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Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Following months of setbacks, the Holloway Biology Centre has finally opened in the Colonia system. The research centre will focus on the study of newly catalogued lifeforms.
Dr Roy Casimir, chief researcher at the Holloway Bioscience Institute, held a press conference at the opening ceremony, and discussed the delays that followed a successful campaign to found the centre in February this year:
"Our study of the lifeforms discovered over the past year formed the basis of the research centre's designs. As the volume of scans provided by the galactic community continued to grow, it became apparent that we lacked the laboratory space required to study it all."
"As a result, the Holloway Bioscience Institute committed to several months of investment and redesign, to ensure that a wide variety of material could be analysed. We are confident that this decision will prove more than worthwhile, and

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's an interesting comparison between a new Star Wars ships and the familiar TCS Midway. Anxiety recently spotted the Onager class star destroyer, which was recently added to the nifty Star Wars miniature tabletop game. Hammerhead shaped designs are quite common in sci-fi, but the Midway's iconic "pair of pants" silhouette is slightly more unique. A pants ship that has a giant gun in the middle is even more rare. They're obviously not perfect twins, but from certain angles, such as the two pictured below, these two ships do bear a striking similarity. We've talked with Midway creator Sean Murphy about how he goes about designing space ships, and it's a fascinating process, especially when it organically leads to similar results like this!

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

The Tzenkethi are not known for making idle threats. They promised that they would return with better weapons, and return, they did. The Tzenkethi Red Alert is a space-based 5v5 Red Alert-style queue in the Alpha Quadrant. The Tzenkethi have found a new way to Protomatter-bomb planets and it’s up to you to stop them. The genocidal Tzenkethi will be unleashing a new super weapon at unsuspecting planets while you and 4 allies will have to do everything you can to prevent the catastrophic destruction. If you don’t work together, the deaths of billions will be on your hands. The event is for level 50-60 players of all factions. Like all Red Alerts, this TFO rewards 35 marks, and has no cooldown. It will be available from December 12th at 8am PT to December 16th at 10am PT. Good luck, Captains! It’s all up to you. Ryon “Melange” Levitt Staff Content Designer Cryptic Studios

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

EmuMusicFan was recently inspired to draw the characters from Wing Commander Action Stations. We don't actually know what most of them look like, so he's based his interpretation off the limited descriptions and cues from the text. The result is a really cool simplified brushstroke design that looks quite sharp. Visit the CIC Forums and let Emu know what you think!

I am not a professional painter. Actually, I haven’t been serious about drawing for a long time. My past experiences mainly came form graffiti on the notepads and class posters when I was a middle school student. I really love some scenes of Action Stations, and this book gave me the enthusiasm to pick up the pen again. Due to my lack of basic painting skills training, it is not surprising that these portraits have some technical problems. I would be grateful if you could give me criticism and guidance.

"My Emperor, my brothers of the

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

The WC Toolbox has grown once again, and the latest expansion adds the very first preliminary support for Wing Commander 3! WC3 is a drastically different animal than the earlier WC games, which presents some major challenges. As a hardcore dedicated Wingnut, UnnamedCharacter is of course excited by these challenges and jumped right in despite also recently introducing support for Wing Commander Armada. There's still tons to learn about Heart of the Tiger, which will be gradually discovered and dissected in the months and years to come. The first feature now available is a tree archive extractor for the game. This is an early step to make manipulation of the complex data files more accessible. You can read up on exactly what this means and how to go about tinkering yourself here. You can grab the new WC3ToolsCmd package here.

Although there is still work to be done for Armada, I have decided to

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Artist Mike Winterbauer, who now has several successful art-driven Kickstarters under his belt, is in the midst of a new campaign for the work he did on Powerblade. The original Nintendo game Powerblade box features a futuristic dude wearing sunglasses in a tank top while holding a gigantic power blade. Until this point, I had no idea that Mr. Winterbauer was the actual power blade guy! He posed for the scene in 1991 and then painted it accordingly for the box cover. I never played the game itself, but I do very much remember it on store shelves in the early '90s. For any fans of the game out there, a handful of cool prints will be available in a similar fashion to his Wing Commander portfolio project. You can learn more and back the campaign here.

