**>> SPYNET BULLETIN **>> EARTHDATE 91.08.11 **>> AN H-by-A SERVICE **>> BLOODBATH! We are very excited about the prospect of the BLOODBATH! which takes place on Thursday August 22, as part of GEnie's Hot Summer Nights promotion, and we know you are too. At 6.00 Eastern time, Bella will take down the existing version of Fed, and put up a special version of the game, for the BLOODBATH! She will remove the current persona file and put it away somewhere very, very safe. (Honest!) A completely new version of the Solar System is being designed at this very moment. It will have around 50 space locations, including several hazards, and some new space mobiles. There will only be a few ground locations since the main action will take place in space. When you log on you will create a new persona. You can give the persona any name you like - you don't have to make yourself recognisable! Once you are in the game, you will buy a standard ship using the auto-buy mechanism. This ship will be very large - probably a "G" class - but will have only basic armour and the lowest level computer. You will all have the same amount of money, and you will then be able to purchase defensive and offensive equipment for your ship. For the next several hours, you will be able to practice fighting. Squire Hazed will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the correct and efficient use of weaponry. If you die during this practice period, you will have to create a new character and buy a new ship. We anticipate that many of you will wish to experiment with different types of weaponry, so will deliberately die several times! At 10.00 Eastern time, the main event will commence. When Bella gives the command to start, the game will scatter your ships randomly throughout the Solar System - and the bloodshed will begin! If (or when!) you die during the BLOODBATH! itself, you will be able to rejoin the game as a spectator, seated in the bar. You'll have a spybeam which you can use to watch the combatants. The last person left alive will be declared the winner and will receive a large sum of groats, which will go to their permanent persona. The exact amount of the prize will depend on their rank and on the number of people who entered the BLOODBATH! but as an example, a Commander could expect to receive a couple of megs, a Trader 6 or 7 meg. Since all players who participate will be starting on an equal footing, the outcome really will depend on skill. May the best man, woman or thing win! **>> SPOTLIGHT ON HAVEN We were going to provide a little travelogue of Haven, similar to the one a few weeks ago about Piemur's planet, Phoenix, but Russ has instead asked us to print some publicity material. Well, it saves us a lot of legwork and expense, so who are we to argue? Advertisement Feature: THE PUZZLES OF HAVEN or How to Make a Mint and Have FUN Doing It ------------------------------------------- Haven itself is a puzzle to the archaeologists and sociologists of the Federation. There is no record of any colonization efforts directed at Haven in the archives of the Federation and yet the inhabitants are obviously of Federation stock. Despite their obvious genetic inheritance however, there are no traces of Federation culture on Haven. To this day, the natives of Haven have no knowledge of Federation existence; a condition which the cultural preservation laws of the Federation must of necessity preserve. The Federation policy is one of commercial exploitation whilst, by clandestine efforts, the condition of the planet is upgraded beyond its present agrarian medieval level. One day when the time is ripe the Federation will make its existence known and the Havenites will enter the family of planets with a solid technical base to ease their entrance into the greater family of Federation planets. In the meantime, the puzzles of Haven abound. The two most prominent are discussed below and to the lucky adventurer who solves them will come unbounded riches unequaled in the Sol system. WHERE ARE THE REMAINS OF THE SHIP WHICH COLONIZED HAVEN? This puzzle has driven many adventurers to distraction. It is rumored that the city of Haven itself was built around the ruins of this ship. This is a reasonable idea since the early days of colonization would have been rigorous for newly arrived colonists who would naturally wish to live off the bounty of the ship until a solid base had been established in the countryside of Haven. It is known that the members of each colonization ship were issued Colonial Settlement Shares worth a great deal. If any of those shares still remain, they would probably be found in the remains of the ship itself. Colonial Settlement shares are always redeemable to the bearer. At todays prices each one could yield several hundred thousand groats apiece depending on the rank of the original owner. BY WHAT MEANS DO THE HAVENITES MAINTAIN THEIR DRUG TRADE? It is well known that a thriving drug trade exists on Haven although persistent investigations by Federation operatives have yet to uncover the source of supply within Haven city or how the drugs are exported to the other enclaves on Haven planet. Not only will the lucky adventurer who solves this puzzle receive the undying thanks of the Federation he might well, if he is unscrupulous enough, manage