The most tip-top Top Cat, Fancy - Fancy has just arrived. Fancy is carrying a keyring. Fancy is wearing a wedding ring.

Fancy smiles and takes his seat.

>ex Fancy
You see Fancy-Fancy right out of Top Cat, with his soft, silky, orange-brown fur, long, soft whiskers, gentle voice, charming smile and Antonia's wedding ring adorning his hand. But, doesn't he also usually wear a scarf?

Ferreri says, "hi, Fancy"

Fancy wonders if Antonia will be here, too.

Fancy says, "Hi there, Ferreri."

Ferreri says, "saw her this morning, didn't ask"

Clio gets out her pen and gets ready to record.

Fancy says, "Hi there, Cats and Djentsch."

Art is glad she isn't allergic to felines.

Catspaws says, "Hi, Fancy-Fancy"

Art still has plenty of duct tape, if necessary.

Fancy smiles, "It won't be necessary tonight. :)"

Catspaws beams at Fancy before paying attention to the cleanliness of her right paw

Djentsch says, "hi Fancy"

Art says, "Ok, I'll let you do without."

Fancy smiles.

Art clips a mic to Fancy's fur.

Ferreri says, "I still have marks from the duct tape"

Art says, "I'm betting that more people will show up."

Fancy purrs deeply, and the mic picks it up.

Art grins.

Jazir chuckles

Art says, "Welcome to Meet & Greet."

Art exclaims, "My special guest tonight is dataspace's game master Fancy!"

Ferreri claps

Djentsch claps

Fancy smiles and nods to the crowd.

Art says, "Everyone will get the chance to ask questions in just a bit, but first I'd like to let Fancy tell us his story."

Ferreri whispers, 'one of my favorite cats'

Fancy says, "OK, I found Fed on AOL in November of 1996."

Fancy says, "It was fortunate timing, in that AOL would offer flat-rate unlimited service beginning December 1996."

Fancy says, "So I was able to play all I wanted almost right from the start."

Art grins.

Fancy says, "I worked on ascending the ranks, and was soon up to Trader there."

Art nods.

Fancy says, "I made some friends along the way. One of the closest I made in my early days was a gal who went by Phiddie. I first saw her in the Mars exchange, which in classic Fed is where the Engineering is here."

Art remembers.

Fancy says, "I eventually made Merchant, and promoted the week with Christmas in 1996. Then I was able to promote in the 10 days right after that surrounding New Year's."

Art says, "Wow."

Fancy says, "I tried to get the Snark puzzle done before I promoted past Journeyman, but was unsuccessful. That included an all-nighter in which I tried."

Fancy says, "I quickly found out after promoting that you could not do the puzzle as a Guild Master."

Jazir nods

Art nods

Fancy says, "I gave out the required hauling jobs to poor people, maxed my stats, and soon made Explorer. And then on February 2, 1997, I put Toontown online for the first time."

Art grins.

Art says, "Tell us about Toontown."

Fancy says, "I based it loosely on the cartoon world seen in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I put references in to numerous cartoon characters."

Art says, "Good movie."

Fancy smiles, "I also included a rather large hospital there, with lots of stuff in it. :)"

Art got lost in the hospital there once.

Fancy says, "I borrowed a lot of humor I had seen or heard to put into there."

Fancy drawls, "There's Kenny from South Park visiting the insurance office (again)..."

Jazir laughs

Fancy says, "And the cafeteria right across from it."

Fancy says, "Specializing in the "English cuisine" as talked about in the Royal Canadian Air Farce's radio sketch about the French Language Police in Quebec."

Art giggles.

Fancy says, "And on higher floors, the various hospital wards."

Fancy smiles, "And on the top floor, scream therapy and the insane asylum. :)"

Art needed earmuffs.

Fancy says, "And oh yes, a reference to the Stooges as well."

Bourbon says, "insane asylum, stooges, seems to hand in hand"

Art grins.

Fancy says, "I actually have a light switch plate showing the stooges and a slogan "Forget the rest - we're the best. Law offices of Howard, Fine, and Howard, specializing in personal injury cases.""

Bourbon laughs

Art giggles.

Art drawls, "But do go on..."

Fancy smiles, "Anyway, I'm kind of proud of what I came up with there. :)"

Fancy says, "I also made reference to Mad Magazine in the weapons shop."

Fancy says, "And Space Jam on a basketball court in the park."

Art grins.

