2ND LIEUTENANT TOM DANECadet Pilot. Early twenties. And our new PLAYER. Dane was a foundling; an abandoned child of unknown parentage adopted by a generous foster family. He's full of fight, enthusiasm and a deep desire to prove himself -- and to find out who he really is.
The one thing Dane does know is, despite the fact that his adoptive family were all "earthworms," he has always had a burning urge to be a pilot. And getting admitted to the Academy was a hard won first step in that quest.
Dane is very bright; a quick, analytical thinker who can get right to the heart of the matter -- which is not to say he never shoots his mouth off or makes mistakes. This kid has an edge; a not inconsiderable streak of daring that often leads him into major trouble. Dane is prone to take big gambles from time to time; something which frequently brings an angry Blair down on him.
Indeed, it seems to Dane (and others) that Blair lives for the chance to land on him with both feet. There is clearly something going on between him and the Commandant, but Dane is damned if he can figure out what it is.
Dane's closest (perhaps only) friend is Maestro. It is a relationship which will be sorely tested when Maestro is captured and tortured by the aliens. Maestro returns to Midway radically changed; no longer interested in Dane's friendship or much of anything else. This is a tremendous blow to Dane; one from which he will barely recover.
Dane should be impetuous at times, young, vibrant a little brash, but a great pilot. He embodies the balance of a truly gifted flyer and someone who must grow up fast in this war. He experiences loss, tries to deal with the constant rag of Maniac and the sexual tension/competition of Nemesis.
Today is another happy day in the US and other countries where you can get away with walking around absolutely anywhere in a Wing Commander flight suit or Kilrathi armor. That's what I'll be doing. If you don't have either, I suggest painting your face like a cat and calling it good.
WING COMMANDER V -- SYNOPSIS Nearly a decade has passed since the Border Worlds conflict. Blair is now Commandant of the Confed Academy, in charge of a new class of cadets who are eagerly approaching graduation. Their relatively peaceful lives are thrown into chaos when a giant wormhole appears near the shattered remains of Kilrah and a huage alien fleet of unknown origin invades Confed space. Despite Blair's misgivings, his rookie pilots are pressed into service to confront this seemingly invincible armada -- and to stop it before it can reach Earth.
Our story centers on LIEUTENANT TOM DANE, the best of the best new pilots, as he pursues a series of critical mission objectives. His base ship will be the carrier Midway; his opponents will consist of various enemy aces, capital ships, and, ultimately, a Dreadnought-class vessel.
Dane must fly recon, escort Space Marines to designated drop points, and battle alien fighters. With each completed mission, he helps Confed move closer to its primary goal of stopping the invasion. But the cost will be high -- blasted ships, dead civilians, and lost wingmen.
Dane will also confront a variety of personal obstacles. His best friend is captured -- a beautiful young cadet is constantly (and aggressively) competing with him -- and the secret that Blair eventually reveals to the youngester will have a tremendous, gut-wrenching impact on his future.
Our hero perseveres through every challenge -- right up to the moment that he leads his Wingmen against their final and most important objective; the alien-built Command Center which maintains the wormhole portal.
During the battle to destroy that Command Center, both Blair and Dane's best friend are lost. As the alien wormhole collapses, the invasion armara posed on the other side of it is blocked access to Confed space. Tom Dane has bought Earth some desperately needed breathing room. Until next time.
This war is not anywhere near over.
"The 300 Games Every Game Developer (and Gamer) Should Know." Games that are definitive and that any person who seriously considers themselves a gamer should be familiar with. Everything from Tic-Tac-Toe to Doom. Much like Jane Eyre or Heart of Darkness are part of literary canon, now it seems Wing Commander is part of gaming canon.The list is pretty much just a fun idea some guy had at the moment, but it's not the first time something like this has come up. Something like this won't ever be nailed down absolutely on some webpage somewhere, but instead will be defined by the collective beliefs of the gaming community. It's great to see that Wing Commander so often ranks on these list. Though Ultima did make the list, Ultima Online did not. As the GameSpy article we reported a few days back discussed, you don't really have MMORPGs like you do today without UO in there somewhere.
Overall, though, X2 could turn out to be one of the truly great space sims, ready to take its place among the Wing Commanders, Freelancers, and Independence Wars of the genre. The visuals alone may well carry this game to greatness. If the gameplay turns out to be a strong as seems to be headed, X2 may even be the long-awaited successor to the Elite throne.Elite throne?
