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Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation ALERT*
Rewards are being offered by Orion University to locate the Scriveners Clan dredger, which it claims as its legal property.
The self-sustaining Dredger-class bulk cruiser was launched two centuries ago by an academic institute that was later absorbed by the university. Since then the dredger has become the home for a nomadic tribe called the Scriveners Clan, which refuses contact with all outsiders.
Vice Chancellor Leland Pettigrew told the media:
"Orion University is willing to reward pilots who can pinpoint the dredger's current location. We believe it is still within 500 light years of the Perseus Dark Region KC-V c2-2 system."
"Pilots who are interested in helping should first dock at Ring Mine station in the 2MASS J03291977+3124572 system, to automatically sign up to the search operation. Our associates at the starport, Deep Space Mining, will provide further

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation ALERT*
Twin initiatives in the Alcor and Colonia systems have procured materials to construct new dockable megaships.
Brewer Corporation made an announcement regarding its Colonia Bridge project:
"A positive response has led to generous shipments of ceramic composites, computer components and thermal cooling units being received. As a result, Brewer Corporation can now commence work on enhancing the transportation infrastructure between the core systems and the Colonia region."
"Thanks to the dedication of the galactic community, 30 dockable megaships will be placed along the Colonia Bridge route by the 28th of October. These will serve as stationary ports, providing vital facilities for travellers. Planning is already underway for the second phase of this project, placing further megaships every four to five hundred light years working out from the Alcor and Colonia

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation ALERT*
Explosions have struck Dyson City starport in the Paresa system, home of Hadrian Duval's organisation Nova Imperium.
The starport suffered severe structural damage plus the corrosive effects of caustic enzymes, characteristic of the customised weapons used by the NMLA. Initial reports state that over fifteen thousand people have been killed and a similar number injured.
The following statement was issued by Praetor Leo Magnus, the former head of security for Nova Imperium who was seconded to ACT:
"Shortly before this attack, my team intercepted a communication between suspected Neo-Marlinist supporters. This referred to an imminent attempt to kill Imperator Hadrian Duval, Lady Astrid Minerva-Duval and their unborn child."
"I immediately ordered the Praetorian Guard to move the Imperator's family off-station, which was achieved minutes before the bombs detonated. I am

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

A Twitter account dedicated to Turkish Movie Posters has found a copy of the glorious design for Wing Commander - or Cesaret Kanatlari! It's a nice high quality image here, so we're happy to share it in this format. We've seen this art in more squished forms a number of times over the years for items like the VHS or VCDs, but I don't think I've personally seen the full poster quite like this before. Tchéky Karyo, who played Paladin, was born in Istanbul.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

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

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Proactive Detection Bureau has been instrumental in identifying violent corporatist extremists within the Federation.
Deputy Director Bethany Blake of the Federal Intelligence Agency gave a statement to the media:
"In recent weeks, our surveillance algorithms flagged a series of coded communications for investigation. We found that a network of radicalised citizens were discussing plans to assassinate members of Congress and leading political figures."
"This movement, which calls itself Jupiter's Wrath, is inspired by Jupiter Rochester's failed attempt to enable corporations to directly rule the Federation. Their goal was to enact revenge on those who they consider to be the 'enemies of Jupiter Division'."
"Using data intercepted by the Proactive Detection Bureau, FIA agents performed a series of coordinated strikes in several Federal systems. Over a thousand armed extremists were arrested

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Mac's Lore is back with a fantastic Wing Commander fighter profile. Everyone loves the Excalibur, but long before the F-103 came online, the Rapier represented the cutting edge of Confed fighter technology. Mac has really upped his game and has arranged all kinds of impressive custom visuals just for this video. There's some really cool schematic style spec sequences as well as lots of contextual history. There's even a shout out to the Arena variants! It's a nice thorough rundown of the fighter's known escapades, and he makes great use of Klavs' famous models. Check it out below:

