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</ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </nav> </header> <div id="container-site" class="clearfix"> <div id="content-news"> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/17"> <time datetime="2025-02-17">2025.048 (February 17, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16830"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/17/wing-commander-movie-night-titanic">Wing Commander Movie Night: Titanic</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Wing%20Commander%20Movie%20Night%3A%20Titanic%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16830"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16830&t=Wing%20Commander%20Movie%20Night%3A%20Titanic"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=Wing%20Commander%20Movie%20Night%3A%20Titanic%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16830"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/titnicposter.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titnicpostert.jpg" WIDTH="171" HEIGHT="250" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titnicpostert_2x.jpg 2x" CLASS="align-right" class="twittercard" CLASS="align-right" class="twittercard"></A> </div> <P>The Wing Commander movie club has met the law and... the law won. Judge Dredd wasn't as fun as we'd hoped so we're turning to a certified classic with an interesting Wing Commander connection: Titanic! You can join us <A HREF="https://discord.com/invite/vwKE8Tc">this Friday via Discord</A> to watch along. <B>PLEASE NOTE</B> that because Titanic is a long movie we will be starting one hour early at 9 PM EST (6 PM PST.)</P> <div class="lazyframe" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CHekzSiZjrY" data-vendor="youtube"></div> <P>Titanic is James Cameron's famous love story set against an ultra-detailed telling of the final hours of the doomed Titanic passenger liner. Initially derided for its enormous budged, Titanic proved naysers wrong when it shattered box office records on release in December 1997. If you're of the same vintage as Wing Commander, it's a sure bet you remember Titanic!</P> <P>Titanic's big connection to Wing Commander is a pretty famous one: Titanic's famed production designer Peter Lamont followed that film by taking the same role on Wing Commander... winning an Oscar for his work on Cameron's fim in between! Lamont was responsible for the incredible sets recreating the Titanic and then for imagining another kind of sea-inspired vessel in Wing Commander. Importanty, they were both efforts that he clearly put all of himself into. Here's a clip from the EPK where he talks about "our Rapiers":</P> <div class="lazyframe" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-cKaI7bDRfw" data-vendor="youtube"></div> <P>Wing Commander's production notes introduce him and quote him on the difference between the projects:</P> <blockquote> PETER LAMONT (Designer of Production) has been named on three occasions for the Oscar and recently he finally won in the film number one of all the times: TITANIC. Also he has worked as designer of production in many films of the successful series of James Bond: GOLDENEYE, LICENSE TO KILL (LICENSE TO KILL), PANORAMA TO KILL (To VIEW TO TO KILL), ONLY FOR ITS EYES (FOR YOUR EYES ONLY), and OCTOPUSSY. In addition, Lamont has also worked in DANGEROUS LIES (TRUE LIES), with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis; ALIENS the RETURN (ALIENS), carried out by Sigourney Weaver, and TOP SECRET with Val Kilmer.<br> <br> Lamont also considers his work in WING COMMANDER with similarities and resistances with respect to his work in TITANIC. "On the one hand, I like the details" - she comments -."and at this time that we lived, with better camera systems, it is possible to be seen much more, so I have paid a lot of retail attention in these scenery." On the other hand, "in WING COMMANDER, we are creating a fantasy world, a place that has never existed except in the imagination of Chris. It marks a great difference as far as the type of work by comparison with the work to try a historical detail." </blockquote> <P>The same notes go into detail about Lamont's leadership on the film:</P> <blockquote> Now, the producer approaches an enormous steel post that for support. It is covered with serpentine electronic tubes and fuel tanks. Commutators and lamps flash calling attention. Even from a certain distance, everything seems real. [Producer Todd Moyer] strikes one of the surfaces - and it sounds like hollow plastic - everything has been installed and done by the mind of the Oscar-winning Designer Production Peter Lamont and his colleagues.<br> <br> Lamont had to confront a pile of problems in this production that his experience on TITANIC could not solve. "We had to create it everything: the interiors of the starships, the covers, the equipment," he explains, "it is a very different order from creating a historical reality. I like the detail; we tried to create an atmosphere of high technology with the maximum effectiveness. In these days, with better systems of cameras, the public can see much more; when they observed the scenery of the film they will agree that much attention has been lent to the details. But on certain occasions, the design arises from something familiar, something you know." Moyer continues: "Peter has created a sense as much of immensity as of confinement - very similar to a submarine (DAS BOOT) in space.<br> <br> Lamont lavishes praises on his equipment, and he comments to a British journalist who is visiting: "Our team has done a fabulous job of aging the sets, integrating itself in the larger effort: the artistic department, the department of accessories, and the departments of painting and construction; all have done a great work." And it concludes: "Most of my team from TITANIC is also here: the director of artistic supervision, the head of construction, the carpenter and the painter supervisors, the decorator of scenes, and the head of equipment and accessories. This group shows its versatility and sense of the commitment towards my conception: "if it is on the paper, it will be in the scenery." </blockquote> <P>Here's a funny mention from a press release promoting the VFX team's use of Maya for post production:</P> <blockquote> Wing Commander is a live-action drama directed by Digital Anvil CEO and founder Chris Roberts, who created the highly popular Wing Commander computer game series. The movie, which combines state-of-the-art, sci-fi visual effects with elements of a classic World War II film, is based on story-lines, characters and other creative elements from the first four games in the Wing Commander series. Production designer Peter Lamont, who received an Academy Award for his art direction work on James Cameron's Titanic, has created a retro-future world for the Wing Commander movie that includes extraordinary spaceships, the hangar deck of an intergalactic spacecraft carrier, and a number of other immersive alien and confederate environments.<br> <br> Digital Anvil fully expects Lamont's work on Wing Commander to be of the same award-winning quality as what he did for Titanic. "Judging from the astounding visuals that he has created for Wing Commander, Lamont's Titanic Oscar may only be his first," said Marten Davies, president of Digital Anvil. Digital Anvil is using Maya to ensure that the world Lamont envisions is as stunning in the final product as it is in concept. "The images rendered in Maya are absolutely beautiful," said Alba. "They are the most realistic we have ever seen." </blockquote> <P>Camera company ARRI's newsletter talked about how Wing Commander used a significant number of crew members from Titanic:</P> <blockquote> In the team of over 170 people, such well-known names as Peter Lamont and Michael Ford can be found. They were responsible for the design of the buildings and details of the set construction. Both recently received an Oscar for their work on the mega-production TITANIC. In total, 25 people who worked on the TITANIC production were hired to work on this project. </blockquote> <P>Of course, the doomed Titanic also has a parallel in Wing Commander: Secret Ops which features multiple doomed cruise liners -- the Twilight Purchase, the Blue Horizon and the Ana Maria Alberghetti. Since the development of that game was contemporaneous with the film's world domination it's a good bet that there's a little creative connection.