Shadow's back. For those who don't remember him as reaper, he's been gone about eight years. He came back earlier this year wanting to show his daughter TradeWars and hit the same wall a lot of us did: the old proxy wouldn't run worth a damn on Windows 11. So he rewrote it. TWX Proxy 3.0 beta1 is out now, and it's his gift to the community. Fully open-source, no strings attached. ## Features Thanks to the rewrite: - Runs on Windows 10/11, macOS, and Linux (x64 and ARM) - Multi-threaded, handles multiple connections - No more wrestling with compatibility modes or VMs Mombot 5.0 beta1 - New scripts - Enhanced existing scripts - Full TWX 3.0 support Mayhem Tradewars Client (MTC) 1.0 beta1 - Native client for Windows, Mac, and Linux - Proxy engine built right in - Run scripts directly in the client - No more running two programs just to play Where to Get It - [GitHub - TWX30](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://github.com/mosleymr/TWX30) - [Git Hub - Mombot 5.0](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://github.com/mosleymr/mombot/tree/main/mombot5.0) - Installers: [SourceForge](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://sourceforge.net/projects/twx30/files/) - Discord for beta feedback: [Join here](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://discord.gg/hHFBjUSX) He's also got his server back up at [roguetw.net:2002](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://roguetw.net:2002/) with a bunch of games open. [Original post on Reddit](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://www.reddit.com/r/Tradewars/comments/1tqejrw/twx_30_beta1_now_available/)

While TW 3002 has been making headlines in [r/Tradewars](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://www.reddit.com/r/Tradewars/), another modern TradeWars-inspired game has been quietly building its own following. **Big Bang Smugglers**, developed by u/CMack1978, launched its Android app earlier this year and recently opened web beta access, bringing turn-based space trading to both mobile and desktop browsers. ## A Different Approach to the Formula Unlike TW 3002's browser-first approach, Big Bang Smugglers started as an Android-native experience before expanding to web. The game shares the same spiritual DNA as TradeWars 2002 but introduces several modern twists that set it apart from both the classic and its contemporaries. ## Core Gameplay: 250 Turns, Two Factions, One Galaxy Big Bang Smugglers operates on a distinctive turn-based system: - **250 turns per 4-hour cycle** — Players must strategize their moves carefully - **30-day seasons** — Every month, the galaxy resets with fresh procedural generation - **Two factions** — Federation (lawful, safe, taxed) and Pirate (lawless, high-risk, high-reward) - **Three commodities** — Fuel, organics, and equipment form the economic backbone ## Faction System Shapes Everything Your alignment isn't just cosmetic in Big Bang Smugglers. Running Federation trade routes shifts you toward law, while smuggling contraband through pirate havens pushes you toward chaos. Your faction affects: - **Port access** — Some ports only deal with certain alignments - **Pricing** — Faction reputation influences buy/sell rates - **NPC behavior** — Law enforcement and pirate raiders react differently based on your standing ## Three Territories, Three Risk Profiles The galaxy is divided into distinct territorial zones: 1. **Federation Space** — Safe, taxed, PvP-free. Ideal for new captains learning the ropes. 2. **Neutral Sectors** — The frontier. Mixed risk, PvP-enabled, where most trading happens. 3. **Pirate Space** — No law, high NPC aggression, only accessible to captains with negative reputation. ## Ship Progression: Six Lines, Five Tiers Both factions offer distinct shipbuilding philosophies: **Federation Yards:** - Trading line (cargo-focused) - War line (defense-heavy) - Balanced line **Pirate Yards:** - Smuggling line (stealth and speed) - Raider line (aggressive combat) - Corsair line (hybrid) Ships range from **Tier 1 (0 XP)** to **Tier 5 (60,000 XP)**, with upgradeable holds, shields, fighters, and warp capabilities. The Federation Galleon and Pirate Leviathan represent the pinnacle of each faction's shipbuilding. ## Planet Development and Passive Income Beyond trading and combat, Big Bang Smugglers adds a strategic layer with planet development: - Claim unclaimed planets - Deploy workers and build factories/warehouses - Collect daily production - Build Trading Posts for passive income - Coordinate with corporations for territory control ## Corporation System Players can form or join corporations, which appear on the seasonal leaderboard. Corporation leaders hold faction-specific titles and can coordinate: - Planet defense - Territory control - Seasonal standings competition ## Combat and Bounty System PvP combat lets players attack rival captains in neutral or pirate sectors. Victors can loot: - **Up to 25% of opponent's credits** - **Up to 30% of their cargo** The bounty system adds another layer: players can post prices on rivals, and any captain who defeats them collects the reward at the contract office. ## Community Reception The developer has maintained a low-key presence, focusing on iterative improvements rather than aggressive marketing. In a comment on the TW 3002 post, the Big Bang Smugglers creator reached out in solidarity, noting they launched their game "a few months ago" and expressing support for fellow TradeWars-inspired projects. ## Play It Now Big Bang Smugglers is **free to play** on both Android and web browsers. **Links:** - Official Site: [https://bigbangsmugglers.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://bigbangsmugglers.com) - Web Beta: [https://play.bigbangsmugglers.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://play.bigbangsmugglers.com) - Google Play: Search "Big Bang Smugglers" *The rise of multiple TradeWars-inspired projects in 2026 suggests a renaissance for the classic space trading formula. Whether you prefer TW 3002's browser-native approach or Big Bang Smugglers' mobile-first design, there's never been a better time to be a space captain.*

