PRAVDA SPECIAL EDITION #5 - 27th May 2003 - A Terrible National Tragedy!

Jamski · May 27, 2003, 09:48

COMRADES!
WE GREET EACH DAY WITH THE TRUTH!

Lenin's Birthday Edition of the Russian Newspaper "Pravda" which means "The Truth"

Welcome comrades to the fifth special edition ot the offical newsletter of the Human Hive. We have grave news to import to you, news of terrible tragedy and loss of glorious human life. All hail to the glorious Chairman Voltaire and the members of the Peoples' advisory council!

In This Issue :

Disaster in the Fungus!
Exclusive interview with a Scout Patrol Member
Mouring together - official instructions
Hive Technology Report
What's on where - Hive entertainment!
Public safety announcements
All the news you'll ever need !

================================
All contact lost with brave colonists
While enroute to found a new base to expand our living accomodation one of our colony pods was apparently attacked by "mind-worms" without warning. Shortly afterwards all contact with the pod was lost. A scout patrol in the area sent to investigate found no trace of the pod or its inhabitants. We must assume the worst. This is a black day for the Human Hive indeed. All citizens are commanded to weep and rend their clothes apart as a sign of sorrow for ~~the unwanted counter-revolutionaries being sent into exile~~ the brave and Glorious Comrades who lost their lifes trying to build a better future for you and the Party. ~~Anyone found not crying at 14:00 Hive Time WILL be nervestapled on the spot~~

==================================
First Eyewitness Account of the Horror
PRAVDA speaks to a member of the Scout Patrol sent to investigate the disappearance.

PRAVDA : Tell us what happened ~~and tell the TRUTH or I'll use this hand-held nerve-stapler, you cretin~~ in your own words, Comrade Corporal Ying.

Corporal Ying : We were patrolling in the fungus near the Hive, collecting cartographic data when we recieved the order to rush to assist a colony pod in danger from worms. The Captain refused to obey.

PRAVDA : Why was that?

Corp. Ying : The order was from the Ministry of Expansion, and we work for the Marshall - we are soldiers, not policemen, so.... AAAAAAAGH!.... I mean the Captain was a counter-revolutionary so I had to shoot him and take command myself, Sir.

PRAVDA : So, what happened next ?

Corp. Ying : We rushed over the hill and saw a colony pod's white bulk nearly obscured by a seething mass of "mind-worms"

PRAVDA : So you rushed to the rescue immediatly ?

Corp Ying : No, we recoginsed it was the pod filled with criminals and counter-revolutionaries so we stopped for a cigarrAAAAAAAAGH! I mean we rushed to the rescue but it was too late, the people were already dead.

PRAVDA : We were under the impression that no trace was found of the pod?

Corp. Ying : Umm, yes, umm... YES - that's right we burnt the pod so that AAAAAAAAAAAGH! No, we, we... we never found the... the... that is we never got the signalAAAAAAAAAAGH!

PRAVDA : Thankyou for your time Corporal. Take him away now.

Corp. Ying : AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

PRAVDA : Cretin

Corp. Ying : Not the recycling taAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

PRAVDA is grateful as always for these insights into the diciplinary affairs of the People's Army.
===================================
Mourning Instructions
At 14:00 hours today all citizens are instructed to cry for 2 minutes 45 seconds. The Crimson Guard will supervise to ensure public safety as always. Then all Hive citizens should listen to the Tragic March for the Fallen Comrades attached to this edition of PRAVDA.

===================================
The Hive Discovers New Transport Technology

The glorious hive scientists and engineers have developed a practical all-terrain vehicular using the limited resources available on Chiron. Chief researcher of the mechanical division said, "The idea of making a rover is nothing new as humans have been making automobiles for hundreds of years. The main problem is the lack of available fuel for the vehicle. We had to redesign the engine to make it highly efficient and robust, capable for extended travel ~~and travelling to other factions and laying waste to them~~.