</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/titanic-albergetti.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-albergettit.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-albergettit_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/titanic-twilightpurchase.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilightpurchaset.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilightpurchaset_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/titanic-twilight.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilightt.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilightt_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/titanic-twilite22.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilite22t.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilite22t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/titanic-twilite24.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilite24t.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilite24t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/titanic-twilite60.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilite60t.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/titanic-twilite60t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <P><B>Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?</B></P> <P>Titanic is currently streaming in the United States on Hulu/Disney+ and Paramount. It is also available for rent or purchase on all the standard services. If you would like a physical copy, the movie was released on BluRay in 2012 and remains in print around the world. If you are not able to locate a copy please stop by <A HREF="https://discord.com/invite/vwKE8Tc">the Discord</A> and ping a CIC staff member before Friday's showing.</P> <P><B>How do we watch the movie together?</B></P> <P>It's pretty low tech! Simply join the <A HREF="https://discord.gg/vwKE8Tc">Wing Commander CIC Discord</A> on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 9 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!</P> <div id="comments-16830" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16830" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16830" data-threadid="0"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/16"> <time datetime="2025-02-16">2025.047 (February 16, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16829"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/16/fan-project-vote-kicks-off">Fan Project Vote Kicks Off</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Fan%20Project%20Vote%20Kicks%20Off%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16829"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16829&t=Fan%20Project%20Vote%20Kicks%20Off"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=Fan%20Project%20Vote%20Kicks%20Off%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16829"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/lypstudios_fighter26.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/lypstudios_fighter26t.jpg" WIDTH="433" HEIGHT="200" SRCSET="https:/newestshots/thumb/lypstudios_fighter26t_2x.jpg 2x" CLASS="align-right"></A> </div> We're running a bit later than usual, but we're finally kicking off our annual vote to determine Fan Project of the Year! We have a strong list of contenders this year, and there were even more that were on the cusp but excluded to keep the list tight and manageable. Additionally, we've conducting a special Hall of Fame vote where you'll be able to cast a vote for your favorite from the last ~30 years. Without further delay, here's the nominees! <UL> <LI><A HREF="/news/search?body=confederation_engine">Confederation</A> - This past year brought numerous widescreen art updates for this enhancement mod to WC1 by AllTinker. We also got previews of new features, including some highly anticipated <A href="/news/2024/12/12/alltinker-trailer-slower-guy">slowdown improvements</a>. <LI><A HREF="/news/search?body=10609">Mac's Lore/Art</a> - Mac delivered both a treasure of slick wallpapers and multiple lore videos jam packed with Wing Commander knowledge in 2024. <LI><A HREF="/news/search?body=Originator">Originator</a> - Originator is a phenomenal hacking and extraction tool that significantly streamlines the process of analyzing Wing Commander assets. AllTinker released more than half of a dozen updates to the program this past year that added support/features for everything from the mainline WC games to P2 to Arena. <LI><A HREF="/news/search?body=countvonschnaps">Sketches by CountVonSchnaps</A> - The Count produced a ton of wonderful new artwork in 2024, including pictures of the Arrow, Rapier, Excalibur, Kamrani, Hellcat, Thunderbolt and Longbow. <LI><a href="/news/2024/05/15/new-enhancement-patch-upgrades-wc3-resolution-and-video">WC3 Enhancement Patch</a> - Mash released an amazing patch last year that upgrades the gameplay resolution of WC3 to high definition and also supports incorporation of ODVS' high res videos. <LI><A HREF="/news/search?body=wcrespace">WC4 Remastered</a> - The WC Respace team continues its steady march towards a modern WC4 remaster with multiple articles highlighting the game's new music, ground missions, beautiful ships and more. <LI><A HREF="/news/search?body=Day/WCUnity">Wing Leader</a> - Howard started off the year by releasing the Wing Leader assets publicly on the project's <A href="https://github.com/Howard-Day/WCUnity">Github</A> page. He then proceeded to add new content for the Scimitar, Strakha, Talon, Salt, Krant, Grikath, Dorkir, Lumbari and more. The game also got new features like enhanced damage effects, explosions, cloaking and Kilrathi translations. <LI><A HREF="/news/search?body=Wing%20Loader">Wing Loader</A> - Not to be confused with Wing Leader, Wing <B>Loader</b> added updates this year to support seamless side-by-side support with Mash's enhancement patch. Other updates support new customization menus, tweaks for the WC1 voice mod and many bug fixes. </UL> <div class="poll" data-pollid="301"></div> And on to the tremendous all-timer options! <UL> <LI><A href="/news/2007/12/10/goodbye-eagle-one">Eagle-1</a> IRC Operator - Eagle fostered the earliest popular real time chat room based on Wing Commander in the mid '90s. The community that began there kickstarted many friendships that endure 30 years later. <LI><A href="https://hcl.solsector.net">HCl's Mods</a> - HCl was the original legendary Wing Commander modder. Many of his incredible discoveries are tools formed the backbone of the projects of the early 2000s, and you can still see their successors in play to this day. <LI><A href="/news/2024/05/13">Klavs' Art</A> - Klavs personified the artistic talent of the Wing Commander community. He wasn't just one of the most prolific modelers and artists of the last 20 years, he also worked tirelessly to package up and release his assets broadly so that so many other undertakings could benefit from his creations. <LI>Terran Confederate Underground - Long before the Wing Commander CIC, the TCU website was a comprehensive resource for downloadable files, game walkthroughs, ship stats and more. It included story summaries for the games, bios for the characters and other elements. Unfortunately, no archive of the site exists to this day! <LI><A href="https://web.archive.org/web/20020525063825/http://wc-aces.com/">WC Aces Club</a> Community - The Aces Club was ostensibly based around a series of ongoing play-by-mail fan fiction stories, but it was a lot more than that. At its peak, the club had many hundreds of active users and spread across dozens of websites. Each major campaign was a force unto itself unified by common fan lore, message boards and community. </UL> <div class="poll" data-pollid="302"></div> <div id="comments-16829" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/70.gif" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">ChrisReid</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16829" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16829" data-threadid="32206"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/15"> <time datetime="2025-02-15">2025.046 (February 15, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16804"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/15/hornets-hornets">Hornets! Hornets!