Federation II


Federation II is a free-to-play online text-based game also known as Federation 2 or Fed2. It was designed by British programmer Alan Lenton and developed by IBGames. It centers on the intergalactic trade and economy in the distant future. It is coded in C++

History

In July 1987 Compunet had announced the return of MUD and a new multi-user game Federation II. Fed began as a single-player bulletin board demo, but gained popularity. The Adventure 87 Convention demonstrated the multi-user form, which was expected to run by that Christmas. After many delays, it officially opened on January 10, 1988 as the first MUD to have a non-fantasy setting.
In 1990, Federation II moved to GEnie and caused confusion as 'II' was assumed to mean the game was a sequel when in reality there was never a "Federation I". The "II" was slowly dropped. In speaking back about that period, it is generally referred to as GEnie/Aries Fed.
AOL Federation began testing in May 1995 and published the following month. Open beta began on June 21 which allowed AOL players in the game for the first time.
AOL had changed its billing structure over the years, which affected Fed and its users. At the beginning of 1997, AOL moved to flat rate pricing which caused a dramatic spike in Fed players. AOL later wanted to cut ties with Federation, forcing the game to move to the web. Federation on AOL officially closed in August of 1997.
The backups of Fed files from AOL were available for a brief time to allow users to migrate their characters to Web Fed, but were deleted in December of that same year.
In October Web Fed went into beta testing. FedTerm Loaded, a new front-end program was released in December 1997, and the game came out of beta testing. By January 1998, the last traces of Fed had been removed from AOL.
In the end of November 2003, a disk drive failed on the Federation server causing the site to go down. Although Lenton was able to get the game back up and running, it could not be relied upon for long-term use. Work began on Fed 2 in December, named so as a homage to the original version on Compunet. On the morning of Christmas 2003, Fed2 officially went live.
On Sunday, 2 September 2018, game staff announced that the game would close on 1 October 2018.
A small group of Federation 2 players joined together to revive the game under the name of "Federation 2 Community Edition". With the help of original programmer Alan Lenton, the game was re-launched the following month. Fed2 planet owners received their files from IBGames and were given the opportunity to have their ranks and planets transferred into F2CE. F2CE switched back to a free-to-play model allowing members to earn in-game premiums through game play rather than purchasing them.

Gameplay

The game's emphases are on trading, creating personalized systems of planets, and socializing with players of all ranks. As players advance, they are able to create their own system starting with one planet.

Communication

Federation II uses a text-based style of gameplay. users enter various commands into the client, which are met with descriptions of the actions they have just commanded. For instance, to say something to the other players in the room, a player types "SAY ," which would produce the following output:
Players may also communicate publicly with others in remote locations using the command or with others individuals privately through a “tight beam” message using the command. A public message board is also available for all users to relay messages for others to read at any time. The board is cleared every morning.

Socializing

Social connections are important in the game. As players progress, they may receive help from those of a higher level. For example, a Manufacturer may choose to build their factories on an official planet in Sol, but it would be more beneficial for them to find a planet owner that could provide factories that would provide more financial rewards.
Most planets, both official and player-owned, have a bar of some sort that will provide visitors with food or drinks. It is common for players to use these locations for social gatherings. Two of the more popular locations are the simple Starship Cantina on Earth and the bustling vibrant Chez Diesel on Mars.

Combat

Fighting is not an integral part of in Federation, but non-peaceful areas are available for players wishing to participate is spaceship fights. Planets may also have locations that can cause players harm or death. Users begin the game insured against 1 death and may re-insure at any hospital. If a player dies while uninsured, they will die “dead-dead” and the character will be permanently removed.
All characters begin the game with 140 points to split between 4 stats: Intelligence, Dexterity, Stamina, and Strength. Some stats are increased at various levels, and may also be purchased with slithies.

