FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.31.12

Happy New Year everyone! The Wing Commander Saga staff would like to thank the thousands and thousands of dedicated Wing Commander fans who downloaded the first installment of Wing Commander Saga over the year.

Just remember: If you're going out tonight, stay safe. We want you back playing Wing Commander Saga multiplayer with us next year. If you're not going out tonight, feel free to drop by our forums.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.24.12

The Wing Commander Saga team wishes all of you a merry Christmas.

To that, we're repeating something we've done in the past - releasing something as a "Christmas present" to our fans. This time we would like to share with you a picture of Klav's rendition of the marine dropship, which will be featured in the WC Saga full campaign.

The Spartan dropship is a heavy landing craft that can carry a hundred Marines and a pair of hover battle tanks. Much larger then the Hermes shuttle, it normally deployed for full-scale planetary assaults. Like all Marine craft, it can forcibly override and board all known Kilrathi naval vessels and can function in all sorts of planetary atmopshere. In addition to lasers and gatling mass drivers for infantry support, it carries anti-matter missiles for suppression bombardments and micro-missile pods for anti-tank support.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.20.12

 -Sphynx

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.18.12

For this week's update, we would like to feature some of the work of one of our newer team members, Talon. Talon has reproduced the Rapier as it appeared in Super Wing Commander. It is a very capable dogfighter with some respectable weaponry.

f just looking at it isn't enough, you can take this new Rapier on a test flight in one of our new custom missions, where you'll find that even a standard convoy raid can come with a few surprises! You can download the mission file here. You can provide feedback here.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.08.12

This week, we would like to announce that we will soon be releasing a significant upgrade to the Wing Commander Saga Prologue. This upgrade will include a new multiplayer mode with deathmatch dogfights (up to 12 players), team vs. team matches (up to 6 players per team), and cooperative missions as well. The upcoming prologue patch will also include some tweaks to the game engine, several new special effects, and rebalanced ships and weapons. So, starting practicing up and get ready to meet your friends (and foes) for some high-adrenaline online battles!

-Tolwyn 

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.23.11

-Sphynx

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.13.11

For this week's update, we would like to share a musical track from Saga's second composer, Tim Janssen. This song features a dramatic and high-energy score that emulates the pulse-pounding feeling of an intense dogfight.  Click on the link for a sample.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.07.11

 -Sphynx

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.25.10

Previously, we showed you the renders of the TCS Concordia. Now, Klavs has created a new image to show off how the Concordia's cavernous fighter bay looks - check out all that stunning detail!   

 -Tolwyn

FROM: Captain Klavs, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.18.10

Hi there, Adam "Klavs" Burch here, checking in!

I've been hard at work off the radar creating all new, never before seen content for WC: Saga. Some familiar stuff, some new stuff, but all with Saga's devotion to high quality. I tried to put my own spin on the old Concordia, bringing the old ship a little more into the real world.

Hope everyone enjoys it, and gets warm fuzzy memories of WC2 without getting TOO upset at the changes!

Gevatter Lars has also used the Concordia model to create a new render: in this shot, Lars recreates the view from the bridge as a pair of Rapier's takes off.

-Klavs

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.30.09

To continue the theme of our last update on the Kilrathi asteroid fighter, Lars has created a stunning render featuring the asteroid fighter. Check it out.

 -Tolwyn

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.25.09

For this week's update, we would like to share our rendition of one of Wing Commander's most unique ships: the Kilrathi asteroid fighter. It's clever blend of rock, engines, and weaponry is another testament of the Kilrathi's guile and creativity in the art of war.

 -Sphynx

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.10.09

Hi everyone,

We hope you've all had a great summer! For those of you heading back to school, we wish you the best of luck this year.

There are a few things we'd like to mention in this update, mainly focused on the progress of our project.

First,  mission progress: The missions for episodes 2 and 3 are now finished, with the missions for the 1st episode nearing completion.

Second, new code features: New coding abilities that have been implimented into Saga include auto aiming, speed/distance multiplicator, better autopilot animations, and a better normal mapping code. These should lead to a more visually compelling final product, as well as a product that is even more in line with the original feel of Wing Commander.

Other progress includes the following:

• Our fiction viewer is coming along nicely.
• Our voice acting recording has started, although we are still looking for more actors. Don't be shy, send us an audition and help Saga get done faster!
• Also, more ships have made their way into the project. We'll say more about this in the near future.

