**************************************** * * * FEDERATION DATA SPACE NEWS SERVICE * * * * from * * H-by-A * * * * 27 August 1990 * * * **************************************** IN THE MOOD ----------- Despite the report in last week's News that there would be no changes to Fed for a couple of weeks while Our Illustrious Leader took a break from her toil, she has sneaked in a couple of new features. She obviously can't bear to leave the game alone without tinkering with it every couple of days! We have a new command - . This enables you to change the way you enter a room. Instead of having the game inform everyone that "Newbod has just entered the room", which is extremely boring, you can be announced in any way you like! For example, "An extremely boring person called Newbod has just entered the room". Just type where "qualifier" is what you want tacked onto the front of the message, up to 35 characters long. In its simplest form, you can use it to remind people of your rank: will result in the message "Captain Newbod has just entered the room". You can use it to describe yourself: "A handsome hunk called Newbod has just entered the room". Or, as the name suggests, to show your mood: "An excited Newbod..." or even "Grinning wildly, Newbod...". Well, you get the idea. Your mood will also show when people do a or . At the moment, it doesn't show when you leave a location, but this may be changed it enough people request it. Unfortunately, once you have set up your mood there is no way to turn it off, and it's carried over from game to game. Our Illustrious Leader will provide a command but not for a couple of weeks. So for the time being you are stuck with it! NICE TO BE WANTED ----------------- Of course, you all know about the command. It shows the prices that have been put on the heads of players currently in the game. But now it will show the mobiles' bounty as well, so you can see how much you will get if you manage to bump off Pegasus - an amount not to be sneezed at! However, experience has shown that it takes at least three people working together to kill the horse, and it is not exactly the safest task to undertake, so maybe he is safe for a while. GOTO ARRIVES ------------ As detailed in the last issue of the News, is now here. See the News Archives in the BBS (Topic 13) or The Idiot's Guide for full instructions. FED BBS AND LIBRARY ------------------- The Fed category (29) of Scorpia's games BBS (page 805) contains some very interesting discussions, and lots of useful information. The discussions include the etiquette of accepting jobs before you are at the pickup planet, how much information players should give away to others and how much they should have to work out for themselves, and roleplaying in Fed. There's a problem page, a suggestion box for any changes or additions to the game, and instructions about aspects of the game not covered by The Idiot's Guide, courtesy of those very nice H-by-A people. The more people that join in these discussions, the more lively the area will be, so go and contribute at once! Fed also has its own library, Library 22. It already contains some ASCII maps of Fed Data Space by Commander Hussein, a very good colour map of the Solar System, and some help files by Robinson and Renegade. THE FIRST JP? ------------- Merchant Gonzul looks like he may become the first JP on GEnie. Despite several players being ahead of him in the Conclave, he is the first to have the necessary stats (75 strenth and 40 dex) to start working on the fiendish JP puzzle. The promotion to JP is the first that requires more than just a certain amount of jobs, money or stats. You actually need to use your brain! Well, before brainpower is called for, it's gunpower that is brought into play, because the start of chain of events that can lead to JourneyPersonHood is blowing that loathesome pirate, Monty, out of the sky. For those of you who haven't yet fired your weapons, it is advisable to practice on some of the wimpier mobiles like the Vega and the Xerxes - or, indeed, on each other! - before tackling the rogue bucanneer. Gonzul has succeeded at this part of his quest (possibly the first player to do so) and is now well into the puzzle itself. The puzzle has several parts to it, and the wannabe-JP has breezed through the first few parts without too much difficulty. But lest he become too smug, we feel obliged to point out that these are merely in the nature of a warm-up. He is about to embark on the most difficult part of his task. We foresee much wailing and gnashing of teeth - not to mention bloodstained vac suits - as he tries to solve the puzzle and attain the coveted title of GEnie's First JP! REMEMBER THAT PARTY? -------------------- How could you forget the amazingly successful *Starship* party held in Fed Data Space a few weeks ago. We are now delighted to include in this News an eye-witness report of some of the events in the party. Adventureuse Penni has this to say: Cosmic Chaos!! A Galactic Gala!! Planetary Partying!! Federation was the *space* to be for the grand opening of the Starship Cantina. With the Federation Folks providing the prizes and the Amiga Starship group hosting the party and contests, there was fun for all! Regretably, Diesel could not close up her pub to attend but, she probably caught some of the overflow from