WC Swims the Canal+ Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

TAFKAW reports that the Wing Commander Movie will be premiering on Thursday, March 1st -- and then will be re-run throughout the month of March. Here's the translated writeup...
Wing Commander
SF-Action (12 years and older)

Brave pilots go to battle with impressive spaceships with the nefarious Kilrathi.

Awaiting all 4 Star Wars films, which will be aired next month on Canal+, science-fiction fans can alredy enjoy beautiful space battles here. The Kilrathi are threatening Earth and brave pilots begin a breathtaking race against the clock to stop them. One of the pilots, 'Maniac' Marshall, can never cease to show off while landing. His friend Chris has the abillity to navigate space without a computer. Their youthfull bravery and courage are needed for the coming battle but must be lead by the Wing commander from the title. To their suprise it is a beautiful young woman. Uncoïncidentialy, Jürgen Prochnow, who you may know as the captain of "Das Boot", is also the captain. The huge space ships use techniques like the ones used in submarines, like firing torpedos and keeping quiet from enemys, excitment guaranteed.

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Gettin 'Zig'gy With It Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

We survived last year without a Wing Commander 'Wassup!' commercial... thanks to TC, though, the new 'all your base' craze won't pass us! Click on the image below to view his animated GIF. (Next time: LOAF uses the 4dfx card to travel back in time and create Wing Commander slap bracelets).
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Daily Bread Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Deadman succesfully identified all the menu items from yesterday's image! He gets a GOLD STAR! More obscure facts to come!
CHICKEN KIEV
SPAGHETTI
MISO SOUP
MEATLOAF
SOYLENT GREEN
LEMONADE
MERINGUE PIE
RICE PUDDING
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Trivia 3 Week 18 Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

If this week's trivia were a bomber, it'd be the Crossbow! Good luck on these Week 18 questions... (current standings here).
Welcome to Game Three, Week Eighteen Trivia. We play each week. Every Monday two main questions and one bonus question are posted to alt.games.wing-commander and listed at the CIC. Please email answers to CReid1701@aol.com or ChrisReid@wcnews.com. Be sure to include a name you would like to be known under for the Scoreboard that will be up soon. Have your answers in before this coming Sunday (March 3, 2001) to ensure your answers are recorded. Answers submitted early may be returned and you may be able to fix incorrect answers, time permitting. Main questions answered correctly are good for 5 points, bonuses good for 3.

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Answers to Questions from Week 17 (starting February 19, 2001):

Question 33: How does a Porcupine weapon work?
Answer: A common mine that can be used in various ways from single fighter drops to large scale area saturation.

Question 34: How does a Mace weapon work?
Answer: The famous tactical nuke used for overwhelming force against tight fighter formations and stubborn capital locations.

Bonus 17: How does a Coneburst weapon work?
Answer: Specialized missile that concentrates numerous energy blasts in one general direction.

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New Questions for Week 18 (starting February 26, 2001):

Question 35: What is a Pewter Planet?

Question 36: What is something made of Tungsten?

Bonus 18: What is a mineral the TCS Devereaux examined?

Submissions are due by March 3, 2001.

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Please email answers to ChrisReid@wcnews.com and do not post directly to the Newsgroup.

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Sporting a Little Style Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Here's something special -- I've scanned the Wing Commander Movie Style Book... this 40 page booklet was sent to merchandisers developing Wing Commander Movie related products. It contains concept art, models and pictures of the ships, weapons and Kilrathi. Check it all out here.
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Daily Bread Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

If you haven't spent a weekend watching Wing Commander IV DVD one frame at a time, you haven't lived. Luckily, I've done enough living for all of us...

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Trivia Reminder Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

As usual, Week 17 Trivia responses are due to Chris Reid by midnight tonight. Week 18 questions and Week 17 scores will be available on monday morning.
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Making the Movie - Part 1 Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Life not worth living without new Wing Commander Academy episodes? Fear not, as I've put my DivX;-)ing skills to use to digitize FOX's Wing Commander Movie electronic presskit. The video is made up of seven parts -- trailers, featurettes, clips, interviews with the cast and crew and then a long series of behind-the-scenes footage. The first five will be posted this week, the sixth next and the seventh in two weeks. Thanks to BlackLance.org for hosting the video! Note that the two featurettes differ only in that one has narration about the movie, and the second does not.
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Seething in the Light Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

KillerWave is looking for three or four people to help with editing all aspects of the B5 / WCP TC. People with experience editing guns, sounds, ships, missions and web sites are desired. The mod recently added a downloadable Pirate Thunderbolt for WCP.
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Gotcha Covered! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

