The Great PBM List From: bigmac@erg.sri.com (Bryan McDonald) Date: Thu, 09 May 1991 22:31:54 +0000 The Great PBM List ------------------ Volume v1.3 - May 9, 1991 Copyrighted by Bryan McDonald (bigmac@erg.sri.com) I reserve copyright to this list, as much as I can, that is. As a holder of the copyright I am allowing unlimited distribution as long as it is not for profit and this copyright is not removed. DISCLAIMER: The information in this list comes from a multitude of sources, including players, Game Masters and owners of commercial companies. I cannot be held responsible for any information that may be incorrect, you should contact the GM or Company for the most accurate information possible. DISCLAIMER II: This is a venture of my own, and SRI International has no part in it and no responsibility in it. DISCLAIMER III: I am no lawyer, so take these for their intent. Now that the "legalese" is over. on to the fun stuff. This list is hopefully as up to date as I can keep it. If you spot errors, please let me know. Also, remember that I do this in my "copious" spare time, so if you send me something, it may take a while for me to answer you. And if you have an opinion, send it in, but please, try to format it as I have below, no more the 80 characters per line. Thanks. Questions asked most often: Many people have written to ask how they get into these games. My best answer is to get ahold of the GM's with listed openings and ask. My second best answer is to _LISTEN_ in this newsgroup for people announcing games. Asking may work sometimes, but usually these games fill fast, so listen closely and answering fast is your best way into a game. Some have asked about the names of some games, specially the non-comercial games that are e-mail versions of commercial campaigns. You will note commericial scenarios that have the GM's name before it, and I felt I needed to do this to prevent confusion if I have multiple GM's using the same scenario. Thus, a game called "Bryan McDonald's _Realm of Undead_" is really me running the Realm of Undead scenario. Other Information Sources Available: Magazines: American Gamer <ADDRESS?> Flagship <ADDRESS?> Paper Mayhem (Game Catalog Available) 1518 Adams Street Ottawa, IL 61350-4770 White Dwarf <ADDRESS?> ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Comercial Games (All curency amounts are US Dollars unless otherwise noted.) ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Adventurer Kings Type: <UNKNOWN> Duration: <UNKNOWN> Turns: <UNKNOWN> GM: <UNKNOWN> Description: <UNKNOWN> Opinion: A lot of fun and well run. SAGA program for pc's enhances considerably. - minnotte@rice.edu (Michael Minnotte) Company: Ark Royal Games ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Alamaze Type: <UNKNOWN> Duration: <UNKNOWN> Turns: <UNKNOWN> GM: <UNKNOWN> Description: <UNKNOWN> Opinion: Great game, but expensive and HIDEOUS customer service. Don't give them money. - minnotte@rice.edu (Michael Minnotte) Company: Pegasus Productions <UNKNOWN> ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Capitol Type: Space Opera Duration: <UNKNOWN> Turns: <UNKNOWN> GM: Computer Moderated Description: <UNKNOWN> Opinion: Well run and good concept but very slow and very little diplomacy. - minnotte@rice.edu (Michael Minnotte) Company: Adventures By Mail P. O. Box 436 Cohoes, NY, 12047 (518) 237-4870 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Feudal Lords Type: Medieval strategy Duration: 6-12 turns. Turns: 2-3 week turn around. Slow (monthly) games probably available. Turns can be sent and recieved by email. GM: Computer moderated. Desc: You are a duke trying to become King Of England after the death of King Arthur. You have a limited number of orders to raise and move your army, build up your castle and feif. Opinion: Okay idea, bad execution. Knowing which actions are good is key. - purtill@dimacs.rutgers.edu Company: Flying Buffalo Inc. P. O. Box 1467 Scottsdale, AZ 85252-1467 (602) 945-6917 MCI: 0001138241 CIS: 70030,240 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Isle of Crowns Type: Strategy/Tactics Duration: 20 turns. Turns: Bi-weekly turns. GM: Computer Moderated Costs: $4/turn, $60 for the entire game paid