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To the Wing Commander Combat Information Center's 24th birthday celebration! TONIGHT at 7:00 PM Eastern US (4:00 PM Pacific and 11:00 PM GMT) in #Wingnut on Discord!
Featuring...
- Explosive antics!
- A long-awaited experience!
- Songs you've longed to hear!
- Your dream come true!
- Strategies and tactics!
- Clarity
- Refreshment(s)
- Cake?! ...and more!
So join us in Discord, channel #WingNut! You can stop by any time to join the fun!
Aug
…President Zachary Hudson has announced that today is a Federal day of remembrance for those lost in HIP 22460 on August 9th.
In a public address, the president formally acknowledged the recent tragedy:
"The Battle of HIP 22460 is a dark day in our interstellar nation's history. The crews of the FNS Bombardier, FNS Fortitude and FNS Varian Scott gave their lives with dignity and honour, as did many other courageous individuals. They will never be forgotten for as long as the Federation endures."
"We recognise this massacre of defenceless crew for what it was: the latest example of unrelenting hostility by our Thargoid enemy. Another event which leads me to believe no peace can be brokered with that species. I promise, under no uncertain terms, that the loss of over fifty thousand naval personnel will be avenged."
Shadow President Felicia Winters provided a statement to The Federal Times:
"I
Sep
Display MoreWe've been on the hunt for Japanese advertising relating to ASCII's 1993 push for Wing Commander SFC for several years and now preservation-minded gamers have begun providing the Internet Archive with vintage scans of Famitsu, Japan's Super Famicom publication of record. This has allowed for the discovery of not one but two print ads for the game! The first, from issue 241 (July 30, 1993) includes the game's stunning cover painting and stats for the four human fighters:
The second comes from the following issue (242, August 6 1993) and seems to include a sort of flow chart showing how a mission works:
Issue 239 (July 16, 1993) includes an article covering the game:
Nov
…Lars Ivar Igesund tipped us off about a neat feature shown at NDC Oslo. It includes a brief segment on how Wing Commander leveraged its audio design in the "A Brief History of Computer Music" panel. It's an interesting topic overall, and Wing Commander fits right in! Jump to 29:38 below if you'd like to skip straight to the WC chapter.
Computer programmed music has come a long way since the CSIR Mark 1 played a scratchy Colonel Bogie back in the early 1950s.In this talk we'll go on a journey through the history of music made with code. We'll meet the pioneers who invented computer music, visit classic video game soundtracks, learn how computer musicians made big sounds with tiny tech, how algorithms create never-ending soundtracks and the huge impact computer music has had on popular culture. Expect lots of nostalgia, vintage code on vintage computers and a musical experience of epic proportions.
Nov
…Does anyone out there use Classic Gaming Arena? We've seen it come through Anatoly Shashkin's DOS Nostalgic feed in the past, and it supports DOSBox and Wing Commander Armada's IPXNet/NetBIOS protocols. Looks like it's another great option to get some online dogfights (or sector-wide domination) going. They have detailed instructions on how to get things set up here. Stop by the #Wingnut Discord if you're looking for fellow pilots to compete against!
Classic Gaming Arena is a website based portal to link up with friends, family or just random people to play DOS based IPX network games over the Internet via the use of DOSBox and out small client program, the CGA Client. The CGA Client is installed locally and the website uses it to launch DOSBox and get you connected to your networked game. The website essentially passes off all the required information about the game you want to launch and the
Nov
…*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
A mining initiative is being held in the LHS 3872 system, as Torval Mining Ltd welcomes its new CEO.
Senator Zemina Torval, owner of the Imperial company until recently, has formally transferred her controlling shares to her eldest daughter. Constantia Torval was already director of operations, but will now oversee all corporate decision making from the highest chair.
From the press suite on Curbeam Hub starport, Ms Torval gave an announcement from the megaship Zetian's Recall:
"My mother's tireless efforts to build a corporation worthy of our family name have brought enormous success and esteem to the Torval portfolio. It is my honour to continue supplying vital resources to the great industries that drive our Empire."
"To mark the occasion, Torval Mining Ltd offers generous payments for newly mined quantities of lithium hydroxide, painite, praseodymium and tritium.
Apr
…Vodel is a familiar name to many, the independent company having cornered the market in personal land vehicles in recent years. But according to The Federal Times, a downturn in profits has led to the company being purchased by Core Dynamics, a giant in the field of starship manufacture.
Core Dynamics CEO Jupiter Rochester gave the following statement to The Federal Times:
"There's no question that the Vodel team possesses considerable expertise, and I'm delighted that Core Dynamics was able to help them in their hour of need."
