Atlantis 3.0: Times 16 From: Geoff Dunbar <gdunbar@prankster.com> Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 00:00:00 +0000 Subject: Atlantis 3.0: Times 16 Atlantis 3.0 Times April, 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Email admin30@prankster.com with game issues. Visit http://www.prankster.com (or email atlantis@prankster.com) for information or to join. I have updated the orders checker (and the game) to detect multiple month-long orders given by one unit. So, you will now get error messages if you give more than one month-long order by the same unit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I am quite disapointed. I hoped for something new in A3 in this domain. Skill reports: combat [COMB] 5: No skill report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ My own dear love, he is strong and bold And he cares not what comes after. His words ring sweet as a chime of gold, And his eyes are lit with laughter. He is jubilant as a flag unfurled -- Oh, a girl, she'd not forget him. My own dear love, he is all my world -- And I wish I'd never met him. -- Dorothy Parker ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (message unreadable, sorry) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nursie looked around the Nexus. No gate. What a hassle. Oh well, every cloud has a silver lining. She had been unable to convince any one of the others in the Nexus to accompany her. Can't blame them really, her return from the surface was hardly a recommendation of competence, and only a madman would believe she returned because she was likely to get more land than she wanted or needed! In any case she could now pass through one of the Nexus Cities on her way to her new home. That would give her a chance to take a friendly trader with her. If only they survived the first few months they would build a home for Janet and her four brothers. Nursie continued her dreaming. 10 regions for the Guardians to tax. A tower for the Janet and her brothers. A friendly trader to share the wealth and arm the Guardians, perhaps he will have his own army too, they might find much land and her needs were few. Best of all freedom. Freedom to write silly Times articles... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Efficient Empire (119): Combat statistics for Skeletons and Undead This turn I was attacked by a lair of skeletons and undead.The good news is that they are don't have any tactics skill, the bad news is that they are still numerous enough to be tough this early in the game. I don't know if they have OBS skill, as I didn't have any stealthed units present. They were in they lair, so I also don't know if they have any stealth skill. For this particular batch, I am planning on moving in a 30 strength Comb 3 unit with swords and a tactician. Undamaged, I should inflict about 13.3 hits a round vs 2.6 for the monsters. I should defeat them after the second battle round at a cost of about 5 men. Attackers: Undead (6072), 44 skeletons [SKEL] (Combat 2, Hits 1), 2 undead [UNDE] (Combat 3, Hits 6). Bill , Efficient Empire (Bill_Larson@ncsu.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Does anyone have GATE 4? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The old man stopped to take a brief rest in the midst of a long day's plowing and looked about his fields in Handan, only a short unladen swallow's flight from the Golden City -- Helsicke. He turned to his grandson who was tagging along and learning the family trade. "Ya see them thar ridges in the soil thar Jeb? An' those holes?" "Yeah Gramps! I know't whats that thar, them is moles! Moles are varmits! I brought my sling and my sticker do ya want me t'get em Gramps? Can I?" "Wo thar Jeb! No need fer killing varmits. Moles are God's good creatures just like the rattler snake an' the wharf rat an' the snappin' turtle an' the porcupine. Besides, they git the air to the soil an' it helps the grapes grow better." "Aw Gramps! This plowin all day is borin' me to tears. Ya gotta let me kill som'in or I'm gonna go join those White Fist Lotus Eater guys. I reckon they *like* to kill varmits. Beside we don't grow no grapes, all we grow is wheat." "You shur yer paw don't smack you upside the head enough thar boy? Cuz if he don't I'm a ready to do it m'self." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dwight looked over the land the Emperor claimed for the Empire and the Brethren. It was a quiet town, of small population. But Dwight knew this would change. Already, farmers were flocking to the Imperial Banner, entertainers were approaching the Emperor, and Scouts were being trained and equiped. Talks of construction had already begun, and the Emperor was making plans for moving further inland. Dwight walked up to the local inn, where the Emperor had rooms. He was supposed to meet with him after he returned from the Council of Lords. The innkeeper told him that the Emperor's rooms were empty, but to go up and wait inside. Dwight climbed the stairs, and waited for his Emperor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I thought maybe a strongly worded anti-GALE article might be in order, but then thought the following said what i wanted to say better than i ever could........ ---------- From: Azthar Septragen Sent: 24 September 1996 09:25 To: david coultous Hi David, Hmm. Never believe what you read in the times, but... >- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > What's the Story, No more Glory? - nah, publicity stunt :) > > Ho, hum, forgot about the initial wait. At least there was something > happening in Atlantis City, as opposed to this 'Nexus'. Oh well, I suppose > I'll move to a city next turn after I have some skills in the mystic arts. > Pity I didn't start this week, I'd have a free gate spell............ > But I can't restart, I've just started! That really would be quitting, not > seeing things through........... like our brief sojourn in Atlantis 2.0 to be > honest. There is now an actual command for RESTART. I imagine we will see quite a few this turn. Go for it! Three of four new factions this turn were restarts. > > I've received news of groups such as GALE ( i won't make the obvious hot air > remarks, which I'm sure you've all heard before...), I applaud your our recognition of a good source of a pun, but avoidance of it disappoints me. :( I worked hard to load the name to imply both hot air and natural force. Personally I have been waiting for witty hot air remarks, but I'm usually the only one making them. :( I have to admit the name Grand Assembly of Learned Elders is full of hot air, but it also must be admitted that the potential of fifty allied factions is nothing to sneeze at. My title as leader of ACME is the ACME Grand BOHA, which stands for "bag of hot air." I try to be the first to poke fun at myself. I may be an pompous SOB with delusions of godhead, but at least I have a sense of humor and I *can* take a joke, but I never forgive an intentional insult. I don't consider your post as an insult, not at all, I love puns, even avoided ones. I must say I don't like Oasis much. >but what price freedom, > independence, isolation and destruction by vicious WAR factions? Indeed, what price shall we place on freedom? Responsibility my good man, responsibility and respect - that is the price of freedom. Isolation is a prison itself. Independence, ironically enough is the hallmark of GALE. "Freedom is the right to do *whatever* one chooses so long as that does not interfere with another's right to freedom." That is my definition of freedom in 25 words or less. In practice GALE is very anarchic. It merely allows an unbrella under which we can practice an enlightened form of anarchy. The Charter and my posturing tends to scare away anyone who is not socially evolved enough to practice responsible and respectful anarchy. Anarchy does not mean hate and dis-order. To be sure it's not pure anarchy, but it is more anarchic than it appears on the surface. > After last time, we need to find an Oasis in this turbulent world, so we can > develop in peace... I do wish you luck. Azthar Septragen Grand Elder of GALE ================== Soz Azthar, I applaud your efforts to regiment anarchy, and also your recognition of yourself as a >>pompous SOB with delusions of godhead and a >>"bag of hot air." but i am not >>socially evolved enough to practice responsible and respectful anarchy. and thus your >>posturing 'scares' me away. I guess I'd better stay away from Helsicke as you >> never forgive an intentional insult. oops! >>I don't consider your post as an insult Will this article do? After all I am merely exercising my freedom as defined by yourself:- >>"Freedom is the right to do *whatever* one chooses so long as that does not >>interfere with another's right to freedom." You said: >>I try to be the first to poke fun at myself. Well, I'd like to be the second....... Myrdding Emrys of The Old Ones(211) david_coultous@msn.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sword production has reached an all-time high with expected continued growth... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sphinx (5807), sphinx [SPHI]. Anybody know the hits on one of these things? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Good enough. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ riding [RIDI] 1: A unit with this skill, if possessing a horse, gains a bonus in combat if the battle is in a plain, desert, or tundra. This bonus is equal to the skill level, up to a maximum of 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 'till now nothing but mountains but our little settlement there grows nontheless. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you are a new faction and you jump to a gate that is already occupied it is good manners to jump on next turn. The alternative is to hang around and be eliminated by a faction defending its turf. BTW who is going to publish Gate Lore 3 then? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ One of these days I should actually read the rules. It may just help me a little! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ An urgent message has just arrived from the city of Cremona. The Armies of the Southern Cross are fighting each other within the confines of the city! Have the Dark Legions managed to infiltrate the Southern Cross? What fate will befall the once mighty protectors of the Dunster region? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just 3 more months and I will be able to see far and wide. With a farsight range of 16 hexes, I'll be able to see adjacent continents if I so desire. Too bad I can't sacrifice a little of the range for a larger area. Half the range for the region report on the desired hex and all those surrounding it as well sounds fair, doesn't it? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Does any one have a mountian, desert, or plain to spair. I have some tundra, and forest to trade... Make that lots of tundra, and forest. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ People are so extraordinarily thin-skinned that one hardly dares allow any actual *content* into these things any more. This seems to take a lot of the fun out of it. The very small chair for all thin skinned tin gods! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hey!! Is everyone having FUN yet?? The era of the Big Wars is about to commence (this is gonna be SO GREAT!) and we will see who can marshal an alliance in the field and who is just a -> puppy <-. Are -> puppies <- Meat Animals, gang? Yes! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Camera Never Lies... __ {_}]_____,,,, (--- __ _ [_]|/ | //--\\= _ |/ _____________________ | || |= (_) / / \\<>-\\__//=____> /When the shoe fits \__/| | The foot is forgotten; --/ | When the belt fits \ | The belly is forgotten; \ | When the heart is right \ | "For" and "Against" \ | are forgotten.\ | Easy is right. Begin right \ | And you are easy. \ | Continue easy and you are right.