[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14175']Here's another cool CD-based review from the

magazine. We shared Episode 19 with a Privateer 2 preview

, and here's

on Wing Commander 4. Like the previous clip, their 'articles' came on disc in audio format acompanied by a slideshow (and advertising). In these early days when few people were yet online, this was a tremendously cool way to see footage of the new game and hear about what it had to offer.

These previews also included a text article that differs a little from the audio/visual preview.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .

. . . a guy named Chris Roberts, a game and movie fan, thought to combine his hobbies into a new sort of interactive entertainment experience. Fortunately, he worked for Origin at the time. The culmination of this wish was Wing Commander, which went on to become one of the most successful and highly-recognized PC game products in the history of the industry - and the first of a fruitful series for Origin.

Skip forward a few years, to the third game in the series. Incorporating digitized video of live actors (some of them QUITE well-known already in the film industry), computer-generated sets rendered on Silicon Graphics machines, and a state-of-the art space flight game engine, Wing Commander III set yet another benchmark for the gaming industry.

So what do you do for an encore?

In Roberts' own words, "Polish." You take the tools you've developed and spend more time exercising your craftsmanship than you were permitted while you were inventing the wheel. From a technological standpoint, this means honing the tools you've already built. On the gameplay side, Wing IV should play faster and cleaner than Wing III, with bigger explosions, more detailed texture-mapping, and cleaner background music, thanks to the game's use of digital streaming audio. On the cinematic side Origin's code-wizards have cooked up a new compression scheme which allows for more cinematic techniques, like moving camera and zooming, as well as reproducing more colors and detail, permitting players to better appreciate the actors' performances.

From a storytelling standpoint, the developers were able to invest more time and energy in creating an experience that really gives you the feel of watching a movie. The game uses real sets ("practical," as they say "in the biz") to give the actors a better frame of reference, thereby enhancing the realistic atmosphere. It was shot on film, giving it a much more "movie-like" look and feel (Wing III was shot on Betacam, which doesn't reproduce quite as nicely, but is an order of magnitude cheaper).

Wing IV's script is bigger and more complicated than Wing III's (500 and a bit pages to Wing III's 400), and involves a more mature and emotionally-involving storyline. This time around, you're forced to make some serious ethical choices, which will drastically affect the course of the game.

Once again, you play Col. Christopher Blair. The Terran-Kilrathi war is over, however, and you've settled down on a quiet backwater to live out the rest of your days as a humble farmer. It's not destined to be, though. None other than your old pal Maniac appears on your doorstep one day to inform you that you're being pressed back into active duty. It seems a coalition of Border Worlds, demanding rights the Confederation was not ready to grant, is threatening civil war. Ships on both sides have been attacked. Things are getting hairy. Trouble is, Blair's not certain who's in the right. And then, there's the possibility of a hidden third party being involved . . .

Mark Hamill reprises the role of Col. Christopher Blair. Also returning are Malcolm McDowell as Admiral Tolwyn, Jason Bernard as Captain Eisen, John Rhys-Davies as Paladin, and Tom Wilson as the irrepressible Maniac. Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom should be available around the time you are viewing this episode of IE.

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14197']Gotta protect those 'sports

