General

This is a question that's bugged me for a long time, but apparently never enough to make me remember to ask it - until now: I've noticed that certain types of ordnance apparently will not hit anything unless the launching group's radars are left on. This includes, but probably is not limited to, the AGM-130s, the Popeyes, and the "TV Bombs". I assumed this was some sort of modeling of the need for target-designation, yet there are a few puzzling things about that theory: First, it doesn't seem to matter whether the target stays within the range of the aircraft's radar - or, for that matter, whether the target is ever within the range of the radar... it just matt…

Unzip the attached into your 2009.050 HC demo directory. HC2009.054DemoGE.zip HC2009.061DemoGE.zip

I'm wanting to do a short series of scenarios as ECM, SEAD and related operations with instructive orders. I need confirmation/ further comment on some ECM stuff. My summary is : Offensive ECM has (in the loadout window of the carrying unit) Target = Radar, Range > 0 (and not "Horizon") It reduces the likelihood of enemy radar picking up any aircraft in the effective area of the ECM . Defensive ECM has Target=Radar, Range =0. It only reduces the likelihood of enemy radar picking up the unit carrying the ECM. Jammers have a Range = horizon and reduce the likelihood of enemy missile hits on the carrying unit. Question: Can "Jammers" have Targets other t…

Specifically in the WestPac "Backyard" scenario, I quite frequently observe a minor oddity (that apparently has no adverse effect on game play) but may be some sort of indication of something getting hosed up. What happens every so often is that after a tanker a/c completes its refuelling and after the Split-off dialog has been approved, it displays the dialog for selecting the base for the tanker to return to - but the mileage to the first base (or bases, in some cases) is grossly incorrect. Yet in other instances, it seems to be correct. I'm attaching a game-save here, captured at the point that refueling was just started on Blue air group AWA. As this progres…

I run into this situation quite a bit, but fail to see why it is the way it is... so would someone please enlighten me? The situation is where an AI base that I wish to attack has had its radar knocked out, has no attached land AA/radar Units, and has no formation air patrols with active radar (as evidenced by the following: - The Report display for the Base says, "Other damage - Sensor" and Land Units: 0 - Friendly air groups having SEAD and AAM loadouts give the "No released weapons ... for Land attack" message when commanded to attack the base (thus implying that there are no active land-based radars and no formation air groups on the base). Yet, the Range Ci…

I just wanted to get an idea of how many different sites everyone browses to get information on military matters... ill start with an obvious one www.globalsecurity.org please add your links!

I am aware that we can just move bases if they are "off map" but what about base names, etc? I'm considering a possible Libya scenario but in the HCDB database there are no Libyan bases, I know its just a name but I think it looks silly if Tripoli airport is named as "RAF Kinross" just because the name isn't there...

Hey: After playing the Ultimate edition a few times, I have come to one of two possible conclusions (somewhat related): 1) I suck or 2) The computer rocks. For example. 3 Flankers vs 6 Tornados. I'm protecting an E-3 and in no mood for playing so I let the Flankers have it: 9 SkyFlashes, or three per flanker on average. The flankers, being the argumentative buggers that they are, answer with four radar missiles themselves. Now to my mind, 3 missiles per aircraft is pretty good odds. Yet somehow the flankers get 100% hit rate and all bar one of my missiles miss, the flankers go off and retreat with a mission well done, drinking Vodka all the way back (no statist…

Was reading in Shattered Sword a description of the mechanics of putting together a Japanese carrier strike in 1942. I had never realized that you needed to warm up a radial engine for about 15 minutes before it was safe to take off. Was wondering: 1) Do you needed to warm up a jet engine?, and 2) if so, for how long? Also, got me wondering, how many aircraft can a catapult launch how quickly? Figured you guys might know.

If you have not 'subscribed' to the issue or 'tracked' the topic this will not apply to you. I'm considering only allowing the immediate notifications since they work more reliably than the other types.

