[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10847504-pc-patch-notes-for-3%2F22%2F18'] General: Reflectivity on the Latinum material on the Nagus Marauder has been adjusted to improve the export output for 3D printing. Added XP Weekend Event for 3/22 Added Elachi Weened Event for 3/29 [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10842464-double-xp-weekend%21'] Attention! We’ve doubled our efforts to give Captains the necessary experience to deal with threats to the Galaxy. From Thursday, March 22nd at 8AM PT, to Monday, March 26th at 10AM PT, players will be able to enjoy twice the experience! During the event, content that provides skill points and expertise will reward a 100% (2x) Bonus above normal amounts – this bonus will be available for all content that rewards skill points and expertise. .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/10838844-victory-is-life-our-fourth-expansion%2C-coming-june-2018%21'] Star Trek Online is incredibly proud to announce our fourth major expansion, Victory is Life. Paying homage to fan-favorite Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, this brand-new expansion will bring Captains to the Gamma Quadrant and beyond, in a new story kicked off by the invasion of the mysterious Hur’q. You’ll be able to play as a brand new faction, the Jem’Hadar; experience six new episodes in the Star Trek Online story; and interact with ten of the original cast members from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. We’re so excited to announce four of those actors for you here today, with more coming in next few weeks. At the end of the episode, “Scylla and Charybdis,” which first introduced players to the Hur’q threat, players were reunited with famed DS9 Chief of Security, Odo, as played by René Auberjonois. René is the first Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actor who will be joining us for Victory is Life. When last we saw Odo, he had returned to the Great Link, but the threat of the Hur’q returns him to our space. What is so dire that it could inspire him to return? You’ll find out later this summer. It wouldn’t be the same to have Odo without his greatest nemesis and foil, which is why it’s wonderful that Armin Shimerman is returning to the role of everyone’s favorite Ferengi bartender, Quark. Quark stayed on Deep Space Nine at the end of the show, but it’s been decades since then in the timeline of Star Trek Online. We’ll find out just what new schemes he’s been up to, and how they might affect the galaxy. After taking command of the station at the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Commander Kira Nerys went on a spiritual journey that ended with her as the Kai of the Bajoran people. But with Odo returning to this quadrant, Nana Visitor will bring Kira to life once again, bringing one of the most beloved characters in Star Trek history to life in Star Trek Online. And finally, the return of a familiar face. J.G. Hertzler has spent the last year guiding players in Star Trek Online as the long-thought-dead Klingon general, Martok. Now he will lead the forces of the combined Federation, Klingon, and Romulan alliance into battle against the Klingons’ oldest and greatest enemy, the fearsome Hur’q. Adventure once again with the legendary Klingon general when Victory is Life releases in June 2018 on PC, and later this year on Xbox One and Playstation 4. In addition to these new cast members and features, Victory is Life will raise the Star Trek Online level cap to 65, introduce a new queue, new progression systems, and will add a Sector Battlezone, a new gameplay feature that takes players into a war between the stars to save the Gamma Quadrant. We’ll have more information on all of these features very soon, and we can’t wait for you to experience them. 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','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14149']The

has gotten smarter with another new update. Version

expands the program's understanding of Wing Commander 2's campaign and gameflow type data files. While digging deep into the code,

also uncovered some new complexities, but that's all just part of the fun of digital archeology! Grab the program and start poking around in WC1/2 yourself

.

Another update for WC2, added support for the CAMPAIGN, GAMEFLOW, INCIDENT, and SERIES files; all these files are structured the same way. But this time around, there is a complication: these files have bytecode embedded in them.

This means the flow of the game, the cinematic scenes, including all of the dialog, was done using a custom scripting language. Which was then compiled into a custom set of instructions to be executed by the game itself using a custom interpreter. I have never seen any examples of the scripting language used for the game or even any mentions of it. As far as I know, this bytecode is completely unknown, undefined, and undocumented.

The only way to tackle this is to completely reverse engineer it; I don't imagine that to be a small undertaking. In any case, for the time being, I simply export these bytecode chunks as binary files.

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Citizen','https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/serialized-fiction/16465-One-Good-Deed-Part-One']

“All right, Jess. I’m heading there now.” With a flick, Umar closed the comm channel. Break time over. Swinging his feet out of the bunk, a swarm of sandwich crumbs cascaded off his chest and onto the bed. He really should start eating at the table again. At least his bad habit of wearing his boots to bed made sense. After working for In-A-Fix Assistance for the past six years he had learned that comms for help always happen about five minutes into a nap.

Leaving the crew quarters, Umar performed a quick a visual inspection on the three BARD drones nestled into the mid-ship docking ports. Charged and not leaking? Check and check. Skipping over the empty fourth port, he gave his favorite drone, Spear, a traditional pat for luck before heading up to the bridge.

Umar adjusted his settings as he sat down in the pilot seat, transitioning the power he had routed to the shields for nap-time back to the engines. With a growl, the thrusters came back online. He keyed the coordinates Jess had sent over into his navigation, swung the Vulcan’s nose around and initiated quantum to the nearside of Cano’s asteroid belt.

