Implement news generation

11 files changed, 1469 insertions, 398 deletions

diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index 590b111e..508cfea2 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-.PHONY: all maps conf mobxp mobxp-impl indent indent-items indent-mobs
+.PHONY: all maps conf mobxp mobxp-impl indent indent-items indent-mobs news
 # Can't be parallel due to the mobxp/indent-mobs conflict
 .NOTPARALLEL:
-all: maps conf
+all: maps conf news
 maps:
 	tools/tmx_converter.py client-data/ world/map/
 
@@ -22,3 +22,8 @@ indent-items: tools/aligncsv
 	tools/aligncsv world/map/db/item_db.txt
 indent-mobs: tools/aligncsv
 	tools/aligncsv world/map/db/mob_db.txt
+
+world/map/news.txt world/map/news.html: tools/news.py tools/_news_colors.py world/map/news.d/*
+	tools/news.py world/map/ world/map/news.d/
+
+news: world/map/news.txt world/map/news.html
diff --git a/tools/.gitignore b/tools/.gitignore
index 00e2a6af..f11fb403 100644
--- a/tools/.gitignore
+++ b/tools/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 /aligncsv
+*.pyc
diff --git a/tools/_news_colors.py b/tools/_news_colors.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36f97b60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/_news_colors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
+
+##    _news_colors.py - colors that can be used in news
+##
+##    Copyright © 2012 Ben Longbons <b.r.longbons@gmail.com>
+##
+##    This file is part of The Mana World (Athena server)
+##
+##    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+##    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+##    the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
+##    (at your option) any later version.
+##
+##    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+##    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+##    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+##    GNU General Public License for more details.
+##
+##    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+##    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+__all__ = ['make_html_colors_dict', 'make_txt_colors_dict']
+
+class Color(object):
+    __slots__ = ('txt', 'rgb')
+    def __init__(self, txt, rgb):
+        self.txt = txt
+        self.rgb = rgb
+
+color_dict = dict(
+    black  = Color(txt='##0', rgb=0x000000),
+    red    = Color(txt='##1', rgb=0xff0000),
+    green  = Color(txt='##2', rgb=0x009000),
+    blue   = Color(txt='##3', rgb=0x0000ff),
+    orange = Color(txt='##4', rgb=0xe0980e),
+    yellow = Color(txt='##5', rgb=0xf1dc27),
+    pink   = Color(txt='##6', rgb=0xff00d8),
+    purple = Color(txt='##7', rgb=0x8415e2),
+    gray   = Color(txt='##8', rgb=0x919191),
+    brown  = Color(txt='##9', rgb=0x8e4c17),
+)
+
+class HtmlDate(object):
+    __slots__ = ()
+    def __format__(self, date):
+        return '<font color="#0000ff">%s</font>' % date
+
+class HtmlLink(object):
+    __slots__ = ()
+    def __format__(self, target):
+        return '<a href="%s">%s</a>' % (target, target)
+
+class HtmlSignature(object):
+    __slots__ = ()
+    def __format__(self, author):
+        return '-<font color="#009000">%s</font>' % author
+
+def make_html_colors_dict():
+    r = {
+        'date': HtmlDate(),
+        'link': HtmlLink(),
+        'author': HtmlSignature(),
+    }
+    for k, v in color_dict.items():
+        r[k] = '<font color="#%06x">' % v.rgb
+        r['/' + k] = '</font>'
+    return r
+
+# Here be dragons
+
+def make_txt_colors_dict():
+    return dict(generate_txt_colors())
+
+class StackPusher(object):
+    __slots__ = ('stack', 'txt')
+    def __init__(self, stack, txt):
+        self.stack = stack
+        self.txt = txt
+    def __format__(self, fmt):
+        assert fmt == ''
+        txt = self.txt
+        self.stack.append(txt)
+        return txt
+
+class StackPopper(object):
+    __slots__ = ('stack', 'txt')
+    def __init__(self, stack, txt):
+        self.stack = stack
+        self.txt = txt
+    def __format__(self, fmt):
+        assert fmt == ''
+        txt = self.txt
+        if len(self.stack) <= 1:
+            raise SyntaxError('Unmatched {/%s}' % txt)
+        prev = self.stack.pop()
+        if txt != prev:
+            raise SyntaxError('Mismatched {/%s} from {%s}' % (txt, prev))
+        return self.stack[-1]
+
+class TxtDate(object):
+    __slots__ = ('stack')
+    def __init__(self, stack):
+        self.stack = stack
+    def __format__(self, date):
+        return '##3' + date + self.stack[-1]
+
+class TxtLink(object):
+    __slots__ = ('stack')
+    def __init__(self, stack):
+        self.stack = stack
+    def __format__(self, target):
+        return '##3' + target + self.stack[-1]
+
+class TxtSignature(object):
+    __slots__ = ('stack')
+    def __init__(self, stack):
+        self.stack = stack
+    def __format__(self, author):
+        return '-##2' + author + self.stack[-1]
+
+def generate_txt_colors():
+    stack = ['##0'] # don't let stack become empty
+    for k,v in color_dict.items():
+        yield k, StackPusher(stack, v.txt)
+        yield '/' + k, StackPopper(stack, v.txt)
+    yield 'date', TxtDate(stack)
+    yield 'link', TxtLink(stack)
+    yield 'author', TxtSignature(stack)
diff --git a/tools/news.py b/tools/news.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..53350ace
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/news.py
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
+
+##    news.py - Generates news.
+##
+##    Copyright © 2012 Ben Longbons <b.r.longbons@gmail.com>
+##
+##    This file is part of The Mana World
+##
+##    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+##    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+##    the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
+##    (at your option) any later version.
+##
+##    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+##    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+##    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+##    GNU General Public License for more details.
+##
+##    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+##    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+import sys
+import os
+from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
+
+import _news_colors as colors
+
+class BasicWriter(object):
+    __slots__ = ('stream')
+    __metaclass__ = ABCMeta
+    def __init__(self, outfile):
+        self.stream = open(outfile, 'w')
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def start(self):
+        pass
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def put(self, entry):
+        pass
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def finish(self):
+        pass
+
+class HtmlWriter(BasicWriter):
+    __slots__ = ()
+    def start(self):
+        self.stream.write('<!-- Generated by tools/news.py for index.php -->\n')
+        #self.stream.write('<pre>\n')
+        pass
+
+    def put(self, entry):
+        self.stream.write('<div>\n')
+        entry = entry.replace('\n\n', '\n<p/>\n')
+        entry = entry.format(**colors.make_html_colors_dict())
+        self.stream.write(entry)
+        self.stream.write('</div>\n')
+
+    def finish(self):
+        #self.stream.write('</pre>\n')
+        pass
+
+class TxtWriter(BasicWriter):
+    __slots__ = ()
+    def start(self):
+        pass
+    def put(self, entry):
+        entry = entry.replace('\n\n', '\n \n')
+        entry = entry.format(**colors.make_txt_colors_dict())
+        self.stream.write(entry)
+        self.stream.write('\n\n')
+    def finish(self):
+        # DO NOT REMOVE
+        #self.stream.write('Did you really read down this far?\n')
+        pass
+
+def create_writers(outdir):
+    yield TxtWriter(os.path.join(outdir, 'news.txt'))
+    yield HtmlWriter(os.path.join(outdir, 'news.html'))
+
+def main(outdir, indir=None):
+    if indir is None:
+        indir = os.path.join(outdir, 'news.d')
+
+    out = list(create_writers(outdir))
+    for s in out:
+        s.start()
+    for entry in sorted(os.listdir(indir), reverse=True):
+        if not entry.endswith('.txt'):
+            continue
+        e = open(os.path.join(indir, entry)).read()
+        for s in out:
+            s.put(e)
+    for s in out:
+        s.finish()
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main(*sys.argv[1:])
diff --git a/world/map/.gitattributes b/world/map/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35c6a78b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/world/map/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/news.txt whitespace=-blank-at-eol,-blank-at-eof
diff --git a/world/map/news.d/00-old-news.txt b/world/map/news.d/00-old-news.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..030381e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/world/map/news.d/00-old-news.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,393 @@
+{date:December 2012 again}
+
+A new peninsula has magically raised from the depths,
+south of Hurnscald. A witch seems to be the source of
+this strange phenomenon.