I've set up some quick test games to try and do some minesweeping for a scenario I would like to do. I don't know if I am doing something wrong or if it is just the quality of units I am using. I am trying to hunt with the Canadian Kingston class MCDV's (PG) and as mentioned in their notes, they have "limited minehunting capabilities". They are outfitted with some minehunting gear but I always hit the mine before being able to "attack" the mine. They don't have any sonar so I've located the mines with a Halifax class, but when I send the Kingston ships in they always hit the mines. Is this a function of their poor equipment (similar to RL) or is there something I …

Hi, I am an old Harpooner who decided to D/L the HC demo the other day. I had all the DOS versions and battlesets, and I did beta testing for H97 and EC2000. I had H2, and I bought Patriot too. So I notice these little lightning bolts that show up next to my a/c, enemy a/c, and enemy surface units. What are theytelling me? I am guessing jamming, but I can't find anthing in the manual. Speaking for jamming, does it just "happen", or are their finer points t using it. In general,I am impressed with the demo. Love the refuelling implementation, and the fact that i don't have to remember to split the tanker off and RTB it. I still think the Phoenix mis…

I'm working on upgrading on old scenario. A Red search aircraft has detected a Blue surface group, and visa versa. There are Red submarines in the area of the contact, but watching with the Cheat Key, it seems that they don't seem to make any kind of move to intercept but keep following thier pre-programed courses. Is this the proper behavior according to the programming, or is there something wrong with this scenario?

Tony; I went to use the Issue Tracker this morning and saw all sorts of other issues. I can't remember when I got an update: I guess I blightly assumed all was well on the bug front until I encountered one. Anyhow, I figured figured my subscription had been cancelled somehow, but when I tried to re-up, it said my subscription was still active. Can you look into it?

Looking at the DB associated with the 2009.42 install and I'm finding some little errors. The most noticeable is that a number of SS diesel subs are listed as having nuclear propulsion. Could this be a game thing where these subs display characteristics associated in the game with nuclear or are they true errors? Also, is this the most uptodate 'standard' DB or should I be downloading something newer from the database downloads? UPDATE Putting my DB exploration on hold till I figure this out. The data I'm working with is copy and paste to Excel of the data tables in the Platform Editor, I can work better with Excel. First thing I'm checking is the accuracy of…

I have a copy of HCE and can keep it up to date with the latest beta .exes. Other than having a complete collection of all the various versions of Harpoon, what is the benefit for a HCE player? And from something I read in one of the threads, did I correctly understand that purchase of HUE from Matrix benefits you guys not at all? This seems weird as aren't you the guys who provided all the update work?

Just noticed that the World War DB is live and still being added to. But I am not noticing that there are any scenarios to be downloaded using it. Am I missing something? I am currently reading Shattered Sword, about the battle of Midway, and am wondering about using HCE to look at some WW2 actions. I'm assuming that HCE would not be especially useful for surface actions, but my interest is mainly carrier operations so it seems HCE might do just fine. If I were to put together a simple WW2 carrier scenario using the WWDB, how would I approach it as I assume there is no battle set for it. I guess I'm confused about how to go from a DB to an actual scenario (I…

Currently have HCE and haven't yet purchased HUE. Can I still use the more UTD betas without trashing things?

Hi All Returning to HCE after a considerable abscence and trying to remember how most of it all works. In putting together user made scenario I've been trying to place a generic airbase but when you create the base it doesn't seem to appear on the map. Experimenting a little I found the same problem with all the non geographic bases. Analysing the scenario showed they were listed as being present but invisible it would seem ...is this a glitch or am I missing a step someplace? On an unrelated topic, do shipborne decoys have any effect in game ....they seem to have numerical loadouts but I've yet to see any deployed.

Hi everybody, I'm an old Harpoon fan (I must have one of the first CD versions in Italy, I guess) and just a while ago I purchased HCE, willing to refresh my strategic competences :-) Now that I have some time to play again, I would like some enlightenment about the program and its new logic: 1) which is the best fuel efficency altitude for each plane? Is it still the default altitude it starts flying at when is launched? Is there a standard rule about it? 2) what does that "little lightning" symbol sometimes appearing on some of the planes means? 3) why the old air-to-ground attack "launch all and run home" logic is not working anymore? I see the logic is now "launc…