r/WingCommanderUniverse

I've been experimenting with OpenPrivateer's modding capabilities and recreated four quadrants from the original Privateer 3: Retribution design documents, including their star systems, positions, and jump connections.

The original design documents are available on WCNews:
https://www.wcnews.com/wcpedia/Privateer_3:_Retribution

I wanted to see what these never-realized quadrants would actually look like in the classic Privateer engine.

This is just a personal experiment, and I don't plan to release the mod, but wouldn't it be awesome if someone actually brought Privateer 3 to life?

We've been putting a lot of work into OpenPrivateer's modding support recently, and it has grown quite a bit.

OpenPrivateer is our open-source reconstruction and SDL3 port of Wing Commander: Privateer and Righteous Fire.

Multiplayer foundations are already in place, with both PvP and PvE supported.

Classic mode aims to preserve the original experience, while all modding features live in Enhanced and Modern:

Universe

• Add new star systems
• Add new sectors and quadrants
• Add new nav points and jump connections
• Add new bases
• Connect new systems to Gemini or to each other
• Hide/filter systems and sectors from the navigation map
• The Wing Commander Universe sector map is built in, with more of it becoming visitable as development continues

Weapons

• Modify all stock guns
• Add completely new guns
• Custom projectile art, MFD/dealer art and sounds
• Modify missiles, torpedoes and launchers
• Add charge weapons
• Add hitscan/beam weapons
• Change damage, energy use, refire rates, range, velocity, wear and other stats

Ships and equipment

• Modify shields, engines and armour
• Modify ECM and repair droids
• Modify the Righteous Fire ship upgrades
• Change equipment prices and repair costs
• Change which equipment is available for each ship
• Restrict equipment by base, system, quadrant or faction

Missions

• Add new patrol missions
• Scout missions
• Defend missions
• Attack missions
• Bounty missions
• Cargo missions
• Custom clients, text, enemies, destinations, cargo and payment rules
• Missions can take place in completely new systems and use modded bases

New Game

• Choose a different starting base
• Change starting credits, reputation, kills and guild memberships
• Change unlocked maps
• Set default pilot name/callsign
• Define the complete starting ship and equipment loadout
• Starting at a newly added mod base is supported

If you need help with modding or want some JSON examples to get started, consult the manual on https://openprivateer.org and feel free to join us on Discord https://discord.gg/5H3vW2STqW or over at r/WingCommanderUniverse.

A built-in mod manager for easy installation and management of mods is also planned for the launcher.

We've also tried to keep this tied closely to how Privateer actually works. Where the original formats can represent something, OpenPrivateer still uses them. A mod-generated mission, for example, becomes a normal Privateer mission internally. OpenPrivateer-specific save data is only needed when the original format simply can't represent something, such as a mission taking place in a completely new system.

And yes, ships are next.

The plan is:

1. New NPC ships
2. New player-flyable ships

Player ships are the bigger job because they bring cockpits, hardpoints, equipment, damage states, dealers and savegame handling with them. The goal is proper new ships, not just replacing or reskinning one of the existing ship IDs.

As always, OpenPrivateer requires the original Privateer game data. We don't distribute Origin's assets.