In response to yesterdays article about the Prophecy keyboard covers, Tannim writes that they are still available at Chips and Bits -- she recently purchased one there succesfully (but don't expect to receive your copy of Privateer 3 any time soon).
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Prophecy Keyboard Covers "Back" In Stock Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Control Zone Interactive VP Neil Humphrey sent us a note to let us know that the Prophecy Keyboard Covers are back in stock. If you haven't seem them before, they're neat plastic keyboard overlays that really enhance the atmosphere when you're playing. There's a Starlancer one coming soon by the way. The cost is $15 (link fixed) at Outpost, plus shipping. International options are available, but shipping can be considerable outside the US.
It's in our Games / Simulation section. After the NEW items everything is alphabetized so WCP is at the bottom.

Give a Game a Chance! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Pi_Grimmwolf asked us to publish the below letter about Allegiance, a game that seems to be in the same position as Wing Commander these days... it might just appeal to some of you out there!
Well, since there was no new Wing Commander available, I started playing other SF Sims. One of them is "Allegiance" by Microsoft. It is an online game, where you can choose to be the bomber pilot, the turret gunner, the fighter escort, the home defense, the capital ship pilot or the commander of your team. The positions are not fixed, you can do anything you want to. The graphics are incredible, if you think of normal online games. The game has one disadvantage, it is not popular. Micrsosoft didnt start a marketing campaign, harldy anyboy noticed it. It was described "the best game noone played" by ZDnet.

Why do I tell you about it? I just thought, you could tell all the Wing commander fans out there about it. The game is fantastic, it is how we wanted WC online to be. Well, I hope you have a look, and perhaps you can mention it somewhere on your page. The game deserves better.

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Happy Birthday! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

... to Lancers Reactor, the finest StarLancer site this side of the Enigma Sector. Bargib and the rest of their crew have maintained a consistently excellent news site for a year now, and they show no sign of stopping! Good job!
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Thar Be Gold Here Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Still want to get a copy of Wing Commander Prophecy Gold, but finding that it's becoming the next Kilrathi Saga in terms of rarity? $tormin from the Chat Zone contacted Electronic Arts about the situation... here's what they responded...
You may upgrade from Wing Commander Prophecy to Wing Commander Prophecy Gold for $24.95. (includes shipping and handling.) To take advantage of this offer you must mail in a check or money order for $24.95 US and a copy of the Manual or CD to direct sales, which is:

Electronic Arts Direct
PO Box 9013
Redwood City, CA 94063-9013

They can be reached at 1-800-245-4525 or at eadirect@ea.com.

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New Orders Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Here's an interesting artifact -- Blair's orders from the Wing Commander movie. They were given to us by MNelson of BlackLance.org. In a scene cut from the final version of the movie, Blair and Maniac present these orders to a Marine after boarding the Tiger's Claw for the first time.
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Where To Buy Section Updated Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Along with several other subsection updates planned for this week, we've upgraded Where To Buy with the latest locations where you can purchase Wing Commander products. Along with some new locations, there are also entirely new items now available. Go and get your German novels while you can! We've also made the original Infoburst .rm's available for download again and linked the latest Articles. If there's anything we're missing for any subsection really, feel free to send it in to the appropriate person. Thanks to TC.

Help Salt a Salthi Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

The Unknown Enemy project is looking for new textures for some of their ships -- especially the Epee, Gratha, Scimitar, Salthi and Bengal. If you can help, contact Pedro. Several new UE screenshots are also now available...
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Trivia 3 Week 17 Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Time for Week 17 of the trivia game! Good luck...
Welcome to Game Three, Week Seventeen Trivia. We play each week. Every Monday two main questions and one bonus question are posted to alt.games.wing-commander and listed at the CIC. Please email answers to CReid1701@aol.com or ChrisReid@wcnews.com. Be sure to include a name you would like to be known under for the Scoreboard that will be up soon. Have your answers in before this coming Sunday (February 25, 2001) to ensure your answers are recorded. Answers submitted early may be returned and you may be able to fix incorrect answers, time permitting. Main questions answered correctly are good for 5 points, bonuses good for 3.