</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Hornets%21%20Hornets%21%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16804"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16804&t=Hornets%21%20Hornets%21"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=Hornets%21%20Hornets%21%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16804"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <P>Here's a wonderful 3D rendered Hornet by <A HREF="https://algi.hu/">Algi</A>, based on the original blueprints included with Wing Commander I. It's a good bet the original mesh used to render the Hornet bitmaps looked something like this! Here's the original link on <A HREF="https://www.tumblr.com/algi80/772694634586636288">Tumblr</A>. Crazy how close it looks to the rarely seen Kilrathi Saga intro version, too! On BlueSky the artist <A HREF="https://bsky.app/profile/algi.bsky.social/post/3lfqjy7mcg22r">mentioned</A> that they're just getting started with 3D art... but we'd say they're well on their way!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/algi-hornet.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/algi-hornett.jpg" WIDTH="444" HEIGHT="250" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/algi-hornett_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <div id="comments-16804" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16804" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16804" data-threadid="32205"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/14"> <time datetime="2025-02-14">2025.045 (February 14, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16822"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/14/reminder-wingnut-movie-night-tonight">Reminder: #Wingnut Movie Night Tonight!</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Reminder%3A%20%23Wingnut%20Movie%20Night%20Tonight%21%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16822"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16822&t=Reminder%3A%20%23Wingnut%20Movie%20Night%20Tonight%21"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=Reminder%3A%20%23Wingnut%20Movie%20Night%20Tonight%21%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16822"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <P>This is a reminder that we have another fun #Wingnut movie night planned on <A HREF="https://discord.gg/vwKE8Tc">Discord</A> this evening! The ongoing theme will be movies that inspired Wing Commander in some way. Tonight's film is Judge Dredd (1995) which provided two ex-military vehicles to the 1999 Wing Commander moie! You can find details on that as well as how to watch along with us in <A HREF="/news/2025/02/03/wing-commander-movie-night-battle-of-britain">the announcement post here</A>. The movie will start about 7 PM PST/10 PM EST but feel free to drop by and hang any time!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/judgedredd.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedreddt.jpg" WIDTH="177" HEIGHT="250" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedreddt_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <div id="comments-16822" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16822" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16822" data-threadid="0"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article> <article class="news-post" id="16823"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/14/after-action-report-battle-of-britain">After Action Report: Battle of Britain</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=After%20Action%20Report%3A%20Battle%20of%20Britain%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16823"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16823&t=After%20Action%20Report%3A%20Battle%20of%20Britain"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=After%20Action%20Report%3A%20Battle%20of%20Britain%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16823"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <P>Greetings WingNuts,</P> <P>Let it be said of Battle of Britain (1969) that it ws no An American Werewolf in Paris. We joke a lot in this series about boring war movies and... boy was that a boring war movie. The thrilling air battles that enchanted us as children aren't quite as spectacular today and Battle of Britain's 'character adjacent' war story seems pretty plodding. But you can see the bones of why it enchanted so many once upon a time: the air battles, a mix of real vintage aircraft and exceptional model work, are impressive and the entirety of the very long production is full of impressive quality sets and costumes. It's a great culmination of the kind of movie The Dam Busters kicked off fifteen years earlier... but it sure seemed slow as we got through the second hour!</P> The obvious connections to Wing Commander were also a little tough to pick out. The biggest influence on the movie must have been the well-choreographed dogfights (versus ones cut together from stock footage in a movie like Miidway). This does seem like the 1969 equivalent of how the Wing Commander movie was made: real aircraft for closeups and special effects for the wide ones. <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/bob-dogfight1.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-dogfight1t.jpg" WIDTH="353" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-dogfight1t_2x.jpg 2x" class="twittercard"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/bob-dogfight2.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-dogfight2t.jpg" WIDTH="353" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-dogfight2t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/bob-dogfight3.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-dogfight3t.jpg" WIDTH="353" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-dogfight3t_2x.jpg 2x" class="twittercard"></A> </div> <P>In fact, I couldn't help but notice how similar the Spitfire backdrops looked like the simple ones created for the Border Worlds Banshees in Wing Commander IV: </P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/bob-wc41.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-wc41t.jpg" WIDTH="353" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-wc41t_2x.jpg 2x" class="twittercard"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/bob-wc42.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-wc42t.jpg" WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-wc42t_2x.jpg 2x" class="twittercard"></A> </div> <P>We talked a little about Fleet Action's reference to Churchill's June 4, 1940 "we shall fight on the beaches" speech. The movie doesn't feature the speech itself but it does have Baron von Richter, the German ambassador to Switzerland, making fun of it! Here's the famous portion of the speech referenced in Fleet Action:</P> <blockquote> Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. And even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the Old. </blockquote> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/bob-badman.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-badmant.jpg" WIDTH="353" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/bob-badmant_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/sully_upside_down.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/sully_upside_downt.jpg" WIDTH="113" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/sully_upside_downt_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <CENTER><P><I>Sully was also bored this time around. So much so that he got stuck upside down.