14
Dec
News categories list
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20
Aug
The rolling demos for WC1 and WC2 have been around for as long as the games themselves, and have always been a part of the CIC's
downloadssection. But when was the last time you watched them? Thanks to modern technology, it's now possible to run the demos within DOSBox right here within your web browser! It is quite a power-hungry process so unless you have a very fast machine you are likely to experience a bit of stuttering sound, but there is no easier way to revisit the demos that got us so excited all those years ago.
Give it a try!
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14
Jun
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:
- Privateer and conversation! Chat live while we earn an Orion.
- Did Colonel Blair really take a vacation to the same beach he found the Concordia at?
- Zathras, yes. Zathras.
- Your first look at the 3D printed Pewter Planet!
- Privateer 2 ship of the week: the Icarus
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.
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19
Aug
…*Pilots Federation ALERT*
The conflict in the Hyades Sector RO-P b6-2 system has been won by the Exiled Marlinist Assembly of Baltah'Sine.
Support from independent pilots played a key role in defeating the Marlinism Reformation Party. The faction's entire leadership has been arrested, with their replacements vowing to reshape it along politically moderate lines.
Minister Octavia Volkov made a declaration of victory to the Marlinist Parliament:
"The Neo-Marlinists have been crushed and Aaron Whyte is dead – a casualty of the war his terrorist paymasters began. I deeply regret that our society has suffered this, but have no regrets at destroying the NMLA's political wing once and for all."
Prime Consul Kayode Tau sent assurances to the Alliance, Empire and Federation that they should view this as "confirmation that the Marlinist Colonies are your steadfast allies in the fight against the NMLA". -
20
Aug
…Independent journalist Flint 'Firemaker' Lafosse has announced that the Rewired network will broadcast Kit Fowler's conspiracy-laden show End Times.
Lafosse, notorious for his own sensationalist claims, announced:
"Finally, someone else who sees things as they really are! Kit Fowler's perceptive views match his technical genius. By retransmitting his End Times broadcasts, I'll be helping people resist the narrative conditioning being pumped into our minds by the faceless elite."
Kit Fowler provides specialised engineering services from his workshop in the Capoya system. He has used his show to make many outlandish claims over the years. These include labelling the shadowy figure 'Salvation' an AI construct, accusing Utopia of secretly creating a new species of human, and arguing that the universe's true shape is being concealed by superpower-sponsored holograms.
Lafosse advertised Fowler's -
13
Sep
…A further seven Federal factions have severed ties with the superpower in protest against government monitoring of communications.
These latest secessions have been undertaken by minor factions that do not control any systems, including Unktock Free, United Posenoi League and Progressive Party of Inggale.
Political journalist Sofia Trevino reported for The Federal Times:
"Eight factions had previously declared independence from the Federation, and now an even greater number forms the third wave of rebellion. It's clear that their populations feel empowered to take a stand against losing their constitutional rights of privacy."
"Vice President Archer shrugged off this latest development, maintaining that 'the Proactive Detection Bureau performs a vital security role in these troubled times'. Since none of these latest factions currently govern a system, he may also believe that resistance to -
13
Oct
…The ancient spacefaring home of the Scriveners Clan is the legal property of Orion University, according to newfound historical records.
The Scriveners Clan is a nomadic tribe travelling onboard a self-sufficient Dredger-class bulk cruiser. Their society is descended from an academic organisation that sent out a research fleet two centuries ago. Unlike some dredger clans, they refuse to have any contact with outsiders.
Vice Chancellor Leland Pettigrew of Orion University made this statement:
"In the year 3088, Dredger J-403 was commissioned for an exploration mission by an academic institute named Scrivener College. This was absorbed into our university in 3125. Documents detailing these facts were recently discovered in our archives and verified by the courts."
"Therefore the dredger, including all of its contents, is legally owned by Orion University. Naturally we bear no ill will toward its -
21
Mar
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We've recently seen Klavs model a couple of early (WC1&2) era Rapiers, but there are a handful of intermediate designs implied in between those. Based on popular designs cues from some of his previous designs, Klavs has filled in the game with hypothetical Rapiers that might have flown before the workhorse version we're familiar with on the Concordia. The results are below! And he's definitely not finished with the Rapier here... You will be eventually be able to find these variants on Sketchfab.I was thinking about the front intake version of the Rapier, I've been very humbled by how many other Rapier designs have included it over the years, I figured I would make it an option! So here's, I guess, the Rapier E, Wider Body, front intake, upper intakes deleted, extra engines like the G model. Extra hard points, extra gun positions.
Maybe the EF versions were license built by another Aerospace firm?
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13
Jul
…Milquetoast Gaming has been steadily progressing through the WC series in a livestreaming adventure dubbed 'Wing Commander-thon'. There's lots of people out there broadcasting playthroughs of WC1, WC3 or even Privateer, but Milquetoast has been hitting them all. This includes games like Academy and Armada. These titles are often overlooked - people today may consider them too simplistic to take up - but they were both quite revolutionary in their own way at the time they were released. They're chronically underappreciated, so we love to see people having fun with them! It's wonderful to see people poke through all the unusual menus and options that each game provides. Academy and Armada are super unique in the franchise, and they hold a special place in our hearts!