in advance. Setup is free. No turn phone-in. Description: Player runs a barony on a 24-barony island. Object is to control more sectors than anyone else by turn 20. Game consists of armies, fortresses, outposts, walls, Captains, wizards, dragons, rogue races, and ships. Game has one winner, with no prizes. Opinions: The parameters and balance of the game is excellent. I am only on turn 4 of my first game (and it is only their third game open to the public), so I cannot say whether or not I recommend it. My initial reaction is highly favorable. - griffith@dweeb.fx.com Company: Adventures By Mail P.O. Box 436 Cohoes, NY 12047 (518) 237-4870 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: It's A Crime! (Gang vs. Gang) Type: Strategical/modern day Duration: 36 turns or less Turns: Minimum 11 days per turn. GM: Computer Moderated Costs: $1.50/turn (4 orders), $3.00/turn for a double order turn (10 orders, competetive players will want to issue double order turns every turn), $1.50 extra for "extended New York Post reports", $1.50 extra for phoned-in orders. Setup is free, first two turns are free. Description: Player is the leader of a 1990's New York street gang. City is a 100x100 grid with 500 initial gangs. Gangs have a number of different orders they can issue to build their strength and hose rival gangs. Opinions: The game parameters are simplistic, because the game was originally intended as a test game. The game does contain "magic numbers" that give an experienced player an advantage over an inexperienced one. The variability of orders makes the game a lot of fun. GAMES Magazine placed it in its top 100 games a few years back. I highly recommend it. - griffith@dweeb.fx.com Company: Adventures By Mail P.O. Box 436 Cohoes, NY 12047 (518) 237-4870 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Legacy Of The Panther Type: Wargame Duration: Close ended, victory conditions apply. Turns: Fortnightly. GM: Computer moderated with GM intervention when players need help. Costs: Approx. 1.25 pounds sterling per turn (est.). Description: Player owns an 'area' of land and begins at level 1. The object is to reach level 5 and have as many areas, troops and wealth as possible. A points system exists and is used to determine the winner of more recent games. Multiple characters are permitted. Opinions: Excellent but expensive. Can get a little stale when the ability to recruit new troops is lost (at level 3) and military action becomes more difficult. Ruthlessness is recommended! - sjw@ukc.ac.uk Company: West Pennine Games 15 Carr Bank Drive Ramsbottom Bury Lancashire BL0 9DG England ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Lords of the Earth - Campaign 4 Type: Historical/Strategical Duration: Open ended. Turns: 4-6 week turn around. Email turns accepted. GM: Human Moderated (contigency orders accepted). Costs: $3.50(US)/turn (no additional costs) $5.00 mapset (updates cost this much if unwilling to update) $10.00 Rules New Player startup set: $20.00 (maps, rules, 2 turns) Description: Player runs a country in 1150+ AD. Whole world simulation. Excellent maps. Opinions: Company: Wanderer Games/David G. Adams 1409 Grand Ave NE #F Albuquerque, NM 87106 (505) 243-4976 seattle@hydra.unm.edu (David G. Adams) ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Mobius I Type: Science Fiction Duration: 25-35 turns. Turns: 2-3 week turn around. Slow (monthly) turnaround also available. Turns can be sent and recieved by email. GM: Computer moderated. Costs: $7-10/turn, $5 setup, $3 rules. Description: Fairly complex game involving colonizing other planets and fighting on planets and in space. Also has a role-playing element (you have a bunch of characters to run your empire). Opinions: Too complicated to be playable, not complicated enough to be realistic. - purtill@dimacs.rutgers.edu (Mark Purtill) Company: Flying Buffalo, Inc. P. O. Box 1467 Scottsdale, AZ 85252-1467 (602) 945-6917 MCI: 0001138241 CIS: 70030,240 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Monster Isle Type: Fantasy RPG Duration: Open ended. Turns: 8 business days (a week and a half). GM: Computer run, human moderator for questions & problems. Costs: $4.00/turn (no