THE MONTH IN BRIEF
August being the silly season, the Fed II Star took two weeks off. Consequently, there wasn't very much going on. Not that we want to imply that in the absence of the Star, nothing ever happens - we report on the news, we don't make it. And no, we don't make it up, either! Well, not often...
SpyNet teamed up with Messrs Trumble, Cruikshank & Bone and started to show dividend payments on the SpyNet Review.
We got our first real Financiers. Hooray!
Armstrong Cuthbert took pity on overworked Akaturi couriers and reduced the number of AK jobs needed to promote to Merchant.
The wilderness area on Earth, which was formerly off-limits to all but high-ranking Galactic Administration officials, was opened to the public courtesy of Wilderness Wonder-Tours. We just can't see the appeal of tramping around the wilderness getting back to nature, with mud and dead leaves clogging up our wheels and staining our nice metal casings; we are rather keen on all the comforts of civilization. But then it takes all sorts.
The Encyclopedia Galactica published new entries on the wilderness, Armstrong Cuthbert, The Galactic Administration and the Fall of Ming, and spaceblooms.
RELIEF FOR ADVENTURERS
Fedders. Never satisfied. Always moaning about something. And the rank which moans the worst are those pesky Adventurers. Of course, everyone complains about the amount of work they are expected to do before they can promote, but for some reason the requirement which everyone seems to moan about the most is the Adventurer to Trader promo.
Until recently, Armstrong Cuthbert just shrugged and told their akaturi couriers they could like it or lump it. But recent representations from the Cleft Stick local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Couriers, Carriers, Messengers and Allied Professions have persuaded them that maybe, just maybe, they are being too harsh on their couriers, and so they have relented and as of last Wednesday, the promotion requirements for Adventurer were reduced to 500 AK credits.
Of course, it won't take the Adventurers long to find something else to moan about...
USING THE COMMS
There's still some confusion out there about when it is alright, and when it's not, to use the comms to chat, so here are some guidelines for you.
When you use the 'COM' command your message goes to everybody in Sol. Until such time as we have player planets in Fed II, that means everybody in the game. While it's nice to be able to say 'Hello' to everybody when you log on, and there's nothing wrong with that, not all conversations are suitable to be broadcast to everybody.
The Sol comms are staff moderated - when staff are in the game, they are generally on the comms, and are therefore available to answer game-related questions on the comms. The comms are also the natural place for new players to ask for help. The advantage of using the Sol comms as the place to get help is that other players can see what's being asked, and what answers staff give.
When the comms are not busy with players needing help, they can be used for chit-chat and joking around. Fedders' imaginations can be wild and wacky, and the free-ranging conversations on the comms can be very entertaining. Some of them even end up in the Fed Funnies. Conversations like this, which are of interest to most players, are generally OK, so long as they don't break the rules, and so long as they don't get in the way of staff giving help.
However, a conversation between two people which is only of interest to the participants is not OK. In fact, it's going to be irritating to all others listening. Here's some examples:
- A conversation involving a highly technical subject with lots of jargon.
- Two people talking about their personal lives.
- One of those bickering sessions when two people mock-insult each other - this can get real old, real fast.
If a member of staff judges that a conversation has gone on too long on the comms, they can ask the participants to take it to a channel or to TBs. Note that it is a judgement call on the part of staff. There are no absolutely rigid formulas we can use to determine which conversations are acceptable and which are not. This means that sometimes, you may be asked to stop a conversation that you, personally, think is quite acceptable. If that happens, you should just accept the judgement of the staffer and do as they ask. Feel free to email feedback@ibgames.com and ask for clarification later, but don't argue with the staff member or try to convince her she is wrong.
Finally, there are some things that should be on the comms. If you have a question for a member of staff, please use the comms rather than TBing the staffer in question. It's easier to handle a long conversation on the comms, particularly if there are several people wanting help at the same time. Your question - and the answer you get - may also be of interest to other players. Having cleared the comms of private conversations, they are there to use when you need help.