+Why is she here, and what does she want?
+
+Further on the west, Lora Tay is willing to accept
+new challenges to prove once more her skills.
+
+{date:December 2012}
+
+Santa and his helpers have returned to Santa's residence
+near Nivalis to prepare for Christmas.
+Among the helpers, the preparations are moving smoothly
+as they should.
+The reinboos are excited this year since there will be a change
+within their team!
+But not everything is working out as planned.
+
+{date:November 2012}
+
+Halloween has passed and several cities celebrated this event.
+It seems the farmer Oscar just came back from a long journey
+in one of these cities.
+Probably he will have exciting things to tell.
+
+{date:October 2012}
+
+The roadblock to the north east in Argaes was finally lifted
+and parts of the road were reconstructed.
+But there is still some work left until the connection to Port City is done.
+In the Woods you can find a guy who lives alone, seeking seclusion.
+Be careful not to disturb him. He is very vicious.
+
+The smith's apprentice Peter does good progress in mastering his
+handcraft and learned some new techniques.
+
+{date:September 2012}
+
+Agostine is well known for his magnificent winter clothes,
+but he always dreamed of creating something truly exquisite,
+something noble...
+
+An old veteran has set up camp in the caves below Hurnscald
+after a life full of hardship and battle.
+He may be old now, but he surely didn't lose his interest
+in the art of combat!
+
+{date:April/May 2012}
+
+Strange and ominous things are going on in Kaizei.
+Many people around Nivalis have noticed White and Blue Slimes
+around the area, which they have never seen before.
+Where do those come from? Are they dangerous?
+And why did they show up now?
+Rumors say that they originate from the snowy mountains
+north-west of Nivalis, where the famous Sage Nikolai
+has his residence.
+
+Summer is coming near and it might be a good time
+to visit the beach with your Towel and relax a while.
+Oh, you don't have a Towel?
+Well, in that case you might find someone on the beach
+who can give you one!
+
+{date:March 2012}
+
+Two announcements to make:
+
+It seems Tulimshar is finally recovering from the impacts
+of the great earthquake.
+Although the eastern half of the city is still closed,
+it has become much more lively, with children playing between the houses,
+farmers going back to their fields, reports of increased trade activity.
+
+Surely there are lots of tasks for a young adventurer!
+
+Near Hurnscald a bunny showed up that looks like an older version
+of our well-known Easter Bunny.
+But what is he doing there? And where is Easter Bunny?
+
+{date:2012-02-12 (ooh, what a nice date)}
+
+Three pieces of news today.
+
+First, Mana 0.6.0 got released today. You can find it at
+{link:http://manasource.org}, or wait for your distribution.
+
+Second, we will be completely dropping support for the old
+TMW 0.0.29.1 client soon - unless there is further reason
+for delay, in April 2012.
+
+Finally, there will be a purge of accounts that have not been
+used for over a year. This should help responsiveness
+when logging in and choosing a character.
+
+-o11c
+
+{date:February 2012}
+
+After all the activity in Nivalis due to the Christmas time,
+the townsfolk would like things to be quiet again.
+Unfortunately, some strange people have set up their camp
+near the woods west of town.
+They came from their village high up in the northern snow mountains.
+What might have caused them to leave their hunting grounds
+and come down to Nivalis?
+
+{date:Christmas 2011}
+
+Christmas is coming near and Santa and his helpers are busy
+preparing everything for the celebration in Santa's house near Nivalis.
+But somehow... everything seems to go wrong.
+Bad luck? Or rather - malicious interference?
+It looks like someone could use your help.
+
+{date:November 2011}
+{blue}A Rule Correction on "No Botting"{/blue}
+
+{blue}Previously, only activity while the user was{/blue}
+{blue}away from the keyboard was a bannable offense.{/blue}
+{blue}Now, any sort of automated following{/blue}
+{blue}(especially, but not only, attack-following){/blue}
+{blue}is also covered.{/blue}
+
+{blue}If you know any of the people who left this game{/blue}
+{blue}due to the prevalence of bots that were previously{/blue}
+{blue}tolerated, please tell them it's time to return.{/blue}
+
+{green}~ The Hurnscald Herald ~{/green}
+
+{date:Halloween 2011}
+
+Happy Halloween!
+This year the governments of Argaes and Tonori have decided to sponsor
+trick-or-treating across both continents.
+Have fun and don't make yourself sick by pigging out!
+
+Credits:
+initial outline - enchilado
+intial draft - alastrim
+rewritten draft - o11c
+review - Jenalya
+new items - Lizandra
+maybe something to do with the new items - salmondine
+old item - maybe Black Don ?
+(We're not spoiling what the items *are*)
+-o11c
+
+{date:July 2011}
+
+Will Kill Monsters For Food?
+
+Recovery from the Great Earthquake is still
+very slow throughout the world.  The vast
+devastation still causes starvation and
+a lack of work.  A side effect of the Great
+Earthquake has been the increasing number of
+aggressive monsters and dooms long thought
+forgotten.
+
+To answer this problem Tulimshar
+has issued a call to be spread far and wide:
+"If you're hungry, if you need work, if you
+are in search of adventure, come to Tulimshar.
+Slaying monsters, liberating mines and
+defeating the night horrors that terrify even
+the most strong willed never paid so well!"
+
+Needless to say, many are answering this call.
+You may very well be one of them.
+
+Olana, the Innkeeper's Daughter, Returns to
+Hurnscald...But Where Are Her Daughters?
+
+Olana, who is staying in the West wing of the
+Hurnscald Inn, has been away to Tulimshar with
+her family since before the Earthquake.
+"The Earthquake may of happened a couple years
+ago, but everything is still messed up.
+I would've returned immediately, but I didn't
+want to put my family at risk until travel
+became a little safer."
+
+When asked about her daughters, Olana smiled
+"They love wandering the woods around here.
+Other than the occasional bandit group, things
+are usually much more peaceful around here than
+in Tulimshar.  I just hope they don't wander
+near these caves...I've heard many of them can
+be quite dangerous."
+
+{green}~ The Hurnscald Herald ~{/green}
+
+{date:June 2011}
+
+A large shipment of gold coins was plundered
+by pirates.  The shipment was to be sent to
+Tulimshar as part of their effort to control
+inflation.  "They seemed to just come out of
+no where!  They took the shipment and my pet
+squirrel Chompers!"  Captain Zierock reported
+while in tears.
+
+It is believed the pirates divided the gold
+then went separate ways to spend their spoils.
+Ironically, these pirates were the target of
+monsters, who plundered them not just for
+their new found wealth, but also for their
+crunchy bones and sea salty flesh.
+
+On that note, be on the lookout for Green Slimes,
+which have grown hostile as they evolve to the
+harsh Tonori desert, making them a threat to
+travel and trade.  It is believed many of the
+pirates attempted to cross the Snake Desert,
+where they met the Green Slimes...and their
+end.
+
+In other news, Andra, a friend of Hinnak, has
+increased her agricultural knowledge and needs
+help keeping the soil around the farm fertile.
+Interested volunteers should speak with her
+about how to help.
+
+Last, but certainly not least, Agostine has
+returned to Nivalis.  While he enjoyed his
+time in Tulimshar, mingling with other artisans,
+he has missed his home in Kaizei.  "I made this
+fabulous sweater, but nobody wanted to wear it
+in this hot and smelly desert.  That is when I
+decided enough was enough.  Sweat is just gross."
+
+{green}~ The Hurnscald Herald ~{/green}
+
+{date:May 2011}
+
+Many battle hardened warriors took some time
+during April and enjoyed helping the somewhat
+forgetful Easter Bunny make his baskets. The
+children surely must have enjoyed their sweets.