additional costs) Rules & Setup *FREE* Description: Player plays a monster (orc, goblin, elf types) washed up on shore of Monster Isle, there to survive, have fun, kick butt, and generally act monsterish. Opinions: Huge mongo game; can accomodate 15,001 monsters in the same game (the map is about the size of Australia). Computer keeps track of over 2100 statistics for each monster, and over 120 for each square. Beautiful custom laser-printed results every turn. - warden@triton.unm.edu (Scott Micheel) Company: Adventures By Mail P. O. Box 436 Cohoes, NY, 12047 (518) 237-4870 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Orions Nebula Type: Space Opera Duration: Open Ended Turns: 3-4 week turn around. CIS/MCI turns accepted. GM: Computer Moderated. GM intervention where needed. Costs: Rules Package and Setup: $15.00 Starship/Ground Party/Black Market Turns: $6.50 City/Starbase Turns: $9.50 Description: Player runs Starship/Starbase/City positions as members of chosen races, starting with no knowledge of each other. Turns cover all independent actions, including special actions allow some role playing and creation of new tech/procedures in game. Opinions: Working towards being the best of its class, the NEB is still very young, and Ground Parties still in play test. This is a game for the long haul, and will see some nice flexability as players get comfortable. - bigmac@erg.sri.com (Bryan McDonald) NOTE: Financial troubles have caused Orpheus Publishing to shut down the game and it may be a while before it returns. (May 1, 1991) - bigmac@erg.sri.com (Bryan McDonald) Company: Orpheus Publishing Co. P. O. Box 26678 Benbrook, TX 76126 (817) 249-1677 CIS: 71350,2567 MCIMAIL: orpheus@mcimail.com ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Out Time Days Type: Role Playing - Fantasy/Science Fiction Duration: Open ended (End World Scenario some years down the road). Turns: Once a week. Excellent turn around. CIS/Phone turns accepted. GM: Human Moderated, Computer Assisted. Costs: $15 Startup (profesional manual, 5 free turns). $5.00/position, $3.00 for spin-offs Very limited spin-offs allowed, average player cost $8/week. Description: Players run Time Traveler characters stuck in a world with very different rules. Role Playing amongst players is the emphasis, as is team playing. Opinions: 1)Best RPG I have seen on the market. The GM is highly involved and cares about his game and that his players enjoy it. This game is definitely for people wanting to role play with others, not against the game itself. - bigmac@erg.sri.com (Bryan McDonald) Company: Twin Engine Gaming 3254 Maple Leaf Court San Jose, CA, 95121 (408) 270-2466 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: St. Valentines Day Massacre (United States Version) Type: Gang lord simulation Duration: Closed, victory conditions apply. Turns: ~4 week turn around. GM: Computer moderated. Description: Gang Lords rise in stature base on gang member power and the financial sucess of various premises and rackets. The system is new to the United States, but established in Great Britain. Opinions: So far I like it, but only two turns have passed. I will update this report once a few more turns have gone by. (May 9, 1991) - bigmac@erg.sri.com (Bryan McDonald) Company: Vortex Simulations P.O.Box 317 Ft. Meade, Maryland 20755-0317 (301) 621-9561 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Starlord Type: Space Opera Duration: Open ended. Turns: 2-3 week turn around. GM: Computer moderated. Description: You have a command ship that can move around a 2-D galaxy, and a bunch of ships. You can only move those ships with 7 squares of your command ship, and your goal is to become emperor, and then to stay emperor. Opinion: 1) Easy to play and pretty results, but essentially brainless and dull. - minnotte@rice.edu (Michael Minnotte) 2) Nice color printouts only redeeming feature. - purtill@dimacs.rutgers.edu (Mark Purtill) Company: Flying Buffalo, Inc. P. O. Box 1467 Scottsdale, AZ 85252-1467 (602) 945-6917 MCI: 0001138241 CIS: 70030,240 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Starweb Type: Science Fictionn Simulation Duration: 10-15 turns. Turns: 2-3 week turn around. Slow (monthly) and