Under two minutes, Umar noted as the light smears from the quantum field streaked past. Not too shabby of a response time. While you could always count on life’s ill fortune sending clients your way, providing good service was how you could convert a random refuel run into a potential repeat customer. Especially out in Cano where traffic was a bit sparse.

The ship slowed out of QT and Umar adjusted his flight path towards the beacon’s origin on the rim of the belt. After a few moments of navigating through the field, he spotted the client’s Reliant clinging near the underside of one of the asteroids. He might have missed it completely if he hadn’t had the beacon frequency. Its signature was low enough that the small craft almost blended seamlessly into the surrounding radiation. Pilot must have shut down everything to conserve energy once they ran out of fuel.

Before opening comms, he followed protocol and did a full scan of the area. No point in flying to the rescue if you fly straight into a threat and wind up needing rescuing too. With his MFD giving the all clear, he hailed the client. “Hi, there. I’m Umar Deluca from In-A-Fix. You requested a refueling?”

“That’s me. Thanks for coming out,” responded the pilot, with a kind, weathered smile.

“Of course, that’s what we’re here for. Let me get into position, and then we can have you back flying in no time.”

As Umar rolled his ship above and behind the vessel, he could clearly see that the Reliant’s hull had been badly damaged. There were scorch marks all along the rear fuselage and multiple ballistic holes perforated the wing. Umar had a pretty good guess what caused the pilot to run out of fuel.

“Not sure if you know this but your port dorsal side is pretty banged up. If you want, I could patch you up while I’m out here. Wouldn’t take long and it’d be heck of a lot safer to fly.”

“Appreciate the offer, but creds are tight. Just the fuel for now.”

“Sure. No problem. Stand by and I’ll have the drone right over.”

Umar got out of the pilot seat and went to the control station at the rear of the bridge. He scrolled through his options — Spear for rearming, Shake for repairs, and Liam for refueling. Selecting Liam, he did one last check, and seeing all green, launched the fuel-laden drone. With practiced ease, he maneuvered Liam towards the other vessel’s fuel port.

“Transfer in progress,” Umar informed the pilot.

“Listen, I hate to ask this, but there is actually one more thing you could do for me,” said the pilot, looking bashful as he nervously rubbed the back of his head. “Any chance you have a drink or some water you could spare? Fuel wasn’t the only thing I forgot to stock up on and I’m starting to feel pretty dehydrated.”

Umar hesitated in answering. It wasn’t the sharing that was the issue, but the time. He had hoped to be able to pick up at least two more jobs today and he knew from experience how hard it could sometimes be getting a guest to leave your ship.

“Listen, if it’s a problem, I can just wait till I can fly myself to a station or something.”

Umar felt a twinge of guilt. What was he doing out here if he wasn’t going to help people? “It’s no problem,” Umar said with as much hospitality as he could muster. “If I’m filling up your ship, might as well top you off too. Swing on over and I’ll fix you up.”

Leaving Liam to do its thing, Umar remotely opened the Vulcan’s rear hatch and went to wait by the liftlock in the crew quarters. It wasn’t too long before he heard the pressure begin to cycle. He cracked the fridge, removed two fizzy water cans, and turned just as the atmosphere in the lift equalized.

Umar was a bit taken aback when the pilot bent slightly to avoid hitting his head as he stepped out. The man was very tall, and having a helmet on only made him more imposing. Suddenly, the crew quarters felt a lot more cramped.

“Hope you like etrog flavor,” said Umar, offering the can. “Otherwise I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with tap.”

The pilot didn’t take the drink. Didn’t even take off his helmet. “The rest of your crew still up in the cockpit?”

“No, it’s just me.” Umar regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.

With a smooth motion, the pilot pulled out the pistol he had hidden in his EVA pack. “Sorry about this, but I need your ship.”

Umar’s wrists were aching from struggling against the tape that bound him to the control terminal chair. It was rated for sealing hulls so it wasn’t a huge surprise that he hadn’t been able to loosen it, but he had to try.

At the front of the bridge, the pilot was navigating the Vulcan out of the asteroid field. The control terminal flashed a warning that Liam was moving out of range.

“Come on,” implored Umar. “You could have at least let me get my drone.”

“Look, I’d prefer not to have to gag you,” said the pilot. “I know how uncomfortable it can be.”

“Screw you. Don’t pretend like you’re some decent guy just because you have manners. Not only did you steal my ship, but you pretended to be in trouble to do it. I tried to help you and this is how you thank me?”

The pilot didn’t say anything, just kept his attention on the nav map.

“You know, every time an asshole like you pulls a stunt like this it just makes it that much harder for real folks in trouble to get the help they need. Who’s gonna stop and lend a hand if there’s a more than decent chance they’re gonna get a bullet for their troubles? So yeah, double screw you.” Just like his struggles against the tape, Umar didn’t really expect his rant to help the situation, but it definitely made him feel better.