+
+The demi-god Golbenez has finally made good on
+his promise to open a 'place of leisure' in
+the form of an inn. Youngsters beware, since
+the entrance to this inn is near the old
+graveyard and could be dangerous.
+
+There have also been reports about a mysterious
+stranger roaming the beaches near Tulimshar.
+Be on the lookout if you are in the area.
+
+{green}~ The Hurnscald Herald ~{/green}
+
+{date:January 2011}
+
+Reports of bandit raids to the west of
+Hurnscald has mobilized the town.  Those
+injured by these bandits may have a long stay
+ahead of them in Hurnscald's hospital.
+
+Shortly after Tulimshar loosened the tariff
+on travel, skill trainers have come to Mana.
+If one wants to improve themselves through
+acquiring skills, be on the lookout for these
+trainers.
+
+In other news, Taro is still missing, but
+Diryn, an agent of Tulimshar, has established
+a connection with the Kaizei area, making
+travel to Nivalis possible again.  He still
+assists the battle hardened travel distant
+locations just outside of Hurnscald.  Getting
+back can be done by finding Frozenbeard, a
+pioneer who is mapping a trade route to get
+to Nivalis by ship.
+
+Diryn's re-connection with Nivalis came none
+too soon.  Golbenez, a demi-god who demanded
+a half billion gold pieces for building some
+sort of leisure place, scrapped the idea and
+went for good old fashioned kidnapping to get
+whatever he wanted from the world of Mana.
+He kidnapped Santa Claus.  Fearful Santa may
+ not gift the children of the world, wizards,
+warriors and archers rallied to pay the
+demi-god his demands.
+
+Shortly after Santa was freed, something more
+sinister has come to Kaizei.  The yeti.
+Sightings of this beast returns with stories
+of them.  Though aggressive, their behavior
+seems out of place.  They've never been known
+as cave dwellers nor to kidnap people.
+
+Last, but definitely not least, Dimond's Cove
+is observing "Burns' Supper" January 24-26th.
+Shanon is hosting the event, which he promises
+will be an excellent time for food, drink and
+poems.
+
+{green}~ The Hurnscald Herald ~{/green}
+
+{blue}Countless candy-concerning complaints: council{/blue}
+{blue}consequently considers citizen-composed cleanup crew{/blue}
+{date:Eighteenth of November 2010}
+
+Recently, the ancient tradition of Hallowe'en
+was celebrated across Argaes, Tonori and other
+continents. Estimated tons of sweets were given
+out to happy trick-or-treaters, and as with
+most other years a lot of this vast total was
+dropped on the night. Even a week and a half
+after Hallowe'en, many kilograms of sweets
+still litter our pleasant woodlands.
+
+After dozens of letters regarding the situation,
+the Hurnscald Council has said that the best
+solution would be to organise a team of
+volunteers to work on collecting dropped sweets
+and disposing of them - but it has yet to
+organise any such thing.
+
+In the meantime, why not do your bit and collect
+some sweets for yourself? If you don't mind them
+being a bit old, you could be able to make the
+biggest Hallowe'en haul in history.
+
+Additionally, we've been getting some reports of
+a rather creepy skeleton hanging around the
+woodland. He doesn't appear to be aggressive,
+but he chatters unintelligibly at passers-by.
+
+
+{blue}Rollback{/blue}
+2010-11-17
+
+Everything should now be running from a
+complete save state (including storage, banks,
+parties etc) that is even two days more recent
+than what we were temporarilyrunning on before.
+All credit to Platyna for speedy recovery and
+even more recent backups. :)
+
+{blue}Server outage{/blue}
+2010-11-16
+
+Things running on the four day old backups,
+restricted to account save info and character
+save info for now while we try to get other
+databases working.
+
+This means no party data or storage data for
+now, we'll try to recover that along with
+everything else, as we should be able to get
+a full saved state from within the past week.
+
+The current setup is more to have something
+partially up, and so that people know what's
+going on while we try to fix things; any
+in-game progress made right now {red}will not{/red}
+persist.
+
+{blue}Server outage{/blue}
+2010-11-16
+
+Okay, apparently even that won't work right now.
+Servers will remain {blue}offline{/blue} until we figure out
+what we can do.
+
+{blue}Server outage{/blue}
+2010-11-16
+
+We've just had a serious server crash, and the
+databases seem to have been affected here. We're
+currently running on some four-day old backups;
+whether this will be a temporary measure or
+whether newer ones are usable is yet to be
+determined.
+
+Please note that the current state may only
+be {blue}temporary{/blue}, and that if usable newer backups
+are found within the next 24 hours, those will
+be used instead, and any character progress
+made may be lost. If no usable backups are
+found during this time, the four-day rollback
+will have to be permanent.
+
+More news updates will follow once we've
+investigated further; we're doing what we can...
+
+{author:Freeyorp}
diff --git a/world/map/news.d/10-news-news.txt b/world/map/news.d/10-news-news.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9a95824f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/world/map/news.d/10-news-news.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{date:2013-01-23}
+
+News feed is finally generated from the same
+source for both the game and the website.
+
+{author:o11c}
diff --git a/world/map/news.d/news.template b/world/map/news.d/news.template
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc7bfe29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/world/map/news.d/news.template
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{date:YYYY-MM-DD}
+
+This is a really exciting news entry!
+
+Leave a blank line between paragraphs, and wrap
+each line at about 50 characters.
+
+If you ever need to use actual curly braces, just
+use {{ and }}.
+
+{author:demo}
diff --git a/world/map/news.html b/world/map/news.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..097ea615
--- /dev/null
+++ b/world/map/news.html
@@ -0,0 +1,404 @@
+<!-- Generated by tools/news.py for index.php -->
+<div>
+<font color="#0000ff">2013-01-23</font>
+<p/>
+News feed is finally generated from the same
+source for both the game and the website.
+<p/>
+-<font color="#009000">o11c</font>
+</div>
+<div>
+<font color="#0000ff">December 2012 again</font>
+<p/>
+A new peninsula has magically raised from the depths,
+south of Hurnscald. A witch seems to be the source of
+this strange phenomenon.
+Why is she here, and what does she want?
+<p/>
+Further on the west, Lora Tay is willing to accept
+new challenges to prove once more her skills.
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">December 2012</font>
+<p/>
+Santa and his helpers have returned to Santa's residence
+near Nivalis to prepare for Christmas.
+Among the helpers, the preparations are moving smoothly
+as they should.
+The reinboos are excited this year since there will be a change
+within their team!
+But not everything is working out as planned.
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">November 2012</font>
+<p/>
+Halloween has passed and several cities celebrated this event.
+It seems the farmer Oscar just came back from a long journey
+in one of these cities.
+Probably he will have exciting things to tell.
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">October 2012</font>
+<p/>
+The roadblock to the north east in Argaes was finally lifted
+and parts of the road were reconstructed.
+But there is still some work left until the connection to Port City is done.
+In the Woods you can find a guy who lives alone, seeking seclusion.
+Be careful not to disturb him. He is very vicious.
+<p/>
+The smith's apprentice Peter does good progress in mastering his
+handcraft and learned some new techniques.
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">September 2012</font>
+<p/>
+Agostine is well known for his magnificent winter clothes,
+but he always dreamed of creating something truly exquisite,
+something noble...
+<p/>
+An old veteran has set up camp in the caves below Hurnscald
+after a life full of hardship and battle.
+He may be old now, but he surely didn't lose his interest
+in the art of combat!
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">April/May 2012</font>
+<p/>
+Strange and ominous things are going on in Kaizei.
+Many people around Nivalis have noticed White and Blue Slimes
+around the area, which they have never seen before.
+Where do those come from? Are they dangerous?
+And why did they show up now?
+Rumors say that they originate from the snowy mountains
+north-west of Nivalis, where the famous Sage Nikolai
+has his residence.
+<p/>
+Summer is coming near and it might be a good time
+to visit the beach with your Towel and relax a while.
+Oh, you don't have a Towel?
+Well, in that case you might find someone on the beach
+who can give you one!