Zoctan felt that Lord British and the makers of Ultima 7 could do no wrong.Eek, flashbacks of getting Wing Commander 2 running with speech. Oh, and don't stop reading until you get to their Freespace 2 bit.
I'm sorry, I can't offer any criticism because my computer has never had and will never have enough extended memory for Ultima 7.
Koster, who worked at Origin Systems, remembers things differently. "The massively multiplayer term was coined by Electronic Arts marketing. At that point, Ultima Online was announced. I remember the meeting in which they told us they were going to call it 'massively multiplayer' and we were like, 'Okay, whatever.'" (Looking back, Koster admits that it is possible that 3DO coined the phrase and that Electronic Arts marketing borrowed it.)You can find the very beginning of the article here. They start getting into Origin and Ultima Online's role as one of the MMORPG pioneers in the week one writeup.
I've found another great tool called "Abandon Loader" that is able to play old WC-games even in Windows XP and even with joystick and sound. I've been able to play WC1 with sound and joystick support! (and yeah this tool even allows you to slow your system down for older games) This is a tool that allows you to play nearly all old DOS-games under Windows XP. It requires some time to find your way how it works but I think you definitely should take a look at this one! You'll need the normal package, and please install the VDM-Sound BEFORE (!!!) the Abandon Loader. I hope this helps you bit ;-)You can grab Abandon Loader here. If you have any problems, head on over to Crius.net for help. And if this version doesn't support certain games such as Privateer, the next version is expected to have enhanced memory fixes.
It's meant for people developing software for palmOS, and you can even get the official BIOS ROMs from them for it too.
LOAF has crossed another task off his list - getting every audio CD which has a WC track on it. One or two of the obscure Cobalt 60 CDs were difficult to get, but here they all are:
From the top left they are: Origin Soundtrack (Vol. 1), Origin Soundtrack Vol.3, Music From The Wing Commander Universe (George Oldziey), Wing Commander Movie Soundtrack (David Arnold), Wing Commander Prophecy Soundtrack (Cobalt 60), Wing Commander Prophecy Clubmixes (Cobalt 60), Wing Commander Prophecy Theme - Terminal Mix (Cobalt 60), Twelve (Cobalt 60).
XBox and Playstation 2 versions are expected in mid November. You can also find a GameSpot preview on the game here.
During your missions you'll be joined by a host of other story characters who are unique to the game, and you'll receive transmissions from them that relay new developments in both mission objectives and plot. The basic flow of the gameplay in Battlestar Galactica will be quite familiar to anyone who's played Wing Commander, TIE Fighter, Colony Wars, or any number of other classic space combat games.
I've just completed refitting GPLed "Space Trader" with graphics from Privateer 1. All the in-game graphics (including about a dozen starships and four full-screen scenes) are now 100% "Privateerish."Looks fun. Wish I had a Palm Pilot to try it out with. You can download the zipped .prc file for this program here. Send Qbok a message if you like it.Enjoy! By the way - this is a greyscale version (should work fine on color palms, of course). If there's some positive feedback, I'll be glad to do the full-color version too (that IS a bit of work, and I started with grayscale version because I own a palm with grayscale display).
As for the changes, 95% of graphics got redone; only other changes are: slightly rearranged ship info screen and changed names of the "buyable" ships (I've left the names of the few other ships unchanged). This leads to some differences between this version and typical Privateer ship characteristics. You get to fly two Kilrathi ships, and the Paradigm ended up as - well - big freighter, but I didn't want to screw up the balance of the game by changing ship statistics to better reflect the original Privateer's.
Vega Strike went gold last week and finally has become available to purchase online at cafepress.com. The Open Source Space simulator still is available for free at vegastrike.sourceforge.net however, many users were complaining about the size of the hefty 160 megabyte download, and some wanted a hard copy of the CD to admire.So with the help of PeteyG's cover art, and Cafepress.com, we have fashioned a Vega Strike CD product there for $11.99. The CD features additional bonus features including the best songs from the game as CD audio tracks and mp3's on the CD as well as an optimized engine to eek out the fps on older machines. Details are also available at vegastrike.sf.net. Enjoy,
Daniel - AKA HellcatV
If everything runs smooth and if we can start welcoming new folk soon, we might very well release a ships pack in a few months. December seems to be a realistic release date.Because Freelancer is one of the most graphically advanced space sims of the bunch, I've always thought this mod looked quite nice. I especially liked Bob's Concordia Supercruiser in the FL engine. Tolwyn has mocked up a few new screens for us that show off the Ferret, Crossbow and Thunderbolt. These are really pretty shots, and I'm looking forward to a Wing Commander ship pack.