This Kickstarter is raising funds to create awesome collectible prints for the iconic NES game Power Blade and show the process of repainting the

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation ALERT: For the attention of all Commanders*
Memorial preparations complete.
A request by the Empire to honour the passing of Prince Harold Duval with rare items has received an impressive response, earning the gratitude of the Imperial Family.
Shipments of Ngadandari Fire Opals, Esuseku Caviar, Lavian Brandy and Kamitra Cigars were transported to the memorial ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Capitol. The body of the Prince will remain in state for another week, prior to reaching its final resting place within the Hall of Martyrs.
Pilots who delivered these commodities can now collect their rewards at Oterma Station in the Baal system.
Achenar system permits will be processed and automatically allocated by the 3rd of October 3306.
In recognition of this achievement, Gutamaya Corporation ships will be available at a 20% discount from the 2nd of October 3306 to the 9th of

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

And that's what we have for tonight! While we're still digesting all of the wonderful things everyone put together for today, there's also so much to look forward to on the horizon. Since this is technically a birthday type of event, I've also got a birth of my own to share. We welcomed Georgianna Belle Reid to the family recently. Everyone is healthy and we are having a blast!

We know this has been a devastating year for many people. Even for those who haven't lost a loved one, not a single person has been spared from the strife and stressful impacts that 2020 has brought. But despite the coronavirus and everything from wildfires to floods and civil unrest, there is new life and hope for the future. The CIC's tiny role in all of this is to be a small island of stability in a tumultuous landscape. Throughout all our efforts, we've made great friends and encourage each other to keep moving

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Here's a super retro mag shot from Super Retro Gamers. It dates back to the February 1993 issue of Nintendo Game Zone in the UK. Some of the edges are cut off, but you can get the gist of it. What I really like about these old timey Nintendo previews is just how unabashedly bold and colorful they are - just like the original Wing Commander itself! We get some nice screenshots here, which would have been really eye-popping back in the day. It also really sells the game well. Based on these descriptions of the game's features, I'd definitely want to play!

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Marlinism Reformation Party, which now represents the Neo-Marlinist fringe, has suggested a peace deal between the NMLA and the Empire.
Minister Aaron Whyte explained the proposal during a session of the Marlinist Parliament:
"Via anonymous intermediaries, we have received assurances that the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army is keen to take advantage of our representation. I see this as a hugely positive step that will prevent further conflict."
"In essence, the NMLA is offering reparations for the unfortunate casualties of its anti-authority activities within the Empire. In return, it requests a permanent presence in the Imperial Senate as a means of continuing political dialogue."
Many other parliamentarians considered the proposal to be highly controversial. Minister Octavia Volkov declared:
"Providing the NMLA with a political wing, pretending they are reasonable people, suggesting they

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

The Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit has reported progress in its efforts to eliminate the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army.
Captain Milo Castile, one of ACT's joint leaders, told a press briefing:
"The recent civil war in the Marlinist Colonies was a tragedy, of course. But many pro-NMLA individuals were exposed during the conflict. Minister Jean-Christophe Lyon, the newly elected leader of the Marlinism Reformation Party, has cooperated fully in rooting out extremists from his faction."
"As a result, our agents have successfully raided dozens of NMLA cells and arrested several thousand paramilitary activists. We also acquired intelligence leading to hidden assets in multiple systems."
"I can confirm that Theta Seven – as the NMLA's de facto leader calls himself – personally directed the Marlinist starport attacks. Unfortunately, we have yet to confirm Theta Group's current whereabouts. The

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Professor Ishmael Palin has requested deliveries of Thargoid artefacts to the Arque system for scientific study.
The first phase of the project took place last month and focused on meta-alloys. In a public announcement, Professor Palin outlined the second phase:
"My ongoing analysis of the Thargoids' biomechanical technology has reached a point where fresh material is needed. Specifically, I require large supplies of Thargoid probes, resin and sensors."
"I appreciate that there are risks involved in transporting such dangerous alien artefacts. Hopefully, the corrosion resistant cargo racks that were provided following this project's initial phase will prove useful."
"As well as payment in credits, I am pleased to offer Grade 5 engineered Heavy Duty Hull Reinforcement Packages as an additional reward."
Pilots are asked to deliver Thargoid probes, Thargoid resin and

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Wow! Look at this awesome closeup of one of the large watches the Tiger Claw pilots wear in Wing Commander. Time for some more research!

@awesomead @banditloaf Only two years late but look what I stumbled upon! The watch from Wing Commander, I knew it was somewhere after I was given it on the film! pic.twitter.com/Gr333gk8xv

— Jordan Reeve (@R33VE) May 27, 2022

28 minutes later: I am now a member of a Storm Watch collecting group on Facebook.Here's what we've learned so far! The watches were from a British company called Storm Watches which still makes cool sci-fi looking watches. They show up in the credits:

Knowing that, I found a Storm Watch community on Facebook that has preserved 1990s catalogs! The watch R33VE kindly filmed is the "Camera". From there, AD and I started looking for frames in the movie where we could see the watches.

