Norbert Brunhuber posted this message:
Here's a link to a page that lists 3 shareware tank computer games.
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2607282,00.html

This link leads to an article with links to three tank game demos. I now realize why Norbert wanted someone else to try them out: the second game took only 20 minutes to download over a 56K modem, but the first and third games each took nearly two hours to download. Ouch! Here's my nutshell evaluation of the three titles:

** Steel Beasts:

Very nice simulation of tank combat seen from within an M1A1 Abrams or Leopard 2A4. So-so graphics, good gameplay, seems to be very accurate down to when to hit the laser rangefinder button and when to release the palm switch on the gunner's control. This is the sort of tank computer game I really enjoy: looking out from the gunner's sights, switching over to the tank commander's and driver's positions, bopping from tank to tank within the formation. If you like the type of game in which you have to decide whether to fire a HEAT round or Sabot and you care about the difference between a BRDM-1 and a BMP-2, this is for you.

** BZFlag:

Some sort of arena game mixed with capture the flag. Designed to be played over a network, there's no solo play available. Requires one machine be set up as a server, apparently that machine can't be used by a player. I got it to work pretty easily in the LAN I have in my house, but it's pretty pointless with only one player. We might try this someday when everyone's over at my house for a computer games day. Graphics look pretty dated, but I suppose it might be a fun game.

** Tread Marks:

Race game featuring tanks that look like they belong in Generic Legions. Very nice graphics. Not being very familiar with race games I don't know how to rate this, but it rates pretty poorly as a simulation of WWII tank combat. I did enjoy zooming over cliffs and rolling down into a gully and landing upside down, then zooming off again. The demo does not allow network play but it's obvious the full version is intended to be played that way. Single play in the demo was amusing for a bit but as I said, I'm not a big racing game fan.