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Answers to Questions from Week 16 (starting February 12, 2001):

Question 31: What was a Confederation ship taken over by Pilgrims in the 2650's?
Hint: One had a functional modern hopper drive]
Answers Included: TCS Olympus

Question 32: What was a Confederation ship taken over by Kilrathi in the 2650's?
Hint: One had a prototype Rapier squadron
Answers Included: TCS Gwenhyvar

Bonus 16: What was a Confederation station taken over by Confederate rogues in the 2660's?
Hint: One had a connection to a prototype Crossbow squadron
Answers Included: Rigel Depot

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New Questions for Week 17 (starting February 19, 2001):

Question 33: How does a Porcupine weapon work?

Question 34: How does a Mace weapon work?

Bonus 17: How does a Coneburst weapon work?

Submissions are due by February 25, 2001.

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Please email answers to ChrisReid@wcnews.com and do not post directly to the Newsgroup.

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Things to Come Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

StarSaint posted the ship & station conversion list for his Wing Commander / Conquest mod to the Chat Zone. You can check it out here. The mod is currently looking for more team members, and hopes to have their own web host very soon.
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Trivia Reminder Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Please have your Week 16 trivia answers in to Chris Reid by midnight tonight, if you want to have them credited. New questions will be posted Monday morning.
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Preserving Armada Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Jetlag has made Voice of War available in .pdf format... grab your copy here -- a much nicer alternative to the unusually formatted version included with the classic version of Armada.
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No One Expects Ziggy! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

In the annals of Wing Commander fan fiction, one name stands above the rest -- Ziggy Stardust. His incredible stories have touched our collective hearts -- and now, the CIC is proud to announce that, for the first time ever, all four parts of his amazing saga are archived here.
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Break Out the Sukhar May'ya Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

A hearty congratulations to Origin Collector Numero Uno, Joe Garrity on his engagement to girlfriend Paula, soon-to-be Mrs. Origin Collector Numero Uno. You're getting the good end of this deal, buddy!
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SubPar News Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Bad news from the WC Zone SubSpace mod -- due to a recent hacking, they have lost their planned SubSpace server... if you can provide such a resource for the closest thing to an online Wing Commander game should contact Filler immediately.
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WC in Print Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

TC has found two more Wing Commander references in the latest issue of CGW.

Gaming Moments (p. 74) includes the following letter:

While Playing Ultime VII. I came across a crashed spaceship in a farm field. When questioning the farmer about the ship, he recalled a stranger mumbling something about "killing someone named Rathy." Obviously a reference to Wing Commander and the Kilrathi. I felt a certain kinship with Origin and gamers everywhere that shared a little world (at that time) known as Computer Gaming. - Jesse Olivo.
And in 'Under the Hood' (p. 124) by Dave Salvator:
Ad Lib Sound Card/Sound Canvas. The original PC had a speaker, but it lacked an audio processor and so was limited to "squeak, honk, and fart" audio. But along came a little game called WING COMMANDER that suddenly made it loud and clear that game audio didn't have to squeak, honk, and well, you know. WING COMMANDER's soundtrack also showed the power of a good General MIDI synthesizer, and the Roland SoundCanvas suddenly found a home in gamers' systems. Special mention should go to the Sound Blaster sound card for creating an industry-wide PC audio standard, and to John Miles and company for creating the much-needed development tools."
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A Means to an End Run Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Kurt Roithinger sent us some interesting commentary on the pricing of End Run -- read on if you're still trying to locate a copy of the novel (or if you're curious as to what these high prices mean).
While doing one of my semi-regular used book crawls, I decided to lug in 'End Run', mainly to see if the (quite insane) level of pricing you guys described on the auction websites existed elsewhere as well.

Bottom line: if it was a spectacularly mint copy, $85 likely isn't terribly much overpriced, but never the less still rather high.

If one goes to http://www.bookfinder.com and enters 'End Run' as the title (no authors, some list the book as written by Forstchen only, others by Stasheff only), the general price range for what amounts to some less-than-mint books is between $20 and $35.

One is for $2.50, but don't ask me what a 'readers copy' is. Might be all f'd up, might be in superb condition (in which case reader = moron).

Half.com, which also can have some nice used stuff up at any given time has what sounds like a very clean copy for $32 (straight up, no auction nonsense) at:

http://www.half.com/products/books/detail.cfm?item=2693085

Based on these somewhat lesser grade books going in the $20-35 range, I suspect a truly immaculate copy (no yellowing, no creasing, no wear, pages still very crisp, etc) is worth roughly $65-70 or so, with most any other near-mint book probably around $45-55.