Greetings, carto-fans! It's that time of year once again: the leaves are changing colors, the weather's turning colder and the nights are getting longer... and it's time to re-edit the Wing Commander Universe map! So, here's your job -- tell me what changes need to be made.
So far the only thing obvious to me (aside from some layout changes Wedge suggested months back) is adding a pair of jump lines: Calimachus {-} Orestes and Orestes {-}Sol, as per the Wing IV novel Vesuvius chase. Other possibilities:
Give me your thoughts at Crius.net here. You can find the CIC Wing Commander universe maps here and our special map archive here.
The pack contains Kilrathi (race 1, Kushan), Confederation (race 2, Taiidan), Border Worlds (Pirates 1) and Nephilim (Pirates 2). The Border Worlds and Nephilim ships are only for maps with them built-in. All you need is the original Homeworld. Install it by extracting the zip file to your Homeworld directory. To uninstall, delete the folders "r1," "r2," "p1," & "p2" and files that end with ".ll" and ".script" that are in your main Homeworld directory. Please note, that this mod is NOT compatible with Homeworld: Cataclysm or Homeworld 2.
Hey all, Raptor here.HTL continues with the third part of my "Into The Inferno" series. As you've seen earlier in the series, what had been expected to be an easy final campaign for the human fleet had suddenly turned to custard. After all the doom and gloom of the two stories, this one is a little more light hearted. Your comments and feedback are most welcome.
The story is at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~theraj/archives/ch168.htm
Best, Raptor
From Star Wars and Wing Commander, to Star Fox and Top Gun, flight combat games have been around for nearly as long as vector graphics and simple polygons have existed.I ranked 1st in the Mario Kart tournament. Still looking for a good opportunity to update about that one..
Weasel and Tye also snapped a few shots of these badges in use.
This is XJ from Casper Station, just announcing that I've finished my novel, Wing Commander - DDX, and published it in its entirety on my website. I'm looking for some reader reviews (positive and/or negative) - please post them on the Casper Station forum and I'll include some in the upcoming PDF version. Thanks and enjoy!You can find Wing Commander DDX here.
The game may be a bit more confined than the PC version, but this port of WING COMMANDER PROPHECY is a testament to how great the little Game Boy Advance really is. A must-buy for flight sim fans.You can find the Cinescape review here.
It was early 2001 when we were eagerly awaiting the final installment in Peter Telep's Wing Commander movie-based novel trilogy - Pilgrim Truth. Because of numerous delays, an outline of the novel was released providing a chapter-by-chapter synopsis of what would happen in the new novel. At the time, we stored the file on a lousy free web site because of bandwidth issues. Sadly, the novel was cancelled by its would-be publisher despite being completed, however the synopsis hasn't been forgotten. We now have it back on our own server in its original MS Word format. You can download the file here.
On a related note, some of the rights regarding the WC movie will be changing in 2004, which may allow the release of Pilgrim Truth and various things. We'll be renewing our efforts to get the book published should the circumstances allow it.
I'm currently working on retexturing my Vampire model and when completed I will fix up the Excal some more. I retextured my Excalibur model last year but I left my Vampire looking the same as it does in Prophecy. This is not to my liking, since I wish to separate as much as possible from the existing WC4/P look and generate a unique Wing Commander experience. Visually, I will be accomplishing this through darker, more monotone colour choices. The Vampire is no longer blue, but a dull grey (like modern American aircraft) tone, with contemporary-styled markings. I will later be adding similar markings to my Excalibur model, and my Albatross (my version of the Pelican) model.I can't wait for the day when this will all be done. You can leave feedback and discuss Cam's upgraded Vampire at Crius here. You can find a high resolution shot of the Excalibur he mentions here.
In other news, Khaled has recently released mIRC 6.11. This new version includes 64 additions and fixes. mIRC is the IRC client of choice for most people, and Chris and myself have recently registered our copies. It's worth every cent for a program which we've used daily since 1997 or earlier.
Update: mIRC 6.12 has just been released. Apparently it is a release to fix a vulnerability which exists in version 6.0 and later.
Whew, that's nearly 400MB of files there. As a reminder, "episode 7" aired after "episode 6" originally, but chronologically "Expendable" takes place after "Lords of the Sky." For this release we'll be putting up the episodes in timeline order. Also a quick note for people who like using "download accelerators" or segmented downloads: Don't. Our FTP limits people using multiple connections so it won't work.
