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Flagship#130 Review


Phoenix: Rising Again

An open-ended game from the ashes of Beyond the Stellar Empire TED PRATT reviews this re-written and revived turn-based game …


[In issue #128, KJC’s Mica Goldstone described the history of the Phoenix, which springs from a total rewrite of its original, Beyond the Stellar Empire. Now Ted Pratt reviews the game.]


PHOENIX IS AN open ended sci-fi role-playing game in which players can choose to be part of an affiliation and use various assets such as starships, starbases, ground parties, outposts and agents/operatives to further their own goals and that of their affiliation within the game.


In December 2002, KJC Games’ new game program totally changed the game, for the better. Now players could download an offline order editor which from KJC’s website. This could be used to issue orders, then upload them directly to KJC where the computer would process the turns and sent out the results via email. More recently, KJC has introduced their Nexus website. Although still waiting for a few finishing touches Nexus has taken the game to a new level again. The site includes various forums where players can discuss issues both in and out of character. Affiliations can create their own internal forums away from the prying eyes of the rest of the galaxy. The game rules are shown in a library section of Nexus and again affiliations each have their own library sections that they can use how they wish. A new order editor is also available, and a page showing all the last turn results of a player’s positions. Then we have the player’s data archive. All the in-game knowledge that a player learns about during play is recorded here. It includes star maps and the various items that are part of the game. Nexus also lists all the starbase trade markets, so players can see where the most profitable trading is to be done. Phoenix has become a true web interface game, although the old options of using the offline editor and receiving email results are still available to those who prefer that method.


One of the biggest advantages I find in all this new development is that KJC have been able to allow players to run positions such as starships, ground parties, outposts and a couple of other position types free of charge. You could play the game using nothing but ships to conduct trading and never have to pay a penny to KJC.


Getting started

On joining the game you start off with a small cargo ship, a hold full of trade goods and a few stellars (the game currency) and find yourself in the Yank star system,an area of neutral space where combat is illegal, although accidents and pirate activity do occur. You will also find that you have been placed in a random affiliation (aff) and all the contact details for that aff’s Periphery Director (PD) will be shown on the first turn printout. It is advisable to contact the PD to introduce yourself and to ask for advice, as it can be quite confusing as to what to do first. Newly arrived star captains can if they wish leave their assigned aff to either join another or try to make their way in life as an independent (IND), although this can be dangerous as there are a few INDies that operate as cover for pirate activities and most affs will shoot an IND on sight in star systems they control. Most aff PDs are happy to give new players a run down on their affs and sometimes offer incentives to join them such as additional ships and better equipment.


Phoenix is run every day, Monday to Friday. Each week has 300 Time Units (TUs). Positions such as ships, ground parties and operatives use up TUs as they go about their business. For example, to jump to a different star system costs 100TU. To buy, sell, pick up or deliver items to another position normally costs 10TUs per transaction. Moving around star systems also costs TUs, the amount depending on what type of engines the ship has. You can issue orders to your position which will be processed in the order written until that position uses up all its accumulated TUs: no position can use more than 300TUs per week. Most players wait until their positions accumulate 300TUs and have the ship conduct all its actions in one go, then wait again for the TUs to build up before issuing more orders. You also have the option of issuing a lot of orders that will keep the ship busy for weeks on end.


The game program moves the position until it runs out of TUs, then stops the turn until 300TUs have accumulated and then automatically runs any pending orders that were issued. Very useful for those long haul cargo runs, as you can issue orders then forget about the ship to concentrate on other things and receive a turn when the ship next moves. You can play Phoenix free of charge having your ships conduct trade with player-run starbases or engage in combat if you wish, but the game gets better for players willing to open a paying account with KJC.


Ships can conduct exploration of planets and other areas of space. This is where the GM moderation comes to the fore, in the form of special actions (SAs). Players interested in exploration can order ships to land on a planetary surface (planets are divided into sectors and are of varying sizes) and conduct a surface exploration. This will give a standard description of the type of terrain in that sector and a summary of anything else discovered.


Here is an example of such an exploration from a sea sector of a planet in the game:


This area is dominated by a dark and lifeless sea of free water There are a number of impurities found in it, most of which are completely useless A closer analysis of the water would be needed in order to identify any that may prove of some use.


If you want to conduct any follow-up investigations, you can order a SA to find out more about the area. In the above example I ordered a SA to conduct a closer analysis of the water to see if there was everything useful.I won’t publish the result here as there was and I don’t want to give any secrets away!


