Happy New Year's Eve! (A Look Back at 2021) Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Here we are again - another year down. It was yet another very rough year in many ways, but today we won't focus on that. Month after month, Wingnuts made the best of difficult circumstances to build another solid year in Wing Commander.

It wasn't a round number itself, but 2021 marked the 30th anniversary of Wing Commander 2 and the 25th birthday for quite a few 1996 releases: Wing Commander 4, the Customizable Card Game, Academy television show and Privateer 2, to name a few. To recognize the P2 milestone, Jayden Morris remade the Anhur landing scene, which was totally unexpected. There was also this intro audio remaster - P2 got a lot of love this year!

Less surprising perhaps was that it was a big year for streaming and virtual collaboration. Bonkus_Maximum had some fun WC livestreams, and the Gemini Sector RPG had tons of wonderful play sessions. These two even had a crossover livestream/RPG event, which was perhaps a first of its kind. Mac's Mac's Lore channel really took off with a variety of historical WC videos, and YouTube even briefly made Wing Commander a free streaming movie over the summer. Justice played through Standoff, which was really nice to see. The MK Podquest did some great retrospective on Academy's Warrior King Saga. And we wouldn't want to forget Docteur J's many French language WC clips.
Speaking of videos, ODVS shared a number of impressive enhancements once again this year. WC3 got new language options, next generation AI techniques improved realism, there were 4K experiments and he even dabbled in WC2 and P2 upscales. Although I don't have a hundredth of the video editing skill that ODVS has, I also did my own 4K grab of the Secret Ops trailer and posted it so it's more easily accessible (especially now that Flash is deprecated).
The WC4 Fan Remake team had a number of updates to share this year, and even Wing Leader was intensely active for several months. A new version of wcdx for Kilrathi Saga was released. We also read about how the WCP/SO model upgrade pack is inching towards a 1.0 release, and Flight Commander 2 got a big new demo release.
Modding of the oldest WC games continues to be a surprising trend. WC1 was translated into German (along with the Kilrathi Saga manual), and both WC2 and P1 got Spanish translations. Privateer also got invisible cockpits. Even the core WC1 English game got cleaned up text. Polish is also under development, and work continues to port speech back into DOS WC1.
We got to hear a bit more from George Oldziey on Wing Commander music, and the 2018 Royal Marines performing Wing Commander Theme video finally got out. There was a nice interview with WC1 sound designer Marc Schaefgen and one with WC3 programmer Frank Savage. Freddie Prinze fondly remembered Matthew Lillard on the WC set, and Matthew Lillard did a huge April 1 WC spread - plus a live table reading of the WC script! There were lots of autograph opportunities this year from Prinze to Malcolm McDowell to an upcoming Tom Wilson send away.
LOAF did a number of insightful analyses this year, including a close look at P2 ending ships, a Dralthi rundown, Krant rundown, comprehensive Rapier history, a count of the Tiger's Claw engines, solving the mystery of the Vesuvius' guns, all of the Dune references in WC, trivia on the WC3 Kilrathi aces and a look at all the Steltek fighters hiding in the derelict carrier. We also got a bead on one of the surviving Rapiers.
It was another good year for physical models. I'm very excited to see how elend's Dralthi turns out in 2022. We got new 3D printed options for the Centurion and Morningstar, which are popular designs along with the Excalibur. And this is probably the best Lego Tiger's Claw I've ever seen, but Christian Klein's Epee is a close contender for top Lego designs. Also in the semi-physical realm, Admiral Maverick's tabletop game got new legs, and DefianceIndustries' virtual TacOps is looking incredible.
Speaking of Defiance, he did a lot of art. Just a lot, on all manner of subjects from tabletop, animated series inspired work, this tremendous Excalibur, a bunch of Arena art to lots for the WC4 Fan Remake. He wasn't the only one active as Klavs was also back in the saddle with a few projects. CCG artist Alan Gutierrez released more concept art, FekLeyr Targ finished his Armada intro remake, EmuMusicFan sketches a whole lot of Kilrathi, we got a gorgeous Heretic and even a Jincilla Veldor. And I'm still fond of this ephemeral Ferret.
There were a few Kickstarter highlights, including the final delivery of all the cool Moongate stuff as well as the successful funding of the challenge coin project. As I wind down here, I'd also like to give a shout out to the many collectors continuing to find rare and exotic WC merchandise. Dennis Mull and Christian Klein are just two of the fans out there doing great work to hunt down hard-to-find relics - and sharing the gorgeous pics with all of us!
And that was 2021! The length of this rundown was primarily limited by my time and not the amount of material that fans generated or found in the last year, and I could go on for twice as long and highlight even more cool things people did - but you get the picture! Wingnuts continue to make the most of what we have and keep each other inspired through tough times. I'm cautiously optimistic about 2022. Happy New Year!

