Recenlty the
PBeM world has gotten a boost from several
computer based aids. The one I am keen on is
Cyberboard. It allows people to recreate many of the old
bookshelf games from the likes of
Avalon Hill and
SPI as well as the
microgames from
metagaming and
yaquinto. It expands the playability of the games by allowing players to be freed from
geographical constraints.
Cyberboard, and the other
PBeM aids, allow players to move their pieces, roll dice, send messages, and perfrom other functions of the games sending the resulting move set to the other player or players via
email. That player opens the move set in
Cyberboard which updates their master game file. The master game file can be used to review the entire game and to make the next move. Round and round it goes, each player reivewing, moving, sending and awaiting their opponents next move file.
Many of the older and some of the newer games are being rendered for
Cyberboard. The
maps,
unit counters,
play aids and other items in each game are entered in
Cyberboard's Design module. Once made they can be passed around to any willing player who knows the
rules to the
game. Even the most obscure
game's rules can be found on the
net,
ebay or a dusty old
hobby store.