the party on Earth. Players flew to Earth where Robinson was at the terminus to guide them to the Cantina. This proved to be a dubious honor. Each time Lady began a new contest, throngs of players left the Cantina for their ships. Imagine the exhaust that blasted poor Robinson with each mass ascension from Earth! A grand sight! He was all choked up! ::COUGH:: A partial list of those who exhausted Robinson are: Clapbane, Gonzul, Ginja, Occy, Piemur, Niun, Stupid, Roberts, Santiago, Fox, Bob, Rik, Prospero, Stardancer, Telsa, Dave, Penni, and Rick. Better have those ships conform to EPA standards *next* time players! Contests ranged from scavenger hunts, hide and seek, to best wardrobe and best paint job on a ship. Congrats to Santiago (the Dapper) and Stupid for his 'eclectic' ship decor. Congrats should also go to Santiago for perhaps, being the only intellectual in Federation Data Space that night. When a hunt using a "party hat" clue was on, everyone one save Santiago, headed for Diesels to search. Santiago made a mad dash for the Venus Liberation Party Headquarters and WON! Others think fun, Santiago thinks politics. Thank you, Penni. Your cheque is in the post. And here are just some of the amazing costumes that people wore to the party: >examine Lady Lady winks back at you with a twinkle in her eye! Her backless cocktail dress of flowing fabric changes hues as she moves towards you.... >examine hazed Hazed is wearing her best party frock for the occasion - strapless, backless, and very nearly frontless! She is clutching a bottle of champage and grinning drunkenly. >examine piemur You see a human of average height wearing a combination urban blue/lunar beigh vac suit under a large dusty black overcoat.. >examine prospero Prospero is wearing a black and silver outfit with a cape over his shoulder and a force sword on his belt. "felice" is tatooed on his arm..... >examine roberts Roberts is an athletic man with eyes like the sea before a storm. He wears a jet black officer's uniform. Noticing your gaze, he smiles roguishly at you. >examine santiago You see a handsome man wearing black pants, a flowing white shirt, and a sky blue cape. He is bowing to you and waving a wide brimmed hat with a white plume.. >examine fox Smiling green eyes capture yours and sparkle with promises. Oh, such promises ..... >examine occy Occy has a grin on her face, you notice she is dressed in a deep purple top with a pair of tight black leather pants trimed with a silver belt.. >examine stardancer Nike running shoes (white, of course), Levi's jeans (faded, but not ripped), and a brilliant yellow Ocean Pacific T-shirt, topped off by mirror sunshades.. >examine ginja Ginja is wearing a emerald Martian-style skintight jumpsuit, matching her stylishly long green hair.. >examine tesla Tesla looks ravishing in a skintight platinum jumpsuit. Her hair is done in the latest Venusian fashion, and tiny opal earrings sparkle from her ears.. >examine stupid A handsome young man with an engaging smile returns your gaze with alarmingly beautiful blue-grey eyes that betray his intelligence. And, of course, some of the ships: **Prospero: You see a sleek black smuggler's craft with long shark teeth painted on the nose, "Eat Me!" is painted on the side.. **Gonzul: >ex tackyon This ship is fluorescent orange with purple chevrons and the name lettered in bilious green. Could this be camouflage for the color blind? **Clapbane: >ex princesspele Along each side a pseudopyrometenamel painting of a volcano comes to a peak at the exhausts...and Pele herself as a figurehead in front. **Rick: >ex space The Space is painted dead black, nearly invisible against the night sky. The only mark is a silver Rose painted near the bow. **Piemur: >ex dragon The many gothic protrusions and the various shades of nausea green paint, lead you to conclude that this ship is owned by a mad architect with stomach cramps. **Santiago: ex scumpuppy As you glance at this rather ordinary looking ship, you realize that this is none other than the Scumpuppy, the fastest ship in the galaxy **Fox: >ex banzai You bonk your head on an old, moss-covered log. Now don't you feel kind of silly? **Starwolf: >ex wolfbane As you look at the Wolfbane the Large Grining wolf with a Twinkle in his eye draws your attention. As you stare into his eyes a shiver goes up your spine.. **Ginja: ex emeraldstar The EmeraldStar matches its name - a green arrow with silver fins, lean and lively. **Stupid: ex idiocy The Idiocy is a stunning marvel of grace and sophistication, with smoothly flowing edges which imply much work and forethought went into its design. **Penni: >ex lolliepop A high tack flamingo pink, angora dice hang from the command center, and Alfred E. Newman is the mast head. Which only goes to show that there are some very warped minds in Fed Data Space! GOSSIP, SCANDAL AND SLANDER --------------------------- We've come to the conclusion that you lot are just far too well- behaved for you own good. Either that, or you are all terrified to sneak on each other. Whatever, we are extremely disappointed at the lack of scurrilous reports received for our gossip section. This just isn't good enough! We suggest you start supplying us with some juicy scandal, or we will be forced to start using our twin lasers to liven things up. You have been warned!