Ranks

Federation II currently has 16 ranks available for players to reach through various activities.
  • GroundHog
The entry level in Fed is the GroundHog. At this rank, players are limited to ground movement on Earth. The “Newbod's Guide” and cues within the game instruct players on how to obtain a ship permit and purchase their first ship to reach promotion.
  • Commander
Once a player has obtained a ship, they are automatically promoted to the rank of Commander. As a commander, the player begins working by hauling commodities within the solar system in order to pay off the ship loan. After achieving 50 hauling credits the player may leave Sol and enter into player-owned systems which provide higher-paying jobs. Once the loan is paid off, the player promotes to the rank of Captain.
  • Captain
The rank of Captain is similar to that of Commander, however players no longer have to worry about paying off a loan. The rank of Captain also allows a player to purchase a larger ship which can be used for jobs or for fighting if they so choose. After completing enough jobs to enter the Adventurer's Guild, a player is promoted to Adventurer.
  • Adventurer
At the rank of Adventurer, players are now able to complete “Akaturi Jobs” with are similar to Fetch Quests. In these jobs, a player will be provided the description of a location from which to collect an item. Once collected, the description of the delivery location will be revealed. Completion of 25 of these quests and a bank balance of 55,000 ig will make the player eligible to promote to the rank of Merchant.
  • Merchant
As a Merchant, players can make money buy buying and selling commodities through exchanges, one of which is located on each planet in the game. Each successful trade awards Merchant Rating points. With these points and 400,000 ig, the player can visit an office on Earth to deposit a bond and become a Trader.
  • Trader
As a Trader, you stop making money from buying goods, carrying them elsewhere and selling them, and switch to buying futures contracts. Your proficiency at this enterprise is measured with trading points which are awarded and taken away depending on how profitable each contract is.
Your goal as a Trader is to achieve a Trader Rating of 300, by making profits on futures contracts. Once you have done that, you are ready to promote to the next rank. The promotion will happen when you register a business of your very own.
  • Industrialist
Registering a business makes the player an Industrialist, the CEO of a company which owns factories on other player planets. This rank is relatively free of pressures and the player can choose when to promote to Manufacturer at any time. However, it is recommended that players use the rank of Industrialist as a time to build capital in the business before proceeding to more complicated ranks.
  • Manufacturer
When the Industrialist launches an IPO they are promoted to the rank of Manufacturer and their business is changed into a public company. At this rank, player companies are eligible to have shares sold to other players within the game. The company also faces disaffection and maintenance needs, requiring more hands-on management.
Once the company has been run successfully for 4 weeks, the player is able to sell off all of the company's factories and warehouses to promote to Financier. Manufacturer is the first and only rank that has a minimum amount of time required to promote.
  • Financier
Financiers continue to run companies, but now they are financial instead of manufacturing companies. Groats are earned by bidding for shares in businesses and buying shares in other companies. Financial companies can also trade in futures contracts. The goal at this rank is to build a large company balance which will be used as the player's planet treasury at the next level. A player mau choose to promote form Financier to Founder at any time.
  • Founder
At the rank of Founder, the player may create his or her own star system which begins with one planet. The player may choose to design their own custom planet or they may select one of five available stock planets which can be customized at a later time. The Founder's planet begins as an Agricultural planet with its own economy. The planet owner can manage the planet economy by trading the planet's producers and deficits. By completing infrastructure builds, the planet advances. After 30 builds, the planet moves up one economic level and the player promotes to the rank of Engineer.
  • Engineer
Though similar to the rank of Founder, the Engineer rank has minor additional challenges within planetary economics. However, once 40 more builds are completed the planet becomes an Industrial one and the player promotes to the rank of Mogul.
  • Mogul
At the rank of Mogul, the player may create a second planet within their system. Builds may be completed on either planet, but one of the two must achieve 125 total builds in order for the player to be promoted to Technocrat.
  • Technocrat
At this rank, a player can add more designs to their planets, including fixed or movable objects for players to interact with. Planet puzzles can be created and opened up for other players in the game to attempt. After 200 builds have been completed, the player promotes to the rank of Gengineer.
  • Gengineer
A Gengineer can build a new planet which will permanently be a biological planet. Once 265 builds have been completed on the player's technological planet, the planet advances to a leisure economy and the player promotes to Magnate.
  • Magnate
Owner of a leisure planet, this is the final rank as a planet owner. Once the leisure planet has 335 builds and at least two planets within the system, the player can promote to Plutocrat.
  • Plutocrat
The final rank in the game is where you run a cartel. A cartel consists of the player's original system of planets, but is also open to allow other lower-player systems to join.

Puzzles and Quests

Federation 2 contains optional puzzles and quests to enhance the user experience.
  • Magellan Society Quest
Named after the pre-atomic era Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, the Magellan Society in Federation 2 is open to players who have completed an entrance test administered by an NPC named Victor. The quest's only prerequisite is that the player have their own spaceship, and is available at any time.
  • Trading Guild Mission
The Trading Guild Mission begins on Earth where the player is then instructed to visit the desolate planet Graveyard. Upon completion, the user's character description will be given the title of “A brave and resourceful member of the Trading Guild.”
  • Holiday Puzzles
For some holidays, official planet puzzles will open for users to solve. Previous puzzles have included the Fool's Puzzle for April Fool's Day, the planet of Hunt which was opened for Easter, and Santa's Grotto which was released as a winter puzzle.
  • Player-Planet Puzzles
In addition to officially released puzzles and events, planet owners may create their own puzzles for users to solve. Like official planets, player planets may include objects, mobile characters or NPCs, and locations that may harm or kill another player. Though damage to a player is allowed in puzzles, “DD traps” or interfering with a player's ability to re-insure are prohibited.

Reception

Computer Gaming World in 1992 praised the social aspects of Federation II, stating that "the real center of the Federation universe is... Chez Diesel". The magazine concluded that the game was "a marvelous social environment that uses simple, text-based game mechanics as an excuse to have an on-line party... it's a cyburb where I wouldn't mind living". In a survey later that year of science fiction game sthe magazine gave the game three-plus stars of five, and a 1994 survey of strategic space games set in the year 2000 and later gave the game three stars out of five.