News Archive 2011

FROM: Colonel IceFire, TCN ONI
DATE: 2011.24.12

Hello fellow fans! I am back again with another Beta Testing update. This time I will be mentioning some of the progress made to date as well as talking about the “Green Lighting” process.

Beta Testing Progress

The beta testers and the WC: Saga team are as busy as ever as all of the crucial come together.

The latest round of testing takes us into the back half of the WC: Saga campaign featuring both small and large scale engagements. Larger numbers of fighters and sometimes epic capital ship battles are just some of the treats in store.

The increase of scale also means that testing is vital to ensure that the gameplay experience works well. If the player will be called on to make meaningful contributions to every mission and objective and that has to work no matter what is happening in the mission.

The last couple of weeks have seen a new build released to testers including several new missions featuring the Excalibur. The elite Confed heavy fighter is truly a fantastic weapon and players will enjoy flying this space craft when it becomes available. The WC: Saga Excalibur features everything from aim assisted guns to auto-slide and a judicious number of missiles – just what is needed to complete the next set of missions.

A couple of new issues to share since the last update:

• One of the capital ships in the game had a missing floor on an observation deck inside one of the launch bays. Geometry fixed and model updated.
• Your wingman on one of the missions decides not to fire on remaining Kilrathi fighters after achieving a main objective. Problem solved.
• During a convoy escort the Kilrathi tend to ignore some of the transports. The solution was to add some additional bombers to beef up the attack. This will force the player to take action to defend the convoy.

Green Lighting

As testing continues there comes a time when the content has to reach a completed stage. For WC: Saga this process is called “green lighting”. When a mission reaches a certain level of polish then testers check the fine details to look for any lingering problems.

Here are just a few things that testers are checking:

• All objectives are present.
• Wingmen are behaving appropriately to the situation.
• Voice and message text match.
• Autopilot cameras work correctly (i.e. no ships fly through the camera for example).
• The debriefing is correct and matches the end scenario.
• Your wingmen don’t bump into you while taking off.

There are many more hurdles that must be completed before a mission has been fully checked out. Once a mission has passed all of the checks it can be green-lit and considered finished barring any last minute adjustments.

The Saga Continues

Progress continues on WC: Saga as testers continue to fly missions and discover bugs. Sometimes that means replaying the same mission over and over again to expose bugs or take different actions to test the mission outcomes.

That's it for now. Enjoy some great new screen shots and I'll be back with a third update on beta testing progress in the near future. Until then!

-IceFire

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.18.12

I think it's about time we brought you up to date with one of the changes that have been added to the engine recently: proper widescreen support. This means, that the game will no longer render HUD elements in the hard-coded 1024x768 resolution and then stretch the result to make the elements appear wider. Unlike its predecessor The Darkest Dawn does scale properly at screen resolutions that don't have a 4:3 aspect ratio. From now on HUD elements will be rearranged on the right and the left if you have a widescreen monitor, and look like the image below.

Another feature we are really excited about is the support for more cut scenes. Originally implemented two years ago, this allows the game to play movies before or in place of briefings, debriefings, etc. You all know that Saga does use this to some degree. Whether we were crazy enough to drop text based briefings completely and go for only cut scenes before each mission is another matter.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Colonel IceFire, TCN ONI
DATE: 2011.07.12

Tolywn is hard at work coordinating the next stages of the Wing Commander Saga development so I thought I would give him a break from writing the latest news update.

Some may recognize my old call sign. I've been around the Wing Commander fan world for far too many years (I mean that in a good way). I was introduced to the original game back in 1991. I had to fight to make it to work on that now ancient computer but the effort was well worth it and I have been a fan of the series ever since. I played an extremely small role in getting the Saga team started but I can take very little credit for the hard work has been done by the core team of developers for the last several years.

Beta testing

Most gamers are familiar with the concept of beta testing. Up front it sounds glamorous and exciting to test the latest game and see the latest features. The reality is that the interesting parts are offset by the need to be precise and to test over and over. When something is (or isn't) found, the need to be precise and report the problem in as much detail as possible is vital.