Maniac and Blair are both certainly wearing the "Navigator" which

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Today we've got two pairs of scans from Maxi de Sokar. They once again come from the Spanish language OKPC magazine circa 1994. The first is a review of Privateer and Righteous Fire from issue 21. It talks about the challenge of starting out fresh and building your ship but then says that unraveling the game's mysteries is rewarding. Issue 28 has a preview of Wing Commander 3. As expected, they focus on the game's amazing evolution with SVGA graphics and live actors. It also features the cringeworthy doctored Spanish WC3 art that we've seen before. Weird!

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
The continued project to provide enhanced AX weaponry for all ships has announced its latest progress update.
All enhanced AX weapons designed by the engineers Liz Ryder and Zacariah Nemo have now been completed. It is hoped that with these weapons improvements, humanity will be better positioned to defend itself against Thargoid invasion fleets.
The following weapons are now available for purchase:
Enhanced AX Multi-cannon (Gimballed)
Enhanced AX Missile Rack (Fixed)
These modules are offered at all rescue megaships, which can be found using the Galaxy Map filter. Ships looking to engage Thargoid forces are advised to equip these weapons, particularly in Maelstrom systems where Guardian-based technology has proven ineffective.

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Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

*Pilots Federation Alert*
An analysis of the ongoing Thargoid war has been released by Aegis and made available to all superpower and independent navies.
The focus of the report centres on protecting systems at threat of Thargoid invasion. It suggests that anti-xeno forces are primarily fighting Thargoid invasion fleets which have already arrived, understandable due to the immediate risk to civilian life. However, Aegis proposes that increasing defensive efforts for systems at threat of invasion would be a more efficient way of slowing the spread of Thargoid-controlled territory.
Commodore Emil Varga provided a statement alongside the report's release:
"The effort required to repel an invasion fleet is far higher than dissuading that fleet from entering a system in the first place."
"We believe that Thargoids have assumed a 'path of least resistance' approach to expansion. Thanks to the

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

I've been looking at the movie cockpit instruments lately because it seems they filmed the insert shots of things like stick handling at least twice. They did an initial shoot on set, then filmed a bunch of Rapier stuff in August 1998 and then more pickups as late as October which is getting awfully close to their delivery date. Things like the Broadsword instrument panels were reshot at that late date. I was wondering how much you could tell in the final movie if you knew what you were looking for.

Even in the final version, maybe to differentiate Knight's Broadsword from Paladin's, you can see they have different control yokes, but the earlier versions of the Broadsword just looks like maybe original Canberra instruments.

So those might have been intended to be replaced anyway. There's Knight's:

...and Paladin's:

This got me thinking about the Rapier a bit more. The fighter dashboard got a complete

Quote from Wing Commander News-Bot

Like most people, I can't walk down the street without someone stopping me and demanding to know: is System Shock set in the Wing Commander universe? Buddy, I tell them, no it isn't. But there's a lot of fun backstory getting there...

(System) Shocking but true: the game DID begin development as a game set in the Wing Commander universe! Here's a pitch by Warren Spector for 'Alien Commander' that might seem pretty familiar (and in other ways... pretty... alien).

That's right, System Shock could've taken place in the wreckage of the Tiger's Claw! This was a popular idea at Origin at the time. When the Baen package was first announced the third book was also scheduled to be about the end of the 'Claw! With an outline by Jerry Pournelle.

It was even the focus of the Wing Commander II team's shirt... which artist Paul Steed famously decided was so ugly that he volunteered to design the following shirts

Quote from Elite Dangerous Galnet News-Bot

Achilles Aerospace have begun mass distribution of their own Frame Shift Drive modules, capable of what their marketing is calling an 'Overcharged' Supercruise.
This news follows the corporation urging pilots to gather Titan Drive Components from the dangerous remnants of destroyed Titans. The data gathered from the components seems to have been the catalyst to finalise what were previously only theoretical designs.
The new modules are capable of incredible speeds, much like the Titans themselves. The power of this new Frame Shift Drive does, however, put immense pressure on a ship when used.
In a speech at the private launch event for the module, held at Achilles headquarters, Achilles Aerospace chairman Maxine Patro said:
"As of right now, our new modules have been distributed across the galaxy, and we fully expect that this will not only be a turning point in history for Achilles, but for

Quote from Star Trek Online News-Bot

From now until 9/3/19 at 9 AM PT, you'll be able to unlock bonus currency on the Arc platform for Perfect World titles! The bonus you can expect is listed in the chart below: This Charge Bonus is ONLY available for the following payment processors: Direct Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover) Paypal Skrill (Formerly Moneybookers) BoaCompra Xsolla Paysafecard Steam (Steam Purchases receive the bonus but do not receive extra ZEN for buying in bulk)