IV's Second Unit shoot took care of things like shipboard transitions and comm videos. In the case of the latter, actors were typically filmed in front of a single small backdrop

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Mystery surrounds the unexpected disappearance of Seo Jin-ae, who has reportedly departed the facility she'd been staying at.
Professor Alba Tesreau provided a statement to the media:
"Seo Jin-ae's mental and physical health have improved over the past three months, with the discomfort caused by her cortical implant significantly reduced. This afternoon, I learned that she failed to attend a routine therapy appointment, and was soon found to have left the facility altogether. Somehow Seo managed to depart without logging her ID at the primary entry point."
"Initially I feared that she had been abducted by Azimuth operatives, sent by the company which subjected her to horrific neurosurgical procedures. But I soon received a time-delayed communiqué from Seo explaining her departure was voluntary. She offered heartfelt thanks to me and other former Aegis members for our help, but declared: 'I

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Azimuth Biotech has requested deliveries to LHS 1163 to manufacture a module that increases AX weapons capacity.
A press release from the corporation's PR division stated:
"Azimuth's dedication to defeating the Thargoids, which stretches back more than a century, has reached a new milestone with the development of our experimental weapon stabiliser."
"This proprietary invention redistributes the physical stresses that AX weapons place upon a ship's infrastructure. The class 3 and class 5 variants allow ships to be outfitted with one or two additional AX weapons respectively."
"Supplies of meta-alloys, insulating membranes, HN shock mounts and beryllium are required to begin mass production of our successful prototypes. All shipments should be delivered to the Glorious Prospect megaship in the LHS 1163 system. Sufficient resources will allow the class 3 variant of

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
The Kumo Crew syndicate has rallied in the California Nebula to repel the region's Thargoid invasion forces.
In recent weeks Thargoid fleets swarmed through several local systems. The Kumo Council, the enclave's authority for the notorious organisation, rapidly called in reinforcements in three systems it governs. Local security forces are now organising counter-attacks against Thargoid vessels.
Archon Delaine, warlord of the Kumo Crew, announced:
"Already the war has reached the California Nebula. But are any superpower navies racing to its defence? Of course not – the Alliance considers this colony expendable. It's down to us to protect the nebula's citizens, and will do whatever it takes to succeed."
The Pegasi Sentinel newsfeed published a request for populations not to impede Kumo Crew activity, suggesting that fleet mobilisation is 'a temporary measure to

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

John Nelson has caught the Kilrathi bug (thankfully not the Locanda variant!) and has crafted another Kat ship out of Lego bricks. His little Darket was lovely, and now he's slightly upsized into the sneakier Strakha. He's got a greater mix of colors here, which matches up quite well with the orange and yellow ace variant flown by Stalker in WC3!

Dug through more parts and put together the Wing Commander 3 version of the Strahka. It’s a little more aesthetically pleasing over my Darket even though similar colors were used. Maybe it’s the larger amount of gray pieces. When I get around to some more brown pieces I will replace them.

Pliers (would) say, "This new generation of Strahka is no scarier then the old ones short of some extra guns. These models don’t carry torpedos at least so that’s a load off your mind right kid?"

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Vox Galactica's Jade Sanderlyn reports on the discovery of the Titans, and new Thargoid craft both in space and on occupied worlds.
"The true scale of the challenge facing humanity became evident this month, when we finally learned what was within the Maelstroms. It has long been theorised that the Thargoids have 'motherships' of some kind. But few were prepared for the shocking reality of the Titans, squatting at the centre of the corrosive clouds like bloated spiders in their webs. I can't be the only one whose guts knotted with fear when I first saw those floating monstrosities."
"The Maelstroms also revealed a new type of Thargoid vessel, the aggressive Glaive-class hunter. Resembling multi-bladed throwing knives, these quickly drew blood as they hurled viciously into our midst. There are reports of Glaives sighted within systems that have fallen to the Thargoid invasion fleets,

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The next episodes of

ALL WINGS CONSIDERED

is right around the corner! Join us this Thursday, February 28, at 7 PM Eastern US Time (4 PM Pacific). There's tons of fun stuff lined up, including an online multiplayer demonstration of Wing Commander Armada Proving Grounds. Follow the instructions in yesterday's news post and you can join in too! Whether you're ready to take on live space combat or not, join us for the stream on

YouTube

and in chat via the CIC's

Discord Server

.

