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Super cool! Anatoly Shashkin recently posted this awesome September 1994 recruitment ad for Origin Systems. The background is the gunnery control virtual set built for Wing Commander by Mark Vearrier (who went on to art direct Prophecy!).
Want to watch it come together? Sketches and the initial wireframe:
Taking shape:
… and finally!
Dec
Mods are asleep, post the Wing Commander III mini-shuttle.
It's one of the destructible cargo units that attach to the Confederation transport.
Attachments like these were pretty bugged and a bunch were cut from the game late. Here's the set that were intended to attach to the latticework on the Kilrathi freighter!
Unfortunately the bug persisted into Wing Commander IV and so the Confederation transports are all naked. Which is too bad given the number of convoy-related missions you fly! (And: the aforementioned Kilrathi transport.)
Dec
…Vice President Jerome Archer has discussed the recent Federal presidential election and other topics during an interview with The Federal Times.
On the victory of President-elect Felicia Winters:
"Winters fought a clean campaign based on issues, as I did, so one cannot fault her for that. But I think the harsh realities of governance will quickly overwhelm her liberal idealism. Hudson, whatever his critics may think of him, was never afraid to take decisive action. We'll see if Winters can do the same."
On Archer's electoral policies:
"I maintain that a security-first approach is the correct one, given the many threats facing the Federation. The Thargoids are not the only enemy of our people. Dismantling the Proactive Detection Bureau, as Winters has threatened to do, will be an act of self-sabotage for our entire society."
On his relationship with outgoing President Zachary Hudson:
"It's been
Dec
…I'm calming the old broken brain this weekend with a little research project: studying the evolution of Claw Marks! Like all holy books, Claw Marks evolved over time with edits and changes made by other contributors as Wing Commander I was ported and re-released...
And it's pretty fascinating seeing the changes! The original manual was developed in 1990 by the late, great Aaron Allston before Origin adopted digital publishing. It's the perfect lore booklet, absolutely defining the tone of the original game.
In 1994, Origin recreated it digitally for the Sega CD port (and then Super Wing Commander). Tuesday Frase overhauled the text, with changes ranging from dropping Oxford commas to rewriting sections and adding others!
And then in 1996 it was updated again for Kilrathi Saga with a host of lesser changes (and a totally new layout). And of course there are spinoffs and foreign translations that add
Dec
…
Woah, it's December! That means the year will be over in a blink, and we've got some annual CIC traditions to get to! In order to prepare, we're accepting nominations now for any Wing Commander fan projects that you'd like to recognize for their contributions in 2023. Email news@wcnews.com and let us know! There are some very strong contenders this year. Below is a rundown of our past winners:
Dec
…The star system Hyades Sector FB-N B7-6, which contains Thargoid Titan Taranis, has been surrounded by human forces.
Aden Tanner, special advisor to Aegis, provided the following update:
"Our pilots appear to have pushed Thargoids out of all systems in Titan Taranis's area of control. It's taken a huge effort, one which should rightly be recognised as outstanding. We don't know for certain what will happen next. But for now, the region is back in humanity's control."
"I strongly urge pilots to keep fighting the Thargoid fleet wherever it is encountered. We must not become complacent - the Thargoids have surprised us before, and have demonstrated the ability to respond when defeat seems inevitable. Those who fought in the HIP 22460 campaign and witnessed the Proteus Wave event will testify to the dangers of assuming the war is won."
Systems in the immediate vicinity, such as Hupang, Swahku and
Dec
Knight26-77 has posted a very cool video of his 3D printer manufacturing a slick Excalibur fighter. We've seen a lot of gorgeous plastic craft in recent years, but I don't think we've seen a perspective quite like this before. Definitely check it out!
Timelapse 3D print of the Excalibur Fighter from Wing Commander 3.Original design by Origin Systems. Redesign by Klavs and 3D printable model by Chronocidal GuyHere's a fleet shot of some of his other craft all together:
I did a rough rip and transfer to stl off of his old model release and printed it on my old printer along with several other models. The scales might be slightly off in some cases. All should be 1:72.