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">March 2012</font>
+<p/>
+Two announcements to make:
+<p/>
+It seems Tulimshar is finally recovering from the impacts
+of the great earthquake.
+Although the eastern half of the city is still closed,
+it has become much more lively, with children playing between the houses,
+farmers going back to their fields, reports of increased trade activity.
+<p/>
+Surely there are lots of tasks for a young adventurer!
+<p/>
+Near Hurnscald a bunny showed up that looks like an older version
+of our well-known Easter Bunny.
+But what is he doing there? And where is Easter Bunny?
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">2012-02-12 (ooh, what a nice date)</font>
+<p/>
+Three pieces of news today.
+<p/>
+First, Mana 0.6.0 got released today. You can find it at
+<a href="http://manasource.org">http://manasource.org</a>, or wait for your distribution.
+<p/>
+Second, we will be completely dropping support for the old
+TMW 0.0.29.1 client soon - unless there is further reason
+for delay, in April 2012.
+<p/>
+Finally, there will be a purge of accounts that have not been
+used for over a year. This should help responsiveness
+when logging in and choosing a character.
+<p/>
+-o11c
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">February 2012</font>
+<p/>
+After all the activity in Nivalis due to the Christmas time,
+the townsfolk would like things to be quiet again.
+Unfortunately, some strange people have set up their camp
+near the woods west of town.
+They came from their village high up in the northern snow mountains.
+What might have caused them to leave their hunting grounds
+and come down to Nivalis?
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">Christmas 2011</font>
+<p/>
+Christmas is coming near and Santa and his helpers are busy
+preparing everything for the celebration in Santa's house near Nivalis.
+But somehow... everything seems to go wrong.
+Bad luck? Or rather - malicious interference?
+It looks like someone could use your help.
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">November 2011</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">A Rule Correction on "No Botting"</font>
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">Previously, only activity while the user was</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">away from the keyboard was a bannable offense.</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">Now, any sort of automated following</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">(especially, but not only, attack-following)</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">is also covered.</font>
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">If you know any of the people who left this game</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">due to the prevalence of bots that were previously</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">tolerated, please tell them it's time to return.</font>
+<p/>
+<font color="#009000">~ The Hurnscald Herald ~</font>
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">Halloween 2011</font>
+<p/>
+Happy Halloween!
+This year the governments of Argaes and Tonori have decided to sponsor
+trick-or-treating across both continents.
+Have fun and don't make yourself sick by pigging out!
+<p/>
+Credits:
+initial outline - enchilado
+intial draft - alastrim
+rewritten draft - o11c
+review - Jenalya
+new items - Lizandra
+maybe something to do with the new items - salmondine
+old item - maybe Black Don ?
+(We're not spoiling what the items *are*)
+-o11c
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">July 2011</font>
+<p/>
+Will Kill Monsters For Food?
+<p/>
+Recovery from the Great Earthquake is still
+very slow throughout the world.  The vast
+devastation still causes starvation and
+a lack of work.  A side effect of the Great
+Earthquake has been the increasing number of
+aggressive monsters and dooms long thought
+forgotten.
+<p/>
+To answer this problem Tulimshar
+has issued a call to be spread far and wide:
+"If you're hungry, if you need work, if you
+are in search of adventure, come to Tulimshar.
+Slaying monsters, liberating mines and
+defeating the night horrors that terrify even
+the most strong willed never paid so well!"
+<p/>
+Needless to say, many are answering this call.
+You may very well be one of them.
+<p/>
+Olana, the Innkeeper's Daughter, Returns to
+Hurnscald...But Where Are Her Daughters?
+<p/>
+Olana, who is staying in the West wing of the
+Hurnscald Inn, has been away to Tulimshar with
+her family since before the Earthquake.
+"The Earthquake may of happened a couple years
+ago, but everything is still messed up.
+I would've returned immediately, but I didn't
+want to put my family at risk until travel
+became a little safer."
+<p/>
+When asked about her daughters, Olana smiled
+"They love wandering the woods around here.
+Other than the occasional bandit group, things
+are usually much more peaceful around here than
+in Tulimshar.  I just hope they don't wander
+near these caves...I've heard many of them can
+be quite dangerous."
+<p/>
+<font color="#009000">~ The Hurnscald Herald ~</font>
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">June 2011</font>
+<p/>
+A large shipment of gold coins was plundered
+by pirates.  The shipment was to be sent to
+Tulimshar as part of their effort to control
+inflation.  "They seemed to just come out of
+no where!  They took the shipment and my pet
+squirrel Chompers!"  Captain Zierock reported
+while in tears.
+<p/>
+It is believed the pirates divided the gold
+then went separate ways to spend their spoils.
+Ironically, these pirates were the target of
+monsters, who plundered them not just for
+their new found wealth, but also for their
+crunchy bones and sea salty flesh.
+<p/>
+On that note, be on the lookout for Green Slimes,
+which have grown hostile as they evolve to the
+harsh Tonori desert, making them a threat to
+travel and trade.  It is believed many of the
+pirates attempted to cross the Snake Desert,
+where they met the Green Slimes...and their
+end.
+<p/>
+In other news, Andra, a friend of Hinnak, has
+increased her agricultural knowledge and needs
+help keeping the soil around the farm fertile.
+Interested volunteers should speak with her
+about how to help.
+<p/>
+Last, but certainly not least, Agostine has
+returned to Nivalis.  While he enjoyed his
+time in Tulimshar, mingling with other artisans,
+he has missed his home in Kaizei.  "I made this
+fabulous sweater, but nobody wanted to wear it
+in this hot and smelly desert.  That is when I
+decided enough was enough.  Sweat is just gross."
+<p/>
+<font color="#009000">~ The Hurnscald Herald ~</font>
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">May 2011</font>
+<p/>
+Many battle hardened warriors took some time
+during April and enjoyed helping the somewhat
+forgetful Easter Bunny make his baskets. The
+children surely must have enjoyed their sweets.
+<p/>
+The demi-god Golbenez has finally made good on
+his promise to open a 'place of leisure' in
+the form of an inn. Youngsters beware, since
+the entrance to this inn is near the old
+graveyard and could be dangerous.
+<p/>
+There have also been reports about a mysterious
+stranger roaming the beaches near Tulimshar.
+Be on the lookout if you are in the area.
+<p/>
+<font color="#009000">~ The Hurnscald Herald ~</font>
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">January 2011</font>
+<p/>
+Reports of bandit raids to the west of
+Hurnscald has mobilized the town.  Those
+injured by these bandits may have a long stay
+ahead of them in Hurnscald's hospital.
+<p/>
+Shortly after Tulimshar loosened the tariff
+on travel, skill trainers have come to Mana.
+If one wants to improve themselves through
+acquiring skills, be on the lookout for these
+trainers.
+<p/>
+In other news, Taro is still missing, but
+Diryn, an agent of Tulimshar, has established
+a connection with the Kaizei area, making
+travel to Nivalis possible again.  He still
+assists the battle hardened travel distant
+locations just outside of Hurnscald.  Getting
+back can be done by finding Frozenbeard, a
+pioneer who is mapping a trade route to get
+to Nivalis by ship.
+<p/>
+Diryn's re-connection with Nivalis came none
+too soon.  Golbenez, a demi-god who demanded
+a half billion gold pieces for building some
+sort of leisure place, scrapped the idea and
+went for good old fashioned kidnapping to get
+whatever he wanted from the world of Mana.
+He kidnapped Santa Claus.  Fearful Santa may
+ not gift the children of the world, wizards,
+warriors and archers rallied to pay the
+demi-god his demands.
+<p/>
+Shortly after Santa was freed, something more
+sinister has come to Kaizei.  The yeti.
+Sightings of this beast returns with stories
+of them.  Though aggressive, their behavior
+seems out of place.  They've never been known
+as cave dwellers nor to kidnap people.
+<p/>
+Last, but definitely not least, Dimond's Cove
+is observing "Burns' Supper" January 24-26th.
+Shanon is hosting the event, which he promises
+will be an excellent time for food, drink and
+poems.