"Vodel's core team of designers and engineers will remain in place under our roof, so consumers can rest easy – the Scarab they know and love will remain unchanged."
In a piece for Vox Galactica, business analyst Marlon Royce observed:
"Core Dynamics was smart to keep the Vodel team intact, since they clearly know their stuff. It's an excellent deal for both companies."
Aug
…We're headed to Oracle Park to celebrate Star Trek with the San Francisco Giants! Come and join us this evening for a game against the Diamondbacks, where Star Trek Online will take over the VIP section and let you come and sit in our recreation of the Original Series Captain's Chair! Anyone who purchases a ticket (or receives one from this contest) will receive a Star Trek messenger bag, and the chance to meet the developers of Star Trek Online and score Star Trek: Discovery holographic bridge officers. VIP ticket holders will also receive a Picard bobblehead, and the opportunity to take a photo in STO’s lifesize Captain’s Chair. For more information, please check out the Giants’ website. Take us out to the ball game, Captains, and we’ll see you there! .share-footer a { margin: 20px 10px 10px 0; background: url(d7afaaa14e96d0d973f76157ae31ec5b1466398539.png) no-repeat 0 0;
Sep
Rear_Admiral_Platypus recently got a fancy digital sketch pad, and the first thing he set out to try his hand at were a variety of Wing Commander scenes. Up first is a stylized transport similar to a Diligent about to be met by a boxy WC3/4-era shuttle. It's followed by a flight deck scene stocked with Talons and Arrows. There's also a Privateer asteroid field and a cockpit scene. The admiral will be the first to admit he may not be creating traditional fine art, but these scenes have a pleasant Wing Commander charm to them. They're certainly good work for his first 24 hours drawing in a new medium!
I've just bought a graphics tablet. Can't draw, but now I have proof. :)
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:
- We take the fight to the Kilrathi in the Ariel System
- Heathen taste... (more) Righteous Fire!
- Wing Commander Book Club - Heart of the Tiger, Chapters 17-19
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.
Mar
…We're all living together in these uncertain times, and we've got a new poll up today that reflects this new reality. While we are all charged with needing to socially distance as much as possible today, people in the Wing Commander universe are also frequently required to go long stretches far apart from most others. Which one seems like the best way to avoid a pandemic to you? These are all challenging circumstances, and we are more successfully when we stick together (virtually). Hit the discuss link below and let everyone know how you're getting through this. Or visit us on Discord and chat with fellow Wingnuts in real time!
When we started the last poll in January, the coronavirus was still far from most of our minds. We asked about everyone's favorite communications options. "Break and Attack" was far and away the most popular choice with almost half the vote. About a sixth of people
Jun
…SpaceX made history today by being the first private company to launch astronauts into orbit. We love looking at all of the fantastic sci-fi space ships that frequently appear in the news, but it's worth pausing for a moment to appreciate just how special it is when those ships are real. The CIC has been following the incredibly ambitious SpaceX plans for ten years since we first reported on their ground breaking unmanned launch in 2010. Now it's 2020 and there are people in space right now flying the Dragon capsule. That's just fantastic. The exciting liftoff was streamed live to millions of people, but the crew is still up there beaming back tremendous footage. You might have missed this fun clip where they show off the interior cabin below. Feel free to drop by the #Wingnut Discord tomorrow morning as we watch the ship dock with the International Space Station!
Here's a nice recap for anyone
Sep
…ODVS is back with some new enhanced video samples. This is another test with an exotic combo of AI neural net techniques to drastically fix up the video. In this case, he's attacked the especially old school WC3 footage and improved the frame rate, color depth/texture quality and facial/environmental resolution. There are some definite pros and cons to working with each set of tools, so this is just an experiment to see what's possible, but it produces some fascinating results. It's amazing what he's been able to do with such low quality source material! Owen explains some of the process below, but you can read more on the topic of these magic AI-boosted apps here.
I've been quiet for a while, but I have been tinkering away and experimenting.Specifically, I've experimented with using alternative AI methods. I know I've mentioned using DAIN (Depth-Aware frame INterpolation) AI models to increase
Sep
Even though interminable 2020 has seemed like a good twenty months or so long already, August zipped by fast and we are now already into September. That means the CIC Birthday Party is quickly approaching! As previously announced, we've combined our 22nd website birthday with the 30th anniversary of Wing Commander itself on September 26 this year. We'll have twice as many reasons to celebrate as normal, so we hope you can join in on the fun! The festivities will take place in #Wingnut on Discord at 7:00 pm EDT (4:00 pm PDT and 11:00 pm GMT). Stay tuned for more details as we get closer. It's likely that we will go live earlier than this official time so people will be able to drop in throughout the day and night. Mark your calendars - see you there!