Which really is an amazing yield for what amounts to a media-based book and as well as a mass market trade paper back. The fact that the market *HAS* escalated upwards like this shows that there is a pretty sizeable following of WC out there that has continuously sought after these books, thereby stimulating the market and driving the prices up. It may all sound kind of silly, but y'know...that's kind of how folks kept star trek going way back when. Once you convince the boffins in the suits that there are people out there shelling out some serious bucks to get some of this stuff, they usually have some sort of marketing epiphany eventually...

Figured i'd share.

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Happy V-Day Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

It's February and love is in the air -- best wishes from the CIC staff to all you WingNuts and your loved ones... Screw it, here's the love arrow. It loves you!

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Get Some Re-Tail Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Want Wing Commander on VHS, but don't want to pay $100 for it? Well, you're in luck -- FOX has finally released the Wing Commander movie to consumers at a retail price of $9.99... you can now pick it up wherever movies are sold!
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Deja News All Over Again Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Deja News, the popular UseNet archive which was recently crippled, has been purchased by Google -- who intend to restore the service's half a decade of archives. We'll be back to reading old AGWC posts in no time!
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Movie Magic Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Phoenix has sent in three screenshots from the fan-made Wing Commander movie he has been developing -- now titled Wing Commander: Rebel Assault. He's finished with the two-minute introduction to the movie, and is now working on several other scenes. Is it just me, or is that crash scene very impressive?
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Trivia 3 Week 15 Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

It's time for another episode of agwc/CIC trivia! Check our old scores here, and answer the new questions below. As always, send your answers to Chris.
Welcome to Game Three, Week Sixteen Trivia. We play each week. Every Monday two main questions and one bonus question are posted to alt.games.wing-commander and listed at the CIC. Please email answers to CReid1701@aol.com or ChrisReid@wcnews.com. Be sure to include a name you would like to be known under for the Scoreboard that will be up soon. Have your answers in before this coming Sunday (February 18, 2001) to ensure your answers are recorded. Answers submitted early may be returned and you may be able to fix incorrect answers, time permitting. Main questions answered correctly are good for 5 points, bonuses good for 3.

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Answers to Questions from Week 15 (starting February 4, 2001):

Question 29: Who was a companion of Christopher Blair that was near retirement in the 2650's?
Most Popular Answer: James Taggart

Question 30: Who was a companion of Christopher Blair that was near retirement in the 2660's?
Most Popular Answer: Elizabeth Norwood

Bonus 15: Who was a companion of Lance Casey that was near retirement in the 2670's?
Most Popular Answer: Christopher Blair

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New Questions for Week 16 (starting February 12, 2001):

Question 31: What was a Confederation ship taken over by Pilgrims in the 2650's?
Hint: One had a functional modern hopper drive

Question 32: What was a Confederation ship taken over by Kilrathi in the 2650's?
Hint: One had a prototype Rapier squadron

Bonus 16: What was a Confederation station taken over by Confederate rogues in the 2660's?
Hint: One had a connection to a prototype Crossbow squadron

Submissions are due by February 18, 2001.

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Please email answers to ChrisReid@wcnews.com and do not post directly to the Newsgroup.

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I Love This Baby Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

LOAF, Joe and Paula went on an exciting trip into the unknown... what did they find? Read the article here!
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I Aint Crusading Anymore Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Daily Radar posted an article detailing Origin's denial that they have green-lighted a Crusader script -- it does, however, confirm that a script exists. (Thanks, Harbinger.)
"There's apparently a script floating around, but neither EA nor OSI are familiar with it and I can't speak for Fox, but I'm pretty sure they don't know about it either," the spokesperson said. "EA and Origin have not approved any script regarding Crusader."
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Trivia Reminder Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Midnight tonight is the deadline for entering your Week 14 Trivia answers -- send 'em to Chris Reid. Week 16 will be posted Monday morning.
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Vega Strike's Back Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

In a stunning display of disregard for the concept of death, one of the first Wing Commander fan games, Vega Strike, is back! Creator Hellcat contacted us to report that a new cross-platform, open source version of the game is now available -- Lunix junkies and normal people rejoice! The new Vega Strike website is located at http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net. Anyone interested in playing or helping to develop the game should check in there -- and if this can come back, so can anything!
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If I'm Not the Best... Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Twin Galaxies (One galaxy... two galaxies?!) is looking to "identify the world's greatest computer gamers for all titles, genres and game platforms, by soliciting the help of fans and industry players across the globe to provide record-breaking scores and achievements." And, hey, Wing Commander is a game! Read all about it here. (Reported by TC, via SlashDot).
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Do You Like My Hat? Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