Fancy says, "And naming the streets after animators"

Fancy drawls, "Putting Fred Flintstone in a bowling alley..."

Fancy says, "And including a puzzle around T.C."

Art asks, "T.C.?"

Fancy smiles, "Top Cat. :)"

Art says, "Ah."

Fancy says, "I'm excited about what we'll likely have for player planets in this Fed, and the potential."

Fancy smiles, "I'll be able to be more elegant here, I'm sure. :)"

Art thinks you'll be pleased.

Fancy smiles in anticipation.

Fancy says, "I eventually did make Duke, taking along the audience from my first Meet & Greet on September 12, 1999."

Art grins, wishing she had been there for it.

Art says, "Tell us about the games. I know you helped develop several of them."

Fancy says, "Yes. I was in Fed one night when I heard about a game based on JEOPARDY! that would be starting, and I decided to give it a try."

Jazir wmiles

Jazir smiles, even ;)

Fancy smiles, "And I think I won it. :)"

Art imagines the results.

Angelfowl thinks Fancy wins everything.

Zmikeyz nods

Fancy says, "Back then, the prizes given out were groats. It was something like 1.5 million groats per point."

Art says, "Wow, that could really help"

Fancy says, "That was certainly a help at Trader, which I think I was at the time."

Fancy says, "Or even at Merchant, when I needed capital to build factories."

Fancy smiles, "It didn't take too long before I got a reputation in Fedpardy. :)"

Art remembers.

Fancy says, "Eventually I did start writing some categories for use in Fedpardy. On nights my categories got used, though, I was ineligible to play."

Art says, "Naturally."

Fancy says, "But I enjoyed the events, and learned of others. There were Scavenger Hunts and Scramble on Monday nights. Fedpardy was every Tuesday. The Cup of Fearlessness was Wednesday nights, but I wasn't into ship fighting then."

Art remembers.

Fancy says, "I think it may have alternated with the Magellan Cup on Wednesday nights, though, come to think of it."

Fancy says, "And there were Hide and Seek type events on Thursdays, and also even on weekend mornings for a while."

Art nods.

Fancy says, "Eventually after Fed moved to the web, they made the prizes free hours in Fed."

Fancy smiles, "Winning events and the prize hours became one way I could play Fed for very little cost. :)"

Art says, "That was nice."

Fancy says, "Eventually they did put in a limit of how many prize hours you could win in a month."

Art nods.

Fancy says, "I also heard about the puzzle planets that got created for special holidays, often with a large number of prize hours for the first to solve it."

Art nods.

Fancy says, "I did manage to solve some of those, too. I think the first was the 4th of July puzzle planet on the 4th of July in 1999."

Art remembers.

Fancy says, "The untold story in that was that I knew I was low on paid time remaining, and if I logged out, I wouldn't be able to get back in. So with a marathon session, I finally did figure it out and solve it."

Art laughs.

Aqueous grins

Art drawls, "I know that one game really changed things for you..."

Fancy says, "So I got pretty decent at puzzles, too."

Jazir winks, "Talk about motivation ;)"

Squeeky hops around

Art says, "Tell us about the Dating Game."

Fancy smiles and nods to Squeeky.

Fancy smiles, "Ah yes, the Dating Game. :)"

Fancy says, "For a long time the events gave me something to do in Fed, with everything I could have accomplished in Fed already accomplished. I was feeling kind of lonely otherwise. So I figured I would try out the dating game as one of the bachelors one of the women would pick."

Fancy says, "Gypsy was the one who ran it, and she let me know that there was a spot available for Antonia's show. I had met her casually before, and she seemed nice from what I had seen, so I happily agreed."

Art agrees.

Fancy says, "So I got in position ahead of time and logged out with my character, and logged in under one of the "Mysteryman" characters who would answer her questions in the studio."

Fancy says, "I did have a bit of a nervous feeling going in, but soon calmed down, and just answered her questions honestly."

Fancy smiles, "And when it came time for her to pick her date, she chose me. :)"

Art grins.

Fancy says, "We dined together at Blue Rhonda's on Deep, talked, and got to each other better."

Fancy says, "We got back together a few days later for a second date, and I gave her a tour of Toontown. The next night, she showed me around Zorakus."

Fancy smiles, "We got to know each other really well and fell in love. :)"

Art smiles.