to profit handsomely in the bargain. Obviously, if he can contact the head of the drug ring a little deal might well be arranged to the mutual profit of both parties. The drug lord must certainly be a member of Havens unsavory underworld, but without protection from powerful members of the ruling class he could not so successfully engage in his nefarious trade. It is even rumored that he may be one of the ruling class thus living a double life! OTHER LESSER PUZZLES What is the truth concerning the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the original colonists? If only the logbook of the ship could be found this might be profitably revealed! All work and no play makes for dull adventurers. How the devil does a jaded adventurer get that attractive Streetwalker who frequents the red light district to succumb to advances. Payment doesn't seem to work. No money here. Just the rush of conquest. How DOES one get out of the maze rumored to exist on Haven? It is easier to get into than out of. Who is snookums? Who is daddykins? HAVEN CHANGES The market can now be accessed from the landing pad by using the express hatch SOUTH of the pad. Correspondingly, the express from the market to the landing pad is NORTH from the market. **>> THE RECONCILIATION IS OFF! Eager bounty-hunters still have a chance to collect a massive reward for killing Occy, despite our report in last week's news. Although Occy and Oddball have made up their differences and agreed to cease hostilities, Russ is still in dispute with Occy - and has increased to reward to 300 meg for an individual, or 400 meg for a team effort! This reward is payable to anyone who kills Occy dead-dead. So get those missiles primed! **>> PLAGUE HITS PHOENIX Governor Piemur has suffered a set-back to his fiendish plans to dominate the Galaxy's economic system. His enormous stockpiles of goods, which he had intended to use to disrupt the natural balance of the trading exchanges in the Solar System and thus take over the entire Universe, have been wiped out by a freak outbreak of Rigellian Green Swamp Rot. A spokesthing for the Governor of Phoenix denied that Piemur was hoarding goods with malicious intent, and said that the plague had been caused by a secret cartel of planet-owners who were jealous of Phoenix's success. This was not the first time the Deneb system has seen its stockpiles wiped out. When planetary treasuries were first brought in, the population of many planets, including Phoenix, rioted and destroyed stockpiles. Piemur himself is convinced that the plague, the riots, that rather nasty pimple on his chin, and his unsuccessful love life are all caused by a malicious Green Goddess. **>> CAUGHT IN THE ACT! How long have Catrina and Rezrov been married? Surely it is only a few months since they were joined in wedded bliss at a touching service by Our Illustrious Leader, Bella. And yet it seems that the glamour has already worn off their love. Catrina was recently shocked when she found her husband in flagrante delicto (as they say on Rigel) with a young nubile female! The nameless shameless hussy fled in embarrassment, leaving Rezrov to face his wife's wrath. But it transpired that Catrina herself had been involved with other men and had refused to stop being unfaithful even when Rezrov begged her. He had arranged this little "demonstration" to teach her a lesson. Did it work? Or will their marriage dissolve into bitterness and recriminations? While we wouldn't wish them any unhappiness, the first divorce in Fed would certainly provide a better news story than the couple kissing and making up. **>> PROMOTIONS NEWS Our little outburst in last week's news certainly had some effect. Several people have gone out of their way to tell us about their promotions. Jolly Good! Keep up the Good Work! Storm was promoted to Captain. Congratulations. At one time, Otoole was a high-level player, a member of the Conclave, but he left Fed Data Space, the foolish boy! He was, however, unable to stay away, and has returned. He made Adventurer this week, and we are sure it won't take him long to reach a high rank, not if he calls in old favours. Welcome back, Otoole! Amytodd and Valdor both made Trader - it's Valdor's second time at that rank, after his unfortunate demise a month or so ago. Congratulations to Taliana who has cracked the awesome JP puzzle and is a JourneyPerson. And Catrina joins her husband at the rank of Explorer. It will be interesting to compare the planets the two newly-weds build. Don't forget to mail us with details of your promotion, and we will mention you in one of our News Bulletins. **>>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, Bella or Clem in the game * leave a message in the game log * send mail with the Federation Feedback option from the main menu You can order a copy of the unexpurgated printed Idiot's Guide to Federation II by typing ORDER at any GEnie menu. Cost - a mere $12.95. Federation II has a category in the new MPGames RT. To get there, type M1045,1 from any menu prompt and SET category 14. The Federation II Leader in the bulletin board is Occy (Mail ID: OCPAC). Topic 1 of the Fed category contains the Federation II policy statement. The MPGames RT also has a Federation II library in the files area, Library 5. **>> BULLETIN ENDS