No, I do not like your hat. Actually, helmets don't come any cooler -- this one belongs to Joe Garrity of the Origin Museum (story). He stopped by stately Lesnick Manor some time ago to let me take some pictures of his Wing Commander pilots helmet (+3 defense)... the cable on the front is a real audio cable -- but it doesn't actually connect to anything.
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LOAF's Back... Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

... and better than ever! No, really, this time. I'm recovering well after some reletively risky eye surgery -- which will hopefully be my last! I'm now sporting near-perfect vision in my right eye, thanks to a newly installed lense implant. I'd especially like to offer a particularly heart-felt thanks to everyone who offered me their kind words, shoulders and prayers; it meant a whole lot, guys, thanks. (Plus, hey, if Dr. Greene can come back to ER, like, one episode after his brain surgery, I can start reporting news again after this...).
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Proud End Run Owner Speaks Out Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

We've found the person who bought the $85 End Run not too long ago, and he's regular CIC visitor Michael Sørensen. So no, it wasn't a fake bid. Never underestimate the Wing Commander Fanatic.

I went to WCnews today to read about End Run on various auctions. The one copy that was sold for 85 dollars was sold to me. I got it almost two months after it was paid. I will read it after I'm finished with Freedom Flight. I read the novels in chronological order. When I'm done I'll start all over. It's the 4th time I've started on my books.

85 bucks seems like a high price. I don't even dare to tell my friends about it, but I just HAD to have it. Would any real wingnut blame me? :-) It was the last book to complete my collection. Now I'm happy and somewhat poor.

BTW, I downloaded the pdf-file when it was available.

That's a committed fan! And that reminds me, don't forget to email your End Run typos to Jetlag so he can compile a final release.

Crusader No Remorse Moving Coming Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

On the same note as yesterday's UO2 update, Furniss tipped us off about a Dark Horizons exclusive for February 7. Apparently both EA and Origin have committed to a Crusader No Remorse movie. If you're not familiar with the series, Crusaders No Remorse and No Regret were a popular Origin series (if you can call two games a series) in the mid 1990's. However a sequel, tentatively Crusader No Mercy, was cancelled some years back. If they're willing to let someone take Crusader out for a spin after their WC Movie experiences, I'd be inclined to think they'd easily go for a second WC Movie under the right circumstances. You can read the DH update for yourself here.

Want A Mark Hamill Action Figure? Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Kris found a funny Daily Radar feature with an old Mark Hamill to Skywalker Action Figure comparison. The freaky thing looks more like Freddie Prinze than Mark Hamill. He even has a red-orange flight suit. You can find the page for yourself here.

No Word From LOAF Yet Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

A few people have stopped by #Wingnut to inquire, so I'll say here that we haven't heard from LOAF yet. It's slightly unusual, but I'd imagine he's just recovering comfortably. Hopefully everything's well, and he'll be back and up to speed soon.

Official UO2 Fiction Contest Hints of Blair and Maniac Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

First snow in Seattle this morning, so we just have a couple quick updates here. Cutting to the chase, people email us regularly to ask if "Origin is still alive." Of course the answer is yes, but it's always heartening to see them do something in an official manner that reminds everyone that they haven't forgotten about Wing Commander. As part of their UO2/UWO:O prerelease hype, they're holding a big fan fiction contest. And the following is part of the rules.
5. No popular character names may be taken from existing fiction or pop culture (Sorry Colonel Blair, Shodan, and Maniac!).
If this sounds like your kind of thing, you can find the original page here.

Wishing Him Well Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

We'd like to wish LOAF well as he goes in for one of his most serious surgeries today. Things should go well, but these operations are always tough things. We should have another update on his progress soon.

He Wants A Job! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

To lighten the mood and round things out, here's an old but good SomethingAwful article by Jeff K. It's about his adventures trying to become a game master for Ultima Online. You can find this funny odd feature here. And if you missed it before, you can find LOAF, Chris McCubbin and me at Cliff Yablonski's here.

