News from Bot
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07
May
Dowlphinspotted a couple of nifty easter eggs in a recent World of Warcraft quest. Wing Commander Black and a blue-haired Kilrath make appearances as a couple of Orcs in a story mission. These aren't random gaming references either - WoW executive producer
J Allen Brackis a major Wing Commander vet. He got his start in the industry as a QA tester on Wing Commander 3 and went on to work on P2, WC4, Kilrathi Saga, Prophecy and Secret Ops. There are likely numerous such gems hidden in the game. Another player spotted
Wing Commander Mulvericka while back too.
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07
May
Seven, seventeen, same thing...
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07
May
…Display MoreOrigin founder Richard Garriott recently led an expedition to the North Pole. He conducted various science experiments on behalf of the
Explorers Cluband also helped make history by bringing along the youngest adventurers to ever make the trek - his children Ronin (3.5 years) and Kinga (5 years). The pictures below show them unfurling an Austin flag at the pole and conducting some very cool ice cave exploration. It sounds like modern technology makes the trip far less burdensome than in years past, but there is still difficulty getting the airplanes in and out. Richard
had to standon the return flight due to how crammed their plane was! I'm glad they were able to pull off such a cool trip safely. Check out Spectrum News
hereand
herefor more background.
Back in Svalbard with the youngest boy ever to the North Pole! Everyone happy & healthy, happy to have power & internet!
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07
May
This is a good one
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07
May
Scimitars may not be known for going fast, but blink and you might miss this one. Hit the gear in the lower right and you can slow the clip down in slow motion. At 0.25 speed you can admire the design a little more. This is just one of the Wing Commander fighters that
Stephen Fenderis working on. He's got four Confed and four Kilrathi ships coming together, and with that he's considering putting together a Lego movie or comic. Whatever form this ends up taking, we'd love to see it!
A little LEGO model I designed in Lego Digital Designer, converted to 3DS, then imported into Lightwave for a quick test render.
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07
May
Ha, well, I have ramscoops...
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07
May
Display MoreThere's been lots of
great workin the last couple years on researching the file formats used in the original Wing Commander games. Digging continues on that front, so while there's some neat things to see, not much is playable yet.
Rehsinhas built upon some of that knowledge to create a proof concept mod for WC1. He doctored up some of the hairstyles, animations and backgrounds slightly just to begin to show what's possible. It's pretty awesome that people are still tinkering like this and that the field of WC1/2 modding is actually growing. Check it out and learn more at the CIC Forums
here.
Hello, I made a few changes to the Wing Commander 1 graphics.
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07
May
…Display MoreThis report presents the latest data on starports experiencing technical issues as a result of Thargoid Sensor related interference.
The following starports are currently closed:
Altshuller Port, Monoto
Antonelli Station, HR 1201
Asire Arena, Dakondunii
Boe Orbital, Abast Samo
Corte-Real Terminal, 19 Phi-2 Ceti
Hansen Station, HIP 95256
Harvey Ring, Gl 606.1 B
McDivitt Port, Wolf 1022
Reed Dock, Monoto
Solovyev Colony, Carcinus
Talos 1, Peregrina
Talos 2, Peregrina
Thomas' Claim, Telin
Wye-Delta Station, Carcinus
Meanwhile, the following starports are on the brink of closure:
Bokeili Ring, HIP 33368
Farmer Laboratory, Ling Deti
Ford Hub, Khaka
Hutton Dock, Khaka
Kanwar Orbital, Tz'utuls
Kremmen's Respite, Kioti 368
Rand Dock, HIP 33368
Rigaux Survey, HIP 22229
Tanner City, V886 Centauri
Walker Port, HIP 14886
Wegner Market, Rind
Wollheim Vision, Fuelum
Young Station, Ling Deti
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07
May
…Independent journalist Chukwuma Grant has published an article on peace activist and former Federal President Jasmina Halsey. Grant has described the report as a wide-ranging analysis that addresses "the political impact of a politician renouncing politics".
