Fed II Star - May 28, 2006 - Event Reports 1

CRYPTOGRAMS
Saturday May 20
by Catspaws

This week saw the return of Monkey, one of our old players, and there was much rejoicing and dancing to the jukebox upon his appearance at the Old Earth Taproom where we held Cryptograms this week. Fancy and Gilar also joined us, as well as a new adventurer, Westdene, who we scared off rather quickly. Honest, Cryptograms is a fun game and Cryptograms players do not eat new players!

Anyway, we started the game with a rather easy puzzle, which Gilar solved first, proving he was back from his strange slump of the week before. Fancy and Monkey each finished the puzzle before time was called.

COMMODITIES THAT CAN MAKE QUITE A BANG:
S T M O R G N J S G
L N B K R
V W L N B N R L G
X L B N V X B B S K
O X G S K G
U S X M R L G

One of the reasons that Fed is such a great game is that we have a marvelous team of testers who go over each new and exciting tidbit Bella provides to ensure the game runs smoothly for all of us. Hence, the second puzzle was a tribute to the brave members of the test team. Gilar, Fancy and Monkey again finished, again in the same order.

THE TOPIC: MEMBERS OF THE TEST TEAM (http://www.ibgames.net/fed2/info/who.html):
A W I E X R B D
O F E B K
E I I B I Z P I
O Z I K F
L F E A G U O
E P L D X A Z G P A

The third puzzle was another rather easy puzzle, with an obvious starting point and with the players finishing in the same order they finished the other two puzzles.

THE TOPIC: SYSTEMS STARTING WITH 'S' (DI SYSTEMS):
V J B I F C Z E V
V X B Q K V K
V B R R T X I K
V B U Z N C B I G
V J X N T K I
V N B I Z J M C L

It was time for a puzzle with a bit more meat to it, so for the fourth puzzle, we delved into the realm of companies in Fed2. Fancy finished first this time, followed by Gilar and Monkey.

THE TOPIC: CURRENT COMANY NAMES IN FED2 (DI COMPANIES):
I P K Z G J / X P A Z S / Y I W J N / K A X
N A Y J W C Q Y Y R / B G J P V G Z A P Q L J E
B Y Q J L J E N A G Q / W J A W Q H Q L N W N
S Y J ' N / G K K P Q L J E / C Q Y T J L W N, / K K Z.
E Q W G A / C P J N / C G R W Q D
X W G X / H G Q Q Y A / W J A W Q H Q L N W N

It seems like a lifetime ago, but I do still remember my days as a trader (and financier), though perhaps not with much fondness. Sometimes I had to get creative to keep myself busy. Gilar and Monkey figured out this puzzle, and Fancy got four of the six.

THE TOPIC: THINGS TRADERS DO TO PASS THE TIME WHILE WAITING FOR THEIR FUTURES TO MATURE:
L E R O P D I / G Z A E H / M X G X H A R / H A O A D G A L P I
T D G W Z / O D E Q G / L H I
O D H G I / E Q / G Z A E H / M D J Y H E G A / F D H
O P D I / W H I O G Y N H D K R
P Y Y C / M Y H / K Y H A / M X G X H A R
H A D L / D / N Y Y L / F Y Y C

Gilar easily finished first this week, and, thanks to the last puzzle, Fancy finished second with only a single point more than our third place player, Monkey. We play Cryptograms each Saturday at 4.00pm eastern. And, if you want the answers to this week's puzzles, you can email me at Catspaws_Fed@sbcglobal.fed.