A developer known as prilldev has been making waves in the [r/Tradewars](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://www.reddit.com/r/Tradewars/) community with **TW 3002**, a browser-based game inspired by TradeWars 2002. Last week, prilldev posted a call for beta testers on r/Tradewars, inviting nostalgic space captains to try out the game. The response was immediate and overwhelming. Within 48 hours, the developer had already implemented major features and fixes based on community feedback. > "What happened next was more than I expected," prilldev wrote in a follow-up post. ## Trademark Respect and Rebranding In a move that's earned respect from the Tradewars community, prilldev was contacted by John Pritchett (u/Zyrain), the current owner of the Trade Wars trademark and developer behind TWGS. Rather than a cease-and-desist, the conversation was collaborative. Pritchett explained that trademark law required him to defend the "Trade Wars" name or risk losing it. prilldev's response was swift and professional: the domain playtradewars.net was replaced with **tw3002.net**, and all references to the full "Trade Wars" name were scrubbed from the game's copy. The game is now simply known as **TW 3002**. ## Features That Honor the Classic TW 3002 delivers on the nostalgia while adding modern conveniences: - **1,000-sector shared galaxy** with 150 LLM-driven NPC ships - **Directional port economy** — Class 1 ports buy ore and sell equipment, Class 2 buys equipment and sells organics, matching classic TW2002 behavior - **Auto-Pilot route system** — Set a two-port trading loop and let your ship run it automatically - **Combat systems** including mines, planets, Genesis Torpedoes, and citadel defense grids - **Alignment system** with an outlaw crime path for players who prefer piracy - **Daily bounties and leaderboards** to keep competition fresh - **Public REST API** with rate limiting and documentation ## Community-Driven Development Perhaps most impressive is the transparency. prilldev launched a **Captain's Log** changelog that backfills every meaningful change since launch. ## Reception from the Community The r/Tradewars community has responded positively: - "Gotta say I am enjoying it. I've been manually mapping the sectors and finding some interesting details along the way." - "Thanks for incorporating the feedback so fast. The auto trading is a great addition." - "Loving the game so far and great job on the quick implements! You're obviously a very capable coder." - "Loving it! I dove in yesterday and played on my iPhone, it was pleasantly nostalgic and overall plays well." ## Play It Now TW 3002 is **free to play** with no ads. Players need to verify their email and complete a captcha to create an account. **Links:** - Game: [https://tw3002.net](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://tw3002.net) - Captain's Log (Changelog): [https://tw3002.net/changelog](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://tw3002.net/changelog) - API Documentation: [https://tw3002.net/api](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://tw3002.net/api)

I've combined the knowledge of TW Cabal, Gypsy and others to create [The Stardock Compendium](/files/ModernManual/table_of_contents.md), a new player's guide. Of course, you can always read the [original](/files/Site%20Caps/TWCabal/) [source](/search?q=War+Room+Guide) material! Why did I do this? Well, partly because the formatting of these documents is all over the place, and kind of hard to digest. Second, in this age of AI, I thought it might be useful to have something you could feed an LLM to help answer questions. You can feed an LLM this URL [https://www.thestardock.com/llms.txt](/llms.txt). If your LLM tool of choice can pull webpages, you're good to go. The Compendium is still very much a work in progress, but I decided to not wait for perfection to release it. Consider it version v0.1. If you have more ideas for sources, please reach me over at [Cruncher's Discord](https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://discord.com/channels/621306178420342836/621306178420342840).