In summary, the work is progressing forward at a good pace. In the mean time, we strongly encourage you all to login to visit the forums, check out our website, and send us some voice auditions.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.2808

Our last poll asked which fighter from the Prologue is your favorite. The Hellcat V won by a slim margin. The Thunderbolt VII finished in a close second place

Today's new poll asks which character in Wing Commander Saga: Prologue is your favorite: Assassin, Champ, Kettle, Ninja, Panzer, Sandman and Viking are your choices.

Later, after we find out which Prologue character you like, you'll have an opportunity to find out which Prologue character you are most like.

 -Sphynx

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.24.08

The Wing Commander Saga main campaign will provide the player with the opportunity to fly as a part of several different squadrons, just like the original Wing Commander series. Each squadron has a unique group of pilots and its own logo. These logos can actually be seen painted on the fuselages of the different fighter squadrons in game. Most of our squadron logos are inspired by actual logos used in the Wing Commander trading card game. Check out the screenshot for an example of some of the squadron logos you will encounter.

 -Sphynx

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.13.08

 -Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.04.08

 -Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.28.07

 -Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.26.07

The WC Saga team is excited to announce a new Source Code Project development: the FS2 SCP now has a genuine autopilot feature, complete with fly-by animations. Up until this point, we were only able to create fly-by autopilot sequences using a somewhat complicated process. This new development has greatly simplified the autopilot issue. This is especially good news for WC Saga fans who want to make their own missions with autopilot sequences.

In a somewhat unrelated note: the database section of our website has been updated with new information. 

 -Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.18.07

For today's update we would like to showcase our final version of the Kilrathi Paktahn bomber. The Kilrathi Paktahn is similar to the Confederation Longbow by virtue of its torpedo attack capabilities. With multiple missile hardpoints and an impressive array of guns, this bomber can engage several fighters at once during a single run. With its six torpedo hardpoints, Paktahns are a Terran capship's worst nightmare. Its heavy armor and auxiliary guns make it dangerous to attacking fighters. Terran intelligence reports that Paktahns most often fly with Dralthi IV or Darket escorts.

- Tolwyn

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.15.07

The Wing Commander Saga team has been very impressed by community modders who have been putting together their own custom missions. We'd like to encourage as many people as we can to get creative, make missions and campaigns, and share them with the community. In order to help, we are providing you with links to some of the tools that have helped the Saga team in our work. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

 -Sphynx

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.05.07

The original Wing Commander added to the immersive feeling it created by allowing the player to earn medals through exceptional performance in missions. As a part of our efforts to emulate the overall feel of Wing Commander, Saga will also feature the ability to earn medals. We've included a screenshot of the medals that will be featured and they can be accessed in game by viewing the player's pilot profile.

-Sphynx

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.28.06

You may recall that our old website was hosted at www.scifi3d.org. Our subscription to that site is about to expire, so make sure to update your bookmarks to www.wcsaga.com.

-Tolwyn 

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.25.06

Our new poll asks which fighter in Wing Commander Saga: Prologue is your favorite. Each fighter has its own merits, and it's a tough choice. You could also click the "Comments" link below and explain your choice.

-Tolwyn 

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.06.22

About a week ago one of 1blu servers, which is based in Berlin, died and took with it the Wing Commander Saga website. They say trouble comes in pairs and it certainly did for us during the last couple of days. Less than a week later and with the damage repaired, our domains ceased to operate.

It was decided to move ahead and move the WCS site to a different server, which has the highly boring name 'web122'. The website should be online by the time you read this.

We are still ironing out some "weirdities", so if you notice anything, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

-Tolwyn 

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.21.06

Due to some major updates in the Freespace 2 source code project with the upcomming release of version 3.6.10, we have plans to incorporate many of the newly available options into Saga. Among these updates are things such as new FS2NetD code, support for normal mapping (which should increase the graphical capabilities of the engine), various bug fixes for texture blending on models in OpenGL, and more. The 3.6.10 release will make the FS2 source code project comparable to "current" standards, and we are excited to be able to incorporate the improvements into the upcoming main campaign to make Saga's visual experience as compelling as possible.

It should also be pointed out that there is new memory handling code in place, which should effectively cut the memory footprint in half, if not more than that. Various other little memory saving and performance boosting changes have been made as well. So, Saga should look better and run smoother with the upcoming FS2 source code release.

