[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14170']False Colors seals the

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10858974-priority-one-interviews-lead-designer-al-rivera%21'] This week, Priority One, A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast, welcomes STO's lead Designer Al Rivera! They'll talk about the upcoming expansion Victory is Life, and answer your questions. Here's how P1 describes the episode: This week we’re Trekking out the massive Star Trek Discovery panel from Wondercon, Simon Pegg talks about Star Trek Beyond… and Beyond…. And CBS/Viacom merger talks heat up. In gaming news, we’re catching up on the latest of what the gaming world has to offer, and later, we’re joined by Star Trek Online Lead Designer Al “Captain Geko” Rivera to talk about X4 – Victory is Life. And of course, as always, before we wrap up the show, we’ll open hailing frequencies for your incoming messages. You can listen right here! http://priorityonepodcast.com/po360/ .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/10858394-pc-patch-notes-for-4%2F4%2F18'] General: Resolved a graphics related crash which could occasionally happen when shadows were being drawn. Resolved an issue which caused items in the player’s power tray to shift around after playing as Neth Parr in “The Renegade’s Regret”. [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Mass Effect','https://dontfeedthegamers.com/ea-bioware-acquisition-saved-developer/']

BioWare is one of the most beloved studios in gaming for their story-driven focus and attention to detail when it comes to the RPG genre. Of the many series under their belt, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are arguably the most popular, but the two adventures may not have gotten off the ground had things gone a bit differently. In fact, we may have Electronic Arts’ notable BioWare acquisition to thank for either franchise being made at all.

This past weekend saw the LGBTQ-themed gaming convention HavenCon take place in Austin, Texas, where attendees were greeted by a few writers that worked on past BioWare projects. Speaking at the event, former Mass Effect lead writer Patrick Weekes, lead editor Karin Weekes, and Dragon Age writer David Gaider disclosed a number of interesting tidbits regarding the BioWare franchises with conversation eventually landing on the topic of Electronic Arts.

According to a Reddit user, the writers revealed that before the mega-publisher acquired BioWare, the studio had “essentially run out of money” and would have likely “gone under” had EA not stepped in when they did. It was around this turbulent time when Dragon Age II was in mid-way through development with the project being described as “admittedly very rushed” by the panel.

The trio reaffirmed that while EA’s “chief concern is money” (as with any huge company), there hasn’t really been a feeling of overt micromanagement on their end. Whenever developers insisted on including a “risky” feature that pushed the envelope in some way, a typical response to this was along the lines of “do you think you can do it right?” This echoes what former boss Aaryn Flynn had to say of the BioWare acquisition, describing it as a largely hands-off setup between the two entities.

Being that a new game is in the works, HavenCon was also unsurprisingly full of curious Dragon Age fans waiting to hear of any progress on the project. Unfortunately, nothing was able to be disclosed due to a ban on questions about the fourquel, but that’s hardly a shock considering the current state of the game’s development.

What do you think? Are you glad that EA’s BioWare acquisition ultimately took place, or do you think the studio had a chance to make it without them? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more recent BioWare news, check out these next few links:

• Former BioWare Writer Finished Work On Anthem Before Leaving, Confirms Hudson
• Dragon Age’s Mike Laidlaw Reveals Why He Left BioWare (VIDEO)
• Potential Dragon Age Microtransactions Addressed By BioWare GM

