Database Design & Discussion

I'm messing with various time period databases. I know the Radar Cross Section is a doubtful issue, stealth topic aside, but I see very great differences in RCS in WWII DB and the other DBs. As example, P-3 Orion and B-17 Superfortress are planes of very similar size, P-3 in ordinary DB as a RCS of 159, and in WWII DB we find: B-17 RCS=86, and B-29 RCS=88 (And all these planes are with propellors, I know a rotating propellor has a big RCS), Or in smaller planes, P-51 Mustang RCS=70, and the similar size A-37 Dragonfly RCS=137, and I see these are consistent differences between the DBs. Why these enormous differences ? Also, I don't know if it's a relationated is…

What is the maximum allowable number of damage points that could be attributed to an installation? My guess is that is is some (2^n)-1

Brains found an inconsistency in the Aircraft short names battleset string. The data fix is applied by you database authors. Not fixing it doesn't really hurt anything, it could just be confusing to later editors. Instructions: 1. With your database loaded in the PE, go to the lPlatformSubTypes table. 2. Scroll down the list until you are at Annex 5 3. Unless you've already fixed it, where Annex = 5 and ID = 15 you'll see double quotes that were caused by a missing comma. 4. Delete those double-quotes, close the table, then export. 5. Data inconsistency solved, thank you for participating.

I would like to know if there is a way to include pics or line drawings and linking them to the platform in the DB. I find a lot have got a no pic available and I would like to correct as many as I can in the DB. As a Naval Electronic Sensor Operator (Canadian Navy) I would like to include photos of CDN platforms that currently show (no pic available)

I'm probably going to regret this, but... Is there a way of creating a scenario-specific database in the EC2003 battleset? Here's the short version. There's a HDSIII IOPG user scenario called "Sea Orbit '65" involving the CVN Enterprise's nuclear task force back in the 60's. Because of the limitations of this battleset, there are no carrier-based F4s or A4s available, nor is the SSN Triton. What I would like to do is create a 1965 database of the appropriatly armed USN ships and aircraft, and some slightly over-the-top units belonging to SMERSH or SPECTRE or even Dr. Evil's minions. The end result would be a small database of maybe couple dozen ships, subs and airc…

This thread has been created to accommodate requests for the Harpoon Commander's Edition (HCE) World Wars Database, or HCWW. The HCWW is a custom database that will initially focus on aircraft, ships, submarines and installations of the Second World War, and in due course, if room is available, select platforms from the First World War. It is important to keep in mind the limitations of the current code when it comes to modeling WW1/2 era engagements, however, including: less than ideal modeling of aircraft guns; difficulty in modeling radio intercept; no limitations to communications; targeting based on formation center rather than unit to unit; etc. That said, I…

Hi all, re the latest couple of HCWW data bases (090605 &090618). I like the idea of playing back in WW2 with out all them there modern stuff, but I can't get my blue pilots to fire their guns at other planes. I've even sicked them onto planes with no armament, but they just fly around them looking stupid. Any one else having this happen.? Don Thomas [CV32: Edited]

Hello all I'm a newbie at editing Harpoon CE, so far I've succeeded in putting new graphics, add new ship class, a new plane type and stuff like that. The problem is when I try to add a new weapon, in this case the AA-3 anab for my new entry, the Su-15 flagon F, even if I add it in the DB and I create a new loadout entry accordingly, when I go ind the SE, the loadout entry appears but not the missiles associate with it. When I try to set up entry in the weapons tab of the PE, I let it generate the ID number, but nothing work. whay am I doing wrong ?

Aim-7Ms acting like Aim-120s: From an F-15 I fired Aim-7Ms at a group of bombers. The program asked me to turn on the radar as the missile is semi-active radar homing. I did that and then turned the radar off. The missiles proceeded to miss the bombers, then they corrected and acted like Aim-120s with self-guidance and destroyed the bombers. This also happened in another game where I shot down all the opposing F-15s after they fired their Aim-7Ms. The Aim-7s did not disengage but continued to track to their targets (much to my surprise). In the database the Aim-7M is flagged as radar guided and semi-active guided. Could it be that it should only have the se…

In the last HCDB I see the code snap up/down fixed to the missiles Fajr-5 and Zelzal 2. For years I was thinking the snap up/down code was for air-to-air missiles, and also ineffective in PC game terms. Now I see it related with, I suppose, a capability of ballistic/near vertical attack. The questions are: At what capability is related the code "snap up/down" ? Is really effective in PC game terms ? Thanks.