Surprisingly though, the pilot responded. “I’m not stealing your ship. As soon as I get where I’m going, you can have it back.”

“Oh, in that case, let’s crank some tunes and enjoy the ride,” said Umar with a sneer when a sudden thought occurred to him. “Wait. What the hell was wrong with your ship?”

“They knew my regtag.”

“Who’s they?”

No response. Instead, the pilot finished plotting a course on the nav, and spooled the quantum drive. Colorful lights streaked past as the Vulcan surged forward. In the distance, Umar could see Pox, the last planet in the system, steadily growing larger. Umar had been hoping that they would head towards Carteyna where there would have been more of a chance of running into some authorities, but out here in the far reaches the chances of running into another ship were far slimmer.

“You know you could have just asked for a ride,” said Umar, breaking the temporary silence. “But that’s the problem with people like you, isn’t it? Just take what you want rather than earn it. You wanna know why I fly this rig? It’s so I can undo a little bit of the damage that people like you create. The universe is dark enough without us having to hurt each other.”

The quantum lights faded and the pilot pushed back his chair and stood. Walking past his captive, he headed down into the rear of the ship.

“Where you going?” asked Umar.

“To get the gag.”

Before Umar could respond, a shrill alarm sounded.

“What the hell is that?” the pilot demanded, leaping back up the stairs.

“ECN alert.” Umar looked down at the pop-up notification on his terminal. “Nearby ship sprung a core leak in their power plant. They’re not gonna have long.”

The pilot tapped the controls, silencing the notification. “Poor bastards. That’s a tough way to go.”

“We have to go help them.”

“I’m really starting to think you don’t understand this whole kidnapped thing.”

“If we don’t help them now, they’re going to die.”

“And that’s terrible, but it’s not my problem.”

“Of course it’s your damn problem. You heard the alert. Their power plant is overloading and if the radiation doesn’t fry them, the explosion will. You ignore it, you’re killing them. That simple.”

“And if there’s any security in the area and they show up to help, then I’m as good as dead too.”

“Do you know where we are? It’s a miracle we even heard the alert. We are it. We are their only hope in this universe. Don’t you get that?” Unbidden, tears welled up in Umar’s eyes. “Please.”

The pilot stared at his captive for a long moment.

“If you say one word about me, or try to signal them in any way, you’re going out the airlock. No second chances. Understood?”

Not daring to say anything and risk the pilot changing his mind, Umar quickly and emphatically nodded his agreement.

“Can’t believe I’m doing this.”

The pilot sat back down and adjusted the Vulcan’s course towards the beacon’s signal. As he spun the quantum drive back up, he shook his head in disbelief, “I mean, look how well stopping to help someone worked out for you.”

TO BE CONTINUED

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10842284-the-constable-secondary-specialization%21'] We’re very pleased to announce an upcoming expansion to the Captain Specialization system, in the form of an entirely new Secondary Specialization: Constable. This new Specialization will become available with the launch of Season 14.5, coming in just a few weeks! Overview Captains will soon be able to follow in the inspiring footsteps of the dedicated keepers of justice that do their part to make the Milky Way Galaxy a safer place to call home. Upholding the laws that keep modern societies functioning is a core tenet of most major spacefaring societies, giving rise to police and peacekeeping forces regardless of species or culture, with perhaps the most famous canonical reference being Deep Space Nine's shapeshifting constable - Odo. The Constable Specialization is a new take on Specializations. Unlike previous Specializations, which have been either entirely for Space or entirely for Ground, or had a number of abilities that affected Space only or Ground only, every single ability purchased in the Constable Specialization benefits you no matter where you are. The Constable Specialization centers on a unique mechanic – your Antagonist. Once you have maintained the same target for 4 seconds, they will become your Antagonist. Once you have an Antagonist, they will remain your Antagonist until you go too long without targeting them. While they remain your Antagonist, abilities from the Constable Specialization allow you to be more effective in combat. You’ll suffer reduced effects from other foes, and you’ll more effective at taking your Antagonist down. With the introduction of a new Secondary Specialization, we are also increasing the cap on Specialization Points up to a new max of 195. Players that exceed this amount will instead receive Dilithium Ore when they max out their current Specialization XP bar. Scaling Passive As long as you have the Constable Specialization active, you will gain: 10-25 Armor Penetration vs. Antagonist. This bonus starts at 10 once you have a single ability purchased and the Specialization is active. It scales up by 1 with each ability purchased, up to a total of 25 once the Specialization is complete. Starship Trait As with previous Specializations, purchasing abilities in the Constable Specialization will unlock a new Starship Trait. After 15 abilities are purchased, you will unlock the Arrest Starship Trait: Arrest Significantly reduces cooldowns of your Bridge Officer Abilities when you defeat your current primary target. Once unlocked, this Trait can be made active on any starship you own by adding it to an active Starship Trait Slot in the Trait selection window. Abilities The list below has some of the abilities that can be unlocked through advancing in the Constable Specialization. Close the Gap Increased movement speed while facing your Antagonist. Confiscate Your weapons gain a chance to remove buffs from your Antagonist. Wear Down Your Antagonist’s Health Regeneration is decreased by an amount that increases the longer they’ve been your Antagonist. Singular Focus You gain increased Damage Resistance Rating to Damage that does not come from your Antagonist. Tear Down You gain Bonus All Damage vs. your Antagonist. Many additional abilities can be unlocked in this Specialization, to enhance and improve your Ground and Space combat capabilities in unique ways. ** All of the above details, especially those listed for Abilities, are subject to change prior to launch. 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='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14148']A couple of monster models have made their way into the

