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Playing games via the Internet

The Internet can be used as a medium to play games. Playing this way overcomes the lack of local opponents and games are available whenever you want. Any board gme can be Played By EMail (PBEM), as distinct from Playing By postal Mail (PBM). PBEM gives all the benefits of email (speed, cheapness, etc). A number of web sites cover general PBM/PBEM gaming:- There are a USENET newsgroup (rec.games.pbm) and a mailing list for discussing PBM games in general.

Richard Rognlie maintains a generic PBEM server which automatically runs a growing number of abstract board games. Chess and other board games can be played via World Wide Web.

BrettspielWelt allows live play of popular German board games over the Internet.

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Board wargames

To PBEM a board wargame involves opponents exchanging records of the position and actions of units and rolling dice to determine outcomes. Software is available to help you do this:- Support for just about all the above packages is offered by PBeM Emporium.

There are a number of die rolling services for use in PBEM:-

A UNIX shell script and C source code for building an email die roller is available.

There is a dedicated die roller for Victory in the Pacific: email the word 'help' to vitpdice@dartmouth.East.Sun.COM for details.

Aide-de-Card (DOS), is a PBeM aid for two-player card games and card based games such as Up Front, We The People, Hannibal, or Down in Flames. Aide-de-Card allows players to set up a game by editing a description file that defines the cards in the deck:-

Thoth is a PBWeb card tool which manages cards (shuffling, drawing, flipping cards and so on. It can be used to play by email (PBEM) or as a "virtual tabletop" where two participants use custom decks in a live match. It can handle card-based games like Up Front, Down in Flames and, in the near future, should be capable of handling games like Hannibal.

The Automated Card Tracking System is a PBEM aid for handling the cards used in 30 Years War, Blue vs Gray, For The People, Hannibal, Paths of Glory, Republic of Rome, Successors, Titan, We The People and Wilderness War but can have other card sets added.

Cryptographic software can be used in PBEM for hidden movement, hidden picks, allowing players to both GM and play in a multiplayer PBEM and to validate secret treaties. Sealed virtual envelopes can also be used for hidden movement.

Opponents for many board wargames can be found by posting to Consim-l, rec.games.board, rec.games.pbm or the Consimworld Discussion Board. Eric Pass maintains a list of board wargames people want to PBEM. Taiaut! is a free site (in French) for gamers wanting to PBEM games by Avalon hill, Victory Games, The Gamers, Clash of Arms, and so on.

 For a small fee you can find opponents by joining the Avalon Hill Intercontinental Kriegspiel Society (AHIKS), an international, non-profit organization dedicated to PBM and PBEM board wargaming. A rating system for AHIKS members exists called AREA for PBM games.

Hexwar.com offers the interactive online play of a number of SPI and Decision Games board wargames. Wargameroom.com offers real-time play (using Java) of Hannibal, Paths of Glory, We The People, Wilderness War and Up Front.

Finally there is a web page which runs miniature wargames via the web, allowing players to view battles by means of photographs.

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Computer wargames

It is also possible to play a number of computer wargames PBEM, by exchanging saved game files between players or networked. The Gamers Net PBEM FAQ contains much useful advice for beginners.

PBEM Helper simplifies the transfer of move files for a number of computer wargames.

Sites organising PBEM/networked computer wargames are:-

PBEM facilities for particular computer wargames:- Some computer games can be played interactively via the Internet: the Multiplayer Combat Simulations page gives a list of these.

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Network wargames

There are a growing number of games which can only be played via a network, typically the Internet. Collections of such games can be found at:- Sites for specific network games follow:-
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Alan Poulter/Eric Pass /Skip Franklin