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10878734-deep-space-nine-gets-a-total-rebuild'] Hoo Boy! This has been a long time coming, but man, is it ever exciting! So. . . how do you guys feel about a tough, little station near the Wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant? Yeah, we love it too, and we thought it was time to give her a little love. We’ve had a Deep Space Nine map in the game for ages now, but like other things from those days, DS9 has been showing its age. There are a lot of issues with the old map that we don’t need to get into, so let’s talk about what we’ve done on the new map instead. We’ve rebuilt the entirety of the Promenade ring to match the show. That means all of your favorite spots are there, including one you’ve already got a sneak peek at in the recent episode “The Renegade’s Regret”- the Security Office and its Holding Cells. In addition, we’ve updated or added the Infirmary, the Bajoran Temple, the Klingon Deli, the Jumja Stand, the Replimat, and of course, Garak’s Clothiers. Oh, and how could I have forgotten, Quark’s Bar! Quark’s is fun, after all. Quark’s, like everything else, has been completely rebuilt from scratch, and it is now open to the Promenade on both the first and second floor. Some of you may remember that we actually started work on the whitebox version of this a couple of years ago, but the Iconian War finale needed more hands, and things were shifted around a bunch to make “Midnight” as amazing as it was. That meant that DS9 got put on hold, but it was never far from our minds. By time planning for Victory is Life started up, and was clearly going to involve DS9, it was clear what needed to be done. While we all know the Promenade is a full circle, in the show, on Stage 17 at the Paramount Studios lot, only about 140* of that potential 360* was made. We started with that, building the canonical section. We dug up the old whitebox version we’d started years ago. That had already laid out the canon arc using the same technique we’ve used on other recent canon interiors. Since there are copies online of the floorplan for the DS9 sets on Stage 17, we knew what the stage layout was like. And lucky for us, Paramount is still around and shooting on Stage 17, so we could go to their website and find the exact dimensions of the interior of the stage. Pair those together, and we were able to create a scale map to build off of. That’s all great, and we had a good handle on that canon section, but now we had to fill out that extra 220* of the circle. Luckily, even for that, we could draw from the show. It’s amazing how the producers of the show would redress things, and shoot from odd angles to make you feel like there was much more to it. In addition, if you’ve watched a fair bit of DS9 you may notice some fairly significant changes to the sets from Season 1 to Season 2. We could take some of those set redressings and changes and use them to help fill out the back end of the Promenade. We had to fill in plenty of other areas ourselves, but keeping some canon bits here and there helps it feel like the station we saw on the show. Once the Promenade hallway was laid out, we had to start making up all of the various rooms. Again, we started with the canon ones. Quark’s was the big one, and it took a lot of time to get it all to jive right. While we had the stage plans, they aren’t perfect, and it doesn’t take much to have a door line up on one side of the room, and have the door off on the other end of the room. Constant adjustments have to be made throughout the process. Often, an object you think you’re done with ends up needing to get changed once you start working on the thing next to it, and realize that you left too little space for that one. That’s why the whiteboxing mode is so key. It’s far better to find out that something has to be changed while it’s in whitebox form, than once it’s got lots of finished modeling and custom textures on it. Did I mention all of the DS9 watching going on through all of this? I have seen the show in its entirety, multiple times, but watching for set details is a totally different game. My memory for episodes isn’t great either, so while I know that something may have been shown, I don’t necessarily remember which episode it was that showed it. Fortunately there is a TON of reference. Unfortunately, some of the references you need (like, for the upper corner of that one room) are only in one shot, in one of the 176 episodes they made. So, I’d watch, and pause, and screenshot, and watch, and pause, and screenshot. Over, and over, and over through many, but certainly not all of DS9, trying to catch that little corner, or that one console panel, or a close up of what that floor looked like. It’s fun, but it’s grueling. In the end, we have a DS9 Reference folder with over 2600 screenshots of the show, each taken by me. Back to the making of things, Quark’s was a big undertaking, especially with trying to not only get the lower entrance open to the Promenade, but the upper entrance as well. The upper sections of Quark’s were never shown very well. Even the upper Promenade entrance was only really visible a handful of times, so there was a LOT of building things, watching an episode, shifting things, etc. All to the goal of trying to make sure our new DS9 represented what we saw in the show as faithfully as we could. Turns out there is a LOT of unique stuff on DS9. Unlike most of the usual Federation interiors where everything just gets copied from one spot to the next, and is often made up of large wall panels and such, DS9 is a patchwork of little things. Yes, there’s lots of reuse, but there are a lot of unique items/props/signs/whatever. While the makers of the show could go pick up an existing oddball lighting fixture or bench, we have to make all of it, and it started to be too much. That’s why we have a team. Scot, Donny, and David, my co-Environment Artists, all had hands in the DS9 revamp. With their help, we made the Temple, the Infirmary, and the Security Office. In addition to their efforts, we had a major boost in doing one of the more difficult tasks of any interior, the LCARS. . . or whatever it is that the Cardassian equivalent is called. Tim ‘Suricata’ Davies, our PWE EU Marketing Artist, came to our rescue and lent a hand by creating some outstanding replicas of various consoles and panels all over DS9, including some of the animated monitors we know so well from the show. We really could not have pulled this off without his help. At this point, we are just putting the finishing touches on everything. Our content designers started putting NPCs in last week, and it was so cool to see the whole place come to life. I am so excited to see this finally come to fruition, and for you all to get to run around, talk to Bashir and Quark, and change your outfits at Garak’s. Nick Duguid Senior Environment Artist Cryptic Studios .share-footer a { margin: 20px 10px 10px 0; background: url(http://images-cdn.perfectworld…157ae31ec5b1466398539.png) no-repeat 0 0; opacity: .5; display: inline-block; height: 60px; width: 60px; padding: 0; border: 1px solid transparent; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } .share-footer .TI { background-position: 0 20%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .TW { background-position: 0 60%; } .share-footer .FO { background-position: 0 80%; } .FB:hover { background-position: 100% 0%; } .TI:hover { background-position: 100% 20%; } .YT:hover { background-position: 100% 40%; } .TW:hover { background-position: 100% 60%; } .FO:hover { background-position: 100% 80%; } .share-footer a:hover { opacity: 1; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } $(document).ready( function() { $('.show-lightbox').click(function() { var $el = $(this); var link = $el.data().lightbox; $.colorbox({href: link, maxWidth: '90%', maxHeight: '90%', scalePhotos: true}); }); }); .headerimage { border: 2px inset rgba(255, 255, 255, .05); border-radius: 2em; box-shadow: 5px 5px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, .3); -webkit-transition: all 500ms ease; -moz-transition: all 500ms ease; -ms-transition: all 500ms ease; -o-transition: all 500ms ease; transition: all 500ms ease; } [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14192']

During Wing Commander's heyday, companies like Thrustmaster and Saitek sold higher end programmable controllers that could be configured for a variety of different games. We've been doing some research on this vintage flight hardware, specifically trying to determine which joysticks, throttles and other equipment offered 'official' support for Wing Commander games in the 1990s. In the process, we've also started to recover some of the digital profiles that hardware manufacturers used to have available at their official websites. For today's update, we've recovered a selection of downloads that Saitek provided to add support for Wing Commander Prophecy for their original 1997-98 product lineup.