Wing Commander Ranked Fourth Best Game Of All Time Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Wing Commander gets high marks in a lot of polls (up another point at Gamespot!), but this one is especially important. The special 200th Issue of Computer Gaming World (February 2001 - "From Pac-Man to The Sims") is full of historical articles and "of all time" features. Their readers, not just a select batch of editors, but their readers, ranked Wing Commander fourth best game of all time. Furthermore, competition was extremely close between 2nd, 3rd and 4th place (see below). And it was up against very noble competitors. Castle Wolfenstein (not Wolf-3D, the original Castle Wolfenstein!) got second and Sim City got third. Just a mere few votes behind came Wing Commander. Other noble and popular games came in lower.
The CGW Readers' Choice Top Ten Best
1) Half-Life (1,971 votes)
2) SimCity (1,542 votes)
3) Castle Wolfenstein (1,541 votes)
4) Wing Commander (1,532 votes)
5) DOOM (1,448 votes)
6) StarCraft (1,392 votes)
7) Sid Meier's Civilization (1,331 votes)
8) Diablo (1,188 votes)
9) Zork (1,153 votes)
10) X-COM (1,100 votes)
We can only imagine would have happened if the CIC got wind of the voting beforehand. Anyhow, this issue also looks back at some past rankings. In their November 1996 150th Issue, Wing Commander ranked seventh, again just behind Sim City, but also behind Ultima IV and a few others. It's interesting to note that in November 1996 Wing Commander Armada and Wing Commander 3 were just two years old, and Wing Commander 4 wasn't even a year old. Plus, WC fans were looking forward to Privateer 2 in a month. Needless to say, there were a lot of hyped up Wing Commander fans around. Yet in 2001, Wing Commander fans can not only maintain the series' position, they can improve its ranking and so nearly dominate the polls. Wing Commander fans are certainly keeping the spirit alive. Also, this issue also contains various other mentions including a historical look at a "PC Gaming Timeline" from 1990 and a blurb about Wing Commander 2 by Thierry 'Scooter' Nguyen that TC typed up.
WING COMMANDER II: VENGANCE OF THE KILRATHI
A high-concept, summer-blockbuster space opera -- that's the best way to describe Chris Robert's magnum opus. There are those who feel that either the third or fourth WING COMMANDER games were the best that Roberts put out, but they're just plain wrong. WCII did what modern action games are trying to do: It fused narrative and action together into a tight package. It gave you a compelling reason to fly forth and tear those Kilrathi ships in battle. It made you care about its various characters, and then taunted you by killing them off. It also tapped into the inner Star Wars geek within, by providing one of the first opportunities to flitter around in space and blow things up. Hopefully, Chris Roberts will find a way to use current technology to replicate the experience, and not try to make any more movies."
This is the CGW in the gold foil cover. It also comes with a CD that includes twenty old games. There was a rumor going about that Wing Commander 2 might be on this disc. This is *not* true. War Craft 2 is the nearest game (namewise that is.. X-Com, Elite or Elite Plus would be the nearest genre-wise I suppose). Since there's so much in this mag, it can be a hard one to found. The first four stores I checked were sold out. And if Wing Commander 2 were indeed on this disc, the fifth store would now be sold out too.

End Runs Aplenty Online Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Because of the recent buzz, a few collectible hunters have reminded us of some of the authentic Wing Commander End Run novels available for purchase here and there. For starters, Tachy15 over at the Chat Zone posted about Bibliofind. They currently have six copies. Unfortunately most range in price for $22 to $35, plus several dollars shipping. Or you could go the Amazon route. They have one for $25. Barnes & Noble hasn't been left out either, they have one for $50.75. Think that's bad? Jetlag pointed out that one recently went for $85 at Amazon Auctions. If that's too expensive, you can avoid scalpers and download your copy from the CIC (or try a local used bookstore since there's always something special about having an original copy). There's also the Pilgrim Truth Synopsis now online, if you missed it yesterday.

The original page has been taken down, but you can still find the above yourself by going to auctions.amazon.com, doing an advanced search with keyword Stasheff, search by title, show only completed auctions and sort by featured. That's a worse mark-up than some of these Kilrathi Saga auctions.

Pilgrim Truth Synopsis Available For Download Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

What a week.. and it's only Tuesday! Peter Telep has graciously released an outline for Wing Commander Pilgrim Truth. He can't release the full novel of course, as Harper Collins is still sitting on the rights and may yet publish the entire book. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. It could have ranged from a one page summary to another fleshed out preview chapter (such as the False Colors prologue). What we received however is a full blown fifteen page chapter-by-chapter synopsis. It's pretty neat stuff. Mr. Telep resolves the huge cliff hanger left over from Pilgrim Stars, then goes on to effectively wrap up the Pilgrims and explain why we don't hear much about them after the 2650's. It's a great read. You can find the synopsis here. It's a relatively small .doc.

Edit: The synopsis is also available locally here.

