A rambling look back at an odd but interesting science magazine...

[sir drinks-a-lot]

OMNI was one of my favorite magazines as a very young boy at the time. It was the coolest magazine to me at the time, and maybe every tenth time I went to the grocery store with my dad I was able to convince him to buy me a copy. I could barely read them, and remember there was always a specific section of the magazine that had silver pages. That was my favorite, for some reason or another.

Does anyone remember what the silver section was?

 

[Red Baron Farms]

I used to pick up Omni every other month, or so. I think I had a subscription for a year.


The Apple II was introduced in 1977 and there was a pretty brisk development of games, so 1978 would easily have seen computer games with ads in magazines of the time. However, SPI were board wargames, I think in the TSR mold.

Strategy & Tactics magazine by Simulations Publications, Inc.

They were one of the two dominant paper wargame companies (Avalon Hill the other) and I played most their games. Later they failed approx 1983 or so and Victory Games took most their skilled staff.

I have yet to even find a computer simulated combat even close to the level of their best such as The Campaign for North Africa

PS I was subscribed to OMNI too!

 

[Wudang]

Sigh - memories.

Anyone other UK folks remember this beauty? One feature I liked was the reviews would include a table of other books the reviewers rated so you had some idea of their taste.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fiction_Monthly

 

[The Man]

Strategy & Tactics magazine by Simulations Publications, Inc.

They were one of the two dominant paper wargame companies (Avalon Hill the other) and I played most their games. Later they failed approx 1983 or so and Victory Games took most their skilled staff.

I have yet to even find a computer simulated combat even close to the level of their best such as The Campaign for North Africa

PS I was subscribed to OMNI too!

There was a magazine for PCs that included games like the Falklands war and air traffic control simulations. I can't remember the name though.

 

[Wudang]

I have yet to even find a computer simulated combat even close to the level of their best such as The Campaign for North Africa

PS I was subscribed to OMNI too!

I don't know their games but played AH's Squad Leader back in the day. The game reminds me a lot of Steel Panthers which has been obsessed over for some years. No idea if you'd like it as I was a dabbler but maybe worth a try. See links at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Panthers#External_links

 

[Tolls]

Strategy & Tactics magazine by Simulations Publications, Inc.

They were one of the two dominant paper wargame companies (Avalon Hill the other) and I played most their games.

SPI tended to make games with paper maps, and AH produced them on board.
That was my main memory of the difference.

Oh, and SPI churned them out, often with sets (quad games?) all with the same rules, and time period. There was one set for 1815, covering Waterloo etc. And another for the frontier battles in the autmun/winter 44/45 (Market Garden, Hurtgen Forest, Bulge I think).

In fact, here's a link.
This internet thing is great...I think it could go far!