Yeah, I'm still alive, but I'm on holydays...
I'm sittin' in a Internet cafe right now, but I've got only 6 minutes left, so I can post only this reply (the connection isn't the fatsest one... 
I'll be back in 'bout one week, replying and posting.
I'm workin on Ultima 0.27 Beta 11 right now, it's got some cool news, but i can't compile the files and upload 'em now. I'll do this in one week.
-------------
Something 'bout the color pool:
I found out, that the way we read out the color pool isn't right...
The count of the color's isn't
numpolys + additional
it's
numverts + additional + value3
I tested it on some battle files, and I'm sure that this is the right way. (I guess Fica has got to update his .p format description
Ok, I got no time, read u next week.
- Alhexx @ Poland
