It seems a common perception that wargaming principles have been simplified or lost in the new titles that SSI offers. In reality, there are more calculations than ever being performed in the background, and rule systems become more sophisticated over time rather than less so. Fighting Steel is an authentic simulation of the weapons and systems of its time, easy to miss when the user interface seems so clear and friendly.

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But better still, Fighting Steel is likely to be the first in a series for SSI's electronic battlefield, with a destroyer addition to follow, and perhaps others after that. One could wish for higher resolution; maybe it will happen.

Best "other" game I give to Need for Speed III. Really its impossible to make any logical decision about this: if I had had time to peruse some of the golf games I might have chosen one of those. Or after visiting Red Storm Entertainment, I might have chosen their coming "Rainbow Six" first person shooter. But I was wandering around EAs booth for a few moments and was stunned at the beauty of NFS 3. I felt like I was watching a film of a squad car on a mountain road. Beautiful! I dunno, maybe I was just tired of the intensity of the experience and longed for that "wind in the hair" exhiliration ;-D

My three surprises are Gunship III, Janes Fleet Commander and DiDs Wargasm. Gunship will be a stand alone product allowing players to fly the Apache AH64 D in the same arena and against players in M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks. Janes Fleet Command is a stand alone product that will connect to 688I. Fleet Commander will add a strategic dimension along with a new 3d interface (the same one used for Fighter Legends) and online coop and head to head abilities.

Best of all, Fleet Command is not the last strategic/simulation that will be added to the 688I Universe. We had a chance to interview some of the Sonalysts crew, and we are in for a great season in naval warfare. There is lots more to tell in this area, but it will have to wait for later in the week.

DiDs tank has become "Wargasm," a full theatre interaction of battle assets with real time control of both sides. At the moment the plan is for players to control individual assets on either side with an overview of the entire battlefield. There is no "theatre commander" mode as such, although two players could choose to play the game this way, hopping in and out of tanks or choppers or aircraft, or controlling individual troops.

Effects and the graphics engine are next generation (DiDs new 3Dream engine). The music is reminiscent of the stunning choral pieces in Red October. DiD will use their Smartview system to give a very immersive feel to the experience. If they choose players can set up a war, then sit back and watch the experience unfold. As for the title... well, you either love it or hate it.

Best new hardware has to be video; there simply isn't enough innovation in other areas. Yes, I could tell you about UR Gears new headset, but until I have hands on time I'm hesitant to commit myself. The Intensor chair is a new "Thunderseat," probably better than the latter product. Likewise SUNCOM now offers a complete HOTAS, but while its solid, pretty, and useful its not revolutionary (their software may make it more so). And Logitech is now in the force feedback market with a competitor for the Sidewinder. My hands on with this stick tells me its the one to beat this year.

So its between Logitech's new stick and a new video implementation. If Logi had broken new ground with a Force Feedback HOTAS, they would have had my vote hands down. As it is, I give the toss to the nVidia TNT and the new Matrox Millenium G200. Yep, I plan to sit squarely on the fence. I love innovation in the hardware area, and both these chips reach deftly at the fourth generation, with fantastic image quality and excellent speed.

The Millenium may take the lead in 2d, the TNT will take it for 3d. If the image pleases the eye, pricing for both these new gadgets will please the pocketbook. nVidia claims close to double the performance of the second generation of Voodoo chips but with even better image quality; time will tell if that estimate is accurate. The new Millenium and Mystique find Matrox back in the race for the 3d gaming prize. They may not take the lead, but they deserve recognition for innovation and competitive pricing. As complete 2d/3d solutions, chips from both companies should be appearing like sand on the seashore by Christmas of '98.

As for E3 gripes, I have plenty! I've already given you a few of them in my railing against the sex trade, but I have a few more practical bones to pick as well.

First off, I can't figure out what developers are doing showing incredibly beautiful simulations on 27" TVs. I have run the TAW beta on a 19" Viewsonic at home, and I can tell you it is drop dead gorgeous. I have simply not seen ANYTHING in ANY genre that looks better (the closest is EAW, but at 640x480 it doesn't quite make the grade).

Why, then, was Total Air War running at E3 on TV sets? It looked grainy and washed out. What a waste! If they had been running at 800x600 on a 21" Viewsonic it would have been a show stopping demo. Pity.

As if this weren't heresy enough, why do developers and publishers continue to insist on demonstrating complex simulations without a separate throttle! Kudos to Phil Allsopp of General Simulations Inc. for using Thrustmaster gear to demo F16 Aggressor. I know- they are aiming at simplicity so they give us MS FF Pro, with built in throttle and rudder. I understand the direction. But why not make a basic configuration file for the sim under demonstration, post the list under a nice piece of plastic, and begin to educate the users on how much better it is to fly with a full HOTAS?

Surely the best experience of the show had to be the chance to interview and then fly against Colonel "Bud" Anderson, a triple ace with an amazing history in the military. At about 76 years of age Colonel Anderson still flies his P51 in airshows with his long time friend Chuck Yeager. But its not his skill and personal history that impressed me the most; it was his friendly manner and dedication to helping others experience the thrill of flight. We'll post most if not all of our interview with Bud Anderson sometime this week.

The most hyped product: Space Bunnies. Large posters of this "babe" game were everywhere. Any hope to see the same domination next year by DiDs new entry or Janes latest addition to the Fleet Commander world? I wish.

Finally, best of show has to go to Falcon 4.0. Honestly, its a toss up between F4 and EAW, but I give F4 the nod for its greater complexity. Offering everything one can imagine in the simulation universe, F4 is also the first instalment in an electronic battlefield. F4 is looking great, and playing well. The padlock, while technically more detailed than almost anything except DIs F16, works beautifully and is easy to learn. Just about to finally go beta, we should see this one sometime late summer or early in the fall.

With the overall quality of sims this year, these are some tough calls. I'm eagerly waiting for most of these sims, it'll be a great year!