Torn City Newsletter - Spring 2021

[Torn - Online RPG game - Free text based games]() Volume 34 / SPRING 2021 We’ve Got A Spring In Our Step Hey {NAME}, [Spring in Torn] 2021 is hopefully going to see a return to normal life for many of us, with clubs, pubs, and cheese-rolling contests welcomed back after a year of coronavirus misery. But we know that our players don’t like going outside that much - you’d much rather be huddled safely indoors with your Dual Samurais and a can of Munster while plotting to kidnap the Mayor. Let’s take a look at the features we’ve introduced and improved this quarter, along with news of our competition results and a few events that are on their way. In this edition #1 [STOCKS 3.0](#section1) #2 [LOG](#section2) #3 [DARK MODE](#section3) #4 [MEDICAL UPDATE](#section4) #5 [FINGERS FERNANDO](#section5) #6 [EASTER FUN!](#section6) #7 [EASTER COMPETITIONS](#section7) #8 [COMPANY TWEAKS](#section8) #9 [CALLING ALL INFLUENCERS](#section9) #10 [FORTHCOMING EVENTS](#section10) #11 [COMPETITION RESULTS](#section11) #12 [ULTIMATE RACING TOURNAMENT](#section12) #13 [IQ](#section13) #14 [IN OTHER NEWS](#section14) #15 [THIS QUARTER'S FREEBIE](#section15) []STOCKS 3.0 April saw the release of [Stocks 3.0](threads&f=1&t=16220039&b=0&a=0), with the stock market system given a complete makeover both over and under the hood. [New Stocks 3.0] The change most people would’ve noticed first is that we have tweaked a number of dividends and their respective stock benefit block requirements. Many of these changes were necessary to facilitate the new stock stacking feature, whereby players can receive additional dividends by purchasing additional doubled increments of shares. Overall, only five benefit blocks were increased to require more shares than before, with seven having their cost reduced and the rest remaining the same. Despite claims to the contrary, this update levels the financial playing field hugely and should help to limit the excesses of Torn’s richer citizens while also helping new traders make their mark. Nonetheless, if you are unhappy with your existing shares, you may sell them to the system with a 0% fee until 2pm on April 20th. From then on, all share sales will have a 0.1% fee applied to them to deter players from using the stock system as a bank. Stock sales and purchases are now unlimited and instantaneous. Unfortunately, this has meant we have had to remove players’ ability to trade shares between themselves and trade while flying or abroad. Still, we feel the updates we’ve made have helped to create a much more interactive and live stock market, one that is no longer merely a playground for the rich, rather something that the whole community can enjoy for years to come. You can read about these changes more in the [newspaper article on Stocks 3.0](/articles/1125), where you’ll also find information on our six new stock honor bars, and a handy spreadsheet containing all of the new stock values in numerical form. []LOG You now have greater access to your own records than at any point in Torn history, thanks to the huge number of filters we’ve applied to our expanded [Log](. There are 208 categories of information in the log, and exactly 900 log types, allowing you, the players, to filter through your own data and draw insights on how you play the game. [Activity Log] The expanded log can be found by clicking the recent history button and following the View Log link at the bottom. From here, you will find three dropdown filters you can use to find out all sorts of information about yourself, including awards achieved, bounties placed or received, threads liked, messages read, items used, peace treaties started, respect gained, trades made, and working stats gained. []DARK MODE Optometrists everywhere have rejoiced with the news that [Dark Mode](threads&f=1&t=16218816&b=0&a=0) is now available. If you wish to save your eyes from screen glare, simply click your profile icon on the top bar and toggle Dark Mode on. Over 180 pages and counting have been adjusted, with every key area of Torn City transformed into pleasing shades of black and smoky grey for your comfort. [Dark mode] This version of Dark Mode is a beta. We have already attended to a number of minor issues related to Dark Mode, but thanks to your feedback, it won’t be long before Dark Mode looks as sleek and pristine as Torn Classic - Diet Cherry Torn is coming soon. []MEDICAL UPDATE In February, we began making a series of wide-ranging changes to Torn’s Medical system, including an overhaul of the reviving industry, buffs and tweaks to medical items, and a few amendments to the territorial system. These changes were a long time in the making and came about after lengthy discussions with our newly expanded Committee. Once our [initial changes were pushed](/articles/2049), we watched closely to see how the community reacted to this development. In response, we brought in a new feature, [Early Discharge](/articles/1997), to replace the outside hitter cooldown mitigation system we had initially proposed. Early Discharge allows certain territorial war fighters who are hospitalized by outside hitters to leave the hospital without using medical items - thus preserving their medical cooldown. This change was itself amended [three weeks later](/articles/2077) when we narrowed the definition of an outside hitter, while also honing the eligibility criteria for those who are themselves hit. Before that, our penultimate change took the form of an adjustment to territorial warring, whereby factions must now wait [72-hours to claim territory](/articles/2075) after abandoning their final one. These changes aimed to make Torn more fun by making it easier and cheaper to war in Torn City. Early signs are that these changes have started having an effect, as the number of wars happening daily has increased. There is still room for improvement, of course, but we feel the changes we have already made were a step in the right direction. []FINGERS FERNANDO Duke Calabrese added some more muscle to his operations in February with the recruitment of South-American heartthrob “Fingers” Fernando. We don’t know how Fernando got this nickname, and we’re not sure we want to, but most people were more interested in what kind of loot this guy was packing. Most of the time, looting Fernando will provide you with a Feathery Hotel Coupon or a Bandit Mask. But if you’re lucky, and Fernando’s loot level is high enough, you may be able to nab yourself a Poison Umbrella, one of the most unique weapons we’ve ever created. The Poison Umbrella is capable of delivering one of several debilitating effects towards your opponent, making those who wield it an unpredictable proposition for those who oppose them. So far, only one person has managed to wrest a Poison Umbrella from Fernando’s nimble Latin fingers, and we look forward to seeing this bizarre new weapon wielded in battle soon. []EASTER FUN! Arguably the most groundbreaking development in Torn City history was the introduction of a new Purple Egg to the Easter Egg Hunt competition. When discovered, this egg provides you with 10 Mission Credits, but more importantly, it brings up the number of eggs needed for a full set up to ten - we like nice round numbers. [New Easter egg set and values] The Easter Egg Hunt began on the 5th and runs until midnight on the 25th, giving you twenty days to find and click the random colored eggs that pop up on every page in Torn. All of the eggs provide you with a little bonus when found, and this year, we swapped around the values of the yellow and blue eggs to make the yellow one match the happiness bar - we like matching colors. You may eat your collected eggs for 50 happiness if you so desire, but if you have the full set of ten, you can exchange them for 20 points and a Gold Egg over at the [Competitions page](. The first time you do this, you will also receive the Good Friday honor bar and a soft, sensual kiss from the Easter Bunny - if he finds you attractive. Speaking of the Easter Bunny, our new, [lootable NPC]( is enjoying being bruised and beaten by the people of Torn. However, if you want to get a hold of his rare Bunny Suit and Egg Propelled Launcher, you’ll need to let him get to the higher levels before pulping his little bunny body into scrambles. We’ve heard reports of [bounties being placed on players](threads&f=2&t=16219489&b=0&a=0) who don’t follow NPC looting etiquette too, which is the kind of citizen-led justice we thoroughly encourage in Torn City. []EASTER COMPETITIONS Thanks to a legion of fedded players who generously allowed us to confiscate their inventories, we are offering a selection of prizes to the winners of our Easter Community Events. If you can draw, bake, paint, or beg, head over to the [Community Events forum](forums&f=62&b=0&a=0) and enter today for a chance to win a Hazmat Suit, Platinum PDA, Snow Cannon, and a fully upgraded Private Island! We’re also giving away a heap of great stuff via a raffle too. To enter the raffle, simply make one post in our [Lucky Dip thread](threads&f=62&t=16219399&b=0&a=0) telling us a Torn fact. Your fact can be real or imaginary, interesting or boring; it really doesn’t matter, as simply posting in this thread gains you entry into the raffle. When the raffle closes at midnight on Sunday the 25th, we will use a random number generator to pick out over a hundred different winners, with prizes ranging from Dual MP5s and a Hazmat Suit through to energy drinks, cesium, and a BCT. And finally, we’re auctioning off six rare