The post EA’s BioWare Acquisition, How The Mega Publisher Helped The Developers Escape Immediate Closure appeared first on Don't Feed the Gamers. [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10855144-the-renegade%27s-regret-week-1-rewards%21'] Each week we’ll roll out new rewards for the Featured Episode “The Renegade's Regret.” The first week’s rewards is the Console – Science – Emitter Refocuser. 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. The Console – Science – Emitter Refocuser is a new unique science console, inspired by Tzenkethi designs and technology. It passively boosts your Tetryon Damage, Shield Restoration, and Drain Expertise. Next week we’ll reveal week two’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/10850934-welcome-to-season-14.5'] In the fall of last year we saw the plans for the Tzenkethi laid bare, and in the winter of this year we saw the amazing scope and magnitude of the H’urq threat their crusade attempted to curtail. At the center of both of those encounters was a Tzenkethi named Neth Par, who defected against the Tzenkethi and helped assure an alliance victory…for now. In one of the most unique episodes in the history of STO, “The Renegade’s Regret,” you’ll be put in the shoes of Neth Par as she describes the history of the Tzenkethi Crusade from her perspective and what eventually led her to betray her own people. Captains will be revisiting worlds they saw in earlier episodes but from a new point of view, and witnessing the Tzenkethi genocide first hand. In addition to this fantastic episode we have a great collection of features for all of our captains to enjoy. First, we’re adding the Constable Secondary Specialization, which was inspired by everyone’s favorite peacekeeper, Odo. The Constable Specialization allows you to pick your antagonist and use your skills to bring your target to justice. And we’re completely updating how the Infinity Lock Box works, while giving you access to T6 versions of some of our most popular ships, the Temporal Science and Temporal Destroyer Vessels. These updates and episode combine to form an amazing package to get everyone ready to warp into the expansion this summer! We’re incredibly excited for everyone to discover the origin behind the reveals in our anniversary episode “Scylla and Charybdis”, and prepare for the incredible story we have planned for Victory is Life this summer. This is a truly unique experience for Star Trek Online, and I can’t wait to see everyone in game! Stephen Ricossa Executive Producer 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='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14168']

Wing Commander End Run, the second novel in the Wing Commander series, will finally be available as an eBook starting July 3, 2018! Publisher Baen began releasing their Wing Commander tie-ins as eBaooks in July 2016 as part of a larger effort to make their backlist available digitally. Due to a clerical error, the second book was not digitized alongside the others and has been waiting for a free spot in their distribution schedule ever since. This was especially unfortunate for those hoping to pick up the series for the first time, as End Run introduces many of the characters and situations that the rest of the books follow. But that's history now: starting in July, wingnuts will be able to relive the entire series as it was meant to be enjoyed... and we can introduce new pilots, too! End Run will be released electronically on July 3; we will update when preorders through the Kindle, iBook, Nook and Kobo stores become available. Want to put your money down RIGHT NOW? The publisher offers advance bundles that collect everything they publish in a given month. The July 2018 Monthly Baen Bundle is available here. It includes six eBooks for $18 USD and must be purchased by July 2nd. Bundle owners will be able to read the first half of End Run starting April 15th!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14169']To be precise...

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10857174-pc-patch-notes-for-4%2F3%2F18'] New Features: New Featured Episode: The Renegade’s Regret The new Featured Episode, “The Renegade’s Regret” has been added to the Featured Episode tab in the journal. Travel to Deep Space Nine and speak to Neth Parr to find out why she betrayed her people to help save Bajor. This episode is available for level 10 Captains and above. For more information, please visit the “The Renegade’s Regret” blog at: https://www.arcgames.com/en/ga…A-the-renegade%27s-regret Constable Secondary Specialization: This new Secondary Specialization is themed around upholding the law that keeps modern societies functioning much like the way Constable Odo did for Deep Space Nine. This Specialization is unique in that it benefits the player whether in space or ground. For more details, please visit the Constable Secondary Specialization blog at: https://www.arcgames.com/en/ga…nstable-specialization%21 General: Added "Beyond the Nexus" to the New Frontiers arc for KDF-Romulan Captains. Resolved an issue that caused various services on ship interiors like Duty Officer Management, banking, etc. to only be usable by one person at a time. Auto-fire is now turned on as default for ship combat. This can be altered in the options menu. Made improvements to the Discovery Spore Drive FX. Resolved an issue which was causing the explosion of the Sarcophagus Klingon Ship to look incorrect. Moved around the NPCs in the Qo’noS shipyard to make them easier to interact with. Resolved an issue which was causing idle animation of the feet to not animate as intended. Resolved an issue where flying backwards could sometimes make weapons fire from the wrong point on a ship. Players can now equip items from the active starship to shuttle or from the active shuttle to starship. Systems: Resolved an issue that caused some powers to not properly scale off of or consume Entropy. Resolved an issue that caused the Elite Kelvin Timeline Scorpion Fighters to display as Advanced in some places. Resolved an issue that prevented the Reverberation Starship Trait from working correctly with Destructible Torpedoes or Mines. Updated the Jupiter trait to be actually locked out when on lockout. Updated the Walker console to force the player to stay in combat. Updated most tooltips referencing Warp Speed to update to the accurate warp speed. This is a tooltip change only. Resolved an issue that caused the Lead Foot trait to grant an excessive turn rate boost while in slipstream. Quantum Singularity Manipulation can once again be activated while the player is cloaked or cloak is disabled. Resolved an issue that caused the Protonic Polaron Turrets to fire Scatter Volley II when they should be firing Scatter Volley III. Fleet Provisions no longer have an Energy Credit value. [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14166']Not just an April Fools thing! We're in this for the long haul.