project. Using some newly discovered information,

has scaled up his fearsome Rigakh cruiser. Fairly credible stats imply it's even larger than the Confederation class dreadnought! The Vega Sector Star Post design has also been added. It's a great looking design - and it looks even better with a wing of Raptors bearing down on it!

Continued to Transfer old ships into Saga and make some changes..

We found the Base. Break and attack!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14147']After leading the charge with a pair of exotic

designs earlier this year,

has circled back around and completed the

class transport that we see in Wing Commander 4. It has a fairly sleek profile for a transport as well as oversized engines, which form a pretty effective combo. There's no better way to sneak clandestine cargo to out-of-the-way places!

Are you tired of pirates flying off with your shiny coins? In these hard economic times, who isn't? Allow me to present to you the Evansville fast transport, the solution to all your cargo-carrying woes! What's that you say? Clarkson got ya covered? Not along the Borderworlds bucko! Pirate and Union attacks are up 30% over this time last year, and that means shipping & insurance costs have gone through the roof! The solution? You guessed it, a freighter that's a fast as a frigate and almost as heavily armed! Haul your goods the (Redacted) way with an Evansville!

Excerpt from unused marketing material discovered on an old hard drive hidden in an unused lavatory with a sign on the door reading, "Beware of the leopard".

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14145']Confederation hull plating is well known for its green texture, and terran soldiers even occasionally sport a green tinted outfit, but it's a far less common color on the Kilrathi (aside from the kats that actually have

). We know the common brown color of Kilrathi ships comes from the hue of their local durasteel, but there's one major exception to this: the green Salthi - or Jalthi, rather. The Secret Missions for the Super Nintendo had to squeeze to fit everything on the cartridge, and one noteworthy cut was the elimination of the six-shooter Jalthi model. The ship wasn't removed form the game however, and it appeared instead as a Salthi made over with a green color palette. It's an interesting design choice to remake the game's weakest ship as its most powerful by simply swapping color, but it's a decision the designers did not shy away from. In fact, they

and made the green Salthi/Jalthi the premiere ship that appeared on the box cover, with the included promotional poster and in various marketing materials. In these detailed drawings it appeared loaded up with guns and missiles, so there should have been no surprises when this hard hitting little ship appeared. And this isn't the only time the Salthi could be confused for a super ship. The

and the

with steltek guns both use the same model!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14140']

has put together a historical overview video series going through some of Chris Roberts' older games and how they formed the genesis of what we see being planned for Star Citizen. It's similar to what the Cloud Imperium crew put together in their series of

videos. Part 1 focuses on basic back story, Wing Commander and Wing Commander II.

Part 2 covers Strike Commander, Wing Commander Privateer, Wing Commander 3 and Wing Commander 4.

Star Citizen is older than 2012. In fact its roots lie deep in the 90s. Do you know Wing Commander? Starlancer? Freelancer? No? Yes? Doesn't matter. Enjoy the video!

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Citizen','https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/16454-St-Patricks-Day-Promotion']

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Top o’ the Mornin’

It’s that time of year again, time to celebrate Ireland’s foremost patron Saint, adorn ourselves in green regalia, and drink copious amounts of frothy, fermented beverages. In the ‘verse there are many traditional ways to celebrate the greenest of holidays. You could gather your friends in your Constellation Phoenix, stock up your on-board bar and throw a swanky flying soiree; you could embrace the altruistic legacy of Saint Patrick himself and provide fuel to stranded pilots in your Starfarer Gemini; more on the belligerent side? Hop in your Gladius Valiant and banish Vanduul raiders like so many Irish snakes.

What’s that you say? You don’t have that particular ship? Well, friend, today’s your lucky day. Not only are we making a bevy of green ships available in honor of old Saint Paddy, but you even have the chance to win one.

SCREENSHOT CONTEST

How are you celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in the ‘Verse?

As we mentioned, there are a multitude of ways to throw a killer party in Star Citizen, and we want to see who can host the ultimate Saint Patrick’s Day bash.

Throughout the weekend we want to see YOUR screenshots depicting how you and friends are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in the ‘Verse. Get in the game, bust out your greenest attire and/or ship, celebrate however you see fit, and share your best screenshots on Spectrum. We’ll choose our three favorites, with the winners receiving Star Citizen game packages. The grand prize comes with the special edition Phoenix Emerald, so get your party pants on and show us why you deserve to cruise the ‘verse in the ultimate mirth machine.