items on the 16th of April, with these ten-day lots running until midnight on the 25th. The items up for auction are a Horse Collectible, Chocolate Egg ‘05, Hazmat Suit, Church Coin, and a Riding Crop. We’ll be adding one more item to this list after we realized that the 'Nothing' item we intended to auction was untradable! [Easter Bunny] []COMPANY TWEAKS The latest change in our ongoing review of Torn’s worst-performing companies saw the [Meat Warehouse receive some significant boosts](threads&f=1&t=16207073&b=0&a=0). We began by increasing this company’s income potential to compete with similar firms for the level of employees it requires. After that, we chose to double the Meat Warehouse’s storage capacity, and we also buffed or replaced two of its weak specials. The 1* perk, Blood Thirst, was doubled to provide two nerve in exchange for one job point. This boost was replicated for similar specials found at the Amusement Park, Strip Clubs, and the Firework Stand. We also introduced a new 3* perk, Blood Splatter, which provides you with a 50% reduction in crime experience penalties endured when failing crimes. This company has experienced a surge in popularity since these changes, and we have now set our sights on Torn’s other underperforming companies. []CALLING ALL INFLUENCERS Are you an online influencer? Would your subscribers be interested in Torn City content? Then we want to hear from you! [Torn advocates] Torn is looking to form reciprocal partnerships with players who are big on social media to promote the best text-based MMORPG in the world. Obviously, there are plenty of influencers out there, but we’d rather work with those who are already part of the Torn community, as who better to spread the word than our loyal Tornians! It doesn’t matter if you’re a half-naked instagram star with a million thirsty followers or a micro-influencer with an audience of 500 dedicated RPG fans; we’d love to hear your thoughts on a mutually beneficial collaboration. Please contact our Community Manager bogie [148747] via in-game message to find out more. []FORTHCOMING EVENTS The next date to put in your calendar is the 19th of April, as this is when our 4-20 event begins. All Cannabis effects are tripled for 48 hours from noon on the 19th to the 21st, and you also have an increased chance of overdosing on weed too - pretty handy if you want that Spaced Out merit. Museum Day will be along in May, with all item exchanges at the Museum paying out 10% more points than usual from noon on the 17th to the 19th. If you’ve got a store of plushies, flowers, and senet pieces waiting to be exchanged, make sure you save them for Museum Day! Mid-June sees the return of Blood Donor Day. From noon on the 13th to the 15th, all life and cooldown penalties for withdrawing blood are halved. Coupled with the recent medical changes that made blood withdrawal more efficient, we should see a huge amount of bloodletting activity this summer! July plays host to two 48-hour events, with the first being World Population Day from the 10th-12th. During this, players gain double the usual amount of experience while attacking, so expect some of those World Blood Donor stocks from June to be used up! The second July event is World Tiger Day, which sees all hunting experience gained in South Africa multiplied by five. Of course, the main event in July is Mr. and Ms. Torn, where players enter pictures of themselves and compete for votes in a bid to be crowned King and Queen of the City. This competition runs from the 5th to the 25th of July and will no doubt result in entries that display equal amounts of creativity and nudity. []COMPETITION RESULTS Our Christmas and Valentine’s competitions provided popular once more this year. As ever, the most hotly contested events were the [Christmas Card Competition](threads&f=62&t=16201300&b=0&a=0&start=40) and [Valentine’s Card Competition](threads&f=62&t=16210984&b=0&a=0), due to the huge number of extremely talented artists who play Torn. This year, we couldn’t separate MuddBaal and RedRedCat, so we gave them joint first for these two excellent entries into the Christmas event. MuddBaal [MuddBaal's Christmas card] RedRedCat [RedRedCat's Christmas card] The [Valentine’s Card Competition](threads&f=62&t=16210984&b=0&a=0) was just as difficult to judge, but Fluffy-Kitten won due to her charming illustration style - and the fact that Duke loves it when someone paints him looking handsome. [Fluffy-Kitten's Valentines card] Elsewhere, LastRites was the winner of our [Christmas Sermon Competition](threads&f=62&t=16201301&b=0&a=0), where we asked players to write and perform a Torn-appropriate sermon in the style of an evangelist preacher. [His entry was memorable](, to say the least! [As was Mgvel’s victorious entry]( in