News Archive for 1998

December 21, 1998: CONGRATULATIONS to Tabitha! She was declared the winner of Admiral Bombow's Fourth Challenge. The Admiral hosted a festive get together in the inn's Party Room; his guests sipped eggnog while Bombow recounted the runners up tale authored by Antman. We can look forward to Tabitha's story in the next issue of Admiral Bombow's Chronicles.

December 15, 1998: ADMIRAL BOMBOW will be hosting a prize giving ceremony in the inn's Party room on Sunday, 20th December 1998 at 4pm EST (9pm GMT). The winners of the fourth Challenge will be revealed, with astonishingly valuable prizes awarded to the successful Challenge entrants.
Not only will the inn's own ample stores be available, but festive supplies will be laid in to help the celebrations along!

December 13, 1998: AND THE PLAYER OF THE MONTH for November is: Hawumph! Congratulations! And condolences to Pricnessca, winner of this month's Death of the Month title!

December 12, 1998: REMINDER: THE DEADLINE for submitting your entry to Admiral Bombow's Fourth Challenge is December 13... tomorrow, that is!
What is this Challenge? Well, in case you haven't seen it, it's in the latest edition of our newsletter, Admiral Bombow's Chronicles. The newsletter is available on the MUD2 Web site at http://www.mud2.com/bombow/. The URL that takes you directly to the challenge is http://www.mud2.com/bombow/event.html.
All players are invited to participate!

December 4, 1998: AT LONG LAST: the newest issue of Admiral Bombow's Chronicles, our newsletter, is now available on-line! Please point your Web browser to http://www.mud2.com/bombow/. A great big thank you to all who contributed to this long overdue issue!

December 1, 1998: UUNET CANADA just sent notification of a scheduled outage that will occur on December 3, between 2:30 and 3:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. In their own words: "UUNET is performing maintenance on our backbone router in Ottawa. This maintenance is being done on a priority basis to correct a potential performance issue. All connections in Ottawa will be affected. We anticipate an interruption of service of less than ten minutes during this maintenance." Thank you for your patience and understanding!

November 19, 1998: A NEW VERSION OF MUD2 (version 4E(36) in case you're wondering) has just been installed. If you experience anything unusual (that is, more unusual than what you'd normally expect in MUD2) please don't hesitate to send me mail or use the BUG command in the game. Thanks!

November 10, 1998: CONGRATULATIONS to October's Player Of The Month: Mohican! Well done! And condolences to the holder of this month's Death Of The Month title: Beermug!

November 8, 1998: UUNET CANADA informs me that presently UUNet is experiencing a major routing issue in the United States, which affects their network connectivity worldwide. Consequently, we cannot see the rest of the world and the rest of the world of course cannot see us (this means most of our players of course.) Our Canadian connections are working fine, in case you're one of the lucky few connecting from a Canadian ISP without a US routing segment to MUD2.COM. Hopefully the problem will be resolved soon; in the meantime, I apologise for the inconvenience.

October 22, 1998: I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE that TETHYS (tethys@mud2.com) has been named the Land's newest arch-wizard! As some of you know, he is a personal friend and colleague, and he is also the managing director of InCAD, the company that processes all MUD2 credit card transactions, so the choice was obvious; he also lives nearby so in case of an emergency, he can have access to the MUD2 system. Mind you, I was beginning to worry that he'd never make wiz in the first place, he was bumbling so much; but he made it at last, and we recently completed his basic arch training.
He is my representative in all matters, so please feel free to approach him with respect to game problems, questions about your account, and such.

October 19, 1998: IF YOU ARE USING THE JAVA FE, please be aware that a new version has just been installed. Browsers, particularly IE4, occasionally do not automatically load the new code, which means that you may encounter problems after logging on, when trying to enter the game. If this happens, the easiest thing to do is to get your browser to clear its cache (View - Internet Options - Delete Files) and then restart your computer. The restart is necessary because of the browser integration in Windows, due to which one copy of the browser (the Windows Explorer) is always running. Netscape users should not encounter this difficulty (i.e., they do not need to restart their machine) but clearing the cache may still be necessary.
As usual, if you have any problems, please don't hesitate to contact me via e-mail, I'll be glad to be of assistance!

October 16, 1998: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: We have September's results. Our latest Player Of The Month is Moonlit, while the coveted Death Of The Month title was earned this time by Billyjoel!