Nov
…*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Councillor Nakato Kaine has requested deliveries to the Tionisla system in protest against the anti-xeno defence pact.
Pilots are asked to deliver shipments of hazardous environment suits, micro controllers and titanium to Brett High. The Alliance Rapid-reaction Corps, which is hosting the initiative, will protect participants by redeeming bounty vouchers for the destruction of any wanted ships.
The campaign was personally arranged by Councillor Nakato Kaine, the representative for Tionisla in the Alliance Assembly. Speaking to the Old Worlds Gazette, Kaine stated:
"I aim to prove that the Alliance's military fleet is not as dependent upon Sirius Corporation as many believe. This campaign demonstrates our capability to stockpile vital resources for the Alliance Defence Force. And we have plenty of researchers, mechanics and manufacturers ready to develop our own
Nov
Today we've got a really beautiful little Tarsus by Cpt. Streets. What really stands out here is the intricate and highly detailed paint scheme. It's got lots of very fine accents that are very pleasing on the eyes. The engine nozzles are painted with a blend of yellow and orange fluorescent acrylic paint that even seems to glow under a black light. We're looking forward to seeing how his Hornet turns out next!
These are some pictures of my 3D-printed Tarsus Freighter from Privateer. It is my first ship model from the Wing Commander universe so far.I did not made the 3D mesh itself. I only painted it and modified it a bit as well. It is about ~16cm (6,3") long.
Currently I´m working on a Hornet Fighter in approximately the same scale as the Tarsus. I will do ships from WC1, WC2 and WC Privateer. But more about this at another time...
Nov
…Here are storyboards for an establishing shot in Wing Commander IV that would've had Colonel Blair arrive at the Nephele bar on a speeder bike.
"I bet they didn't want it to look TOO much like Star Wars!"... the final version of the bar exterior would beg to differ.
The establishing shot ended up not being necessary because they dropped a previous scene where we see Blair as a sad drunk haunted by the war. So instead they match cut from the Senate scene to a news broadcast in the bar and pan over to Hamill entering, which is a neat trick! (I'm VERY curious what the backlit poster to the right is; sadly, not much set photography has survived!)
Here are boards for the dropped scene. You would've gotten a brief 'dear John' video from the lady you chose in Wing Commander III. This was on the schedule up through when the shoot started, so it must've been dropped very late!
I always wondered if they had
Nov
You: there are 10 visually distinct types of bases in Privateer
Me, a genius: there are 27 visually distinct types of bases in Privateer
Nov
…Renowned war correspondent Jade Sanderlyn provides her regular summary of the latest news regarding the Thargoid conflict.
"It is now a whole year since the Thargoid Titans arrived and unleashed their fleets upon us. It's pleasing to report that humanity's resistance remains strong. New invasions are rare, and Thargoid vessels are being driven out of occupied systems. Nobody is under any illusions that this war might end soon, and it remains to be seen how the Thargoids adapt to the current situation. But among independent pilots and anti-xeno squadrons, morale is high – as it absolutely deserves to be."
"The Thargoid spire sites have also brought cause for cautious optimism. Having received huge volumes of samples for testing, Ishmael Palin proved that spire compounds and Titan hull fragments share genetic commonalities. Whatever these eerie alien growths are, evidence is growing that their
Nov
During Roberts Space Industries' October festivities for the anniversary of Star Citizen, they spent some time going through the features of "Star Engine." The material was embedded in larger streams at the time, but they have now released the clip as a standalone. A number of folks have written in to point out the similarities between the conductor that kicks things off in the new clip and the Origin conduct that kicked things off at the start of many classic WC games. Here is for anyone who missed it!
Of course, as LOAF reminds us, it didn't just appear in front of Wing Commander games!