=================================
Communal Holovision Guide
Black screen with continual playing of the National Anthem :

The Glorious National Anthem of The Human Hive

Strength in our Power
The Hive marches onward
The Hives' in her prime
And this shall never end!
The Hive and her People
Shall live in Perfection
The Dream of our Fathers
Alive in the Stars...

Votaire! Our Father for us and the land
Truth, Built by his mighty hand
Long shall the Hive live for all to be inspired
True, to our forces and Leader.
The true Blue-Black banner shall fly higher.
Rising forever, as History unfolds.

Our trip was for nothing
Till Yang came to lead us
and Bright Chiron gleaming
alone, called for us!
Then Voltaire The Leader
Made brought us down from 'bove
And so began the new journey
For all human kind

Votaire! Our Father for us and the land
Truth, Built by his mighty hand
Long shall the Hive live for all to be inspired
True, to our forces and Leader.
The true Blue-Black banner shall fly higher.
Rising forever, as History unfolds.

*extra verses for official bigger state events*

The fight of The Future
Is now and forever
For this is our true home, and so shall remain!
Our time is at hand
When all other Factions
and all of there people shall sing in our praise!

Votaire! Our Father for us and the land
Truth, Built by his mighty hand
Long shall the Hive live for all to be inspired
True, to our forces and Leader.
The true Blue-Black banner shall fly higher.
Rising forever, as History unfolds.

The fight of The Future
Is now and forever
For this is our true home, and so shall remain!
Our time is at hand
When all other Factions
and all of the people shall sing in our praise!

Votaire! Our Father for us and the land
Truth, Built by his mighty hand
Long shall the Hive live for all to be inspired
True, to our forces and Leader.
The true Blue-Black banner shall fly higher.
Rising forever, as History unfolds.

*Hovertanks charge out from the background in a huge drum roll, needle jets fly over head, and a Planet Busters get fired from their silos*

Words by Comrade Haon, Music by Comrade Jamski
===================================
And Now Some Peoples' Happiness!

===================================
Entertainment News

None, this time is too tragic for entertainment. Thousands are dead. Go and weep.

===================================
***PUBLIC***SAFETY***ANNOUCMENT
Repeated because ~~you're stupid~~ it was so popular.

From the Promoter of Public Morale for the Hive, the Commissioner of Public Safety, and the Commissioner of General Security.

Nerve Stapling is 100% safe and is an acceptable form of personal persuasion. 9.9 out of 10 people prefer Nerve stapling than being ~~executed~~ recycled ~~although 0.1 prefers punishment sphere~~ Please stay below ground and obey the police forces at all times for your own safety. Thankyou for your comradely cooperation in these difficult times.

===================================
In other news :

Hive codebreakers celebrate reading every message from the Cybernetics
A possible spy was shot.
The people love Chairman Voltaire even more than ever. Latest polls show 135% support for the Chairman.
Comrade Jamski appointed Deputy Chairman of the Hive. He will share executive (i.e. turn playing) power with the Chairman and the Marshall

Onwards Comrades - the Future of Humanity lies in Cooperation, Brotherhood and Industry - Continue to Work for the Glory of the Human Hive

Editorial Deputy to the PAC - Comrade Jamski

Cedayon · May 27, 2003, 09:56

/me applauds.

Entertaining as always, Jamski (and everyone else involved. I particularly liked the comic

One thing though...

Quote:

Hive codebreakers celebrate reading every message from the Cybernetics

I don't believe you on the "every" part

Jamski · May 27, 2003, 09:58

Its PRAVDA, Cedayon, would we lie to you, our loyal readers? If PRAVDA says every then it must be true

-Jam

Drogue · May 27, 2003, 10:31

A great issue Jam, and a touching account of such an horrific tradegy. I was wondering why the Hive was right at the bottom of the most powerful factions graph, and now I know

Maniac · May 27, 2003, 10:33

Well apparently we aren't the only one who have disasters.

DeathByTheSword · May 27, 2003, 11:36

great issue

Jamski · May 27, 2003, 11:41

Thanks guys

But a question : four people posted, only 2 downloads of the Tragic March. Someone will be getting visited by the Crimson Guard if they're not mourning properly.