</I></P></CENTER> <div id="comments-16823" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16823" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16823" data-threadid="0"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/13"> <time datetime="2025-02-13">2025.044 (February 13, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16824"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/13/the-lost-planes-of-strike-commander">The Lost Planes of Strike Commander</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=The%20Lost%20Planes%20of%20Strike%20Commander%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16824"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16824&t=The%20Lost%20Planes%20of%20Strike%20Commander"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=The%20Lost%20Planes%20of%20Strike%20Commander%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16824"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <P>It's a long standing claim that Chris Roberts' Strike Commander was originally intended to have quite a few more playable aircraft. In the end, the game focuses heavily on simulating the flight model of an F-16 Falcon and only allows the player a second aircraft, the prototype F-22 Raptor, very briefly at the end of the game. But early descriptions of the game mention everything from World War I biplanes to Harrier jump jets. What can we find out?</P> <P>The earliest surviving marketing material for Strike Commander is <A HREF="https://download.wcnews.com/files/documents/StrikePR1.pdf">this press release</A> announcing the game and providing details on the plans and the extremely qualified development team. It was published in May 1991 alongside <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/StrikeSheetBack.JPG">a sales sheet</A> with additional details. The sales sheet tells us that the game will allow you to "pilot six different aircraft" and it specifically mentions that there will be NPC's flying World War I biplanes. This is the only mention of the biplanes we've found, but the more detailed press release includes concept art showing an A-7 Corsair II and a flyable P-38 Lightning!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/strike-conceptart1.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/strike-conceptart1t.jpg" WIDTH="175" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/strike-conceptart1t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/strike-conceptart2.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/strike-conceptart2t.jpg" WIDTH="236" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/strike-conceptart2t_2x.jpg 2x" class="twittercard"></A> </div> <P>Origin's 1991-92 catalog, published a little later that year, drops mentions of the prop planes and instead goes all in on Helicopters. It also identifies a fourth intended player aircraft, the Harrier jet! The bullet points mention an NPC Chinook helicopter and one of the screenshots seems to show a Soviet Mi-28 helicopter. The attack helicopter also appears in a screenshot of a cutscene printed around this time in magazines!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/strike-attackhelicopter1.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/strike-attackhelicopter1t.jpg" WIDTH="228" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/strike-attackhelicopter1t_2x.jpg 2x" class="twittercard"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/strike-attackhelicopter2.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/strike-attackhelicopter2t.jpg" WIDTH="225" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/strike-attackhelicopter2t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <P>Another source for cut aircraft is the Origin FX screensaver. It advertised itself as having aircraft taken from Strike Commander in the 'Air Show' module but four of them do not appear in the final game including the SU-25 ground attack plane, the A-4 Skyhawk, the P-38 Lightning (again) and an P-51 Mustang with a distinctive 'anarchy' symbol on the nose. It's likely that many of the "vintage" aircraft that were cut from the overall plan for Strike would've been intended to resurface in 'Phoenix Force', Origin's intended "Strike Commander 1.5" followup.</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/Origin_FX_-_Sprite_Sheet_-_Air_Show_-_Planes.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/Origin_FX_-_Sprite_Sheet_-_Air_Show_-_Planest.jpg" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/Origin_FX_-_Sprite_Sheet_-_Air_Show_-_Planest_2x.jpg 2x" class="twittercard"></A> </div> <P>A final source for learning cut planes is Strike Commander's single release addon, Tactical Operations. Origin created expansion packs using material left over from development of their base games… so it's likely that the B-1 Lancer and the F-117 Nighthawks added in Tactical Operations were cut from Strike Commander itself! Here's a page from a November-December 1991 preview showing both the A-4 (in a cutscene) and the Harrier model.</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/GamePlayersPCStrategyGuideVolume4Number6November-December1991_0018.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/GamePlayersPCStrategyGuideVolume4Number6November-December1991_0018t.jpg" WIDTH="113" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/GamePlayersPCStrategyGuideVolume4Number6November-December1991_0018t_2x.jpg 2x" class="twittercard"></A> </div> <P>That's a lot of cut planes but we still don't know all of the original six planned for the game. The F-16, F-22, P-38 and Harrier make four… but what were the remaining two?</P> <div id="comments-16824" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16824" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16824" data-threadid="32204"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/12"> <time datetime="2025-02-12">2025.043 (February 12, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16810"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/12/victory-fan-film-and-beyond">Victory Fan Film and Beyond</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Victory%20Fan%20Film%20and%20Beyond%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16810"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16810&t=Victory%20Fan%20Film%20and%20Beyond"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=Victory%20Fan%20Film%20and%20Beyond%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16810"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <P>Last year, we <A href="/news/2024/12/29/bengal-class-given-the-late-kilrathi-war-treatment">reported</a> on some wonderful 3D renderings of the TCS Victory created by <A HREF="https://www.deviantart.com/aedwardbaker">AEdwardBaker</A>. Today we're following up and sharing a number of other Wing Commander pieces he's created! These three pieces are, respectively, <A HREF="https://www.deviantart.com/aedwardbaker/art/Angry-Hornets-1094533177">Angry Hornets</A>, <A HREF="https://www.deviantart.com/aedwardbaker/art/Homecoming-1056382574">Homecoming</A> and <A HREF="https://www.deviantart.com/aedwardbaker/art/Sisters-1131006523">Sisters</A>. Very cool to see the Victory and the Tiger's Claw together!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/angry_hornets_by_aedwardbaker_di3nn7d.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/angry_hornets_by_aedwardbaker_di3nn7dt.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/angry_hornets_by_aedwardbaker_di3nn7dt_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/homecoming_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxy0e.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/homecoming_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxy0et.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/homecoming_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxy0et_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/sisters_by_aedwardbaker_dipde7v.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/sisters_by_aedwardbaker_dipde7vt.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/sisters_by_aedwardbaker_dipde7vt_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <P>They also have two new renders of the Victory, seen both <A HREF="https://www.deviantart.com/aedwardbaker/art/Victory-fore-1056382194">fore</A> and <A HREF="https://www.deviantart.com/aedwardbaker/art/Victory-aft-1056381690">aft</A>.</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/victory_aft_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxxbu.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/victory_aft_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxxbut.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/victory_aft_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxxbut_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/victory_fore_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxxpu.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/victory_fore_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxxput.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/victory_fore_by_aedwardbaker_dhgxxput_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <P>... and those renders are actually from a pretty cool fan film that they've created featuring the Victory!</P> <div class="lazyframe" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6M85qrnNVRU" data-vendor="youtube"></div> <P>Lastly, there's even <A HREF="https://www.deviantart.com/aedwardbaker/art/Wing-Commander-Phone-Wallpaper-1131610350">a phone wallpaper</A>!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/wing_commander_phone_wallpaper_by_aedwardbaker_dipqc4u.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/wing_commander_phone_wallpaper_by_aedwardbaker_dipqc4ut.jpg" WIDTH="84" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/wing_commander_phone_wallpaper_by_aedwardbaker_dipqc4ut_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <div id="comments-16810" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16810" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16810" data-threadid="32203"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/11"> <time datetime="2025-02-11">2025.042 (February 11, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16809"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/11/vghf-collection-writing-wing-commander-ii">VGHF Collection: Writing Wing Commander II</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=VGHF%20Collection%3A%20Writing%20Wing%20Commander%20II%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16809"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16809&t=VGHF%20Collection%3A%20Writing%20Wing%20Commander%20II"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=VGHF%20Collection%3A%20Writing%20Wing%20Commander%20II%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16809"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <P><I>This is the fifth in a series of updates that will highlight five fascinating items from our first search through the Video Game History Foundation's new <A HREF="https://archive.gamehistory.org/">Digital Library</A>. We're sure there are countless treasures to uncover, so be sure to dive into their collection and post what you discover to the forums! </I></P> <P>It's our final VGHF update (for now!) we've saved the best for last… this one is absolutely fascinating! It's a June 1992 issue of <A HREF="https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/8027027b-e98d-4855-804a-eed10295f114">The Journal of Computer Game Design</A> (Vol. 5, No. 5), an early academic-style publication covering game design… and it features a four page interview with Ellen Guon that goes into a great amount of detail about her writing for Wing Commander! This is the kind of article narrative designers today should be reading, it's absolute gold that's still relevant today. And as she talks about developing Angel's story for Wing Commander II, you'll think she probably should've had a story credit on the movie.</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_1.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_1t.jpg" WIDTH="114" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_1t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_2.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_2t.jpg" WIDTH="115" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_2t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_3.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_3t.jpg" WIDTH="114" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_3t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_4.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_4t.jpg" WIDTH="115" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/The_Journal_of_Computer_Game_Design_June_1992_Guon_Page_4t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <blockquote> <b>Making It Real</b><br> <br> Ellen Guon and Katherine Lawrence<br> <br> [This article is based on the seminar that Ellen and Katherine presented at the 1992 Computer Game Developers' Conference.]<br> <br> Ellen: This is a brief introduction to the "building blocks" of storywriting. I look at story as something you construct, not art but craftsmanship. You create and fit pieces together to create a complete work. We'll cover the basics now, get into finer details in the Q&A.<br> <br> My name is Ellen Guon. I started out as a children's television scriptwriter, working on various shows: "Jem," "My Little Pony," "Bravestarr," and "Dinosaucers." I'm a published fantasy and science fiction author, with one book out and two more that'll be published this year. I started in computer games as a Project Manager for Sierra on game conversions, and then was a lead writer and occasional director at Origin Systems for five of the Wing Commander games. I'm starting at Electronic Arts in their educational games department in a couple weeks.<br> <br> Katherine: My name is Katherine Lawrence, and I've been writing for television since 1985. My credits include "Dungeons & Dragons," "Jim Henson's Muppet Babies" and most recently, "Conan the Adventurer" which will air this fall. I've worked in series development at Marvel Productions and Filmation Studios. Development is where "Making it Real" starts.<br> <br> First comes deciding what the series is going to be about. This usually means either obtaining the rights to a pre-existing character, like Spiderman or Conan, or starting from scratch by choosing a target audience. By target audience, I mean an age range, and gender. (Television executive perception is that there are shows with "boy appeal" and "girl appeal" though there has to be some cross-over to get good ratings.) You wouldn't expect 2-6 year olds to watch the same series as 8-12 year olds. Not that they don't but one shouldn't expect it.<br> <br> Ellen: In a computer game, development begins a similar way. You'll have a basic premise, such as is the project going to be a flight sim, an adventure game or an RPG, and you may have an existing universe to work within. You SHOULD have a target market. If you don't have a market in mind, I suggest you figure that out before you start. In any case, you'll have similar guidelines to work within, just like a television show.<br> <br> Katherine: Once you have the initial idea, and know who your audience is, you begin creating the backstory, the history of the characters, and the universe.<br> <br> Let's take an example, and follow it through. We decide we want to create an action/adventure show aimed at 8-12 year olds, since that's what the network is most likely to buy this year, or so rumor has it.<br> <br> Ellen: or in computer games, you know you want to do a flight sim, since that's what's selling this year.<br> <br> Katherine: So we sit around and come up with the time period. Do we want "today," futuristic, or from history? We choose historical, something vaguely medieval. And since we're aiming it at 8-12 year olds, we want real adventure with risks, not strictly moral "feel-good" characters. We want characters that can DO something so the audience will identify with them.<br> <br> Ellen: What Katherine is saying is KNOW YOUR MARKET before you start. Do your research. Figure out what's going to sell to your selected audience. Doing a story that's appropriate for 5-7 year olds won't sell in an 8-12 market. Once you know your basic direction, you can start figuring out the details. Like story and character.<br> <br> Basically, computer game development is similar in this regard to television. A good place to start is figuring out what your universe is. Once you have that, you can narrow down to specific characters and story. Again, all of this builds out of your basic approach to the project.<br> <br> In the Wing Commander universe, Chris Roberts decided that he wanted to create a space combat game, a flight simulator. From that basic concept, the universe of humans vs. Kilrathi evolved. Later, when Origin realized that players were interested in the story aspect of the game as well as the space combat, the game evolved into characters and involved plotlines.<br> <br> Katherine: Once you identify the universe, and the type of story you want, based upon the target audience, you begin creating characters.