A new beta of TWGS was released today! Here's what it does: "Ugh! The EXTERN problem persists. In fact, they were worse in the last revision because EXTERN would run too often rather than not enough. I have gone back to the original approach, with a few changes. This should at least put an end to the frequent EXTERN problem. It may also bring back the problem with EXTERN not running as often as it should. Please report this if it happens to you so I can keep working on it." You can grab it from the [EIS](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://eisonline.classictw.com/).

I've been informed that Cruncher actually **does** have a monitor that supports 800x600 (She can actually play Starcraft now) Since I have no intention of drinking tonight unless I find someone's ATM card on the street, I'm changing the last line of the drinking game: If Bad Girl ever stops flirting, drink till your stomach needs to be pumped!

If you've logged on [the Home Sector BBS](telnet://twgs.tradewars.org) in the past two days, you've realized you can't play because of lag. This is not your everyday lag you get while playing [NerfQuest](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.everquest.com/), no. It's something far more sinister. From the information I've recieved, the lag at Eleq's Server has become self aware and is now in the process of multiplying. That's right, the lag is increasing! The FBI has currently occupied Eleq's house in an effort to stop the lag from spreading. Feel free to [mail Eleq](mailto:eleqtriq@jps.net) each and every day asking when the lag will be gone. That, or I've heard that Eleq's ISP is doing maintenance work.

[Trade Wars: Dark Millennium website.](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.TradeWars.com/) Read it. Back? Good. I'm not sure what to think. There are some things that are interesting, and others that **scare the hell out of me**. Let's take a look at what we know: 1 - They bought TradeWars.com Last time I checked on it, TradeWars.com was on sale for about $1,000+. This implies that the company probably has some type of financial backing. Maybe. 2 - they're making a modernized version of the classic BBS game Be afriad. 3 - Who are these people? I don't know. They're a startup. They have no track record, so we don't know what they're good at. The webpage also doesn't list Bio's for the people that work there [unlike other companys.](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.troikagames.com/team.htm) For all we know, these people could have been the masterminds behind [Trolls on Treasure Island](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.seanbaby.com/nes/basedoncrap04.htm) for the NES. 4 - It's an Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) It takes a LOT of money to make an MMOG. Just ask the guys at Ultima Online. Took the entire team at Origin 3 years to make it, and it shipped broken. So whoever funds/publishes this game needs to have deep pockets. But most of the major publishers already have MMOGs. Electronic Arts has Ultima Online, Sony has Everquest, Square has Final Fantasy 11, Sega has Phantasy Star Online. Out of the rest of the top of the bunch, this leaves Nintendo, (not likely) Acclaim, and THQ. If THQ or Acclaim fund this project, I'm going to declare that Jesus did die in vain. Calling those two "game" companies good is like saying Battlefield ... But still, there are plenty of publishers who could fund it. Sierra looks like a good choice. 5 - The MMOG market is competative Besides having to compete with the current MMOGs, there are many more coming down the pipe. It'll have to compete with [UO2](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.uo2.com/), Planetfall, [FreeLancer](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.digitalanvil.com/) and who knows what else. Perhaps their biggest rivalry will be with [Jumpgate](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.netdevil.com/) and FreeLancer. I've played the beta for Jump gate and it's pretty much graphical TradeWars. Unfortunately, it leaves a lot to be desired. As for FreeLancer, who knows when it'll actually be out. The Rest of my thoughts tommorrow.

Have a bottle of Jack you don't know what to do with? Put it to something constructive, the Tradewars Drinking game! Everytime.... Extern runs in TWGS, take a drink. The [Egroups](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.egroups.com/docvault/tw2002/) forum is mailbombed, take two drinks. Space Ghost dies, take a sip. (These add up, so don't worry) Saint wins a Good vs Evil game, chug it. [St. Trizi'T](/)'s Ego is bigger than his head, take a sip. Someone makes 50 dupes and flies them to your q-cannons, take a drink. Barefoot makes an idiotic comment, take a sip. [Hekate](/files/Site%20Caps/TWLinks/index.html) updates her page, chug it. And lastly, If Cruncher ever gets a monitor that supports 800x600, drink till you pass out!

Gotta love that [Barefoot](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.eisonline.com/TWForum/messages/1623.htm) Guy who hangs out on the [EIS Forum](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.eisonline.com/TWForum/). In his latest [Act of Stupidity](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.eisonline.com/TWForum/messages/2014.htm), (one of [Many](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.eisonline.com/TWForum/messages/2050.htm) mind you) He once again shows his suprior intellect. At least St. Trizi'T and friends have finally [Made a Pact](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.eisonline.com/TWForum/messages/2056.htm) to ignore him. Damn Right! Hopefully, Barefoot will never pass on his/her Genes, thereby making Humanity a little less [stupid](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.darwinawards.com/). Maybe I should just change this page into a rant site.

John Pritchett has given us a [post](https://eisonline.classictw.com/) on the EIS Forums saying he's adding a new person to TradeWars development. This new person will be in charge of debugging and maintenance of the main TradeWars program. This will let John work more on the Game Server. Check the post for the rest of the details!

Two new webpages to post about. The first one is set up by Veteran Hellcat called [](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.depletecoitus.com/twars.htm). He's posted captures of him killing various people. If there's a good player who you don't like, you can probably find them here getting their ass kicked. I still think it'd be much more funny to have captures of Hellcat Blind Warping on the page Instead. The Second one is [https://www.frogland.net/public/TradeWars/default.htm](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.frogland.net/public/TradeWars/default.htm). It's a TradeWars Directory that's.... visual and stuff.

Ever wanted to build a TradeWars ship? Thanks to Lance and garfield, now you can via the web! You can access it at [https://www.cbu.edu/~mhilliar/TW/SE/](https://web.archive.org/web/20000000000000*/https://www.cbu.edu/~mhilliar/TW/SE/) What it does is that it let's you create your own ship, and then send the specs off to your neighboring sysop! If you've ever wondered what you could do with TEDIT, this is just about the same. If you'd like to be listed in the sysop's menu, please mail [mhilliar@cbu.edu](mailto:mhilliar@cbu.edu)

Oh yea! This little news Script I installed is great. Basically, It really cuts down on the work that I have to do. (the extra work is really why I don't update as much as I should) I could even update this place from my Sega Dreamcast if I really was that despirate. This nifty news script is called Newspro.