+<p/>
+<font color="#009000">~ The Hurnscald Herald ~</font>
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">Countless candy-concerning complaints: council</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">consequently considers citizen-composed cleanup crew</font>
+<font color="#0000ff">Eighteenth of November 2010</font>
+<p/>
+Recently, the ancient tradition of Hallowe'en
+was celebrated across Argaes, Tonori and other
+continents. Estimated tons of sweets were given
+out to happy trick-or-treaters, and as with
+most other years a lot of this vast total was
+dropped on the night. Even a week and a half
+after Hallowe'en, many kilograms of sweets
+still litter our pleasant woodlands.
+<p/>
+After dozens of letters regarding the situation,
+the Hurnscald Council has said that the best
+solution would be to organise a team of
+volunteers to work on collecting dropped sweets
+and disposing of them - but it has yet to
+organise any such thing.
+<p/>
+In the meantime, why not do your bit and collect
+some sweets for yourself? If you don't mind them
+being a bit old, you could be able to make the
+biggest Hallowe'en haul in history.
+<p/>
+Additionally, we've been getting some reports of
+a rather creepy skeleton hanging around the
+woodland. He doesn't appear to be aggressive,
+but he chatters unintelligibly at passers-by.
+<p/>
+
+<font color="#0000ff">Rollback</font>
+2010-11-17
+<p/>
+Everything should now be running from a
+complete save state (including storage, banks,
+parties etc) that is even two days more recent
+than what we were temporarilyrunning on before.
+All credit to Platyna for speedy recovery and
+even more recent backups. :)
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">Server outage</font>
+2010-11-16
+<p/>
+Things running on the four day old backups,
+restricted to account save info and character
+save info for now while we try to get other
+databases working.
+<p/>
+This means no party data or storage data for
+now, we'll try to recover that along with
+everything else, as we should be able to get
+a full saved state from within the past week.
+<p/>
+The current setup is more to have something
+partially up, and so that people know what's
+going on while we try to fix things; any
+in-game progress made right now <font color="#ff0000">will not</font>
+persist.
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">Server outage</font>
+2010-11-16
+<p/>
+Okay, apparently even that won't work right now.
+Servers will remain <font color="#0000ff">offline</font> until we figure out
+what we can do.
+<p/>
+<font color="#0000ff">Server outage</font>
+2010-11-16
+<p/>
+We've just had a serious server crash, and the
+databases seem to have been affected here. We're
+currently running on some four-day old backups;
+whether this will be a temporary measure or
+whether newer ones are usable is yet to be
+determined.
+<p/>
+Please note that the current state may only
+be <font color="#0000ff">temporary</font>, and that if usable newer backups
+are found within the next 24 hours, those will
+be used instead, and any character progress
+made may be lost. If no usable backups are
+found during this time, the four-day rollback
+will have to be permanent.
+<p/>
+More news updates will follow once we've
+investigated further; we're doing what we can...
+<p/>
+-<font color="#009000">Freeyorp</font>
+</div>
diff --git a/world/map/news.php b/world/map/news.php
index 48f6e28e..23786bb4 100644
--- a/world/map/news.php
+++ b/world/map/news.php
@@ -13,18 +13,26 @@ if (substr($agent, 0, 3) == "TMW" || substr($agent, 0, 4) == "Mana")
     file_put_contents($file, '[' . date('H:i') . "] $agent\n", FILE_APPEND);
 }
 
-$min_version = '0.0.29.1';
+$min_version = '0.5.0';
 $cur_version = '0.6.1';
 
-if (substr($agent, 0, 3) == "TMW" and $agent < 'TMW/' . $min_version)
+if (substr($agent, 0, 3) == "TMW")
+{
+    echo "##1 The client you're using is really old!\n",
+         "##1 Please upgrade to a Mana or ManaPlus client.\n",
+         "##1     TMW Staff\n \n";
+}
+
+if (substr($agent, 0, 5) == "Mana/"
+    and $agent < 'Mana/' . $min_version)
 {
     echo "##1 The client you're using is no longer\n".
          "##1 supported! Please upgrade to $min_version or\n".
-         "##1 higher!\n \n".
+         "##1 higher, or use ManaPlus!\n \n".
          "##1     TMW Staff\n \n";
 }
 
-echo "##9 Latest client version: ##6$cur_version\n \n";
+echo "##9 Latest client version: ##6$cur_version\n##0\n";
 
 print file_get_contents("news.txt");
 ?>
diff --git a/world/map/news.txt b/world/map/news.txt
index 4d6ece17..cf0ecdc1 100644
--- a/world/map/news.txt
+++ b/world/map/news.txt
@@ -1,393 +1,403 @@
-##3 December 2012 again
-##0
-##0 A new peninsula has magically raised from the depths,
-##0 south of Hurnscald. A witch seems to be the source of
-##0 this strange phenomenon.
-##0 Why is she here, and what does she want?
-##0
-##0 Further on the west, Lora Tay is willing to accept
-##0 new challenges to prove once more her skills.
+##32013-01-23##0
+ 
+News feed is finally generated from the same
+source for both the game and the website.
+ 
+-##2o11c##0
+
+
+##3December 2012 again##0
+ 
+A new peninsula has magically raised from the depths,
+south of Hurnscald. A witch seems to be the source of
+this strange phenomenon.
+Why is she here, and what does she want?
+ 
+Further on the west, Lora Tay is willing to accept
+new challenges to prove once more her skills.
+ 
+##3December 2012##0
+ 
+Santa and his helpers have returned to Santa's residence
+near Nivalis to prepare for Christmas.
+Among the helpers, the preparations are moving smoothly
+as they should.
+The reinboos are excited this year since there will be a change
+within their team!
+But not everything is working out as planned.
+ 
+##3November 2012##0
+ 
+Halloween has passed and several cities celebrated this event.
+It seems the farmer Oscar just came back from a long journey
+in one of these cities.
+Probably he will have exciting things to tell.
+ 
+##3October 2012##0
+ 
+The roadblock to the north east in Argaes was finally lifted
+and parts of the road were reconstructed.
+But there is still some work left until the connection to Port City is done.
+In the Woods you can find a guy who lives alone, seeking seclusion.
+Be careful not to disturb him. He is very vicious.
+ 
+The smith's apprentice Peter does good progress in mastering his
+handcraft and learned some new techniques.
+ 
+##3September 2012##0
+ 
+Agostine is well known for his magnificent winter clothes,
+but he always dreamed of creating something truly exquisite,
+something noble...
+ 
+An old veteran has set up camp in the caves below Hurnscald
+after a life full of hardship and battle.
+He may be old now, but he surely didn't lose his interest
+in the art of combat!
+ 
+##3April/May 2012##0
+ 
+Strange and ominous things are going on in Kaizei.
+Many people around Nivalis have noticed White and Blue Slimes
+around the area, which they have never seen before.
+Where do those come from? Are they dangerous?
+And why did they show up now?
+Rumors say that they originate from the snowy mountains
+north-west of Nivalis, where the famous Sage Nikolai
+has his residence.
+ 
+Summer is coming near and it might be a good time
+to visit the beach with your Towel and relax a while.
+Oh, you don't have a Towel?
+Well, in that case you might find someone on the beach
+who can give you one!
+ 
+##3March 2012##0
+ 
+Two announcements to make:
+ 
+It seems Tulimshar is finally recovering from the impacts
+of the great earthquake.
+Although the eastern half of the city is still closed,
+it has become much more lively, with children playing between the houses,
+farmers going back to their fields, reports of increased trade activity.
+ 
+Surely there are lots of tasks for a young adventurer!
+ 
+Near Hurnscald a bunny showed up that looks like an older version
+of our well-known Easter Bunny.
+But what is he doing there? And where is Easter Bunny?
+ 
+##32012-02-12 (ooh, what a nice date)##0
+ 
+Three pieces of news today.
+ 
+First, Mana 0.6.0 got released today. You can find it at
+##3http://manasource.org##0, or wait for your distribution.
+ 
+Second, we will be completely dropping support for the old
+TMW 0.0.29.1 client soon - unless there is further reason
+for delay, in April 2012.
