There is going to be a study party tonight at 9:00 P.M. EST time at MECH AND MONEY!! Grand opening will be giving away alot of money in contests, races and trivia!! Come on over and bring a friend !!!!!

Motivated and in the Mood to have fun? Good news! All Labor Day weekend, Sims motives and moods will stay green which means you can party all day, party all night, without fainting from hunger or needing to sleep! All thanks to the newest branch of MOMI dedicated to fun! Here's an excerpt from a recent MOMI report: In order to retain the cutting edge in jocularity and leisure, MOMI announces the recent formation of a new enterprise, Amusement Unlimited & Nice-Time Innovations (AUNTI). Showing true initiative, AUNTI immediately proposed a "Labor Free" weekend.

How it works

AUNTI wants everyone to enjoy an extra long holiday weekend and has literally stopped time when it comes to motive and mood decay. Starting on Thursday, August 28th after the regularly scheduled maintenance, time will no longer affect your Sim's Hunger, Energy, Bladder, Fun, Comfort, Social, or Hygiene. Activities will still have their normal effects (drinking espresso improves Energy while reducing Bladder, for example). Things return to normal on Tuesday, September 2nd after the regularly scheduled maintenance.

Most "emotes" and social interactions do not harm mood ratings. Studying skills or working at a job object can reduce mood ratings. So during this event, your motives and moods will stay greener the more you goof off! Workaholics and bookworms will have to "green up" to restore their motives and moods more often than those who take this weekend as a big holiday.

Happy Labor-Free Weekend!

• Horizons Summer Trailer!

And be sure to keep an eye out for the launch of our upcoming Horizons resource, HZ Stratics! In the meantime, visit our HZ News Portal in order to keep abreast of the latest Horizons developments.

Website Maintenance - August 28th
08/27/03, 11:19 AM PDT

On Thursday, August 28, beginning at 5:00 AM PDT, the EA.Com site will be unavailable until approximately 7:00 AM PDT while we perform a scheduled maintenance. New registration for TSO will be unavailable during this scheduled downtime.

The Sims Online game will not be affected, however you will not be able to login to the Sims Online or the Sims Online website during this maintenance window.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this outage may cause our players.

Time is running out! There are just a few days left to claim your EverQuest: Lost Dungeons of Norrath beta account! EverQuest Stratics is proud to be able to provide twenty (20) LDoN beta accounts to our Stratics Plus members!

Entering could not be easier, as long as you are a Stratics Plus member you may fill out our simple online form. Be sure you're already logged into Stratics Plus when you visit the form!

The Lost Dungeons of Norrath is the largest EverQuest expansion to-date, featuring the most content ever delivered in an EverQuest expansion. The Lost Dungeons expansion features 48 new dungeons that span the old world of Norrath, focusing on several long lost locations, including the Rujarkian Hills and Deepest Guk. Encounter never before seen monsters that prowl the halls of these dungeons, waiting to challenge any explorer brave enough to venture in.

Lost Dungeons at a Glance

- Personalized Adventures tailored to challenge your group.

- 48 distinct zones. 19 more than any previous expansion!

- Raid adventures provide exciting new battles for up to 36 players!

- Customize your equipment with new Augmentations.

- Succeed in Adventures, and choose how you wish to be rewarded.

- Interact with the environment in new ways. Disarm, pick, or simply bash new chests, vases, coffins, tables, and more. Take what's rightfully yours!

Given the short duration of time we have to provide these accounts, we are just going to randomly give these away rather than run any form of contest. All entrants will be accepted and then twenty random winners will be chosen.

All entries must be submitted no later than 2:00pm on August 27th, 2003! Make sure you are logged into Stratics Plus and then get your entry submitted right now by visiting our submission form. If you are not a Stratics Plus member, this is just one example of many new exclusive offers we plan to have for our members. Consider joining now! You may learn more here.

Blazing Falls

The Grand Opening of Roman Logic Rescheduled for Tonight at 6:00 P.M. CST!

Friends, Romans, Countrysims!

Hear ye, Hear Ye!

Tonight the grand opening of Roman Logic is hosting a board and potion contest for 30k,20k,10k (must have 10 people to start). Also, if we have 14 people or more we will have a "Do Research or Play Chess Until Your Brain Hurts" contest for 40k. So stop on by tonight, Monday, August 25th at 6:00 PM CST.