Prizes:

• 1st Place: Constellation Phoenix Emerald Game Package – LTI

• 2nd Place: Vanguard Hoplite Game Package – LTI

• 3rd Place: Gladius Valiant Game Package – LTI

Follow this link to get more info on the St. Patrick’s Day Screenshot Contest.

GO GREEN

A Ship for Every Celebration

In the spirit of the holiday, we’ve rallied the meanest green machines in the ‘verse and made them all available to you for an extremely limited time. From hard-hitting dedicated fighters like the Gladius and the Mustang Delta, to versatile warships like the Vanguard Hoplite, from a stout support ship like the Starfarer Gemini, to the ultimate flying party pad – the Constellation Phoenix Emerald, this cadre of ships has something for nearly every taste.

Each pledge includes an insurance policy and a hangar, but the luck of the Irish won’t last forever. Grab one of these ships now before they fade away into the mist on March 19th.

LUCK O' THE IRISH

Gear Up For the Party

Go green and soar into action with the brave men and women of the 2nd fleet in this party-ready T-shirt. Made of cotton/poly blend fabric and remarkably resistant to beer spills, it’s the perfect attire, whether you’re reveling in the streets or hunkered down in the pub.

As part of our Saint Patrick’s Day promotion we are offering this official “Cal is my Wingman” Squadron 42 T-shirt for only $12, or $11.25 for Subscribers. Supplies are limited so grab one now while you still can.

[/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10839144-foundry-spotlight%3A-time-will-tell%2C-by-xr-377'] The Foundry is a special program within Star Trek Online that allows users to make their own episodes, playable by other Captains within STO. To access it, open your Mission Journal, and select “Foundry,” at the top. Every month, we like to spotlight a particularly interesting or unique mission for all of you to experience. This time, we’re spotlighting “Time Will Tell,” by XR-377. Time Will Tell (ID: ST-HG930DWIE) is a KDF mission that begins when a mysterious anomaly appears in the Kahless Expanse, and takes its captains on a journey through time, space, and a plot that has its tongue firmly planted in cheek. I don’t want to spoil too many of its twists and turns, but be sure to keep a sharp eye out as you play, especially for some of the character names. Got a mission you think is worthy of being spotlighted in one of our monthly blogs? Submit it to us! After you’ve built it in the editor, there’s an option to submit it for Spotlighting when you export. We hope you enjoy Time Will Tell, and we’ll see you in game, Captains. .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='Everspace','https://forum.everspace-game.com/discussion/4952/version-1-2-3-with-xbox-one-x-4k-support-released-on-xbox-and-windows-store']Hi, we've just released a new update adding 4k support for Xbox One X at 30 fps and an Xbox One X performance mode running in Full HD with imrpoved graphics at 60 fps.

The update also comes with some bug fixes. See the list of changes below. Unfortunately, Unreal Engine 4.17 (which this new patch is using) broke our VR implementation, so we can't release this patch on Steam and GOG at the moment. So in order to release we need to have a running Unreal Engine 4.18 version. We started working on this a few weeks ago and are still not finished, as this version also caused a lot of problems (especially in VR) for us.

We also just started working on the Encounters expansion for Xbox One / Windows Store. This might take a few weeks as well.

• Xbox One: Added Enhanced FullHD and 4K Mode for Xbox One X
  

• Don't spawn old player wreck after current run was won
  
• Make sure generic repair mission can only be finished after task was received
  

• Switching user or gamepad while the game is running should be more reliable now
  
• Make sure Ancient Wardens teleport back towards the level center after having left level bounds
  
• Fixed gunship turret not being able to fire after a cutscene was triggered
  
• Fixed Outlaw Station Turrets and Colonial Station Turrets having no collision
  
• Fixed that the launch button could not be triggered with a gamepad while being on the codex tab in the hangar
  
• Fixed not being able to scroll hardcore mode handicap screen with gamepad
  
• Fixed some problems with jumping during cutscenes
  
• Fixed wrong natural hazard dialog being played and Okkar being able to jump in if there is a cloud field hazard during a story mission
  
• Fixed artillery turrets in last sector showing up as friends when close to them though they had not been activated
  
• Fixed that you could be stuck in the selection wheel if opening it while jumping into a new zone
  
• Fixed a bug where hardcore mode perks and blueprints could be transferred to normal game mode
  
• Fixed final mission bug where the mission logic would not advance if the missile was fired too early
  
• Fixed being able to use the jump target marker while in free-look mode
  

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[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14133']Christian Klein, the

, has dug up another awesome European localization. It's a second Spanish DROsoft box that includes a combination of both Secret Missions in the same package! The reverse side of each has been translated and combined into one, but the included paper inserts appear to still be in English. What a cool collector's item! You can find the core WC1 counterpart

.