Join us Thursday, February 28th on or about 7 PM Eastern for the second thrilling episode of All Wings Considered!

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DEEP SPACE NINE, BAJORAN SYSTEM It’s that time of the year, sports fans! Everyone’s favorite season – the start of the biggest sport in the galaxy! No, not baseball season. We’re talking about the best reason to come down to Quarks and throw back a brew – Tribble Darts! That’s right, folks, citizens of the galaxy can now step up to the plate and try their luck at throwing a full sized tribble at our dart board. Look at the satisfying way these lovable, furry creatures just bounce right off the board. Truly, a sight to behold! How do you play Tribble Darts, you ask? Why, it’s quite simple. First, approach the dart board, and pull our your favorite furry pet. Once it’s out, immediately click on “play darts,” and watch the little fluff ball fly! Scoring is easy, too. Quark has put together an ingenious scoring system for you as well. It’s very

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

We've got pics of

DefianceIndustries

' Secret Ops civilian cruise liner, and it's a beauty! This is such a unique design that it's easy to forget the in-game model was kind of

plain

. There was an

FMV quality

high res model made by Origin, but it wasn't used. Defiance has taken some great cues from that design to make the new model significantly more fancy. It'll be a treat to sight one of these in the

Model Upgrade Pack

!

Next on our list of Beta 1 assets is the Twilite Purchase, the in game mesh really didn't capture the fiction's stated opulence so here's hoping this one is a bit more faithful. If it weren't sailing through bug-infested space, I think a few days aboard this ship might be quite relaxing. It's really kind of an odd duck for WCP, the art-deco design has more in common with the bugs than humans. But the gold trim, scalloped edges, and various shades of blue make for a strangely

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The latest episode of ALL WINGS CONSIDERED is live now! All Wings Considered is the CIC's first ever streaming variety show which features news, conversation and gameplay relating to our favorite series. This week's Nav Points include:

• Wing Commander 3 - Tamayo System
• Privateer - The Postgame
• MAGNUM LAUNCH!
• The secrets of Old New Constantinople

Missed the stream? The replay will be available below once it has been processed by YouTube. You can subscribe to the AWC channel for future notifications here.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Rockforth Corporation's EX7 fertiliser has been linked to the blight affecting crops in a number of systems, prompting an initiative to remove the product from the market.
Dr Genevieve Kane of the Interstellar Association for Agriculture delivered an urgent message:
"Comparative analysis has confirmed that the blight is caused by the EX7 fertiliser. The original poor harvests have been attributed to natural factors, and it is now thought that the situation could have been contained had the fertiliser not exacerbated the problem."
"Initial food shortages were offset by a recent trade appeal in the Diso and Orerve systems, but the blight's symptoms have since been reported in hundreds of systems. While we investigate the reasons for this rapid spread, preventing further fertiliser distribution is vital."
Rockforth fertiliser can now be collected at zero cost from the following markets:

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

An extremist group from the Kappa Fornacis system is responsible for the contaminated fertiliser that has caused widespread crop failures.
Gino Borstein made this statement on behalf of the tri-superpower taskforce investigating the blight's origin:
"Our investigation has confirmed that an activist group known as Scythe of Panem managed to infiltrate Rockforth Corporation manufacturing plants in the Riedquat system. Members of the group contaminated the EX7 fertiliser with a synthetic agent designed to putrefy plant matter."
Recent efforts by the galactic community have almost eradicated the EX7 fertiliser. But Borstein warned that the activists have turned hostile upon discovery.
"The group's manifesto discusses revenge for the Federation's 3301 campaign to wipe out the recreational drug known as Onion Head. This involved an orbital bombardment of Onion Head crops on Panem using biocides

