Atlantis Times v1.1 v04n08 From: JJC%MP068@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM Date: Tue, 13 Dec 1994 02:04:10 +0000 ######################################################################## =-=-= Atlantis Times v1.1 Volume 4 Number 08 =-=-= =-= December 12, 1994 =-= ######################################################################## Words from The Big Guy: I will be taking a 2 week break over Christmas and New Years. There will be no turns run on 12/25/94 or 1/1/95. We'll run on 12/11, 12/18 and 1/8/95, barring mail troubles. NOTE *** Atlantis is now closed. All full, no more starts. Just a reminder of the new AUTOTAX command: - AUTOTAX flag available. This is a new boolean command, similiar to GUARD and AVOID. If set, a unit will attempt to TAX every turn. If reset, no automatic TAXing will occur, though the TAX command will still work. AUTOTAX boolean is reset after a MOVE or SAIL command is executed. I should have an updated rulebook soon. Send Times to: jjc@mpa15ab.mv-oc.unisys.com Send Orders to: JJC@MP068.MV-OC.UNISYS.COM Send problems/comments/bug reports/questions to me personally at: jjc@mpa15c.mv-oc.unisys.com I read the mail at the times address once a week, when I'm setting up the Times. I NEVER read mail where the orders go to, so don't send anything but orders there. Good luck, and enjoy. - TBG ######################################################################## The Saga of The Mighty Zoggies "Sir, once again, the sacrifices proceed as planned and it appears that we have convinced some of our followers to join us on the path of righteousness and thanksgiving to The Mighty Zogg for his blessings." announced Raulos. "That is indeed good news," answered Rage. "Now tell me Raulos, how go your studies? And Detlev's at that?" "Wonderfully, sir, just last week I learned that the little scratch marks on the scrolls and parchments actually meant something. This week I am starting to learn what some of the little scratches mean. Detlev keeps trying to tell me that all those little scratches mean something but I know better. He keeps trying to tell me that they form words and language and syntax and stuff." beamed Raulos. "But I know better." "Yes, yes, yes, of course you do my brother, of course you do" ######################################################################## Exhibition at Tarraspan's University Library Yesterday was the opening of an exhibition at our university library. There were shown old spellbooks from the inventory of the Library. Most of them were about 200 years old. Some are big codices, some are very little pocket books. Some are printed, others not. Sometimes you can read the text without magic and sometimes not. Our local reporter Harriet Hot has been there yesterday. She had seen a lots of sorcerers and a lot of sorceress, some wizards, some witches and all kind of magic people you can imagine. Unfortunately the magicans read the spells in a loud voice and so the air was filled with magic and some little accidents happened: the hair of a witch turned from yellow to green, a wizard was suspending below the ceiling, the nose of a sorcerer got a big black wart and a little gnome from some other galaxy appeared. But nevertheless it was an interesting exhibition opening. Opening hours: 8.00 pm until 4.00 am, december 5 to january 1. Entry only for people which have magic power, for any other people it would be too dangerous. ######################################################################## Just a reminder. There is an Atlantis WWW site at: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/atlantis/ I am always looking for contributions. If you have help documents you have written, programs which you have written, or anything else for other people to see then let me know and I can add it to the page. I would be particularly interested in getting more programs that people have written which (for example) parse turn reports, manage turn creation/submission, etc... You can contact me directly at: orb@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu ######################################################################## -Chief, Chief look at this news!! (with an absent look) -Take it easy, calm down, man. Everything is so cool....uuuuhhh? -Sir, the reports shows a new Sea Monster attack!! -Eh!. Again we had one just two or three month ago! -Well sir... -C'monn. Speak!! -Is not right here, sir. Is from an explorer report. -Ahh. Then ther is no reason to fear. You shouldn't disturb me with such anews while I'm worshiping Iape. (The Chief smokes from a curious pipe) -Uuuuu....this is great! everything is so...so..eh! well is that all? -No sir the news says that three Sea Monsters attacked a swamp area in the west. At the same time!!! -Three at the same time? Cool. I want to make you a question. -As you wish sir! -If a Sea Monster is in a coastal region and there is no noble or explorer to see it. Does it attack? If a tree in the forest fall downd does it makes any sound? -Iape has really inspire you sir! I don't have an answer for that. -o!, well. It doesn't matter. Thinghs are going all right soon will be on our path again.... ######################################################################## The coffee girl Production was at its maximum. Every month new departments