donaldseadog

File Name: Back Door 2 File Submitter: donaldseadog File Submitted: 30 Jun 2010 File Category: MEDC DB Used: HCDB-100528 Authors: Don Thomas Battleset-MEDC: .sco - EC2003 - EC2003 This was only meant to be a minor revision of my previous "Back Door" to correct a minor 'undesirable', but the scenario has become quite different to play so I thought I'd post it separately. Generally similar to 'Back Door' but this should be (usually) less hectic at the start but with with more action spread through the voyage and a couple of possible possible surprises at what might be the end? Don Thomas Click here to download this file

No spaces D:\hce_beta Also if the scenario file name (or path?) has long file name, spaces etc then it doesn't pass onto scenario editer (the old dinasaur that she is) but in any case I don't think it would handle them from a normal start anyway. I think if you have a copy of the launcher executable (I have it in another folder and with another name-don't know if all that is necessary- I guess it depends on how it writes to the 'ini' file at exit) then you kind of get two independent programs for starting editor and GE. You can also use launcher to start different GE versions by giving them unique names and amending it in the 'GE Name' window, I use winharp32.exe as the latest beta and previous versions I name like winharp42.exe (for 2009.42) etc. Just an alternative to having lots of shortcuts, especially handy for different database (which can't be selected from SE or GE once started) Any way I find it useful and thought it was worth sharing. Don

This may or may not be obvious (or useful) to you, I often use the scenario editor and am frequently using it with non standard databases or going back over the previous scenario. You can open the scenario editor from Tony's "launcher" (in the downloads section if you haven't seen it) by overwriting "winharp32.exe" with "wscenedt.exe". You can make some of the selections such as battleset, scenario file and database. When you launch it (since the last update) you have saved all the settings from the last launch. To make it work well, copy the 'launcher.ini' file to another (any) folder, make a desktop (or other place) shortcut to the launcher.exe and call it scenario edit start (or whatever you like), click it and open its properties. Rewrite the "start in" field to point at your folder in which you put the 'launcher.ini' file. launch the shortcut and amend the executable to wscenedt.exe (as noted above). Now it sounds like a bit of fiddling but once it is done you can get into your scenario editor and change batlesets and scenarios and in particular databases very quickly. If you are going back to the last scenario you edited it is just ready to start with one click. What's the bet that Tony is about to release an update with the scenario editor tab filled in, making all this pointless? Are but its just a game, eh. Don

File Name: Back Door File Submitter: donaldseadog File Submitted: 18 Jun 2010 File Category: MEDC DB Used: HCDB-100308 Authors: don thomas Battleset-MEDC: .sco - EC2003 - EC2003 For EC2003, continuing my saga of UK/French fisty cuffs. The (I think last) third in the saga. Your British carrier group has to cruise to port in Gibraltar and dodge one or two French nasties. Depending on your luck with the groups initial (variable) positions this can end in a naval gunnery battle, or rather nasty sub attack (or both). Hope you enjoy it. Don Click here to download this file

Totally irrelevant, but am I jealous or what!! My good computer is a celeron laptop (15" screen) and recently upgraded to 500 Mb ram (original DDR and I had to get it second hand and what ever could be found). My hard drive is 40 gig (you have nearly that much ram if needed!!) but I use 8 an gig usb for data storage and archive stuff onto (external) DVD fairly frequently. Have fun. Don

I've had a problem using victory conditions requiring a kill of 25 aircraft of specific sub type (attack). I don't know if this is a bug or just me, any one seen this sort of thing? Any one think of something I might be doing wrong? If I reduce the number to 5 it works or if I change it to 25 aircraft (any type) it works.?? Don Thomas

I used to do long bicycle rides as a member of the world wide Audax club, the rides are continuous with just short rest stops (the longest I did was 300 klms/ 15 hours). Before I started my first Audax ride a guy I knew (who had been doing them for 'decades' said "100 kilometres is just two 50s in a row, etc". If you can do the 'half' and are thinking about the 'full', you can do it. I'm sure your running partner would like to at least help in the training even if not do the run. You both look really fresh in the photos, what about poor mister '4004' I bet he's not thinking about doing a 'full'. I only think that all that time spent running you could be comfy in front of that screen.... PS, I'm not a runner, what is "pace" (my best guess is average speed in KPH)? Don Thomas