Wing Commander: The Secret Missions & The Secret Missions 2 - Crusade localized for Spain. Another one to add to my collection #DOSgaming

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[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10819944-arc-quests-pc-improvements-on-the-horizon'] The launch of Arc Quests in 2016 was met with great acclaim as players were given more opportunities to discover games and be rewarded for playing them. Completing quests through this feature allows players to increase their Arc Quests levels and Arc Points, which can be redeemed for in-game currency or Zen. Over the last two years Arc Quests has been active, we've gathered a ton of great feedback and suggestions from the community on some ways that it can be improved. In order to make continued upgrades to the Arc Quests system, we have temporarily disabled it on PC. Our team is working on rolling out a new, enhanced version that will function better for all of our Arc titles. As we get closer to its return on PC, we will share some of the exciting new features that will be available in the next iteration. Arc Points and Arc Levels will remain on your account, and you may still redeem any Points on your account through the Charge menu in the Arc launcher. Players on Xbox One can continue using the Arc Quests system, gaining Arc Points and achievements. [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Trek Online','/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10831004-3d-print-your-ship-available-today%21'] Do you have a favorite ship in Star Trek Online? The one that’s always carried you through, no matter how tough the fight? The one that you’ve lovingly built and rebuilt again and again, chasing that perfect set up, and just the right colors? The ship that you proudly call your home among the stars? We’re happy to announce that, starting today, Captains all over the world can begin the process of bringing that ship to life. You’ll be able to order a 3D printed, high quality collectible of your ship to keep with you at work, at home, or wherever you want to see the ship you love. Here’s how it works: Ready the starship you want printed, and head to the ship tailor. You’ll find a brand new button that reads, “3D Print This Ship.” Clicking on this will bring you to the option to learn more about this process, or to print this ship. Once you’ve chosen to print the ship, it’ll upload directly to our partner, Mixed Dimensions. You’ll be able to pick from three different options: Collectible Version Base Price: $350 Captains can commission one of the company’s master artists to hand-paint a premium, full-colored resin model of their starship, which includes detailed shading. Exceptional artistry and focus is placed on each individual ship. Single Color Version Base Price: $225 Captains can order a 3D-printed model of their starship, painted in either gold, silver, bronze or black. The model is polished, finished and ready for display. Primer Version Base price: $200 Model painters and hobbyists can order a primed model of their favorite starship, coated in a base layer of primer and ready to be painted. *Please note that costs for all three options may vary according to ship size and customizations. A stand will be included with every order and all ships will be delivered in customized packaging. To celebrate the launch of Star Trek Online’s starship collectibles, Mixed Dimensions will offer introductory pricing for a limited time. Please visit http://www.gameprint.net/startrek for additional details. Interested in more information on the process? We’ll be holding an AMA on our Official Forums and the Star Trek Online subreddit to answer your questions on Friday, March 16th at 10am PT. Since every customized starship is individually crafted and hand-painted, these ships will only be created in batches of 100 units at a time. When players place their order with Mixed Dimensions, they will be notified of the estimated time it will take to create and deliver their starship. In addition, captains will also receive photo updates of their ships in real time, notifying them when their collectibles have been printed and painted. For those who don’t have access to the PC version of Star Trek Online, Mixed Dimensions will be offering completed models, replicating 20 of the game’s most popular starships. These hand-painted starship collectibles will be available soon. There is a small selection of ships that will not be offered as 3D Prints. Those ships are: Crossfield-class Science Vanguard Walker-class Light Exploration Cruiser Sarcophagus Dreadnought Carrier Vesta-class Multi-Mission Surveillance Explorer Herald Baltim Raider Herald Quas Flight Deck Cruiser Herald Vonph Dreadnought Carrier Na'kuhl Acheros Battlecruiser Na'kuhl Daemosh Science Vessel Na'kuhl Tadaari Raider Sphere Builder Arehbes Destroyer Sphere Builder Denuos Dreadnought Carrier Sphere Builder Edoulg Science Vessel Tholian Tarantula Dreadnought Cruiser Son'a Collector Science Dreadnought Jupiter-class Carrier Delta-class Shuttle In addition, the following starship parts are not available to print: Risian Luxury Cruiser Atrium: Forest, Islands Starfleet Multi-Mission Science Vessels Saucer: Vesta Hull: Vesta, Rademaker, Brigid Nacelles: Vesta Stanchions: Vesta Starfleet Research Science Vessels Saucer: Horizon With our huge selection of ships and the complex export process involved, players may find that printing is disabled for other ships. If you are unable to print a ship that is not on the above list, please let us know on our official forums. That maybe a technical issue we can resolve in the future. Please also note: Captains who use Lighting 1.0 will not be able to 3D print a ship at this time. If you are able to switch to 2.0 long enough to export the ship, you will still be able to. Shipping is available in most of North America, Europe, Australia and several other territories. For a list of countries where shipping is unavailable due to international restrictions, please visit the FAQ section of the Mixed Dimensions website. In addition, customers who place orders outside of the United States may be responsible for taxes and/or dues required by law within their territory. We can’t wait for you all to get the chance to own a high quality collectible of the ships that have carried you through eight years of Star Trek Online. We’ll see you in game. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MATERIALS USED FOR MANUFACTURING THE 3D MODELS MAKE THE 3D MODELS SUITABLE ONLY FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES AND THEY ARE NOT SUITED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. THE 3D MODELS ARE NOT SUITED TO BE USED AS TOYS, OR TO BE GIVEN TO CHILDREN. THE 3D MODELS SHOULD NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH ELECTRICITY OR FOOD OR LIQUIDS AND SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM HEAT. .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/10841104-pc-patch-notes-for-3%2F15%2F18'] General: Resolved an issue which was causing the camera to zoom too far in within contact dialogue windows. Added Competitive Marks to a few All Marks boxes that were missed after the first pass of this addition. The mission briefing contact on the event version of the Breach now goes away after the briefing stage of the mission ends. Lethean Allied Pilot Escort Bundle: Added all standard patterns to the Lethean material. Added weekend events to April. Systems: Resolved an issue that was preventing the TR-116B from being able to acquire crafted modifiers when crafted. Resolved an issue that caused the Prolonged Engagement Cannons to deal less damage than intended when using Cannon: Rapid Fire. Resolved an issue that could cause some Deflector Dishes to be obtained with an incorrect set of modifiers. [/feedquote]