Night Angel 9 Just Released Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

With the release of the the synopsis, I thought it'd be an ideal time to mention Mr. Telep has just released his latest book, Night Angel 9. It's a medical drama that follows a night paramedic crew. It was written in the same style as his Wing Commander novels, with extensive detail attributed to his talking with actual paramedics (or actual Wing Commander fanatics as the case may be). Mr. Telep has also said, "I bet WC fans would kinda like it!" If that's any influence. :) You can find more Night Angel 9 info here.

Wing Commander's Lead Widens Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Over at the Gamespot Question of the Week poll, since it was first reported here, Wing Commander has gained several percentage points on its runners up. With the question, "Which editors' choice is a game that influenced you to upgrade your PC?" some fifteen percent have voted for Wing Commander, with twenty and thirty percent going to Quake and Unreal. Jedi Knigts II is in fourth place with ten percent. You can continue to vote here. As the number of votes isn't all that great, your votes carry a lot of weight.

End Run Novel Available For Download Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Nope, it's no joke, Jetlag has pulled it off. Ever since August 1998, we've been trying to find a way to get this very rare novel to the fans. We still highly recommend you try to hunt down an original copy, but we understand that may not always be possible. You'll need Adobe Acrobat to view the one meg file. But before you start stocking up on paper and ink cartridges, be aware this is just a preview release today. It looks very sharp and raring to go, but we ask that you send in any typos you may find to Jetlag. Hopefully in the near future he'll be able to compile a final release that would be recommended for printing and such. You can find End Run here.

What Has Chris Roberts Been Up To Since Digital Anvil? Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Eric Cook noticed that Gamespot *guest writer* Chris Roberts helps to answer this week's Question of the Week. They're asking which games made you upgrade your computer. You can find this feature here. It actually seems as though the Gamespot editors have a very extensive history with Wing Commander and Origin games. And if Chris Roberts's got the free time, we should ask him to guest write for the next CIC Mail Bag or something..
Joining us this week is special guest Chris Roberts of Wing Commander fame. He talks about game development and games that influenced him to upgrade his PC.
Wow, legendary game series creators have to buy their own PC upgrades?

Go And Vote for Wing Commander! Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

This should be a fun one, and we know Chris Roberts is watching. Secondary to the article above, there is a large poll asking you which games made you upgrade. We all know the answer to this one. Out of more than a dozen famous choices, Wing Commander is currently in third place behind the hugely popular Quake and Unreal. Nevertheless, it's beating out Mech Warrior, Warcraft, Ultima, Jedi Knight, Myst and others.. Go and vote here!

Trivia 3-15 Released Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

We've reached another nice round number. Here's the Week 15 Trivia information. It's another relatively easy loadout.

Welcome to Game Three, Week Fifteen Trivia. We play each week. Every Monday two main questions and one bonus question are posted to alt.games.wing-commander and listed at the CIC. Please email answers to CReid1701@aol.com or ChrisReid@wcnews.com. Be sure to include a name you would like to be known under for the Scoreboard that will be up soon. Have your answers in before this coming Sunday (February 11, 2001) to ensure your answers are recorded. Answers submitted early may be returned and you may be able to fix incorrect answers, time permitting. Main questions answered correctly are good for 5 points, bonuses good for 3.

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Answers to Questions from Week 14 (starting January 29, 2001):

Question 27: What are two distinct types of weaponry that make the Confederation Class Dreadnoughts powerful?
Most Popular Answer: Anti-Matter Guns and the Phase Transit Cannon

Question 28: What are two distinct types of weaponry that make the Plunkett Class Cruisers powerful?
Most Popular Answer: Triple Heavy Plasma Cannon and Triple Heavy Particle Cannons

Bonus 14: What are two distinct types of weaponry that make the code named Tiamat Dreadnoughts powerful?
Answer: Capital Killer Plasma Weapon and numerous Maser Turrets

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New Questions for Week 15 (starting February 5, 2001):

Question 29: Who was a companion of Christopher Blair that was near retirement in the 2650's?

Question 30: Who was a companion of Christopher Blair that was near retirement in the 2660's?

Bonus 15: Who was a companion of Lance Casey that was near retirement in the 2670's?

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Please email answers to ChrisReid@wcnews.com. Thanks,

WCA RMs Back Online Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

If you can't stand to download the large Divx episodes, or if you need a certain episode right away, Meson has graciously set up a new website with the original smaller realmedia files. You can download all thirteen original episodes at Meson Starport here.

Tells Us Where To Buy Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

We're currently overhauling our Where To Buy Section. If you know of any places that sell Wing Commander items that aren't on our list, please send them to TC here. It'll be much appreciated.