<br> <br> You need your heroes and villains. Because this is television, we have certain "rules." We need a strong mix of ethnic types and genders. And we can't have a lot of weapons with sharp edges since the studio and network might get sued if little Charlie decides to use a butcher knife to play Adventure! with his little sister as the villain from last Saturday's episode.<br> <br> Ellen: While those same guidelines don't apply in the computer games industry, as we don't have anything like the network's "Standards and Practices" board, there still should be some sense of moral responsibility in your writing. The television guidelines are worth looking into just to see what guidelines exist. When creating heroes and villains, I tend to think in terms of shades of grey rather than black and white. "Flawed heroes and redeemable villains." There is no such thing as a perfectly altruistic person out there in our world.<br> <br> Katherine: Well, perhaps Mother Teresa.<br> <br> Ellen: If there were, would you want to buy a used car from that person? Likewise, no one thinks of themselves as being totally evil. To make a character interesting, as well as "real," a hero should have problems, even a potentially fatal flaw in his or her outlook or character.<br> <br> Overcoming that flaw or problem is part of what makes your story interesting, part of the B storyline. (We'll talk more about that later.) And a villain should be someone whose motivation you can understand, maybe even sympathize with. A villain such as some of the world leaders we've had in this century doesn't think of himself as a villain, or as evil. They're justified in their own minds. It's these kind of innovations in a character that make you care about what happens to them.<br> <br> The Journal of Computer Game Design The trick with this is to make the character flaws or problems believable, as well as use it discreetly. This was a problem in the "Back to the Future" movies, where they really slammed you over the head with Marty McFly's problems about being called a coward.<br> <br> Katherine: What Ellen said is what works in television as well. Even the worst villains on "G.I.Joe" had their vulnerabilities and the heroes were never perfect.<br> <br> Okay, you've got your main characters down. The next thing is to build the character inter-relationships. Not just who is in love with whom, but who has a grudge against whom, who yelled at whom yesterday, and what they want to do with the other character tomorrow. None of us live in a vacuum, nor should our characters.<br> <br> Ellen: In WC2, Steve Beeman and I did this in a very direct and concise fashion. Those of you who've read Mike Harrison's "WC Strategy Guide" may have seen our one-paragraph character descriptions which describe exactly how all the characters interact with each other.<br> <br> One character may be a lover to the hero or heroine, or a parental figure, or a sibling, or a rival, or anything else. Once you lay out these inter- relationships, a lot of the character interaction in the story becomes very clear.<br> <br> In WC2, Ralgha/Hobbes and Downtown have a very special parental relationship. Ralgha is a renegade Kilrathi who rescued Downtown from slavery on a Kilrathi planet. Now Downtown has grown up, is a combat pilot, and they're serving aboard the same ship. When someone accuses Ralgha of being the murderer aboard that ship, Downtown very naturally is going to leap to Ralgha's defense. There are many other examples of this in WC2, which are natural interactions based upon the existing relationships.<br> <br> Katherine: The next and final step to building real characters is character quirks. Those little things that aren't essential to survival, and may even be counter-survival, but are SO very human (or Kilrathi).<br> <br> It's from these that stories can grow. For example, my first script sale was for the "Dungeons and Dragons" series from Marvel Productions. One of the characters didn't DO anything, and I figured it must bother her. So I came up with a story that depended upon that sense of isolation and uselessness she felt when surrounded by all the other heroic types. That's what CBS liked about it, and they bought it. (Yes, that's one of the secrets to successfully pitching story ideas in television: find the least-utilized character and build a story around him, her it.)<br> <br> Ellen: In WC2 I used this trick of building quirks as well. Actually, Angel's "by the book" attitude wasn't a quirk that I put in, it was in the original game before I started working on the series. I thought about that, the kind of personality that's SO dedicated to everything being proper and military, by the book. What would happen to that kind of person when she realizes it's only a facade that she's put up between herself and the world, and it's crumbling down?<br> <br> In SM2, when Bossman is killed, that's the first break in Angel's armor: the scene where she asks Bluehair (the player) just to stay with her awhile, talk to her. She doesn't want to be alone. Later, when her best friend, Spirit, dies, that destroys the last of the facade and prompts the love affair between herself and Bluehair. This is a case of the plot developing directly out of a character's quirks.<br> <br> Katherine: Remember, there are almost ALWAYS reasons for personality quirks. That's why there are so many psychiatrists and therapists around.<br> <br> Okay, you have your universe and your characters. Now comes using them to make the plot real. As Ellen said, and as in my example, plot can come out of character. It can also come from wanting to torture your character with a situation. (Sometimes I think all writers are sadists at heart, considering what we put our characters through.)<br> <br> Ellen: Basically, stories break down into two kinds. In television we call them the A and B storylines. The "A" storyline is your action-based story. "B" is your character evolution story. A good plot needs both kinds of stories. Without both, you'll either have a non-stop action story that has no character involvement in it at all, or a story that's all characters that aren't DOING anything. "Steel Magnolia's," while a terrific film, certainly comes to mind as an example of that second possibility.<br> <br> The best stories interweave the A and B plots into a single cohesive whole. If you can, try to intersect the climactic scenes of both stories at the same point. A good example of this is "Star Wars," where Luke finally figures out how to use that dratted Force and overcomes his various problems and insecurities (the B story) at the same time he's trying to destroy the Death Star (the A story).<br> <br> You can create tension in your storyline by interweaving these two types of storylines. It's like a rollercoaster ride. What I prefer to do is alternate the high-tension scenes of both storylines, so that there's always some kind of dramatic tension, either in the action or character development storyline. My favorite movie that illustrates this is "The African Queen," which has Hepburn and Bogart professing their undying love for each other as they're about to be executed. The tensions in both A and B plotlines build upon each other, especially when Bogart asks the German ship captain to perform their marriage ceremony before he has them executed. As the Captain says, "I now pronounce you man and wife. Proceed with the execution."<br> <br> Katherine: Not that either just an A story or just a B story won't work. Flight simulations are just A stories, for example. But when the B story, the "character arc" is added, it becomes something "real."<br> <br> When creating your stories, however, you should also look down the road to the "pay-off." How are you going to capitalize on what you're doing? As in "Star Wars" where we get the payoff of feeling good that the Death Star is destroyed, and also identify with overcoming fears and insecurities. You don't just need to have a conclusion, you need to grab the reader, audience or game player and make them not only take the journey with you, but perhaps even drag YOU along, they're SO involved in the story.