Calvin's Creek

100k Contest at Gnome AwayFrom Gnome!

Survivor comes to Calvin's Creek!

This Thursday, August 28th at 9:00 P.M. EST, Gnome AwayFrom Gnome will be hosting our own version of SimSurvivor!!!! We'll have all contestants in a locked room with 1 bed, 1 shower, 1 toilet and we will bring in some food every so often. ANYTHING goes..from pile drives to hugs! The winner of the game will be the last Sim alive! Each competitor who dies will win 5k and the winner will receive 100k!

Dan's Grove

Contests Held Nighty at Bunny's Money Hutch...Big Payouts...

I hold contest Nightly..just message me in game. They usually start 9:00pm cst. Diffrent kind everynight. Boards, Gnomes, Preserves, and even the unusual.

Check it out and tell your friends....

East Jerome

DATING FUNHOUSE-- BACK AND IN THE ENTERTAINMENT CATEGORY!

Dating Funhouse will host weekly contests to crown one female and one male as EJ's Sexiest. Registration begins at 7:00pm CST (8:00pm EST) with the competition starting promptly at 7:30pm CST (8:30pm EST)

Contest categories include: swimwear, talent, and personal interview/evening wear competitions.

The first place winner will receive:

* A spot in the EJ's Sexiest Male/Female of the month
* Title of EJ's Sexiest Male/Female of the week
* 10,000 simoleans
* Award Plaque
* Flowers
* Opportunity to be a guest host of the weekly Love Connection Game and/or a judge in a future EJ's Sexiest contest

MALE AND FEMALE JUDGES ARE NEEDED!

A DATING FUNHOUSE EVENT

Fancey Fields

Slay's Cash Castle Grand Opening! Win 100k!!

Grand Opening !!

Come on in to Slay's Cash Castle!! Sell 15 of any of our boards,telemarketing sales,and Piniatas and recieve 10k!! Also sell 5 items and pick a card you can win $100 to 10k extra each 5 you sell !!

Monday August 25 sell til ya drop contest !!

Prizes as follows :
1st 100k
2nd 50k
3rd 30k
4th 10k

Come on down and try us out !! Win some decent prizes and make some decent cash!!

For more info contact :
Slaytanica Nightmare

Interhogan

Don't Die!...Too Fast. 75k+ Swim Till Ya Die At Crypt Keeper N'Services

In honor of the poor helpless gnomes enslaved and some who even where sawed in half*gasp* while they were gone, we will miss them dearly.*sniffle* Also, as a welcome home party to the new gnomes hanging out in tso!

Swim till ya die contest at Crypt Keeper N'Services! The contest will begin at 6:00 P.M. EST on Tuesday, August 26th.

We pay 35k 25k 15k for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 3k to all runner ups. Yes, we have shamans, and high cooking so the homecooked greens even the most red Sim!

And those new and old to swim till ya die will love the LITTLE catch we have.

For more information on this contest, IM Kayle- in game.

To be a shaman after the contest please IM Kayle- too(I will pay if wanted.)

Jolly Pines

Grand Opening-Big Money Give Away

Come to THE COOKS CASTLE skill with us in cooking... the first 10 people to skill for 1 rl hour i will give 5k to each, and you's will have chances to win 1k or more...

Im DASHIA to be clocked in and given a number..(EST time)

CHECK IN WITH DASHIA...

*money only awarded when owner is on...*

Mount Fuji

AsianVille - an Asian neighborhood that welcomes You!

A new neighborhood for Asians to locate each other, and somewhere to exchange different cultures and friendships. Everybody Welcomed!
We have started with Jasmine Tea at Lychee Jasmine, Manager Tam at Shanghai Night Club and me KIM-BJ at Greensoul-Skills. We welcome you to join our neighborhood, a different place to be.

Test Center

NEW CHANGE

Hilary used to have a house named Xtreme Money. Now it's been changed to Xtreme Money Gardens. Her house is a size 7 lot. We have alot of every money object and auctions every Friday. Come and read about it! Plus when Hilary turns 100 days old, there will be a BIRTHDAY PARTY at my house!! Free food and etc. So come on down and visit!