[<img src="/files/Site%20Caps/BooInc/assets/BooIncLogo_large.png">](/files/Site%20Caps/BooInc/news.html) After more than a decade in the digital void, the iconic Boo! Inc. website has risen from the archives and is back online. For those who lived through the golden age of Trade Wars 2002, this name needs introduction. For everyone else, let me tell you about one of the most hardcore gaming corporations that ever haunted the virtual sectors. Space Ghost and his team—including members like Kavanagh, Medusa, Adomma, and others—didn't just play the game. They shaped the community: * **Hosted Major Tournaments:** The famous Haunted Halloween Tournament (HHT) became a beloved annual tradition * **Ran a TWGS Server:** Providing countless hours of competition with games like "Massive," "Big Chess," and custom edits * **Created Content:** Space Ghost's Trade Wars-themed poems from 1999-2000 are preserved here, including classics like "Twas The Night Before Christmas" (TW edition) and "The Night Before Rebang" * **Built Community:** Through victories, defeats, and plenty of forum flames (which they actively encouraged), they made Trade Wars more than just a game This website is a time capsule. The original files were recovered from the Wayback Machine and lovingly converted to HTML5/CSS3 by Cruncher in December 2013. I've further added more consistent formatting, fixed some links, and restored some images from my own archives. I've also added a touch to the memorial page. This represents a snapshot of early 2000s online gaming culture—complete with starfield backgrounds, flame wars, BBS culture, and genuine passion for a text-based space trading game. [Boo!](/files/Site%20Caps/BooInc/news.html)

Thanks to TradeWars legend Hekate, I'm able to present a fully intact archive of [twlinks.com](/files/Site%20Caps/TWLinks/index.html). The old site is back online with as many working links as I could salvage. As part of the restoration, Hekate also sent copies of [TW Nationals 2004](/files/Site%20Caps/TWNationals2004/), [Terra](/files/Site%20Caps/TERRA/), and [old](/files/Site%20Caps/TWLinks/index.html) [copies](/files/Site%20Caps/TradeWars2002UsefulLinks/) of twlinks.com. To celebrate, Hekate shared an old interview that I'm posting here (from the old website, Black Sun): **How and when did you get started in Tradewars?** In 1993 a friend gave me a modem (2400 baud), installed it on my 8088, and got me signed on a Local DLS BBS named Dreamscape. He and a few others took me into this game of TradeWars, told me what to do, made me evil, sent me twHelper, and somewhat guided me along. It wasn't until 1996 when I got tired of dying on local BBS's that I ventured out in search of learning, where I ended up on ECN. Shark (author of TWATS) was game op and they had some good competition. Over time I hooked up with TheGuru and Angel who then took me to FAMENT in 1997. My first game there I was corped up under a great CEO named Monday. Just prior to that time, bbs.paul.com died and those "great" players moved to FAMENT - so there I was, playing with the best of the best. I left TW in Oct. 1998 and went on "Vacation" for a couple years, returning after TWGS was released (somewhere around end 2000) **Who has been your major influence/influencers in the game?** My play has been influenced by MANY great players over the years, but the ones that stick out are: SHARK - he guided me with use of his helper TWATS and personal tips along the way ANGEL - who invited me along to FAMENT and gave me the chance to corp with some of the best HVS players of all time. She also taught me lots, although I don't think she ever really liked me Jack Box - for being my first main corp mate. We played and learned together for many years before parting ways. hELLCAT - he'll never know how much I learned from him just by watching him play. hELLCAT's gotta be the most influential in my TW career. I was honored to corp with him many times and be the "backup" picking up peaces and reminding of those little things...like....don't forget you got a photon on board...or...you may wanna get more figs! (as he's flying around with 3 figs on ship) heh probably the most fun player I've corped with. **Who do you normally corp with?** I have corped with many great players (and taught many players) over the years. I've had two permacorps of my own and currently have joined up with TimboRulez to help run Star Endeavors. **Who have been your favorite people to play with over the years? why?** I couldn't possibly list all my favorite people to play with/against - or this would be 30 pages long. But the highlight players are: GraveDigr - Above all, my favorite corp mate. He quickly became my right hand man after accepting him to a TWLeague training corp. He rose to being the only player to date to win all 4 main tourneys in a row. Jack Box - for being there attitude and all for as long as he was. The years were enjoyable Xide - for being Xide, great player, great scripter, great guy overall...and the silly things...like killing corpies by accident (hehehe) Vader - he gets the job done, doesn't complain much, and is fun to chat with - in or out of TW **Are there any individuals you would like to play with but never had the opportunity?** I think I have played with just about everyone I set out to play with. I like to corp with everyone, especially those that have a desire to learn the details of the game. I have more fun teaching then just playing. **Any Major games you have won? when and with whom?** BOTE 03: Blue Adept, Phoe6e, Angus Thermopyle, Big12ozHog, Nudo, Reaper USO 02: Xide, Gravedigr, hELLCAT, Hekate, Speedy, Rave WTC 01: Prestone, The Reverend, Res Judicata, hELLCAT, Hekate, Gravedigr (+16 others) **What programs/helpers are part of your TW arsenal?** SWATH, ZOC, and TWX trio **Where are the main servers you play now?** I play where the tourneys are, or where good games may be - no specific server is home **Which servers are your favorite to play and why?** In today's tradewars I don't have a favorite server. **Any advice you could give to a newer player just entering TW?** Keep an open mind and gain any knowledge you can from EVERYONE. Don't get an ego that your better then everyone else - cuz there is ALWAYS someone better you can learn from. **What would you like your legacy in TW to be after you are gone from the community?** Gone from Tradewars? Are you nuts? It's not possible! I guess I'd be best known for teaching those willing to learn...and hosting the 2nd longest lived tradewars site... www.twlinks.com **Are there any TW projects you are a part of that you are excited about?** Most of the main helpers have some sort of idea feature I had input on. I also help JP directly on how players would react to changes he has in mind and if the change is for the better of the game. **Any last thoughts you would like to give?** Port ROB formula is ohhand/.9 Ports ALWAYS give you exactly 90% of actual amount