The WC Saga Project's beta test operates on the same principles. The beta test for Saga started out with the first couple of missions in a very early build and subsequent releases have given the testers a deeper look into the game and each of its missions as the testing progresses.

Bugs, bugs, bugs

It is inevitable that no matter how good the developers are, there will always be some sort of error, problem, issue or artistic consideration that has escaped scrutiny. I was recently quoted as saying "I can't recall a time where Wing Commander Saga has been anything but completely stable in these beta tests." That would be true. Since the beta test began I've had absolutely no problems that caused a crash to desktop, a freeze, or other significant game-ending problems.

The kinds of problems you tend to have more on this project are gameplay related. Here are a couple of examples:

• On one of the missions a Terran carrier arrives at a jump point along with its battle group. The carrier is last to arrive and unfortunately was following the same waypoints as an escorting destroyer. Due to game engine considerations the carrier arrives "through" the destroyer and proceeds to fly its waypoints unharmed. Fixed!
• In another mission a group of AI piloted Thunderbolts is supposed to attack a couple of Kilrathi destroyers. The AI instead attacked any enemy craft. Order priorities needed to be altered to make the Thunderbolts do what they were supposed to do. Fixed!

Other problems include issues with the 3D model data resulting in problems with the arcs of turrets such as laser turrets firing through the ship they are mounted on. Identifying the problems is a huge part of the battle. Corrections are made, tested and introduced in the next build of the project.

Testing sometimes borders on the more artistic side as well. In the early beta tests, the mainhall music might have been described as "dramatic". Personally I had developed a habit of turning down the volume when the menu screen was about to appear, however, with some feedback and some fabulous work from the music composer, the theme now builds up brilliantly from a confident but slightly more subdued introduction into that dramatic theme I was talking about earlier.

Ongoing efforts

Testing continues for the WC: Saga project. It really is a monumental effort and everything is considered with a great deal of thought. This is a true fan project and a labour of love. I think that it will show in the final release.

I will be back next week with a few more sumptuous screen shots and a couple more peeks behind the curtain at the beta testing process.

-IceFire

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.24.11

Earlier this week, we announced on Twitter that a new teaser will be released very soon, which happens to be today. So, without further ado, we are happy to present to you the latest Wing Commander Saga Teaser.

It is a time of desperation and despair. Still reeling from the ghastly toll of the Battle of Terra, humanity finds itself pushed closer and closer to the brink of extinction at the hands and claws of the savage Kilrathi Empire. The Confederation is trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of defeats, and hope is slipping away. Already, the Kilrathi are making their final preparations to finish off humanity once and for all.

The end, it seems, is near.

In this setting, human drama is at its most extreme intensity. Hope, fear, desperation, courage, camaraderie, and loss are part of the daily struggle for the people who refuse to stop fighting, even in the face of seemingly inevitable defeat. This is humanity's greatest struggle, its defining moment. This is the Wing Commander Saga.

The teaser has been embedded for your viewing pleasure. While it does not depict an explicit moment in the Wing Commander Saga's story, we believe that it captures its tone. The teaser lasts for about thirty seconds and gives you a glimpse of our CGI animations. Click here, watch, and enjoy! There is more to come soon.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.20.11

With the game getting ready to launch soon, we are working hard on ironing out remaining issues, so that you will get the game that you want and deserve.

Regarding our current progress: I will say the entire team is really psyched right now about the way things are coming together. We think that the energy and synergy we are finding right now will really show in the final product. So while you wait for the next chapter in the unique Wing Commander franchise, we've got some brand new screenshots to share with you. More after the jump.

In these screenshots you'll see some glimpses of various star system as well as our upgraded lighting and shielding system. For anyone hungry for more, we've also added some additional video material to our YouTube channel. Fans of the Wing Commander III designs will not be disappointed. Take a look!