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10855104-celebrate-first-contact-day%21'] April 5th is the anniversary of First Contact Day, when Humans and Vulcans first met on Earth! To celebrate the anniversary of First Contact Day, the Zefram Cochrane Memorial and Historical Museum is holding a special re-enactment event from April 5th at 8am PT to April 12th at 10am PT, on all three platforms!. Participants are invited to visit to Bozeman, Montana—the site of Cochrane’s launch of the first Human warp-capable ship, the Phoenix—and engage in the construction of their own replica Phoenix! Captains who participate will search the area for useful parts, just like Cochrane scavenged the pieces for the Phoenix. Using these parts in conjunction with a basic hull assembly, captains will make their own model of the Phoenix by combining engines, hull, and stabilizer parts found in various bits and pieces scattered about the re-creation of the historical settlement. Under the shadow of Zefram Cochrane’s statue, try to get the best parts possible, because the engines will make your model go faster, hull will allow it to survive longer, and stabilizers will keep it going at a better angle of launch. Once captains have had a few minutes to collect their parts, they’ll return to their unfinished models and use leftover pieces to improve on the pieces they’ve assembled. After that, everyone will assemble at the missile silo to launch the models. Whoever’s model reaches the highest altitude will be declared the winner of that launch and the honorary student of Cochrane. Captains of level 10 and above may participate in this event—even captains from the Klingon Defense Force and Romulan Republic are welcome to join these festivities, as a celebration of diversity and the meeting of different species. Play the event to unlock the following rewards: When you complete the queue for the First Contact Day event, you will receive a special Zefram Cochrane Memorial Hologram Voucher (limit one per day, per character). A minimum of 4 Holograms are required in order to receive a Special Event Prize Box that includes the following: Bozeman Hyper Impulse Engines The Bozeman Hyper-Impulse Engines are specifically designed for enhanced flight speed. They feature a modified fuel injector that increases speed when at full throttle, but it comes at the cost of some maneuverability. The Bozeman Hyper-Impulse Engines will be unlocked for your entire account once the task is completed on a single character, and will be available to reclaim through the Dilithium Reclaim Store. A replica Toy Rocket resembling the Phoenix, Zefram Cochrane’s legendary warp ship, as seen in the First Contact Day event. Phoenix Holo Emitter A special Holo-emitter for your shuttles and fighters that will make your ship look like the Phoenix. This device has an unlimited duration, unlike those provided by the Ferengi. For those who find themselves with additional Holograms after receiving the Special Event Prize Box, there will be a recurring reputation project that rewards a box of 100 marks of your choice, requiring the input of a single voucher. This project will only be available while the event is active, so turn in your vouchers while you can! Please join us for a very special First Contact Day event! Robert “CrypticRidi” Hrouda Systems Design 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/10855114-15%25-key-sale-and-key-ring-bundle%21'] Rule of Acquisition # 74: Knowledge equals profit. Any wise Captain knows that when a sale this good comes your way, it’s best to take advantage of it. We’re pleased to announce that Ferengi Merchants are putting a 15% sale on Keys from From April 3rd at 8am PT to April 10th at 10am PT. Now is the best time for Captains to load up on your Keys and grab those ships you’ve been eyeing. Remember Captains, Rule of Acquisition # 22: A wise man can hear profit in the wind. Now is the time to act. For a limited time only starting today, players will be able to purchase the Key Ring Bundle! This special pack includes 20x Master Keys (used to open any Lock Box) for the price of 2250 Zen. As an additional special promotional offer when purchasing this bundle, every pack also includes a single Ultimate Tech Upgrade. Applying this item to any upgradeable piece of equipment will instantly set both its Mark and Quality to maximum (usually Mk XIV and Epic/Gold quality) with zero Dilithium Cost! This promotional bundle will be available in the C-store from from April 3rd at 8am PT to April 10th at 10am PT. .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','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14155']This year marks twenty years of operation for the CIC at wcnews.com, and with that glorious history comes some subtle changes. There was a time when older Origin fans over age thirty could join the 'gray ghosts' club, but now it's probably fair to say the majority of our visitors are now eligible. To make sure everything is large enough to still be legible for all those mature eyeballs, we've slightly scaled up our text and graphics. Check it out and let us know what you think![/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14142']