Progress on The Front has been swift! The outpouring of support has been both a blessing and a delight. As foretold, there are many ways to assist The Front. In addition to recruiting friends into TSO, communicating the sad plight of gnomes is essential. To honor the underground network of well-wishers, information gatherers, and storytellers which continues to expand daily, the Gnome Freedom Front will recognize the best of the best. Each week, the gnomes will select a winner for the best screenshot, story and the most creative and original Gnome Freedom Front web site. Special message boards have been set up in the General forums for you to announce your entries. Other contributions to the cause may be honored, if they are particularly well done. The gnomes will judge entries based on creativity, originality, and dedication to the Gnome Freedom Front cause.

* Heroes and Heroines of the Gnome Freedom Front:
Perform an act of heroism and earn the devotion of your very own gnome! Liberated gnomes will gratefully join the player or players who provide the most significant contributions to The Front. Contributions can take many forms, from enchanting stories to intriguing web sites to exciting in-game events and much more! Your creativity is highly valued.

To submit your enchanting stories Click here
To submit your intriguing web sites click Click here
To submit your Gnome-shots Click Here

* Hosts and Hostesses of the Gnome Freedom Front Tour:

We're organizing an official Gnome Freedom Front Tour. Submit a creative and unique proposal for an in-game gnome event to be held on your property. From the proposals, we'll select four official events to occur every other day from September 1-7 and promote them throughout the player site. Each official site will receive a liberated gnome to assist in the event and commemorate the momentous occasion! Proposals -- with the title, description, and proposed time/date of their event plus your Sim's name and city -- should be emailed to gnomefreedomfront@ea.com before midnight PST on August 27.

Interested in being one of the first to experience EverQuest's latest expansion? EverQuest Stratics is now offering twenty (20) beta accounts to EQ's newest expansion pack, Lost Dungeons of Norrath! These accounts are being given to our Stratics Plus members! Entering could not be easier, as long as you are a Stratics Plus member you may fill out our simple online form. Please make sure you're already logged into Stratics Plus when you visit the form!

The Lost Dungeons of Norrath is the largest EverQuest expansion to-date, featuring the most content ever delivered in an EverQuest expansion. The Lost Dungeons expansion features 48 new dungeons that span the old world of Norrath, focusing on several long lost locations, including the Rujarkian Hills and Deepest Guk. Encounter never before seen monsters that prowl the halls of these dungeons, waiting to challenge any explorer brave enough to venture in.

Lost Dungeons at a Glance

- Personalized Adventures tailored to challenge your group.

- 48 distinct zones. 19 more than any previous expansion!

- Raid adventures provide exciting new battles for up to 36 players!

- Customize your equipment with new Augmentations.

- Succeed in Adventures, and choose how you wish to be rewarded.

- Interact with the environment in new ways. Disarm, pick, or simply bash new chests, vases, coffins, tables, and more. Take what's rightfully yours!

Given the short duration of time we have to provide these accounts, we are just going to randomly give these away rather than run any form of contest. All entrants will be accepted and then twenty random winners will be chosen.

Time is running out! All entries must be submitted no later than 2:00pm on August 27th, 2003! Make sure you are logged into Stratics Plus and then get your entry submitted right now by visiting our submission form. If you are not a Stratics Plus member, this is just one example of many new exclusive offers we plan to have for our members. Consider joining now! You may learn more here.

There are just a few days left to claim your EverQuest: Lost Dungeons of Norrath beta account! EverQuest Stratics is proud to be able to provide twenty (20) LDoN beta accounts to our Stratics Plus members!

Entering could not be easier, as long as you are a Stratics Plus member you may fill out our simple online form. Be sure you're already logged into Stratics Plus when you visit the form!

The Lost Dungeons of Norrath is the largest EverQuest expansion to-date, featuring the most content ever delivered in an EverQuest expansion. The Lost Dungeons expansion features 48 new dungeons that span the old world of Norrath, focusing on several long lost locations, including the Rujarkian Hills and Deepest Guk. Encounter never before seen monsters that prowl the halls of these dungeons, waiting to challenge any explorer brave enough to venture in.

Lost Dungeons at a Glance

- Personalized Adventures tailored to challenge your group.

- 48 distinct zones. 19 more than any previous expansion!

- Raid adventures provide exciting new battles for up to 36 players!

- Customize your equipment with new Augmentations.