The Cyborg was Saitek's range of programmable game controllers which began with the Cyborg 3D Digital Pad gamepad and the Cyborg 3D Stick joystick. The updated Cyborg Stick 2000 also supports these configuration files.

The X36 was Saitek's HOTAS setup, comprised of the X36F stick and the X35T throttle (sold separately or together.) The X36F was fully programmable and Saitek offered a profile for Wing Commander Prophecy through their website.

The PCDash was a special keyboard billed as a "graphical command pad." The PCDash could be configured for different games by using printed 'Command Sheets' which would arrange different keystrokes and combinations in a manner specific to the chosen title. Command Sheets were available in a number of different ways: some shipped with the PCDash itself, others were included with games and still more were available for download through Saitek (players were also able to create and share their own.) Saitek's page offered both a simple 'text only' and a graphical version for Wing Commander Prophecy.

Note that these files are only compatible with the gameport versions of the listed products; Saitek did not include support for any Wing Commander games with their USB releases (which began in 1998.)

• Cyborg Line
• X36 HOTAS
• PC Dash (Text)
• PC Dash (Graphical)

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14195']I think we can all relate

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14196']Privateer's been making the

not just as a memorable Wing Commander game but also a milestone in PC and space sim gaming as a whole. Everyone who plays has stories about upgrading their Tarsus and saving up for an Orion, Galaxy or Centurion. The actual campaign was completely optional, and occasionally you hear about fans who never made it through to the end. It's easy to find a list of the major fixers and their locations online, but it could be time consuming for someone playing in a vacuum.

is here to help with a recording of the final showdown between the

and Commodore Reismann's fleet (and your Steltek Gun). As a special bonus, he's also included the ending conversation with Admiral Terrell. It's a little anti-climactic compared to the epic conclusions to the main Wing Commander games, but it has a really clever presentation of the end credits. And I love Terrell's office!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14194']Seems plausible

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14159']A number of various

updates have been released since the big Black Lance edition came out last month. These have patched out bugs that fix crashes, update mothership code, correct Black Lance resource collection and even squash a new bug created by the aforementioned updates. This version also includes the new

mechanic, fuel/ammunition management for strike craft, hero fighters and ships from

. Prophecy era designed are still planned for a future update! Check out the

or

for the latest.

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14191']Don't worry, you found your way to the right place Mr. Bear...

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Citizen','https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/engineering/16517-The-Shipyard-Fuel-Mechanics']

Fuel Mechanics

How It Works Today and What’s in Store for the Future

With the introduction of the Origin 100 series and its unique AIR system, we wanted to spend a little time talking about the current and future role of fuel in Star Citizen. The career of Refueling, and by proxy the gameplay of fuel, is one of our many non-combat driven gameplay loops and key to creating a believable universe.

This piece is a primer to the Refueling design and career, which will be discussed more in the build up to its release.

Fuel Mechanics in Star Citizen Alpha 3.1

In Alpha 3.1, all of our ships have a Hydrogen Fuel Tank and most have a Quantum Fuel Tank, snubs being the common exception. The ship’s thrusters consume fuel stored in the Hydrogen Fuel Tank and convert it into thrust with a small draw from the Power Plant. When in Quantum Travel, thrusters use the fuel contained in the Quantum Fuel Tank.

A common misconception is that fuel is only used during Boost or Afterburner. Actually, fuel was intended to be consumed during any use of the thrusters. Most ships have a Fuel Intake, again snubs tend to be the exception, that regenerate fuel from the environment. Fuel should usually regenerate faster than what standard maneuvering burns while in space. Sustained maneuvers involving Boost or Afterburner, as well as use in atmosphere, will consume more fuel than can be regenerated. This will deplete the fuel bar located on the HUD. Stopping these maneuvers will typically refill the fuel bar, although most ships need to be moving for the regeneration to occur. Hence, if a ship is left running while landed, you may return to discover it has less fuel in it.

If you run out of either type of fuel, the only way to refuel your ship is by visiting a Cry-Astro station or filing an insurance claim at an ASOP terminal.

