Before being asked to write a preview of the upcoming Cosmic Encounter Online, I must confess I'd never heard of the board game. I owned a few Avalon Hill games in my youth - I attribute my sparse knowledge of Frederick the Great of Prussia to an AH game - but they were mostly war games (or games of Diplomacy that quickly became "gunboat" Diplomacy). Cosmic Encounter, however, I had never played. I poked around the CEO website to get a feel for the game, and found an underground gaming community the likes of which I'd not imagined existed.

CE, the board game, debuted in 1977, and won awards in the gaming community from 1980 onward. The title was even inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame in 1997. Designed by Eon Products' Peter Olotka, Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, and Bill Norton, the game developed a cult following. To play the board game, up to four players choose from provided aliens; each race has special powers, and each race is bent on conquering the galaxy (even the peaceful ones need to eat). By using tact, diplomacy, and superior firepower, the aliens make and break alliances in single-minded pursuit of their goal, until one has taken over the known galaxy. Then they start all over again!

I had the privilege of trying out the online version, which is set to debut this summer. Peter Olotka, now president of Future Pastimes, LLC, the developer for Cosmic Encounter Online, and his son Greg (who's been a game designer for the board game since age 10, and is responsible for designing the user interface for the online version) walked me through it, and although they ganged up on my poor, peaceful Empaths, I did get to see why the game is so fun for so many.

The online version of CE is done with Flash and Java script, so it's instantly usable on almost any platform, and has been widely tested on different machines. The graphics are simple, but fun. Each alien has its own picture and custom animation, and inside the game, the menus are easy to follow. The rules are simple, but the game itself is rich in strategy. Each alien has a special power. The Empaths, for example, which I played in the sample game, are able to force negotiations; if the Empaths want to negotiate, everybody negotiates. You can gain colonies by brute force, but negotiating and coming to the defense of others nets you nifty rewards as well. The possibilities are well nigh endless.

How endless? Well, the game plans to launch with 21 distinct alien species, each with its own unique power. With four players per game (computer "bots" fill up empty slots in the games), this leads to over 500 different possible combinations of aliens in battles. The board game had many more aliens, so aliens will be added to CEO all the time. Games run an estimated 20 minutes apiece, so you can slip one in during your lunch break (not that I would ever advocate gaming from work!).

If it sounds a little intimidating, check out the interactive rules section. Players can get step-by-step instructions on playing the game, and the illustrations show exactly which buttons to press, and what the results will be. This is one of the best online tutorials available for a game, and it really lets gamers bone up quickly.

To get the hang of the actual game, free memberships are available. These free memberships are limited in their alien selection, but are still eligible to participate in games with paying members, so it's entirely possible a newcomer will try the game for free, play against a nifty alien, and become a paying member just to get their hands on new aliens!

For paying members (fees can be paid in different increments, and range from $5.50 per month for 12 months, to $8.50 per month for 1 month), more aliens are available. Also, player stats are customized and stored for everyone to see. You can see which aliens you're best at, what your win totals are, and what you player ranking is. The aliens themselves have rankings, too; see which are the most popular, and the most powerful. Members also get the opportunity to contribute suggestions for new aliens.

Peter and Greg Olotka were quick to stress the social aspects of the game. Each window has a chat feature, and there seems to be a real attempt here to build up an online community that mimics the tightly-knit gaming community that exists for the board game. Judging from the early press, and from the sheer numbers of CE fans that work in the gaming industry, Cosmic Encounter Online should have no trouble becoming a great place to chat, play the game, and lord it over other players. The game looks like it won't have any trouble crossing genre boundaries, either: the quotes from enthusiastic players include a line about that person's "other" favorite game, and answers range from Quake 3 to Trivial Pursuit. Any game that can appeal to such disparate tastes can't help but be a winner.

There are some nice enticements to keep one interested, too. Since each member has unique statistics, the game knows how often you've been playing. If you fall behind the average for all members, you'll be offered free game time to encourage you to catch up. On the other hand, if you play much more than the average, you'll get a little free game time as a reward. It's hard to argue with that strategy!

CEO is committed to welcoming and bringing in women gamers. Peter pointed out that at conventions, where CE games are extremely popular, nearly half the players have been women, and he's looking forward to translating that ratio to the online game. Having seen the game in its beta stages, I can't imagine that would be hard to do. Anyone looking for a fun, fast, and strategic game with a lot of social interaction won't be disappointed by CEO.

Until the game opens officially, visit the website and send eMailiens to your friends, inviting them to check it out. Learn about some of the aliens, and see which ones might be your favorites. Then, when the game goes live, come and feel the wrath of my Zombies.