- Succeed in Adventures, and choose how you wish to be rewarded.

- Interact with the environment in new ways. Disarm, pick, or simply bash new chests, vases, coffins, tables, and more. Take what's rightfully yours!

Given the short duration of time we have to provide these accounts, we are just going to randomly give these away rather than run any form of contest. All entrants will be accepted and then twenty random winners will be chosen.

All entries must be submitted no later than 2:00pm on August 27th, 2003! Make sure you are logged into Stratics Plus and then get your entry submitted right now by visiting our submission form. If you are not a Stratics Plus member, this is just one example of many new exclusive offers we plan to have for our members. Consider joining now! You may learn more here.

Also be sure to check out the site's movie section for an exclusive first look video!

• Exclusive Ultima X: Odyssey movie (Extended S+ double-length cut!)
  
• Play 3 Nexon MM games for 2-weeks free, including Shattered Galaxy


• Win one of 20 EQ: LDoN expansion Beta accounts


• 5 exclusive EQ: LDoN screenshots

This is just the beginning! Look out next week for an exclusive, hi-res Horizons gameplay movie and much more goodness to come. If you're not a Stratics Plus member yet, sign up or visit our features page for more benefits, including special forum features, ad-free browsing, and many more S+ only exclusives!

EverQuest Stratics is proud to be able to provide twenty (20) beta accounts for the new expansion pack for EverQuest, Lost Dungeons of Norrath! These accounts will be given out to our Stratics Plus members! Entering could not be easier, as long as you are a Stratics Plus member you may fill out our simple online form. Be sure you're already logged into Stratics Plus when you visit the form!

The Lost Dungeons of Norrath is the largest EverQuest expansion to-date, featuring the most content ever delivered in an EverQuest expansion. The Lost Dungeons expansion features 48 new dungeons that span the old world of Norrath, focusing on several long lost locations, including the Rujarkian Hills and Deepest Guk. Encounter never before seen monsters that prowl the halls of these dungeons, waiting to challenge any explorer brave enough to venture in.

Lost Dungeons at a Glance

- Personalized Adventures tailored to challenge your group.

- 48 distinct zones. 19 more than any previous expansion!

- Raid adventures provide exciting new battles for up to 36 players!

- Customize your equipment with new Augmentations.

- Succeed in Adventures, and choose how you wish to be rewarded.

- Interact with the environment in new ways. Disarm, pick, or simply bash new chests, vases, coffins, tables, and more. Take what's rightfully yours!

Given the short duration of time we have to provide these accounts, we are just going to randomly give these away rather than run any form of contest. All entrants will be accepted and then twenty random winners will be chosen.

All entries must be submitted no later than 2:00pm on August 27th, 2003! Make sure you are logged into Stratics Plus and then get your entry submitted right now by visiting our submission form. If you are not a Stratics Plus member, this is just one example of many new exclusive offers we plan to have for our members. Consider joining now! You may learn more here.

Looking to explore a new MMOG? Working in conjunction with Nexon we're offering Stratics Plus members free game time to THREE revolutionary MMOGs (on TOP of each game's free trial).

• Two free weeks of "Premium" access to Shattered Galaxy, the first
  massive
  multiplayer real-time strategy game!






• Two free weeks of Dark Ages: Medenia, an MMORPG with a
  fully-functional
  player government system!






• Two free weeks of Nexus: TK, a role-playing and lore oriented MMORPG
  based
  off of Asian mythology!




If your already a Stratics Plus member click HERE for information on
activating your free-game time, to learn more about Stratics Plus or to join, point your browsers here.

Announcing the Southeastern Online Player Gathering! If you're an online gamer that lives in the Southeastern portion of the United States, and you're looking to meet other people with similar interests, this is the place for you! If you know of anyone else that would like to attend this gathering, feel free to send them here! It's not just limited to people in the Southeast. Anyone that is willing to make the trip is invited to attend. And it's not just limited to one game, or fansite. Any and all online gamers are welcome!

Agenda:

- Saturday, August 23rd, 1:00pm - Casual lunch meeting. Grand Buffet restaurant in Fayetteville, GA.

- Sunday, August 24th, 10:00am - Group Trip to Stone Mountain (Admission is $7 per car - see "Cost" below)

For more information be sure to check out our page at: Southeastern Online Player Gathering I hope to see you there!