Also, more news on the fan-made mission front: Mustanger has updated his first "Capture the Destroyer" mission. Grab the update here. Also, he has released a second mission as a follow up to the first. Give it a try here. Place fs2 files in the data\missions folder of your Wing Commander Saga Prologue folder. You can provide feedback here.

And the FS2NetD website is currently being modified to support mods, so by the time that 3.6.10 gets here you will be able to easily keep track of active games and pilot stats for Wing Commander Saga.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.04.06

We're making steady progress, and it's unbelievable watching everything coming together. With our last big review of the game, we picked up some real solid forward momentum. Still, sometimes it feels like we're taking two steps forward and one, two or even three steps back. That's really starting to taper off, though.

We have new media to share. This time we would like to showcase Klav's rendition of the Rapier medium fighter. The screenshots are from the tech room, you'll be seeing more as we continue pushing out media. So, basically, you can consider those shots an appetizer.

-Tolwyn 

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.24.05

For this week's update, we have a lot of things to share! First off, the Wing Commander Saga team has revamped it's website. Our web page has been completely overhauled for your convenience with a more user-friendly and comprehensive layout. Stop by for a visit to check out preview trailers, information regarding the project, and thrilling new in-game screenshots!

Secondly, we also want to showcase some more of the music of Wing Commander Saga. In our opinion, the music in the original Wing Commander series played a major role in creating the essence of Wing Commander that made it so compelling. The full campaign will feature remakes of original Wing Commander songs as well as original tracks that seek to capture the same tone and feeling. An example of our efforts to emulate the WC style can be heard in the intro and outro tracks we used in the Prologue. The intro music is designed to evoke the sense of anticipation that Sandman and his fellow classmates feel upon reaching the Wellington. The outro is sober and brooding, mourning the loss of many good friends and speaking of still darker days to come. You can grab them here.

Also, www.fourthlaw.com is running an article on Wing Commander, and as a part of that they have interviewed our very own Tolwyn. Head on over to hear what they had to say.

Last, but not least, we are happy to announe the release of the first fan-made mission for Saga. It was created by Mustanger, so any questions about it can be directed to him. Just download the mission and place it in the data\missions folder of your Wing Commander Saga Prologue folder. Grab the file here.

- Sphynx 

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.27.04

For this week's update, the Wing Commander Saga team would like to showcase one of our in-game cutscenes.

The following series of screenshots illustrates the "fleet jumping" cutscenes that are familiar to Wing Commander fans and that will play a transitional role in Saga's story, as well.

You can watch the complete sequence in our media section. 

 - Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.06.04

Since the release of the WC Saga prologue, several talented new people have joined the Saga team to help us make the full campaign. Today, we would like to introduce you to one of our new memebers: Adam "Klavs" Burch. Klavs has amazed the rest of the team time and time again with the speed at which he turns out some amazing looking models, and he has a talent for bridging the gap between the art styles of WC2 and WC3, making WC2-era models look great and coherent alonside WC3-era models. For today's update, we are sharing a picture of Klav's rendition of the Ferret, which will be featured in the WC Saga full campaign.

- Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.01.03

The Wing Commander Saga team is happy to announce a breakthrough. We have finally found a way to implement Wing Commander-style autopilot sequences in Saga. Gone are the days of long, time-accelerated trips. Now, Saga has the ability to offer the flyby sequences that were a central part of the Wing Commander ethos, offering a much shorter wait time between nav points and also a cinematic flair that has always been a trademark of Wing Commander.

We have decided to make something special to showcase this new feature. We have created a loose remake of the first two missions in Wing Commander 3. Our demo package features the original voice-overs of Mark Hamil, Jason Bernard, and the other classic WC3 actors who were highlighted in the first two missions. Briefing and launch sequences are also included. You can grab the package here.

To install the WC 3 Autopilot Tech demo, unrar the file into the Prologue folder. Then, from within the game, go to the campaign select screen, select Autopilot Tech Demo, and then start the campaign by hitting the continue button.

We have also put together a video clip showcasing the new flyby sequence. You can get it here.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.23.02

Several people have expressed an interest in a mission editor for Wing Commander Saga. As a response to that interest, we encourage those who want to create misisons to download both the mission editor and the original FS2 FRED tutorial to help any who are interested in learning how to use it. You can get them here and here.