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.08.11

Those of you that follow us closely will have heard the news that we have reached another yet another milestone. Last week we got the VO (voice over) work done. Our thanks to every voice actor that contributed to the development process. This milestone has inspired our new blog post: today we would like to introduce you to several actors behind some of the characters in Wing Commander Saga. Sitting atop the list of new voice talent is Sean Crisden as Sandman. Also joining the cast are (from left to right): Andi Kravljaca, April Lawrence, Danielle McRae, Edwyn Tiong Yung Ron, Jacob Barrens, Jamaal Ephriam, Jennifer Alyx, Jerome Santucci, Joel R. Putnam, Karen N. Kahler, Kevin P. McCulley, Kira Buckland, Kirby Kern, Lewis Roscoe, Mike Barton, Peter Sandon, Robert Benjamin Jr., Ryan Anderson (reprising his role as Ninja), Scott Stoked, Steven Richards, Ted Alexander, Tori Kamal, Zach Holzman...

...and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

It's been incredible to work with such a talented group and we can't wait for everyone to actually hear them in the game. Who was your favorite actor/character in Wing Commander Saga: Prologue?

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.07.11

At the heart of fancy space combat action is always a good conversation - last week we got the voice over work done, and it came out fantastic. Wing Commander Saga will feature an incredible number of lines of dialogue recorded: between 10.000 and 11.000, versus Prologue's 700 lines. 11.000 lines of dialog sounds like a lot for a fan project. Voice recording ran for over seven months, amounting to nearly 100.000 words recorded – that’s almost 10 hours of dialogue.

The overall experience was amazing - as were the actors. These guys and gals just nailed it. I'm not going to pretend that my direction helped them - they really didn't need it.

One way in which Saga stands apart from any other Freespace SCP engine based game is the way we handle player's orders: any command issued by Sandman is fully voiced, making the overall gaming experience more immersive.

As a little treat, we're releasing new screenshots to go along with this news update. Enjoy!

As ever, tweet us or facebook us with thoughts and complaints. We need love.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.18.10

Last month, we announced that the next phase of the beta test is about to start. Since then, we’ve been overwhelmed by the number of requests we’ve received to beta-test. We’ve invited a number of new testers in, but if we’ve missed you then don’t worry - we will continue to invite more testers as the release date draws nearer.

Over the months following the start of the beta test, we’ve continued to listen and monitor discussions and requests related to the game design. We are still quite open to ideas. As we are adding finishing touches and smoothing over any wrinkles the beta testers find, the game comes closer and closer to completion. As it stands we're about 67% through the beta test and we're close to mastering the first 18 missions.

We thought we would take a little time out to explain what we’ve changed, improved and added:

• There are a number of small improvements, some are very subtle but all of them combine to make the game work smoother and faster.
• Music is a wrap. The quality and effort our composers put into the production is to be commended.
• Introducing new ships is always a challenge - a lot of game balancing had to be made to find the right gameplay dynamics.
• We’ve also completely changed the way Saga handles player’s voice - his lines are no longer put through a radio filter to make them sound like they're coming over a low-bandwidth connection. This makes it easier to connect to Sandman and identify the lines which are spoken by “us”.  
• We’ve redesigned the in-flight communication system. Everybody has commented on a marked improvement of immersion feeling by now. We’ll go more into detail in one of our upcoming update.

A nice side effect of the feedback from our beta testers is a collection of testimonials that we can use to keep you up to date with progress and gameplay mechanics. Here are a few random quotes from six different testers:

«Wing Commander Saga will surely deliver the best experience you can get in Wing Commander Universe. Considering it is a mod based on the modified Freespace engine it is amazing, how the developers were able to retain the feeling of the original, introducing exceptional visual and audio, storytelling and gameplay. Diversity is it's middle name - you will not get bored with this one. Each mission is different and has its own memorable moments and characters (jokes and easter eggs also included as well as few cameos). The game is well thought out in every respect. You can see that the team responsible for this one gave it their soul, heart, sweat and tears. You can bet on one thing for certain - it is worth the wait... it is a rough diamond that needs to be polished.»

«When considering this game is being developed in the free time of the devs its professional finish is that much more amazing. The textures and lighting are incredible and the backdrops are gorgeous. The missions are incredibly well put together and the in game communications between the pilots and to and from capital ships is prefect. What makes the game shine though, is its voice cast. They're the (shiny) icing on the amazing cake. The graphics and music make you feel like you're there. But when the in mission banter starts you ARE there. You can't help but wince when you hear someone's ejecting and you feel obligated to help out your wingmen when they shout for help. The love for Wing Commander truly shines through during missions.»

