E3: Best of Show by Eric "Snacko" Marlow
	Harpoon IV - This will be the one that the naval hard-core fans relish. Early prototypes of the user interface look to be clean and useful. Add in a fair amount of 3D graphics to view the action and this one should cause many sleepless nights and broken relationships. HIV Notifs Destroyer Commander - I'm looking forward to this one very much. Naval combat is one of my favorites and having the ability to conduct surface operations anywhere in the world during WW2 will be a real kick. Add in the ability to multi-play with Silent Hunter 2 and you will get one robust environment. In Destroyer Commander you will have the ability to control one ship or a squadron of up to eight. According to Rick Martinez, the producer of Destroyer Command, every station aboard ship will be modeled - all except the head. Unfortunately there wasn't much to see at this point and we should look for Destroyer Commander to hit the shelves sometime during the 2nd quarter of 2000(?). Deck Gun Silent Hunter 2 - This time you have the opportunity to become a U-boat commander during WW2 (Ed. See our Military History Index.) We got a look at some alpha code during E3 and we've been given some information that the 3D engine will be undergoing a major improvement. Information on this is forthcoming from the developer. Look for Silent Hunter 2 sometime this summer. Click to continue		Fighting Steel. Fighting Steel - SSI showed Fighting Steel during the 1998 E3 show, and from what I saw of the sim this time around it was almost complete. Joel Billings, the producer of Fighting Steel walked us through it. For the most part, Fighting Steel looks very similar what was shown last year, at least on the surface. I've recently received a preview build of Fighting Steel and I will be sharing an advanced look at this incredible sim in the near future. F/A-18 Super Hornet - This sim from Digital Integration/Titus was one of my biggest surprises at this year's E3. I was expecting a nice sim, but what I saw will keep me watching anxiously for the day that it hits the store shelves. Carrier Ops to the MAX! I will be conducting a more in-depth review of F/A-18 Super Hornet in the near future, but suffice to say this sim is truly unique. Not only has it retained the famous Digital Integration mission planner, but it also has carrier ops! Not only do the carrier ops have little "yellow shirts" and "green shirts", but the jet blast deflectors (JBDs) and catapults are fully articulated with motion and steam. In one scene I observed all four cats launching aircraft simultaneously. Imagine four aircraft being queued for launch while the carrier desk personnel run around performing their tasks. Too cool. Go to Page Four
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