**>> SPYNET BULLETIN **>> EARTHDATE 94.09.18 **>> AN H-by-A SERVICE **>> Compiled by Hazed plus a team of specialist newsdroids **>> your news and gossip and get paid good groats! **>> DID YOU KNOW... Obviously you didn't! It seems that when people do the JP puzzle these days, they either get it totally wrong, or they get it completely right. Nobody ever gets it almost right. How do we know this? Because something exciting happens when the puzzle is only just wrong... and no-one seems to know about it! You've all heard talk of people blowing up the Martian Ruins. But if the puzzle is done not quite correctly, that's actually what happens. Literally! An enormous crater appears on the Beaten Path that normally leads to the ruins. A smoking crater, giving off vile gases, preventing you from getting into the ruins. Anyone on Mars is likely to suffer as the whole planet is rocked by the explosion. People are thrown across the room, ships on the Marsport landing pad get damaged. You're not safe unless you get up into orbit. So now you know! **>> PLANETS AND DUCHIES It's been all change in the map of the duchies since our last round-up, with one new duchy, two duchies vanishing, and a new planet, so rather than banishing it to the scrag end of the news, we've given it pride of place near the beginning. The new planet belongs to Sukotto. Our review of Polaris is below. Chance's Chaos advanced to become a technical planet. As we reported last week, Zagmar became Duke of Valaria. During the week, Tellurain also became a Duke, but he was swiftly shoved up to Senator, on the grounds that no-one would possibly want to join a duchy run by Rain! These two promotions pushed Riccardo and Barberousse up to Duke. Since Barberousse had no planets, the duchy of Souce won't be missed! There is now a free duchy slot; the next time someone solves the Duke puzzle, it won't result in a new Senator. So, let's take a look at the new duchy layout. Fletcher's Pagrah is the only Independent system. Looney's Insanity has staged a remarkable come-back! From only a few planets, he has hoovered up most of Riccardo's ex-worlds and now has control of nine: Jade's Dunnottar, Maxwell's Dawn, Emmi's Addis, Sean's Eire, Budwarp's Epini, Surfer's Surf, Blackadder's Hyperion, Dierdre's Cove and Shadow's Sylis. Zagmar's new Valaria has picked up Tao's Rtyui, Ciaran's Ulster, Rakshasa's Utopia and Djmayhem's Halycon. Nightstalker's Nightfall still controls Akiko's Mirai, Chainsaw's Nautilus, Chance's Chaos, Kainaw's Tisnar, Cicero's Roma, and he has picked up the new Polaris. Amigan's Athens has Neuromancer's Paradigm, Tantras' Vertigo, Mosquito's Sutra, Talisan's Skan, Drspock's Corona and Romana's Brittany. Finally, Gemini's Ssenmaerd has Silk's Fortymile, Dirge's Qushmarrah and Brawn's Outpost. **>> THE EMPEROR RACE Campaigning has started for the forthcoming elections for Emperor. We would like to offer the services of the media to the candidates, and will print any material they care to send to us - propaganda, electoral promises, party political broadcasts, even lies about their rivals (so long as they are interesting lies)! There seem to be three main contenders for the post of top dog: Occy, Topper, and Tellurian. (Yes, Tellurian will shortly be declaring himself back in the race when he becomes eligible to take part in politics again.) Looking at the current duchies, it is clear that Looney will support Occy, and Gemini and Amigan will throw their weight behind Tellurian. Nightstalker and Zagmar are expected to declare for Topper... but we have been hearing vague rumours that Nightstalker is not entirely sure which way to cast his powerful vote. It may be worth the other two Senators courting him! **>> POLAR ICE ON POLARIS Sukotto's new planet is an iceball that has been steadily terraformed by Sukotto's ancestors over the centuries, until it has become one of the Galaxy's most popular winter vacation resorts. Ships land on the Kyagi Space Station, where all the usual services are found, including the trading exchange. Okiyami's Cafe serves delicious sushi, and with an all-you-can-eat buffet it's certainly good value. This is just as well, because a visit to the main planet is exhillerating and very tiring; you need to build up your stamina! The space station is linked to the planet by a system of