Fancy smiles, "And eventually I proposed to her, she gladly accepted, and we got Fed wed on May 10, 2003. :)"

Fancy says, "Although her internet connection picked a heck of a day to become unreliable."

Art chuckles.

Fancy smiles, "Fortunately, we did eventually get it done, had the reception, the tossing of the bridal bouquet and garter, and finally the honeymoon. :)"

Art giggles.

Fancy smiles, "Thankfully, her connection held all throughout the honeymoon. :)"

Ferreri giggles

Aqueous says, "lol"

Fancy smiles, "At least it picked a great time to become reliable again. :)"

Art chuckles.

Art asks, "Ready for a few questions?"

Fancy smiles, "Sure. :)"

Ferreri raises her hand

Art asks, "If anyone has a question, please raise your hand and I will call on you. Ferreri?"

Ferreri asks, "how many Fed meets have you been to, Fancy?"

Fancy says, "I can think of five."

Ferreri says, "I saw you at 2board"

Ferreri says, "I saw you at 2"

Ferreri says, "sorry, long nails"

Fancy says, "There was one I organized in 1999 near Disneyland, one at Cape Cod in 2000, Chicago in 2001 and 2002, and another I organized around Disneyland in 2003."

Art smiles.

Fancy says, "Oh, and we had a meet scheduled around the beach in 2000, but Pajamian and I were the only ones that showed up for that."

Ferreri says, "I did 1999 and 2000"

Fancy says, "The one in 1999 was one of the biggest. The one in Chicago in 2001 might have been slightly bigger."

Ferreri says, "that one was fun"

Art grins.

Art asks, "Next?"

Fancy smiles and nods his head, remembering fondly.

Djentsch raised his hand

Art asks, "Dj?"

Djentsch asks, "Knowing that you are the events team leader, have you thought about bringing some of the games from classic to Fed II?"

Fancy says, "I have thought of it, yes."

Djentsch asks, "and??"

Fancy says, "Magellan Cup is one we'll probably bring back once player planets come in. It would be difficult to find enough locations to use for Sol for more than just a few editions."

Art agrees with that.

Fancy says, "Scavenger Hunt might be one we could bring back, along with Seek or Hide."

Djentsch says, "cool"

Fancy says, "For Scavenger Hunt, though, that requires a new planetary layout each time."

Fancy says, "We would need several planet writers for that."

Art looks at Fancy in horror!

Fancy says, "Seek or Hide was a game where the hider would hide out on a planet, and the seekers would have 5 minutes to try to find him. If the hider could stay hidden for the full 5 minutes, he won the round. Otherwise whoever found him (and tagged him) won the round."

Fancy says, "And the winner got the choice of hiding or seeking the next round."

Jazir says, "That was always a fun one"

Fancy says, "Maybe that could be run in the solar system, since there are so many planets with lots of locations."

Ferreri says, "sounds a bit like Kick the Can"

Art says, "I liked that one."

Angelfowl perks up at hearing Kick the Can.

Fancy says, "It's somewhat similar, except that the hider must stay put once he chooses a hiding place in Seek or Hide."

Art reaches for the duct tape.

Fancy says, "In Kick the Can, the one hiding can move any time."

Fancy says, "Oh, and the hider is given 3 minutes to find a hiding place, including time to explore the planet while doing so. Nobody gets to see the planet layout ahead of time."

Fancy says, "Another game that hasn't been played in a long time is Team Flag."

Art liked that one too

Fancy says, "In Team Flag, you had mirror-image fields, and teams of players who would seek out a flag or frisbee that the opposing team's captain hid in the field, and try to be the first to find it, pick it up, bring it out, and give it to the MC."

Fancy says, "So those are some possibilities. The Cup of Fearlessness of course will have to wait until ship fighting goes in."

Art nods

Art asks, "Next?"

Ferreri says, "no more questions from me"

Art asks, "Anyone?"

Fancy looks around the audience.

Art says, "If there are no more questions then I'd like to thank Fancy for being such a wonderful guest."

Art applauds.

Angelfowl claps

Fancy smiles and takes a bow.

Ferreri applauds

Fancy smiles, "Thanks everyone for coming. :)"

Art says, "As this is my last M&G, I don't know who will be next."

Ferreri says, "thank you Fancy"

Ferreri says, "thank you Art"

Fancy smiles, "You're welcome, Ferreri. :)"

Art says, "My pleasure"

Art unclips the mic.

Clio puts away her scroll and quill...

More Meet & Greets

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