1. What is Warbound?

2. Who created Warbound?

3. The rules, example, and glossary all seem overwhelming.  Is this game going to be hard to learn?  If so, I am just going to play checkers.

4. Why play?  How will this game benefit me?

5. How old it this game?

6. When I logged on, I did not see any players in the Warbound lobby. Why not?

7. I am still confused about how to play.  Can someone teach me one-on-one?

8. My two-mile run time is about 14 minutes. What can I do to get it under 13 minutes?

9. Is warboundonline.com related to warbound.com?

1. What is this game?

   Warbound is a two-player, online strategy game.  It is absolutely free to play.  It involves the sort of thought that goes into a game of Chess, Stratego, or poker more than a game of Axis & Allies or Risk.  This is an abstract strategy game.   It is unique yet timeless in its appeal.
Maneuver, deception, and the anticipation of your opponent define the game.  There is a small amount of chance, but success is mostly in your own hands.
    The beauty of Warbound is that even an amateur can defeat an expert - the game is a match of wits, not memorized strategy.   I am the creator of the game, yet I have lost numerous times, even to people who were playing only their third game.   The game becomes more rich and fascinating every time you play it.
    Play a game - the first one will be rough because you will be more focused on learning the rules than applying strategy.  But after that, it becomes easy...and truly exciting.

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2. Who created Warbound?

An Infantry officer in the US Army who is a combat veteran.  
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3. The rules, examples, and glossary all seem overwhelming.  Is this game going to be hard to learn?  If so, I am just going to play checkers.

   Watching the Video Tutorials is the best way for most new players to learn the game.  You can sit in your favorite chair and drink an ice cold beverage while the rules are both explained and shown to you.  Its about 15 minutes of time well-spent.
   The rules are thorough but they make sense once you have played your first game.  They will seem a bit boring until you get your ass kicked a few times. 
   If you are impatient, you can just play a game and consult the rules as you go along.  DO NOT give up!  You will thank yourself later. The first game might be rough and you may be confused, but the game becomes very easy to understand after you get past the initial hurdle.  There is a Help Box on the right side of the game screen that explains things as you play.  You can also practice using the standalone version of the game - play a game against yourself. 
    The glossary is the most simple reference and will enhance your game experience as you play.  The rulebook is where you will find the most detail and will enable you to become an expert Warbound player.  The examples enhance the rulebook and are a visual depiction of the rules in action.  
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4. Why play? How will this game benefit me? 

Playing Warbound is great exercise for the brain.  It will sharpen your ability to plan strategically and predict patterns of your enemy.  You will learn to be efficient.  Warbound will teach you to accept defeat in a small battle in order to win the big war.  You will learn to be deceptive. You will be able to integrate a variety of assests with different capabilities to achieve one purpose.  The military calls this the "combined arms" fight: maneuvering infantry, artillery, tanks, and aircraft in a unified, complementary manner.   If you are familiar with US Army doctrine, you will see its application in this game.  Playing Warbound taught me things that I applied in combat.
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5. How old is this game?

The website, Warboundonline.com, and the game, Warbound v2.0, were released to public on April 7, 2007. 

The original idea for Warbound, however, was born in November, 1999.  The game was originally called Despair and was extremely stupid.  I continued to work on the game intermitently until 2004, when I found out that I would be deploying to Iraq.  Since I might have gotten my head blown off, I worked hard to finish refining the game and writing the rules before leaving for Mesopotamia.  The game was playtested extensively while in Iraq and I contracted XIG Systems to program the flash game and lobby upon my return to the states.
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6. When I logged on, I did not see any players in the Warbound lobby. Why not?

   Warboundonline.com is very new and not many people know about it yet.  Also, I know little about promoting an online board game, so I am figuring it out as I go.  If you have any suggestions or if you think you can help, contact me.  Until this game grows to the point that there are players online 24 hours a day, follow these guidlines:
- Meet up with other players at 9pm EST (2200 and 0100 GMT) daily
- Schedule games in the Warbound forum
   You can help the Warbound community grow by having friends join and showing them how to play.   Besides, its free.
   If you still cannot find someone to play, contact the staff at mail@warboundonline.com and someone will be more than willing to tutor and/or play you.
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7. I am still confused about how to play.  Can someone teach me one-on-one?

Yes.  Go to the "Ask the Warboundonline Staff" forum in the Warbound bulletinboard and request a tutoring session with a member of the staff.  Someone will be willing to teach you one-on-one.  This is particularly useful if you have an instant messenger service, such as AIM.  Skype would work too.
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8. My two-mile run time is about 14 minutes.  What can I do to get it under 13 minutes?

I recommend eating a deep-fried candy bar.  Adding butter to as many meals as possible will also help.
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9. Is warboundonline.com related to warbound.com?

No.  They certainly have the catchier web address though.
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