Hi all. I set up a BBS late last year. I remember TradeWars being popular back when I used to call BBSes in the 90s, so I thought I would look into adding it to mine.

To be honest, however, TradeWars is not a game I know very well. That being said, I have many questions about it.

I did attempt to search the forums first before asking, so I apologize if I overlooked a post somewhere that contains the answer to something I'm about to ask.


1: Do people still *play* TradeWars today?

1-b: If yes, do players nowadays typically expect to go to a BBS to play it, or do players tend to avoid BBSes altogether and instead prefer the standalone TWGS games?


2: Can the BBS door game TradeWars 2002 still be registered, or is TWGS the sole option?

2-b: Is there any reason why one would *prefer* TW2002 over TWGS, assuming registrations were possible?


3: Suppose I decide to run one TWGS game (Game A), is there a way to let a user skip the game selection menu at the start, and go straight to Game A's title screen?


4: Are there any other questions I *should* be asking? If you were a new BBS sysop interested in running a TW game, what question(s) would *you* ask on this forum?

Some players still *play* TradeWars. I assume you mean without heavy/aggressive scripting. You won't be able to compete on most public servers or in tournaments without specialized/custom scripts that are not shared publicly. I personally prefer a quiet game with a friend or two and aliens to attack, instead of trying to survive a game with agressive players.

Aggressive players don't like BBSs. They don't like the time involved in registering, and I assume the BBS adds a delay they wouldn't like. These players play "By the millisecond" and use proxies/vps to have the fastest possible connection. Some players may appreciate that you are verifying, but for the most part you won't get as many players.



TWGS is a front end and replaces the BBS. You are still playing the same TW2002, except that the door version is not supported and has not been updated to the latest version. You would have to email jpritch@eisonline.com to find out if you can still register.

There are people who prefer TWGS v1.x because the anniversary edition (TWGS v2.x) introduced features that they do not like. The older version may also be more stable (or not). This was a rather heated discussion years ago, and now there are only a few of the older servers left. There are a couple dozen BBSs left running the door version, but that list gets shorter every month. There are even less running the High Velocity Software (HVS) version under MBBS or worldgroup. I have a licensed copy that was given to me, and I plan on making it public at some point.



Nope. You can use rlogin to bypass the login prompt, but the players still has to press "A".


To be honest, there are not enough players. Most of us just do it for Nostalgia. The game is still incredibly fun, but it can not compete against "Coin Master", the number one game on android lately. Stupid kids and their stupid phones, I was bored in less than a minute repeatedly pressing the spin button.

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate your input.

Yeah, I am by no means looking to attract a large amount of "elite" players. I'd really rather just have a laid back, chill game of TW2002 to my board that visitors new to the game can try out.

I'll try inquiring about registering the older TW2002, since that would probably be more fitting, but from what I gather TWGS is likely the only option. I can certainly make it work if that's the case, even if maybe it's not 100% authentic to what a BBS would run.

Thanks again.

Update:

I contacted Mr. Pritchett via email as suggested. He replied and very kindly offered to include a registration key for the door game if I registered TWGS.

So I'm all set now. I have the classic door version of TW2002 running on my BBS, and also have a separate TWGS if I ever decide to set it up.

Excellent!

Nice to hear a BBS and possible TWGS servers running. If you deside to run TWGS stand alone or to pass RLOG to your BBS , if you turn the jumpgate on it will post your server to be seen.

Hope we see you around Discord.

VidKid/CareTaker

This is great! I like both the BBS and direct games. Keep Tradewars alive!

Mickey
centralontarioremote.com:2002

I'll keep that in mind. I appreciate your encouragement and advice.



Will do!


So far there have been a couple visitors to my BBS from this forum, and there's already a somewhat active, but low-key game of TW2002 going. It's great to see folks take an interest in it.

Once I get a better grasp on what features and settings players like the most, I may change things up a bit when it comes time to re-bang.