are all the rage, and

who's anyone has leveraged their own blockchain to cash in. This year we're taking

to the next level with our own Bitcoin spinoff, KilrathiKoin. Guaranteed and insured by Akkbar so you know it’s legit. Get started

and you'll be well on your way to long-term financial stability!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14165']Welcome to the start of something special! Come back every day for the dankest memes that are totally on fleek.

You know it! [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14163']

Toys R Us is in the process of closing, leaving many waxing nostalgic about childhood's spent at the beloved retailer. 1990s console gamers may remember needing to make purchases using a special security system: instead of finding a game on the shelf, you would take a printed card from a display to a 'lockup' where the physical media was stored. It turns out this process and the cards used were provided by a third party vendor called VidPro, which was based in Dallas. They would print the required cards and displays and provide them to toy and electronic stores as needed. Today, VidPro cards are considered a minor collectible, with ones printed for unreleased and especially popular games commanding a premium. In honor of TRU's final days, we tracked down a copy of the VidPro card for Mindscape's SNES port of Wing Commander I (scanned below.) We've also established that cards were available for Wing Commander III 3DO and Wing Commander IV PSX. It's likely (but not certain) that there were also cards for The Secret Missions SNES, Super Wing Commander 3DO and Wing Commander III PSX. If you have one of these in your collection, we'd love to see it!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Citizen','https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/16487-Star-Citizen-Alpha-310']

Star Citizen Patch 3.1.0

We are excited to announce the release of Alpha Patch 3.1.0 to all Star Citizen backers. This update marks the first of four quarterly patches planned to be released this year, and the inaugural success of the new delivery schedule. At the start of the year, our internal teams underwent a restructuring to allow for easier coordination and focus on a particular aspect or feature. Thanks to this new approach, the development team was able to more efficiently tackle the goals outlined for 3.1 on our Production Roadmap and introduce several new gameplay features and optimizations to Star Citizen.

Starting with Alpha 3.1, players will find new ways to interact with each other. The Character Customizer is now accessible from the main menu and allows players to distinguish their avatars with various combinations of hair style, skin tone, and more. This is just our first iteration of the system and we have a lot more planned for future releases, but even at this early stage it is exciting to see all the new and varied faces exploring the halls of Port Olisar and Grim HEX. Starting with this patch, players will also be able create Service Beacons from the Contract Manager in their mobiGlas and hire other players to provide Combat Assistance or Personal Transport. This new system will be a huge boon to players who may need a ride back to a station from the wilds of Crusader’s three explorable moons, and represents a whole new revenue stream for players willing to lend their combat skills to aid others. This feature is also an initial iteration that will be improved and expanded in future releases, but it’s an important step in further developing the kind of emergent gameplay that is intended for the Persistent Universe.