Ships can also be ordered to look for mineral resources. Using sensors, they can scan planets for the various types of minerals that are needed for production conducted at starbases. Once a mineral is found the ship can then prospect the deposit to get its exact yield and the actual amount of ore available. If you think its worth while, you can set up an outpost to exploit the deposit. These are a position somewhat like a starbase only smaller and are limited in what orders can be issued to them. Normally they are set up to exploit a mineral deposit or another type of exploitable resource found on a planet. The good thing about outposts is that once established and initial orders given to exploit the resource you can ignore it, only sending a ship to collect the exploited materials whenever you like. Again these positions are free to run, but a small charge is levied if you request an update for them.


Starbases

These are the powerhouses of the game. This type of position does cost real money to run each week, so only players with an account can operate them. Starbases are comprised of a number of complexes of various kinds: Command, Factory, Merchandising, Research, Mines and a few others. These positions can set up public markets, selling items such as local trade goods, manufactured items and the like and buying goods from other planets and star systems shipped in by other players or your own freighters. Bases can also interact with local populations if the planet has any. Using merchandising complexes the base can sell trade goods to the locals and each merchandising complex generates an income for the owner through broker fees on trade between the local inhabitants. You don’t need to do anything to generate this income as each planet has its own economic stats and you can work out how much income each merchandising complex will generate based on those stats. Every planetary population has a finite amount of money each week to spend on goods offered by starbases. Again the owner just has to use the sell to local population order to place goods on the planetary market and the locals will buy the amount they can afford each week. Goods from off world have a higher value than locally produced goods, so a smart owner will offer good buy prices on his public market to entice ship captains to sell their goods to them.


Bases are also the manufacturing centres of the game. Using factories bases can produce any item that you know about, so long as the base has the required raw materials in stock. Each factory can produce a limited amount of items per week measured in mass units (MUs), but there is a diminished return. For example, the first ten factories each produce 50MUs per week, the next ten produce 40MUs, then 30MUs, 20MUs and any remaining factories 10MUs each per week. Each item in the game has a size again measured in MUs. Modules, the component parts needed to construct complexes are 40MUs in size. As well as the item’s size, each has a raw materials requirement. Basic modules, for example, require 40MUs of metals to produce. Higher tech versions of items are smaller in size, but do need more exotic and rare materials. Basic modules mark two require 25 metals and 5 rare earth elements, but are only 30MUs in size. A base can overcome the diminishing returns on production by setting up a mass production line to produce an item. You have to allocate a minimum of ten factories to mass produce an item and each factory will make 45MUs of production per week. Adding more factories to the line will increase the amount of production: the next ten factories will produce 50MUs each per week. Once set up, a mass production line will continue to produce the item each week without further orders, as long as the base has the required materials. Even if the materials run out, the line will stand idle and automatically start up again once the materials are available.


Bases can recruit members of the local populations to work in the base as most complexes require 500 man hours to operate at peak efficiency each week. Every worker contributes 50 man hours per week, so complexes need ten workers to operate. There are some exceptions to this rule: dome complexes, for example, don’t require employees and research complexes need 50 employees to function.


The base can also recruit mercenaries from the indigenous population and can then use the basic training complexes to convert them to the various troop types in the game, such as crew for ships, marines, soldiers, scouts and startroopers. Of course, all of this costs money in the form of stellars: each worker and troop expects to be paid at least one stellar per week. Workers and troops located at outposts expect 1.5 stellars per week to compensate them for being assigned to a backwater asset.


Another aspect of the game that is done at bases is research. Using research complexes a base can research in various areas. Most items in the game can be improved upon. There are three levels of research: first we have Principles, which are the foundations of all research. There are too many to mention here, but include things such as Energetics and Cybernetics. From these Principles bases can then look into researching higher tech level principles and/or techniques. For example, if a base has researched Energetics it can then go on to researching a Photon Beam Weaponry technique. Next, we have Blueprints (BPs).Again if a base has Photon Beam Weaponry, it can then produce BPs for the different types of standard photon weapons. These BPs are needed at a base if it wants to build the items specified in the BPs. Research doesn’t happen overnight. It is time consuming and expensive for a base to conduct, but very rewarding. You aren’t restricted to the standard research lines. If you can come up with a good idea for a new item or ship design you can use a SA to ask the GM if it’s feasible and he’ll let you know what line of research is needed. There are a few new items out there that have occasionally taken players by surprise the first time they were used: Cloaked Kinetic Missiles spring to mind!