«As a standalone game, WC Saga pulls you into the Wing Commander universe with modern graphics, a believable storyline, fighters and bombers you were familiar with as well as the next generation of fighters and bombers. Are there differences in this game and the other Wing Commander games? This game is running on a Freespace-2 engine and actually has better graphics than the original games. Other than that, the differences are no more than the differences seen from between each of the other Wing Commander games and their successor.»

«Playing through the Saga beta gives me a similar feeling to the old school games, which is a great thing. The initial atmosphere when you boot it up SCREAMS Wing Commander loud and clear. I love the revised interface of the main hall, it goes a long way to removing vestiges of "Freespace" and making this its own game. The soundtrack that greets you is also something special, kudos to the composer.»

«I stayed up too late last night playing the Beta. Cheating a little, I skipped around the missions a bit (to the good parts... the parts that I'm in), but I must say this is a LOT of fun to play! Any fan of WC3 or WC4 should have a blast with this. Early congrats to the entire programming team!»

«How Saga works at the moment is fine for me. It refines the very essence of WC and adds a lot of modern features (more ships at once, nice fs2open gfx etc.) and an unbelievable amount of heart blood. To be honest: I did never expect Saga to be this awesome. So I don't care about features that "could have been" in the game. If you had the time and would get paid for it you probably would have programmed a new engine to do everything from scratch. What we have already seen in this beta is far more than enough to say that this is one of the most ambitious fan projects of all time and I'm sure you've got one or another ace in the hole.»

There are still a few hitches and we are going to continue the beta test for a few more weeks. Once again, we would like to thank everybody who’s been involved with Wing Commander Saga so far. As ever, we look forward to your questions and comments: tweet us, facebook us or send us some abuse via email. Let’s go blast some cats!

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.25.09

In its current state, Saga has the following

• Over nine hours of voice dialogue.
• Approximately 70 cut scenes for a total of about 90 minutes of pre-rendered footage (not counting in-flight communications and command briefings).
• Over 60 voice actors, some of whom are actual professionals.
• 221 voice acting roles.
• 55 missions.
• Achievements (mission performance is evaluated and rewarded)
• 90 models created for Saga.
• Download size of 3-4GB with an installation size of 8-9 GB

What is our status? The game is fully playable, and we are currently in beta testing. Our beta testers have access to 60% of the game right now. We are using an iterational approach to the beta test. Every 14-21 days a new beta is released to our testers which incorporates new assets as well as bug fixes and improvements based on the feedback received after the previous beta release.

Comment us, tweet us, or facebook us if you're happy or unhappy about anything.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.11.09

We anticipate the next phase of the beta will begin sometime next week. All players who had access to the first phase will retain access. To participate, fill out the beta tester sign up form.

Beta testers need to meet the minimum computer specifications – detailed on the "System Requirements" page – and have internet access.

Interest in games -- especially space sims -- is an advantage, as is any testing experience you might have. Applicants have to be aware that beta testing is not just about playing and having fun with the game, and that there is work involved. Testers will be asked to devote several hours per week to testing and will be asked to test certain missions, weapons, or ships. Testers will also be required to send in bug reports and answer the occational test survey to be able to continue their participation in the beta test.

We are looking for people that can communicate their ideas clearly and have an eye for detail. During the testing process, you will have to explain to us how you found potential bugs and problems in the game and how to reproduce them. We will also ask for your views on game design and playability in order to improve the game. This gives participants several opportunities to contribute to the creation of Wing Commander Saga.

We can't overestimate the value of fresh play tester eyes on the product. As developers, we look at the thing all day, everyday, and to be honest, we lose perspective. When we're able to watch a new "fresh to the game" player run through the game, we get to see the game play out in a whole new way. We get to see when things are good, but more importantly, with the aide of our new set of eyes we can't hide from something that's just not working. We're forced to face it and fix it -  which leads to a stronger product.

- Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.29.08

It's been four hectic weeks for us. Our testers were looking for problems and tweaks that have to be done. A few voice lines still need to trickle in, but for the most part, we have our game now. It is stable and it is fun. Right now, we are in the process of finalizing the game, but small changes are still coming up. We're really trying to polish individual elements until they're really fun.

We got a lot of great feedback from our testers. The game has made significant progress since the very first beta: all placeholders have been replaced with final assets, we've done additional work on the AI, overall balancing and autopilot behavior.

One of the things we are really excited about is our music. It shouldn't come as a suprise that a good soundtrack makes a big difference, it adds to the overall atmosphere and helps accent the player emotions. Jeff Ball and Tim Janssens absolutely nailed it.

Keep your eyes on wcsaga.com for future updates and don't forget to tweet us, facebook us or e-mail us comments, abuse or release date inquiries.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.28.07

I wanted to take a little bit of time today and talk about our current progress. Those of you who have been following us closely on Facebook/Twitter have probably heard that we are just a few weeks away from being content complete. During the next few days we will be working on missing assets as we get ready to lock down. Right now our big focus is on balance tweaks, bug fixing and the little details that make the game feel more "real". The exciting thing is that we're actually wrapping this thing up.

This weekend we will also release next beta version to our testers. Things are moving really well for us and it is unbelievable watching everything coming together. There's a lot more polish since the very first beta, all the Prologue placeholder assets are gone, and the gameplay is much much tighter.

One issue that we had to crack, was the dialogue length. Most gamers don't want to listen to characters drone on in endless conversations, they want to play the game and to explore the story. So, on the one hand, we have to convey the message in the fewest possible syllables, and on the other, it has to be more than "Sandman, break and attack!". These opposing requirements make for some very interesting writing challenges. We want each character to be an actual character, meaning that all of them speak in their own manner.

The next couple of weeks will be very hectic. Best of all, we're making steady progress, but we are still remaining incredibly flexible. Honestly, that's one of the things I'm excited about: using beta feedback to adjust the game. We want to make the game you all want to play - after all, we're making it for you.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.17.07

Like many of you, we have been excited to see the resurgence of Wing Commander in the form of the release of Privateer on Good Old Games.

Our project has never been an attempt to "remake" Wing Commander. Like all of you, the ingenuity of the Wing Commander games and the vision and hard work of their creators caught our imaginations and inspired us in many ways. Our efforts in making Wing Commander Saga have always been intended as an homage to Chris Roberts, Origin, Electronic Arts, and all who have been involved in creating Wing Commander.

It is our way of showing our respect and admiration for their work It has always been our hope that our efforts would show them how much their work is appreciated and how much there is still a market out there, ready and waiting for them, should they ever decide to fully revive the Wing Commander line.

We have been excited to see Origin reappearing in this way, and we hope to see it continue to re-emerge in other ways. We are hoping to release Saga within this year, and we hope, like many of you, to see the authentic Wing Commander continue to make a comeback this year and well into the future.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.09.07

We have some exciting news! Our latest beta update is now available to our beta testers. With this release we have introduced a ton of new features including (but not limited to):

• revamped launcher: revised UI and user friendly navigation
• performance improvements in various areas
• HUD enchancements
• revised mouse control
• sound system updates

And much, much more...

As always, we would like to thank you for your continued support. We’ll see you soon in space.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.10.06

It's been a while. We are very sorry about that, but here it is. The latest and greatest.

First off, we're hard at work on Wing Commander Saga, going through all the beta feedback we've received to make adjustments to the design. We are very excited about the positive response many testers have been giving the game. It's awesome to finally see people playing Wing Commander Saga, analyzing the content, the gameplay, the story and the characters. I think everyone has commented on the "fun factor" that the game possesses. That was our goal from day one, and we think we achieved it.

It is amazing when we look back at how far we've come. We have poured our heart into our work over the years, and the results really show. Wing Commander Saga is polished, beautiful and fun, but more importantly it has a soul, and that only comes when you have a team dedicated to the vision of what they're creating and unwilling to settle for anything less than outstanding.

Secondly, we have new media to share. I believe they are all from one environment and should offer an insight of what to expect from the space combat fights in the game. Enjoy!

