**>> SPYNET BULLETIN
 **>> EARTHDATE 90.11.25
 **>> AN H-by-A SERVICE
 
 
 **>> A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH
 
There is very little that is fatal in Fed. With the exception of areas that 
only open up to higher ranks, there are only five places in Fed that can kill 
you, and all of them have some sort of warning which should stop you 
blundering into them unawares. Monty and Pegasus leave the lower ranks alone, 
in general, and higher players who may get attacked can afford to armour their 
ships so they don't get wiped out with one shot - and by keeping computers on 
auto and using the navigation routes, you can be even safer.
 
Despite the relative safety of Fed Data Space, people do manage to kill 
themselves with monotonous regularity! That's why we provide insurance; so 
that if you are careless, or unlucky, you don't have to start the game again 
from scratch.
 
If anyone is killed by a bug in the game we will reimburse their insurance, 
and eliminate the bug so it doesn't happen again. If a bug kills someone dead-
dead, we will without hesitation reinstate their persona.
 
However, we have to be sure it is a bug that caused the death, and by that we 
mean a bug in Fed itself. Line noise happening at the wrong time can kill you 
- it can fly you into the sun, or prevent you from noticing an attack by Monty 
or Pegasus in time to run away. But that's not a bug, and we don't feel 
obliged to reinstate personas who suffer from line noise.
 
If you have a problem with your terminal program or your computer, we don't 
count that as a bug since it is something we have no control over. If there is 
a problem with GEnie, we don't count that as a bug either - although we will 
reimburse people who lose out due to GEnie crashes.
 
There's a bit of controversy over this in the Fed BBS at the moment (SCORPIA 
cat 29), which was sparked off by Florence, a recently-promoted JP, dying 
dead-dead.
 
Florence said it was a bug that caused her death, but after several days of 
work we were unable to find a bug, or to duplicate the circumstances of her 
death. So we told her that we couldn't reinstate her persona.
 
And thus the contoversy started! Some people (apart from Florence, obviously!) 
thought she should be reinstated. Some thought people should not be removed 
from the game entirely when they died dead-dead, but should be demoted a few 
ranks. Others thought the insurance office should be relocated to Earth. 
It is worth pointing out that the system of insurance is one of Fed's unique 
features; in most games, if you die once you either disappear completely, or 
are demoted considerably, and there is no way to prevent this!
 
In cases where there is doubt about the exact circumstances surrounding death, 
Bella usually consults the Conclave and asks for their opinion. However, the 
final decision is hers alone.
 
In the case of Florence, we are still not clear what happened. We don't think 
her death was caused by a bug in the game, but it does look as if it wasn't 
just carelessness on Florence's part.
 
So, the decision hasn't been made yet. We'll let you know next week whether 
Flo gets her persona back or not.
 
Meanwhile, Bella is considering changing the game so that players at GM or 
over would not die dead-dead, but would be demoted to Trader or Merchant. This 
isn't definite yet, so don't get too exciting. 
But just consider for one moment - would Fed be as enjoyable if there was no 
risk at all?
 
 
 **>> THE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO FEDERATION II
 
Times change, Fed Data Space is developed, and the online manual needs 
updating. Those jolly nice H-by-A people are currently slaving over a hot 
keyboard to provide a new, biologically improved version for you to download. 
We are, of course, of the opinion that the Idiot's Guide to Federation II is 
perfect, and if Our Illustrious Leader would stop tampering with things we 
would have a much quieter life. But c'est la vie!
 
Speaking of the Idiot's Guide, may we just take this opportunity to remind you 
that you can buy the printed version of the Guide from GEnie for $12.95. It 
contains lots of inside information and pretty pictures, as well as a 
different joke! But of course, we are sure you have already rushed over to 
GEnie's ordering section and ordered one! Haven't you?
 
 
 **>> ARRRHH, JIM LAD!
 
Poor Slipperyjim has been feeling very lonely and left out. Despite the 
abundance of beautiful, friendly, accommodating women in Fed Data Space, no-
one seemed willing to kiss him.
 
Was it his looks? Was he dressed in an un-trendy fashion? Did he suffer from 
some embarrassing personal problem, about which good taste prevents us from 
going into details in a family news bulletin?
 
No. It was much simpler than that. His name was too long. No-one liked typing 
<KISS SLIPPERYJIM>.
 
So he threw himself on the mercy of Our Illustrious Leader, and asked if she 
would shorten his name. She agreed - for a price! Slipperyjim paid over the 
round sum of 1 megagroat (plus tax) and will henceforth be known as boring but 
type-able Jim.
 
Now if only we could persuade Craptosporidium to do the same...
 
 
 **>> PROMOTIONS NEWS
 
Congratulations to Aeron, who made JP last week, and to Powerlord who is now 
a Trader.
 
Don't forget that if you would like your promotion mentioned in the news, you 
need to tell us about it! Mail Federation Feedback if you want to see your 
name in lights.
 
On the subject of promotions... Piemur is still wrestling with the GM puzzle. 
He has now got to the stage of needing to crack a code which will tell him 
exactly what he should be doing. While it is possible to work out, by trial 
and error, how to solve the puzzle without deciphering the code, it's much 
easier if you can solve it!
 