WC4 Promo Shirt Resurfaces 25 Years Later Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Dominus of Exult spotted another uncommon Wing Commander collectible, and he pinged LOAF for the scoop on its origin. "I believe it’s an Australian retail promo sent to stores to promote the release." We don't see this shirt very often, but it's a definite treat each time! And congrats to Dominus on the find - it's good to see you'll be entering 2022 in style!

Exploratory Services Shed New Light on Steltek Derelict Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Interesting discovery while pawing through Privateer's source models: there are actually FOUR Steltek fighters in the derelict! Two more are attached to the ring and one is floating in the distance. They're the same model as the one you salvage the Steltek gun from but without the crash damage. Not much detailing but you can see the parts that would glow green when active!

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LOAF

Spanish Retro Reviewer Delves Into Armada Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Today's video is a Spanish language retrospective of Wing Commander Armada. These days lots of people are streaming the original core Wing Commander games, but Armada content is comparatively rare - non-English versions even more so! I love Armada so much, so I watch every video people want to make about the game, but these unique perspectives are especially fascinating. Keep in mind that YouTube has automatic translation, so you can get captions in your language. If that sounds slightly tedious, just imagine the experience of these fans who had to play the game in a non-native language. From what I gather, I don't actually even think they were huge fans of the game (calling it an "interesting experiment"), but they put together a nice overview nonetheless! You can find more of their videos at Próximo Nivel 2.0.
Próximo Nivel os habla de Wing Commander: Armada, un juego de estrategia aparecido en el año 1994 de manos de Origin Systems.

GOG Winter Sale Discounts WC Series by 75% Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

We've had a lot of casual Wing Commander fans dropping in this past week to ask about how to buy Wing Commander and get it running on modern systems. There are a number of ways, but the easiest and most popular is to go with GOG.com. And the timing couldn't be more perfect - they have the entire series discounted as part of the Winter Sale. That means WC1/2 and their four expansions are just $1.49. The entire DOS/Windows series is under $12! If you've got some time off during the holidays here, now's the perfect time to catch up with a replay of your favorite WC games!

Keep the Good Times Flying Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

If you're like me and Christmas came and went like a blur, Juris Perkons has a little treat to keep that holiday feeling going a little while longer. He's created a space sim called Rogue Xmas 3D. The program is just a tech demo to practice his coding skills, but it's surprisingly satisfying to watch snowmen and piles of packages explode under your laser cannons. Check out the video below and download it here.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I have a Christmas Present for You! Please, download, play, enjoy - ROGUE XMAS 3D

Do NOT take it too seriously, just have fun!

Merry Christmas! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone out there! It's another challenging holiday season for most folks around the world, but we hope you're making the most of it and staying safe. EmuMusicFan put together this festive Kilrathi for you to enjoy, so we're not without a fun image for the news this year. We'd also like to thank Will for reminding us to put the Christmas lights up a couple weeks back. They really put me in a wintery mood, and if you'd like to share in the Christmas spirit, drop by #Wingnut on Discord to hang out too!
We're also starting to see reports of people getting their Wing Commander-themed gifts in the wild. Here's Pedro and his brand new 3DO. He can finally play the awesome WC3 port!
Finally able to use my Christmas present, party like it’s 1995