Key extracts from the article are reprinted below:
"Some believe that Jasmina Halsey always intended to defect from the Federation and join the Alliance, where she currently acts as an advisor to Prime Minister Edmund Mahon. Others assert that after years of inhumane politics, her conscience broke through – that she sought meaning by helping others and striving for concord between the powers."
"But it was Starship One's destruction that transformed Halsey – something that she herself could not possibly have planned. Her subsequent 'visions' made her politically toxic, at least as far as the Federation was concerned, allowing her to simply
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07
May
…Angeli Imperial Enterprises, one of the Empire's key suppliers of foodstuffs and other consumables, has announced plans to build a Bowman-class science vessel.
The construction initiative, dubbed the Rekohu Project, will allow the organisation to increase the biodiversity of its crops. Once complete, the megaship will be deployed to the PLAA AIN Sector to research life on Earth-like worlds.
The organisation's spokesperson, Commander Blain Crighton, released the following statement:
"For a civilisation with near-limitless energy and the ability to cross the stars in the blink of an eye, how is it that we still have systems experiencing famine? The Rekohu Project is an effort to change that, and to find new ways to keep even the poorest fed."
In support of this goal, Angeli Imperial Enterprises has placed an open order for various commodities, promising to reward pilots who deliver these goods to
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07
May
The Rind Gold Electronics Org Campaign has announced that its campaign has reached a successful conclusion. Large quantities of research materials and mined resources were delivered to Wegner Market over the past week, allowing the Empire to proceed with the construction of a new pilot-training centre.
A spokesperson for the Rind Gold Electronics Org released the following statement:
"As the dangers facing humanity become more potent, we must not become overly reliant on technology. Instead we must seek to cultivate the human mind, and unlock its boundless potential."
Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Wegner Market in the Rind system.
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07
May
…Imperial Senator Nestor Cartesius has been found dead at his home on Capitol. Regional media streams have confirmed that his death is being treated as a homicide.
Captain Seutonia of the Imperial Internal Security Service conveyed the facts at a press conference:
"The body of Senator Cartesius was discovered in the early hours of this morning. There were no signs of a struggle, but we did discover a note that we assume was deliberately placed there by the murderer. The note read: 'For Jameson'."
"As is well known, last year the ship of historical figure Commander John Jameson was located, following his final mission on behalf of the now-defunct Intergalactic Naval Research Arm. Presumably, this is the Jameson to whom the note refers."
"IISS analysts have confirmed that Nestor Cartesius was directly descended from a senior member of the INRA. We therefore believe that this crime is connected to the
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07
May
…Here are this week's major stories.
Imperial Senator Nestor Cartesius has been found dead at his home on Capitol. His death is being treated as a homicide. A note found at the crime scene and believed to have been written by the murderer read: 'For Jameson'. It has been confirmed that Cartesius was descended from a senior member of the INRA and it is assumed that the motive for the killing was revenge, driven by perceived misconduct on the part of both the INRA and the senator's ancestor.
Independent journalist Chukwuma Grant has published an article on peace activist and former Federal President Jasmina Halsey. In the article, Grant is open minded about Halsey's claims of encountering super-intelligent beings, while suggesting that her statements might be designed to cultivate a following among the disenfranchised. Grant concludes by saying: "Whether she is a visionary, a lunatic or a brilliant
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07
May
…This report presents the latest data on starports experiencing technical issues as a result of Thargoid Sensor related interference.
The following starports are currently closed:
Antonelli Station, HR 1201
Asire Arena, Dakondunii
Boe Orbital, Abast Samo
Ford Hub, Khaka
Hutton Dock, Khaka
Kanwar Orbital, Tz'utuls
Solovyev Colony, Carcinus
Thomas' Claim, Telin
Walker Port, HIP 14886
Meanwhile, the following starports are on the brink of closure:
Ali Point, Pehuti
Asimov Dock, Omicron Ursae Majoris
Auld Platform, Djirupatha
Baudin Relay, Li Chen Yun
Bear Settlement, HIP 32350
Born Hub, Amemakarna
Bulychev Laboratory, Lyncis Sector KM-V b2-3
Canonn Institute, Col 285 Sector IX-T d3-43
Eskridge Mine, Saptara
Extra Refinery, Azrael
Gaiman Beacon, Onyayp
Holdstock Beacon, Kamchadals
Kimberlin's Inheritance, Lyncis Sector DQ-Y c9
Makeev Plant, Lyncis Sector MH-V b2-3
Noli Enterprise, HIP 32135
Piccard
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07
May
…An announcement from Simguru Pranav Antal, leader of Utopia, has addressed the possibility that humanity may lose the conflict against the Thargoids.