Political positions

You can also run a political position. This is your in game persona and is an actual position located in the game area. You create it using a crewmember of your ship or another troop type if you have them. There are several advantages to having a political. First is that on creation KJC will give the player two more ships, a medium sized freighter and an escort ship to go with it.


Also, a political position is paid 10000 stellars per week as an incentive. Another advantage is that a political position has a central stellar account. This means that all the money a political has is in one place. Before that, each position a player controlled had to carry its own fund--very inconvenient if you lost a position for some reason.


There are certain orders that only a political position can use, such as creating squadrons. This is very useful. You create a squadron and can add as many ships as you want to it. Then you can issue squadron orders to one ship and the rest follow. Great for setting up freighter convoys or warfleets.


Ground parties and orbital platforms

Other position types include ground parties. These are comprised of various troop types and other item types such as tanks, artillery and the like and are used primarily to assault enemy starbases. Operatives recruited from veteran troops can be dropped into enemy locations to conduct all sorts of espionage missions. Orbital platforms are used to defend areas of space and are packed with space weaponry. Players normally construct these in orbit of their major bases and if they have the resources can add to them over time. There are some truly monstrous platforms in the game.


Combat

There are three areas of combat in the game: space combat, which involves ship to ship (orbital platforms included) and in some cases ship to base in the form of orbital bombardment; ground combat where ground parties assault bases; lastly, boarding where one ship attempts to lock onto another and capture it using boarding parties comprised of troops. Not surprisingly, marines work best for this.


Each position in the game has several lists to which it can add other items. These include Enemy, Support, Defend, Ground Enemy and Do Not Target. As you’d expect anyone you want to attack can be added to your enemy list. Players have the option to add individual positions or the positions of whole affs to their lists. Of course, you would add your allies to the support and defend categories.


Combat is conducted one per day. As positions move, the various lists are checked by the game program and if a battle is indicated all movement for those positions is stopped for the day and a battle occurs. Battles are played out to a maximum of four rounds, each side manoeuvring and firing at their enemies depending on how they had set up the ships’ combat options beforehand. Again, once these options are set up you can forget about them until you want to set them up differently. Options include specifying whether to try to disengage from combat and targeting specific areas of your enemies’ ships such as engines, weapons or structural damage.


Ships in combat use various types of weaponry and defensive items. We have energy weapons of differing types, like missiles, torpedoes and space fighters. Defensive items include shields, armour plating and point defence weapons like gatling lasers and phalanx missiles. To use these items, ships are fitted with sensors and targeting computers, each giving bonuses to accuracy and coupled with a weapon’s inherent accuracy modifier they give a total bonus that is used to calculate whether a target is hit or not. Off-setting this is combat speed and target silhouette. The program does all the calculations and determines the amount of damage the target has suffered.


Players who were involved in the combat receive a battle report showing all the details of the combat on a round by round basis. They can then if they wish issue orders to their positions to either continue with the combat or move out the following day. Assaulting a base is somewhat difficult. A well defended location will probably be using shield complexes to enhance its shield strength to the point where most space weaponry will just bounce off it (but shields do deteriorate each round as they take damage unless enough generators are used to keep them intact). The down side for the base is that it can’t use space weaponry to shoot back, but can use point defense weapons. So if the owner is smart, bases will have a few orbital platforms to use as top cover, harassing enemy ships causing mischief.


The best way to take on a base is with ground parties. You have to assemble enough troops and equipment and transport it all to the target base. This could take several ships and needs a lot of coordination with other players. Once the ground party is dropped into the target’s starport, combat will commerce against the defending troops. Again ground combat is conducted over four rounds every day. Each round both sides’ control factors are checked (each troop type has a control factor) to determine how much of the base they have captured or defended. If one side has an overwhelming superiority in CFs the base will either be captured or the attackers driven off. Battles in starbases can take several days or even weeks to resolve, each side trying to deliver reinforcements: all the time the base is taking collateral damage to its complexes.


Boarding actions are very much like attacks against bases, each side using CFs to determine the outcome. Normally these actions are over in one day.