Before there was the Excalibur, there was the Rapier. If the False Armistice never happened, we may very well have seen a Rapier drop the Temblor Bomb on Kilrah.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The secretive gambling circle of the super-rich has been raided by the notorious criminal known only as the Winking Cat.
The information was revealed by Francesca Wolfe of the Wallglass Investigations Agency, who infiltrated the event. Her report, which was relayed from an unidentified location, has been published by her fellow detective Erik Gunnarson.
"I'm not sure this will reach Gunnarson, but I must try. After the security alert the staff started getting their IDs checked, which might have revealed mine to be fake. I managed to slip out of the warehouse and into an abandoned industrial district. I still don't know what planet I'm on, but I've found an old comms transmitter to send this message."
"Before I escaped, I learned what had caused the alert. There was a VIP ceremony involving the group's most precious possession: an ancient Joker playing card. Apparently this has been passed

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Today we celebrate off-centered spaceship cockpits: the Tarsus and Galaxy from Privateer and the Kor-Larh from Wing Commander Armada! Now we'd be able to display these double cockpits head on with a fancy widescreen monitor.

There was a question on Twitter:

Marc Callan: Interesting that in the Privateer side-by-side cockpits, they put the pilot's seat on the right. Wonder what influenced that decision?

LOAF: Wow, interesting question! Odd choice as planes are typically flown from the left seat. And a US-based team so it’s not based on a car. I went back to the concept art to check and found it was originally a single-seater and that the double seat idea originated with the Galaxy!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

It's hard to believe, but today marks nine years since the official unveiling of Chris Roberts' Star Citizen to the world. Due to the pandemic, the festivities have been virtual, but that means everyone has easy access to all the content they've prepared. The party is primarily being hosted over on Twitch and RobertsSpaceIndustries. I've posted one developers panel below so you can get a taste. Lots of SC fans are going into further the detail of all that, so I'll just leave you with a cool behind-the-scene pic from Sandi Roberts. It shows Chris in his Tiger Claw hat and WC crew jacket while getting ready for the reveal in October 2012!

Here's a couple more throwback pics - we were young!

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Nintendo shipped its new aptly named Switch (OLED Model) today, so we wanted to point out a few options for Wingnuts with the new console. These are all perfectly valid for existing owners of the prior revisions as well.

Space Commander: War and Trade is an interesting newcomer. It looks kind of like a modern combination of Wing Commander Arena and Privateer. The game employs a version of Arena's first person mode that sets up some fairly simplistic but engaging space combat. It's also a medium scale Privateer-style sandbox game, which is a novel pairing with this type of engine. The Nintendo World Reports review below describes how the economy isn't set up great, but it's hard to go wrong for just $10.

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is a fan favorite among Wingnuts. We've talked about it extensively in the past, and if you haven't tried it out on PCs or consoles to date, it's an easy recommendation.

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's another video that I wasn't at all expecting but am very happy to see. ODVS has further branched out from the core WC FMV games and has created an impressive 4K 60 FPS enhancement to the cutscenes included with Freelancer. There aren't very many, which helped make the work pretty manageable. All of the prerendered portions look fantastic. The engine-rendered bits show the limitation of the models used at the time, but everything still gets a very nice upgrade here.

Freelancer was made by Chris Roberts and a number of Wing Commander vets out of Digital Anvil. Cruising around its open Sirius Sector sandbox was a popular pastime for quite a few Wingnuts through the mid 2000s. Maximize your window and make sure the 4K stream is selected to see the full effect below!

Freelancer: not directly Wing Commander-related, but it is a Chris Roberts game... so maybe a Wing Commander cousin?

Anyway, I was

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Senator Zemina Torval's company Torval-Mastopolos Mining has become fully independent from its parent corporation.
The former subsidiary of Mastopolos Mining has officially rebranded itself as Torval Mining Ltd. Zemina Torval is listed as its CEO, with her eldest daughter remaining as operations director. The starport Torval Orbital in the LTT 198 system serves as the company's headquarters.
Business correspondent Anton Lagorio reported for The Imperial Herald:
"Although Torval Mining Ltd is now an independent company, shares are legally transferable between it and Mastopolos Mining. This has allowed loyal supporters of both Zemina Torval and Gabriella Mastopolos to flock to each other's banner. As a result, Torval Mining Ltd has acquired many ships, staff and resources from its former parent."
"There have been assurances that the split was amicable and in line with Imperial traditions of

