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[Saturday, 7/17/1999]: Another Contest

      Lunatix “actions” contest: This one is SIMPLE and is available to all players at lunatix-online.com. To enter, just send us your ideas for new Lunatix Online actions! Submit as many as 5 actions. As examples:

    .WIERDO: (1) X is NOT a wierdo. (2) X thinks Y is a wierdo.
    .POINT: (1) X is pointing at his/her head. (2) X points at Y and says "Caught you!"
    .BACK: (1) X has returned! (2) X is glad that Y is back."

      Everybody who participates will receive TWO FREE DAYS added to their subscription or active trial account, just for taking part in the contest. We'll pick our favorite actions from those submitted. Each person can only win one prize (if we like more than one of the actions you submit, we'll have to pick our favorite one). Prizes will be awarded as follows:

             1st Prize: 8 Free Weeks of play.
             2nd Prize: 6 Free Weeks of play.
             3rd Prize: 4 Free Weeks of play.
             4th Prize: 2 Free Weeks of play.
             5th Prize: 1 Free Week of play.

      Even though we're only picking 5 winners, we reserve the right to add any actions submitted (at our discretion) to the game. So, even if you don't win a top-5 place, you'll get two free days of play and we might add your action to Lunatix anyway!
      To participate, simply send your suggested actions (as many as 5 of them) in email with the subject “Lunatix Action Contest” to wyndo@cxo.com. You must include (in addition to your suggested actions) your real name and your character name. Entries must be received here on or before Friday, July 23rd, 1999, to qualify. We will announce the results shortly thereafter. Note that in the event of duplicate (or very similar) actions, the person who submitted theirs first will be credited with that action.

[Saturday, 7/4/1999]: The Winners Are In. Happy 4th Of July!!!

      Congratulations to ALL the IGM Authors! The rankings did not come easily. 3rd and 4th places were especially hard to decide. Please keep in mind that some of these entries have been in development for many many weeks -- and it shows! Everybody did a wonderful job! These IGM's will show up in the elevator soon! Now, without further ado.... here are the results!

Grand Prize: $150.00 Winner
Camel's Quest -- By Jeremy West

Second Prize: $100.00 Winner
The Infirmary -- By Sarah Philips

Third Prize: $50.00 Winner
Maze Factory -- By Robert Fogt

First Runner Up Prize: $10.00 Winner
Tower Of Trials -- By Seth Sites

Second Runner Up Prize: $10.00 Winner
ReName That Tune -- By Brandon Burch

Third Runner Up Prize: $10.00 Winner
Dirty Harry's Bookstore -- By Tammy Bokor

      I can't stress enough the fact that all the entries were great! Ranking wasn't a simple task, nor was it arbitrary.
      Camel's Quest won first prize. It is a great adventure. In fact, it's a self-contained RPG in its own right, complete with its own money, experience, weapon, and defense stats. The complexity is amazing. The fact that it was done using a pretty limiting script language is mind-boggling. It might not appeal to everybody, but it should definitely be a welcomed addition to anybody wishing they could spend more time playing each day. In this IGM, players take the elevator to the “walking trail.” After spotting a camel pass by, the player embarks on a quest to find it. With built-in RPG elements like battling creatures and bosses, visting item shops, and encountering other random events like a wishing well and sleeping guards, this IGM is like no other to date.
      The Infirmary earned the second prize slot. This IGM captures the humor of the game, and is the one that “fits” the best into the hospital theme. The idea is very unique, too. Players must impersonate a doctor and diagnose the illness of other patients. The concept is great. The “symptoms” and “illnesses” are wacky and the game text is witty and funny. This IGM should appeal to everybody. The way it works is simple and easy, yet very fun and fair! The more symptoms requested, the easier it is it guess the right “disease” from the shrinking list, but it also means the prize will be less and the penalty for failure will be greater. This is a wonderful way of making the award system fair!
      Maze Factory squeezed into 3rd place by a hair. Honestly, it was a very tough call for 3rd and 4th. Mazes (and only mazes) might not appeal to everybody. However, with 37 of them (wow) it should offer plenty of variety. Patients get one maze visit per day (which keeps it fair) during which they can collect special items for points, or find the exit door for 1000 points. These points can be redeemed for prizes, and larger prizes could take longer to obtain. It's kind of like those ticket things at arcades where you can get the crummy prizes or keep going and save up for something good.
      Tower Of Trials is the first runner up, at 4th place. It was a really difficult call between it and the Maze Factory. This IGM carries the “look and feel” of Lunatix itself, which is a big plus. It is well designed and brings the same feel as Ringo's Lair -- a proven success in the way of design styles. Players must solve puzzles in order to reach the end, gaining a little at a time, each day.
      ReName That Tune comes in as the second runner up. Although it doesn't have a turn limit, it works by allowing players to accumulate greater scores for larger prizes. A lyric line from a song is given, and players must pick the song it belongs to from a list of several. The author tells me he plans to add more songs and lyrics to it, too.
      Dirty Harry's Bookstore is an adult-oriented IGM in which players visit the bookstore where several “interesting” things can happen. There is no turn limit, though, and it sort of needs one.