Special Christmas Eve Gemini RPG Session - TONIGHT! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Rear Admiral Tarsus and the Gemini Sector RPG crew have a special mission tonight! "The team must face their most challenging challenge yet." A fancy Christmas-themed briefing has been created which launches at 6 pm Pacific / 9 pm Eastern US Time. Get in the holiday spirit and visit their Discord server to join the fun!
There's a mission I'll be hosting on the gemini sector Christmas eve (24th) from 9:00 pm to 12:00 am EST. The team (including you) will be facing a dangerous new foe in a challenge of minds, hearts, souls and eyebrows.
If you're reading this before the new briefing has gone live, check out where the story left off here:

Second Verse, Same as the First Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Here's an early Christmas present for Wingnuts with high res monitors! In response to popular demand, Mac has rerendered his recent End Run wallpaper in dazzling 4K. This version is also uncompressed and the detail is just dazzling. Everything from Klavs' Dralthi fighters to the explosions to the lines on the foreground capship are super crisp. You can even clearly make our the second escort carrier in the distance. Enjoy!

Caxki and Ki'ra Clans Caricatured Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Here's a couple of Kilrathi sketches to brighten your day. EmuMusicFan has created B'shras nar Caxki as a a dishonored and brooding noble. On the other hand, Uza nar Ki'ra is an intellectual - complete with small round glasses. The coloration really does wonders to complete the look here!
B'shras nar Caxki is the Baron of Caxki from Star*Soldier. For lack of more specific background, I have added some myself: Because of their early out in the Civil War, nar Caxki Clan's status is now very low. Baron B'shras always feels boring in the meetings now.

WC3 Video Review Dates Back to Early 1995 Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Swizzley has posted a vintage video review for Wing Commander 3. This might not sound like a big deal, but in February 1995 this would have been on the bleeding edge of multimedia technology. A full ten years before YouTube first came online, something like this was a very rare treat. Video downloads were painful on dialup, so these were distributed on disc with Interactive Entertainment Magazine. They were one of the first to include CD-ROMs with material like this, so we got some really cool features such as this video review of WC4, an early '90s Richard Garriott interview and neat Privateer 2 / WC4 high tech previews. Today we're used to carefully timed embargoes lifting days before a global launch, but this would have represented a lightning fast turnaround at the time (recorded in December to hit newstands in January). The humor doesn't always age well, but it's still a fascinating time capsule of the era.
This review is from Interactive Entertainment Magazine (Episode 10 - February 1995) . A multimedia CD-ROM magazine which ran for 23 issues. More information about the magazine and download links for the discs can be found at demu.org

P2 Prototype Cover Inches Closer to Final Version Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Privateer 2 developer Paul Hughes has rescued another prototype box cover from the digital scrap heap. It's got some elements that are familiar from the "City of Lights" art, including the Icarus, Heretic and Clive Owen, but this version also has a really cool Tri-System map layer. The locations are key planets from throughout local space. You can see how a lot of this stuck around for the final box art (in North America).
Trawling through some disks last night, I came across this alternate Privateer 2 (UK) cover, complete with Clive Owen! I kinda like it!

Creative Combinations Come Together Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Kitbashes have a rough reputation, but they can be pretty awesome when done well. CorpusCounter has created several examples of how to turn these Frankenstein creations into clever novelties. He's dubbed the four fighters below Hellthi, Thundertoth, Ferket and Longtahn. These feature a Confed fighter paired up with its Kilrathi counterpart to build something new. Each ship takes on the tone of the tan Kilrathi durasteel, which happens to work. Not bad!