September 7, 1998: CONGRATULATIONS TO KIT: August's Player of the Month! And heartfelt sympathies to Laura, who earned August's Death of the Month title!
I also have good news for UK players: lower prices if you're paying by mail. Starting this month, the price of a monthly subscription has been reduced to 12 pounds sterling, the price of a yearly subscription, to 120. These new prices will remain in effect as long as the Canadian dollar remains as low as it currently is. (Note that if you're paying by credit card, you already enjoy the benefits of the low exchange rate, as we're charging credit card customers in Canadian dollars.)

August 13, 1998: THE JAVA-BASED MUD FRONT-END application is now available! If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or later, or Netscape Navigator 4 or later, please visit http://www.mud2.com/mudfe.html to try this new program. In addition to being pretty, this front-end also contains features specific to MUD2. I hope you will enjoy the experience!

August 11, 1998: THE VOTES ARE IN: July's Player Of The Month is Arcady the necromancer! Congratulations! As for July's Death Of The Month title, it is not at all surprising that the winner is Poledra, who died to a mortal FOD when he was mere inches away from wizdom.

August 5, 1998: A NEW VERSION OF MUD, version 4E(35), has just been installed.
This version contains a considerable number of changes. Because of this, Richard has prepared a version of his change log for mortals. Please type GO NEW at the Option prompt or select item 2.3 from the MUD Library.
As usual, a new version can mean new bugs and/or problems. If you encounter anything that appears to be erratic behaviour, please don't hesitate to send MUDMail to either Richard or myself.
A big thanks to Richard for creating this new version, and a big thank you also to all players who helped to test it!

July 30, 1998: PRICE REDUCTION FOR US PLAYERS: Because of the low standing of the Canadian dollar, the subscription fee for players who pay by mail in US dollars is reduced to 20 dollars per month, or 200 US dollars per year, effective immediately. The new rates will remain in effect as long as the Canadian dollar stays at its current, low level.
Please note that this does not affect those who pay by credit card: you are already enjoying the benefits of the low exchange rate, your bank's foreign exchange policies permitting, because your card is charged in Canadian dollars.
A couple of you already sent in your August subscription fees: in your case, a credit of 5 US dollars will be applied towards your September subscription, so next month, you'll only need to send in 15 dollars.
Unfortunately, the new rates cannot be applied retroactively; i.e., if you renewed your annual subscription at an earlier date, or sent in several months' worth of payment prior to July, the old rates apply. The obvious reason for this is that at the time I cashed your cheque, the new, low Canadian dollar exchange rates were not yet in effect.

July 19, 1998: HAVE YOU BROUGHT ANY WEDDING PRESENTS? In case you've forgotten, the wedding of Tobias and Florence happens TODAY!

July 13, 1998:

	 .:*~*:.__.:*~*:.__.:*~*:.__.:*~*:.__.:*~*:.
	 *                                         *
	  }   "GREETINGS TO ALL MUD2 PLAYERS!"    {
	 *                                         *
	  }     The Pleasure of Your Company      {
	 *     is Requested at the Wedding of      *
	  }                                       {
	 *           TOBIAS and FLORENCE           *
	  }                                       {
	 *              to be held on              *
	  }       Sunday, 19th July 1998 at       {
	 *    2pm Game Time (7pm BST, 1pm EST),    *
	  }                                       {
	 *      and afterwards at a reception      *
	  }           in the Ice Palace.          {
	 *                                         *
	 .:*~*:.__.:*~*:.__.:*~*:.__.:*~*:.__.:*~*:.

July 10, 1998: THE VOTE FOR JUNE'S Player Of The Month and Death Of The Month yielded curious results. The June POTM is near-wiz Mithriel; the Death Of The Month is last month's POTM, Mercury, proving yet again that the Curse of the POTM is not just idle speculation. Oh, and why are these results curious? In accordance with MUD2.COM's standing policy I cannot tell you, but I think most of you know...

June 27, 1998: UUNET CANADA informed me of an overload at present on their main US-Canada connection between Toronto and Cleveland. If you experience lag, it is most likely due to this problem. At the time of this posting, they have not yet been able to provide an estimate as to when things will be back to normal; hopefully by the time you read this, all will be working fine!