I dunno maybe it’s a Martian Dreams reference. 😂 pic.twitter.com/FWqoaNckkV
— Ben Lesnick (@banditloaf) October 25, 2023
Nov
…Here's something you don't see every day! Billy Joe Cain was the lead designer on Wing Commander Prophecy, and his connections to the team have helped him come into possession of a highly collectible jacket! If you haven't followed his adventures in our previous updates, Billy has been out of the commercial game scene for a bit. He's founded the Radical Empathy Education Foundation to fight human trafficking. If you're in an especially giving mood, the jacket has been listed on eBay for $8,900 with the proceeds going to these anti-trafficking efforts. The price will gradually decrease until it goes to a good home!
Today, a Wing Commander "holy grail" came into my life and I'm selling it to raise money to end human trafficking through prevention education.If you liked Wing Commander Prophecy, this is the ultimate collectible. There may have been 30 of these "Development Team Only" bomber jackets
Nov
…
Whether you're looking for the perfect WC gift or trying to fill out your collection, here's a rundown of various Wing Commander items on the market today. You might be surprised to see how many things are still being sold! Although most items are digital, there are some fun physical items in the mix too. New additions this year include a stunning print of the End Run cover art by artist David Mattingly (pictured right) as well as the new CIC pint glass. The pint glass and coaster set are 25% off right now for Black Friday. If you see this after that coupon has lapsed, hold off until they issue their Cyber Monday coupon!
Print Art
Nov
…Azimuth Biotech has suggested that it can replace Sirius Corporation as the Alliance's anti-xeno military partner.
The move follows the Alliance Assembly's decision to reevaluate its strategic xeno defence pact with Sirius, amid concerns that the megacorp has not sufficiently protected Allied systems from the Thargoids.
CEO Torben Rademaker offered the following statement during a recent shareholder presentation:
"Azimuth Biotech is – and always has been – the only corporation to specialise in anti-xeno weapons tech. Sirius Corporation, once the trend-setter in so many fields, has become complacent and is now best described as a household goods manufacturer with delusions of grandeur. Aegis is a loosely connected gang of publicity-seekers playing war games with technology developed by uncredited researchers. But Azimuth specialists have been diligently researching the Thargoid species ever
Nov
Hey all, the CIC staff is trying to have a low key Thanksgiving this year. To those who celebrate, we hope you stay safe and manage to connect with those you love. And if you're tired of hearing about terrestrial pilgrims and would rather read about the space variety, why not check out Wing Commander Pilgrim Truth? Check it out online or grab it in .mobi (Kindle) or .epub (iBooks and other) formats.
Nov
…*Pilots' Federation ALERT*
Torval Mining Ltd has announced that sufficient quantities of mined resources were delivered to its subsidiary faction.
The Aristocrats of Cuacocha, who control the LHS 3872 system, received the shipments of mined lithium hydroxide, painite, praseodymium and tritium. They have confirmed that all participating pilots can now collect their rewards at Curbeam Hub.
Constantia Torval, the corporation's recently appointed CEO, gave a statement:
"With this successful event, Torval Mining Ltd advances toward even greater prestige and profitability. I offer sincere thanks to our partners and contributors."
The campaign's background was discussed by Gwendolyn Nash, Empire correspondent for Vox Galactica:
"Senator Zemina Torval handing Torval Mining Ltd to her oldest daughter is the latest of several curious developments in recent years. She established the company by branching
Nov
I got curious about one of the transports from Secret Ops; turns out "Kyoto Rose" is a kind of tea! So we ordered some from Amazon to try. And it was just fine! Make your own fun!!!
You can also listen to all of the Kyoto Rose's comm transmissions in the WCPedia Holovids section here!
Nov
…It's been a killer week for Wing Commander models! Today we've got a Drakhri built by Ardias and based on Klavs' original 3D model. There's actually two variants depicted below that differ in a clever way. The first was built as one piece by the printer. It's a convenient way to manufacture something... although carefully removing the connection points still takes some time. This is the version that was painted, and it looks great in the end! There's also a second take that comes in several pieces. In theory, someone with a smaller 3D printer could still produce this with each element manufactured separately. This always makes it so tempting to buy a 3D printer! You can read all about the construction process or download the associated files at the CIC Forum.
This model is an exact duplicate of Klavs original model. The only modification I made was altering the underside slightly to allow for