Not only that, the bevy of new flyable ships and open-canopy vehicles introduced in this patch will provide players exciting options for crewing up and exploring the Stanton system together. Measuring over 150 meters, the Reclaimer is the largest ship currently in-game. This heavy industrial salvage ship from Aegis Dynamics is so massive that the environment art team has expanded Port Olisar’s landing pads to accommodate it. Explorers will want to get behind the sticks of the Anvil Terrapin. The ship’s robust shield system and distinct layered armor make it ideal for exploring untamed space. Racers looking to experience breakneck speed can climb into the MISC Razor. The ship will be a perennial Murray Cup contender thanks to advanced Xi’an thruster technology and a streamlined design.

Plus, exploring Crusader’s moons just got more exciting with the addition of the Aopoa Nox Kue and Tumbril Cyclone. The Nox Kue is a special variant of the renowned Xi’an open-canopy racer that Aopoa redesigned specifically for Humans. The Tumbril Cyclone is a rugged off-road ground vehicle ready to tackle any terrain. Both vehicles are perfect for traversing Cellin, Daymar, and Yela, which also received upgrades in Alpha 3.1, thanks to planetary technology improvements that updated surface textures and topography for more visually dynamic and detailed landscapes.

Additionally, the development team polished many of the exciting features that launched with the 3.0 patch in December. Updates to the IFCS (flight control), AI, the Personal Manager tool on each player’s mobiGlas, ship weapons, ship damage physics and overall performance optimization, all are working in concert to improve the overall Star Citizen gameplay experience.

NEW FEATURES

Character Customizer

• With this feature, players can adjust aspects of their character’s physical appearance, such as face shape, eye color, hair style, and skin tone.
  

Logout Improvements

• Players can now safely logout from major stations like Levski, Grim HEX, and Port Olisar. This will persist between sessions for when players log back into the game.
  

Pirate Hunter

• Player will now earn virtue reputation for killing NPC pirates.
  

Interdiction and Quantum Jamming

• AI pilots can now carry Quantum Jammers aboard their ships. These devices produce a field which stop Quantum Drives from being able to function. Players who are interdicted will now first have to destroy ships carrying Jammers before they can Quantum Travel away to safety.
  

Service Beacons

• Service Beacons have been introduced to the PU economy. Using the mobiGlas, players can create and customize “Personal Transport” or “Combat Assistance” contracts that will be made available to other players to complete for the agreed upon payment. After the contract ends, players will be able to review each others performance with a positive or negative rating.
  

Combat Markers

• The old Combat Markers were replaced with new 3D versions that include target brackets, hit indication, and missile locks.
  

Visor Screen

• The visor screen has had additional hit effects for shields and hull areas added to the displays for your ship and targeted ships.
• A new MFD screen has been added allowing players to customize the view angles of the target/self visor screens.
  

New Ships and Vehicles

• Tumbril Cyclone
• Aegis Reclaimer
• Anvil Terrapin
• MISC Razor
• Nox Kue
  

New Ship Weapons

• PRAR Distortion Scatterguns
  • Salvation (size 4)
  • Absolution (size 5)
  • Condemnation (size 6)
• APAR Ballistic Scattergun
  • Havoc (size 1)
  • Hellion (size 2)
  • Predator (size 3)
• KBAR 10-Series Greatsword Ballistic Cannon (size 2)
• AMRS Omnisky IX Laser Cannon
• GATS Yellowjacket Ballistic Gatling (size 1)
• CF-557 Galdereen Repeater (size 5)
  

Star Marine

• KSAR Custodian Energy SMG
• GMNI R97 Ballistic Shotgun
  

You can find the full patch notes for Alpha 3.1.0 here.[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Citizen','https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/citizens/16483-Star-Citizen-Scavenger-Hunt']

Hello Citizens!

