Various empires are now attempting to breathe new life into the Metaverse. Sensing a feeling of stagnation with the current situation, many have begun to employ new strategies to liven up the community. These efforts have thus far remained unseen and discreet. But, thanks to some investigative reporting, the Metaverse Review can reveal some of the plans for the future!
The Jedi Republic have been in secret talks in the Council chambers regarding their latest attempts to bring about change. When asked for comment on their plans, a very well-known Councilor stated "The Jedi have undergone a bit of a rebirth as of late - ie recapturing fourth, a few new members and some old ones returned. The Council is currently debating a series of plans to inject further new life into the New Republic." Though cryptic, it is thought a major change may be in the works for the Jedi. Already, they have employed a succession game to instill more interest in the game. The succession game was first utilized by Realms Beyond and seems to be a trend that is catching on in the Metaverse. Currently, there is a Realms Beyond SG, a Jedi SG, and now a Euro SG.
Also looking to make some changes in the way things are done, the Diplomats are nearly ready to unveil their secret plans. Revealed to this reporter only recently, the Diplomats are currently in the final stages of releasing a new forum. This new forum, complete with many handy features, will allow citizens of the Metaverse to meet and discuss items of interest in relative peace. It is hoped that this new home for the Diplomats will provide a place to chat without worry of trolls, inappropriate behaviour, and endless recruitment. While the Metaverse Review cannot divulge the location of this new forum, it can be reported that it will be accessable to everyone and will welcome all to it's spacious chambers.
Many have noticed a decline in their empire's score. It is thought that a Metaverse-wide Recalculation may have occured during the server work on January 28. If this is so, overlords who have not submitted in a long time will have their scores recalculated, dropping their scores due to the degrading formula. This will cause many empires who have a large population of non-submitting members to notice a significant drop in empire score. Though unverified, this phenomenon has been known to occur and affect the Metaverse from time to time.
Beta testing of the newest release, the Altarian Prophecy, has been going very well. Reports from beta testers are generally favorable as it appears many of the bugs from the first release are being fixed, and new features continue to be phased in. Apart from some minor difficulties, the current AP Beta should be playable by most everyone. A new release was scheduled for either today or tomorrow.
In empire news, the Fellowship of the Ring fell short of their attempt to retake first place as the Recalc seriously degraded their overall score. What was a 30k deficit has now blossomed into a 300k gap. The Fellowship's age and level of activity are taking it's toll as current first place empire Special Forces has around a 100% activity rate and no inactive members. Though giving the Fellowship a larger margin to recover from, a member of the Council stated bluntly "Our forces witnessed a small loss but we are determined to continue our efforts to regain the top spot in the Metaverse!"
The Jedi Republic returned to fourth place as they passed the suddenly silent Mid-Western Confederation. Intelligence missions into the farmer's thread revealed the only active participants there were Jedi and Fellowship operatives along with the head of the MWC, Emperor surther. The decline of the MWC is certainly a sad sight, but surther is very confident things will turn around.
The Rum Rebellion, led by Captain Flash, disappeared as quickly as it appeared, leaving all empires with less liquor. The strange talking and heavily drinking Rebellion returned into the ranks of the ANZAC Imperium and order seemed to be restored by Emperor Evil Steve.
Realms Beyond moved past the waning Canadian Star Federation to capture sixth place. Passing the Undead was only the beginning of the good news for the empire led by Sirian, however. They have now managed to surpass the two million point mark! Congratulations to Realms Beyond for this impressive milestone!
The Diplomats have witnessed a surge in recruitment and now stand at 11 overlords. This has led them to climb to 13th place overall in the Metaverse. Their efforts at diplomacy through whatever means have been generally regarded as fair and balanced. Most citizens of the Metaverse are pleased to see the Diplomats doing so well.
Snowstorms all over the United States and Canada have caused havoc with many overlords in the Metaverse. The Metaverse Review urges all who are in areas affected by these situations to exercise caution. Your safety is paramount to us and we hate to hear of any problems experienced by our friends. Take care out there, wherever you are.