teleporters, which also let you visit other parts of the world. Porting from the station, you are deposited in the main hotel, a sumptuous building with luxurious rooms. Here you also find the museum, where a guide tells you about the planet's history. It's fascinating! But the main reason to visit Polaris is for the ski-ing, and there's a choice of three runs. The Bunny run is for beginners; it's safe but boring. The Nordic Basin Trail combines hiking and mountain climbing with ski-ing; it's hard work but fun. But the Black Diamond trail is definitely only for experts... if newsdroids had adrenaline, it would have been pumping as we raced down sheer cliffs, in fear of our lives! Polaris is excellent. It's more than excellent! Sukotto's use of language means that every location is a delight, and you really are drawn to move on and see what happens next. Many of the locations lead you through a story, but it is so delicately done that you don't feel as if you're being pushed around with no choices. We have great pleasure in awarding Sukotto the coveted Walrus of Merit, for this outstanding planet. Well done! **>> WEDDING BELLS Tellurian and Talisan are getting married, apparently. Since Tellurian is already married to Gemini, we might have thought this would cause some problems... but obviously not! "We have an open relationship", said Tell. Sounds like it's so open you could fly your spaceship through it! Perhaps Tellurian wishes to become Fed's male version of Marcia, who marries any man who takes her fancy without ever worrying about what her other husbands might think. Question is: will Gemini be Talisan's maid of honour? **>> FASHION VICTIM Poor Pink. No sooner had she destroyed the contents of her house by hurling it all at her erring lover, Chance, but she found herself under attack by a mad donkey! Eeyore (offspring of the brief but passionate liaison between Ciaran and Lizzie) stole Pink's catsuit and left her semi-naked, shivering in the air-conditioned bar. Why did Eeyore steal her clothes? Who knows. But he's now wearing it, presumably as some kind of trophy. **>> SPYNET REVIEW Congratulations to everyone who was promoted during the week; commiserations to those that died. The new Captains were Killa, Sargon, Bold, Buzz, Nocturne, Justjoe, Astrin, Blackjack, Bobefet, Hanoverfist and Oingy. Xxx, Astrin, Justjoe, Spuderoni and Killa became Adventurers and Adventureuses. The Traders Guild has increased its membership with Wolfgang, Zoram, Wapa, Mzcreant, Catman, Page, Killa, Lunatike, Pink and Tasslehoff. Spacesinger and Killa made it to Merchant. Tellurani and Chip solved the awesome JP puzzle. Windman, Amerigo and Tellurani cracked the fiendish GM puzzle. There were lots of new Explorers: Windman, Aja, Cheri, Amerigo and Tellurani. Sukotto became a Squire when his new planet, Polaris, was linked into the game. Chance's planet advanced and he was promoted to Technocrat. Tellurain solved the devilish Duke puzzle. His promotion pushed Barberousse up to Senator. Rain was then bumped up to Senator himself. Sadly, Trader Lynx died on Brittany. Trader Corwin died in Sol. Merchant Astrin was fighting Monty and forgot to re-insure: result, one dead Merchant. And not so sadly, Adventureuse Spuderoni snuffed it, saving the Galaxy from being eaten! **>> 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, Emmi, Mira, Tellurian or Tellurain in the game * a message to Hazed * send GEnie mail with the Mail about Federation option from the main menu A front-end terminal program is available for Federation, for the PC and Amiga. You can download a copy of FedTerm from the Federation official libraries (option 3 on the main Fed page). The third edition of the unexpurgated printed Idiot's Guide to Federation is now available, price $15.95. Type ORDER from any GEnie main menu and buy one. Or more! Federation has several categories in the MPGames RT. To get there, type M1045,1 from any menu prompt and SET category 13 (for information, instructions, questions and answers) or 14 (for general chat and discussions). The Federation Leader in the bulletin board is Oxcart (Mail ID: J.LONG29). There are also private categories for Explorers and the Sentate, run by Krell (Mail ID: K.HILLYER). The MPGames RT has a Federation player library in the files area, Lib 5. **>> BULLETIN ENDS