Affiliations

All of the above is mainly the pure game mechanics. Where Phoenix really shines is the affiliations. Most players belong to an affiliation.There are several different types and their members give each a distinctive character. There are government types such as the Imperial Services (IMP), Detinus Republic (DTR) and Confederate Naval Forces (CNF). Alien affs include Flagritz (FLZ), truly alien with lots of tentacles; Falconians (FCN), an Avian race; Dewiek Elder Nation (DEN), a canine race, and several more alien affs. There are also affiliations set up as mega-corporations such as Frontier, Exploration and Trade (FET). I’m the FET PD so am a bit biased!


Affiliations sometimes ally with others and form distinct political blocs.For example, the Imperial bloc consists of the IMP, FET and another mega-corp aff known as Galactic Trade and Transport (GTT). The political landscape is always changing, as alliances are formed then dissolved.


The roleplaying of all players on the forum is excellent and can sometimes get quite heated. I actually spend more time roleplaying than submitting orders.


All in all, an excellent game with a few more upgrades coming along including more interaction possibilities with planetary populations.


I can thoroughly recommend Phoenix. This review cannot really cover all of the game’s many aspects. Do give it a go.




 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

Solo claim swings back and forth

The situation in Solo appears to be getting even more heated. First the NHS dropped 600,000 troops to contest the system and then the DTR answered with enough troops of their own to trump the NHS claim. The NHS found yet more troops, taking the contesting claim up to 750,000 and once again the DTR answered, bringing Solo back under DTR control. Now the NHS have had a look down the back of the sofa and found yet more troops, taking the contesting claim to a massive 900,000 trained troops. We wait to see if the DTR have an answer to this. We can only guess where all these troops are coming from, but what is clear is that the established affiliations clearly have far larger armies than many thought.
 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

NHS attempt to claim Solo away from DTR

In a shock move the NHS have contested the Solo claim with a huge garrison of 600,000 trained troops. In a move that nobody saw coming, especially as it was unknown the NHS had such a large force of troops to draw upon, the NHS seem to be provoking a response from the DTR. Currently there has been no word from the DTR in how they are going to deal with this claim jumping, although rumours are that they are pretending the Solo claim doesn't really matter to them and so action is unlikely. However this may be a smokescreen and we may yet see the DTR's powerful fleet cause havoc in the system of Solo, which has for a long time been an important junction and fought over by many different factions.

DNA Chairman TonTon resigns

The following communication has been leaked from the DNA to the GTT's PD.

Greetings CEO Fox.
It regrets me to have to inform to you that the DNA nation state will be renouncing its claim on Aladdin system following a ceremony planet side, shortly.
However, it gives me great pleasure to have to inform you that these ceremonies are being planned by Vladimir Tavikovitch, the South Road Traffic Coordinator. He is also responsible for all DNA and .ore. assets in the Outer Naplian (Capellan) periphery so if there are any further issues, please take it up with him.
For any and all other matters, please forward your request directly to the DNA directorate services at NexusID: DNA people.
The Foreign Ministry objects one last time to your illegal claim jump of Aladdin, but we realise it is time to de-escalate.
Normally i would sign off with Naambta, but doing so would be hypocritical. Let me say good riddance instead.
I hereby resign in protest!

Chairman TonTon,
Foreign Minister, DNA
cc: Directorate Services personnel coordinator - !urgent resignation!


DTR threaten WMB with fines for multiple breaches of DTR Law

Lady Sylvansight of the DTR has issued a fine of 1,000,000 stellars to the Wimbles for multiple breaches of DTR Penal and Territorial Law. This seems a very brave move of the DTR to risk upsetting the huge and warlike WMB when they also have the rival NHS Solo system claim to deal with. No word has been recieved yet that the Wimbles are going to pay, but if the formidable WMB warfleet is seen heading for the DTR home systems we will know what their thought are on the matter. The DTR and WMB fleets going head to head would be a sight to behold.

*** Affiliations ***

AFT Association of Free Traders (54) - Marion Tweedy
BLG Bolg Organisation (22) - Akhenaten
CIA Combined Intelligence Agency (64) - Laton CIA
DNA Displaced Natives Asylum (66) - DNA people
DTR Detinus Republic (58) - Morley Decker
DWK Dewiek Packs (19) - <Unknown>
FCN Falconian Republic (70) – Graspien
FEL Felini Tyranny (49) - Kr'Shan
FLZ Flagritz Republic (47) - Kayxaer
FET Frontier Exploration & Trade (56) - Cu Chulainn
GTT Galactic Trade & Transport (52) - Xavier Fox
HEX Hexamon (23) - Tranquility
KRL Krell (30) - Namica
KRT Krell of the Reverence Temple (37) - Cyn
KST Kastor Kastorians (12) - Kastor
MOH Mohache (73) – Listens
NHS Noble Houses (41) – Roy Roberts
NLF Naplian Liberation Front (38) - NLFHQ
SMS Stellar Mining and Smelting (53) - MikhailM
WMB Wimble Nations (25) - zz

* Leader MAY be inactive, affiliation may be active
** Only known contact, please update us if this is incorrect.