the [Tornonovela competition](threads&f=62&t=16210985&b=0&a=0), where we asked players to record a one-minute telenovela set in Torn. Be forewarned, the accents contained within are dodgy but very, very funny. Here are some of the other winners from our slate of Christmas and Valentine’s events. [Pixie-’s winning entry]( in the [Nativity Scene Competition](threads&f=62&t=16201299&b=0&a=0). [Fluffy-Kitten’s winning entry]( into the [Tornament Competition](threads&f=62&t=16201306&b=0&a=0). [-Selene-’s winning meme]( in the [Meme Competition](threads&f=62&t=16201305&b=0&a=0). [Blargzhilla’s winning entry]( in the [Baking Competition](threads&f=62&t=16201302&b=0&a=0). [Betsey’s winning entry]( in the [Best Dressed Pet Competition](threads&f=62&t=16201304&b=0&a=0). [Alicia-Ohera’s winning entry]( in the [Valentine’s Love Hearts Competition](threads&f=62&t=16210987&b=0&a=0). [Vladar’s winning entry]( in the [Romantic Dinner Competition](threads&f=62&t=16210986&b=0&a=0). And finally, the big news from Community Events was Heasleys4hemp’s victory in the [Make a Map competition](. We asked players to create an elaborate and adventureful Christmas Town map using the editor we released two years ago. There were so many fantastic entries, but Heasley’s map, Winter in Gatlin, won over the judges thanks to its considered design, entertaining content, and high level of technical execution. Heasleys took home a valuable Gold AK-47 for his efforts, with four other winners also receiving rare items after being hand-picked by the judges, Bogie, Amonette, and Sugarvalves. [Read all about the winners and their maps here.](/articles/2082) [Map]( []ULTIMATE RACING TOURNAMENT Storm1968 won the 2021 Ultimate Racing Tournament Winter Rally in February, securing the title in dramatic fashion with victory in the final race at Stone Park. He went into the tournament ranked twelfth out of 48 participants but defied the odds in his first tournament appearance to take home his maiden URT crown - and a Bugatti Veyron to boot! Data was our Winter Rally runner-up this year, with ToxicMonkeyMZC taking home third. The Soybean award for the best low-ranked driver was given to Selits, who finished in sixth-place despite being ranked 35th out of 48. And one final congratulation must go to Fluffy-Kitten, who won our URT graphics competition by creating this fantastic victory banner for Storm1968. [URT banner]( The organizers would like to thank everyone who took part, and a special huge gargantuan thank you to all of the stewards who helped run the tournament. The URT is unique because it relies on the racing community’s enthusiasm to assist Sugarvalves in staging the event. While the posting of races could be automated, the use of player stewards gives it a more inclusive feel. We hope you’ll all be back for when the URT returns with its Summer edition sometime in July. In the meantime, why not enter the player-run [Justice League Tournament](/articles/2094), with entries open until the 17th of April! []IQ Did you fall for our April Fool’s prank? On April 1st, we announced that a new [IQ statistic](/articles/2086) had been added to your playerstats. The vast majority of these fake IQs were automatically generated, but we gave specific numbers to players we dislike certain notable individuals. Look out for next year’s April Fools prank, where we’ll be introducing a new statistic that estimates the length and width of your nether regions. [] IN OTHER NEWS [Praying for eggs thread 2.021]( by Vitagreta [Preliminary Andyman Analysis - Stocks 3.0]( by Andyman [I love the new Stock 3.0]( by _O_o_ [WTF HAVE THEY DONE TO THE STOCK MARKET!!]( by A5H [NS v SA It’s finally HAPPENING]( by HvR-Lust [Happy Holi! A Thank you from Tarun]( by Tarun [HIGHEST IQ IN TORN]( by Evil-Duck [Community Thoughts on Medical Revamp 2021]( by Andyman [Committee Makeup](threads&f=2&t=16219229&b=0&a=0) by Vladar [Community Stats [27/03]](threads&f=2&t=16218323&b=0&a=0) by LDP [NPC Etiquette]( by Beerstein [Lose 1b Stock Speed Run](threads&f=16&t=16220196&b=0&a=0&start=0&to=21378194) by Euphoria [147/149 Weapons Maxed - 100% XP]( by Proxima [Natural Selection bombed](threads&f=9&t=16215525&b=0&a=0) by Hcom3 [Every Plot TWISTS](threads&f=2&t=16217401&b=0&a=0) by Bling_Bling [KABOOM]( by Zomb13 [I swear to god this better be the last dirty bomb]( by Femme_Sinatra [DB Archive: Reborn](threads&f=2&t=16216860&b=0&a=0) by Boo [WHAT CHED DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW](threads&f=2&t=16206949&b=0&a=0) by Vladar []THIS QUARTER'S FREEBIE [Take freebie]( As with all our quarterly newsletters, we like to give you all a little treat for being part of the best online RPG community in the world. Click above to claim it! 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