[feedquote='Star Citizen','https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/engineering/16458-Q-A-Aegis-Vulcan']

Q&A: Aegis Vulcan

Below are answers to the most voted for questions in our Vulcan Q&A thread that we posted on Spectrum. Thank you for taking the time to submit your questions and voting for the ones you care about most.

Also, Special thanks to John Crewe and Todd Papy for their help in answering your questions.

Lastly, for more information about the Aegis Vulcan, make sure to check out the Vulcan Ship Shape and our Vulcan themed episode of Reverse the Verse.

Will the drones stop responding if I fly the Vulcan too far away or dock the Vulcan in a nearby carrier?

The drones will have a maximum control range, as you approach that you’ll be warned in time to make a choice to return or continue at your own risk. If the Vulcan or the drones exceed that range then they will slowly stop responding until they are completely unresponsive. Simply coming back in range is enough to return them to complete control and causes no lasting damage.

Having the Vulcan inside another ship will likely not impact range.

How many (100% empty) small and medium fuel tanks can Vulcan fill?

This is a difficult question to answer accurately because every ship in the game has a bespoke fuel tank, so whilst the stats page may say medium fuel tank, that tank is bespoke to that ship and is within a capacity we define as medium. For example a Cutlass Medium Tank is a different capacity to a Vanguards Medium tank.

Remember that the role of the Vulcan isn’t to completely fill tanks, although it can do that with repeat fills, but to provide enough fuel to get you to a proper refuel point. To put a ballpark estimate, that will naturally adjust during development and testing, we expect that the Vulcan would be able to fully fill 8-10 or so small tanks, 2-3 medium tanks and half a large tank. Filling a tank will require multiple trips with drones however.

Will the drones be able to pick up materials from other places than the “cribs” on board the Vulcan?

The drones do have basic arms/clamps to carry items, but the main purpose is to take them from the “cribs” on board the Vulcan. Theres nothing to stop them taking it from elsewhere provided the drone can actually access those areas.

How are these drones different from the stand alone repair bot we get with 3.3?

The repair bot for 3.3 will be a completely different item and most likely much more smaller, it is personal after all! When creating the new roadmap we needed to find images to reflect the nature of each one so we used an existing piece of concept art for drones for this item.

In general terms, what is the largest ship a Vulcan would be able to fully re-fuel?

As mentioned its a hard thing to define, but somewhere around Retaliator/Constellation size is the goal for a full refuel. Again, this is not a ship designed for fully refuelling others but instead to give them a top up to get them on their way. In a real world example a roadside breakdown service would bring a small 5-10L fuel can to top you up, not a 60L tank of fuel.

If I have a spare weapon in my cargo bay can the drones swap my ships weapon loadout?

This is not something we had specifically designed for the ship in mind, but the gameplay systems would most likely not prevent this from happening.

Does the Vulcan draw its own fuel from the external fuel tank?

The external fuel tank, which contains two fuel tanks to separate Hydrogen and Quantum fuel, is purely for transfer to other ships via the drones. The Vulcan has its own separate fuel tanks to draw from.

Does the cargo bay (elevator to living quarters) function as airlock?

The cargo bay itself does not function as an airlock however the elevator up to the living quarters is enclosed and itself functions as a mini airlock separating the potentially open cargo bay and the habitation area.

Can Vulcan drones drain fuel out of a friendly ship to refuel itself and continue refueling others?

We discussed this in the Reverse the Verse piece we did on the Vulcan and again, this is not something we had in mind for the ship but the systems should not prevent this as its essentially part of the salvage gameplay loop.

Can a Vulcan itself refuel and buy fuel from a Starfarer?

Yes, all ships will be fitted with a “Fuel Port” item which enables transfer from one ship to another with the appropriate equipment such as the Starfarers refuelling boom or drones that can refuel.

You used an interesting word choice by stating these drones have “tug functions” (brochure). What will they use this function for?