Trivia Reminder Number Fourteen Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Don't forget that Week 14 Trivia responses are due today. You can find the questions here. This week the questions are relatively easy, so don't pass up the free points. You can send in your submissions here.

Real World Flint And Stiletto Photos Surface Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Jennifer MacDonald (Flint) and Heather Stephens (Stiletto) from WC3 and WCP always tended to strike me as somewhat plain and restricted. But recently some saucy photos of both turned up for sale one eBay. I think they're considerable improvements. I'm not the only one, there were more than a few bids for the original versions of these photos. Also, IMDB has some additional photos of Stephens here. The original eBay auctions can be found here and here. Many thanks to TC for help with this update.

Where's LOAF? Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

A number of people have been asking us lately where LOAF has been these past couple weeks. He's still around, and you can find him in #Wingnut periodically. However, he'll be undergoing one of his most serious surgeries yet next week, and right now he's in the process of moving from Texas to Maryland for recovery this year. So he's been a busy guy and has a lot to go through in the coming days. Hopefully everything should go well and he'll be more or less back to normal before long. You can send him a note here.

Massive Conspiracy Thrillers Are Nothing New In Europe Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Karl Frank explained to me the other day that large scale conspiracy thrillers, such as Neil Young's Majestic, have already proved to be pretty effective forms of spooky entertainment in Europe. The famed producer of monitors and workstations in the 27th Century, Nokia, conducted huge promotional events these past two Novembers that engaged participants in a massive conspiratorial adventure. Apparently there were webpages, e-mails, SMS messages, newspaper ads, TV spots, radio spots and phone calls all throughout the course of the game. Some things were very spooky and difficult to distinguish as a part of the game. You can listen to the first phone call here. The official site for the game can be found at nokiagame.com and a news site for it is at nokia-game.com. It will probably be run again this year, and maybe in a larger market than just Europe. A reliable product from Nokia in its 789th year in business. Thanks to LOAF and TyeDyeBoy.

Help HTL (Plus Full Archives Now Online) Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

The Aces storyline Holding The Line Archive has had a major overhaul. The site now looks better, and all one hundred published chapters are now available to read. The three completed storyline arcs are also available to download in full. The new URL is also slightly different, so please update your bookmarks to blance.com/wcl/wclegacy/HTL/htl-main.html. Also, Raptor is looking for a few dedicated writers to finish the last arc.
HTL is looking for 3 to 5 good writers who are interested in writing for Confed or the Union. As with any long running project, we need a little new blood every now and then. There are some prime spots up for grabs, including a space superiority fighter unit and a cruiser squadron. While HTL is an Aces project, people outside the club who are interested in writing fanfic are welcome. The only pre-requisite is having played Prophecy(as HTL is set during that time) and preferably Secret Ops. Being familiar with the Aces would be an advantage, but not necessary. Anyone who is interested can get more details by mailing me.
As we reported the other day, this project has been consistent for over two years now, so if you're interested in working on good fan fiction, you should contact Raptor.

Subspace Fan Project Doing Well Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Filler let us know that the Subspace Zone for Wing Commander is progressing along very nicely. They got a host the other night and are now proceeding to get the zone up and running for real, however the project is still considered a "beta." Some settings, sounds and map stuff is not finalized. If you're familiar with the old 2D space craft multiplayer game Subspace and would like to know more about this project, be sure to mail Filler here. We should have more information on this project soon.

Red Reviews Rising Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

The reviews are slowly starting to accumulate. In the last week we've jumped up to 22 Red Planet reviews. Not bad at all. If you'd like to chip in your two cents, don't hesitate. The more, the merrier. You can find Red Planet at Amazon here.

Final Conflict One-Ups 3D Animation, Switches to 4D Update ID Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Rylex of Final Conflict fame sent us the following status report.
I've got some news to my WC-movie "Final Conflict". Because I had very much problems creating the perfect ship-engine under 3D-Studio Max 3, I will now change my working program. Thanks to Pheonix (who is producing a WC-Movie as well) I will continue working with Cinema4D. Only for special scenes I'll use 3D Studio Max. Cinema4D is easier to handle and renders the movies much more fast. Please be patient - the "Final Conflict" page will be updated when I start working with Cinema4D. New ship-engines will be no problem then. OK - now you know the facts.

The movie (means Scene1 and Scene2 which I already rendered) has to be re-designed completly - and that might take a while... - I'll create a new Scene1 and Scene2 with Cinema4D (which should be faster).

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