This page is dedicated to PC games that I've had fun playing (or
creating). It is by no means a complete list.
Empire of the Over-Mind
I couldn't resist mentioning this game. It was originally written by me
in 1979 for a home-built 8-bit microcomputer having only 32K bytes (that's K,
not M!). It is a text-only adventure game, in the spirit of the
classical time-sharing games, Adventure and Zork, from the 1970's. It was
sold commercially in the early 1980's by the legendary but now defunct Avalon
Hill Game Company and it was well received at the time. Of course, with limited
memory and no pictures, it is far behind today's elaborate computer
adventures. I translated this version to MS-DOS in 1986. It runs in
an MS-DOS or console window under various versions of Microsoft Windows.
If you are interested, you can click on the box cover to download. The price is right
- free!
The Ardennes Offensive (TAO)
Here is another game you can get for free, this time with decent graphics.
It simulates the "Battle of the Bulge," the famous German
counter-attack against a weak sector of the American front line in the winter of
1944/5. It represents a type of game I enjoy, combining military history
with strategy. You can play against the computer or against 
a
human opponent. I do not recommend playing TAO against a human opponent,
because it is difficult to win as the Germans against a competent human playing
the American side. If you are interested in downloading this game, click
on the icon.
Master of Orion II
This is a classic "space opera" game. The objective is to
dominate the galaxy. Forget that the "galaxy" has less than 100
stars and all the action takes place in two dimensions, this one is just plain
fun. You advance your race (human, one of several pre-designed
alien races, or design your own alien race) through economic development,
colonization, technological research, diplomacy, and (if you choose) military
conquest. You can play against the computer or against one or more human
opponents over a network or modem. While it isn't free, the good news is
that the game is a few years old and you can get a copy for about $10 on
clearance.
Click on the logo to learn more.
Panzer Campaigns - Smolensk '41
This
is a more elaborate war game that simulates a series of battles in World War
II. Smolensk is the first battle in the series, with the Germans attacking
the Russians in 1941 on their drive to Moscow.
It closely resembles the look and feel of the boxed games produced by Avalon
Hill and other game companies. A nice feature of this game is the ability
to design your own scenarios. You can play against the computer or against
a human opponent. The "play by e-mail" option allows you to move
and attack for your turn, then e-mail a data file to your opponent. He
makes his moves and attacks, then sends a data file back to you, and so on until
the game is complete. That way, you can play against a human opponent when
it is difficult for both people to be available for gaming at the same
time. For more information, click on the screen shot from the game.
Heroes
of Might and Magic III
This is a fantasy strategy game complete with
dragons, vampires, giants, magicians,
and knights in shining armor. The game is in the second expansion pack for
the third version as of May 2000, with a fourth version rumored to be on the
way. One thing that keeps the game fresh is the ability of the user
community to create new adventure maps and campaigns. I just happen to
have two campaigns that I created, available for downloading (see below).
There are also several web sites with hundreds of user-created maps and
campaigns. One of the best is the Astral
Wizard site. To learn more about Heroes of Might and Magic, click on
the picture of the castle.
To play either of my campaigns, you will need the
"Armageddon's Blade" expansion kit. My first campaign is
"Barsoom," loosely based on the Martian tales of Edgar Rice
Burroughs. My second campaign was inspired by the history of the Hundred
Years' War. It begins with the historical events of the war, then branches
into fantasy as the action moves east. To download either campaign, click
on the title(s) below:
BARSOOM
HUNDRED
YEARS' WAR
Here is a data module that I am using to play Space Empires IV:
GBModPac