The Future Fuel Cycle

The first step to moving your spaceship is to create thrust and fire it out of a thruster. The broad, in-game explanation behind creating that thrust is as follows:

1. Fuel Intakes scoop natural gases from the environment and funnel them into the ship.

a. To get the most amount of gas into your ship, seek out areas of concentrated gas.

b. Using your Fuel Intakes in regular space may scoop limited quantities of gas or none at all.

2. These gases are converted into plasma.

a. Fuel Intakes will do a basic conversion on a limited range of gas types.

b. Refineries will provide more conversion options.

3. Converted plasma is stored in the Fuel Tank, previously called the Hydrogen Fuel Tank.

a. These tanks can only store one type of plasma at a time.

4. When thrust is needed, plasma pumps through the Power Plant and is converted/agitated into energized plasma.

5. The energized plasma is funneled into thrusters.

6. Thrust is produced and the ship moves appropriately.

Hydrogen is the most common element in space. All ships can use hydrogen to power their thrusters, but it is not the only type of gas that can be converted. Some ships can harvest and convert varying types of gas that when refined provide additional benefits, such as increased efficiency or reduced emissions. You can only store one type of plasma in each fuel tank so pick wisely. If you wish to change types, you must purge that tank before refilling, which is not recommended in deep space.

Refineries are the key to converting other gases into usable fuel. While Fuel Intakes do a passable conversion job, Refineries take it to the next level. They can be found on a wide range of ships like the 100 series, Freelancer DUR, and on the high end, the Starfarer.

As part of the refining gameplay, you can select what type of fuel to scoop and where it will end up, provided you have a ship with multiple fuel tanks such as the Starfarer. You will need to monitor the situation as gas concentrations will vary by location and even within the same location.

Let’s say a gas cloud in space is a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Ammonia would be the most efficient/dense fuel so you may be tempted to scoop it. But it’s only 9% of the gas composition, whereas nitrogen is 40%. That means it will take you just over 4x as long to get the same amount of ammonia plasma as nitrogen plasma. On the other hand, ammonia plasma is a higher grade and sells for more.

Finally, Quantum Fuel will remain as is. It will only be consumed during Quantum Travel and refilled at designated stations like Cry-Astro.

How Fuel Will Be Changing in Future Patches

The major change players will notice is that some ships no longer have the ability to regenerate or scoop fuel by default. This part of the fuel design was delayed until we could implement support features that ensure a positive player experience. These prerequisite features are:

1. A way to call for help.

2. A way to get fuel at any location.

The first issue was solved with the introduction of Service Beacons in 3.1, and the latter will be solved when the Starfarer gains refueling functionality in a future patch. Other ships capable of refueling, such as the Aegis Vulcan, will also provide refueling functionality when they are released.

Ships either have a Fuel Intake, do not have one, or have the option to equip one. To determine which ships fell into which category, we looked at their intended careers and roles, as detailed in the Shipyard series.

Combat (Short Range) – The in-game equivalent of a carrier based ship, such as the Gladius and Hornet. These ships will not come with nor have the ability to equip Fuel Intakes.

Combat (Long Range) – These ships, like the Vanguard and Retaliator, will have Intakes as their role requires them to traverse long distances.

Exploration – These ships will have Fuel Intakes by default. Their very nature dictates that they can travel long distances, well away from the nearest refueling location.

Industrial & Transport – Typically, these ships will have Fuel Intakes by default, as again they are required to travel long distances.

Support – Naturally, the Starfarer and most other ships in this career will retain them as they’ll often be expected to execute long distance and extended duration missions.

Competition – These ships will vary depending on their type. Some ships, like the Razor, feature technology that allows them to refuel, whereas others, like the M50, deal with the issue differently by having larger fuel tanks.

Some ship families, such as the Aurora and 300 series, have variants that come with a Fuel Intake by default, while the rest of the series can equip one if you procure it separately or transfer it from another ship. Furthermore, just because a ship may not have a Fuel Intake does not mean it cannot operate in deep space. There are no hard restrictions in place to prevent it. You will just need to consider your actions more carefully. You could leave enough fuel to return, call for a refuel, or make your journey a one way trip.

How Does the Origin 100 Series Air System Benefit from This?

The 100 series benefits from having an Fuel Intake and Refinery, allowing them to process more types of gas than other ships in their class. In addition, the default equipped Fuel Intake is of a higher grade (B vs C) than is standard. The 100 series also has a bespoke Refinery that can harvest a wider variety of gases than comparable systems at that price point

Out of all the starter ships, the 100 series is intended to be the most fuel efficient. Thanks to the AIR system it achieves this goal through a combination of its naturally efficient thrusters, a higher quality Fuel Intake, and the wider range of gases it can refill from via its Refinery.

Further Reading

Ship Mass

Thrusters

Ordnance Hardpoints

Other Hardpoints

Variants & Modules

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Citizen','https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/engineering/16520-Q-A-Origin-100-Series-Part-I']

Q&A: Origin 100 Series Part I

Hello everyone,

Following the launch of the Origin 100 series, below are some questions and answers to provide more information on this brand-new starter ship from Origin Jumpworks.

