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- I know it's hard to believe, but there is a world
- that exists somewhere off-line, and GEnie members
- actually have lives away from the cybernet.
-
- Of course, a lot of the time we spend off-line is
- devoted to work, and some of it is spent in bed.
- But since this is the GAMER column, I'll ignore
- work and sleep and concentrate on what so many of
- us do for fun -- play computers games.
-
- Join the Club
-
- What's that? Play games off-line? Well, when you
- discover that you can take your pick of great
- commercial computer games for only 10 bucks a year,
- plus the cost of the download, it won't seem so
- strange.
-
- That's right. At the Software Games Club on Page
- 1115 (keyword SOFTCLUB) a $10 annual fee gives you
- unlimited access to a Library full of fabulous
- games for the Amiga, Atari ST and IBM-compatibles
- -- arcade games, puzzle games, wargames, sports
- sims, and graphics adventure games -- all available
- to members for the cost of the download, at the
- regular GEnie connect-time rates.
-
- These are not shareware or public domain (PD)
- games, either, but regular commercial titles. There
- are new titles being uploaded to the Library every
- month, while older titles are removed, so there's
- never any worry about sifting through outdated
- material.
-
- On top of the regular Library, the Club also holds
- monthly contests where members stand to win top
- quality boxed games, like SimCity 2000, Turning
- Points and Pinball Dreams, to name a few recent
- prizes.
-
- Joining the Software Games Club is as simple as
- going to Page 1115 and selecting Menu Item 2. When
- you choose to join, your GEnie account will
- automatically be charged the $10 fee, and you'll be
- admitted to the Library within 48 hours.
-
- Scorpia Rising
-
- Scorpia's Games RoundTable (Page 805, keyword
- SCORPIA) is one of GEnie's original RoundTables. In
- nine short years it's grown to embrace the entire
- known universe of games. The Bulletin Board has
- over 35 Categories and hundreds of Topics covering
- everything from console games (Sega and Nintendo)
- to RPGs, board games and PBMs (Play-By-Mail games).
-
- The Library is a repository of treasures --
- shareware, PD, commercial game demos, game tips and
- walkthroughs, utilities, archives, upgrades,
- patches and more. One of the most active areas
- recently has been #30, the Doom Files Library.
- There, Doom fans will find a myriad of files,
- including new add-on levels, music, sound effects,
- conference transcripts, editors and utilities --
- plus the game itself and all the latest patches.
-
- Customer service takes on a new dimension in the
- Games RoundTable. Representation by major companies
- gives GEnie gamers unprecedented access to the
- people who make the products. "We have over forty
- game and game-related companies online for product
- support," Scorpia says, including Maxis,
- Virgin/Westwood, Spectrum Holobyte, LucasArts, SSI,
- Origin, Sierra, Microprose, FASA, West End Games,
- Avalon Hill, Advanced Gravis, and Thrustmaster.
- Many have Bulletin Board Categories staffed by
- company reps, and maintai n an active presence in
- the Library with upgrades, hint files, fixes, and
- even playable demos.
-
- But Wait, There's More
-
- Three additional RoundTables are an extension of
- Scorpia's domain, and provide ancillary support to
- GEnie gamers: The Video Games RoundTable on Page
- 806 (keyword VIDEOGAMES); the Multi-Player Games
- RoundTable on Page 1045 (keyword MPGRT); and the
- Multi-Player Games Guild Bulletin Board on Page
- 1048.
-
- The Video Games RoundTable is a recent addition
- that focuses on another favorite off-line pastime
- -- video games. While strictly a Bulletin Board, it
- provides support, discussion, information and
- assistance on console, CD and coin-op video game
- systems. Topics cover Sega, NES, 3DO, Jaguar, and
- CD-I to mention a few, with more planned for the
- near future.
-
- The Multi-Player Games RoundTable provides support
- and information for GEnie's multi-player games.
- While it doesn't relate to off-line activity in the
- strictest sense, the information available there is
- usually captured or downloaded, and studied
- off-line. "Each game has one or more Categories
- devoted to it on the Bulletin Board," Scorpia
- explains. "These areas are the best places for
- players, especially new players, to learn the ins
- and outs of the online games."
-
- The Guild Bulletin Board is another source of
- off-line study. Teams, guilds, houses, and squads
- from various online games maintain private
- Categories there to conduct their business, and
- many members read messages and post replies written
- off-line.
-
- Talk the Talk
-
- There is one other thing GEnie members like to do
- when they're not playing games -- talk about
- playing games. And there's no better place and time
- for that sort of face-to-face social interaction
- than the annual GenCon.
-
- This year, GenCon is being held August 18 to 21 in
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And GEnie will be there with
- key game developers like Alan Lenton of Federation,
- and reps from Kesmai and Simutronics demonstrating
- the hottest new developments in online gaming.
-
- Ahead of the Game
-
- Between our online and off-line activities we're
- caught trying to squeeze 36 hours of living into
- every 24-hour day. Fortunately, GEnie continues to
- find new and better ways to help us stay ahead of
- the game. And we don't have to work hard at having
- fun.
-
- ╔══════════════════════════════════════╗
- ║ Multi-player Game Keyword Page ║
- ╠══════════════════════════════════════╣
- ║ Air Warrior AIR 870 ║
- ║ CyberStrike CYBERSTRIKE 1380 ║
- ║ Federation II FED 220 ║
- ║ Galaxy I GALAXY 925 ║
- ║ GemStone III GEMSTONE 930 ║
- ║ Hundred Years War HYW 945 ║
- ║ Island of Kesmai 830 ║
- ║ MP Battletech BTECH 1135 ║
- ║ MUD II 1550 ║
- ║ NTN's QB1 QB1 1030 ║
- ║ NTN Trivia TRIVIA 1031 ║
- ║ Orb Wars ORBWARS 895 ║
- ║ RSCARDS RSCARDS 875 ║
- ║ Stellar Emperor EMPEROR 1085 ║
- ║ Stellar Warrior WARRIOR 860 ║
- ╚══════════════════════════════════════╝
-