Mgellis

I would like to brainstorm with people about ways to improve the reception of the HUD-4 database. Maybe I am wrong about this, but my impression is that relatively few people are writing scenarios with the HUD-4 and relatively few people are using it to play. I admit up front that this is personal. I like the HUD-4. I like what Gunny has done with it. I like writing scenarios with it. I want people to play those scenarios. Lots of them. I'm not planning on spending too much time talking about "the competition," except to the extent that it is out there and a lot of people seem to be using it. I suspect the issue is not that they know or do not know about the controversy surrounding the database; I think they choose and use that database simply because it meets their needs. So the question is what can be done to make the HUD-4 a better choice for people. I don't just mean improving the database--Gunny is already doing that. And not just adding new platforms. I am sure he is going through the database looking for errors, bugs, adding descriptive text for platforms where there is none (I think this is a big job that really has to get done as much as possible and as soon as possible), watching out for logical errors like a ship that can only use medium-sized helicopters that carry squads of marines only having a "magazine" for platoons of marines, etc. Is it just a matter of writing more scenarios and posting them to as many Harpoon-related web sites as possible? Aside from Harpgamer and ScenShare, what are those sites? And what else can be done?

Oh, I can definitely see (and hear) what people might object to in his behavior. When he tried out my newest scenario, he played it until he found an error and then quit. Look, I find database errors as annoying as anyone (certainly, I've pestered poor Gunny about them often enough), but, as they say in one of my favorite movies, I "work the problem." One particular missile did not work? So use another freakin' missile, dude! You think real pilots don't have to sometimes deal with equipment failures? I don't know why the AIM-7 missiles on the F4-S planes will not target on the T-34 Mentor (used because it is the most effective aircraft the Dominicans had in 1981). The AIM-7s target on other things just fine in other scenarios. And other things shoot down the Mentors just fine in this scenario, too (the Dhalgren is using RIM-66/67 missiles and she had no trouble with them). So that's what I do. I always write a scenario so there is some way to win, even if some particular funky thing happens in the scenario. In fairness, I will say in the first version of Celebes Sea Slam 2016 that the Emilio Jacinto really would not move and it showed its fuel level at 0. But maybe that was just a glitch in the scenario editor when I wrote that particular scenario. It does sometimes create errors and I have to rewrite things. But I deal with it. I remember how unstable Harpoon 2 was on my computer all those years ago and ANW and HUD-4 is about 9000% better. When I opened up the database editor itself on my machine, I saw the Emilio Jacinto had fuel (or at least there was a fuel entry for it) but I do not think any of the refueling options had been checked. Could that be what created the bug? By the way, while I'm on the subject of things not working, I always have a lot of trouble with Maverick missiles (all types), but again I don't know if there's an error in the database, or a glitch in the scenario editor, or if I'm just trying to blow up the wrong things and the Mavericks are telling me, "No, I can't do that" because they really can't do that. They do seem VERY persnickety about what they will let me shoot them at, though.

And, for some reason, as Herman was happy to point out, AIM-7 sparrows do not lock on to the Turbo-34 Mentors in my Operation Blue Doghouse scenario. Again, I did not notice this until after I had finished the scenario because I had no trouble shooting them down, either with Standard missiles or F-4s or Harriers getting them somehow, long before I noticed they were having "trouble." And the AIM-7s work fine in other scenarios. So what's going on?

Herman Hum pointed out that the PS Emilio Jacinto does not appear to have any fuel in its database listing, which means the ship is unable to move. This was in "Celebes Sea Slam"; I simply replaced the PS with another Philippine ship so the problem should no longer exist. I'm not sure if this was one freak event or if it is a more widespread problem (I have not found it in other ships, but I may have just missed it), but I thought I should mention it to people. Herman is cheerfully pointing out on FilesofScenShare that the HUD is "infested" with errors. Here is the link... http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/FilesO...re/message/1607 Admittedly, I am using the beta version because it has all the newest platforms, which might explain a lot of the errors. However, as much as it may irk people (and I can definitely see how Herman might do this), this is probably a useful wake-up call that there may be more errors lurking in the database than we would like.