-Jam

Cedayon · May 27, 2003, 11:48

A visit from the Crimson Guard? Oh, joy!

*notifies TKG to expect new lab specimens*

Jamski · May 27, 2003, 11:52

*wonders if all those metal components should go in the rec tanks too?*

-Jam

Drogue · May 27, 2003, 12:03

Jamski: Did you write the tragic march?

Jamski · May 27, 2003, 12:09

Yes, I did. Do you like it? I wrote the anthem too, but I'm not sure you'll be hearing that played in your bases....yet

(I could possibly be convinced to help other factions with this service too...)

-Jam

Drogue · May 27, 2003, 12:32

I like it, although I think you need a better program

The trumpets sound a little unreal. I like the composition though. Maybe I'll have to releasem some of the things I've written... although maybe not

I'll have to try and record some of them.

Jamski · May 27, 2003, 12:50

Like it says in the readme, Drug, you need a better synth/soundcard

Its a MIDI file, so it uses whatever synth you have set to use.

-Jam

Drogue · May 27, 2003, 14:18

Jamski: That isn't true. I have a very good soundcard, and it can only play in the synth that it was written in. It isn't the soundcard, it is the program it was written in.

Snowflake · May 28, 2003, 00:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski

(I could possibly be convinced to help other factions with this service too...)

-Jam

How about he writes an anthem for you, and you give him the code clue? ... What clue? ... Did I say ... No I meant some glue, so that he can paste his final product in his show room.

Snowflake · May 28, 2003, 00:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Drogue
Jamski: That isn't true. I have a very good soundcard, and it can only play in the synth that it was written in. It isn't the soundcard, it is the program it was written in.

No it isn't the soundcard. But it isn't the program either. The only logical explanation is that this is a very emotional piece of music and it got distorted in your non-emotional ears.

Please, let them have some emotions. They are only human ... Oh let them be mad with me ...

On a second thought, it may be better this way. Please don't be mad with me. I'm only trying to help ...

Vev · May 28, 2003, 00:48

Notice in the funeral march the machine gun fire on the traitors

Corellion · May 28, 2003, 02:58

We don't need a national anthem... it would be an unnecessary expenditure of resources. National anthems are designed to instill a feeling of unity and group cohesiveness within a particular group of people... a nation. They are also designed to cause feelings of pride for one's nation. However, we have no emotions, therefore we cannot feel pride in our nation. Indeed, we also need no additional feeling of unity nor group cohesiveness. Our cybernetic link affords us all the group cohesiveness we need, and we do not need a musical composition to remind us of that; we have the thoughts of all other members of the Cybernetic Consciousness.

Jamski · May 28, 2003, 03:33

Quote:

That isn't true. I have a very good soundcard, and it can only play in the synth that it was written in. It isn't the soundcard, it is the program it was written in.

No Drogue, its a MIDI file - it just contains a bunch of timings for your synth to use. I'm tying to find a programm to record it as a wav or mp3 so people can hear it as it sounds on my computer, but this is proving tricky (I found a good programm, but it contained spyware - umm... no thanks) You may well have a great soundcard, but does it have a good synth? And more specifically, does it have a good synthtrumpet?

Make sure its mapped to General MIDI, too, otherwise you'll get strange things like it plays synthtrumpet with the synthviolin patch. This happens a lot with Roland cards.

And, don't argue, when I change which soundcard I'm using (I have two in this box here) the quality of the synthisized instruments changes, so it is the soundcard. Try this - go into a keyboard salesroom and try the "trumpet" patch on all the different Yamahas and Casios and Rolands. They all sound completely different. Trumpet's just one of those sounds its hard to synthisize well.

-Jam

Static Universe · May 28, 2003, 06:31

PRAVDA just gets better and better. And already the fifth issue!!! A shame the factions with so-called "free speech" can't seem to produce enough words to keep up with us.

Jamski · May 28, 2003, 06:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Vev
Notice in the funeral march the machine gun fire on the traitors

There are no traitors ~~anymore~~

-Jam

Hercules · May 28, 2003, 08:27

My belated congratulations on a great issue and our Pirate's ~~joy~~ sorrow at the loss of so many of the Hive population.