June 12, 1998: WILL MERCURY THE MAGE SURVIVE the POTM curse? He is, after all, our newest Player of the Month, beating Damned the warlock by a single vote. The Death of the Month vote was a tie: Kenny and Madhatter received the same number of votes, no doubt in recognition for the excellent entertainment they provided for the Land's wizzes.

May 27, 1998: A MUDMEET IS TO BE HELD on Saturday, 27 June 1998 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The meet will commence at 2pm in Deacon Brodies Tavern, on the Royal Mile. Take the opportunity to visit Edinburgh, meet some of your fellow mortals and wizzes, tell tall stories about The Land and generally have a good time! Details are available on-line at http://www.decadent.demon.co.uk/ed98/.

May 24, 1998: CONGRATULATIONS to Endiss for triumphing over Admiral Bombow's Third Challenge! The Admiral dished out staggering prizes at a party in the inn, after revealing the solutions to his most recent set of puzzles. Sonsie, the ever chatty gossip, won a well deserved runners up prize and Bombow commended Tabitha the witch for making the best entry from an Immortal. Well done, everyone!

May 20, 1998: TO REWARD THE WINNERS of Admiral Bombow's Third Challenge all players are invited to a prize giving ceremony to be hosted in the inn's Party room on Sunday, 24 May 1998 at 4pm EST (10pm BST).
The solution to the most recent Challenge will be revealed before valuable prizes are awarded to both the Winner and Runners Up. As always, the inn's plentiful supplies will be available to encourage the celebrations!

May 5, 1998: CONGRATULATIONS to Meurtriere, Player of the Month for April! And condolences to Greybeard, who earned the much less coveted Death of the Month title.

May 4, 1998: THE LATEST ISSUE of our newsletter, Admiral Bombow's Chronicles, is now available on-line. Thanks to our tireless contributors thanks to whom we have another great issue! Don't forget to look up the latest Challenge of the good Admiral, which is yet another chance for you to win valuable prizes. The URL of the newsletter is http://www.mud2.com/bombow/.

April 30, 1998: PLEASE DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED ADVERTISING about MUD2.COM to anyone. Today, I received a complaint from a player at another Internet game who said that their site was flooded recently by a MUD2.COM player who was promoting our game. Unwanted advertisement rarely has a positive effect: on the contrary, it tends to alienate prospective players. So if you really want to help (which I certainly appreciate) please refrain from embarking on such unsolicited advertising campaigns on your own. Thank you!

April 7, 1998: TUESDAY BASHERS: It has been suggested that, as most players live in countries where Daylight Savings Time is used, Tuesday afternoon Mobile Bashes should be held at 4PM game time (Eastern Time.) I heard no objections to this idea, so starting next week, Tuesday afternoon bashes will be held at that time, which I understand is 9PM in the United Kingdom throughout most of the year.
Of course nothing is cast in stone; if it turns out that for several of you, holding the bash at this time is inconvenient, we can always change things. Please let me know!

April 5, 1998: ADMIRAL BOMBOW has announced that Sirkilalot is the winner of the second Challenge. Congratulations! The Admiral generously rewarded Sirkilalot at a well attended ceremony in the Inn, during which the secrets of the Challenge were revealed. In addition to honouring four well deserved Runners Up, Bombow also praised Gromit the wizard for the best Challenge entry received from an immortal.

April 4, 1998: CONGRATULATIONS TO TOTO, our March Player of the Month! And, well, uhm, congratulations to Beermug, too, for becoming our March Death of the Month, although this is one title he surely would have preferred to do without!

April 1, 1998: UUNET CANADA just informed me that there will be a brief loss of connectivity tomorrow, April 2, between 0400 and 0430 Eastern Standard Time, as they are upgrading some of their core routers. My apologies for the inconvenience that this may cause.

April 1, 1998: A PRIZE GIVING CEREMONY is to be hosted by Admiral Bombow in the inn's Party room on Saturday, 4 April 1998 at 4pm EST (10pm BST).
Splendid prizes will be awarded to both the Winner and Runners Up of his second Challenge, to which the answers will be revealed. As before, the inn's stores will be emptied to encourage the convivial atmosphere!

March 12, 1998: THE LATEST ISSUE OF ADMIRAL BOMBOW'S CHRONICLES is now available on-line: http://www.mud2.com/bombow/.

March 11, 1998: CONGRATULATIONS TO CRAB, the Land's newest wiz!