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.11.05

This time, we like to show off another carrier class that will be featured in the Darkest Dawn: the Terran heavy carrier. This is a traditional carrier that relies on her fighters and escort capital ships for protection.

This carrier was first seen in the Super Wing Commander remake on the Sega CD game as an alternate model to the TCS Tiger’s Claw and the rest of the Bengal-class carriers. It is also seen in Wing Commander Armada as the player’s carrier, the TCS Lexington, a self-sustaining carrier that was sent deep behind enemy lines in a high-risk operation.

The Saga team took the original design, incorporated several features about Terran fleet carrier design from the novels, and worked hard to “reboot” this carrier for the Darkest Dawn, this time as a modern class of carriers that sustains life to Confed’s shattered military after the Battle of Earth.

After the Battle of Earth, the Lexington-class is the new backbone of the Terran Defense Fleet. More then a match for their Kilrathi counterparts, these carriers can take critical hits in multiple launch bays and still maintain flight operations. They are traditional carriers with minimal weapons and must rely on escorting warships for support, but they do possess a full compliment of fighters and the heaviest shielding and armor this side of a starbase. The majority of these vessels have been withheld from the front to defend Earth and the Inner Colonies.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.05.04

We apologize for the lack of updates lately. We have been working hard on the beta test. We are putting finishing touches, resolving any last minute issues, polishing our missions to a mirror shine, and adding in all the little bells and whistles that made the original Wing Commander games so great.

Voice acting is proceeding very well. On that note, Bravo Zulu to all who helped us make some of those extra comm lines! They are being put to great use.

Another work item are communications videos. When we came up with all of these capital ship, pilots, and other personas years ago, little did we know that eventually we would have to individually model and render each character to animated video. That is a lot of videos and time! But we adapted quickly, and we got them out of the way.

Here is a little sample of our work.

- Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.08.03

We would like to thank everyone who submitted an application to help us beta test the Wing Commander Saga: The Darkest Dawn. If you have been selected as a beta tester, we had already contacted you at the e-mail address that you have provided for us. If you have not been selected, please don't feel bad or take it personally. We received a very large number of very well-qualified applications, putting us in the difficult position of trying to decide how to narrow things down and choose a more focused number of beta testers. Thank your all for your interest and support, it has been nice to see your enthusiasm. We look forward to this beta test and hope that it will allow us to provide you with a very polished game experience when the game is released. Whether or not you were chosen as a beta tester, you will be able to get your chance to try Saga soon enough.

- Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.11.02

Whenever we do something, we always make sure the job’s done through. That is one of the reasons why we went back and rendered several characters, Sandman’s flight school classmates, that were briefly mentioned in the Prologue missions and the accompanying e-book. Few of them will move on and make appearances in the main campaign.

• Second Lieutenant Thad “Champ” Cooper
• Second Lieutenant Angela “Panzer” DeMarco
• Second Lieutenant Jeremy “Floyd” Pink
• Second Lieutenant Joseph “Hoobler” Hornaday

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.06.02

For this next few character updates, we like to focus on characters first encountered in the Prologue who will carry over into the main campaign. Anyone who played the Prologue would remember Kettle as Sandman’s senior flight instructor on the TCS Wellington. Kettle returns as Sandman’s first squadron leader on the TCS Hermes.

• Major Kenneth “Kettle” Baws

Sandman’s senior flight instructor on the TCS Wellington, he is tough but respectful and fair. He returns to the front line aboard the TCS Hermes, where his past experience has honed him into an ideal squadron commander.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.04.02

This week, the Saga team would like to show off another ship: the Confed light cruiser. This vessel is meant to fill in the gaps of the Confed Fleet as well as to show a conceptual design that’s been mentioned in the various novels.

This ship is intended to be the same class of Kilrathi War-era light cruisers that were sold off by the Confederation to the Landerich during the False Colors novel. Such fans would remember some of the vessels as the FRLS Themistocles (ex-TCS Andromache) and the FRLS Xenophon.