We would be happy to host any fully-functioning custom missions that anyone creates for Saga to be shared with the whole community, so unleash your creativity and let us see what you can make!

- Tolwyn

FROM: Commodore Starman, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.19.02

For our update this week, we have several things we would like to share with you. First, we are happy to provide you with a DVD case cover that we have created for the WC Saga prologue. We know that for many people having a customized case add to the experience of having a game, so we have made this with you in mind. We will also release a CD label in short order. You can pick the DVD cover up here.

Second, we wanted to share the news that Wing Commander Saga’s Prologue was included on the CD that is a part of the February 2007 issue of Mac World. The editors of Mac World seem to be pretty excited about Saga, and their description of the Prologue was enthusiastic and generous.

Third, we wanted to let you know that we are hard at work on the full campaign. There are a few exciting developments in the works that we will share with you as they come to fruition. In the mean time, we are putting our voice actors to work. We are still open to the possibility of new voice actors joining our efforts, so if you are a voice actor who wants to take part in our project and you haven’t contacted us recently, we would be glad to hear from you.

-Starman

FROM: Captain Sphynx, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.06.02

OK, that's a fairly ecletic list of things to address, but here it is nonetheless.

Recently, we have received several e-mails asking when a Linux version of the Wing Commander Saga Prologue will be released. A few bugs that have slipped into the SCP version 3.6.9 have been causing some annoying issues for the Linux version, and we are delaying the Linux release until those can be resolved and we can run a quick round of testing to make sure they have truly been worked out. The reasons we have been able to release the Windows prologue is because it uses a slightly different version code that doesn't have the bug. In addition, since the OSX version together with the Linux version are based on a newer code than the Windows version, we will be releasing an updated OSX version once the bugs have been resolved.

In the mean time, we would like to share a few new screenshots with you. The first six are action shots from one of our simulator missions in which the player is desperately trying to save the carrier Ticonderoga from an intense Kat assault. In the next three screenshots (run through an ATI post process filter), some of our nebulae provide a backdrop for a conflict between Confed and Kilrathi capital ships. Confed comes out on top… this time. You can find these new screenshots at our website . The wallpaper section of our website has also been updated.

Also, we have had several people ask us for which settings we think Saga looks best in. Tolwn recommends the following:

-fov 0.65 -spec_exp 7.0 -spec_tube 5.0 -spec_point 8.6 -spec_static 3.0 -ambient_factor 75

Just paste these into the "flags" section of the launcher and see what you think.

-Sphynx

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.15.01 

Hello folks,

We have come a long way since the beginning, and with the time we enhanced the project more and more, not only due to the possibilites the SCP-Project give us, but also through the experience we become during our work. Currently we have finished our prologue campaign, beginning of an epic storyline set in the WC3 timeline which will be continued in the release of the main game, which is however still far in the future.

In order to finish off our project, we could use the additional help of the following staffers:

• 2D artists / texturer, who are capable of drawing maps at same quality level of the other project artwork.
• CGI artists
• mission designers
• voice actors
• modelers and unwrappers

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.05.01

Wing Commander Saga: Prologue is distributed on several download servers on the Internet. Using a nearby server will probably speed up your download, and also reduce the load on our server and on the Internet as a whole.

If you run a mirror and would like to have it listed here, please send us a note.

Windows: 

scifi3d.org | gamershell.com  | 4player.de  | fz.se  | wcnews.com | demonews.de  | aol.de | t-online.de | gamesfire.at | chip.de | gameswelt.de

Mac:

scifi3d.org | gamershell.com | wcnews.com

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2007.02.01

There it is: Mac OS X version of the Wing Commander Saga Prologue is now available for download! If you experience any problems, please notify us immediately.

It should be noted that we have moved our resources to a new high speed server. Our domain will be transfered to our new host shortly. Normally it will take up to 24 hours for the change to come into effect. Most registrars update the root DNS servers once per day.

After the root servers are updated it may take another 24 to 48 hours for the change to propagate across the rest of the Internet. During this period traffic for wcsaga domain may or may not reach our server.

At any rate, I hope all of you enjoy Prologue as much as I do, and I hope all of you stick around for "The Darkest Dawn". It's going to be a wild ride.

Download (Mac OS X Installer, 274 MB)

-Tolwyn