2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament Championship

For those in Peril on the sea.... Early in this tournament I had a feeling the championship matchup might very well end up being between Harpoon and Command. They are thoroughbreds in every way, and I expected both to go far. Prophesy fulfilled.  So, here we are. Two games that accurately simulate naval and air …

2022 WWIII Video Game Final Four: Blue/Gold Bracket

And then there were four. Crunch time has arrived and there are just four games remaining. Interestingly enough, four #1 seeds. Two land-based games squaring off against two sea/air-based games. All four are classics and I challenge anyone who thinks otherwise to a duel. 😊  The scoring for the final three matches will be different …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament: Quarterfinals

Here we are at the quarterfinals. Eight titles remain in the field including all four #1 seeds. Surprisingly, this tournament has failed to produce any very memorable upsets so far. Nor have there been any deep tournament runs by a #7 or #8 seed. The favorites have dominated the rounds so far and if this …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament: Round 2 Blue & Gold Regions

Gold #1 Steel Panthers MBT vs #3 Janes Fleet Command Land vs sea in this bracket, as well as two games that have stood the test of time. In this round Fleet Command was handicapped by its lack of depth. Although some independent mods were created for the game by its fans, it cannot compare …

2022 WWIII Video Game Tournament: Round 1, Blue Region

Author’s Note: Please excuse the absence of a tournament bracket for this post. The digital tournament template I have used in the past is no longer available, it would seem. So, I have to look around and find a new one. Hopefully before the next tournament entry, but definitely by the start of the next …

Selection Sunday: 2022 WWIII Video Game Tourney

The field is complete. The seeds and brackets are set and the 2022 March Madness WWIII Video Game Tournament Field is set to get underway on Tuesday. Choosing the field was by no means easy, but the experience was rewarding. I put in some serious research on the more obscure games and came away having …

2021 Holiday Tournament: Round 2 Operational Outside Europe, Naval Operational

Operational Outside Europe #1 Gulf Strike vs #3 Korea 1995 The mark of a classic wargame is the title’s ability to accurately simulate the changing realities in a particular theater’s era of conflict. Gulf Strike exemplifies this, having offered not only a game but a simulation tool that served gamers well through the volatile period …

2021 Holiday Tournament Round 1: Naval Operational

#1 Harpoon vs #8 3rd Fleet Very few wargames have had as much clout and influence as Harpoon. The game was responsible for helping to launch the writing career of Tom Clancy and almost singlehandedly brought on a golden age in naval wargaming during the 1980s. And of course, Harpoon the tabletop game led to …

Coming In December 2021: World War III Games Holiday Tournament

I wanted to step away from D+18 briefly to talk about my plan for the blog in December, 2021. I really enjoyed setting up and running the March Madness tournament for WWIII genre novels last spring. It was interesting to see how the relative newcomer titles stacked up against the classics of the genre like …

Gaming World War III: War at Sea Part II

The first edition of Harpoon was a general-purpose air, surface, and sub-surface naval simulation. It was a playable game based around graspable rules, and comprehensive information on ships, aircraft, sensors, and weapons systems of the era. The game found acceptance in the commercial wargaming community, and the professional naval community in general. Harpoon also helped …