But Piemur was completely stumped on the code. He kept trying to weasle clues 
out of Hazed, and she helped him a little but would not tell him the complete 
answer. She did, however, tell him that in a previous life, when she had been 
playing the game herself, she had been unable to crack the code herself but 
had paid another player, who had deciphered it, 20 meg for the answer.
 
This obviously gave Piemur an idea. He asked if Hazed would sell him the 
answer to the code. She declined his generous offer. But he then announced 
that Bella had said it be OK for the sale to go ahead.
 
So Hazed offered him a choice of two deals. For 15 meg, she would tell him the 
method he should use to crack the code. For 20 meg, she would give him the 
deciphered message.
 
Piemur decided to play safe, and asked for the complete solution. He paid over 
the money. Hazed said she would have to ring Bella to get the answer, because 
she couldn't remember the exact wording - and she wanted to give him the exact 
answer, not a vague approximation thereof. She gave him the method anyway, in 
case he didn't want to wait.
 
So Hazed spoke to Bella - who said that she had not authorised the sale of the 
code! Hazed was mystified. She was sure that Piemur wouldn't have been sneaky 
enough - or foolish enough - to pull the wool over her eyes. Surely he had 
mistaken something Bella had said!
 
It remains to be seen whether Hazed will give him the complete answer... or 
just keep the 20 meg and let him figure it out himself!
 
 
 **>> SELLING YOUR SHIP

Once a player pays back the bank loan they were given to purchase their first 
ship, and thus being promoted to Captain, they are able to trade in their baby 
ship for something larger.
 
But there have been a few people who have sold their ships and found that they 
haven't got enough money to buy a new one.
 
Be warned! Loans are not available for subsequent purchases! Only your first 
ship will be financed by the bank. Thereafter, you have to pay the full price 
yourself.
 
And remember that when you sell a ship you will get between a half and two 
thirds of the price of the ship - but you actually had to repay the bank a 
great deal more than that, interest rates being shockingly high these days.
 
 
 **>> OH, OCCY!
 
We've known a lot of Fed players who like to get themselves embroiled in 
arguments, but Occy really does take the biscuit. (and the rolypoly, and the 
sandwich, and the sugar, and even the flower!) She just seems to have an 
amazing knack for annoying people, and almost always has a high reward on her 
head.
 
A few nights ago she was in one of her stroppy moods, and started threatening 
to kill a GroundHog. We haven't got the whole story yet, so we're not quite 
sure why she took a dislike to the new player.
 
Some of the more senior players took exception to her threats, and told her to 
shut up. She wouldn't. So they threatened to kill her. She continued to be 
annoying. So Piemur shot her out of the sky!
 
She has now sworn vengeance on Piemur and the other players who ganged up on 
her, and is waiting for a chance to kill them in return.
 
Now these are the sort of stories we like. It's much more interesting to write 
about blood and guts than it is to report that someone got promoted. So let's 
have more violence, please! Carry on Occy!
 
 
 **>> SORDID SEX SCENE
 
We've received reports that Slipperyjim and Daphne engaged in a torrid liaison 
in the Mares' Nest on Mars.
 
Frankly, we are shocked. We find this quite disgusting. Is this any way to set 
an example to other players?
 
It's not the sex itself that disturbs us - but couldn't they find anywhere 
nicer than that grotty, smelly, unsavoury room? The Hotel on Mars is pleasant 
and discrete; the Mansion on Earth has several bedrooms available; for 
extroverts, Chez Diesel quite often hosts wild parties where anything goes; 
but the Mares' Nest? Ugh! The thought makes us quite ill!
 
 
 **>> MEED THE FED II CREW
 
Next Wednesday, November 28 at 9.00 Eastern time, you'll have a chance to meet 
the people behind the game. Scorpia will be holding a round table conference 
in her games area, where you will have the chance to meet Bella, Clem and 
Hazed and ask them everything you've always wanted to know but were afraid to 
ask!
 
 
 **>> INTRO SESSION
 
The next Fed Intro Session will be held next Sunday, December 2 at 3.00 
Eastern Time. It's the chance for new players to enter the game and know there 
will be someone to help them out, and for established Fedders to clear up any 
matters they have found confusing.
 
If any player introduces a friend to the game, they will be given groats. And 
if any of you want to join in and help us get the new players started during 
the Intro Session, you'll also be rewarded with groats.
 
 
 **>> CONTACTS
 
The following information will appear at the end of every News 
Bulletin, so you don't have to read it if you already know it.
 
In the event of a problem or question, you can:
 
 * talk to Hazed, Cryptosporidium, Bella or Clem in the game
 
 * leave a <TYPO> message in the game log
 
 * send mail with the Federation Feedback option from the main menu
 
You can order a copy of the unexpurgated Idiot's Guide to 
Federation II by typing ORDER at any Fed menu. Cost - a mere 
$12.95.
  
Federation II has a category in Scorpia's Games RT. To get there, 
type M805,1 from any menu prompt and SET category 29. The Scorpia 
RT also has a Federation II library in the files area, Library 22.
 
 **>> BULLETIN ENDS