The universe was a happy placeDownload Nick Blitz's Ballad of Blair here (5 megs). You can provide feedback and discuss the songs at Crius here. OverMortal's "Life of a Pilot" can also be found here.
We all had a smile on our face
But then the Kats came
We were making friends in outer space
Colonizing all over the place
But then the Kats came
We spent our money on happy things
Brilliance and diamond rings
But then the Kats came
But then the Kats came
So we went to Goddard Colony
But it had been destroyed with gravity
Because the Kats came
Now the Tiger's Claw is a pile of debris
And everybody started blaming me
Because the Kats came
The invisible Kats came
So I spent ten years on Caernarvon
Took a Ferret out on a milk run
And then the Kats came
Now I'm back to work in Enigma
Flyin' missions on the Concordia
Because the Kats came
And I fell in love with my hot C.O.
And I became a big hero
Because the Kats came
Because the Kats came
So my girl went sneaking around Kilrah
But Thrakhath found 'em and he killer her
That's when the Kats came
So I dropped a bomb and blew their planet up
And Melek said, "Hey we give up"
And no more cats came
And no more Kats came
Eleven years later, we met some bugs
And let me tell you, they had ugly mugs
That's when the bugs came
I got stuck on a shielding tower
And there I had my final hour
Because the bugs came
Because the bugs came...
Have you ever flown a fighterYou can download "The Life of a Pilot" here. He's putting the finishing touches on his next song as you read this. Stay tuned.
Going 500 kps
With the turrets aiming at you
And your heart racing in your chest
Have you ever dropped a dumbfire
In a fralthi's first nacelle
Did you live to fly another day
Oh, the stories we could tell
The life of a pilot
Have you ever tailed a vaktoth
With your armor close to nill
Or got caught up in a furball
Where you racked up tons of kills
Chorus 1:
The life of a pilot, oh
The Kilrathi in your gunsights
The life of a pilot, oh
When your wingman saved your life
The life of a pilot
Did you ever fly a mission
With the autopilot off
Have you ever wondered if
A Kilrathis' fur is soft?
It's the things besides the killing
That keep insanity at bay
But the numbers are ten to one out there
And I like it fine that way
Chorus 2:
The life of a pilot, oh
Your next flight could be your last
The life of a pilot, oh
No mercy given; no mercy asked
The life of a pilot
Have you come back from a mission
With your wingman not in tow
Did you mourne them as a loved one
Did you hang your head down low
But for all the ones around us
And the ones we love back home
We will take it to the kittens
Cause it's up to us alone
Repeat Chorus 1&2
"Fire Down Below" is a bit of a cross betwen Disney's "Talespin," a TV series played around the early 90's and now featured only on Toon Disney, and Wing Commander 4. In fact, a lot of elements of WC4 are heavily incorperated in this story.You can find the story along with writeups describing the background behind each picture at his site here.
You can download the 5MB video here. The CIC also has a mirror here.
Lindows.com promotes... Vega Strike! It would seem they prepared a one-click install package with it and made it available through their "Click-N-Run" catalog. Take a look!Vega Strike is a Wing Commander themed space combat engine that was made from scratch by HellcatV. If you haven't checked it out before, Lindows users are just a click away. Well, two clicks. Check out the Lindows Vega Strike page here. Lunix
Hey all, Raptor here.HTL continues with the second part of my "Into The Inferno" finale series, picking up a few hours after part one ended. As you might recall, a flight of Confederation recon Excaliburs stumbled across a Nephilim force set to stab the Combined Fleet in the back, turning what had been expected to be a mopping up operation for the humans into a potential mopping up for the Nephilim. Your comments and feedback are most welcome.
The story is at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~theraj/archives/ch167.htm
Best, Raptor
Croupier star Clive Owen is poised to be unveiled as the new James Bond next year, according to reports... According to British tabloid the Daily Record, movie bosses are expected to announce Clive, 38, will take over the role - after being recommended by 50-year- old Pierce [Brosnan].You can find the full bit here.
More can be found here. Our previously released Easter Eggs can be found here.Enable Code (Must Be On): 0000967A 000A 10000468 0007 Infinite Health: 8201B970 032A Infinite Fuel: 3201B989 0068 Infinite Decoys: 3201B996 0063 No Overheat: 3201B959 00FF Max KPS: 8201B992 1387
In somewhat related news, the WC Saga Battlegroup Serpent website has been reworked and moved to its new File Planet host. They are hard at work on Awakening of the Claw, their first campaign for this Freespace 2 mod. The beautiful Ferret we posted earlier this week is an example of their work.
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