\ | The right way to go easy \ | Is to forget the right way \ | And forget that the going is easy.| \_________________________________/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have used all the land that God has given to me. Now it is time to build boats and see what I can take from the devil. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ahh, My first kohort of troops. Darklords (113), Member of the United Factions Henning Joergensen (c928740@student.dtu.dk) -------------------------------------------- http://www.kbar.dtu.dk/~c928740/welcome.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Silvan Elves moved quickly 'cross the open plains. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maw, I'se just a small town boy visiting the city lights. Ain't it funny what folks'll do when they ain't ta home. Paw ------------------------------------------------------------------------ crossbow [XBOW] 1: A unit with this skill may use a crossbow, either in battle, or to TAX or PILLAGE a region. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ pattern [PATT] 2: No skill report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ pattern [PATT] 5: No skill report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ force [FORC] 2: No skill report. combat [COMB] 2: No skill report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ah, new lands at last. And all plains at that. Whoever jumps into this gate is dead. Now what gate number was that. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Apropos of sleep, that sinister adventure of all our nights, we may say that men go to bed daily with an audacity that would be incomprehensible if we did not know that it is the result of ignorance of the danger" - Baudelaire ------------------------------------------------------------------------ You know you have it hard when you have to start giving away mages in order to support your ever-growing empire. At least I have friends who will put them to good us. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Diastrophism (83): Would giving the $50 reward to only signed Times submissions reduce the "gimme silver" entries? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Brothers and Sisters, The news reach me today that one of my messenger, one of your brothers, got killed up North by some raasclass sphynx... Never will the Irie People move further north than the Tropic line. Now is time for grieving, Brothers and Sisters, Let the CongoBongos drum in mourning..." Falafel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WARNING: Sphinx (1711), sphinx [SPHI] (Combat 4, Hits 50). Last seen in the desert west of Durness. (32,106) - March Yr 2. Also seen in the area: Sphinx (7893), sphinx [SPHI], (32,104) - Jan Yr 2. p.s This creature is capable of killing 20 combat 1 men in one round. Whats more - it just did. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Roses On White Lace (91): Glorious Organization of Divineship, Monthly News ------------------------------------------------- GOD is a peaceful alliance located in Yuci. The members are Roses On White Lace (91) & Elves of Essedail (93) TRADE: Horses are beeing tamed at an increasing rate. The first iron mine will be opened next month. WAR: The situation in Jotel is tensed. City Guards have been reported beating innocent GOD citizens. Commander Mindravel has sent troops to take care of the problem. Rumours say that GOD forces will, aided by the mages, punish the ignorant City Guard for their behaviour. However, noone seems to know when this will happend. Soon, most of the people think. In eastern Carahue, outside Yuci, the Centaurs still haven't attacked. Instead of attacking, Mindravel sent an observer to find out the centaur's combat skills, with hope to obtain vital information on how to kill them. MAGIC: Nothing new. Mages has been busy reorganization, and except for a few new skeltons and imps, nothing of interest occured. WWW: GOD HQ can be visited at http://www.student.tdb.uu/~m96thd/GOD --------------------------------------------------- GOD can be reached at t96thd@student.tdb.uu.se ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fellowship News The Fellowship announces the claim of Benlech (Village). Please send us a message if you want to enter the village. Thanks. Lord Starfox ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Those leftcoasters who have a number ocho maas den el numero des las hotos got clawed in the swamps by _that_ lady's big black gato! !Eh! !Watchalay! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Another rushed job times message, another 50 silver. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Helsicke (AP) - GALE is Here to Stay! After surviving some stressful moments, it seems clear that GALE is here for the long term. Several heated debates were recently resolved in the Council of Defense and Diplomacy, proving that this governmental framework can indeed work to the benefit of all GALE citizens. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Geburah. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Bank of Helsicke (81): The Bank of Helsicke is currently charging 20% on loans and paying 10% on investments. Contact big-d@meepmeep.demon.co.uk now, and get the money you need for your growth, or get growth on the money you don't need! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Llamas! Llamas in my hair! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Woe to the proletariat when the capitalists pillage their poor homelands! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Core ar nearly back to full strength, so all shadows beware ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16 Reasons Why God Never Received Tenure at the University 1. He had only one major publication 2. And it was in Hebrew 3. And it had no references 4. And it was not published in a refereed journal 5. And some even doubted that He wrote it Himself. 