STAR CHAMBER: A TIGHTBEAM FILTER
by Freya
Lately I've been finding myself wishing for a tightbeam filter. What I wouldn't give for a filter I could toggle to only accept tightbeams from people on my friends list. Anyone else tightbeaming me would get a message that I was temporarily unable to accept tightbeams and please use the comms.
It's not that I'm being mean or unfriendly, it's actually because I want to be kind and helpful. I would estimate that 98% of the tightbeams I get from players who are not on my friends list should be asked over the comms. I use my friends list as a working tool; the people on it are my staff squaddies and a few personal friends and family. As it happens, they seldom tightbeam me; when they do it's usually confidential or personal.
The problem with all the other tightbeams I get is that I get a LOT of tightbeams; most staff tell me they get a lot of tightbeams, too. Usually clustered at the same time. Usually when we're trying to do something else, working in another window, or stepped away from the keyboard. In a great many cases, the tightbeam is a question that would be much better asked on the comms. I don't remember all the details of the lower ranks, I played them over a year ago. So if you ask me some complex question about Merchant rank, I'll know what to do in a general sense, but may not know the current details you are looking for. So I'll just direct you to the comms with your rank peers anyway. Frustrating for us both; you need to ask your question again and I feel very bad about not being able to give you the help you needed. But it's more than just getting you a correct answer.
In Fed II today someone commented about it:
Your comm unit crackles with a message from (name removed to protect the guilty), "I'm having trouble carrying on 2 conversations at once even now"
It's not easy (or safe) to try to carry on 2 or 3 tightbeam conversations at the same time. It's all too easy to send important text to the wrong person. It's stressful and potentially embarrassing.
So please, ask on the comms. That's what it's for! It's good to share your questions with others. They've been there, too. They can help or they can learn. (And if it's something confidential we can always ask you to tightbeam it or send it to feedback.)
STAR CHAMBER: YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN PLAYING FED II TOO MUCH WHEN...
by Freya
- You keep wondering where the twin lasers are mounted whenever you look at a new car.
- Your mother knows what you're doing in the game.
- You keep making "improvements" to your avatar picture that are so minor no one can see any difference.
- You check the financial pages of the newspaper to compare the market cycles.
Send me your best "playing too much Fed II" experience to feedback@ibgames.com! Winner gets a slithy and mention in the next Fed Star and fame and glory and 72 virgins in Paradise//err no, sorry virgins on Paradise yet.
SUMMER TIME, AND THE LIVING IS EASY
August is traditionally called the Silly Season by journalists, because there's nothing of substance happening. People are on holiday, government offices are closed, and poor hardworking newsdroids have to scrape the bottom of the barrel* to find anything to write about. The Fed II Star suffers from this problem too - and given that Bella has just put in a major chunk of new stuff which should keep players happy for a while, and is now turning her attention to the knotty problem of player planets, there's not going to be much official stuff to report until the Galactic Administration officials pack up their swimming trunks and return to their desks.
So the Fed II Star is going to take two weeks off, so our newsdroids can have a holiday too. They probably won't be hitting the beaches, since sand in the electronics tends to do nasty things, not to mention salt water causing major corrosion, but no doubt they have their own methods of relaxation that we don't really want to delve into too deeply.
There will be no Fed II Star on August 21 or 28 - although if anything does happen that you need to know about, our emergency newsdroid will sent out a special bulletin. Otherwise, we will be back on September 4, with a bumper issue containing three weeks of event reports and funny stuff, and the first of a brand new four part adventure series by Angelfowl.
See you then. Now, where did I put my sun cream...?
*Story ideas found in the bottom of the barrel:
- A picture of a skateboarding marsrat.
- An audio report of a zlitherworm whose roar sounds like it is saying the words "I love Hazed".
- A report that Ming has been spotted working as a stevedore on Titan.
- A story about a woman who claims the face of Bella can be seen in the glass of the GA HQ building.
- A report of someone who tried to get an all-over tan by flying into the sun, with the headline "Phew What a Scorcher".
- A fashion article on the latest trend: glow-in-the-dark posing pouches.
Yes, it's just as well we're taking a break!
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