The World Wide Web. It's easy to forget that it spans the entire planet, because it's so easy to leap from country to country with a click of the mouse or tap of the keys. But sometimes that's part of the problem. The information _is_ spread all over the world, and it's not always easy to find what you're looking for, even with the aid of one of the many search engines out there. So what I've decided to do is start up a little service to all you wargamers out there. If you know of a good wargame or strategy game site, or maybe you even run one, then drop me an email telling me the address and a little about the site. Then I'll go and have a nose, and if I think it offers that little bit more, then I'll do a small write-up, and tell the world!
And just to set the ball in motion, here's a few sites that I already know of.
This page has a database of players that you can search through to find face-to-face players, play-by-mail/email, or dial-up opponents. Using the built in search engine, you can search by game title, location, or even rule variations. Although still quite new, the Opponent Finder already has a fair few entries, and will probably become a major site in the gaming world.
This is an excellent collection of pages, covering not only games, but also weapons of war, war histories, political theory, military science, and other war-related info. A true wealth of information, (or at least links to much of it), where you can find detailed information on subjects ranging from the Swedish Armed forces to Cyberwar to World War 2 submarines.
The first thing I'll say is that this is a massive site. Maybe not in number of actual pages, but it seems to have links to other web sites for every game ever invented! The game list is absolutely huge, and covers all forms of games, whatever the media. Computer games, board games and table-top game are all listed. There is also a comprehensive list of companies related to the games listed, as well as magazines, mailing lists, and even the Grognard Challenge! Want to know what a Grognard is? Visit the site!
Steel Panthers I and II seems to be a popular subject for many web pages about games, so I thought I'd mention one of the good ones. It's a nicely drawn site, with loads of game information, FAQ's, utilities and scenarios for both SP1 and SP2.
Stars! also has it's share of sites, but this one offers that little bit more. On it you can find not only the usual updates for the space-based strategy game, but also lots of files on customising your own races, information on game events such as the Mystery Trader, hints, and other files that don't seem to appear anywhere else (other than the newsgroups).
TacOps is another game I rate very highly, and this site is an excellent source of information from other players. It contains information about the game itself, game updates, special extras, and tactics that have been sent in by the players. There are also specific scenario tactics here, as well as general ones, so if your attrition rate is a little on the high side, see how someone else tried it.
I hope you find these pages and summaries useful, and, as I said, if you have any pages that you think are too good to keep to yourself, then let me know! After all, what have you got to lose? That is, until everyone else starts winning...
Tim Still for Game Over!