NPC / FoC: ARC, CIV, CGT, FRE, HBO, HEF, IND, ISP, JCN, MEK, MRC, PIR, PRV, TCA, TRN, KAS
Inactive: ANT, COD, BHD, DEN, DOM, GCE, HVE, IDC, IMP, RIP, RCF, SKW, TAG,

*** Submissions ***

By private message to The Editor or via Mica if you prefer to remain anonymous.
 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

DNA and GTT clash over Aladdin system claim while Pirates look on.

The GTT have this week launched an attack on the DNA outpost in Aladdin, in what appears to be little more than a turkey shoot. Around 100,000 GTT Naplian Startroopers attacked the DNA position to remove the rival system claim. Reports indicate the DNA garrison were taken by surprise and lost control of the base in the first few hours of the fighting. The base has since been reflagged from [Free Naplian Capital] Peaceful Protest to [Loyal Naplian Capital] DNA claim Ended so it's fair to say there was a clear message being sent by the GTT. We have been waiting for the DNA leadership to comment but so far they have been unusually silent. No doubt when they have crawled out from under their desks they will have something to say on the matter.

While this attack was going on several pirate ships were also seen in Aladdin, according to the GTT in what may be true or may be a diversion, with reports of a pirate GP and scout being destroyed while a 150HH pirate warship slipped away and escaped from incoming anti-pirate patrols.

Secret meeting of the EEM

A recent communication intercepted by one of our top reporters today made us aware of a meeting of the EEM. This is underway in a top secret location called Black Pool, which sounds suspiciously like the lair of a pirate band. After pulling in many favours, we were able to identify some of the attending members. On the bases that they won't be named we were able to find out some slight information of the subjects to be discussed at the meeting and one thing is for certain, there could be huge impacts to the lives of everybody living in the galaxy. Details to follow. When the shadowy figures of the EEM come together with the top political players in a pirate base the possibilities are endless!


You are never more than 6 systems from a RAT ðŸ€

A new saying has arisen in the bars and spaceport of starbases throughout the many peripheries; you are never more than 6 systems from a RAT.

It is understood that this saying originated in Yank and spread by trade vessels to peripheries far and wide. Many starbases have heightened their security and added additional sensors and locks to various entry points including foul and grey water outfalls. Beer and drug stocks are undergoing increased proofing to avoid the critters gaining entry and consuming the stockpiles.

Will this present as a new plague of proportions never before seen or is this some simple urban myth being spread for the amusement of some mischievous entity? Who knows, but to be certain... check the shadows.

 
This year we will again be returning to the Briardene Hotel. They were welcoming, the bar didn't run out of beer pre-covid and there was room for quiet chats. Along with Wetherspoons there is the Victoria just down the road (Sam Smiths - last time beer was around 2 shillings per pint and a full round was less than £10).

Mostly drinking beer and talking toot though we have a good few things on the agenda.

Bookings are done directly with the hotel. Book by phone and say that you are with KJC Games

Briardene Hotel
Telephone: +44(0)1253 338300
All staff should be able to deal with the booking but if there are any problems ask for Tracy (manager) as she dealt with all our foibles in previous years.
 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

Dog days are over

With the fall of the DEN and the implosion of their home territory as the AFT, DTR and GTT moved in, it was unlikely the Dewiek would rise again. The DWP gave the species a little hope with the Dewiek Pocket Periphery kept under lock and key. But news has reached us of the AFT's penetration of this private area of space that's been locked down. With a base and claim in one of the three visible systems it seems that the end of the Dewiek is near. A once noble and aggressive race, determined to make an impact on the galaxy is now little more than a species that lives under the command of others. A sad end to a once powerful species that used to control a significant part of known space.

Pirate activity continues

Yet more reports of pirate activity have been received, one from the WMB, losing a freighter in Solo and another from the FET who reported they had engaged and hit the attacking pirate ship with several weapons before it managed to make off with it's prize. Hopefully the pirate ship took significant damage and will now be out of action for some time. The Corewards periphery seems to have been plagued with pirates recently and many travellers would welcome a break from attacks.