Oct
…One of the many stars of the recent CIC Birthday celebrations was ODVS' effort to drastically enhance and remaster the footage from Wing Commanders 3, 4 and Prophecy. Since they turned out so well, fans naturally asked when they might expect a similar update to the Privateer 2 movies. That led to some tinkering which has already resulted in a couple of example clips! There are some challenges, of course. The best currently available footage leaves a lot to be desired, so his AI/neural net techniques don't have as much to work with. ODVS asked below whether these types of results are worth going through the rest of the cutscenes or if he should hold out for better source material becoming available. After checking out the previews, hit the comments link below to weigh in!
Well, for some reason I promised to look into remastering the Privateer 2 in-game FMV during the CIC Birthday party (I'm sure
Dec
…Display MoreHere's another look at EmuMusicFan's Kilrathi sketches. This update tries to convey a variety of emotions via new headshots. His WC graphical novel project would use these portraits to convey the feelings of each character in an anime-style talking head slide conversation. Emu's also thinking about little mini scenarios and plot interactions to prototype out. He's mocked up one below that you can provide feedback on at the CIC Forums.
"Hahahahahaha... Bugs Bunny the Great War Hero! Those fools in the psychological warfare department!"I thought of a plot:
Haga Kaligara comes to Earth for the premiere of the Documentary and meets a young boy who is being bullied. The boy is coerced by a classmate into coming to Haga Kaligara with a rusty Confederation flight helmet to get his autograph.
Haga Kaligara is very angry and criticizes the boy for his weakness.
Is this reasonable? Thanks!
Dec
…*Pilots Federation ALERT*
The effectiveness of engineers' upgrading for ship modules will be boosted until the 7th of January 3307.
During this time, engineered weapons and modules will receive increased augmentation for the same amount of materials. This will apply to every workshop in Alliance, Imperial, Federal and independent space.
Lori Jameson, an engineer based in the Shinrarta Dezhra system, provided details to Vox Galactica on how this collaboration came about:
"After the Eurybia incident, some of us contacted Liz Ryder and offered our support. It was horrifying how her expertise had been abused by the NMLA, leaving her unfairly maligned as a terrorist supporter. There were concerns that her situation might reflect badly on engineers in general."
"We soon established communication links between every workshop, and agreed to offer a universal boost to upgrades. Hopefully this will
Jan
…*Pilots Federation ALERT*
Rival initiatives to arrange a diplomatic conference have been launched by Sirius Corporation and the Utopia commune.
The Alliance Assembly, Federal Congress and Imperial Senate have each provisionally agreed to send delegates to the first tri-superpower Galactic Summit in late February. This political gathering will also be attended by representatives from independent systems.
All parties have specified that their participation depends upon the event being successfully organised in neutral territory, and with sufficient resources and security in place.
Sirius Corporation and Utopia have begun to gather supplies to host the conference. Both have requested assistance from the galactic community to provide a broad range of data, which will be vital for planning security operations. Whichever organisation obtains the greatest amount of data will be deemed most suitable.
Apr
…Here's a spectacular experiment conducted by DefianceIndustries. Goliath and UnnammedCharacter made some great headway a couple years ago on adding enhanced models into the original WC1 engine, and Defiance has taken that in a different direction. He's taken his animated series-style Tiger's Claw and converted it into a collection of sprites to be displayed in game. The result is that players are now able to fly around a Bengal straight out of the Academy television show. What a trip! Let Defiance know if you'd like to test this out or if there would be interest in a conversion pack with more ships.
So I was playing around with the WCt Toolbox and decided to try and make a WC1 mod. So I took my WCA Bengal and converted it into a sprite sheet. It was a larger process than I originally thought but it is kinda fun to do this sort of messing around. Admittedly I stand on the shoulders of giants here.
Jun
…*Pilots Federation ALERT*
All independent ships aboard the Alexandria in the HIP 16538 system will be undocked on Thursday the 3rd of June.
The megaship triggered an invasion of Thargoid vessels when it arrived from the Delphi system. Aegis believes this was a reaction to the large quantities of Guardian artefacts being stored in its cargo holds.
Captain Jacob Morales, commanding officer of the Alexandria, outlined the next steps:
"On Thursday we will make a hyperspace jump to the HIP 30944 system. Since this has a small population, the risk of casualties will be low if the Thargoids continue to pursue us. Once there, we will arrange to offload our cargo and distribute it to multiple locations."
"As a precaution, shortly before the jump we will uncouple all independent ships and leave them in the HIP 16538 system. We advise all pilots currently docked with the Alexandria to depart as soon as