+ 
+Finally, there will be a purge of accounts that have not been
+used for over a year. This should help responsiveness
+when logging in and choosing a character.
+ 
+-o11c
+ 
+##3February 2012##0
+ 
+After all the activity in Nivalis due to the Christmas time,
+the townsfolk would like things to be quiet again.
+Unfortunately, some strange people have set up their camp
+near the woods west of town.
+They came from their village high up in the northern snow mountains.
+What might have caused them to leave their hunting grounds
+and come down to Nivalis?
+ 
+##3Christmas 2011##0
+ 
+Christmas is coming near and Santa and his helpers are busy
+preparing everything for the celebration in Santa's house near Nivalis.
+But somehow... everything seems to go wrong.
+Bad luck? Or rather - malicious interference?
+It looks like someone could use your help.
+ 
+##3November 2011##0
+##3A Rule Correction on "No Botting"##0
+ 
+##3Previously, only activity while the user was##0
+##3away from the keyboard was a bannable offense.##0
+##3Now, any sort of automated following##0
+##3(especially, but not only, attack-following)##0
+##3is also covered.##0
+ 
+##3If you know any of the people who left this game##0
+##3due to the prevalence of bots that were previously##0
+##3tolerated, please tell them it's time to return.##0
+ 
+##2~ The Hurnscald Herald ~##0
+ 
+##3Halloween 2011##0
+ 
+Happy Halloween!
+This year the governments of Argaes and Tonori have decided to sponsor
+trick-or-treating across both continents.
+Have fun and don't make yourself sick by pigging out!
+ 
+Credits:
+initial outline - enchilado
+intial draft - alastrim
+rewritten draft - o11c
+review - Jenalya
+new items - Lizandra
+maybe something to do with the new items - salmondine
+old item - maybe Black Don ?
+(We're not spoiling what the items *are*)
+-o11c
+ 
+##3July 2011##0
+ 
+Will Kill Monsters For Food?
+ 
+Recovery from the Great Earthquake is still
+very slow throughout the world.  The vast
+devastation still causes starvation and
+a lack of work.  A side effect of the Great
+Earthquake has been the increasing number of
+aggressive monsters and dooms long thought
+forgotten.
+ 
+To answer this problem Tulimshar
+has issued a call to be spread far and wide:
+"If you're hungry, if you need work, if you
+are in search of adventure, come to Tulimshar.
+Slaying monsters, liberating mines and
+defeating the night horrors that terrify even
+the most strong willed never paid so well!"
+ 
+Needless to say, many are answering this call.
+You may very well be one of them.
+ 
+Olana, the Innkeeper's Daughter, Returns to
+Hurnscald...But Where Are Her Daughters?
+ 
+Olana, who is staying in the West wing of the
+Hurnscald Inn, has been away to Tulimshar with
+her family since before the Earthquake.
+"The Earthquake may of happened a couple years
+ago, but everything is still messed up.
+I would've returned immediately, but I didn't
+want to put my family at risk until travel
+became a little safer."
+ 
+When asked about her daughters, Olana smiled
+"They love wandering the woods around here.
+Other than the occasional bandit group, things
+are usually much more peaceful around here than
+in Tulimshar.  I just hope they don't wander
+near these caves...I've heard many of them can
+be quite dangerous."
+ 
+##2~ The Hurnscald Herald ~##0
+ 
+##3June 2011##0
+ 
+A large shipment of gold coins was plundered
+by pirates.  The shipment was to be sent to
+Tulimshar as part of their effort to control
+inflation.  "They seemed to just come out of
+no where!  They took the shipment and my pet
+squirrel Chompers!"  Captain Zierock reported
+while in tears.
+ 
+It is believed the pirates divided the gold
+then went separate ways to spend their spoils.
+Ironically, these pirates were the target of
+monsters, who plundered them not just for
+their new found wealth, but also for their
+crunchy bones and sea salty flesh.
+ 
+On that note, be on the lookout for Green Slimes,
+which have grown hostile as they evolve to the
+harsh Tonori desert, making them a threat to
+travel and trade.  It is believed many of the
+pirates attempted to cross the Snake Desert,
+where they met the Green Slimes...and their
+end.
+ 
+In other news, Andra, a friend of Hinnak, has
+increased her agricultural knowledge and needs
+help keeping the soil around the farm fertile.
+Interested volunteers should speak with her
+about how to help.
+ 
+Last, but certainly not least, Agostine has
+returned to Nivalis.  While he enjoyed his
+time in Tulimshar, mingling with other artisans,
+he has missed his home in Kaizei.  "I made this
+fabulous sweater, but nobody wanted to wear it
+in this hot and smelly desert.  That is when I
+decided enough was enough.  Sweat is just gross."
+ 
+##2~ The Hurnscald Herald ~##0
+ 
+##3May 2011##0
+ 
+Many battle hardened warriors took some time
+during April and enjoyed helping the somewhat
+forgetful Easter Bunny make his baskets. The
+children surely must have enjoyed their sweets.
+ 
+The demi-god Golbenez has finally made good on
+his promise to open a 'place of leisure' in
+the form of an inn. Youngsters beware, since
+the entrance to this inn is near the old
+graveyard and could be dangerous.
+ 
+There have also been reports about a mysterious
+stranger roaming the beaches near Tulimshar.
+Be on the lookout if you are in the area.
+ 
+##2~ The Hurnscald Herald ~##0
+ 
+##3January 2011##0
+ 
+Reports of bandit raids to the west of
+Hurnscald has mobilized the town.  Those
+injured by these bandits may have a long stay
+ahead of them in Hurnscald's hospital.
+ 
+Shortly after Tulimshar loosened the tariff
+on travel, skill trainers have come to Mana.
+If one wants to improve themselves through
+acquiring skills, be on the lookout for these
+trainers.
+ 
+In other news, Taro is still missing, but
+Diryn, an agent of Tulimshar, has established
+a connection with the Kaizei area, making
+travel to Nivalis possible again.  He still
+assists the battle hardened travel distant
+locations just outside of Hurnscald.  Getting
+back can be done by finding Frozenbeard, a
+pioneer who is mapping a trade route to get
+to Nivalis by ship.
+ 
+Diryn's re-connection with Nivalis came none
+too soon.  Golbenez, a demi-god who demanded
+a half billion gold pieces for building some
+sort of leisure place, scrapped the idea and
+went for good old fashioned kidnapping to get
+whatever he wanted from the world of Mana.
+He kidnapped Santa Claus.  Fearful Santa may
+ not gift the children of the world, wizards,
+warriors and archers rallied to pay the
+demi-god his demands.
+ 
+Shortly after Santa was freed, something more
+sinister has come to Kaizei.  The yeti.
+Sightings of this beast returns with stories
+of them.  Though aggressive, their behavior
+seems out of place.  They've never been known
+as cave dwellers nor to kidnap people.
+ 
+Last, but definitely not least, Dimond's Cove
+is observing "Burns' Supper" January 24-26th.
+Shanon is hosting the event, which he promises
+will be an excellent time for food, drink and
+poems.
+ 
+##2~ The Hurnscald Herald ~##0
+ 
+##3Countless candy-concerning complaints: council##0
+##3consequently considers citizen-composed cleanup crew##0
+##3Eighteenth of November 2010##0
+ 
+Recently, the ancient tradition of Hallowe'en
+was celebrated across Argaes, Tonori and other
+continents. Estimated tons of sweets were given
+out to happy trick-or-treaters, and as with
+most other years a lot of this vast total was
+dropped on the night. Even a week and a half
+after Hallowe'en, many kilograms of sweets
+still litter our pleasant woodlands.
+ 
+After dozens of letters regarding the situation,
+the Hurnscald Council has said that the best
+solution would be to organise a team of
+volunteers to work on collecting dropped sweets
+and disposing of them - but it has yet to
+organise any such thing.
+ 
+In the meantime, why not do your bit and collect
+some sweets for yourself? If you don't mind them
+being a bit old, you could be able to make the
+biggest Hallowe'en haul in history.