Guildenstern (Late of UO, now on Starsider, SWG & Harzah of Wintersebb, AC).

Did you know that as a Stratics Plus member that you have access to exclusive interviews, articles, content, screenshots, and other material before non-members? That's right... you can now read exclusive interviews, Q&As, editorial columns, and much more before the rest of the crowd!

Access to this exclusive content is only one on a growing list of enhanced features offered and planned network-wide exclusively for our Plus members. To learn more about Stratics Plus, what it offers, and how to become a member, check out "About Stratics Plus."

• stratics.frws.com port 6667 USA - Colorado
  
• irc.glowfish.de port 6667 EU - Germany
  
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6667 USA - Colorado
  
• stratics.afraidyet.net port 6667 USA - Georgia
  

It is with great pleasure that we announce a new site
to the Stratics Network: The Realm Stratics!

We will strive to bring you
the latest news and the most detailed information
about The Realm that you have come to expect from all
sites on our Network.

The Realm Online is a MMORPG that has been around
since 1997, which is now being published by Norseman Games.

Please click HERE to visit Realm Stratics!

Did you know that as a Stratics Plus Member you obtain access to exciting promotions available only to our members? These exclusive promotions can include anything from beta account giveaways to contests for hardware, software and more. There are times when we are granted beta accounts specifically to give away and when that happens, they will be made available only to our Plus members! Other special promotions are in the works that will be available only to Stratics Plus members so start your membership today so you will not miss out!

Obtaining access to these special promotions and giveaways is only one on a growing list of enhanced features offered and planned network-wide exclusively for our Plus members. To learn more about Stratics Plus, what it offers, and how to become a member, check out "About Stratics Plus."

Will somebody please think of the children... Umm... Gnomes!!

News flash! The mystery of the vanishing gnomes finally REVEALED.

While you have been pocketing Simoleans, evil industrialist Dr. Tomte Carver and his company Loneliness Inc, have been reaping the benefits -- a ready-built worker army, enslaved in his factories. Worse yet, I have seen with my own eyes that feeble and infirm gnomes are destroyed to fuel the plant.

Gnomes are not just objects to be bought and sold. We must liberate the gnomes by eliminating demand for Loneliness Inc's products. Playing with friends is our best shot at achieving this goal. The newly formed Gnome Freedom Front has already begun to spread the word. While gnomes may continue to be created and sold, they are being snatched from the jaws of Loneliness Inc. and given new life!

What can you do to help? The best way is to recruit your friends and family into TSO. For every person you recruit, you will receive one liberated gnome to place anywhere in your house. Gnomes are being freed every day and need loving, caring homes! The top ten recruiters will be celebrated as Heroes of the Gnome Nation on the TSO site and newsletter.

However, there are many other ways to assist The Front. You can provide intelligence by posting gnome stories, lore, and updates on the message boards. The best contributions will be added each week to the Gnome Dossier. You can also boost morale by creating web sites, gnome art, or hosting gnome-related online events. Post your Freedom Front activities to the message board, and you may find yourself featured in our next dispatch or newsletter. All contributions are valued.

Remember: The freedom of gnomes everywhere depends on you. Good luck. This is Bob Simward, signing off!

United we stand, alone we fall... To Gnome liberation is what drives us all! Support the GFF today!

Here we go again!

The Sims Online, version 1.418.9.0
Version Status: In Test Center Only

This version will require a download of approximately 3.9 MB from the version currently in use by most cities. This update increases game stability and performance.

When a player chooses to water a flower or plant, they will keep watering all the flowers/plants that need it on the lot until none remain, the interaction is canceled, or another interaction is chosen.

Fixed an issue where Service NPC's got stuck when directed to an island and eventually crashed the client

They ask, as usual, to please post bugs Here

When you join Stratics Plus not only will it remove all of the advertisements on our network but grants you access to a growing list of Flashlink member sites. As a member, your Flashlink ID grants you instant access to all other member sites that provide up to the minute gaming information you can't find anywhere else. With over 35 participating sites, you can always find the most recent gaming news, interviews, articles, demos, game play tips, spoilers, beta information, and much more. Your Stratics Plus membership with its Flashlink ID is your key to unlock complete access to all areas of our member sites - you will never miss out on the hot news about your favorite games again!