Buckley-class destroyer escort http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckley_class_destroyer_escort Another class of World War II ships that served in a few places through the 1980s. Chile and Mexico both had ships from this class (sometimes called the "Charles Lawrence" class) in their navies in the 1980s. Not a critical addition, but might be nice to have for some scenarios someday. ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b10

File Name: Operation Blue Doghouse File Submitter: Mgellis File Submitted: 24 Jul 2012 File Updated: 28 Jul 2012 File Category: Scenarios DB Used: HUD 4 v1.1 b10 Authors: Mark Gellis Battleset: No Information American amphibious operations against a dictatorship that has seized control of the Dominican Republic in 1981. (Image is 101116-N-9327W-111, U.S. Navy photo of the Nassau by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Williamson/Released) Click here to download this file

Just curious...is there a way to change the music/video that is played when one wins or loses a scenario?

Just curious...is there any way to model a warning shot? I'm not sure how this would be set up, but is there a way to fire, but deliberately miss, and hopefully scare someone off? I can see some scenarios where you're trying to stay on station and being harassed and you do not know if the ship is a threat or not, but you do not want to sink it...just in case. Or is it assumed that you tried to do that already and now it's just clobbering time. Mark

Hooray! Will it include many, many new platforms? *Keeping fingers crossed* By the way, has there been any announcement on when 3.11 will be released? Later this year? Early in 2013? Just curious if anyone knows anything.

Again, I'm looking for a reality check on some scenario ideas... Here's what I imagine. What if a nation decided, for some reason, to engage in full scale poaching? It sends a fishing convoy--fishing boats and patrol boats or even warships as escorts--into the EEZ of some other country (presumably one the aggressor believes it can treat this way) and proceeds to do a serious amount of fishing. This might be a disputed territory or it might simply be an act of aggression by a nation that thinks it can get away with it. (And, because of food shortages, collapsing fish populations due to overfishing, etc., it may believe it has to get away with it.) I suppose the logic here is that it is a calculated risk. Yes, the aggressor nation knows it is effectively committing an act of war--it is stealing from another country. But if it believes the other country cannot stop it and that no one else will try to stop it, it takes the risk. Is this plausible? Does it make sense? Would a country be likely to risk international sanctions over something like this? (And what if the country had a friend on the UN Security Council who might allow "condemnation" but would vote against actual sanctions? Or if the territory was disputed and other countries were divided over whether a crime/act of war had actually been committed?) Thoughts? Observations? Suggestions? As for scenarios, here's what might develop... Naturally, the country whose EEZ has been violated will be upset! It either goes after the fishing convoy itself or it gets help from its more powerful allies and they all go after the convoy. A battle ensues. As an example...Colombia sends a fishing convoy into Panama's EEZ. It's pretty obvious what's going on and there is an uproar but Colombia keeps doing it. I'm not sure what would happen next...a Brazilian-led coalition of Latin American states sends a task force to force Colombia out of Panamanian waters? What do you think? Does this all make sense? Is it a plausible scenario? Thanks in advance. Mark

A related comment... I imagine #3 could be used for a much wider range of situations. For ANY reason, a UN blockade might be used to punish a nation for some bad behavior. However, the nation in question or its allies might seek to get past (or attack) the blockade. A contemporary example...what if the UN decided the best way to force Assad from power in Syria was to blockade Syria, deny them access to the sea for trade, etc.? Syria would probably use aircraft against the blockade. Russia or some other ally of Syria might try to break past the blockade with a convoy. Thoughts? Observations?