Super Wing Commander Ending Adds Pilots' Last Words Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Last week we saw a nice mix of cutscenes from Super Wing Commander that LOAF has been extracting from the Mac/3DO port. Here's a pair of new ones that show off how the ending can change after you destroy the Star Post. Based on which wingmen die, you'll get a spiritual narration with the deceased characters offering kindly advice or messages to Blair (or Armstrong). Under the 'perfect' conditions Bossman will be the only character to die. Each additional wingman who's lost will add their part - up to an additional 90 seconds of voiceover! Compare to the two versions below:

Dralthi Model Gets Much More Detailed Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Today we've got another tiny peek at the incredible Dralthi model under construction in elend's workshop. When we last saw the ship, it was evident how beautiful and faithfully accurate the design was to the original Claw Marks drawing. Now we can get a sense of what the fine panel detail looks like - we can even see within some of the structure down to the plumbing and piping within. I can't wait to see things come together even more!

Happy Birthday Privateer 2! Enjoy a Fan Remade Cutscene Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Jayden Morris is back with a lovely follow-up to the Jincilla Veldor fighter remake he posted last month. At the time, he hinted that there was a nifty Privateer 2 project in the work and this is the result. He's recreated the landing cinematic for pilots landing on Anhur. This really caters to the interests of a niche subset of a niche fandom, and we salute Jayden for the effort here! You can find some sharp renders from the scene here.

I would also like to apologize for sitting on this for a week. He sent it to us just in time for December 9, which was the 25th anniversary of Privateer 2's launch. So Happy Belated Birthday to P2 as well! Here's the video:

We also have the original for comparison:
And here's a HUD-free version:
Last, but not least, Jayden did a more thorough fly-around of the environment:

The Secret Missions' Timeline All Plotted Out Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

People are always asking me: Ben, I want to enjoy The Secret Missions, The Secret Missions 2, Super Wing Commander's extra campaign and Freedom Flight together in the most technically correct but narratively meaningless order possible...
... well if that's you then boy did I ever spend my day off making a needlessly confusing spreadsheet for you!
It also tells you when to read sections of Wing Commander I & II: The Ultimate Strategy Guide because Secret Missions 2 is the rare game that's novelized by two completely different writers!
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LOAF

Mystery of Vesuvius' Guns Solved Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Wing Commander IV didn't have a manual with ship stats so fans had to figure them out via trial and error. The turrets on the Vesuvius heavy carrier all fired yellow so for at least a decade it was assumed they were Anti-Matter Guns because those were the yellow turrets in WC3...

Except a cutscene seemed to have a small error: it identified them as laser turrets. But lasers are red and the film shoot happened long before the actual game was set up and balanced so it made sense that this was just a lil mistake.
Some years later, someone figured out that there aren't Anti-Matter Guns anywhere in WC4. In fact, they're specifically removed from ships that once had them... and the Vesuvius yellow guns don't hit like AMGs anyway. So: they're Heavy Photon Guns which are yellow on fighters?

Now flash forward and our top nerds have reverse engineered the game itself and we find that they were supposed to be... HEAVY LASER TURRETS. The cutscene was RIGHT! They hit for 60 armor points instead of 40. No other differences, aside from the color. That's the whole story.

author avatar
LOAF

UK Ad Hypes Up The Secret Missions Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

LOAF spotted this slick ad in a post by the Out of Print Archive. It's a nice full page print from the December 1993 issue of Super Play. I love these super British review quotes (image them spoken with a British accent): "Very Very playable... an excellent concept and well portrayed." "Fans of this style of game shouldn't be disappointed."
I haven’t seen this Mindscape ad for the European release of The Secret Missions before. Cool!

Get Super Wing Commander Smarter With These Cutscenes Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

LOAF has been mining Super Wing Commander this month and has extracted lots of great cutscenes. Lots of fans are familiar with the classic Wing Commander remake, but there's a good chance they haven't seen these videos unless they've got a 3DO or vintage Mac. Check out a whole playlist for more and some highlights below!
I've put together some Super Wing Commander videos! Don't you just love that we-just-discovered-3ds-Max aesthetic? Here's a playlist with all the midgames plus all the takeoffs and landings!
For example, here are the winning and losing versions of a "mid game" cutscene. The Confed ships are an Exeter and Venture as they begin an orbital bombardment. The difference is whether we were able to hold up a Kilrathi missile shipment!
You've got to love these takeoff and landing clips!
Last, but not least, damage states!