[Saturday, 7/3/99]: IGM Contest News

      Entry Deadline Has Passed: The entry period in the Lunatix Online IGM contest has now ended. We received six entries. Since there aren't very many, the judging time shouldn't take as long as anticipated and the winners may be announced in only a few days (if not sooner). All the entries are excellent. We hope that all the IGM authors will keep in mind that not every IGM can take 1st, or 2nd, or even 3rd. The entries are all well-done, and ranking them won't be easy. The amount of time and effort put in to creating each one is obvious.

      Here are the six entries, in no particular order. Prowler Productions (and/or a selected panel of judges) will try to judge and rank the IGM's as soon as possible so the results can be posted. Stay tuned!

Dirty Harry's Bookstore -- By Tammy Bokor

Camel's Quest -- By Jeremy West

Maze Factory -- By Robert Fogt

The Infirmary -- By Sarah Philips

ReName That Tune -- By Brandon Burch

Tower Of Trials -- By Seth Sites

[Saturday, 6/26/99]: Server Licensing and More

      Host Lunatix: Remember that we are now offering Lunatix Online server licensing. This allows other sites to host the game. We currently have two licensed sites in addition to our own. For information about licensing a copy of Lunatix Online for your pay-for-play site, see the licensing page. Note that currently we are not licensing above the 150-player version. We would like to see how things go first, before licensing higher max-player versions.

      “lunatix-online.com” server problems: Our web host is continuing to experience server problem, due to problematic installations of new software (Frontpage Server Extensions, for one). They are working to resolve the problem once and for all. In the meantime, players (trial and subscribers alike) have been given 7 free days extra!

      Do you want $50? $100? Even $150?: Time is running out quick but it's not too late to submit your entry for the Lunatix Online IGM contest. Write a Lunatix add-on and win cash! The free developer's kit is available here.

[Wednesday, 6/23/99]: Good Things and Bad Things

      Lunatix Server Down? Prowler Production's hosted Lunatix Online is currently down. We aren't sure exactly what the problem is. Since the server doesn't belong to us (we are set up through a local hosting company), it's impossible to say when the problem will be fixed. I've emailed our web host for assistance, but have not heard back yet.

      Increasing Capacity: Lunatix Online is growing! The amount of new players (and new subscribers) is getting larger. It's not uncommon these days to log on and find a dozen other players online at the same time. Because of this, we're taking steps to increase the efficiency of the game. Some of our ideas include support for Perl ISAPI (which is almost done and is a great speed improvement) and the setup of a RAM drive to house the chat files for increased response. Once these changes are complete, Lunatix Online should be in a better position to handle the ever-growing load.

[Thursday, 6/17/99]: Server Licensing

      For web hosts/ISP's/content providers: Prowler Productions is pleased to announce the introduction of licensing for Lunatix Online. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the game for your own system (pay/subscription systems only), check out the info here and send inquiries to wyndo@cxo.com.

[Sunday, 6/13/99]: You Still Have Time!

      Lunatix Online IGM Contest: The contest deadline is nearing, but you still have time. In case you don't know, Prowler Productions is sponsoring an IGM Contest for CASH PRIZES. What must you do to participate? First, download the free IGM Developer's Kit and create an IGM add-on. Be creative. Be fun. Be cool. We're giving $350 in cash prizes, which includes $150 for first, $100 for 2nd, and $50 for 3rd place (with 5 $10 runner-up prizes and 2 subscription prizes). Be sure you read the official rules first! Good luck!

      New Web Games: First, while searching the internet for new web games, I came across Star Masters. It's a web-based game developed (or being developed) by somebody who recently started playing Lunatix, so be sure and give it a look!

      Robert Fogt (“Gambit” in Lunatix) has also started work on a new web-based game. It sounds great, but I don't have much info yet and he hasn't put up an official site (as far as I know) yet. Stay tuned!

[Sunday, 6/6/99]: Updated Version of IGM Kit Released

      Version 4.0.1: Robert Fogt has just released an updated version of the IGM Developer's Kit. This version checks for a problem which was (until now) allowed to happen. An IGM should not be allowed to change the graphic after text has already been printed to the screen. Also, all IGM scripts and graphics must be named in lower case only now, but the kit will now rename them for you.

[Sunday, 5/30/99]: StarLock Development Underway Again

      Visit The StarLock Site: Development of our second web-based game, StarLock, is underway once again. Check out the lastest info at the official StarLock web site (be sure to bookmark it). The completed version (and even a playable beta) are probably several months away still, but keep your eye on it! A subscription to either game will automatically count as a subscription to both -- that's like getting one FOR FREE!

[5/28/99]: IGM News

      Drooling for Dollars: My latest IGM, Drooling for Dollars, is finally finished and has been added to the Lunatix Online elevator. Including an updated version of Robert Fogt's “Java Slots” IGM (which now keeps a daily high score list and awards the winner), the IGM count is now at 14! That's 14 cool add-ons you can play as part of the game!

      Updated Kit Coming Soon: Robert Fogt is soon to release a new version of the IGM Developer's Kit, which fixes a few minor problems. Look for it here soon if you are an IGM developer, and especially if you are working on an entry for the IGM contest.