This Sunday, in the spirit of holiday fun, we invite you to take part in an old fashioned (but also thoroughly futuristic, in this case) Scavenger Hunt. Starting at 12am PDT on Sunday April 1st we’ll be tweeting out obscured images of a locations within the ‘Verse.

You, the players, must then track down the location, capture an image of your character standing in front of the hinted location, and reply to the twitter thread with your screenshot for that specific hinted image. The first person to successfully post an image of their character at the correct location wins that round.

We will tweet 8 images throughout the day, with the first at midnight (as we mentioned) and a new one going out every three hours, culminating in the final tweet at 9pm (all times PDT.)

That means 8 chances to win your very own Aegis Vulcan with LTI. Huzzah!

Make sure to carefully review the contest rules here.

Most importantly, have fun!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14161']

There's a lot we don't know about the development of Universal's Wing Commander Academy series. While the men and women who developed the Wing Commander games are readily accessible today, the process through which the series became an animated series is still shrouded in mystery. Here's one small part we'd never seen before: an early 1996 advertisement announcing the series (and two others.) This full page advertisement was featured prominently in the April 1996 issue of GameFan magazine. Strangely, it features a logo and artwork taken directly from the game Wing Commander Academy (which despite the similar name was not the inspiration for the show.)

As a bonus, here are scans of a "Cosmic Cartoons" article published in the April 1997 issue of Sci-Fi Entertainment magazine (the official magazine of the Sci-Fi Channel.) The article previews Wing Commander Academy and several other genre shows airing at the time. Reboot, a major focus of the article, returns to Netflix with an all-new spinoff series today... if only Wing Commander could do the same!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10849844-the-evolution-of-the-infinity-lock-box'] The Infinity Lock Box was originally released approximately two years ago. During this time, it has proven itself as a player favorite among all of our Lock Boxes. In celebration of this popularity, we’ve decided to give the Infinity Lock Box an entire full-size run! This special Lock Box, containing prizes from nearly all previously-retired Lock Boxes, will be available again for a multi-week appearance beginning with the release of the Season 14.5 Update on April 3rd, 2018. During this time, enemies defeated on both Ground and Space maps will have a small chance of dropping one of these prize-filled packages, while the Discovery Lock Box will be retired. Prize Structure Changes We’re making some changes to the Infinity Lock Box prize tables in preparation for this full-length appearance. Our hope is that these changes will streamline the box’s contents a bit, and allow players to more easily claim the prizes they want when opening the many Choice Packs contained within the Infinity Lock Box. “Tier 6 Ship” and “Ultra Rare T6 Ship” boxes will be combined into a single pack. Feedback on the existing Infinity Lock Box has indicated that the inclusion of a reward within the Lobi Crystal prize options hasn’t been well-received. And since we’re unlikely to be adding more ships to the Ultra Rare pack in the future, combining these packages seems like the best option for both the player and developer experiences going forward. Existing versions of both boxes now contain all of the combined options of both of these packages, and both display the name “Infinity Prize Pack: Tier 6 Ship” as of this update. “Tier 5 Ship” and “Secondary Ship” boxes will be combined into a single pack. Our continued efforts to convert older Tier 5 Lock Box ships to Tier 6 has led to the offerings available in the Tier 5 Ship box to dwindle more and more as time goes by. Combining it with the long list of ships currently included in the Secondary Ship pack is an effort to avoid a situation where this pack loses all value due to having little or nothing to offer. Existing versions of both boxes now contain all of the combined options of both of these packages, and both display the name “Infinity Prize Pack: Tier 5 Ship” as of this