MEK incursion into Corewards

The FET and GTT have mounted a joint venture into Nog-Kesri to tackle a MEK force. It isn't known where they have come from, with the only other MEK ships seen so far being located in the Orion Spur. The lack of a known link between where they have appeared in Corewards and the Orion Spur has caused some concern among planetary populations as who knows where they could turn up next! Fortunately the combined FET/GTT task force dealt the MEK a heavy blow and the threat has been eradicated. But we all know this is unlikely to be the last we hear of the MEK in Corwards and we would encourage ship captains to keep a keen eye on thier sensor screens when travelling near Nog-Kesri.

 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

  • CIA freighter fights off overwhelming pirate forces

  • Fin Saine media broadcast, What is Hot in the galaxy?!?!

  • MEKlan forces attack in Corewards Arm


  •  
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    *** Inter Galactic News ***

    Aladdin faces ongoing DNA/GTT tension

    The tensions between the DNA and GTT in the Coptuv system recently spilled over into the DNA system of Aladdin. A significant party of GTT ground troops has reinforced one of their bases in the system and claimed it, forcing the system claim into turmoil as the DNA finds itself under threat of losing the system. With the DNA chairman asking for help, several affiliations have been seen sending ships to evacuate any in the local population that want to escape the GTT. But so far not a shot has been fired and despite the AFT, FEL and DTR assistance no reisistance to the claim jump has been encountered so far. It remains to be seen if the DNA and it's friends will scatter before this hostile take over or put in a last minute counter claim to thwart GTT intentions.

    Increasing pirate activity

    Recent reports indicate a new surge in pirate attacks with the AFT and GTT reporting ships lost. Knowing how some don't like to advertise losses we wouldn't be surprised if this is the tip of the iceberg. Reports passed to us show the ship PIR Scavenger running ID 43174 and another ship of the same name running ID 68668 have both been in action with successful boarding attempts. It's unknown whether these are seperate ships or the same ship reregistered, but our information suggests that it would be hard for these pirates to cover the space where these attacks happened with just one ship. One thing is for sure, be on your guard as open space is not as safe as it once was.


    GCE ships loitering in deep space

    After the fall of the GCE and a lot of their assets being shared or purchased it was thought that the affiliation was no more. Yet deep space scans indicate that there is still a significant number of GCE warships holding station in deep space between Coptuv and Yank on the transport route into the Corwards Arm. Nobody knows what these ships are up to and why they are still flagged GCE, but our best guess is that are captains either awaiting new orders or owners after the fall of the GCE command structure.


    *** Affiliations ***

    AFT Association of Free Traders (54) - Marion Tweedy
    BLG Bolg Organisation (22) - Akhenaten
    BHD Brotherhood (63) - de Molay
    CIA Combined Intelligence Agency (64) - Laton CIA
    DNA Displaced Natives Asylum (66) - DNA people
    DTR Detinus Republic (58) - Morley Decker
    DWK Dewiek Packs (19) - <Unknown>
    FCN Falconian Republic (70) – Graspien
    FEL Felini Tyranny (49) - Kr'Shan
    FLZ Flagritz Republic (47) - Kayxaer
    FET Frontier Exploration & Trade (56) - Cu Chulainn
    GTT Galactic Trade & Transport (52) - Xavier Fox
    HEX Hexamon (23) - Tranquility
    KRL Krell (30) - Namica
    KRT Krell of the Reverence Temple (37) - Cyn
    KST Kastor Kastorians (12) - Kastor
    MOH Mohache (73) – Listens
    NHS Noble Houses (41) – Roy Roberts
    NLF Naplian Liberation Front (38) - NLFHQ
    SMS Stellar Mining and Smelting (53) - MikhailM
    WMB Wimble Nations (25) - zz

    * Leader MAY be inactive, affiliation may be active
    ** Only known contact, please update us if this is incorrect.

    NPC / FoC: ARC, CIV, CGT, FRE, HBO, HEF, IND, ISP, JCN, MEK, MRC, PIR, PRV, TCA, TRN, KAS
    Inactive: ANT, COD, DEN, DOM, GCE, HVE, IDC, IMP, RIP, RCF, SKW, TAG,

    *** Submissions ***

    By private message to The Editor or via Mica if you prefer to remain anonymous.
     