Access to all of the Flashlink member sites is just one of the many benefits of becoming a Stratics Plus member! The list of enhanced features offered and planned network-wide exclusively for our Plus members continues to grow. To learn more about Stratics Plus, what it offers, and how to become a member, check out "About Stratics Plus."

Lost Dungeons of Norrath will introduce a new EverQuest feature: Interactive Objects! These are boxes, vases, chests and similar objects that might contain treasures. Visit EverQuest
Stratics to learn more about these awesome new additions to the game.

We will also have exclusive tradeskill information and examples of new tradeskill recipes each week! This week's recipe is a tasty Poached Chub - a nice dish for the sophisticated palate. Check out the recipe here!

Mark August 15th on your calender folks, because here we go again! Between 8 and 12pm (EST) on the 15th, you can attend a gala preformence in which Diamond Memorial Theatre's Co-directors ViolaShakespeare and David Pierce announce each of the new shows throughout the evening. The show will also include the following:

*ViolaShakespeare and David Pierce perform selected scenes from each of the 2004 season shows after they are announced.

*Activities based on each of the selected shows will be provided throughout the event.

SimzUnderground is also signed on with this event, and will be broadcastong live from the show.

Don't miss out on the fun- mark your calendar today! Check out http://www.simarts.org/dmt for more details.

Got a Minute?
08/05/03, 05:05 PM PDT

Tune into The TSO Minute! Catch a wild ride through The Sims Online and get in on the party! Want to share the fun? Head on over to the visitor site. The TSO Minute is available for viewing by players and non-players alike! So grab your buddies and check out the coolest video, where players like YOU are the stars of the show.

To view the large video Click Here
To view the small video Click Here

Want to download the video?

To download the large video "Click Here" Download Large (21.7 Mb)
To download the small video "Click Here" Download Small (4.72 Mb). If you do not have Quicktime to view the movies you can download it here

Gnome Cover-up? In Search of the Truth...
08/04/03, 05:10 PM PDT

This is a typical Sim day in a typical Sims Online neighborhood. Or, is it? There are the sounds of laughter, Sims playing, Sims working. Working on gnomes.

And where do these gnomes go when you sell them? Have you ever wondered about these simple creatures' fate? They do not appear on our lawns, no -- to what other place would they go? What purpose would they serve there?

This is intrepid reporter Bob Simward reporting from Shady Pines... I promise to dig into this mystery and report my findings here....



MOMI Chief R&D Officer Fired
08/05/03, 10:05 PM PDT

Mount Fuji - Dr. Tomte Carver, head of MOMI's Reticulated Spline R&D, was fired today after MOMI Chairman Malcolm Landgraab discovered Carver had been diverting funds toward his own, top-secret venture. No word yet on the purpose of this venture, but sources indicate it may be connected to the disappearing gnomes. Dr. Carver was not available for comment at press time.

And here it is!

The Sims Online, version 1.418.6.0
Version Status: In Test Center Only

This version will require a download of approximately 3.9 MB from the version currently in use by most cities. This update increases game stability and performance.

Error 23 issue addressed
A root cause of the error 23 problems seen recently in Test Center has been found and corrected. Performance should be substantially improved.

Repairman fixes:
Roommates will not be able to hire a repairman in this version.

They ask, as always, to report bugs Here

Ahh, dear Momi... Is there anyone who knows more about our thoughts and feelings?

Dear TSO Players,

Where to start...we have a lot for you in today's letter. First, there's the new game version we released last week to all cities, which contains the new Spotlights object. Then there's the new version that hit Test Center yesterday, with Non-Player Characters such as the Gardener. We've also been at work in the Backstage area, building archive sections for the MOMI letters and Version Notes so you can find everything in one spot. There's also some news from a shadowy outfit calling itself the "Gnome Freedom Front." Finally, we've instituted Ask MOMI as its own feature, with an email address you can send questions to for future editions.

Spotlights
Last week, we released a new version to all cities containing Spotlights. These are really useful objects that let you highlight your property from the city map view. Read more about them in the latest Version Notes. This version also fixes some performance issues and other problems.

Test Center: Non Player Characters
You've seen a few of them in the game already, scooping ice cream and flipping burgers. Now some classic Non-Player Characters (NPCs) from the Sims are coming to The Sims Online. The first wave are the service-oriented Gardener, Maid and Repair Person. Click Here to check out the game design.