+ 
+Additionally, we've been getting some reports of
+a rather creepy skeleton hanging around the
+woodland. He doesn't appear to be aggressive,
+but he chatters unintelligibly at passers-by.
+ 
+
+##3Rollback##0
+2010-11-17
+ 
+Everything should now be running from a
+complete save state (including storage, banks,
+parties etc) that is even two days more recent
+than what we were temporarilyrunning on before.
+All credit to Platyna for speedy recovery and
+even more recent backups. :)
+ 
+##3Server outage##0
+2010-11-16
+ 
+Things running on the four day old backups,
+restricted to account save info and character
+save info for now while we try to get other
+databases working.
+ 
+This means no party data or storage data for
+now, we'll try to recover that along with
+everything else, as we should be able to get
+a full saved state from within the past week.
+ 
+The current setup is more to have something
+partially up, and so that people know what's
+going on while we try to fix things; any
+in-game progress made right now ##1will not##0
+persist.
+ 
+##3Server outage##0
+2010-11-16
+ 
+Okay, apparently even that won't work right now.
+Servers will remain ##3offline##0 until we figure out
+what we can do.
+ 
+##3Server outage##0
+2010-11-16
+ 
+We've just had a serious server crash, and the
+databases seem to have been affected here. We're
+currently running on some four-day old backups;
+whether this will be a temporary measure or
+whether newer ones are usable is yet to be
+determined.
+ 
+Please note that the current state may only
+be ##3temporary##0, and that if usable newer backups
+are found within the next 24 hours, those will
+be used instead, and any character progress
+made may be lost. If no usable backups are
+found during this time, the four-day rollback
+will have to be permanent.
+ 
+More news updates will follow once we've
+investigated further; we're doing what we can...
+ 
+-##2Freeyorp##0
+
 
-##3 December 2012
-##0
-##0 Santa and his helpers have returned to Santa's residence
-##0 near Nivalis to prepare for Christmas.
-##0 Among the helpers, the preparations are moving smoothly
-##0 as they should.
-##0 The reinboos are excited this year since there will be a change
-##0 within their team!
-##0 But not everything is working out as planned.
- 
-##3 November 2012
-##0
-##0 Halloween has passed and several cities celebrated this event.
-##0 It seems the farmer Oscar just came back from a long journey
-##0 in one of these cities.
-##0 Probably he will have exciting things to tell.
- 
-##3 October 2012
-##0
-##0 The roadblock to the north east in Argaes was finally lifted
-##0 and parts of the road were reconstructed.
-##0 But there is still some work left until the connection to Port City is done.
-##0 In the Woods you can find a guy who lives alone, seeking seclusion.
-##0 Be careful not to disturb him. He is very vicious.
-##0
-##0 The smith's apprentice Peter does good progress in mastering his
-##0 handcraft and learned some new techniques.
- 
-##3 September 2012
-##0
-##0 Agostine is well known for his magnificent winter clothes,
-##0 but he always dreamed of creating something truly exquisite,
-##0 something noble... 
-##0 
-##0 An old veteran has set up camp in the caves below Hurnscald
-##0 after a life full of hardship and battle.
-##0 He may be old now, but he surely didn't lose his interest
-##0 in the art of combat!
- 
-##3 April/May 2012
-##0
-##0 Strange and ominous things are going on in Kaizei.
-##0 Many people around Nivalis have noticed White and Blue Slimes
-##0 around the area, which they have never seen before.
-##0 Where do those come from? Are they dangerous?
-##0 And why did they show up now?
-##0 Rumors say that they originate from the snowy mountains
-##0 north-west of Nivalis, where the famous Sage Nikolai
-##0 has his residence.
-##0
-##0 Summer is coming near and it might be a good time
-##0 to visit the beach with your Towel and relax a while.
-##0 Oh, you don't have a Towel?
-##0 Well, in that case you might find someone on the beach
-##0 who can give you one!
- 
-##3 March 2012
-##0
-##0 Two announcements to make:
-##0
-##0 It seems Tulimshar is finally recovering from the impacts
-##0 of the great earthquake.
-##0 Although the eastern half of the city is still closed,
-##0 it has become much more lively, with children playing between the houses,
-##0 farmers going back to their fields, reports of increased trade activity.
-##0
-##0 Surely there are lots of tasks for a young adventurer!
-##0
-##0 Near Hurnscald a bunny showed up that looks like an older version
-##0 of our well-known Easter Bunny.
-##0 But what is he doing there? And where is Easter Bunny?
- 
-##3 2012-02-12 (ooh, what a nice date)
-##0
-##0 Three pieces of news today.
-##0
-##0 First, Mana 0.6.0 got released today. You can find it at
-##3 http://manasource.org##0, or wait for your distribution.
-##0
-##0 Second, we will be completely dropping support for the old
-##0 TMW 0.0.29.1 client soon - unless there is further reason
-##0 for delay, in April 2012.
-##0 
-##0 Finally, there will be a purge of accounts that have not been
-##0 used for over a year. This should help responsiveness
-##0 when logging in and choosing a character.
-##0
-##0 -o11c
- 
-##3 February 2012
- 
-##0 After all the activity in Nivalis due to the Christmas time,
-##0 the townsfolk would like things to be quiet again.
-##0 Unfortunately, some strange people have set up their camp 
-##0 near the woods west of town.
-##0 They came from their village high up in the northern snow mountains.
-##0 What might have caused them to leave their hunting grounds
-##0 and come down to Nivalis?
- 
-##3 Christmas 2011
- 
-##0 Christmas is coming near and Santa and his helpers are busy
-##0 preparing everything for the celebration in Santa's house near Nivalis.
-##0 But somehow... everything seems to go wrong.
-##0 Bad luck? Or rather - malicious interference?
-##0 It looks like someone could use your help.
- 
-##3 November 2011
-##3 A Rule Correction on "No Botting"
- 
-##3 Previously, only activity while the user was
-##3 away from the keyboard was a bannable offense.
-##3 Now, any sort of automated following
-##3 (especially, but not only, attack-following)
-##3 is also covered.
- 
-##3 If you know any of the people who left this game
-##3 due to the prevalence of bots that were previously
-##3 tolerated, please tell them it's time to return.
- 
-##2 ~ The Hurnscald Herald ~
- 
-##3 Halloween 2011
- 
-##0 Happy Halloween!
-##0 This year the governments of Argaes and Tonori have decided to sponsor
-##0 trick-or-treating across both continents.
-##0 Have fun and don't make yourself sick by pigging out!
- 
-##0 Credits:
-##0 initial outline - enchilado
-##0 intial draft - alastrim
-##0 rewritten draft - o11c
-##0 review - Jenalya
-##0 new items - Lizandra
-##0 maybe something to do with the new items - salmondine
-##0 old item - maybe Black Don ?
-##0 (We're not spoiling what the items *are*)
-##0 -o11c
- 
-##3 July 2011
- 
-##0 Will Kill Monsters For Food?
- 
-##0 Recovery from the Great Earthquake is still
-##0 very slow throughout the world.  The vast
-##0 devastation still causes starvation and
-##0 a lack of work.  A side effect of the Great
-##0 Earthquake has been the increasing number of
-##0 aggressive monsters and dooms long thought
-##0 forgotten.
- 
-##0 To answer this problem Tulimshar
-##0 has issued a call to be spread far and wide:
-##0 "If you're hungry, if you need work, if you
-##0 are in search of adventure, come to Tulimshar.
-##0 Slaying monsters, liberating mines and
-##0 defeating the night horrors that terrify even
-##0 the most strong willed never paid so well!"
- 
-##0 Needless to say, many are answering this call.
-##0 You may very well be one of them.
- 
-##0 Olana, the Innkeeper's Daughter, Returns to
-##0 Hurnscald...But Where Are Her Daughters?
- 
-##0 Olana, who is staying in the West wing of the
-##0 Hurnscald Inn, has been away to Tulimshar with
-##0 her family since before the Earthquake.