The next stop on our trek down Wing Commandathon we jump into one of the game that lets you manage your own ship, mining planets and
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23
Jul
It's been a few months since we last checked in with the crew of the TCS Majestic and the Gemini Sector RPG, but they've been very busy! The group has been involved in a whole host of missions ranging from hunting down a Kilrathi battlegroup to warding off an incoming strike force. They've also done escort duty and seen the famous Kilrathi defector Hajjnah. Everyone behind the game puts a ton of creative energy into it, and if you'd like the join the fun, hit up their Discord server. Events are held almost every Friday night! Here are a few of their recent mission briefings:
The crew scramble trying to find the hidden colony base in the Ragnarok sector.
The professor Hajjnah speaks to a new client. He will not need all his charisma and wits about him.
The team must escort a shuttle to the Oxford system to allow their resident doctor to pass their quals and be allowed to practice.
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20
Aug
Symphonic Remakes has masterfully remixed the music of Wing Commanders 1, 2 and 3, and their next project is to take on Privateer! Their first track is an energetic yet mysterious take on the game's introduction. It's a beautiful rendition, but it almost sounds weird to listen to without hearing the pirate say, "Who are you that flies so good? Are you insane!?" I would describe the Oxford background music as cutesy and pastoral while the New Constaninople tune is serious and profound. It's all good stuff! Listen below:
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05
Sep
…*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Reports from independent explorers indicate that an unusual visual phenomenon has appeared in deep space.
A distant point of light, described as a reddish-orange flare with faint radial patterns, has been observed close to the Barnard's Loop nebula. It is thought to have appeared only recently. Universal Cartographics has confirmed that the location of this 'flare' does not match any previously catalogued stellar body or star.
Early attempts to verify these reports have noted a strange response when the same region of space is observed through a full spectrum system scanner (FSS). No definitive target can be isolated, but claims of a faint background noise generated by FSS audio converters have been asserted.
Commander Eva Llewellyn, speaking to Vox Galactica, remarked:
"I'm used to the FSS making all sorts of strange noises, but listening to this thing – comet, -
28
Sep
The kind human behind the X-Wing Game Series Twitter account has sent us a wonderful vintage interview. This piece from the May 1996 issue of PC Powerplay magazine talks to Mark "Hammil" (Hamill) about his experiences on the Wing Commander games. Mark is in rare form and it's a compelling transcript -- I wonder if he ever played that 3DO! -- but even more exciting than the text is this rarely seen production photo of Hamill as Colonel Blair wearing a Confederation flight suit with a Border Worlds patch. Awesome!
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14
Oct
Here's an interesting four page preview of Wing Commander II from the November-December 1991 issue of Game Player's PC Strategy Guide (Vol. 4, No. 7), the magazine which eventually became PC Gamer. Much of the information about the game's early story elements and updates from Wing Commander I might seem commonplace today but in late 1991 it would've been mana from heaven!
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23
Oct
…Thousands of people rescued from captivity within the Thargoid motherships remain isolated under strict medical and security protocols.
Professor Alba Tesreau, head of Aegis, spoke at a press conference:
"I'm relieved to see that the sub-surface extraction missiles are proving effective, especially considering how quickly they went into production. Many pilots are using them to excavate bio-storage capsules from beneath the hulls of the Thargoid Titans."
"Each resuscitated individual has undergone an exhaustive range of physical scans and psychological evaluations. Some are being treated for stress-related conditions and mental trauma, but otherwise they appear to be unharmed. With no clear evidence that these people have been infected or influenced by the Thargoids in some manner, Aegis has sent a number of proposals to superpower governments as they consider the next steps."
Despite this -
26
Apr
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:
- Visiting Bex to check out Brian Blessed's unusual mission
- Special Operations 1, Series 3: Flying the Morningstar
- Privateer 2 ship of the week: the Skecsis
- Food Club: Testing the MREs from End Run!
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.
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01
Jul
…From July 3rd at 8am PT to July 8th at 10am PT, in Star Trek Online on PC, Captains will be able to purchase the T6 Starship Coupon Gift! This item, which costs 3000 Zen, allows you to purchase any ship from the Zen Store at 100% off. When you purchase this item, it will appear in your inventory in a reward pack that is tradeable to other players! Mail it or trade it to your friends, and gift the people in your life a brand new T6 ship of their choice. Once you open the reward pack, the Coupon itself is bound to account, so be careful not to open it before you send it off to your friends. Give the best gift in the galaxy, Captains, give the gift of space travel. .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;
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25
Sep
…Buddy Goodboy, Esq recently got a 3D printer and naturally set out to create a Wing Commander fighter as his first creation. After an experimental test print, this fine Excalibur was the result. It's a pretty nice example of what's possible today with fine panel lines etched right into the hull. We've recently commented on how the technology continues to improve with tremendous results. Here's more proof!
Got a successful print on my 3D printer today! This is the F-103 Excalibur, the final fighter from Wing Commander III. It’s a beautiful little machine.
My first print of this fighter was on an uncalibrated print bed, and I couldn't separate the supports from the print, so it's a little plastic mess. This one, I printed with the nose up and with the correct support settings, so it just snapped off cleanly.This is the first thing I've gotten to come out decent on my printer. I'm pretty happy with
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04
Oct
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 - Locanda System - 3DO Version
- Book Club - Heart of the Tiger Chapters 9 through 15
- How much does it cost to print a manual, anyway?
- Demons, Banshees, Phantoms and Wraiths!
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.
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01
Nov
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:
- SPOOKY special Halloween treats! Terrifying spaceships, bloody murders and more.
- LOAF, Dundradal and Patterned take the Gauntlet Challenge!
- Wing Commander 3 - Blackmane System - 3DO Version
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.
