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We have a few things to talk about this time! First of all, Halloween Hoopla has begun! For the month of October, we encourage everybody to get creative and participate in at least one of four activities: spooky photography, cooking, pumpkin carving, and/or painting spook stones! Participating in at least one event gets you a badge, while if you participate in more than one, your badge gets rainbow-fied! More info is on the board!

Did you notice that the forum rules have been updated? We've made them more in line with our official Discord server's rules and standards. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask myself or anyone else on the mod team. We're always here to help!

And, if you enjoy cooking, you'll probably enjoy another event we have coming up! It's going to be dazzlingly delicious!

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Cabin Fever 2 has just concluded, with the winner being FallenAither! Congratulations on your rather difficult serial killer win; that's no small feat! Aither won the MVP badge, of course, but The Narrator also saw fit to honor Deybrek, who was subbed in and then carried Team Mafia for several days before finally getting caught. Thus, we announce the return of the Mafia Underdog badge, awarded to a single player who played an excellent game despite the odds stacked heavily against them. Well done, both of you! You can read the retrospective in the Mafia Archives! Many thanks to Xedic Xyvis and Kpiozero for their absolutely stellar game!

Although our previous newsletter suggested that a new mafia game would soon be on its way, that has unfortunately been canceled for the time being. :( However, we have a number of other site activities that we hope you'll enjoy! And if you have a mafia game of your own that you'd like to run, please give the aspiring Narrator thread a read! We'd love to see what you have in mind!

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We took a break from the Monthly Prompt Posts in September, but cupofspiders had an excellent entry for August's prompt, Effusive! Please give it a look!

This month, the prompt is Enigmatic. Seems like a good fit for some of the spookiest nights of the year, doesn't it? If you have the time, feel free to give it a go over on the forum.

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It's almost time for another PK Hack spectacular: Jank Jam! Jack Jam 4 has been announced, and the dates determined. It'll last from October 17 to October 25, so start brainstorming! The theme is “[NAME]’s [ADJECTIVE] [NOUN]”. Take a look at the survey thread for more information.

Riddles are in flux this month, so we may or may not have them. Please keep an eye out! Also, do you feel like you or someone else accomplished something that should be featured in the Starmen.net newsletter? Please contact LadyTe with your suggestion for a potential future feature.

We're coming up on November, and that means sweater weather (hopefully)! Everyone stay cool (or warm?) until then, and we'll catch up soon!

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Cabin Fever 2 rapidly approaches its conclusion. And with talk of serial killers being part of the mix, you can spit in any direction and hit a body. It’s a mad hunt to find the threats to the town, and you can witness it for yourself in the mafia board. Don’t forget to check out the flavor text while you’re at it. Mafia doubles as a game and a story experience!

Itching to leap into action? A new mafia game is on its way and will launch shortly after the current one concludes. Out of Delivery Range, an eleven-player game, will tell the tale of a young woman who serves her tiny village as the sole police officer and pizza deliveryperson. Keep an eye out for signup threads in the coming weeks.

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Last month, I promised there would be MOTHER Riddles this month. Unfortunately, I tripped and fell and landed in the lair of a sphinx — yes, that lion-bodied creature of legend. And to save my life, I had to sacrifice my ability to host riddles for the entire month of September. You would not believe the stress this has caused me.

The good news is that Undertale and Deltarune Riddles are alive and well. You can even play them now! So go give them your best shot, and let’s hope that I can avoid that dastardly sphinx for the foreseeable future.

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In 1stAgent’s EarthBound series, you’ll experience MOTHER 2 as if it were scripted to be an animated series. And already, this saga has made its way to Twoson and Happy-Happy Village. Relive Ness and Paula’s battles against the bad guys in blue for yourself!

Additionally, in the Fan Forum, users have been showing their support for Cants. Who is Cants, you may ask? Well, he’s a cat wearing pants, and he is an emoji on the Starmen.net Discord server. Cants has been at risk of being removed from the emoji roster... but could this outpouring of fan art change his fate for the better?

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We have a few extra announcements for you that we couldn’t quite slot in anywhere else. MPP and Theories are on hiatus for September, but expect their return in the near future. Additionally, keep your eye out for the upcoming Jank Jam announcement. This exciting ROM-hacking event is on its way, and there will be more information about it (right here on the front page) in the near future!

Do you feel like you or someone else accomplished something that should be featured in the Starmen.net newsletter? Please contact maximuspinpoint, Ostricho, or Xedic Zyvis with your suggestion for a potential future feature.

October's right around the corner, and with it, hopefully some cool temperatures and cooler site happenings. We look forward to giving you another update then!