Still have a question that you didn’t see answered below? You can still post questions on Spectrum, to be answered in Part 2 of our Q&A, here.

Special thanks to John Crewe, Corentin Billemont, and Todd Papy for their help preparing this Q&A.

How can a fighter be effective with two size 1 guns?

Compared to other fighters at the same class it benefits from the addition of missiles and improved maneuverability.

We’re also aware of the current weakness and lack of incentive to use S1 weapons and are looking into updates to make them a more competitive choice without resorting to DPS creep.

What advantages and disadvantages does this ship have versus the three other starters?

The fuel system gives it an enhanced range. It’s less maneuverable than the Mustang. It is more maneuverable than the Aurora, but lacks it’s strength and durability.

How does the 100i fit into the lineup of Origin? Is there a functional cohesion such as with Drake?

The 100i is the entry point into the Origin line of spaceships, the X1 sits beneath it but as a bike it is essentially in a different tree. There is no current equivalent in the Drake line up.

Its closest “equivalent” in the Origin lineup is the 85X but the two have different uses. The 85X does not have any living accommodation so cannot be used for extended durations, versus the 100 series which do and can. In addition, the 100 series can hold cargo and can be entered holding items which the 85X cannot, but the 85X does have space for a second player to sit alongside. The 100 series is great for the solo player wishing to do multiple things, while the 85X is a great ship for taking a friend sightseeing around the ‘verse .

What ships will the Origin 100 series fit inside of?

The 100 series has not been specifically designed to fit in any specific ships.

The 135 has three times the cargo of the 100. Is that due to a different hull?

The 135c has a specific cargo module integrated in the underside rear of the ship to accommodate the additional capacity.

If there are three different hulls, why is the holoviewer model the same for all three?

Typically during concept creation we only focus on the base model and create a 3D model for that with the other variants being paint overs or simple 3D additions rather than full creations. When these variants are built out they will be updated on the holoviewer.

Do other ships have the new AIR Fuel system, or is the Origin 100 the first?

No other ships feature the AIR Fuel system, it is Origin’s bespoke version of the tech, and specific to the 100 series. But we are planning on integrating similar systems into other ships eventually.

Will other ships be made with this system in the future?

See above.

What advantages do the AIR Fuel System give the Origin 100 over other ships?

You can read all about the AIR Fuel System, as well as the present and future state of in-game fueling mechanics in general, in our latest Fueling Design Post here.

What ship would you compare the speed/maneuverability to?

As mentioned, imagine a half way point, maneuverability wise, between the Aurora and Mustang for the base 100i, the 125a is closer to the Mustang and the 135c when loaded will be closer to the Aurora.

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Citizen','https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link//16505-Introducing-The-Origin-100-Series']n/a[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14189']

has made great strides with his

application, and he's learned a ton about Wing Commander 1 in the process. Now he's started a thread to collect all of this useful knowledge. The first topic is an extensive command line summary. Most people know about the

that are enabled by starting the game with "WC Origin" but there are actually quite a few different triggers that can be enabled. You can jump to missions and even play cutscenes! Read about how below:

With all the work for the WCToolbox, I have observed and learned quite a few things about the inner workings of Wing Commander. I thought I would do a series of post highlighting this information. I suspect some of this information will be old news to WC veterans; and some will have no practical application as they are just curiosities.

Command Line

Let’s begin with starting the game itself: executing WC.EXE.

There are many posts online detailing the command line options and cheat codes available, but I don’t think I have ever seen a post highlighting some of the following options:

• e|t|v selects the video mode: EGA | TGA | VGA; the appropriate files must be installed (you can have all *.EGA, *.TGA, and *.VGA files in the same GAMEDAT directory since they have unique names)
• a#|p|r selects the audio mode: AdLib | PC Speaker | Roland (for AdLib look into your CFG file for the number)

For example:

"WC e p" - starts the game in the EGA video mode and using the PC Speaker for audio
"WC v a904" - starts the game in the VGA video mode and using AdLib for audio

The following options are probably familiar to most and only activated if the Origin switch is specified:

• s# select specific series (e.g. s8)
• m# select specific mission (e.g. m0)
• as# select specific action sphere (e.g. as1)
• w# preview cinematic scenes (e.g. w3), scene numbers range from 1 to 22 (to 25 with SM1 installed). Mission specific scenes require that s# m# also be specified
• l launch single mission, no copy-protection question
• -k unlimited shields

For example:

"WC Origin s1 m1 as1 l" - launches series 1, mission 1 (S01M1) from sphere 1 (Nav 1)
"WC Origin s2 m0 w8" - views series 2, mission 0 (S02M0) from the bar

Note: From the command line, series starts at 1 (S1) instead of 0, skipping the training simulator series.