In the last version of the HCDB I see some AS radars, as they of Su-15 and CF-101B are labeled as RO radars and not as AS radars, and both with a reasonable high range. Is a mishap, or the label RO is not "Range Only" radar ?

Tony, et al: I was reading an article regarding “bunker buster bombs” and the specific uses for them. It led me to wondering how the “specific use” concept could be adapted to HCE. Currently most target defense is based on a numeric value, for example; a large airbase may be valued at 9500 defense points or a tank unit at 10. Deliver enough damage points in your attack and the target is destroyed. When attacking a target it doesn’t matter what type of weapon you use as long as that weapon can attack that type of target. For example, when attacking an airfield you can use any anti-surface weapon. The effectiveness of the weapon is based on accuracy and damage …

When I attempt to enter the ID number for a weapon in the PE, I get the following error message: The error does not seem to have an immediate effect, but when the database is exported, aircraft will use the wrong weapons (but the correct number of those weapons). The loadouts appear fine in the PE, and this error appears both when editing an existing database or creating one from the blank database. Also, when an existing weapon from an existing database is edited, it will stop appearing. For example, editing the AIM-9X (ID 18490) in the HCDB will cause loadouts that previously used it to use the AIM-9L (ID 18489) instead. Does anyone know why this is occuring and how…

Hi Gents, I would like to probe into the world of DB creation.. I know we already have several outstanding DBs from Brad and Rene available. But I would love to be able to understand what you clever folks have to go through in order to create such excellent quality DBs. I would like to start by building one specifically for the GIUK theatre of operations as that is the area im quite interested in, no two guesses as to why, or prizes for that matter lol Are there any guides available that I can get hold of? I am a complete moron when it comes to the PE and find it quite daunting so I wondered if there was any good reference material for such. Also when you …

Will changing the Type of a ship in the database (in this class INTL Sonya MCM was listed as FF in the database) have an effect on scenarios using that ship other than correctly identifying the type of ship? My concern is that scenarios that use the ship would change, perhaps not correctly including that ship or some other problem (instead of just correctly identifying it). As mentioned earlier, I am new to this, but I am working on adding all of the navies of the Americas as well as updating other fleets (names and omitted classes), at least to Jane's 2004-2005 standard (latest I have).

File Name: PfDatafiles for HC-xxtoxx-DB s File Submitter: divefreak File Submitted: 9 Feb 2009 File Updated: 16 Dec 2010 File Category: Databases Authors: René Haar Game Version: HCE Hi this selfextracting File contains the pfdatafiles nescessary to import my HC Databases. simply extract it into you HCE Folder and link the pe to the file with the browse function of the pe. the Rar-File will create a Folder named DB and one subfolder for each db! Next step is the normal import process. You need to import one db after another. Now you have a folder that contains the datafiles for the dbs. All you need to do for future use is to jump between…

Chatting on IRC yesterday, I was told that the maximum number of installations is 2067. This leads me to wonder what the maximum number of installations is for the other categories might be. If it is listed somewhere, just point me in the right direction. Akmatov

First of all, I'd like to say thanks for the insane amount of work that has been put into this DB! Looking at the installation list I'm seeing every imaginable US military installation! Given that the period 1980 to 1990 has always been the time period I've considered likely for the Cold War to get out of hand, this DB is targeted for me. :) I have noticed that a lot of the aircraft, and possibly other platforms-I haven't checked, lack a value for a field, Runway in the case of a/c. I also notice that these aircraft are not available for assignment within ScenEdit unless you go into Platform Editor and fill in a value for Runway; ie once I put VLarge in the Runwa…

I am brand new to scenario and DB design (but not to Harpoon, boxed set in 90, comp version in 95) and have what may be a stupid question. How do you determine the RCS value of a ship? I am currently updating a database to include the fleets of the Americas, I finished most of the work on Cuba this morning. Hopefully one day soon I will be able to share the fleets that go with Tony E's battlesets of the area. Bob Andrepont Louisiana

I just downloaded the latest Database pdate HCDB 090128. When I went to the platform editor I could not find the new Ships listed. However when I went to the scenario editor They are there. I would like to know where the Virginia Block lll and the Bunker Hill (CM), and the Arliegh Burke Flight lla (CM) are located in the platform editor. Thank you -Tanthier