I'm brainstorming various ideas and I'd like a reality check on this one... "Water War Template" Basic concept: Water is already reaching dangerous shortages in some places. Especially when the territory is disputed, and perhaps if it is not, but still temptingly close to a border, a nation might decide to seize territory. This is not an invasion--it is simply a land grab. But it is land with a river on it (or both shores of a river that both countries share). Naturally, the country that has lost territory will be upset and will try to get it back, perhaps the help of allies or an international (perhaps UN) coalition. I imagine that any valuable resource in a border area might be a target for a similar land grab. How plausible is this concept? My gut feeling is that it could be used as the basis for MANY small wars in Harpoon. What do you all think? In terms of Harpoon, there might be various battles, depending on the sides and what assets they have... 1) An air invasion of the disputed territory, either to take it or to take it back--aircraft vs. land targets 2) Air superiority operations, if either side has enough air assets to make it worthwhile--this would actually come before the invasion but I'm listing it second because it might not happen in some situations 3) Perhaps the coalition decides to use a naval blockade to punish the aggressor nation rather than attack it directly, but the blockade might come under attack from the aggressor nation or from one of its allies trying to get past (or perhaps simply destroy) the blockade. Thoughts? Comments? Observations? Mark

Just playing around with scenario ideas and asking for a "reality check" on some of them... Generally, what has to happen for the UN to go beyond saying “We are not amused” and to actually do something like putting an armed coalition together? I’m guessing that the reasons include: * A country invades another country without having a good reason for doing so—it cannot just make one or two attacks, it has to be an invasion or an ongoing assault that is causing large numbers of casualties and the attacking country shows no sign of letting up on its enemy * A country invades another country and, even if it has a good reason for the initial invasion, it starts doing horrible things to civilians, foreign nationals, etc. * A country responds to an internal crisis (rebellion, unrest, etc.) by doing really horrible things to large numbers of its own civilians, foreign nationals, or anyone else it holds responsible for the trouble * A country’s government is clearly guilty of sponsoring terrorism or piracy or drug cartels, secretly building weapons of mass destruction, trying to bring back disco, or something equally hideous and unspeakable * A country has a coup and the new government starts doing really horrible things to large numbers of its own civilians, foreign nationals, etc. Am I missing anything? Also, does anyone know anything about the way countries are selected to help in these coalition? Does the UN just ask for help and wait to see who says, "Yeah, sure, I'll put in a squadron," etc.? Thoughts? Observations? Suggestions? Thanks in advance. Mark

Okay, good to know. Thanks. Should I go back to using b10 for scenarios I want to post here? Can people use the ones I write with b11? Mark

FYI...if anyone wants to, please feel free to post After Action Reports...I'd be very interested to hear what people have to say about the scenario

C-27 Spartan Alenia C-27J Spartan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeritalia_G.222 (aka C-27A) <-- not sure if this needs its own listing Widely used transport...looks like it can carry about a platoon of troops ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11

Flyvefisken class patrol vessel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyvefisken_class_patrol_vessel I could have sworn this was already in the HUD 4 database, but when I looked, I could not find it. ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11

Attacker class patrol boat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacker_class_patrol_boat This class appears to be the main fighting ship in the Lebanese navy. While small, it is armed, and it could certainly serve as "eyes on the water" for a coalition. ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11

EML Admiral Pitka (A230) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EML_Admiral_Pitka_%28A230%29 Estonia's only major warship ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11

Sud Aviation Vautour http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sud_Aviation_Vautour Retired in 1979, but perhaps worth including because it did see action in the Middle East wars of the period. And it's French! Gunny, you must stand up for your French aircraft! ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11

Tupolev Tu-154 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-154 Wow...they built a lot of these. This is another of those platforms that really isn't essential, but might come in handy once in a while, and is so widespread that it makes sense to include it someday. ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11

Eurocopter EC145 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurocopter_EC145 Is it different enough from the UA-72 (already in the database) to need its own listing? ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11

AB-25 class patrol craft http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AB-25_class Turkish patrol craft, some transferred to other countries (a couple on the Caspian Sea, I think...I wonder how they moved them from the Black Sea...) ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11

Canadair CF-5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadair_CF-5 Is this different enough from the other F-5 variants to need its own entry? If not, is it an F-5A or an F-5E/F? ANW HUD 4 v1.1 b11