The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: December 24, 2009

Trashley Can's Xmas Bulletin No 1

I don't believe it. It's just not fair. Two years running I get stuck here in the Fed2 Star office over Christmas. And I'm not even the littlest droid this year, that would be Betty Bot who graduated from teadroid to newsdroid during the Spring break.

But the so-called impartial system Hazed set up this year picked me. I complained, but she just shrugged, and assured me it was completely random. I don't believe it, I think it was a set-up. For some reason she's got it in for me. Maybe all the other droids gave her better presents than I did, but then on the lousy wages she pays I could only afford to get her a very small box of chocolate.

Well, in case you weren't reading the Star a year ago, you won't know who I am. Trashley Can. Put-upon robot, oppressed worker, depressed newsdroid.

Alright, I admit, it's not like I had any big plans for Christmas. Droids don't have families, obviously, because we're manufactured not born. Although sometimes bonds are forged between those that come off the production line in the same lot, but that didn't happen with me, because all of the others in my batch went off the Titan mines and I was the only one to become a newsdroid. So no big family reunion.

But I have friends.

Well... people I know. Droids I socialize with, anyway. I was looking forward to meeting them at some point over Christmas, although for some reason they haven't told me where to meet up with them yet. I am sure they would have, soon, if it weren't for the fact that I'm stuck here in the office having to work and I hate, hate, hate it!

Still, I suppose I had better get down to it and send out my first Christmas bulletin...


SANTA'S GROTTO OPEN FOR BUSINESS

You'd better not shout, you'd better not cry, you'd better not pout - I'm telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to Fed. In fact, he's here already in his grotto on Earth, NW from the LP. You can go and sit on the old man's lap, get a candy cane if you've been nice (and coal if you haven't) and help yourself to a toy from the lucky dip tub. What will you get - a slinky? A doll? Whatever it is, it's sure to be fun.

You can talk to Santa, he's very chatty, but only with people sitting on his lap. Start with 'TELL SANTA HELLO' and see where the conversation takes you.

Outside of the grotto, Santa has parked his sleigh, and you can take a magical sleigh ride around the Solar System.

If you use FedTerm as your front-end you can download Santa's picture from the picture gallery at http://www.ibgames.net/fed2/fedterm/gallery/q-t.html#s. Save it into the pictures sub-folder of your FedTerm folder and then you can see what Santa looks like when you SpyNet Report him.

Santa isn't the only one offering Christmas spirit this year. Diesel has redecorated the bar and the roof garden of Chez Diesel on Mars, and is offering free food and drink to her customers. And she's replaced the hopper that transports her customers between the bar and the spaceport with a toboggan. You'll also find various other locations around Sol have put up some decorations for the festive season.

Meanwhile, Hazed asked me to remind you that if you'd like to give Fed2 a Christmas present, please buy some slithy toves and contribute to our "keep Fed2 running" fund. Go to http://www.ibgames.net/fed2/extras/index.html.


SNOWBALL FIGHT

I told you that Diesel has laid on free refreshments, but that's not all. As part of the decorations on her roof, she's dumped a whole load of snow up there, which means just one thing...

Snowball fight!

'GET SNOWBALL' does what you would expect, although you can only do this if you're not already carrying one. Then, of course, you can 'THROW SNOWBALL' which results in... well, you'll have to try it and see which of the various possible outcomes you get. (There are 12 in all - keep throwing till you see them all.)

Sounds like fun. I wonder if I'll be able to sneak out of the Fed2 Star office to have a go.


GALLAGHER'S NEW CHRISTMAS CHARM ON SALE

It's Christmas! And with his eye always on marketing opportunities, Anton Gallagher has put a seasonal charm on sale. At first sight it's an odd choice - the wizened head of an old man, with a face lined with wrinkles and frown lines, his mouth in a fierce scowl, and a nightcap on his head.

But when you realize who the head is, all becomes clear: it's Scrooge. Seems very appropriate given the way I am feeling this Christmas.

Buy the charm with 'BUY SCROOGE' - it costs a slithy tove. Once you have it, you can 'CLIP SCROOGE CHARM' to attach it to your keyring, so that everyone will see it when they look at you. Then you can 'SHAKE SCROOGE CHARM' and 'SQUEEZE SCROOGE CHARM' to activate them, and sit back and watch the results - everyone else in the room with you will also be able to see the show.

The previous charm, the sparkler, is no longer on sale officially, but the assistant will sell you one from the illicit box she stashed under the counter for two slithies - if you missed out and don't want to leave a gap in your collect, 'BUY SPARKLER'.


FINAL REMINDER: GET YOUR FILES IN FOR THE CHRISTMAS DECORATION COMPETITION

Hazed wanted me to remind you that it's your last chance to get files in containing the Christmas decorations for your planet. When I commented that it didn't give people much time, she grumbled that they'd had at least three weeks to work on things... but then she relented and agreed to extend the deadline. She's full of the Christmas spirit, I guess! Here's what she said:

The deadline for getting your files in is now last thing on Saturday December 26, so they are in my mail for Sunday morning. I'll shunt them over to Bella to link into the game that day. Then you can have a day to fix any problems, and send me the notification that you are entering the contest by the end of Monday December 28.

To recap, here's the drill if you want to enter the contest:

Step one - add the decorations to your planet files. They can be simple, just using the text of locations to describe the decorations, or you can use the new event system to come up with something more sophisticated.

Step two - submit the files to feedback@ibgames.com (with Fed2 in the subject line) to have them put into the game in the usual way. Deadline - last thing Saturday.

Step three - check them in the game and make sure they work as you want them to. If necessary, submit new files. Deadline - last thing Sunday.

Step four - once you're happy with the decorations, enter the contest - mail feedback@ibgames.com (with Fed2 Christmas Decorations in the subject line) and give the following:

  • Your name
  • Your system name
  • The name of the planet or planets the decorations are on
  • Directions from the LP to the location or locations where we'll find them

Closing day for entries is now last thing on Monday December 28. We'll send in the robot judges in the next few days and announce the winners on December 31.


COMING SOON...

Wow, this has turned out to be a long bulletin, and I haven't finished yet! My work won't finish here, either, because I know Bella has some new code she expects to put in next week, which will allow Plutocrats to set customs rates to be charged on goods being brought into the system. I'll have to write a bulletin to explain all that too you.

On top of that, the testers are about to get their hands on a new version of the Event Editor which adds yet more scripts, so that should get released to players next week too.

I'll be lucky if I get any rest at all this Christmas!


PICTURE OF THE WEEK: RECYCLED CHRISTMAS TREE

If you fancy a really green Christmas, you could do worse than emulate this tree - it's constructed entirely from beer bottles! Take a look here: http://www.recyclart.org/2009/12/1000-beer-bottles-christmas-tree/.


VIDEO OF THE WEEK: BOWEN BEER BOTTLE BAND

Staying with the beer bottle theme, here's an unusual rendition of a Christmas song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-WXEWbPMYc


Well, I'm having a miserable time but I hope you're not. Happy Christmas!


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