Newsletter #16

[seldum]

Greetings to all from the Space Merchant Realms team!

Admin News
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Azool the coder has returned and is once again working on SMR.
Some bug minor fixes were put into place, and now Azool is focusing his
time and energy on a revision of the game.
Informally called "SMR 1.5", the new version is expected to have some
exciting new features, including many of the suggestions that have been
put forward from the players over the last several months.
Could the rumors of new ships and weapons, more planet options, improved
combat code, more graphics, and other stuff with the same great SMR
playability we know and love be true?
All we can say for sure is: Welcome back, Azool!

Game News
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New Fall Ball Game is Up!
The Fall Ball game is now underway. This 1.25 speed game is using an old
school style galaxy map with enough variety to let new players have a
good run for their money and still give vets a place to exercise their
strategic skills. Look for the return of old veteran alliances and the
birth of several new teams. Already, it looks like several teams are
going to be pitted in head-to-head competition for the conquest of the
universe. The game has just begun and it lasts until 12/2/2007, so there
is plenty of time to get in on the Fall Ball action.
Sign up today at http://www.smrealms.de

Slow Game Ends Soon
The slow game has slowed to a crawl and is scheduled to end on 9/9/2007.
This game was viewed by most players as a side game and a chance to play
casually without worrying about rankings, territory, or stats. It was
also a chance to see what a 1x speed game is like in action. By the
looks of it, the days of 1x speed are over. At any rate, this particular
1x game is done.

The DuPont 22 Refrigerant game is in the cooler.
The DuPont game ended on 9/2/2007. This game saw a lot of player
activity in the early stages, and like most 1.5 speed games it faltered
once the level 70 planets were completed. The Hardened Crewminals a.k.a.
Crusaders let their freak flag fly in this game and dominated all other
alliances when it came to controlling galactic territory. The members of
Armory held their usual position for most kills and fewest deaths. Long
time player Freon22 sponsored a contest for the best and brightest to
compete in a number of categories for SMR credits. The winners have been
announced and can be viewed at
http://smrcnn.smrealms.de/viewtopic.php?t=8560. Big thanks to Freon22
and Mr. Spock for putting on the contest and congratulations to all the
winners!

Heard on the Web Board
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Return of the Evil Empires?
The SMR community was rocked recently when none other than Thorfin
Skyrider announced his return to the game. Posting on the web board
after years of absence, the long-time SM vet invoked such well known
names as Montana Mike, Imhotep, and Warlock. He then called on all vets
new and old to join him in forming a hard-core evil-empire alliance that
would harken back to the glory days of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse
and The Forsaken.
Will SMR fall under the dark shadow of this player from the past?

Suggestions, we've got Suggestions!
The web board is always abuzz with player suggestions for game
enhancements and the last few months have been no exeption. Whether it
is a simple improvement like adding a scanner to the Newbie Merchant
Vessel, or something that would vastly change how major alliances fight
like planet-to-planet long range missiles, the web board Suggestions
forum is the place to talk about how the game is evolving. Get involved
in the discussions at http://smrcnn.smrealms.de/viewforum.php?f=9

OK, that's all the SMR news for now.
Look for an updated mid-game newsletter in your email box sometime in
November. Until then, keep your weapons powered up, your shields and
armor full, and your scanner on!

Thank you,
SMR Support Team

[JettJackson]

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