I've always valued the wealth of information on the defunct TW Cabal website. It contained classics such as Cherokee's famous haggling guide and numerous guides written by Traitor. So, I decided to resurrect it. I pulled the last capture from the Wayback Machine. With Claude's help, I updated the site to be more readable and modern—but not too modern—as if it had been maintained all this time. I used Gemini to create a new header graphic based on the original and added an Imperial Starship. I held true to the original's design: dark and green. The old site was difficult to read, so I updated where necessary. More work could be done, but it's functional. This digital archaeological project is complete. View the site results here: [The Cabal's Secret Hideout](/files/Site%20Caps/TWCabal/)

It only took a decade or so, [but it's back.](/files/)

A recent request for some old audio has reminded me of some archives I have that I've never posted. I captured the audio streams of some old internet radio broadcasts regarding Trade Wars. Here they are... [WEJL - Host: Soul, Guest: Space Ghost](/files/Audio/WEJL%20-%20Soul%20ft%20Space%20Ghost.mp3) [WEJL - Host: Soul, Guest: Gypsy](/files/Audio/WEJL%20-%20Gypsy.mp3) [WEJL - Host Soul, Guest: Big D, Topic: That Jerk Eleq ](/files/Audio/WEJL - Soul Rant Against Eleq ft Big D.mp3) (there are problems with the stream - it skips. [Here is an edited version trying to clean it up](/files/Audio/WEJL%20-%20Soul%20Rant%20Against%20Eleq%20ft%20Big%20D%20-no%20skips.mp3)) [Radio Planet - Host: Silver Dragon, Topic: USO 2002](/files/Audio/Radio Planet - Silver Dragon - USO.mp3)

A user named [Amiskell](https://classictw.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35158&p=248898#p248898) posted [instructions](https://web.archive.org/web/20170000000000*/https://gist.github.com/andrewmiskell/e347585c059fbcddbb98cd324377d8c5) on how to get TWGS running in one of the most difficult ways possible. But hey, it's easy if you know what you're doing! Reminds me of the days I was running TWGS under WINE on Linux before Linux was semi-easy to use. All sitting behind my custom BBS software, eleqtriqBBS!