6. It may be true that He created the world, but what has He done since then? 7. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited. 8. The scientific community has had a very rough time trying to replicate His results. 9. He never applied to the Ethics Board for permission to use human subjects. 10. When one experiment went awry, He tried to cover it up by drowning the subjects. 11. When subjects did not behave as predicted, He often punished them, or just deleted them from the sample. 12. He rarely came to class: He just told students to read the book. 13. He has his son teach the class. 14. He expelled His first two students for learning too much. 15. Although there were only ten requirements, most students failed His tests. 16. His office hours were infrequent, and usually held on a mountain top." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To all shadows: Z-2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dunster News Report: Accept no substitutes! The Army of the Southern Cross wishes to extend our welcome to the citizens of Cremona and Antor. These two cities have been claimed by our benevolent alliance and will now help support our efforts to bring peace to this once- thriving wasteland. On the southern front, a large Dark Legion army has been spotted in the city of Corofin. It seems clear that they plan on to conquer it and attempt to strike the main forces from behind. Fortunately the Army of the Southern Cross has eyes everywhere and is prepared for all contingencies. Citizens should not be alarmed. Be assured that we are still in control. A new profession has begun recently. Orc-training seems to be the latest craze on the frontier. Long-range scouts have discovered several tribes of orcs who seem to be impossible to train in anything except bloodthirsty combat. As a result of this, many have relocated their camps to work on training these savages to the ways of the Southern Cross. Those of you who wish to participate in this new fad, should be cautious however. Orcs can have very bad tempers if they are pushed too far. The Army of the Southern Cross wishes to extend public thanks to the Knights of Z'ha'dum(89) for valourous deeds in combat. The Knights have performed honorably and in the best interests of all in the Dunster region. Mike Weldon Southern Cross News Correspondent Grey Wolf Clan (78) weldon@sdd.hp.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Saphic women's council of Atlantis decries the abominable lack of female representation in the political structures of Atlantis. Get with it, or there will be no you-know-what tonight, pal! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I wandering we shall go lets explore Durness ------------------------------------------------------------------------ HELP!!!! Anyone know anything about SPHINXES? I am being infested with the brutes, but I am too scared to attack them, just in case. Are they just big pussycats, or what? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ New World Explorers will be under temporary management for 2 turns. Please redirect all requests/petitions/gifts etc to azthar@wolfenet.com. Please redirect all flames/hate-mail etc to /dev/null Thank-you for your attention *grunt* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The old miner smiled as the sun reflected off the shiny gold metal. "I'M RICH!", he screamed. "RICH, RICH, RICH!!!", his laugh echoed off the nearby mountains. He began to make plans on how to get the gold to the nearby city which wanted it as a trade good. He would make a fortune of silver and recruit men to help tame this mountain. His name would be remembered forever, as the first to find gold in Atlantis. A shadow blocked the sun. He looked up, and barely had time to scream before the Dragon ate him. [P.S. What a way to lose a scout :( At least it wasn't my leader. Now all I need is to raise an army and kill the dragon. That shouldn't be too hard? At least I know there's gold there!] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Search North Search South Search East Search West The traitors will die ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ And still more swamp... Is there no end to this tropical morass? Have the polar caps melted? On and on it goes without so much as a dry plain in sight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Les Chevaliers du Septentrion (210) report : - our peacefully alliance with the 70's bears fruits ; - we are now members of the Gravebygd eldest magic university ; - we are now members of the Sailors Brotherhood and our ship, "Le Vent du Nord" rides the seas beside the 70's fleet ; Les Chevaliers claim the (54.66) (53.67) (54.68) hexs in the name of the 70's. Blavon, prime knight of Les Chevaliers. (blavon@alpes-net.fr) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Monster report: Undead [UNDE] (Combat 3, Hits 6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Here's another one of those intelligent articles: enchant swords [ESWO] 1: A mage with the Enchant Swords skill may enchant normal swords into mithril swords, which give a +4 bonus to Combat skill when used in combat. A mage may enchant 5 times his skill level swords per turn; the swords should be in the mage's inventory for him to enchant them. The mage should issue the order CAST Enchant_Swords to cast this spell. (Hey, I didn't start the series!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ship is fully booked. Daununda Enterprises (jim_eadie@cc.chiron.