The New Backstage Forums
We're reworking the Backstage area to be more useful to you as a source of information. The one thing we hear from you all the time is, "More communication! More information! Chop chop!" One of the ways we're meeting that need is by giving you a one-stop shop of communications from us to you, so you don't have to go hunting around the message boards.

We've gathered up all the Version Notes in one place, so you can see everything that's been added since we launched (and even some of the stuff we got done during the play test stage).

All the past Messages from MOMI are listed in one place here too, so you can see what's been going on or catch up if you missed some.

Best of all, we now have a special "Ask MOMI" area. With the departure of our beloved MaxisPatrice, we will all miss her "silly little questions" thread in Game Discussions. To help fill that void, we are beefing up the Ask MOMI feature you've seen in previous MOMI letters. Ask MOMI is now a forum in the Backstage Area, where we will periodically post answers to questions we see on the message boards or receive in email.

What's that? Email? Yes indeed. If you have a question you would like to see answered in "Ask MOMI," you can email us at TSOquestions@maxis.com.

Thanks for continuing to play with us and help make The Sims Online the best place to play online.


Regards,
The Sims Online Team

Wow, such awe inspiring words from our Momi. Enjoy!

• stratics.frws.com port 6667 USA - Colorado
  
• irc.glowfish.de port 6667 EU - Germany
  
• irc.epaxsys.net port 6667 USA - Colorado
  
• stratics.afraidyet.net port 6667 USA - Georgia
  

Our public forums are being moved to a new server due to critical hardware failure on the server our forums are currently installed on. No data (posts) have been lost, so no worries folks.

The move will take place starting immediately, so if the forums become unavailable for a time, please try back again later. The amount of downtime experienced will vary from person to person depending on their internet provider. This move requires we update our DNS and this takes time to propagate out throughout the internet. So your mileage may very as they say. It can be as little as an hour, to as much as twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, but it was unavoidable.

Regards,

Jhariden

Network Director

Stratics

http://www.stratics.com

The Massively Multiplayer Network

If you would love to experience Stratics advertisement-free, Stratics Plus is the answer. It removes all forms of advertisements from every web page on the Stratics Network and is only one of a growing list of enhanced features across our network, offered exclusively to our Plus members.

To learn more about Stratics Plus, what it offers, and how to become a member, check out "About Stratics Plus."

New game version in all cities with Spotlights: 1.386.7.11
08/01/03, 05:45 AM PDT

This game version contains several improvements, including the introduction of Spotlights. Read on for details.

The Sims Online, version 1.386.7.11

Version Status: In all cities as of Friday, August 1.

This version will require a download of approximately 4.4 MB from the version currently in use by most cities. This update increases game stability and performance, and introduces a new kind of object: Spotlights.

General improvements

· A root cause of some lag problems seen in recent weeks has been found and corrected. Performance should be substantially improved.

· We have improved the text in the "Avatar Leasing Error" dialog to clarify what that error represents and how you can correct the problem.

· Issues with plants dying repeatedly should now be corrected.

Known issue: plant watering
As a result of work done in preparation for a coming feature, Sims no longer water every dry plant on the lot when told to water just one. Each dry plant must now be clicked on individually. This was an unintended side effect of other changes, and we are investigating the problem.

Spotlights
Spotlights are a special kind of object you can purchase and put on your lot to draw attention to yourself on the city map. They're especially good at drawing attention during special events. Here's how they work:

· A Spotlight is a temporary object. It only has enough power to operate for 3 Sim hours. When it's turned on, it creates a bright beam of light that is visible on the city map. This beam of light originates from your property, so people can find you more easily.

· Roommates can turn spotlights on and off. Visitors and friends cannot.

· There can only be one Spotlight turned on at a time in each property. If you try to turn on a second one, you will be informed of this fact, and the second one will remain off.

· After it becomes unusable, the Spotlight sits on your property as an inert object until you recharge it or remove it. If you choose to sell it back to MOMI (delete it), you will only receive a small refund. This is because a full charge is included in the purchase price. So be careful about purchasing one.

· You can check the status of a Spotlight at any time to see how much power it has left. To recharge a dead Spotlight, you must pay a recharging fee.


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