They were riddles in short story form that pointed to a specific hex on the map.The riddle was given to each of the leaders of opposing sides at the same time via private message or e-mail to be presented to their respective pilots.First team to get the hex gets the prize.Riddles were also cryptic like a cluster of nebs would be called the hazy expanse or something.As a Shadow, it was amusing to watch the news on the server a little while after the clues were given as pilots from both sides would do the news. When a hex started to get hit ,EVERYBODY followed ....only to find out a bit later it was the wrong hex.
I just had to do that to ya, Hexx...
The first thing that happened was the "DN behind the lines"
Each side had a DN, with limited supplies, about 10 hexes or so behind the lines. It had to make it back vs all of us that started in FF/DDs (Klingon had a F5C)
Ours barely made it, but the Alliance one wasn't so fortunate.
The first Clue was PM'd a few minutes before the server started. I forget the exact wording of them, but they were extremely well written.
Each one was supposed to lead us to a hex, which we had to take first.
The first one said something about "The Hazy Mists" which lead us to believe it was a Nebula, so we looked for a cluster of them, took the center one and PM'd SnB that we thought that was it.
It was correct and then he PM'd me the 2nd clue.
And so on and so on.
We actually solved most of the clues withing a day or so of getting them.
Then we took the suspected areas and PMd it back.
The fourth clue damned near killed us, though, since it required taking several hexes deep within the Shadow territory.
We lost about a half a dozen capitol ships a day there, I think...
And it took almost a week...
And while we did that, the Alliance took huge areas of our space...
The last clue we got when we took a planet hex and discovered a Orbital station. SnB gave us the last clue then via Coalition text chat (we had only Coalition and Alliance text chat then, why can't we now?)
It was one of the most tense moments of any campaign after he typed the riddle (which was a signal from the station) and we all debated on VT for several minutes and then replied.
Skull did a great job of making it such a dramatic moment of anticipation while a dozen or so of us watched his answer, typed ever so slowly, and in brief parts...I think half of us were about to pass out from holding our breath.
I'll never forget someone saying "Damn, my nipples are getting hard!"
And the ensuing pandemonium on VT when the "Station" opened a great portal and revealed the Lost Tech ships inside...Ah, yes...it was awesome.
With those ships we rolled across the map and retook every hex we'd lost and then some.
We were even able to take the Alliance "Lost tech Station" in another great controversial move...
You see, when the station was found, the closest planet to the SC was chosen as it's location, I was fortunate not to be real close to the front at that moment, but the Alliance one turned out to be only 3-4 hexes away from the front lines. We recognized the massive build up of DVs and Alliance presense there and deduced that was it, mostly because it was previously an unimportant area and suddenly eveery Alliance player was there, since Skull said we had to keep the planet hex to keep the ships.
And the forum postings, so heavy with R/P...That was the best...
My favorites were the PMs between myself and Skull regarding the attempts by the Coalition scientist to activate the shields on the Lost Tech ships we recovered (we had to fly them for 48 hrs at first, down to 24 hrs later and finally instantly, before the shields worked). I had fun bullying them in my PMs, even killing one on the spot because it was taking so long...
.
I wish I had those saved somewhere...
Definitely one for the History Annals...
And still my favorite server that I have ever participated in.
My first time as an RM/SCC also.
Wanderer was the Alliance SC...whatever happened to him, anyway? He was one of the best the Alliance ever had as a RM/SC. IMOHPO...