<br> <br> Ellen: The payoff is what you're building to throughout the story. In the A story, that's a physical victory, such as destroying K'Tithrak Mang at the end of WC2. The payoff for the B story in WC2 is a little more complex than that. At the beginning of WC2, you've been court- martialed, demoted, shipped off to the middle of nowhere, and basically had a very bad day. Everyone in the universe seems to hate you now, especially Admiral Tolwyn, who presided at your court- martial.<br> <br> The A story of WC2 is simple: you destroy the bad guys' space station. The B story payoff is that you're restored to your original rank, your name is cleared, and most importantly, everyone thinks you're a hero again. Especially Tolwyn. Earning his respect is possibly the most major payoff out of the entire story, even though it may only be part of the adrenaline rush of the ending for most players.<br> <br> The payoff is the single most critical aspect of your game. Without this, there won't be the emotional punch for your audience, a sense of satisfaction at the end of your story.<br> <br> Katherine: For example, using "Star Wars" again, the emotional payoff isn't the destruction of the Death Star, but that ceremony before the assembled Alliance when Luke receives his medal from the princess, and fulfills his dreams. THAT'S the reason people went to see that movie again and again, not just the incredible roller-coaster ride of the adventure.<br> <br> Now you've got your series or game created, have the characters, and interweaved plots. Is your job done? Not necessarily. As "Happy Days" and "Wing Commander" have proved, there's a definite market for spin-off stories. You can take all this work you've done and build on it. There are Secret Missions and "Mork and Mindy" as examples. When you've created a "real" universe with real characters and stories the game player or viewer like, use all that work and keep the audience coming back for more. That's the real point of "Making it Real."<br> <br> Ellen: In other words, once you've put all this work into your story and characters, get the most mileage out of it that you can.<br> <br> We've talked a lot about some of the similarities between television and computer games, and some "tricks of the trade" from television that you can use in games. But computer games are a very different medium, and there are some things you might want to consider when creating a story and characters for use in a game.<br> <br> The Journal of Computer Game Design Computer games are interactive. Games have elements other than story, such as combat, puzzles and tasks the player must accomplish to win the game. When you're creating a story for a game, you want to interweave these elements into your story, just as seamlessly as you'd add the character motivations and quirks, the background for the universe, etc. Make these ele- ments PART of your story, integral to the plot, etc.<br> <br> Katherine: Whereas in television your primary concern is coming up with sufficient cliff- hanging act-breaks to keep the viewers coming back after the commercials.<br> <br> Ellen: Chris Roberts said it very well, "People buy WC for the flight simulator, not the story. But the story is the glue that holds the missions together, that makes you want to play just one more mission every time."<br> <br> Katherine: And always keep in mind the ancillary rights. Video games have already been turned into television series, and there's no reason a really good computer game can't be turned into a movie.<br> <br> But this is a two-way street. In another couple of years, some of you could well be up here, telling television or movie scriptwriters how to make the interactivity work. We all create magic with our writing, the only difference is the medium. That's what makes what we do SO important, and SO rewarding.<br> <br> Lastly, we both highly recommend J. Michael Straczynski's THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SCRIPTWRITING, from Writer's Digest Books. A new edition is coming out this Summer (1992). It covers radio, stage, television and movies, and is one of my own resource books. It can be ordered from the Writer's Digest Book Club, or found in most bookstores, including the chains. </blockquote> <div id="comments-16809" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16809" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16809" data-threadid="32202"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/10"> <time datetime="2025-02-10">2025.041 (February 10, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16817"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/10/wing-commander-movie-night-judge-dredd">Wing Commander Movie Night: Judge Dredd</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Wing%20Commander%20Movie%20Night%3A%20Judge%20Dredd%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16817"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16817&t=Wing%20Commander%20Movie%20Night%3A%20Judge%20Dredd"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=Wing%20Commander%20Movie%20Night%3A%20Judge%20Dredd%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16817"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/judgedredd.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedreddt.jpg" WIDTH="177" HEIGHT="250" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedreddt_2x.jpg 2x" CLASS="align-right" class="twittercard" CLASS="align-right" class="twittercard"></A> </div> <P>The Wing Commander movie club has successfully ended the beginning with a pretty uneventful watch of Battle of Britain; maybe have some characters next time, movie! And that next time will be 1995's Judge Dredd, a fun action sci-fi movie with a slight technical connection to Wing Commander. You can join us <A HREF="https://discord.com/invite/vwKE8Tc">this Friday via Discord</A> to watch along.</P> <div class="lazyframe" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y9zBb3Q2Kso" data-vendor="youtube"></div> <P>Judge Dredd is a British comic book antihero whose stories have appeared in 2000 A.D. since the late 1970s. He's an ultra-powered police officer in a dystopian world where the police are judge, jury and executioner. The 1995 film adaptation is a big, brassy action movie that trades some of the satire of the source material for Jean-Claude Van Damme and a big '90s action movie production. No one thinks Judge Dredd is the best movie in the world (or even the best Judge Dredd movie) but it's certainly a mood!</P> <P>The big Wing Commander connection to Judge Dredd is another technical one: two of the deck vehicles that appear on the Tiger Claw's flight deck originated as troop transpots in Judge Dredd. So be on the lookout for converted military transports while we watch! Judge Dredd was not shot in Luxembourg, so these APCs made their way from Shepperton Studios in England for Wing Commander. Here's a bit from Wing Commander's production notes that mention the vehicles:</P> <blockquote> Among other impressive transformations from real-world finds are a kind of space bulldozer, and a refueling unit that [Producer] Todd [Moyer] calls the fuel "tanker." Both, previously used on the set of JUDGE DREDD, are converted troop transport vehicles. After several attempts, a trucker fuels the "tanker," and it fills the set with diesel fumes. Moyer half-jokingly, half-derisively refers to the device as "the most expensive tanker I've ever had on a set." </blockquote> <P>And here's the same mention from a tour given to GMovie magazine:</P> <blockquote> Other interesting space vehicles include a "space nulldozer" and a tanker, both recycled from the movie "Judge Dredd". The tour continues and [Producer Todd] Moyer points out a storage room which is full of containers and piles of boxes. The walls are covered with monitors, cables and other wires - all very realistic looking. All of it came from the mind of the Oscar nominated ("Titanic") production designer Peter Lamont and his colleagues. "The small and confined areas on board of the "Tiger Claw" remind me of 'Das Boot in Space'" says Peter Lamont.</P> </blockquote> <P>The vehicles used in these film were Alvis FV603 Saracens, a type of armed personnel carrier manufactured from 1952 to 1976. They are largely retired today but were a familiar sight for generations around the world, particularly in conflicts involving commonwealth countries. While the descriptions refer to the fuel tanker and the bulldozer, Wing Commander ultimately used its Saracens as the tanker and the repair truck. The bulldozer appeared only in CG!