Our fans and resident naval experts can be quick to point out the differences and similarities between the Terran and Kilrathi light cruisers in this game. To begin with, both were not in the game but mentioned in various novels and lost concept art. While the Kilrathi light cruiser is an anti-aircraft vessel, the Terran light cruiser is optimized as a hit-and-fade vessel.

This Terran light cruiser is a medium-weight, fast warship that is well-adapt either as a carrier escort, convoy raider, or flotilla leader. It lacks the heavy cruiser’s keel-mounted plasma cannon and heavy protection in exchange for faster speed and greater acceleration, but its anti-matter guns and missile tubes make it a formidable strike platform. Savannah-class cruisers blend a dangerous combination of firepower and speed, it can outrun anything it can’t outgun and can outgun anything it can’t outrun.

-Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2010.29.01

A new opportunity has arisen for you to help out the Wing Commander Saga team. We are currently looking for a highly motivated person to fill in as a voice acting coordinator. This is an exciting and rewarding position and you will be directly working with members of the development team. Interested? Want to know more? Just drop us a line at info{_AT_}wcsaga.com.

- Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.23.01

Our team is seriously considering starting a beta test at the beginning of February. There is a caveat, though; the number of beta testers will be limited. However, we are now accepting applications for the upcoming beta test of Wing Commander Saga, our remake of the famous space simulator universe. To participate in this exciting adventure, fill out the beta tester sign up form.

Beta testers need to meet the minimum computer specifications – detailed on the "System Requirements" page – and have internet access.

Interest in games -- especially space sims -- is an advantage, as is any testing experience you might have. Applicants have to be aware that beta testing is not just about playing and having fun with the game, and that there is work involved. Testers will be asked to devote several hours per week to testing and will be asked to test certain missions, weapons, or ships. Testers will also be required to send in bug reports and answer the occational test survey to be able to continue their participation in the beta test.

We are looking for people that can communicate their ideas clearly and have an eye for detail. During the testing process, you will have to explain to us how you found potential bugs and problems in the game and how to reproduce them. We will also ask for your views on game design and playability in order to improve the game. This gives participants several opportunities to contribute to the creation of Wing Commander Saga.

We can't overestimate the value of fresh play tester eyes on the product. As developers, we look at the thing all day, everyday, and to be honest, we lose perspective. When we're able to watch a new "fresh to the game" player run through the game, we get to see the game play out in a whole new way. We get to see when things are good, but more importantly, with the aide of our new set of eyes we can't hide from something that's just not working. We're forced to face it and fix it -  which leads to a stronger product.

- Tolwyn

FROM: Rear Admiral Tolwyn, CINCWEAPONSDIVISION
DATE: 2011.20.01

It’s not Wing Commander without characters right? It’s not the type of fighter that determines the outcome of a dogfight, it is the pilot flying it. And of course, one pilot doesn’t win the war, he is one of many.

The Saga team spent a lot of research in determining the type of characters and personalities. Games were played over, novels were re-read, video cutscenes were watched again, all in trying to find out who had “the right stuff”. Who should be the mentor? Who should be the bad guy? Who should be the anti-hero? Who should be friendly, who should not? Who would have the most impact if he/she was killed off? The list goes on.

It’s one thing to write about a character, but it’s another to actually model and portray it visually. When we meet a person for the first time in real life, his or her appearances normally forms a first impression that sticks. As a fan developed game project, it may be different circumstances but the theory remains the same.

The ones used for the WC Saga prologue were rather lacking, so we had to start from scratch all over again. We modeled uniforms, ranks, flightsuits, helmets, and so forth. Individual CGI models were scrutinized to see if they truly represented the characters that were intended to be portrayed.

The character database will soon take shape as we add individual entries. For now, who better to kick it off then the main character. We played Wing Commander 3 from the perspective of a veteran Colonel, so we thought it was best to have a whole new WC3 experience from the eyes of a new rookie.

• Second Lieutenant David 'Sandman' Markham

Our hero of Wing Commander Saga: The Darkest Dawn, this young man is first seen in the Prologue as he finishes up his flight training. With his training complete, while much earlier then expected, he is now a fully qualified combat pilot. Transferred to the TCS Hermes as a battlefield replacement, it is here that Sandman’s journey will truly begin.

-Tolwyn