were=20 founded. Export managers were sent out to other regions to represent= =20 Freaky Inc., and sell our products all over Atlantis. There was a= =20 new problem coming along, with this expansion. There was great need= =20 of a lunchroom. Workers threatened to go on strike if the would not= =20 be any meal service on the company premises. They always had to=20 bring their own food, prepared by their mum or wife, and they were= =20 getting bored of that. Arguments rose, and in coffee breaks often it= =20 was reported that a lunch was stolen. It was time to take measures. The company contracted a new department. A kitchen was build, and a= =20 new employee was to be hired to cook and serve the meals. Applicants= =20 were heard, looked at, their food was tested. Of all, there were=20 only a few able to make an eatable meal. The rest was shown the=20 door. Seven applicants were left now, and the board was to think of= =20 new measures tot test. Intelligence? No need for that when cooking.= =20 Strength? No heavy food would be served. Social skills? Could be=20 needed! All seven were put in line, and one by one they were to act= =20 as if they served a meal to a customer. The first one smacked a load= =20 of stuff on a plate =93Here, eat!=94. This candidate was also shown t= he=20 door. The second one, an elderly woman, carefully arranged the food= =20 on a plate, walked over to the table, wanted to put it down gently,= =20 but somehow got stuck in her dress, an threw the hot plate all over= =20 the test-customer, which was then taken to the first aid stand to= =20 get his burns treated. This woman was payed a small tip, and gently= =20 removed from the premised. The third and fourth applicants did not= =20 manage to get a smile on their face while serving the food so they= =20 were rejected too. Number five was ok, she managed to get the food= =20 on the table, on the right spot, smiling, even saying =93enjoy your= =20 meal=94. However the huge wart on her face was so disgusting, the= =20 (new) test customer almost threw up over his food, when he realised,= =20 this same woman had also cooked this. Rejected. Number six, a lovely= =20 youg girl, wonderful body, 17 years of age, blonde, wonderful body,= =20 served the food well, smiled, and had a wonderful body. The test=20 customer was so pleased with the service, he completely forgot the= =20 food. Also the board was very impressed. This girl was indeed a good= =20 cook, could serve food without spoiling, a nice smile, and certainly= =20 very, very wonderful body.=20 Candidate number seven, realised that if these men were watching= =20 that girl for 40 minutes now, they would probably not need her=20 anymore. She was rejected as candidate. The competition of this girl= =20 was to big. Number seven left, silently. The board didn=92t even=20 notice as they were to eager to tell this girl, Tania, she was=20 hired, and all information about the company, her payment, etc.=20 Certainly the workers would no more complain about the lack of=20 lunchroom. Rather, a problem would be how to get them back to work,= =20 after their lunch break. Accountancy Dept., Freaky Inc. ######################################################################## I was in Selim's on a Wednesday night, walking away from Jean-Paul Prideaux's usual table in the back (having just completed the interview whit him you'll find in this issue), when I overheard the drunken murmurs of a Turkish official who shall remain nameless (I protect my sources, even inadvertent ones). According to this official, on 1 August Ankara will unviel a new "Tyrkish Diplomatic Forces Windfall Profits Tax" which will go into effect this coming fall. Under the terms of the new tax, set at 28% of applicable gross revenues, "windfall profits" would include kill bonuses, gratuities and any profits in excess of 15% of mounthly operating expenditures! ######################################################################## IS ATLANTIS SINKING? The Tarraspan Platonic Society unviels the latest research into the shifting coastlines of Atlantis. Is the sea rising, or are we sinking? Is it global warming, or some nasty magic spell? Tea and biscuits will be provided after the fate of the world has been decided. ######################################################################## Daring rescue for E.Atmuch and his brave fishing crew. As you all read last month your own reporter E.Atmuch was in danger of ending as a victim for the fearsome natives Z1 in Bananaland. Four more of the brave fisher-men made an ambush on the storming natives and succeded killing two of them. They themself unfortunatelly died in the attempt but the natives were so happy that they immediatelly stopped and threw a party. Late at night, when the natives where totally stoned, E.Atmuch and the other three survivers returned to the boat and set sail back to Vashcort to report to the council of the savage attack on the peaceful fishing mission and demand a strong revenge for their dead friends. ######################################################################## The first landing has begun, and the peaceful wanderers have started to farm the land. What strange customs, and rituals abound in this new land ? Hopefully all the busy goings on in the area do not hide a more sinister