Annual Call For Award Nominations Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

If you can believe it, we have less than weeks to go until 2022! While it might seem like 2021 has lasted several years, December is a quick month and we'll be on to bigger and better things before you know it. That also means our annual contest tradition is nearly upon us. We're now taking nominations for the 'Fan Project of the Year'. Now's your chance to suggest which community undertakings were your favorite. Email news@wcnews.com with your nominees! Here's a quick recap of our wonderful previous winners:

  Fan Projects of the Year Runners Up
2020 AI Enhanced WC Videos WC4 Fan Remake / wcdx
2019 Prophecy & Secret Ops Model Upgrade Pack WC4 Fan Remake / Wing Leader
2018 Flat Universe Secret Ops Model Upgrade Pack / WC1 Sprite Refresh
2017 Secret Ops Model Upgrade Pack Homeworld Remastered / Flat Universe
2016 Flat Universe Homeworld Remastered / Secret Ops MUP / Enhanced Soundtracks
2015 Homeworld Remastered Mod Flat Universe / Secret Ops MUP / Klavs' Model Archive
2014 Flat Universe Klavs' Models / Prophecy Fan Movie
2013 Collected Works of HCl / Klavs' Models Defiant Few
2012 WC Saga Klavs' Models
2011 OpenGL Patch for WCP & Secret Ops TacOps Online & Standoff
2010 Astro Commander's Mini Models DirectDrawHack
2009 Standoff Gemini Gold
2008 Ascii Sector Flight Commander
2007 Standoff & WC Saga Ascii Sector
2006 WC4 Homeworld 2 Mod Das Erwachen
2005 Standoff Privateer Gemini Gold
2004 Standoff WC Saga
2003 Standoff & WC Saga Holding the Line & Vega Strike
2002 Unknown Enemy Kilrathi Empire & WC Saga BS
2001 Unknown Enemy Holding the Line & Vega Strike

  Web Sites of the Year Runners Up
2016 WCSaga.org Daedalus Station
2015 Daedalus Station WCSaga.org
2014 Daedalus Station Wing Commander RPG Wiki
2013 Concordia Hangar Daedalus Station
2012 Pix's Origin Adventures Wing Commander RPG Wiki
2011 Shotglass' WC Saga
2010 Paper Commander Prelude to Darkness
2009 WC Saga Standoff & Paper Commander
2008 Paper Commander Standoff & WC Saga
2007 HCl's Wing Commander Editing Site Pericles' Paper Inside
2006 HCl's Wing Commander Editing Site Wedge's Wing Commander
2005 WC Saga Fleet Tactics
2004 Fleet Tactics Wedge's Wing Commander
2003 Wing Commander in Russia WC3D & Wedge's Wing Commander
2002 Wing Commander in Russia BlackLance HQ & WingCenter
2001 Wing Commander in Russia Acenet Central
2000 Acenet Central Wing Commander in Russia
1999 Wing Commander in Russia Acenet Central & HCl's WC Editing Site

Dead Decks Unboxes Some Wing Commander Cards Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Today we have something a little different. Dead Decks is a pair of hicks who review extinct collectible card games. The video shows them open up a Kilrathi starter and booster pack of the Wing Commander CCG. They know nothing about Wing Commander and just hate the cards - their favorite part is the back. It's kind of funny in a terrible way and not safe for work. If they can get ahold of a Terran starter, we may get to see them play. Just to be clear: the game is wonderful and these guys are just big dorks.
Harry and Richard bore themselves and you with another lackluster video er...game. Another try to 1995 and another fly-by-night CCG: Wing Commander

Maniac Autograph Opportunity Approaching Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

LeHah tipped us off about a neat opportunity to get a personalized Tom Wilson "Maniac" autograph. Similar to the FPJ autographs made available earlier this year, GalaxyCon will be holding a virtual signing event next month. Fans have the opportunity to send in their own private merchandise to be autographed for between $85 and $105 depending on size. If that sounds like too much work, you can also send your own custom jpg image and they'll print it. 8x10 prints are $85 and 11x17s are $105 plus shipping. We've included one potential image. Let us know if you have any other good ones (from the HD video pack perhaps?)! Get all the details here.
Send In Your Own Item to be signed by Tom Wilson

SALES CUT OFF: Monday, January 10th, 2022

Carefully select the type of item you're sending in.