Tug in the context of the brochure was marketing making the word “carry” sound more interesting. The drones can carry items with their tiny claw/clamps and in theory this would enable them to push/pull something around but it would not allow you to have a fleet of drones dragging a ship around like horses and a chariot.

How much space does ammo take up? 12 SCU doesn’t seem like much for rearming.

That depends on what ammo you are bringing! The current volume of the cargo grid is 2×2×3 SCU which is a volume of over 20 cubic meters of space to fill with ammo, ship items or cargo. The cargo room on the Vulcan is also quite spacious and if during development we feel the need for greater capacity then there is room to increase this.

Shouldn’t there be two external tanks, one for Hydrogen and one for Quantum fuel?

Yes, the external fuel tank houses two separate tanks for each fuel type. The Vulcan itself then has two Medium Hydrogen Fuel Tanks and one Medium Quantum Fuel Tank all to itself. This is reflected on the ship matrix page by a total of 3 Medium Hydrogen Fuel Tanks and 2 Medium Quantum Fuel Tanks.

Will the drones be able to work in a gravity well or atmosphere?

They will be able to function in earth like gravity and atmosphere perfectly fine.

How will I know what needs to be repaired and where it is on the ship I am repairing and what kind of overlay will there be on the repair target?

We’ll be discussing this more in the lead up to Repair and Salvage gameplay being introduced into the game in a future patch.

Can you give some detail about how drones will be controlled by the operators?

Drones will be controlled from the Support Stations in the cockpit of the Vulcan, players (or NPCS) will sit down at the station and fly the drone from a first person perspective via the screen. They will function and fly to all intents and purposes like any other ship in the game.

Will we need a good stockpile of ship components to be able to effectively repair all ships?

Another topic we discussed in depth on the RTV was this scenario and in short yes, but only if you want to be able to repair all ships. The Vulcan can be played however you want to play it, be it lurking near a shop to stock up on the exact items needed by customers or filled with generic items allowing a potentially faster response to people in need.

Can you operate the drones via MobiGlas?

This is not something we currently plan to support, at least for the Vulcans drones.

Can we repair, rearm and refuel ground vehicles with the Vulcan?

Absolutely, ground vehicles contain and conform to the same mechanics for items as our ships, just on a smaller scale.

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[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14141']

The extraordinary theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has passed away and tributes are pouring in from across the internet. As a genius thinker and pioneer in space, he made his mark on the whole genre of science-fiction, including Wing Commander. On the universe map, star systems are often named after developers, authors and even fans. Large quadrants are reserved for luminaries such as Chris Roberts himself. Massive sectors are the backdrops that entire Wing Commander games exist in with famous names like Vega, Enigma and Gemini. Just one sector was named after a living person, and that person was Stephen Hawking.

Mr. Hawking was also friends with Origin founder and second-generation astronaut Richard Garriott. They famously explored zero gravity together aboard the vomit comet and collaborated to advance the cause of science and space exploration over the years. That he passed away on Pi Day is especially fitting and helps ease the loss slightly - he couldn't have calculated a better time to go!

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[feedquote='Wing Commander News','http://www.wcnews.com/index.shtml#14138']The

will soon be getting a new pirate element to counter the game's supply convoys. This means that players will now need to defend their inbound transports to keep marauders at bay. There are also some potentially sneaky tactics that the Black Lance faction will be able to employ, since they can create pirate units that may be able to blend in with run-of-the-mill pirates and privateers.

is also considering how this gameplay mechanic could be expanded to apply to neutral base captures and the like. This is a pretty cool addition to the game that adds another strategic layer that fits well into the Wing Commander universe.

The Black Lance faction has been using Pirates for deception and false flag attacks, which is why they are capable of building and deploying Pirate units such as the Razor, the Thunderbolt and the Caernaven frigate. However, if it was just this, the only result would, let's be honest, be to give low-level units for the Black Lance and that's it. There would be no interest beyond their lore and unique appearance, and that, people, would not do.

So, to have these ships become slightly more interesting, I just added, for the next update, a new gameplay feature that will complete the convoy system: pirates. Right now, every player has a jump buoy spawning a transport ship bringing supplies to their main base. The idea would be that attacking these ships would be profitable, as well as defending them, but trusting the AI or the player to just use this opportunity is a bit too passive, so from now on, the same jump buoy will also spawn a pirate unit made of two frigates, two Thunderbolt and four Razor which will automatically head towards enemy convoys and attack them on its own. Just like the convoy ships, the player will not be able to give them orders, and if they lose their target for a reason, they will automatically reacquire a new convoy to loot and plunde. First of all, it will force players to protect their convoys, add some more action to the games as the pirates could stumble on other units by chance. Second of all, it will be useful for the players to know the heading of at least one enemy convoy, by following the privateers (when bloodthirsty criminals attack your foes, they are privateers, not pirates, this is a very important distinction, people). Last, and very much not least, this will make pirates a common sight in-game.

Required "Arr, mateys!" here.

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