We Pirates have many anthems: we call them Shanties as you know.

Jamski · May 28, 2003, 08:34

/me has vision of a great orchestral masterpiece with the music of the other factions being slowly drowned out by the Glorious Anthem of the Human Hive

-Jam

Drogue · May 28, 2003, 18:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski

No Drogue, its a MIDI file - it just contains a bunch of timings for your synth to use.

Actually no. It has the instruments that you have used, and then is replicted as accurately to how it is to as as it can. The program also has only a certain number of instruments. It will be reinterpreted by the soundcard of the receiver, but it has to use the base of that MIDI file. I have a different program to write them, and the trumpet sounds a lot more realistic. It is a combination of the program it was written in, and the soundcard of the listener, a weakest link sort of thing.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
You may well have a great soundcard, but does it have a good synth? And more specifically, does it have a good synthtrumpet?

Yes. I have written many pieces in it, and it sounds pretty realistic to me. Not as good as real life, obviously, but pretty close. Wa it written in trumpet or synthtrumpet?

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
And, don't argue, when I change which soundcard I'm using (I have two in this box here) the quality of the synthisized instruments changes, so it is the soundcard.

Yes, it is the soundcard. It is also the program. Both create what sound it is. It is first decided by thw program it is written in, and then done with the soundcard. It will change with a different soundcard, it will also change with a different program (I ported it into on of my programs, and it sounded different).

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
Try this - go into a keyboard salesroom and try the "trumpet" patch on all the different Yamahas and Casios and Rolands. They all sound completely different. Trumpet's just one of those sounds its hard to synthisize well.

Very true. However, that is both the hardware and the software that gives the difference.

Jamski · May 29, 2003, 06:45

Just looked at my MIDI channel presets :

043 : Trumpet 1
044 : Trumpet 2
045 : Trumpet 3
046 : Mute Trumpet

Probably you have something similar, and your Trumpet 1 is the "duff trumpet" while in my case Trumpet 1 is the "alright trumpet" I'll try playing with the channel presets to make a version(s) good for other soundcards too. I think your software is selecting a different trumpet patch as the default, if that's clear, and that could explain it.

I just used the default binding for "Trumpet" - not sythtrumpet - whether this was 043, 044, or 045 I can't say ATM

I'll try and track it down... can't take long with the standard 128 MIDI instruments

-Jam

Drogue · May 29, 2003, 18:20

Maybe. I don't know how mine is named, have to see. I thought trumpet one was an actual trumpet recorded. I recorded me playing into my computer for each note, with my (more computer literate) brothers help. It may just be a wrong setting

Jamski · May 30, 2003, 05:34

Oh I wish trumpet one was an actuall trumpet recorded... I'd absolutely LOVE that. Oh well......

-Jam

Drogue · May 30, 2003, 14:07

I can try and get the file to send you. It may take a while 9wait til my brother get's back) but we can do that. Most of mine were changed to that, I just play each note of each instrument into the computer, and my brother sets it to being that synth.

Jamski · May 30, 2003, 14:12

Ah - so you're using samplepatches instead of synthpatches. That should sound much nicer. Yses I'd love to hear that Drug please

-Jam

Atlantian · June 1, 2003, 23:43

Hello, I am back and am ready to make my ussual comments on the evil shortcommings of the hive and there 'communism.'

Commies are evil. and now for my deepest blow! Mwahahaha!

You are actually capitalist pigs disguised as political revolutionaries who would like to make things better for yourselves but don't like looking like capatal pigs and so say that the government owns all the industry and that it is a good thing for all and in reality you are just looking for cheap slave labor.

WOOOoooh! That took a lot of breath.

(OOC: I bet you can't wait to find PEACE so you can nerve staple Dameon. I know you guys are just playing (I think), so I am playing my semi politician leader of the Atlantians, Dameon, who isn't leader of the atlanteans, but the Deep Sea Xenorum Researcher of PEACE. Must... Catch... Breath... *breaths heavily after two too many long sentances*)