-##0 "The Earthquake may of happened a couple years
-##0 ago, but everything is still messed up.
-##0 I would've returned immediately, but I didn't
-##0 want to put my family at risk until travel
-##0 became a little safer."
- 
-##0 When asked about her daughters, Olana smiled
-##0 "They love wandering the woods around here.
-##0 Other than the occasional bandit group, things
-##0 are usually much more peaceful around here than
-##0 in Tulimshar.  I just hope they don't wander
-##0 near these caves...I've heard many of them can
-##0 be quite dangerous."
- 
-##2 ~ The Hurnscald Herald ~
- 
-##3 June 2011
- 
-##0 A large shipment of gold coins was plundered
-##0 by pirates.  The shipment was to be sent to
-##0 Tulimshar as part of their effort to control
-##0 inflation.  "They seemed to just come out of
-##0 no where!  They took the shipment and my pet
-##0 squirrel Chompers!"  Captain Zierock reported
-##0 while in tears.
- 
-##0 It is believed the pirates divided the gold
-##0 then went separate ways to spend their spoils.
-##0 Ironically, these pirates were the target of
-##0 monsters, who plundered them not just for
-##0 their new found wealth, but also for their
-##0 crunchy bones and sea salty flesh.
- 
-##0 On that note, be on the lookout for Green Slimes,
-##0 which have grown hostile as they evolve to the
-##0 harsh Tonori desert, making them a threat to
-##0 travel and trade.  It is believed many of the
-##0 pirates attempted to cross the Snake Desert,
-##0 where they met the Green Slimes...and their
-##0 end.
- 
-##0 In other news, Andra, a friend of Hinnak, has
-##0 increased her agricultural knowledge and needs
-##0 help keeping the soil around the farm fertile.
-##0 Interested volunteers should speak with her
-##0 about how to help.
- 
-##0 Last, but certainly not least, Agostine has
-##0 returned to Nivalis.  While he enjoyed his
-##0 time in Tulimshar, mingling with other artisans,
-##0 he has missed his home in Kaizei.  "I made this
-##0 fabulous sweater, but nobody wanted to wear it
-##0 in this hot and smelly desert.  That is when I
-##0 decided enough was enough.  Sweat is just gross."
- 
-##2 ~ The Hurnscald Herald ~
- 
-##3 May 2011
- 
-##0 Many battle hardened warriors took some time
-##0 during April and enjoyed helping the somewhat
-##0 forgetful Easter Bunny make his baskets. The
-##0 children surely must have enjoyed their sweets.
- 
-##0 The demi-god Golbenez has finally made good on
-##0 his promise to open a 'place of leisure' in
-##0 the form of an inn. Youngsters beware, since
-##0 the entrance to this inn is near the old
-##0 graveyard and could be dangerous.
- 
-##0 There have also been reports about a mysterious
-##0 stranger roaming the beaches near Tulimshar.
-##0 Be on the lookout if you are in the area.
- 
-##2 ~ The Hurnscald Herald ~
- 
-##3 January 2011
- 
-##0 Reports of bandit raids to the west of
-##0 Hurnscald has mobilized the town.  Those
-##0 injured by these bandits may have a long stay
-##0 ahead of them in Hurnscald's hospital.
- 
-##0 Shortly after Tulimshar loosened the tariff
-##0 on travel, skill trainers have come to Mana.
-##0 If one wants to improve themselves through
-##0 acquiring skills, be on the lookout for these
-##0 trainers.
- 
-##0 In other news, Taro is still missing, but
-##0 Diryn, an agent of Tulimshar, has established
-##0 a connection with the Kaizei area, making
-##0 travel to Nivalis possible again.  He still
-##0 assists the battle hardened travel distant
-##0 locations just outside of Hurnscald.  Getting
-##0 back can be done by finding Frozenbeard, a
-##0 pioneer who is mapping a trade route to get
-##0 to Nivalis by ship.
- 
-##0 Diryn's re-connection with Nivalis came none
-##0 too soon.  Golbenez, a demi-god who demanded
-##0 a half billion gold pieces for building some
-##0 sort of leisure place, scrapped the idea and
-##0 went for good old fashioned kidnapping to get
-##0 whatever he wanted from the world of Mana.
-##0 He kidnapped Santa Claus.  Fearful Santa may
-##0  not gift the children of the world, wizards,
-##0 warriors and archers rallied to pay the
-##0 demi-god his demands.
- 
-##0 Shortly after Santa was freed, something more
-##0 sinister has come to Kaizei.  The yeti.
-##0 Sightings of this beast returns with stories
-##0 of them.  Though aggressive, their behavior
-##0 seems out of place.  They've never been known
-##0 as cave dwellers nor to kidnap people.
- 
-##0 Last, but definitely not least, Dimond's Cove
-##0 is observing "Burns' Supper" January 24-26th.
-##0 Shanon is hosting the event, which he promises
-##0 will be an excellent time for food, drink and
-##0 poems.
- 
-##2 ~ The Hurnscald Herald ~
- 
-##3 Countless candy-concerning complaints: council
-##3 consequently considers citizen-composed cleanup crew
-##3 Eighteenth of November 2010
- 
-##0 Recently, the ancient tradition of Hallowe'en
-##0 was celebrated across Argaes, Tonori and other
-##0 continents. Estimated tons of sweets were given
-##0 out to happy trick-or-treaters, and as with
-##0 most other years a lot of this vast total was
-##0 dropped on the night. Even a week and a half
-##0 after Hallowe'en, many kilograms of sweets
-##0 still litter our pleasant woodlands.
- 
-##0 After dozens of letters regarding the situation,
-##0 the Hurnscald Council has said that the best
-##0 solution would be to organise a team of
-##0 volunteers to work on collecting dropped sweets
-##0 and disposing of them - but it has yet to
-##0 organise any such thing.
- 
-##0 In the meantime, why not do your bit and collect
-##0 some sweets for yourself? If you don't mind them
-##0 being a bit old, you could be able to make the
-##0 biggest Hallowe'en haul in history.
- 
-##0 Additionally, we've been getting some reports of
-##0 a rather creepy skeleton hanging around the
-##0 woodland. He doesn't appear to be aggressive,
-##0 but he chatters unintelligibly at passers-by.
- 
- 
-##3 Rollback
-##0 2010-11-17
-##0
-##0 Everything should now be running from a
-##0 complete save state (including storage, banks,
-##0 parties etc) that is even two days more recent
-##0 than what we were temporarilyrunning on before.
-##0 All credit to Platyna for speedy recovery and
-##0 even more recent backups. :)
-##0
-##3 Server outage
-##0 2010-11-16
-##0
-##0 Things running on the four day old backups,
-##0 restricted to account save info and character
-##0 save info for now while we try to get other
-##0 databases working.
-##0
-##0 This means no party data or storage data for
-##0 now, we'll try to recover that along with
-##0 everything else, as we should be able to get
-##0 a full saved state from within the past week.
-##0
-##0 The current setup is more to have something
-##0 partially up, and so that people know what's
-##0 going on while we try to fix things; any
-##0 in-game progress made right now##1will not
-##0 persist.
-##0
-##3 Server outage
-##0 2010-11-16
-##0
-##0 Okay, apparently even that won't work right now.
-##0 Servers will remain##3offline##0 until we figure out
-##0 what we can do.
-##0
-##3 Server outage
-##0 2010-11-16
-##0
-##0 We've just had a serious server crash, and the
-##0 databases seem to have been affected here. We're
-##0 currently running on some four-day old backups;
-##0 whether this will be a temporary measure or
-##0 whether newer ones are usable is yet to be
-##0 determined.
-##0
-##0 Please note that the current state may only
-##0 be##3temporary##0, and that if usable newer backups
-##0 are found within the next 24 hours, those will
-##0 be used instead, and any character progress
-##0 made may be lost. If no usable backups are
-##0 found during this time, the four-day rollback
-##0 will have to be permanent.
-##0
-##0 More news updates will follow once we've
-##0 investigated further; we're doing what we can...
-##0
-##2 Freeyorp