motive. ######################################################################## Dear Diolynx, Serpent of the Society of Atlantraz, I have now been in Skommer for a few month and feel ready to send a report up north to your Counsel. My sisterson, Cizerra, has done very well for himself, joining the SKA trade union and setting up a caravan route for iron supply from Laranche. Our masterful smiths are allready forging the first swords and soon we'll have wood for the bowyers. We are however not secure yet as the first Gathering is still to be build. Some of our union comrades has spies who's eyes sees more than I would like to know. I have used their information to put togehter a map which will be send north as soon as a safe route is found. I could not risk that someone would shoot down the pigedon and lay his hands on this map, as many of the unions enemies would dearly want it. The most clear and present danger however, comes from the south. A group ledd by a fighter called Rage is advancing our territory, and his minions are brutal followers of Zogg. Mighty Zogg they call him, but I recall otherwise from my studies of the gods. If migthy he'll be, then mercy is not the way he shows it. For now I have only heard the worst tidings of brutal, fanatic slauthering of those with a mind for other gods than him. We are still waiting for Mathor and his clan of dwarves as no Gathering will be build until his arival. The stone supply is plentyful and a Gathering will raise fast when only the work is started. A socerer's tidings, Miano de Lavita ######################################################################## Dear Brotherhood of the Mist, I am sure word has reached you by now of the Zaalsehurr election results It seems you were overwhlemingly voted out of power. I myself was particularly surprised to see your party's candidate for Governor, a Mr. Grieve, was not re-elected for another term. I suppose you shouldn't be concerned about the results of a single province. But with election time coming soon for neighboring provinces, I cannot help but to wonder if this is a sign of the shift in politcal power for the entire Southern Continent. A Tree ######################################################################## In a dark room, in a dark Citadel, a single dark lantern shone its lurid light on a dark pool of blood. A thin rivulet of heated plasma trickled, steaming, from a fissure above the carved pool, down channels gouged in the rock by what might have been great claws, and into the huge basin, keeping the blood at a constant temperature. Which, of course, suited the relaxed Lord Vox just fine, as he lounged luxuriously in the bath, reading his copy of the Times, and occasionally dictating a note to a scribe. The scribe, a look of abject terror on his face, worked rapidly to print every word *exactly* to his Lord's demanding specification, with his remaining seven fingers. "Hmmm...what's this about a Tarraspan conference on Total World Domination? Seems I'm an invited speaker, how lovely. Scribe, check my schedule book for next month, will you? Careful with those pages, that's Diamante-skin parchment. What's written there for August?" The scribe squinted and translated the script in a breaking voice. "It says, 'Conquer, Destroy, Ravage, Pillage, KILL!', my Lord." Vox settled back. "Ah, the usual, then. Well, sounds like the conference will fit in pretty nicely. Make a note to send a few representatives. Actually, a few hundred...might as well make it a practical demonstration." Lord Vox sniffed, enjoying the musky scent of the Moe's blood surrounding him. His appearance, as well as mood, was greatly improved this month. "Oh, and look at this! A Lord Thynos is concerned about peasant overpopulation! Perhaps he's in need of one of our special Population Management Teams in...where's this? Gnoelhaala? I don't remember *that* on the map! Ah, well, we'll get there eventually to help out. Send him a message:" My Most Tasteful Thynos, Peasant population, we have found, can be readily controlled by the application of Massive Numbers of Blood-Reaving Ghouls, provided Free of Charge (blood donations apprciated) by Yours Truly. -His Most Benificient Hideousness High Lord Vox. "Ah ah ah, scribe...there's another 'e' in appreciated. Give me that hand..." *CHOMP* (SCREAM..shriek...whimper). "Now clean up and back to work." "Oh, and look at this. The Committee on Interfactional Conflict Resolution? My, what an official-sounding group. They seem interested in our little tiff with Ducks and Archmages. Well, certainly Conflict Resolution is one of *my* favorite activities, perhaps we should say something about this too." The hapless scribe finished bandaging his hand, and shakily began transcribing the next message. Dear Fffellows at CIFCR, You sshoud know tht Hobbi th Archymg is a DEER FREND of the Nothern Wiind, and once he rturns our stolen ship, he wil be wecomed with OPEN MAW^h^h^hARMS into our aliiance. As far as th Duck, hs pinfethers wll b plkd n hs .. rnge sauc . The scribe, finally succumbing to shock and blood loss, crumpled to the stone floor in a dead faint. Vox, clearly annoyed, leaned over, ripped off an arm, cast a disgusted glance at the shaky scribbling, and began a rending repast. "Can't get a decent scribe around here for all the silver in