update. All T6 Faction-specific ships are now contained within a tradeable secondary pack, which opens into the correct ship based on the person opening it. In essence, players of any faction that open an “Infinity Prize Pack: Tier 6 Ship” will be presented an option to choose ship packs named “Kelvin Timeline Starship” or “TOS Dreadnought Starship” (among the many other existing choices). Each of these new boxes may be traded to other players, and will reward a ship appropriate to their faction upon opening, rather than locking in the ship at the time that the Infinity Prize Pack is opened. This change applies to the Kelvin Timeline and TOS Dreadnoughts, so that their reward structure now matches the Temporal Science Vessels. Updated Prize Lists Along with all of the prizes previously offered in previous appearances of the Infinity Lock Box, additional prizes originally seen in the Tzenkethi Lock Box have been added to the drop tables. They now include all of the following: Tzenkethi Shuk-Din Escort (T6) Lukari N’kaam Scout Ship (T5) Console – Universal – Shared Processing Integration Tzenkethi-themed Ground Traits Indirect Shielding Permeating Radiation Tumultuous Tzenkethi-themed Space Traits Oblique Shielding Galvanized Munitions Menacing Tzenkethi Universal Kit Modules Debilitating Shockwave Gravitational Juncture Protomatter Munition Deployment Tzenkethi Intelligence Briefings (Special Duty Officer assignments) Diffusive Tetryon Weapon Packs Includes a chance of winning a Tzenkethi Vanity Shield! Tier 6 Ship Additions In addition to these added items, we’re very excited to announce the inclusion of new Tier-6 versions of a few of our previous Tier-5 Lock Box starships! Each of these new vessels will be replacing their Tier-5 counterparts in the contents of the Infinity Lock Box, and on the Lobi Store. Keep reading for stats and details on each of these newly-upgrade starships! Special Note: As of the release of this updated to the Infinity Lock Box, the special Consoles associated with these starships are no longer ship-restricted, but may instead be used on any starship you own. This includes both the newly “Enhanced” versions of these consoles obtained from the new T6 ships, as well as existing versions obtained from the T5 versions of these ships. Temporal Science Vessel (T6) The following stats apply to 3 unique vessels, one available to each of the primary factions: Verne Temporal Science Vessel (T6) – Federation Only Qul’poH Temporal Science Vessel (T6) – Klingon Only Sui’Mor Temporal Science Vessel (T6) – Romulan Only Click to the right on the below images to see all three ships! Nxt Prv   .carousel-control.left, .carousel-control.right { background: none !important; filter: progid: none !important; outline: 0; } .carousel .carousel-control { visibility: hidden; } .carousel:hover .carousel-control { visibility: visible; } These starships feature a Lieutenant Commander Science/Temporal Operative Specialist Bridge Officer seat. Ship Details Faction: All (see above restrictions) Tier: 6 Availability: Infinity Lock Box Required Rank: Rear Admiral or Brigadier General (Level 40) Hull Strength: 1.0 (30,000 at level 40, 34,500 at level 50 and 40,000 at level 60) Shield Modifier: 1.45 Weapons: 3 Fore, 3 Aft Device Slots: 3 Bridge Officer Stations: 1 Lieutenant Universal, 1 Lieutenant Commander Universal, 1 Ensign Engineering, 1 Lieutenant Commander Science/Temporal Operative, 1 Commander Science Console Modifications: 3 Tactical, 3 Engineering, 5 Science Base Turn Rate: 15 degrees per second Impulse Modifier: 0.2 Subsystem Targeting Sensor Analysis Secondary Deflector Slot +15 Auxiliary Power, +5 Shield Power Console - Universal - Enhanced Tipler Cylinder NCV Registry Number Prefix Option Starship Mastery Package (Science Vessel) Enhanced Particle Generators (+Exotic Damage) Advanced Shield Systems (+Shield Capacity) Enhanced Restorative Circuitry (+Hull Healing / +Shield Healing) Reactive Shield Technology (+Shield Regen / Shield Hardness) Out of Time (Starship Trait) Console – Universal – Enhanced Tipler Cylinder The Tipler Cylinder console module can actually rewind time! The dense beryllium cylinder core of this module rotates at near-light speed allowing your ship to perform a Temporal Backstep and rewind time approximately 13 seconds. Your ships position reverses, and some of your ship's hull and shield damage is