[5/20/99]: News News News!

      The Phantom Menace: This has absolutely nothing to do with Lunatix -- but I wanted to say I went to see Star Wars Episode 1 last night (premier day) and it was AWESOME. I expect it to beat the sales records set by last year's Titanic. I'm going back to see it tonight... and Friday... and again Saturday (hehehehe). Hopefully, the result will be a renewed motivation to push forward with StarLock development!

      Lunatix Changes: Several things were changed/added to Lunatix yesterday. The most noticable is the ability to change your password (an option in “preferences” now). Also, your password will no longer appear in the browser forward/back history (MSIE only, I think) so curious eyes around your computer are less likely to see it. Other changes included better administrative reports, and a new function which will prevent admin players from being killed (currently this is Wyndo and Akiss).

[5/14/99]: The First-Ever Java IGM

      Java Slots: Robert Fogt sent in another IGM. Although it doesn't interact with the Lunatix players files (in other words, you can't gain or lose anything at this point by playing it), it's still pretty cool and it is the first IGM to incorporate a Java applet! I believe he's now working on more advanced techniques to allow applets to interface with LunScript. Play “Java Slots” in the Lunatix Elevator.

[5/9/99]: IGM's, Newsletter Issue #1, and MORE!

      Congrats to Seth Able Robinson!!! A big congratulations from Prowler Productions to Seth Robinson (of LORD and Dink Smallwood fame) and Akiko Hirokawa, who have recently gotten engaged! On the RtSoft news page, Seth says this:

Screw the company info, this news is MUCH MORE IMPORTANT!
I think everybody on this planet has a perfect match, both physically and spiritually.
I was lucky enough to find mine.
I'm now engaged to the very beautiful Akiko Hirokawa!
The magical date is sometime in June 2000.

Once again, congratulations to those two, and best of luck in whatever the future may bring! Does this mean she's an RtSoft employee now, too? =)

      Lunatix Newsletter Went Out Last Night: The first issue of Robert Fogt's Lunatix Newsletter was emailed to everybody who had subscribed to it last night. Remember, the newsletter is FREE, and from the looks of it, it's going to be a great way to get hints and tips for playing the game and its IGM's.

      More IGM Goodness: Two more new IGM's have recently been added to the game. Gambit contributed his third IGM to date with Pizza Craven, a nice little add-on where you must take on the role of a pizza delivery person. Tim333 contributed his first effort, The Mystery Spot, where a small pill leads you on a psychosurreal trip behind three doors. Play Lunatix Online today and visit these new add-ons in the elevator!


Pictured above are graphic scenes from the Pizza Craven IGM. Check it out!

      Drooling For Dollars: I'm working on a new IGM which isn't ready just yet. Watch for Drooling for Dollars, where you are a contestant on a wacky game show (sort of like Sethy's Wheel of Cows, in that regard). I need to finish up all the IGM's I'm going to create, so I can spend time continuing the development of StarLock.

      T-Shirts Are In! The first run of Lunatix T-Shirts are in! They look pretty sharp, too! Win the game, and you get one for free!!!

[5/5/99]: Lunatix Online Newsletter

      ...And it's almost ready! Robert Fogt of BlueSparks has done it again. This time, he's creating a periodic newsletter which will cover Lunatix Online and IGM play. It reportedly will also have a section to help budding new IGM authors get started! I encourage everybody to go check it out and sign up for the first issue by going to the signup page at www.bluesparks.com/logicnews. I'm not sure when the first issue will be ready to mail out, so be sure to sign up now so you don't miss it!

[5/4/99]: More Tornados

      What a Shock: It's always surprising to get out of a movie theater, go out to eat, and see on the news that a huge section of the city you live in was wiped out by a tornado ... in the section where you happen to live. Driving home I had to dodge downed power lines in the road, lots of debris... I drove past buildings that had been shredded. It was horrible. I don't think Wichita has seen anything like this in a long time. The storm's path was wide and long, and I'm still in awe at the damage and destruction it did. It did miss my neighborhood by half a mile or so, thank goodness. Even now though, Tuesday morning, we are still under severe storm watches.

      In Lighter News: I added another new IGM to Lunatix. This is another one I wrote.. it's called “The Video Shop” and it's a pretty simple one.

[5/1/99]: Win A T-Shirt!

      The Lunatix Prize Closet: Congratulations to “Jaws1” who is the first patient to win the game (in about 4 1/2 months total). Although we were running a little behind, our T-Shirt logos have just been given to the printers and our first run of 20 shirts should be ready by Thursday (May 6th). To check out the design, visit the Lunatix Prize Closet. We're having two different shirts printed (all have the same back design, with 10 each of two different front designs). When they're finished, we'll try to take snapshots of the actual shirts to display in the prize closet.

More New IGM's: Ringo's Lair is almost done. In fact, it may even be added to the game this weekend. In the meantime, enjoy the new IGM Sethy's Wheel of Cows which is a comical trip to an interesting institutionalized game show. Remember, you can create your own Lunatix add-ons using the free kit, and even win cash in the Lunatix IGM contest by submitting an original Lunatix add-on.

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