Atlantis. Bah." ######################################################################## Sador's Journal No everything is really getting complicated. Finally my scout has found mountains and now they are claimed by some other Faction. But at last everything goes all right with my magical research. So much to think about and not a light in sight for a long time. I really need a vacation. But who should than watch over my loyal followers? I am beginning to get tired about all this, just when you think you have mastered the problems new ones continue to pop up. But what is that, someone is shouting something about important news? I better look into this myself...... Brougght to you by the Chronicler of Sador's Magical Reasearch ######################################################################## Part 6 - Plain bread Gurithim happily greeted Unkel, one of his messengers, who was carrying news from his scouts. "Well sir," said Unkel hesistantly, "our scouts have found more, umm, more, err..." "Well?" asked Gurithim expectantly. "...more, you know, more p...p...p. More of the p word, sir" said Unkel. The last few words were blurted out, as if a great pressure that had been pent up was finally released. Gurithim sighed. It seemed that, as far as he could tell, almost all of Atlantis was flat. He had heard of forests and swamps, and had indeed seen wood and such that must have come from such places, but he still awaited the day when he could actually see such a place for himself. He had visited a nearby mountain range, but unfortunately for himself and his men, it was already being mined by someone else. Fortunately, the miners had agreed to sell him some iron, and thus he could finally make some swords and train his men properly. Gurithim sighed a few deep sighs as he often did to comfort himself, and then decided that he was hungry and that some cheese would make a good snack. Unfortunately, the only cheese to be had around town at this hour was Uvulan Dungbat cheese, infamous for its incredibly rancid taste and putrid, pungent smell. The usual use for this "cheese" was to set a small piece outside one's house to keep rodents (and just about everything else) away. Gurithim sighed at the lack of cheese, the lack of forests, the lack of...well, those are the major lacks. "Only two lacks?" thought Gurithim. "That's not so bad." Gurithim smiled a simple smile, bought a simple piece of bread, and had a simple snack under a simple moon on a simple night in the not-so-simple world of Atlantis. ######################################################################## The three men sat beside the dusty road. A short distance away their horses wandered and grazed, glad of a respite from the hard travelling. In all directions the same seamless countryside rolled away, flat and unyielding. Each place they stopped might just as well be the same as the previous one. Two of the men sat beside a small fire throwing castasa. The third prodded at the dying embers with a stick as if to stab it out of existance. 'So,' he said, 'we continue north until we find mountains.' The others looked up briefly from their game but said nothing. The speaker shook his head from side to side before getting to his feet. 'Come on then, we'd best be on the trail,' he said. They collected their horses and a few minutes later they were gone leaving behind them nothing but the ashes of the fire. Schutaba. ######################################################################## BEWARE THE GREAT EVIL IN MOUNTAINS! Like many of you, I have observed "A Wise Old Sage" for many turns. Long ago he warned of danger at sea, and shortly thereafter my peasants began to be eaten by seamonsters. For many turns now he has warned of a great evil in the mountains, but there has been no indication of evil - until now. This turn the following unit appeared: - A Large Dragon (421), faction God (1); Belching Fire. This territory is an inland mountain. I have level 5 observer (and had one present last turn), so this unit appears to have just popped up. I have a tactician and a good amount of troops, so I am attacking. I will report the results next turn. The above report generated by the scribes of faction 59, "The Efficient Empire", formerly "Larson's Adventurers", reachable at "Bill_Larson@ncsu.edu" ######################################################################## After working through the night, Grieve finally finished packing the Vat. Even down here in the cellar, he could hear the sounds of battle that had echoed throughout Zaalsehuur for the past two days and nights. He decided to go "topsides", and start organising the retreat. A large tree blocked the door to the small hut that capped the cellar. "Strange", thought Grieve, "I never noticed that before". He started to push his way past it, but the spindly branches entangled him. As he cursed and struggled, the tree bound him tighter in its deadly embrace. "I've come for my axe handle". The whispered voice seemed to emanate from the tree. "Er, um, certainly. Take it. Its yours", replied Grieve, without the foggiest notion of the Voice's meaning. "I will", whispered the Voice. "It is you." With that, the branches closed even tighter about Grieve's helpless body, until it collapsed, limp and lifeless. In the field, the Dead of Dreadlock sensed the