restored. Additionally, the cooldown and recharge times on all your abilities are rewound. This console also provides a passive boost to Exotic Damage, and Starship Shield Capacity Skill. This console mod can be equipped on any starship. Only one of these consoles may be equipped on a ship at a time. The Tipler Cylinder is part of a set. If you also have a Manheim Device console equipped, activating the Temporal Backstep will cause all nearby foes to freeze in time until the sequence has ended. Out of Time (Starship Trait) While this trait is slotted, traveling above 88 Impulse Speed will cause you to gain stacks of "Out of Time" while suffering minor cold damage each second. When you then drop below 88 Impulse Speed, all stacks of "Out of Time" are removed and a scaling bonus to your Bridge Officer Recharge times is applied based on the number of stacks obtained (25 max stacks). This trait will only be active while in combat, and above 10% Hull. The Bridge Officer Recharge buff will apply immediately even if you are still traveling above the impulse threshold, if either of these conditions change. Temporal Destroyer (T6) The following stats apply to 3 unique vessels, one available to each of the primary factions: Klein Temporal Destroyer (T6) – Federation Only Chargh’poH Temporal Destroyer (T6) – Klingon Only Tal’aura Temporal Destroyer (T6) – Romulan Only Click to the right of the images below to see all three ships! Nxt Prv   .carousel-control.left, .carousel-control.right { background: none !important; filter: progid: none !important; outline: 0; } .carousel .carousel-control { visibility: hidden; } .carousel:hover .carousel-control { visibility: visible; } These starships feature a Lieutenant Commander Tactical/Temporal Operative Specialist Bridge Officer seat. Ship Details Faction: All (see above restrictions) Availability: Lobi Store Tier: 6 Required Rank: Rear Admiral or Brigadier General (Level 40) Hull Strength: 1.1 (33,000 at level 40, 37,950 at level 50 and 44,000 at level 60) Shield Modifier: 1.05 Weapons: 4 Fore, 3 Aft Device Slots: 2 Bridge Officer Stations: 1 Lieutenant Universal, 1 Lieutenant Commander Universal, 1 Lieutenant Commander Tactical/Temporal Operative, 1 Commander Tactical, 1 Ensign Engineering Console Modifications: 5 Tactical, 2 Engineering, 4 Science Base Turn Rate: 15 degrees per second Impulse Modifier: 0.2 Experimental Weapon Slot Can Equip Dual Cannons +15 Weapon Power, +5 Auxiliary Power Console - Universal - Enhanced Manheim Device I.S.S. Registry Name Prefix Option (Federation Only) A.K.S. Registry Name Prefix Option (Klingon Only) A.R.W Registry Name Prefix Option (Romulan Only) NCV Registry Number Prefix Option (Federation Only) Starship Mastery Package (Destroyer) Precise Weapon Systems (+Accuracy) Enhanced Weapon Banks (+Crit Severity) Devastating Weaponry (+Crit Chance) Enhanced Weapon Systems (+Damage) 1.21 Terrawatts (Starship Trait) Console – Universal – Enhanced Manheim Device This console is based on Dr. Paul Manheim's time-gravity work in the early and mid-24th century. Dr. Manheim's experiments caused ripples in time now known as the Manheim Effect. The Manheim Device console can create quantum duplicates of yourself - one from your past, and one from your future. This console also provides a passive boost to Shield Hardness, Drain Expertise, and Control Expertise. This console mod can only be equipped on any starship. Only one of these consoles may be equipped on a ship at a time. The Manheim Device is part of a set. If you have the Manheim Device and the Tipler Cylinder consoles equipped, activating Temporal Backstep will cause all nearby foes to freeze in time until the sequence has ended. 1.21 Terrawatts (Starship Trait) While this trait is slotted, suffering Electrical or Radiation damage will grant a reduction to the cooldown timers of your Captain abilities. This may only trigger once every several seconds. Customization All of these starships come with access to a special Bridge / Ship Interior. For players that own the existing T5 versions of these ships, or other ships that included visual unlocks for them, those same options will be added to those available on these T6 starships, allowing for additional customization! NOTE: The above stats for all ships are subject to change. Jeremy “BorticusCryptic” Randall Lead 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]