INVISIBLE OBJECTS

Fed II DataSpace is full of invisible objects. They are all around us, undetectable to the eye, but influencing our every move, and controlling what we do. Unseen, but oh so powerful.

No, this isn't a call for you to don your tinfoil hats to protect yourself from alien mindrays. It's an explanation of how some of the things you can do in Fed are programmed, and it's something you will be able to do yourself when we put in player planets and allow you to modify them.

Invisible objects in Fed allow you to use commands in a location that don't have to be programmed in the game. Think about how a visible object works - the tree on Mars, for example. The tree is an object and it has a command word attached to it, the word 'CLIMB'. That means you can type 'CLIMB TREE' and something happens.

Now walk up the road a little to Chez Diesel, and type 'PLAY PIANO'. The response you get is produced by exactly the same mechanism as climbing the tree, it's just that the object called piano is invisible, and instead of showing up on a separate line, it is mentioned in the room description. The effect for you, the player, is to allow you to manipulate things that are mentioned in the room description.

So why am I telling you this - apart from making all you wannabe planet designers drool with anticipation at the things you will be able to do?

Because the ability to have invisible objects is something that Our Illustrious Leader Bella invented for Fed II, and we now need to go back over all the existing locations and find the things mentioned in the descriptions which you would, logically, be able to do something with. We can then add in the necessary invisible objects to let you do just that. That's an on-going project that we are doing over time, but we need your help. As you walk around the planets, if you find something mentioned in a location that you think ought to let you do something, please mail feedback@ibgames.net and give us the details.

Play Federation II
IBgames - We Build Worlds
http://www.ibgames.net/fed2/index.html

THE SHAREHOLDERS ARE REVOLTING!

(And the CEO ain't so good, neither!)

One of the new features that Manufacturers have to cope with is a revolt of shareholders who are unhappy at the way the CEO is running the company. Our valiant test team were under instructions to encourage enough dissatisfaction to provoke a revolt, but they never expected it would happen quite as suddenly as it did!

As unexpected extra reset which Bella had to do to fix a problem saw this pop up on the SpyNet Review:

> spynet review
The Spynet Review - Being an account of births, deaths, promotions and other interesting happenings during the current session.
Bread & Roses has suffered from a shareholders' rebellion
Diamond Wine has suffered from a shareholders' rebellion
Merrie Maids has suffered from a shareholders' rebellion

At least the rebellion code will be getting a thorough testing!

Play Federation II
IBgames - We Build Worlds
http://www.ibgames.net/fed2/index.html

NEW KEYRING CHARM FOR APRIL

Gallagher's, the up-market shop on Earth, has rearranged its merchandise again. You can now buy the special April keyring accessory, which is a gorgeous diamond containing a holo of a jester, in keeping with April Fool's Day. The charm will be available throughout April for the usual price of one slithy tove. If you don't have any slithy toves, you can buy them - they cost $10 for two slithies. To buy some slithies, go to http://www.ibgames.net/fed2/extras/index.html.

The March keyring accessory, the croquet mallet, has been taken off sale.


Play Federation II
IBgames - We Build Worlds
http://www.ibgames.net/fed2/index.html