Frontier Developments

alt.fan.elite

  After a prolonged absence from alt.fan.elite, David Braben has returned, and there's news on Elite 4. In a message on the commander's Usenet newsgroup, he stated that Elite 4 is probably well over a year away. His absence was largely due to being too busy to keep up with the newsgroup, indicating that Frontier Developments is working very hard on something.

  The news that E4 is well over a year away is not surprising to us - the scope of the new game is likely to be quite a lot larger than its predecessors, and as David has hinted in earlier messages, the game must be the best in its class to meet the high expectations of the stalwart fans of the Elite series (especially after what happened with Frontier First Encounters). David isn't saying too much about the E4 at the moment, other than they are working on it. However, he has said that the game engine will be completely new.

  Judging by the typical industry times to implement a game and the approximate time of the start of the project, the Frontier News' guesstimate of when E4 is likely to show up would be in around 2.5 to 3 years from now. E4 is likely to be a very complex game to develop.

  The Treasury Secretary of the Alliance, Jose Davis MP (RDm, Gateway region 7), this week became embroiled in a criminal scandal that could well cost him his liberty. On Tuesday, Davis was arrested by the Gateway police as he was returning to his constituency of Old Curie, Hope. He was arrested on charges of piracy and murder, and later released on a bail of CR 1.1M.

  Davis was arrested in connection with the disappearance of his political opponent, Michelle Barbers, nearly eight years ago. The Gateway System Prosecutor told the News, "This week we found compelling evidence that Jose Davis was deeply involved in the murder of Michelle Barbers". The prosecutor's office declined to comment further, citing legal reasons.

  Michelle Barbers was the Alliance Republican Democrat candidate for the Treasury position some eight years ago, just before her disappearance. She was apparently abducted by a fanatical pirate group, the Quince Knights. Shortly after the abduction, the Quince Knights were supposedly destroyed in an attack by a band of bounty hunters. Painstaking police investigations revealed that not only did the Quince Knights not exist, but the entire battle between the group and the bounty hunters was staged. A suprisingly realistic mock base, strewn with dead bodies, was placed in a distant orbit of Quince. Although Barbers was a member of the same political party as Davis, it was no secret that they were bitter rivals for the treasury post.

  Already, opposition members have called for Davis to resign, or at least leave his post until the trial concludes. Julius Ammons, the Libertarian Alliance Party leader and MP for the Alioth 4 region told the News, "He should do the decent thing and resign now, with the option of returning to office if the court clears him of the crime he is charged of. These allegations are extremely serious, and do great harm to the reputation of the Alliance". The Social Democratic leader, Keith Livingstone, MP for Titican (Region 2), echoed this sentiment.

  The President of the Alliance, Margaret Stonecipher said in a news conference, "It is highly regrettable that this has happened. It is up to Juan whether he resigns or not. He is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law".

  The first court hearing is set for May 15th, 3296, at the Gateway High Court at Old Blackelk. If found guilty, Davis faces a sentence of life imprisonment with no parole.

The Alliance Atlas

  The tourist industry this week forged a new partnership to bring visitors into Alliance systems. Tourist operators have formed a new association, The Alliance Tourist Board, with a goal of attracting visitors to resorts operated by its members. The ATB's headquarters will be based in Phekda, the newest Alliance member. Their head offices will be situated in Gupta's Camp, New California. The planet of New California was Phekda's biggest tourist draws back before the 2620's and the slide into anarchy. The planet is breathtakingly beautiful, having survived the wars that began in the wake of the Adams era. It is highly appropriate that the ATB should put its headquarters on one of the jewels of the populated galaxy.

  The first president of the organization, Cameron McLeod, said in a press conference, "The Alliance has a lot to offer in the way of tourism with nine systems with outdoor worlds, and several other systems with plenty of tourist activities. It's high time we promoted them more rather than keep them all to ourselves".

  The only dissenting voice was from the Council for the Preservation of Nature, who said, "We must be careful that over-exploitation doesn't ruin some of these breathtakingly beautiful and important natural habitats. Alliance members must watch tourist activity carefully to ensure that these sites are not harmed"

Frontierverse

The Ironfrost Elite Network

Out on the Edge

Mic Healey's Pilot's Lounge

  The Frontierverse was today given a facelift! The new layout is attractive, readable, fast and easy to navigate - complements to Robin Sharrock for making it so. Not only that, a new chapter of "Why Did The Groigan Dance?", by Brad "Wolfsheart" Chacos, is now online in the Frontierverse's fiction section. With the Imperial attack fleet smashed, and a Federation threat, it looks like the Empire might make a very unusual alliance...

  AliothNet has a new story too! Also by Brad Chacos, "Heaven's Reach" captures the feelings of an ex-slave, who was rescued from the clutches of the Imperial slavery system. But what will finish off the elderly slave, turned trader? Will it be the nightmares, or will it be the enemy craft currently bearing down on the family's trade ship? Find out by going to "Out on the Edge" at AliothNet.

  Citing frustration at the length of time it is taking Frontier Developments to get the Elite Club up and running, the Ironfrost Network has reinstated its download of Frontier First Encounters. The Ironfrost Network isn't the only place that has either put the downloads back (or just not removed them at all) - Jades' FFE site still has a download, with the notice that "it will be removed soon", presumably when the downloads are offered by the Elite Club. Matt Williams' Elite site also still has FE:2 and FFE available for download.

  Finally, Mic Healey has been doing some updating too. The Pilot's Lounge has a new build of the Flight Data Logger for FE:2 and FFE, and the continuation of Commander Mic's Logbook, Chapter 5 - in FDL format. But watch out for Bobba Fett!