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Perhaps in a nod to this in-joke, when the character was given an actual name in later installments, Origin chose "Blair", a shortened version of the old nickname. The development team's nickname for the otherwise-unnamed protagonist was "Bluehair", due to his unusual shade of hair.
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Originally announced as Squadron, the name was changed to Wingleader shortly into development however, trademark issues forced a name change to Wing Commander at the last moment. In-game cinematics in "newsreel" format reflected the success or failure of the player and the Claw. The game was notable for its innovative and seldom-repeated "campaign tree" structure, whereby the "path" the player took on the way to the end would be determined by the player's performance on preceding missions. Through the course of the Vega campaign, the player can gain numerous promotions and medals and fly in various squadrons, each featuring a different fighter. Through the player's heroic efforts, the Confederation is able to destroy the Kilrathi's sector headquarters and drive them from the Vega sector. As of Wing Commander 3, the protagonist is given the canonical name Christopher "Maverick" Blair. The player can set this character's name and callsign in the first games in the franchise. The player begins his tour of duty as a young space fighter pilot on the carrier the TCS Tiger's Claw. Main article: Wing Commander (video game) Starting with Wing Commander III, every game (excluding Secret Ops) contained cutscenes that incorporated live action filming, starring several major Hollywood actors, including John Rhys-Davies, Mark Hamill, Thomas F. Wilson and Malcolm McDowell, as well as Christopher Walken, John Hurt, and Clive Owen in Privateer 2: The Darkening. The games were all notable for their storytelling through extensive cutscenes. Launching from carrier ships, the player fulfills various missions in space fighter aircraft. The Terran Confederation is an alliance of systems and regional governments which provide unified protection and economic growth. The player represents the Terran Confederation, the primary human government in the Wing Commander series. The species is featured in every game, with later games revealing more complex characters than just a faceless enemy. Physically they are bipeds who strongly resemble big cats: they have leonine manes, but also have markings which distinguish their clan of origin. The Kilrathi are native to the planet Kilrah with their society depicted as an empire. Set in the 27th century, the games tell the story of humanity's war against the Kilrathi, an alien species of large feline bipeds.
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