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Cabin Fever 2 is already underway, and your fellow forum-goers are arguing with each other as we speak. Take a peek at the action and watch as the town hunts down the scum for yourself. Follow along with the narrative with each start-of-day and end-of-day post. And most importantly, be sure to take out enormous payday loans so you can bet it all on the winning team!

(What’s that? Uh, the higher-ups are telling me you shouldn’t do that. Okay, fine, fine. Keep your credit score intact. It means nothing to me, the guy who just opened his own payday loan business.)

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In last month’s Theories, we asked: What is the nature of “America” in the world of MOTHER, and how does it coexist with Eagleland? 1stAgent stepped up to the plate and provided us with a lovely speech from the President of Eagleland, who gives us his thoughts on the eerily similar nation of America. Why not check it out here?

This month, we take a step further away from fact and a step closer to fiction. What untrue stories might have been told about the past of the Nowhere Islands? Really, your imagination will dictate how far you can take this topic, so give it a whirl!

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Your selection for Riddles is slightly pared back this month. However, the fun isn’t completely over because our Undertale/Deltarune Riddles are up and running. That means it’s the perfect time for all you Toby Fox junkies to test your meddle and try to get your name on the leaderboard. It’s a good brainteaser for your daily routine, I’d say.

I promise that there will be some MOTHER Riddles for you next month. From which game, though? I guess you’ll have to wait and see!

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Last month’s prompt was Ascent. Swing by and take a look at Lav-199X’s submission, “The Mountain, the Train, and the Fountain”. In this poem, examine the potential to overcome obstacles in your youth — or look back at them sorrowfully in your elder years.

This month, the prompt is: Effusive. According to Merriam-Webster, this adjective means “marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm”. We hope you show said enthusiasm and try this prompt out for size.

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MOTHER: Origins has new chapters for you to check out. In the current leg of the journey, Ninten and his friends are facing off against the fearsome Rockoyle, a stony behemoth that threatens to place Ellay under Giygas’s rule. However, bad becomes worse when Ninten finds himself face-to-face with an unbeatable opponent: his own father, having lost his mind to the aliens’ brain-jacking signal.

Oh, and speaking of Ninten... did you know that the EarthBound Beginnings Remake team is preparing a variety of additional materials? This includes a “Japanese” version of the game (think crows with cigarettes and original map designs) and even a full strategy guide. Keep tabs on the thread!

Do you feel like you or someone else accomplished something that should be featured in the Starmen.net newsletter? Please contact Ostricho with your suggestion for a potential future feature.

Next time, it’ll be September, the ninth month of the year. You’d think it’d be the seventh month of the year because it starts with sept-, and you’d be onto something. That’s because it originally was the seventh month. So, uh, until then.

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Have you been hoping for a new mafia game? You’re in luck. A new game is coming up, and up to twenty-four players will be able to join. Cabin Fever 2, a follow-up to 2017’s Cabin Fever, features a world trapped in the clutches of a modern-day ice age. Some of humanity’s survivors live in an isolated “bio-dome” — and when disagreements about letting in outsiders go awry, conflict begins.

Look forward to a signup thread later this month! When it drops, you’ll want to make sure you’re among the first to join this special mafia event.

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In last month’s Theories, we asked: How is one turned into a dungeon, and how does Brick Road control Dungeon Man? The first prize goes to LadyTe, who wrote a lovely short story telling us more about Dr. Andonuts, his relationship with his son, and his old college roommate Brick Road. Please check it out here!

Since we’re approaching the Fourth of July, how about we think about America — or more specifically, the America featured in EarthBound Beginnings? What is the nature of “America” in the world of MOTHER, and how does it coexist with Eagleland? Let us know what you think in this month’s Theories thread.

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This month, we have a total of three Riddles threads for you to participate in. For the MOTHER series, you can try your luck at MOTHER 3 Riddles, featuring the return of hangman puzzles. But that’s not all! You can play Undertale/Deltarune Riddles, as well as Video Game Riddles, which will test your general knowledge of video games as a whole.

Remember, taking first place in any Riddles thread will earn you a badge, so why wait? Give it a go and see if you can solve these head-scratchers.

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Last month’s prompt was Reminiscence. It’s time to look back fondly at the submissions we got: one from user Nouveaux, and another from Starmen regular and author asterika. You definitely won’t want to miss these, so swing by and see what they had to offer.

This month, the prompt is: Ascent. Think you’re up to the challenge? If so, rise to the occasion and head over to the thread.

We want to point out that there’s been a change regarding Monthly Prompt Post participation. If you submit ten prompts over the course of the months, you earn a forum rank! Earn twenty, and you earn your own avatar! We hope this gives our resident writers more incentive to participate.