"For many years, our Sim-Archive has bridged the past and the future by digitally preserving the memories of countless deceased individuals. Should there come a time when our physical selves no longer exist, it is the Sim-Archive alone that will preserve humankind's essence."
"As such, in these volatile times, our priority is to ensure that the Sim-Archive survives humanity's potential extermination. We urge all galactic citizens to join Utopia and help the collective soul of our species live on."
Commander Solveig Smith, who has fought the Thargoids in the Pleiades, commented:
"Antal makes it sound like we are about to be wiped out, which is far from the truth. Things are tough right now, but we're a long way off having to convert the whole human
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07
May
…The Vadimo Patrons of Law, an Imperial organisation based in Vadimo, has announced plans to host an elaborate soirée in the Vadimo system.
A spokesperson for the organisation elaborated on the nature of the event:
"Let's be honest, things aren't great at the moment. We've got aggressive aliens on the doorstep and no one seems entirely sure what to do about it. So we thought – why not throw a big party? Give the people of Vadimo a chance to forget about their worries for a night. We want this to be the best party the system has ever seen. Or at least the best one of 3304."
To ensure that the event is a success, Vadimo Patrons of Law has placed an open order for a range of commodities, and has promised to reward pilots who deliver these goods to Sikorsky Station. The organisation has also placed a kill order on all ships on its wanted list, to guarantee that those delivering commodities to Sikorsky
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07
May
…The murder of Imperial Senator Nestor Cartesius has led to widespread public speculation, along with an increased interest in the activities of the Intergalactic Naval Reserve Arm.
Dr Oskar Kincaid, an Alliance historian, examined the backdrop to the case:
"The INRA has always been viewed with suspicion. Contemporaneous records suggest that it was involved in biochemical warfare against the Thargoids during their original incursion in the 3100s. There were even rumours of experimentation on live Thargoid subjects, but at the time many saw this as the only way to halt a superior hostile force."
"Why this shadowy operation from one and a half centuries ago should now result in an Imperial senator's death is a matter of conjecture. But there are many documented cases of retroactive retribution, where one family – or its followers – seeks atonement from another. History's course is often diverted
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07
May
…Here are this week's major stories.
Simguru Pranav Antal, leader of Utopia, has addressed the possibility that humanity may lose the conflict against the Thargoids. In a public statement, he suggested that the Sim-Archive – a digital repository of human memories – could be the key to humanity's survival, should the Thargoids overwhelm the human race.
Meanwhile, the murder of Imperial Senator Nestor Cartesius has led to widespread public speculation. One commentator speculated that the killer was "motivated by the discovery of John Jameson's ship, and the logs that prove he was manipulated and sacrificed by the INRA". A member of the Imperial Internal Security Service confirmed that the organisation was pursuing forensic leads from the crime scene.
In other news, the Vadimo Patrons of Law have announced plans to host an elaborate soirée in the Vadimo system. A spokesperson for the organisation
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07
May
…Many key figures have contested Pranav Antal's suggestion that humanity could lose the conflict against the Thargoids.
Federal Shadow President Felicia Winters commented:
"It's surprising to hear such a dystopian prediction from the leader of Utopia! I know Antal's heart is in the right place when he talks about preparing for the far future, but our focus should be on the present. The Thargoid threat has prompted an unprecedented level of inter-power cooperation, and this positive approach is what we must concentrate on."
Admiral Aden Tanner made a statement on behalf of Aegis:
"Let me make this clear: our enemy may be powerful, but they are far from achieving victory. With our AX weaponry and new megaships, Aegis is leading an effective resistance against Thargoid forces."
Further refutation came from Li Yong-Rui, CEO of the Sirius Corporation:
"With all due respect to Antal, his peculiar vision