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    *** Inter Galactic News ***

    Tension in the Corewards Arm

    With the DNA obtaining several ex-GCE bases in the Coreward Arm it has found itself in the middle of an asset grab of serious proportions and aggression. Our reporters witnessed several GTT troop carriers heading for the Corewards system as the DNA published information suggesting they were accidental owners of the system and that the assets were to be moved on. As the GTT ships started to arrive the bases were quickly passed to the CIA, thus thwarting the GTT intentions as they were hardly likely to start dropping troops on their allies bases. This shrew move by the DNA seems to have calmed matters in the Coreward arm temporarily, although the shift in relations between the GTT and DNA has taken a negative turn. When asked what their next move might be the GTT refused to comment.

    GCE collapse

    The GCE are no more, save for some scattered light freighters. The affiliation which enjoyed a sharp rise and profiltable relations with many has ceased trading. Rumors point to the GTT buying up GCE assets before stripping the rival corporation of anything of value. Although our reporters at the SSS have been quick to point out that any GCE assets not in GTT systems have been taken over by both the DNA and FET. So it seems many different affiliations were able to profit from this development including a new group called the HSH who appear to have taken over the GCE war fleet. No doubt many in the peripheries will be watching with interest where these ships are used, who the HSH are and how they were able to get thier hands on so many warships so quickly.


    Secudus trials

    In the Cluster Secudus has continued his trials, claiming to root out terrorists working against the Empire. With tends of thousands of beings being sent to the camps or worse. There is no sign of these actions stopping as the NHS clamp down on the locals and bring them under the harsh control of the Empire.


    *** Affiliations ***

    AFT Association of Free Traders (54) - Marion Tweedy
    BLG Bolg Organisation (22) - Akhenaten
    BHD Brotherhood (63) - de Molay
    CIA Combined Intelligence Agency (64) - Laton CIA
    DNA Displaced Natives Asylum (66) - DNA people
    DTR Detinus Republic (58) - Morley Decker
    DWK Dewiek Packs (19) - <Unknown>
    FCN Falconian Republic (70) – <Unknown>
    FEL Felini Tyranny (49) - Juris
    FLZ Flagritz Republic (47) - Kayxaer
    FET Frontier Exploration & Trade (56) - Cu Chulainn
    GTT Galactic Trade & Transport (52) - Xavier Fox
    HEX Hexamon (23) - Tranquility
    KRL Krell (30) - Namica
    KRT Krell of the Reverence Temple (37) - Cyn
    KST Kastor Kastorians (12) - Kastor
    MOH Mohache (73) – Listens
    NHS Noble Houses (41) – Roy Roberts
    NLF Naplian Liberation Front (38) - NLFHQ
    SMS Stellar Mining and Smelting (53) - MikhailM
    WMB Wimble Nations (25) - zz

    * Leader MAY be inactive, affiliation may be active
    ** Only known contact, please update us if this is incorrect.

    NPC / FoC: ARC, CIV, CGT, FRE, HBO, HEF, IND, ISP, JCN, MEK, MRC, PIR, PRV, TCA, TRN, KAS
    Inactive: ANT, COD, DEN, DOM, GCE, HVE, IDC, IMP, RIP, RCF, SKW, TAG,

    *** Submissions ***

    By private message to The Editor or via Mica if you prefer to remain anonymous.
     
    ******Empire Syndicated News Network (ESNN) ******

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    Welcome to the latest version of ESNN, giving the news and views from the ESNN's reporter and news anchor, Ainsley Moore, making this the peripheries' most favourite and most reliable unbiased publication in the known universe from our home in the Heartland,

    And so with the news from the last couple of weeks,


    Cluster War! DNA Gather Fruit
     

    Free Ship when you sign-up
    Complete missions for in game rewards
    Control everything, up to an entire empire
    Dedicated human moderators
    Player and Moderator driven plotlines
    Discover new worlds to explore, exploit & colonise
    Over 20 years of content development
    Persistent Browser-Based Game (PBBG)

    I’ve played on and off for approximately 10 years, over a 20 year spell. After some interesting debate on the in-game forum, I did wonder what, exactly, has kept drawing me back to the game, when for so many others I’ve generally lost interest after a few months.

    Ultimately, I think it is a combination of automation (that allows the game to handle thousands of positions to interact on a daily basis) coupled with Special Actions (that allow the story arc to develop in a way that could not be catered for by a set of predefined list of available orders).
    -Zigic