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Have you played the EarthBound Beginnings Remake yet? For those of you who have already downloaded this ROM hack, it may be time to check your version number. The recently released Version 1.2 patches out bugs, corrects typos, and even comes with an exciting screensaver mode. Simply power off your monitor to view the battle background from the NES original.

Please check out the changelog for the new patch on the EBBR website. And remember, if you encounter any glitches or typos, you can report them to the team on their thread.

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Have you noticed the Cloudflare check when accessing the site recently? It’s part of our ongoing experiment to get bots off Starmen.net. If everything goes as planned, the login requirement for browsing the forum should eventually be rolled back, putting an end to a long-term dilemma. Please keep your eyes peeled for developments!

We have more avatar-related news! The Fanvatar Frenzy is no longer a temporary event. Instead, it’s a permanent part of our website. In the days of old, you could earn your own forum avatar by creating four avatars that other users accepted. Now? You only have to make one. If you’ve been waiting for your chance to snag an avatar, check out the thread to see what opportunities are available.

Do you feel like you or someone else accomplished something that should be featured in the Starmen.net newsletter? Please contact Ostricho with your suggestion for a potential future feature.

We look forward to sharing new highlights with you in the august month of August!

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Last month, we asked a broader question: Twenty years later, what influence has MOTHER 3 had on the industry, and what future does it have? Our winning theory was from Squig, who discussed how MOTHER 3 relates to the real world — a world that isn’t always a caring place. Give it a read here! For June, Ostricho poses a new question: How did Brick Road’s transformation into Dungeon Man work? Who knows? Maybe you do, so write a submission and post it here.

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Want to test your mind and meddle? If so, this month’s riddles are right for you. For June, you get your pick between EarthBound riddles and Undertale/Deltarune riddles. Don’t forget that there are badges up for grabs. And even if you’re not after a badge, you might just enjoy the challenge. Riddles can be real headscratchers, but that makes them all the more satisfying to solve. Oh, and the best part? Unlike the mysteries of life, our riddles always have answers!

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Last month’s prompt was Wish. Do you wish to read our wonderful pair of submissions? Do you wish for fewer cheesy puns? This genie can only grant one of those requests, so head here to read last month’s MPP. The real magic lies in a Review, though, so consider putting your critic hat on and commenting on another user’s work. Xedic Zyvis brings us a new prompt this month: Reminiscence. Let’s make some good submissions so we can think fondly back on them later! Head over to the thread and give it a go.

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It’s an exciting month to be a fan of EarthBound Beginnings. The long-awaited EarthBound Beginnings Remake hack is finally here! Explore the world of this beloved title now reimagined for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System! For those of you that have been held back by the age of EarthBound Beginnings, this is a golden opportunity. Act now and make sure you’re among the first to play it. We also want to draw attention to a new written series by site user 1stAgent. In EarthBound: The Series, 1stAgent imagines the events of MOTHER 2 as it would be scripted for an animated television program. Three chapters are now available for you to enjoy.

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At long last, our MOTHER 3 20th Anniversary Funfest has come to an end. Thank you to all who streamed, created, participated, watched, and so much more! We’re happy to report that the funfest was a huge success in many regards. First, the funfest’s donation goal of $5,000 was not only met, but exceeded! We raised a whopping $7,553.11 and even more from the auction, which brought in $7,570 on its own. These funds will go to World Central Kitchen to help provide meals to people in need around the world. Once again, a huge thank you to all who donated and bid. The streams were a hit as well, with nineteen action-packed GPPs and two encore streams to celebrate our donation goal being met. We were so lucky to have our grand finale hosted by our very own site founder, Reid Young, as well as other friends from Fangamer. But if you couldn’t tune in, no worries because the VODs are available through their forum threads, Twitch, and coming soon to YouTube! If you have any questions or need help getting to the streams, don’t be afraid to send a PM to LadyTe. Last but not least, submissions poured in across all five categories. With twelve submissions, our Music category ranges from original compositions to tasteful arrangements. From Nana’s beach adventure to the true nature of Tazmily and even Stone-Sheet-Clippers, our lineup of ten Writing pieces is sure to bring you smiles and tears. The whopping thirteen Compart submissions cover the whole game, as do the various media in our six Handart submissions. And let’s not forget our lovely AudioViz submissions, two videos and a fully playable game! Thanks to all who submitted! You can show even more appreciation by checking them out yourself. All artists would love to see their work interacted with, so don’t hesitate to reach out with comments and compliments on the board!

Do you feel like you or someone else accomplished something that should be featured in the Starmen.net newsletter? Please contact maximuspinpoint, Ostricho, or Xedic Zyvis with your suggestion for a potential future feature.

Things are going to heat up even more in July (at least in the literal sense). We look forward to giving you another update then!