  • 8x10: 8x10 Photo or Print
  • Premium Item: Comic Book, Magazine, Card, DVD/VHS, 11x14-16x20 (Flat), Record Album, Flat Funko Pop Box
  • Bulk Item: Shoes (No Nike shoes permitted), Hat, Pepsi Bottle, Pick Guard, Jacket, Statue, Poster over 16x20 (Flat)
  • Rolled Poster: Rolled poster or print item 16x20 or larger
  • Large Item*: Hoverboard, Full Scale DeLorean Figure, Movie Prop
  • Custom 8x10 Print: For an 8x10 print, send us the file in a jpg/jpeg format and we will print it for you. It is suggested that the file be a minimum of 1000x1250 pixels and a resolution of 125 pixels per inch (ppi). For best quality, 2400x3000 pixels and 300 ppi is recommended.
  • Custom 11x17 Print: For an 11x17 print, send us the file in a jpg/jpeg format and we will print it for you. It is suggested that the file be a minimum of 1375x2125 pixels and a resolution of 125 pixels per inch (ppi). For best quality, 3300x5100 pixels and 300 ppi is recommended.

FPJ Fondly Remembers The Maniac Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Today we have a snippet from a recent UW Weekly interview with Freddie Prinze Jr. The larger piece focuses on his working relationships with a variety of co-stars, including this comment on Wing Commander veteran Matthew Lillard. Check it out below! You can also read the full article here.

Final 'Moongate' Rewards Delivered Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

At long last, the final rewards for most all of the Through the Moongate, from Wing Commander and Ultima VII to Portalarium project have been delivered. It's hard to believe, but this effort kicked off way back in September 2019. Author Andrea Contato and team persevered through the pandemic to bring together this historical tome on Origin's heyday and develop some really cool bonus items to match. Denis Loubet's WC1-themed bookmarks are exquisite, and Manda's cloth art is top notch. If you missed the original campaign, a small number of leftover items are still available if you act fast!
Hello backers, we are nearing the end of this Kickstarter. All books have been shipped except a dozen that are on hold for various problems. The last big shipment of books for USA is being delivered. Most of you are going to get their reward this or next week, some of you already received the book yesterday.

If you liked Through the Moongate, please consider sharing pictures of the books on your preferred social media, with your friends and consider leaving a review on Amazon. I have few leftover for both KS and I'm willing to clear the store room of my wife's shop (she won't allow me to occupy it forever :P) so, if you know someone who missed the KS, tell them to check the official website www.andreacontato.com

Again, if you liked Through the Moongate, please consider to check my next project. It's a book I'm writing with Enrico Ricciardi, that will feature lots of interviews and informations about the very first wave of computer games from 1977 to 1980 and, of course, a huge photo gallery of the most rare and precious findings of Enrico. LOAD and PLAY will be kickstarted on Q1 2022, so be sure to subscribe to be notified on launch!

New Wallpaper Recreates Classic End Run Scene Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Mac is back with a gorgeous new wallpaper image inspired by the End Run cover art. He's using Klavs' models to beautifully recreate the scene where an escort carrier is being assaulted by Dralthi. We included the title-free version of the novel painting in the upper right here so you can compare. The explosions are amped up a bit so you really get a sense that there's some serious fighting going on!
I've been meaning to post this Wing Commander thing for awhile now. Models, as always by Hangar_B

New Flight Commander 2 Demo Released! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

eddieb is reporting in with a new update on Flight Commander 2, the sequel to his modable WC-style space flight engine. The latest version has a new AI implemented to do simple combat maneuvers, and the visuals are a generational leap over the earlier days of fan projects. If you've never played around with this before, make sure to at least check out the video below. It has game flow portions to simulate walking around the carrier and its flight engine is very reminiscent of Prophecy. Try it for yourself here (40 meg zip)!
A new Flight Commander 2 demo to release. Features include AI for firing guns, weapons, decoys, and moving around a bit. Missiles can seek a target. Other new features too.