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/wcm_saracen1.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/wcm_saracen1t.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https:/newestshots/thumb/wcm_saracen1t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/wcm_saracen6.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/wcm_saracen6t.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https:/newestshots/thumb/wcm_saracen6t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/deckdozer-dredd.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/deckdozer-dreddt.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/deckdozer-dreddt_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <P>It appears that at least one of Judge Dredd's Saracens retained its original deco and was auctioned off as memorabilia some years back... sadly, it looks like no one wanted it!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/judgedredd-tank-1.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedredd-tank-1t.jpg" WIDTH="271" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedredd-tank-1t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/judgedredd-tank-2.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedredd-tank-2t.jpg" WIDTH="347" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedredd-tank-2t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/judgedredd-tank-3.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedredd-tank-3t.jpg" WIDTH="197" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/judgedredd-tank-3t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <P>One other slight connection is that Judge Dredd also stars Jürgen Prochnow as another Judge. Looking forward to seeing Commander Gerald show up, though we already saw a lot of him in Das Boot!</P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/DAS_BOOT_Prochnow_1.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/DAS_BOOT_Prochnow_1t.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https:/newestshots/thumb/DAS_BOOT_Prochnow_1t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/DAS_BOOT_Prochnow_2.png"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/DAS_BOOT_Prochnow_2t.jpg" WIDTH="267" HEIGHT="150" SRCSET="https:/newestshots/thumb/DAS_BOOT_Prochnow_2t_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <P><B>Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?</B></P> <P>Judge Dredd is currently available for rent or purchase on all the standard services. If you would like a physical copy, the movie was released on BluRay in 2012 and remains in print around the world. If you are not able to locate a copy please stop by <A HREF="https://discord.com/invite/vwKE8Tc">the Discord</A> and ping a CIC staff member before Friday's showing. </P> <P><B>How do we watch the movie together?</B></P> <P>It's pretty low tech! Simply join the <A HREF="https://discord.gg/vwKE8Tc">Wing Commander CIC Discord</A> on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!</P> <div id="comments-16817" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16817" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16817" data-threadid="32201"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section> <section class="daily-content"> <header> <a href="/news/2025/02/09"> <time datetime="2025-02-09">2025.040 (February 9, 2025)</time> </a> </header> <article class="news-post" id="16816"> <h1> <a href="/news/2025/02/09/wing-commander-free-on-youtube">Wing Commander Free on YouTube</a> <span class="permalink">  <a href="https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Wing%20Commander%20Free%20on%20YouTube%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16816"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" title="Share on Bluesky" alt="Share on Bluesky" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fupdate%2F16816&t=Wing%20Commander%20Free%20on%20YouTube"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" title="Share on Facebook" alt="Share on Facebook" width="20" height="20"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/home?status=Wing%20Commander%20Free%20on%20YouTube%20https%3A%2F%2Fwcne.ws%2F16816"><img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" title="Share on Twitter" alt="Share on Twitter" width="20" height="20"></a> </span> </h1> <P>Here's a little treat from the universe: YouTube has the 1999 Wing Commander movie available to watch for free (in the United States, at least)! YouTube's rules prevent commercial movies from being embedded but you can follow <A HREF="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RILzj0z_4Xs">this link</A> to watch the movie. As a bonus, making the movie available on YouTube means that lots of people are seeing it for the first time... and if their social media comments are any indication, they aren't hating it! Weird what a couple decades an do to a film. </P> <div class="gallery"> <A HREF="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/WCM-Poster_YTLarge.jpg"><IMG SRC="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/WCM-Poster_YTLarget.jpg" WIDTH="169" HEIGHT="250" SRCSET="https://cdn.wcnews.com/newestshots/thumb/WCM-Poster_YTLarget_2x.jpg 2x"></A> </div> <P>This is a legitimate licensed stream rather than somebody pitching up the sound and playing it under a filter... it's the real Wing Commander experience! We don't know how long Wing Commander will be available but past availability suggests that you should have at least all of February to catch it. A big thank you to Sebastian for letting us know!</P> <div id="comments-16816" class="container-comments"></div> <footer> <div class="outer"> <div class="author-avatar"> <img class="news-author-avatar" src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/avatars/5.png" alt="author avatar"/> </div> <div class="author-info"> <a href="mailto:news@wcnews.com">LOAF</a> </div> <div id="comment-count-16816" class="comment-bubble discuss-link" data-updateid="16816" data-threadid="32199"> Comment on this </div> </div></footer> </article></section><div id="archive-links">All news for February 2025 can be found <a href="/news/2025/02">here</a>.<BR/>Older news can be found in the <a href="/news">archive</a>.</div>   </div> <div id="m_right">  <section id="search"> <a href="/news/search"><h1>Search News</h1></a> <form class="content" action="/news/search" method="POST"> <input id="search_keywords" type="text" name="keywords" placeholder="Search..."><input id="search_button" type="submit" value="🔍"/> <div id="search_advanced"><a href="/news/search" title="Advanced search">advanced</a></div> </form> </section> <section id="social"> <a href="/contact.shtml"><h1>Follow or Contact Us</h1></a> <div class="content"> <a href="https://discord.gg/vwKE8Tc"> <img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/4180408_discord_squircle_icon.svg" height="32" width="32" alt="Discord" title="Discord chat with staff and fans"> </a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@WingCommanderCIC"> <img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986962_youtube_icon.svg" height="32" width="32" alt="YouTube" title="Follow us on YouTube"> </a> <a href="https://www.twitter.com/wccic"> <img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986958_twitter_icon.svg" height="32" width="32" alt="Twitter" title="Follow us on Twitter"> </a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WingCommanderCIC"> <img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/986944_facebook_icon.svg" height="32" width="32" alt="Facebook" title="Follow us on Facebook"> </a>  <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/wcnews.com"> <img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/bluesky_icon.svg" height="32" width="32" alt="Bluesky" title="Follow us on Bluesky"> <a href="/contact.shtml"> <img src="https://cdn.wcnews.com/design/images/buttons/2569496_email_icon_s.svg" height="32" width="32" alt="E-mail" title="Contact the staff & FAQ"> </a>   </div> </section>  <section id="awc"> <a href="/all-wings-considered"><h1>All Wings Considered</h1></a> <div class="content"> <span class="awcheader">Episode 37 - 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