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

LOAF followed the Bricks with Wings instructions that we posted about last year, and I'm in love with the results. I don't actually see the plans available on the BWW site anymore, but fortunately LOAF was able to source all of the necessary pieces and make a tiny squadron of Confed fighters from the WC1 Vega Sector fleet.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation ALERT*
The battle between Delta Pavonis Galactic Interstellar and EG Union has concluded successfully for Yuri Grom's forces.
Freelance war correspondent Karleen Troy reported via Vox Galactica:
"For the past week, the Delta Pavonis system has been aflame with ship-to-ship engagements. But despite a fierce effort from Federal auxiliaries, EG Union was able to muster superior numbers."
"Eventually the Federal flagship, Freedom's Foundation, was boarded. I picked up comms chatter that described intense fighting before EG Union soldiers overran Federal troops. Since then I've learned that Yuri Grom has agreed to let the surviving crewmembers leave, but is claiming the megaship as 'spoils of war'."
The following message was sent by Yuri Grom on public channels:
"President Hudson has revealed his true nature as the corrupt heart of the Federation's rotting carcass. This treachery

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation ALERT*
Delivery campaigns in the Alcor and Colonia systems aim to improve journeys to the distant colonies.
The Colonia Bridge project is being funded by Brewer Corporation, which outlined the details in a press release:
"The Colonia region has great potential for businesses and travellers, but the long voyage can be prohibitive. Brewer Corporation is investing in the transportation infrastructure between the core systems and Colonia, to make crossing those thousands of light years easier."
"Up to 30 dockable megaships will be placed along the route to Colonia, providing travellers with valuable respite and resources including tritium. These stationary megaships should be operational by the 28th of October, and will mark the completion of the first phase of the three-phase Colonia Bridge project. Its aim is to place dockable megaships every four to five hundred light years

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

ZOmegaZ showed off an artistic mockup for a Wing Commander challenge coin a couple months back, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Many people asked how they might be able to get one, and now he's close to making that happen. He's put together a good solid design with a Confed star on one side and the Tiger's Claw on the other. Since revealing the prototype, a Hornet fighter has also been added for good measure - which is a nice touch! This is part of a combined project where he's also designed similar coins for Babylon 5, Star Trek, Serenity, Farscape, Frasier and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. You can mix and match as needed. WC coins are $11 plus shipping, which is very reasonable for a custom trinket like this. ZOmegaZ isn't marking these up for profit - it's basically just the manufacturing and shipping costs to get something cool in fans' hands! You can learn more and support

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

If you liked his Arena-era Midway last week, then you're going to love DefianceIndustries' Indomitable and Kiranka class battlecruisers. It's exciting to think about where we might see these pop up in future fan projects. I really like the broadside angles on the Confed version that show off the ship's ridiculous armament. The Kilrathi take isn't as far along, but it's a fun one too. This makes me want to fire Arena right up - along with fifteen friends - and have the fleets go at it (Achievement Unlocked)!

That's the Battlecruiser. Or as I call it, the Nope Brick. These are my current state WIP shots of the brick.

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Francesca Wolfe of the Wallglass Investigations Agency provides an inside view of the Jokers' Deck gambling circle.
"Gunnarson's intel was correct. The latest host is multi-billionaire investor Lexi October, the lady who rescued Supratech from bankruptcy. We're in one of October Consortium's disused warehouse complexes, which looks derelict on the outside but is a fabulous glittering palace within. I don't actually know what planet I'm on, since all the servants – including me with my fake ID – were transported here in total secrecy."
"Jokers' Deck is exactly what you'd expect of a luxury casino for the super-rich. Exquisite food, sumptuous clothes, and dozens of games from deadlock poker to Giant Verrix racing. Wagers are made using billion-credit chips, precious gemstones and even land deeds to an entire continent. And that's not counting the VIP rooms that I can't get into."
"I've served

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Federal Diplomatic Corps has officially denounced President Hudson's attempt to capture Yuri Grom in the Delta Pavonis system.
The political conference was to determine whether the system's ruling faction would ally with the EG Union or the Federation. It was abandoned when a Federal black ops team attempted to arrest Yuri Grom's delegation, triggering a conflict in the system.
Ambassador Delphine Dumont told The Federal Times:
"We have no option but to state that our own government has violated the conventions of diplomatic immunity. This conference was established in good faith with all parties. We were not informed that any hostile act against EG Union was planned."
"I offer my personal apologies to Yuri Grom. Our negotiations were spirited but honest, and I genuinely felt that progress was being made."
This is the first time that the Federal Diplomatic Corps has distanced itself from