Vintage Preview Highlights Amiga WC1 Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

FrankyFiggs14 has posted a neat French throwback preview of Wing Commander on the Amiga. The original WC1 spent several years being ported to a variety of platforms, and this comes from the October 1992 issue of Tilt. Below LOAF notes how unfortunate it is that the Sivar features so prominently, since The Secret Missions were ultimate not made for the platform. The game still reached a huge number of fans and is fondly remembered my many Amiga Wingnuts! You can follow Franky's gaming adventures on Twitter and Twitch.
It's interesting that the earliest screenshots of Wing Commander's Amiga port show the Sivar dreadnaught... they never released Amiga versions of the mission disks!

Like the PC version the original Amiga release includes an option to start the Secret Missions campaign… but it never materialized (and the button is dropped for the CD32 port).

RPG Activity Booms in Gemini Sector Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Today we'd like to share a couple of the newest mission briefings that Rear Admiral Tarsus has put together for the Gemini Sector RPG. These folks have come a very long way since the MUD/MUSH era! Cool animations like this help spice up the live Discord role play sessions that they hold most weekends. Visit their site or hop on the Discord if you'd like to learn more and jump in yourself. If you're read all this and are still interested, check out some of EmuMusicFan's fiction inspired by the RPG. The team is also crowdsourcing NPC character creation to further round out the universe.
I finished the briefing for the next mission in the rpg. Mark your calendars.
The pilots will attempt a daring rescue of two destroyers and the true aces of the majestic. Will things go according to plan, or will a sneaky enemy ace ruin their day?
The intrepid team of pilots will go on an intell mission to find out more about this new tactical carrier that has been spotted in the Nitir system.

All About Pulsars Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Spacedock has produced another slick sci-fi lore video, and Wing Commander gets some nice mentions this time out. Rather than focus on one specific ship or element, the subject here is the broad concept of pulsars across franchises. The Wing Commander Movie's pulsar jumps are mentioned as is the pulsar-focused plot in WC Academy's episode Expendable. Pulsars are also seen in places like the Wing Commander collectible card game as well as the losing Blackmane series of WC3, although they're not mentioned in this clip. Thanks to FekLeyrTarg for spotting this one first!

Last Week for WC Challenge Coin Kickstarter Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

We're now entering the final stretch for ZOmegaZ's mission to create a set of Wing Commander challenge coins. Clocking in at over $20,000 so far, the project's crowdfunding campaign is at nearly quadruple the minimum order size, so there should be no concerns about it successfully concluding. There are a handful of other sci-fi universes being included here as well, so head on over to the effort's Kickstarter page if you want to get in on the action. You have until early Saturday morning!
We only have a week left on this, and it's gone amazingly well! Out of the nine designs, seven have surpassed the minimum order quantity, five of those have more than doubled the MOQ, and three (B5, Firefly, and Star Trek) have quadrupled it! Frasier and TSO are bringing up the rear, with 33 and 27 each, but the other designs have been so successful that's not any problem. Those were my personal favorite designs anyway, and I'm happy to have some spares!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving (or, for those of you outside the United States, a good Thursday). This kind of project is great for creating some neat widgets, and thereby making the world a slightly cooler place. But even more, knowing there are others out there that share our niche interests can make us feel just a little less alone.

I'm already planning my next Kickstarter! (Number four!) I can't start the next one until I receive and ship all the coins from this one, which probably means February at the earliest. I'll notify everyone when it's up. Next time I'll just do 30 days instead of 60, so we can keep things moving faster.

Thanks to all your great suggestions, I have over 80 potential new coin ideas! Once this Kickstarter closes, I'll send out a poll with every single coin idea on my list, and see which ones are most popular. No promises about which designs I'll make, but it'll definitely guide my priorities!

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