Cinematic Scenes

These are the cinematic scenes which can be previewed from the command line:

w0 cockpit death w1 takeoff w2 briefing w3 running sequence w4 cockpit canopy closing w5 landing, no ship w6 cockpit canopy opening, with full damage w7 intro w8 bar w9 [none] w10 debriefing, colonel angry w11 funeral, our hero w12 hangar deck, bronze star

w13 barracks w14 cockpit canopy opening, no damage w15 office w16 closing animation, success w17 closing animation, failure w18 midgame.v00, both success and failure w19 midgame.v01, both success and failure w20 midgame.v02, both success and failure w21 midgame.v03, both success and failure w22 funeral, all wingmen w23 midgame.v04, failure only (if SM1 installed) w24 midgame.v05, both success and failure (if SM1 installed) w25 midgame.v06, success only (using SM2)

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14190']Relieve your grumpiness

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[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10874114-the-renegade%27s-regret-week-2-rewards%21'] Each week we’ll roll out new rewards for the Featured Episode “The Renegade's Regret.” The second week’s rewards is a choice of two new personal traits – the new ground trait Watch Your Back, or the new space trait Redirected Armor Plating. In addition, the first completion of this mission on an account this week will grant a Featured Episode Weekly Reward Box. This box gives your choice of an Enhanced Universal Tech Upgrade or a Captain Specialization Point Box, which gives the character who opens it a Specialization Point. The Weekly Reward Box, Tech Upgrade, and Specialization Point Box are all Bound to Account, and may be freely traded between your characters. The Specialization Point Box requires the opening character to be level 60. These new personal traits were inspired by Tzenkethi armor technologies, and how effective they can be when applied properly. While slotted, the Watch Your Back and Redirected Armor Plating personal traits grant you a temporary boost to All Damage Resistance Rating when struck from the sides or behind. Next week we’ll reveal week three’s reward for “The Renegade's Regret.” Jette “CrypticSpartan” Leavens Systems Designer Star Trek Online .share-footer a { margin: 20px 10px 10px 0; background: url(http://images-cdn.perfectworld…157ae31ec5b1466398539.png) no-repeat 0 0; opacity: .5; display: inline-block; height: 60px; width: 60px; padding: 0; border: 1px solid transparent; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } .share-footer .TI { background-position: 0 20%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .TW { background-position: 0 60%; } .share-footer .FO { background-position: 0 80%; } .FB:hover { background-position: 100% 0%; } .TI:hover { background-position: 100% 20%; } .YT:hover { background-position: 100% 40%; } .TW:hover { background-position: 100% 60%; } .FO:hover { background-position: 100% 80%; } .share-footer a:hover { opacity: 1; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } $(document).ready( function() { $('.show-lightbox').click(function() { var $el = $(this); var link = $el.data().lightbox; $.colorbox({href: link, maxWidth: '90%', maxHeight: '90%', scalePhotos: true}); }); }); .headerimage { border: 2px inset rgba(255, 255, 255, .05); border-radius: 2em; box-shadow: 5px 5px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, .3); -webkit-transition: all 500ms ease; -moz-transition: all 500ms ease; -ms-transition: all 500ms ease; -o-transition: all 500ms ease; transition: all 500ms ease; } [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10874034-win-a-cabin-on-the-star-trek-cruise%2C-and-every-ship-in-the-c-store%21'] Is there anything better than getting the chance to hang out with your favorite Star Trek actors? How about getting to hang out with them while on a completely relaxing Caribbean vacation? That’s the experience you’ll have on Star Trek: The Cruise III, beaming out of port January 2019 on the Norwegian Jade. Hang out with STO alum like Michael Dorn, Denise Crosby and Robert Picardo, and meet the members of the cast of Victory is Life, like Chase Masterson, Rene Auberjonois, and Nana Visitor! It’s a Star Trek experience unlike any other this side of the Gamma Quadrant. The best part is, by entering below you have a chance to join this wonderful experience for free, because we’re giving away a cabin for two on board the ship. You’ll also win a Star Trek Online prize pack that contains EVERY single ship in the C-store on PC, so you can fly the stars to your heart’s content. Still want more? Good, because our friends at SteelSeries are offering the grand prize winner the following items: Arctis 7 Wireless Headset Rival 600 Mouse Apex M750 Keyboard QcK+ Mousepad Enter below, and you’ll also be entered to win our second place prize, which is a SteelSeries Arctis 5 Headset and a Defiant Bundle, and our third place prize, which is the Defiant Bundle and a SteelSeries Arctis 3 Headset! Celebrate your love for Deep Space Nine by flying your favorite “little” ship. #STOAway2019 Please see here for the terms and conditions. Enter now, and we hope to see you on the high seas! .share-footer a { margin: 20px 10px 10px 0; background: url(http://images-cdn.perfectworld…157ae31ec5b1466398539.png) no-repeat 0 0; opacity: .5; display: inline-block; height: 60px; width: 60px; padding: 0; border: 1px solid transparent; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } .share-footer .TI { background-position: 0 20%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .TW { background-position: 0 60%; } .share-footer .FO { background-position: 0 80%; } .FB:hover { background-position: 100% 0%; } .TI:hover { background-position: 100% 20%; } .YT:hover { background-position: 100% 40%; } .TW:hover { background-position: 100% 60%; } .FO:hover { background-position: 100% 80%; } .share-footer a:hover { opacity: 1; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } $(document).ready( function() { $('.show-lightbox').click(function() { var $el = $(this); var link = $el.data().lightbox; $.colorbox({href: link, maxWidth: '90%', maxHeight: '90%', scalePhotos: true}); }); }); .headerimage { border: 2px inset rgba(255, 255, 255, .05); border-radius: 2em; box-shadow: 5px 5px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, .3); -webkit-transition: all 500ms ease; -moz-transition: all 500ms ease; -ms-transition: all 500ms ease; -o-transition: all 500ms ease; transition: all 500ms ease; } [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10875854-the-final-four-cast-members-join-victory-is-life%21'] It’s time to round out the cast, and reveal the final Star Trek Actors who will be joining us for our newest expansion, Victory is Life! First, let’s run down the ones you already know: Alexander Siddig as Doctor Julian Bashir, former Chief Medical Officer of Deep Space Nine. Andrew Robinson as Councilor Elim Garak, formerly “just a simple tailor” and covert operative for Cardassia. Armin Shimerman as Quark, DS9’s resident Ferengi entrepreneur and bartender. Aron Eisenberg as Captain Nog, the first Ferengi to join Starfleet, who grew up on DS9. Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun (a cunning Vorta diplomat) and Brunt (a Liquidator of the Ferengi Commerce Authority). J.G. Hertzler as General Martok, hero of the Klingon Empire. Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys, Kai of the Bajoran People. René Auberjonois as Odo, former Chief of Security at DS9, who is now a Dominion Ambassador. Who else has joined the cast? Read on and find out. Chase Masterson’s presence as Leeta has graced the halls of Deep Space Nine for years in Star Trek Online, but only as a hologram or the Mirror Universe version of herself. The “real” Leeta has never met our Captains – until now. Chase is returning for Victory is Life, and bringing Leeta with her. What has her life been like as the wife of the Grand Nagus all of these years? You’ll find out in Victory is Life. And speaking of a certain Grand Nagus, Max Grodénchik is bringing Rom, the always lovable Ferengi who stumbled into leading his people, to Star Trek Online. The Grand Nagus will have a big part to play in the battle against the Hur’q, and you’ll get to experience it with him. In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, “The Abandoned,” Bumper Robinson played a young Jem’Hadar who was found on Deep Space Nine as a baby. He grew to near adulthood in a matter of days, and despite Odo’s attempts to reason with him, returned to Dominion space to be with his people. That same Jem’Hadar, Dukan’Rex, is now an Elder First, and will be a central character to the story of Victory is Life. It wouldn’t be right to have the Dominion without their gods. Salome Jens returns to the role of the Female Changeling who led her people during the Dominion War. The Changeling has been in Starfleet’s custody since the end of the war – has she changed, or will she be a new threat to the Alpha Quadrant? Find out in June. We’re so excited to have so many talented actors join us for Victory is Life, and we know you’ll love the story we’re going to tell. Stay tuned, Captains. Victory is Life. .share-footer a { margin: 20px 10px 10px 0; background: url(http://images-cdn.perfectworld…157ae31ec5b1466398539.png) no-repeat 0 0; opacity: .5; display: inline-block; height: 60px; width: 60px; padding: 0; border: 1px solid transparent; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } .share-footer .TI { background-position: 0 20%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .YT { background-position: 0 40%; } .share-footer .TW { background-position: 0 60%; } .share-footer .FO { background-position: 0 80%; } .FB:hover { background-position: 100% 0%; } .TI:hover { background-position: 100% 20%; } .YT:hover { background-position: 100% 40%; } .TW:hover { background-position: 100% 60%; } .FO:hover { background-position: 100% 80%; } .share-footer a:hover { opacity: 1; -webkit-transition: opacity .3s; transition: opacity .3s; } $(document).ready( function() { $('.show-lightbox').click(function() { var $el = $(this); var link = $el.data().lightbox; $.colorbox({href: link, maxWidth: '90%', maxHeight: '90%', scalePhotos: true}); }); }); .headerimage { border: 2px inset rgba(255, 255, 255, .05); border-radius: 2em; box-shadow: 5px 5px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, .3); -webkit-transition: all 500ms ease; -moz-transition: all 500ms ease; -ms-transition: all 500ms ease; -o-transition: all 500ms ease; transition: all 500ms ease; } [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14174']

In the mid nineties, Interactive Entertainment was taking the idea of gaming magazine cover CDs to the next level by having their 'articles' on disc in audio format that would play synchronized with a slideshow of game art. The end result was something more akin to a radio interview. Designed to run in Windows 3.1 and Win 95, the concept was certainly a novelty as most people's internet connections meant that they didn't immediately have access to these sorts of photos or even audio interviews with developers.