break in their chain of command. The clock-like pulse that synchronised their attacks fell silent, and hordes of zombie warriors started hacking at random among their own ranks. Skeleton bowmen wasted their arrows into the air. Within half an hour, the battle was done and thousands of dismembered corpses lay rotting in the sun. Zaalsehuur was free again. ######################################################################## The Saga of The Mighty Zoggies "Sir, once again, the sacrifices proceed as planned and it appears that we have convinced some of our followers to join us on the path of righteousness and thanksgiving to The Mighty Zogg for his blessings." announced Raulos. "That is indeed good news," answered Rage. "Now tell me Raulos, how go your studies? And Detlev's at that?" "Wonderfully, sir, just last week I learned that the little scratch marks on the scrolls and parchments actually meant something. This week I am starting to learn what some of the little scratches mean. Detlev keeps trying to tell me that all those little scratches mean something but I know better. He keeps trying to tell me that they form words and language and syntax and stuff." beamed Raulos. "But I know better." "Yes, yes, yes, of course you do my brother, of course you do" commended Rage. "But what of all of these temptations offered through the Times? I hear many slanderous remarks and claims of false gods...Could it be that there are many more who would not see the light of our universe? Alas, I do believe that they will learn very soon." smirked Rage. "Yes, Sir, these claims of the Westar's are certainly amusing but all of this bad publicity could damage the faith of our followers. And that would certainly anger The Mighty Zogg to no end." babbled Raulos. "I do believe that we should let the sacrificial master deal with the wagging tongue of this Maria Westar. Perhaps she would prefer that taste to the taste our native grains." "Indeed, the Mighty Zogg always loves a good sacrifice." said Rage. "Perhaps another is due." And The Mighty Zogg agreed... ######################################################################## Hello. This script gets turn report and makes order template. It is not very good script and has many problems, but useful to prevent wrong unit mistake. I am not perl wizard, so this script has many problem and bad style. Any modification is welcomed. -------<cut here>--------------------------------------------------- #! /share/INSTALL/bin/perl # get report file and make order template. open(REP,$ARGV[0]) || die "can't open $ARGV[0]\n" ; # skip mistake and event list while (<REP> !~ /Current Status/) { } $unit_no = 0 ; print "#ATLANTIS 298\n" ; while (<REP>) { chop ; LOOP: { if (/^ \* [A-Za-z0-9_ ]+\((\d+)\)/) { print "UNIT ",$unit_no,"\n\n" if ($unit_no != 0) ; print ";",$_,"\n" ; $unit_no = $1 ; last LOOP ; } if (/^ / && $unit_no != 0) { print ";",$_,"\n" ; last LOOP ; } if (/^ -/ && $unit_no != 0) { print "UNIT ",$unit_no,"\n\n" ; $unit_no = 0 ; last LOOP ; } if (/^[A-Z]/) { if ($unit_no != 0) { print "UNIT ",$unit_no,"\n\n" ; $unit_no = 0 ; } print "\n; ",$_,"\n\n" ; last LOOP ; } } } print "#END\n" ; close(REP) ; -------<cut here>--------------------------------------------------- ######################################################################## For the first time in months, Bascon Diamante was enjoying himself. He was utterly amused by an article in a recent "Times" complaining of map fraud perpetrated by the Confederated Houses. He turned to his companion. "What fool would think that we'd give totally accurate information to VOX of all people? Maybe he thought we'd give him a detailed map of this continent, complete with troop distribution, so he could invade it more easily. The 'claimed ocean' he was sailing through was part of the area that we had clearly told him to stay away from, and the only reason he was there was that he hoped to reach another coastal region so he could land more invading troops. I only wish there was a way to cultivate those blasted sea monsters so I could send them against his ships. Ah, I love a good propaganda war! Hopefully nobody reading the Times is stupid enough to believe that Vox and his Agrik-worshipping friends are anything other than the relentless aggressors they really are." Bascon's companion smiled back at him. With Marguarite off studying her textbooks and supervising operations a few regions away, Bascon had been very lonely until this new person had arrived. Tall, bookish, and thin to the point of appearing bony, Philum Trafalgar was not the sort of woman Bascon was accustomed to, but the spark of light in her pale blue eyes had caught his interest, and the spark of intellect behind the eyes had captured his heart. They may not have much time before they end up hanging upside down from Vox's meat hooks, their life's blood dripping from slashed throats into the vats, but Bascon was glad to be spending it with Philum. With her around, the nightmares of his first death had finally begun to fade, enough that Bascon could get on with the business of field-marshalling the House troops with renewed effectiveness. ######################################################################## =-=-= END TIMES 408 =-=-= ######################################################################## Up