email (weekly) turnaround also available. Turns can be sent and recieved by email. GM: Computer moderated. Description: As one of six types of position, you try to score points (in a different way for each type), using a limited number of fleets. Each world connects to several others in the "web" and can build ships or industry. Opinion: Classic! Lots of ways to win, for diplomats and generals alike. (Michael Minnotte,minnotte@rice.edu) Lots of diplomacy, game system simple but not trivial. I like it. - purtill@dimacs.rutgers.edu (Mark Purtill) Company: Flying Buffalo, Inc. P. O. Box 1467 Scottsdale, AZ 85252-1467 (602) 945-6917 MCI: 0001138241 CIS: 70030,240 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Swords of the Gods Type: <UNKNOWN> Duration: <UNKNOWN> Turns: <UNKNOWN> GM: <UNKNOWN> Description: <UNKNOWN> Opinion: Interesting, but very heavy on wars. Magic swords and fickle gods help. - minnotte@rice.edu (Michael Minnotte) Company: Galactic Simulations <UNKNOWN> ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: TAKAMO Type: Space Empire-Building Duration: Open ended. Turns: From 1/ten days to 1/month, depending on which galaxy. GM: Computer run, human moderator for questions & problems. Costs: $2.50 to $15.00/turn Rules/Setup/2 free turns all for $10.00 Description: Players play empire builders, nomads, pirates, smugglers, traders, agribusinesses, miners, or (ick) cybers in a quest to explore the galaxy and tame it while making lots of bucks and trying to avoid getting into interstellar wars (or perhaps trying to start some). Opinions: Interesting game, not *too* complicated, but full of complex details that may arise during play. Long-running game, the first galaxy started in 1983. There is a closed-ended version too, TAKAMO II. - warden@triton.unm.edu (Scott Micheel) Company: Advent Games PO Box 81674 Lincoln NE 68501 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Non-Comercial Games ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: The Defense of Con-Fion Type: Fantasy Duration: Open ended. Turns: 1/2 to 1 week Status: Closed. Running smoothly. Small waiting list. Description: A group of young nobility, sent to a frontier fort to learn how to conduct themselves in actual combat. Most of the characters have been given officer ranks for training purposes (although a couple have other things going on). Game uses the same home-grown system as The Wizard-King's Son (and is set in the same campaign world at approximately the same period in time.) Opinion: GM: inb@creare.uucp (Ian Brown) alternatives: creare!inb@Dartmouth.Edu creare!inb@dartvax creare!inb@dartvax.Dartmouth.Edu Check Date: ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Erling Mork's _Paranoia_ Type: Fantasy/SciFi/Humorous Duration: Open Ended Turns: 1 turn every 5 days (flexible) Status: 1 player needed (March 13, 1991). Description: A rpg of a darkly humorous future. Very funny if played right. Emphasis on creative ways to kill other players (ie, good role-playing) and participation. Not bogged down by many rules and numbers. Opinion: GM: erlingm@ifi.uio.no (Erling Mork) Check Date: March 1, 1992 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: The Hunted Type: Fantasy Duration: Open Ended Turns: Flexable, no specific time frame. Status: Closed, contact GM. Description: AD&D 2nd Edition (Modified): Player characters are being chased by the minions of an evil sportsman who also happens to be a wizard. No hit points, descritptive system in its place. Levels 8-10. Opinion: The game is very open-ended and freeform, which can cause problems from time to time but makes it extremely exciting for me. - chupp@athena.cs.uga.edu (Sam Chupp) GM: chupp@athena.cs.uga.edu (Sam Chupp) Check Date: May 1, 1992 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Knut Mork's _Castle Greyhawk_ Type: AD&D 2nd edition Duration: Open ended. Turns: 1/2 to 1 week Status: Closed. Running smoothly. Description: A team of six is rooting through the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk, for various reasons. Opinion: GM: kmork@ulrik.uio.no (Knut Mork) Check Date: March 15, 1991 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Light & Dark Type: AD&D (2nd ed.?) Duration: Open ended. Turn: Varies. Status: <UNKNOWN> Opinion: Running slowly at the moment... I don't know how many of us there are...we're trying to find some guy (the sentinel, whatever that means) and find out what he wants. - kmork@ulrik.uio.no (Knut Mork) GM: d89-prn@sm.luth.se Check Date: March 15, 1991 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: McAllister's _Marvel Superheroes_ Type: Marvel Superhero RPG (variant) Duration: Open ended. Turns: Felixible Email, general updates once a week if needed. Status: Full, open waiting list. Description: Marvel RPG based, the GM generally follows the advanced rules. Battles are run by GM. Players rollplay between battles. Based in Jamaica. Opinions: GM: mrmca@tramp.colorado.edu (Mike McAllister) Check Date: March 1, 1992 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Purtill's _Republic of Rome_ Type: Historical Recreation Duration: Closed: 6+turns to complete. Turns: 1 per month. Active diplomacy between turns. Status: Full, accepting waiting list (March 13, 1991). Description: Politics in Ancient Rome, based on Avalon Hill board game. Opinion: GM: purtill@dimacs.rutgers.edu (Mark Purtill) Check Date: Septemeber 1, 1991 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: Slocum's GURPS _Tekumel_ Type: GURPS with homebrew Tekumel modifications Duration: Open ended. Turns: Approx. every 2-3 weeks. Status: Full; waiting list is open (as of April 10th, 1991). Description: Tekumel is the fantasy world created by M.A.R. Barker in the games "Empire of the Petal Throne" and "Swords and Glory", and in the novels "Man of Gold" and "Flamesong". Characters are built using GURPS and GM's Tekumel modifications, but all game mechanics go by the board once a character starts playing. This is a "blind" campaign, where the players don't know who the other players are. PCs are currently somewhere in the Underworld beneath Jakalla, the City Half as Old as the World. Opinions: Tekumel is one of the most detailed worlds ever created rivaling Middle-Earth in scope and depth. (GM) GM: slocum@ssdc.honeywell.com (Brett Slocum) Check Date: May 1, 1991 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: United Electro Football League Type: Sports Simulation Duration: Annual Seasons Turns: One every two weeks, breaks around college calendars. Status: 26 players, waiting list, expansion possible. Description: Each club has a roster of up to 25 players, each of whom can play 1 position (FW,MF,DF, Sweeper, GK), with a Skill Level of 0 to 20, and an age of 0, I, II, and up. A schedule of games is played between teams in each division, with fatigue ensuring roster depth. Post-Season tournaments for next year's division assignments, the Shocker's Cup, or just because. Opinions: GM: jbillone@jarthur.claremont.edu (Jeremy Billones) Check Date: March 1, 1992 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: The Wizard-King's Son Type: Fantasy Duration: Open ended. Turns: 1/2 to 1 week Status: Closed. Running smoothly. Small waiting list. Description: A party of adventurers (and a couple would rather not be, but kind of got dragged into things) are working on fulfilling an open-ended prophesy (ie. the prophesy trails off at the end, leaving the conclusion up in the air). The prophecy involves the son of the last of the Wizard-Kings. The game is based on home-grown rules. Opinion: GM: inb@creare.uucp (Ian Brown) alternatives: creare!inb@Dartmouth.Edu creare!inb@dartvax creare!inb@dartvax.Dartmouth.Edu Check Date: May 1, 1991 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Game: World Electronic Wrestling Federation (WeWF) Type: Sports Simulation Duration: Open ended (hopefully when I can't run it anymore, someone else can take over). Turns: Turns are weekly, with weekly and monthly supplements. Status: Open. New managers are always welcome, but if I'm flooded I may have to create a waiting list at some point. Description: Participants play the role of pro-wrestling managers. Send your wrestlers into action, and write their interviews! Opinions: GM: arxt@quads.uchicago.edu (Aiden Palmer) Check Date: March 1, 1992 ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### ######### Referenced By Up