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ the end is near ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bonjour a Tous ! La suite des aventures de GORGOR notre sympathique Semi GEANT ! Nous venons donc de decouvrir d'autres cite dans les environs d'ARREZZO MA belle CITE ! Dailleur je demenage dans peu de TEMPS pour m'installer a JOTEL ! Je prefere c'est plus a l'equateur ! Pour les cites decouvertes par notre alliance il suffit de voir le times de mes amis ! Sinon nous avons decouverts de jolis et mignons lizzard men dans mes forets et maintenant ils font de tres jolies chaussures, portefeuilles, cuir d'armures, et autres babioles pour tous mes amis ! La fete dans ARREZZO a ete reporte pour faute de mauvais temps ! Donc elle devrait avoir lieu dans trois tours mais ne vous inquietez pas mes amis, elle aura bien lieu ! Ah oui mon bateau va bientot reprendre la mer pour le compte de la confrerie des marins, et s'en va decouvrir le lointain NORD EST ! A bientot donc pour la suite des aventures du SYMPATHIQUE semi GEANT ! GORGOR BEY, The Black Moon ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "sire..." "what, don't interrupt. I'm very close to have learned the secrets of teleportation" "but sire, they are selling teleport scrolls at the marketplace" "WHAT?!? And here I have spent three months figuring it out. My time could have been better spent. Alas, but my successor will have it easier, should my journey be a disaster." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Oh look a cliff, I wonder what's at the bottom. AHHHHHH" This bit of useless information was entered into the Times by Tas, A member of the Kender suicide squad. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ enchant armor [EARM] 1: A mage with the Enchant Armor skill may enchant normal plate armor into mithril armor, which give the wearer a 90 percent chance of surviving a normal attack, and a 2/3 chance of surviving a crossbow attack. A mage may enchant 5 times his skill level plate armors per turn; the armor should be in the mage's inventory for him to enchant them. The mage should issue the order CAST Enchant_Armor to cast this spell. Need: Artifact Lore [ARTI] 1 (Need: pattern [PATT] 1, force [FORC] 1, spirit [SPIR] 1). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Atlantis Report For: Creatures (2) (War 5, Trade 5, Magic 5) March, Year 2 Account balance: $900.00 Faction Status: Tax Regions: 74 (100) Trade Regions: 32 (100) Mages: 7 (7) Errors during turn: Order given without a unit selected. Order given without a unit selected. Lizard Men (6877): GIVE: Not enough. Sea Serpent (8710): TAX: Unit cannot tax. Mermen (9921): TAX: Unit cannot tax. Halflings (3441): BUY: Unit attempted to buy more than it could afford. Devil (666): TEACH: Demons (4511) is not studying. Pixies (8871): PRODUCE: Can't produce that. Battles during turn: Dragon (911) attacks explorer (411) in tunnels (5,9,underworld) in Nork! Attackers: Dragon (911), dragon [DRAG] (Combat 10, Hits 200). Defenders: explorer (411), hill dwarf [HDWA] Dragon (911) gets a free round of attacks. Dragon (911) shoots a Fireball, frying 1. explorer (411) loses 1. explorer (411) is routed! Total Casualties: explorer (411) loses 1. Dragon (911) loses 0. Spoils: 2 silver [SILV], chocolate [CHOC]. Events during turn: Reward of 50 silver. Ghouls (2115): Claims $390. Ghost riders (781): Gives horse [HORS] to Pumpkin Head (9002). Wraiths (7875): Gives 260 silver [SILV] to Dragon (1872). Guard Zombies (5498): Is given to your faction. Mafia (6133): Receives 900 silver [SILV] from Guard (7418). IRS (12): Collects $550 in taxes. Halflings (413): Steals 200 silver [SILV] from Rantlu Guards (2114). Skeletons (311): Buys 4 skeletons [SKEL] at $26 each. Flying Dutchman [199] sails from ocean (17,115) in Atlantis Ocean to ocean (18,116) in Atlantis Ocean. Flying Dutchman [199] sails from ocean (18,116) in Atlantis Ocean to ocean (18,118) in Atlantis Ocean. Flying Dutchman [199] sails from ocean (18,118) in Atlantis Ocean to ocean (18,120) in Atlantis Ocean. Flying Dutchman [199] sails from ocean (18,120) in Atlantis Ocean to ocean (17,119) in Atlantis Ocean. Devil (666): Teaches fire to Demons (4510). Leprechaun (7423): Produces pot of gold [POTO]. Zombies (5641): Earns 97 silver working. Night Runner (6333): Studies phantasmal entertainment [PHEN]. Beggar (8722): Claims 10 silver for maintenance. Skill reports: Declared Attitudes (default Neutral): Hostile : none. Unfriendly : none. Neutral : none. Friendly : none. Ally : The Guard (1), Geoff (0). Unclaimed silver: 41. [AUTO-SNIP -- Bandwidth Conservation Society] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Come on does anyone know gate 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RANTLU (Reuter) - A major shakeup seems to be occuring in alliances around the city. Rantlu Ice Pirates spokesman Fnords says, "Gosh, we tried to trick Syndic8 but I guess we didn't have the brains. We even changed the names of one of our factions, but that didn't work either!" Syndic8 spokesman Felix of the Hive replies, "@^%#^&%!! And you can quote me on that!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Raul's satisfaction with his new assignment had diminished somewhat since last month. He had originally thought the swamp next door would give him some kind of exclusive source of wood products, which he could use to his advantage. However, scouts were reporting what seemed to be an endless supply of unused swamp and jungle regions stretching far to the east and north. And the swamp next door seemed to be just about the WORST of all the available ones. His assistant continued his report: "The taxes will be sufficient to fund our ongoing production, as long as skill levels are kept high, but actually hiring and training the workers will likely be beyond the region's capabilities." "Blast and damn! Now we'll have to ship silver over from here every time we need to increase our staff." "Well, sir, if it's any consolation, it turns out the lumber supply is a good bit larger than we originally thought. And we needed to run courriers back and forth anyway to collect the wood for manufacture." Raul snorted and walked away, pondering this turn of events. If this swamp isn't up to snuff, then maybe he ought to look into one of the others. It's not like they're as rare as he thought they were after all. * * * * * Blair, on the other hand, was quite a bit happier than last month. Instead of bothering with another swamp, she had moved into a nearby desert. (Desert adjacent to swamp? Strange world, this Atlantis 3...) Here, there were no insects, and the peasants were much more generous with their taxes as well. Her agents in the swamps were reporting good news, too: trees would start to fall next month. She would have to put her people here to work getting ready to utilize the wood that would soon start flowing out of the swamps. Silver would still be tight, but her immediate goals seemed comfortably within reach. Now, to figure out what long-term objectives she should set for herself... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Within three months the first iron miners and armorers would be in place. It would be several more months before all the training was complete and platemail would be churning out of the Legion's second major production region. The northwest was opening up soon as well, with taxers moving swiftly through the mountains to take stations around the small scout outpost. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For your consideration: If Vikings and Barbarians can go to COMB 3, how much more important are they in this game than A2? Also, how much more important are orcs now? Everybody wants them, but few people have the discipline to take time to find them. Dwarves, plainsmen, nomads and elves will find themselves chewed up quickly by better-trained enemies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Anyone know the stats on summoned wolves?? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Accord Ltd. (191): Some basic terms in the evolving language of diplomacy: Organizations -------------------- Alliance: traditional grouping of factions for mutual support and protection. Alliances are usually specific to one geographic area. Alliances tend to be insular and exclusive in nature. Example: ACME. Guild: loose confederation of factions joined by a common purpose. Guild membership is non-exclusive and often spans many geographic regions. Example: Sailor's Brotherhood. Metal: (from Meta-alliance) an alliance whose members are themselves alliances. Geographically, these umbrella organizations control entire regions. They often inherit the shortcomings of their component alliances: insularity, xenophobia, us-vs.-them attitude. Example: GALE. Alloy: an alliance whose membership successfully integrates both individual factions and other alliances. Example: AIF. Conglomerate: a non-traditional alliance that shares many attributes of a guild: non-exclusivity, geographic diversity, focus on a strong common purpose. Example: IR Events -------------------- The Mingling: the cataclysmic struggles brought about by the imminent grinding together of the six Starting Cities. The Intervention: "And on the fourteeth day He created the GateCalled and he saw that this was good." Enigmatic miracle whereby the Creator sent a new race of men into Atlantis. Leaders -------------------- Nexians: new factions entering the Realm of Atlantis. Named for the Nexus -- the cosmic waiting room. Firstborn: the earliest race of men. Those leaders who entered Atlantis at the dawn of time. Elderfolk: the children of the twilight. The leaders who entered Atlantis during the course of the First Age. Gatecalled: new race of men created in the Intervention. A child among them is like unto a learned GateMage. Their coming heralds the end of the First Age. Places -------------------- Inner Sphere: the six Starting Cities: Dunstar, Durness, Graevsbydg, Helsicke, Rantlu, Riggenthorpe. The Inner Cities are the playgrounds of the Alliances. Inferno: Helsicke. Atlantis's crucible. The term arises from the fierce competition and overcrowding that give the city its unique character. Wide World: the vast area beyond the inner sphere. The GateMages' land of milk and honey. --Accord Ltd. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Chibchas find amazing new resources in the underworld. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 400 men 400 swords 400 horses 13 mages I'm going to mess you up, Gale. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACME Department of Administration and Management (117): Hello Atlantis! Not much new this month. The towns are falling left and right, the cities are next. This month's GALE announcements: Due to a readjustment of our census, and a new member, our official head count is now 51. We are still offering homesteads on our frontiers to any new factions seeking a home to call their own. We also offer magickal training in all foundations to at least level 3. Our website is at http://www.wolfe.net/~azthar/GALE Any official correspondence to GALE should be addressed to azthar@wolfenet.com. Azthar Septragen Grand Elder of GALE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ================================================================================ ACME Public Bulletin #13 Announcements for March Year 2 Monthly tip: ------------ If unit with COMB-1 (60) buys an amount of new men equal to its current size, the skill level will be diluted, but the full unit will still be able to tax -- including the new recruits. In the World of Diplomacy: -------------------------- The negotiated a border with The Nameless Alliance based out of Graevsbygd is holding peacefully. This border is the 49th longitude between the cities of Melfi. This border will hopefully soon, be officially recognised by GALE. In the interests of peace, we ask all factions from both Graevsbygd and Helsicke to recognise this border. Quote of the month: ------------------- ...just because it is a game, or a piece of writing... does not excuse us from right-living. "The Gryphon" ================================================================================ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Dogs are on the move after a minor war in Durness, Lets hope the monsoon isn't due to soon ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yes Llamas are great indeed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ravens croak in the mountains. The dragons slumber. The horses prance on the prairie. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Fellowship of Song is hanging up its swords. All 1083 combat trained men are going to work for a new master, while the Songsters concentrate on arcane skills... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Blue, blue windows behind the stars Yellow moon on the rise Big birds flyin' across the sky Throwin' shadows on our eyes Leave us Helpless, helpless, helpless" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chronicles of The Tribe Last moon the brave sons of Guajajara while exploring the Kashmar jungle stopped by a small clear near a large rubber tree. A little further north they could see a large hut surrounded by bones and large, yet very rudimentary utensils. In silence they kept their position for long enough to discover who was the owner of such mess: a ten foot tall ogre named Ananias and his wife - not as tall but perhaps twice as heavy - whose name is Anesia. Living together in harmony, the big hairy folks were sort of romantic in their own way. There was no doubt, however, in the minds of the intrepid Elves that the ogres would not be treat them as visitors but rather as a exquisite antipasto. Paulo, Parrot-Man of The Tribe ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Glass Chompers (65): Come visit my new web page at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1960 I wish to thank all the people who have taken the time to write and let me know about information I didn't have or that was incorrect. I really do appreciate all the feedback and try to keep this page up-to-date to provide a ready reference resource for those of us playing this great game! If you haven't visited yet, I do encourage you to do so. You will find a list of magical skills, a list of regular skills, lists of creatures and monsters seen around some information about them. There is also a list of claims which have been announced in the Times, a list of alliances, people wishing to trade or who are offering various services. About the only thing I don't have yet is a map. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Je me souviens ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alliances in the Rantlu area have completely fallen apart. Now is the time for new players to enter at Rantlu and forge new alliances. (Of course, a gate is probably still safer.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their faction. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The shaman threw more powder on the fire and read the signs in the smoke. After much time he spoke, "the way to beat your enemies is to wait for them to kill themselves". The chief saw wisdom in these words. For did not the Dunster alliance already lose around 200 men due to their own follies (70 to the undead and last turn another 120 to the city guards). Yes, the chief would wait until his enemies killed themselves and then move in to rule the land. No need to be hastey in these matters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Soon I would be able to leave this forsaken desert and live like a king in the plains. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ stealth [STEA] 2: No skill report. stealth [STEA] 3: No skill report. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ horse training [HORS] 1: A unit with this skill may use the PRODUCE order to produce horses in designated regions. Horses are found in plains regions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Factions on the must kill list: Faction (8), smfoster@primenet.com Rob's Ruffians (35), rpeters@defenders.org The Seekers (40), hesiden@stoner.com The Lords of Chaos (44), egyoung@facstaff.wisc.edu The Minstrels (70), cyrilb@microsoft.com The Black Moon (71), Remi.KAMOWSKI@st.com Les Rodeurs (72), bonnefon@labs.polycnrs-gre.fr Irie Kaya (73), opt@hep.phys.soton.ac.uk Pynchonand Tribe (105), jts@dns.city-net.com Grey Death Legion (170), ranger@inlink.com All these factions will die, for high crimes, warmongering, and general hipocrisy in A2. The SCIO will die when I kill it off, and don't think that because this is a new game, I've forgotten. I never forget. The Ghost of the Mutant Black Robes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Big Lad looked at Little Lad. He shrugged. "We accept your offer to teach, and we're glad to be part of your mage school!" Big Al looked pleased. His class was now full... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Please someone post the gate 3 spell... I am begging you. For you sniveling maggots who grovel and whine: gate lore [GATE] 3: Seals the gate with the given key. The gate must be present in the current region, and must not already be sealed. The key is a numeric password which will be required for further access to the gate for jumps or other manipulations. Only those who supply the key number will be granted access. The number should be between 1 and 999. Use the syntax CAST Gate_Lore KEY <keynum>. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Anzique Cannibals (176): Peace Reigns in Rantlu. (AP)Rantlu-- RIP and Syndic8 have come to an agreement that seems to dispell the = possibility of war between the two known alliances in the Rantlu area. = RIP has decided to disband to seek fortunes in less inhabited areas. = Syndic8 now lays claim to Rantlu and its suburbs. Ex-RIP members are = not at this point considered hostile, and their future actions will = greatly influence Syndic8's attitude towards them. But at this time, = war seems unlikely. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ And so another town falls before the might of Chaos. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The mage was summoned again before the Council of Nobles... "I am sorry to have to report, my Lords, that our research into the properties of these gates is still incomplete. We have now discovered means by which the openings formed by the spells can be enlarged allowing more to be transferred at a time. In fact we belive we can now transport up to 10 men each time. However, we are still unable to determine where the gates will terminate. It is estimated that at least eighteen more months of study will be required before we attain the required level of precision in our spellcasting." The mage was ushered out of the hall while the great lords conferred in private. After 30 minutes he was recalled. "We are pleased with your work so far Mage", stated the Grand Duke, "Your progress in widening the rifts has gone rapidly and according to plan. However this latest news you bring disturbs us greatly. Tell us why it is that you now require so much more time to complete the work we have set you. Have we not provided you with sufficient funds and equipment to work efficiently?" "My Lords", stammered the Mage, "it is not that we are short of funds or equipment. Quite the opposite in fact. Our major difficulty at the moment is that we are forbidden to attempt some of the more violent experiments while we work in the palace. If we could move into a more secure environment there are many short-cuts we could take that would speed up the work, perhaps by as much as 50 percent." The Grand Duke glanced around the table at the other nobles. Each of them nodded slightly as his gaze swept past them. "Very well, as your task is of the highest priority, work will begin immediately on the construction of a new magical research facility outside the town of Ariano. Once it has been completed, you, your staff and equipment will be transferred there to continue your work safely away from the rest of the population. Make your preparations." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deld's Consolidated monster list (for turn 15): Giant Lizard [GLIZ] (Combat 3, Hits 5), Attacks ? , TACT 0 imp [IMP] (Combat 3, Hits 1), Attacks 1?, TACT 0? skeletons [SKEL] (Combat 2, Hits 1), Attacks 1, TACT 0? lich [LICH] (Combat 4, Hits 40),Attacks ?, TACT ? lion [LION] (Combat 3, Hits 2), Attacks ?, TACT 1+,STEA 1+ bog thing [BOGT] (Combat 4, Hits 20),Attack 2+, TACT 1+,STEA 1+ roc [ROC] (Combat 4, Hits 15),Attacks ?, TACT 1+ Please submit battles with creatures to kbrors@aol.com to make this a better creature manual. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is the dawning of a new age in Rantlu. Long live the King! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Another new skill: filleting [FILL] 1: This skills allows the unit to create fish fillets that sell for higher value than normal fish. Use the command PRODUCE Fillet to change the fish to fillets. Note that the unit must have a supply of fish. Requires: Fishing 3. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ And another village to crush! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I wonder can they kill themselves again? Gosh, I hope so. HEHEHEHEHEHE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I would like to apologize to all those whom I have kept waiting (they know who they are). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Desert, Desert everywhere. Is there nothing else? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ah dirt. I love dirt. Ah growing things, I just love to grow things. Ah silver. I LOVE silver. Hmmm. Dirt Growth Silver.... FARMING! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Well, without stone Sir, our mages are practically worthless." "What!" replied the senior officer. "Tell them to make some rocks with one of their magic spells. What do you think I'm paying them for?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ How do you sign your Times messages? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Will I get my orders in last again? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ****************** NEWS FROM THE SAILORS BROTHERHOOD ******************* The Sailors Brotherhood has now SEVERAL MEMBERS in the following areas: GRAEVBYGD, HELSICKE, RANTLU, DURNESS, RIGGENTHORPE, ALFARO, DORNOCH Half of the members are in fact spokesmen of Alliances, so our international community really counts a lot of people now. 2 New Cities discovered this month!!! * TURIA has been discovered by L'Explorateur, boat of the '70s Alliance, in the north-Graevbygd seas; * GLUGGBY has been discovered by Le Karuna, another boat of the '70s Alliance, in the same area; An abandonned boat has been reported, the RACE for this TREASURE is open!!! Contact me for more information on this new exciting race!! You too, LEGITIMATE YOUR DISCOVERIES by sharing them with the now official Sailors Brotherhood. If you plan to set sail soon, DON'T SAIL IN THE DARK, join the brotherhood and you'll get cartographic information to help you decide where to go. Don't be the last sailor to join ! Contact cyrilb@microsoft.com. Pinpanikaye, King of the Minstrels. ************************************************************************ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BioPhreaks (172): HELP!! Peace seems to have broken out on Rantlu. Unfortunately, my Eviscerators require constant combat to remain happy, content, soldiers. Does anyone in the Rantlu area have units I could slaughter needlessly? Please reply if interested. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -"M'lord? The new recruits ask of our destination." -"Our destination? Why, it is to the north. That is where destiny lies." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Already the first towns have fallen and the flames of war have engulfed the land. It is a time when heroes are made and legends are created. Vast armies sweep across the land clearing all in their path. It is a time of destruction and suffering. The perfect time for an adventurer to go in search of wealth, glory and reputation. Sod this for a game of soldiers. I'm staying inside a gate city! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Up