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

Attention! We’ve doubled our efforts to give Captains the necessary experience to deal with threats to the Galaxy. From Thursday, March 19th at 8AM PT, to Monday, March 23rd at 10AM PT, players will be able to enjoy twice the experience! During the event, content that provides skill points and expertise will reward a 100% (2x) Bonus above normal amounts – this bonus will be available for all content that rewards skill points and expertise. .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: 0; border: 1px solid transparent; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } .share-footer .TI { background-position: 0 20%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .YT {

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

We've posted a number of fancy video packages this year that feature the enhanced cutscenes ODVS has managed to create. We're careful to not refer to it as just "upscaling" since actual bits of new data are being added to create detail where none existed before. How is this accomplished and what are the limits? What do we mean by saying it's run through an AI routine? ODVS explains all this and more in a new article. You can learn about modern computerized neural networks and all the work ODVS does to manually pre-process the footage before he can turn the crank here.

GIGO – QUALITY IS KING

In my case, I use a Neural Net-trained application called Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI. The application has been loaded with several AI models that can be applied to source materials of various quality with varying results.

Almost as a case-in-point of why “Artificial Intelligence” is a misleading term, the

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

FekLeyrTarg has provided an update on the Armada-centric teaser project that he showed off at the 22nd Birthday. He's got the scene built where a Gladius launches from the Lexington's bay and is getting ready for it to tangle with a Shok'lar. As a huge Armada lover myself, I can't wait to see this play out!

Worked on the next two scenes."Launch from Lexington" is pretty much done and "Dogfight" still needs effects.

Of course, for someone who never played Armada, but DID play Super Wing Commander, the fighter is clearly a Raptor while the carrier is decidedly Bengal class. And that's a Snakeir disgorging a Salthi from the similarly limited context.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation ALERT*
An initiative by the Kumo Crew syndicate to construct new starports for increasing trade has ended successfully.
Pilots delivered large quantities of ceramic composites, semiconductors, polymers and water purifiers to Gabriel Enterprise in the Harma system. Bounty vouchers were also offered to protect the shipments during transit.
The Kumo Council has announced that rewards for both traders and bounty hunters are now available from Gabriel Enterprise via its loyal intermediaries, The Razor Whips.
Kavanagh Spaceframes Ltd will now fulfil its contract and construct new Orbis starports. These will be in place on the 29th of April 3307 at the following locations:
Pegasi sector PN-T C3-14, near the Harma system
HIP 18390, near the California Nebula
HIP 10792, near the Sothis system
HIP 62154, in the Coalsack Nebula
Eol Prou PC-K c9-91, in the Colonia region
A statement

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Alexandria megaship has been warned that it faces destruction if it attempts to travel to any Federal system.
The Aegis-owned vessel triggered a full-scale Thargoid incursion when it arrived in the HIP 16538 system. This seemed to be a reaction to the huge quantities of Guardian artefacts currently stored within its cargo holds.
Captain Jacob Morales, the Alexandria's commander, broadcast this message:
"The Federal Navy has instructed us not to resume our scheduled journey to Sol or enter any system within the Federation. They're treating us like a plague ship! I understand their concern that more Thargoids will follow us, but we have several thousand crewmembers who need to reach safe harbour."
A strategy was outlined by Admiral Aden Tanner, chief military liaison for Aegis:
"We are attempting to clear the HIP 16538 system of Thargoid vessels, greatly aided by independent pilots and

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation ALERT*
An Anaconda from the Hesperus megaship has been found at a historical battlefield on the moon Trapezium Sector YU-X c1-2 1a.
The discovery was made by pilots who tracked down a series of signal beacons, following instructions provided by the anonymous 'Salvation'. The beacons were deployed by the Hesperus during its voyage nearly 200 years ago.
The Anaconda, named Proteus, was one of the megaship's secondary vessels and had been outfitted for long-range exploration. It was used by an Azimuth Biochemicals science team to flee the Hesperus after the megaship was overtaken by saboteurs from rival company Pharmasapien.
Upon landing, the Proteus was converted into a research facility to study the ancient structures and wreckage on the moon. The proximity of both Guardian and Thargoid technology suggests this was the site of a battle fought by the two civilisations over a