March 8, 1998: THE VOTES ARE IN: and it's a tie! The two Players of the Month are Rainbow and Sirkilalot. Congratulations!
In an unprecedented development, the title of Death of the Month goes to a mobile: the Dragon! Our unlucky lizard got ahead of Tethys by a single vote!

March 1, 1998: A HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS to Crab, winner of Admiral Bombow's first Challenge! Crab received his reward at a ceremony in the Inn, where the Admiral also honoured Rainbow and Keyser for their splendid entries. Tabitha the witch was awarded a special prize for the best Challenge entry from an immortal. Finally, a special mention for Florence, who did very well, but given her relationship with a waggish wizard declined to accept a prize from the Admiral! Congratulations all!

February 28, 1998: ADMIRAL BOMBOW just informed me that he will host a prize giving ceremony in the Inn's Party room on Sunday, 1 March 1998, at 4 PM EST (2100 GMT). Not only will magnificent prizes be distributed to the Winner and Runners Up of his first Challenge, but also, the Inn's beer, wine and spirit stores will be looted to enable generous toasts to their success!

February 14, 1998: SASSENACH the championne tried to steal a daffodil from Tethys the mage this morning. Just what is this game coming to? <shaking head>

February 8, 1998: JANUARY'S Player of the Month is Lestat. Congratulations! The Death of the Month title was earned by Belgarath. This isn't the first time, Bel, is it? Let's just hope it's the last!

February 8, 1998: A REMINDER: If you wish to cancel or suspend your account, please do so BEFORE the end of the month to avoid charges for the new month. If you send your request after the first day of the month, the new charge may already have been processed and it is not refundable. I am posting this reminder because I received a few cancellation requests during the past week; luckily, February payments have not yet been processed, but that will not always be the case. Thank you for your understanding!

February 1, 1998: THE DRAGON IS DEAD! Long live the brave mortals who decided to challenge the Land's most fearsome beast! Congratulations to all for a spectacular victory!

January 31, 1998: THE ANNIVERSARY ISSUE of Admiral Bombow's Chronicles is now available on-line: http://www.mud2.com/bombow/. I would like to call your attention in particular to a new Challenge issued by Admiral Bombow himself: this is your chance to win lots of points thanks to the efforts of the good Admiral!

January 26, 1998: ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS: Be it announced that the site that became known as MUD2.COM will celebrate its first anniversary this coming Saturday, January 31. Several spectacular events are planned on this date. The day's activities will begin at 2PM: Starfire the witch will hold an anniversary mobile bash. I have a feeling that this bash will be more successful than most, so be there!
Next, at 4PM, two other eminent witches of our Land, Innocent and Tabitha, will hold a Scavenger Hunt. During the Hunt, you are asked to collect objects of a certain type and description. The most successful among you will win prizes. Details can be read in the mortal bulletin board (type GO BB at the main Option prompt, then type 1094 to read the message that contains the announcement.)
Lastly, at 4PM Sunday, an event unlike any other will take place: the Land's bravest (or foolhardiest?) mortals will set out to kill our very own lizard in a fight. The dragon, of course, laughs at this; but we have yet to find out who will laugh in the end.
All times in this message are Eastern Standard or MUD time (type /D in the game to find out the difference between MUD time and your time zone.)
Last but not least: an anniversary issue of Admiral Bombow's Chronicles is in the works. Watch for an announcement in the next few days!

January 10, 1998: THE PLAYER OF THE MONTH for December is Beermug. Congratulations to him and also to Crab, who earned that somewhat less coveted title: Death of the Month!

January 8, 1998: A SEVERE ICE STORM here in the Ottawa region caused authorities to declare a state of emergency. Among other things, power lines are down in many parts of the region and although it has not affected us yet, power may go out here as well during the next hours or days. The problems may also affect our Internet connection. I wish to apologise in advance for any outages and ask for your patience during this period of unbelievable weather. Thanks!

January 6, 1998: MUD2.COM'S INTERNET PROVIDER (UUNet Canada) is currently experiencing a problem that apparently affects all non-Canadian connections to our server. Assuming you got this far so you can read this message, you may be experiencing severe lag (if you use Internet testing utilities, you may see a huge packet loss.) I have been assured that this problem will be corrected as soon as possible; until then, I have to ask for your patience and understanding. Thank you all!