This preview of Privateer 2 - which features an interview with Erin Roberts - appeared on episode 19 of "Interactive Entertainment" and dates from when the game was not yet known under the Wing Commander label and was simply "The Darkening," although the interviewer notes clear similarities to the Privateer franchise. You can download the ISOs for these disks from archive.org.

A particularly interesting element of this preview is the pre-release art that features placeholder names for ships and possibly even a few hulls that don't appear in the game itself. These previews were also accompanied by a text article that covered more or less the same ground ans the audio/visual presentation but that still had some significant differences:

Can an interactive movie really be a game or vice versa? Player control seems incompatible with the kind of pacing and suspense that make the best films worth watching again and again. But many computer game companies stand firm on the idea that the industry must look to Hollywood for redemption. Perhaps the most successful of these determined companies is Origin Systems in Austin, Texas, who have, arguably, come up with the best Interactive Movie to date, Wing Commander III. But the self-proclaimed "world creators" are never content to rest on their past merits. The Darkening is currently in deep production, and it promises to provide a thoroughly unique play experience, as well as a level of film quality rarely seen outside of art-house theaters.

The mind behind The Darkening is Erin Roberts, brother of Chris "Wing" Roberts. Does this mean that Origin practices nepotism? Well, it's not quite as bad as it might look. Erin's worked for Origin for the past five years. He put his hand in on all the Wing Commanders as well as Strike Commander and Privateer before being given a chance to head up his own project.

The player takes the part of an amnesiac, the victim of too much time spent in a cryogenic capsule. When he is finally awakened, he has spent over ten years in sub-zero slumber, and has no idea who he is or how he arrived. On one level, the game is a story of self-discovery, as the player goes off in search of his true identity. But the game is considerably more flexible than you might guess. Rather than following the linear motif of the Wing series, The Darkening is more in the free-form exploration and trade mode of Privateer and the Elite series. While traveling around the universe, you may encounter people who can give you clues to your true identity, but you don't have to follow them if you don't want to. And if you do follow them to the answer, that doesn't mean the game is over.

You start the game with a very basic ship (kind of the galactic equivalent of a Yugo) and limited resources, but you can hire yourself out to accomplish missions for whoever you choose, and thus increase your funds. With more money, you can buy a better ship or upgrade the one you have, which gives you more resources for accomplishing more missions. And there's lots of opportunities for diplomacy and trade.

But, as mentioned before, this galactic game is also very film-intensive and stylish. Instead of imitating Hollywood at its most overbearing and obnoxious, The Darkening takes many of its cues from world cinema. It's funny how long it has taken for the international scope of the game industry to make its presence felt in the style of the games. The most prominent American in the cast is Christopher Walken. Now that's no small thing, but the rest of the cast includes John Hurt (Alien, Elephant Man), David McCallum (The Man From UNCLE), Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), David Warner (Time Bandits, Wild Palms), Amanda Pays (Max Headroom, The Flash) and Jurgen Prochnow (Das Boot, Judge Dredd). Less well known to American audiences are French actress Mathilda Mae and Clive Owen, the British actor who plays the lead. The video sequences were recorded in England's Pinewood Studios, a venerable facility that has provided space for many top-notch films including Raiders of the Lost Ark.

While this is not entirely the first game of its type, it is the first time that digital video has been used so prominently in the genre. With so many different planets and cultures to visit, a lot of attention has been given to the issue of making each world feel really, well,...otherworldly, as well as different from each other. Each planet has a different terrain, a different architectural basis and a different musical style. And let's not forget, this is from the company that brought the Kilrathi to life. Expect each world to have it's own theology and morality system, as well. And you've got to negotiate with these people!

Erin Roberts and the design team have particularly kept new players in mind in creating the interface. The design is very instinctive and user-friendly, with the hope that The Darkening will be picked up by film fans eager to see the latest thing Christopher Walken & company are in, as well as die-hard Origin fans. Expect The Darkening to hit the shelves this February.

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[feedquote='Wing Commander News','https://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14188']Iceman's such a prankster...

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[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10876304-pc-patch-notes-for-4%2F12%2F18'] General: The Renegade’s Regret: Added a short cutscene of the bombed moon in Atosee. Made some minor updates to other cutscenes. Resolved further issues with Tzenkethi mouth movement in cutscenes. Resolved an issue where players would be referred by the incorrect name when speaking in chat. Resolved an issue which was causing the terrain to be missing in the episode “A New Link”. Resolved an issue which would cause power tray settings to change after playing as another character or ship like in The Renegade’s Regret. Starbase 24: This queued map now sets enemies to the average level of all players participating on the map. Resolved an issue where Reman shield visuals were bright white in Sol System. Resolved an issue where the Slipstream Drive UI was incorrect when in any ship with a non-standard Slipstream drive. [/feedquote]