Yeah, Japanese airgroups were not as big on a per-carrier basis as the US ones. The two carriers at Coral Sea were Shokaku and Zuikaku, counterparts in many ways to the US Yorktown class CVs, but still carried less aircraft. The aircraft shot down by the US forces were sorely missed, along with their carriers (Shokaku took some bomb hits, iirc) at Midway a month later. Sho and Zui didn't come to Midway because of air group losses and repairs needed to Shokaku. I think Zuikaku remained mostly untouched till the Battle of Leyte Gulf, when she was finally sunk off Cape Engano, last of the Pearl Harbor strikers, iirc. Shokaku was already gone by that time, lost to a submarine at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. So, has anyone yet made scenarios for any of the big surface battles around Guadalcanal? There's a bunch of candidates. Cape Esperance, First and Second Battles of Guadalcanal, Savo Island, Tassafaronga, etc. You could probably model some of the PT vs the Tokyo Express engagements. Also, there's the fleet/carrier actions like Santa Cruz and Eastern Solomons. And of course the Cactus Air Force. I'm not that good at scenario design, but, if I had the time, I might have to look into some of that. I guess we'll see if I make time for it or not. Sounds like some great ideas in there, I hope you find that ellusive 'time'. Start with the simplest and see how you go I'd suggest, test in cheat mode (ctrl alt s) to see the oponents activities and if in island areas keep an eye on the AI driving ships aground. I'm lousy with history and too lazy to look it all up so in a way I envy your knwoledge. Don

... no wonder you're running, all in the name of furthering the Harpoon cause. I just hope she doesn't decide on a full marathon to test your sincerity. Now after all that upright physical activity you need a bit of time in a good chair in front of a computer screen 2 hours sounds like a good time, you must both be fit, you both look it. Looks like great weather too (as well as the pleasant scenery). Well done. Don

File Name: It gets hot File Submitter: donaldseadog File Submitted: 22 May 2010 File Updated: 11 Jun 2010 File Category: GIUK DB Used: HCDB-100308 Authors: don thomas Battleset-GIUK: .scm - EC2003 - EC2003 A second scenario in the line where France retaliates against the UK for dropping the European alliance in the war with the USA. An intense air battle over the English channel with a few ships to add to the list of targets. EC2003 battle set and HCDB-100308 database. Updated 3 june 2010 to make you work a little harder to get victory. Updated again 11 june due to unexpected problem with victory condition. Click here to download this file

Yup, gotta energize the radar to energize the jammers. Of course, in most cases coming in low and quiet is actually the right thing to do, up until you figure you are getting into detection range or coming over the horizon. No point in advertising your presence any sooner than necessary ... Well I didn't scratch too many then, fwew Question though: is there an easy way to tell which planes have jammers (other than open up the database)? I look at the written description and the 'weapons' in the load out, any thing else I should do?

File Name: Napoleon's Revenge File Submitter: donaldseadog File Submitted: 20 May 2010 File Category: NACV DB Used: HCDB-100308 Authors: don thomas Battleset-NACV: .scn - EC2003 - EC2003 Spurred by a sentence in an EC2003 battleset scenario, here we have France 'teaching a lesson' to the UK after they leave the European Alliance against USA. A small scale scenario pitting a French carrier group against an English with limited shore based air support but with additional surface and subsurface vessels. You can play either Red or Blue though its intended primarily as a blue play so the reds are slightly better equipped. For EC 2003 NACV battleset, HCDB-100308 database Click here to download this file

Yes, they're both jamming platforms, useful in the suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) role. Activating their surface search radar will likewise activate the jammers, and you can use the aircraft to reduce the effective range of enemy radars. In the escort role, they can be used to provide somewhat of a 'shield' for friendly aircraft. Be careful, though, they are vulnerable to enemy fighters. So (in HCE) 'jammers' like prowler have to have their surface radar on to jam enemy radar, if I try to sneak them in low and 'quiet' (all radar off) they have no effect. Yeh, is this true, have I been stuffing up all this time?? (Don's bungle No. xxx)

I kick myself in the head, gotta look more often. I was cooking bread (10 am local time) and could have made it. If the response wasn't as good as desired, and theere is some copy of comments made, I'd like to put in some time and any comments I come up with. Don

(hoping not to appear to be conflicting with Tony E's answer)... here is my thoughts re each of your numbered questions: 1. yes 2. I think of three key elements: scenario battleset data base the scenario is kind of 'the game', the battleset is kind of the geographical area and the data base is the available elements such as bases, ships, planes etc. early battlesets have the database built in, battlesets such as the EC2003 series and Westpac and later have the database 'attached' or external. So for the desired scenario look for its battleset (in the download section of harpgamer this is easy as the scenarios are arranged by battleset) and look for its database (if it is a "new" battleset, eg EC2003, westpac etc). If the battleset is a 'custom' battleset then you have to download the battleset, these aren't very common. If the database is other than the default then download the database, eg HC-50to65-DB_100426 database is needed for scenario "korea-51". There are two ways of getting it all together in playing the game. The easy way is to download Tony E's "HC launcher" from the "tools/ mods/ docs" section of the downloads, it is easy to use and lets you arrange your custom files in their own dirrectories or to give them descriptive names. The second way is to keep copies of the commondb. rsr and commondb.res files that you will get with downloaded databases in respective folders and manually swap them into the main HCE folder to use that database. All the download stuff is under the download sections (upper menu line on web page) and clearly arranged. (A little practice and what appears muddy will become clear) My best hint is to keep asking for help until you have it all worked out. Don

I must say I've never found anything wrong with playing with myself, so to speak. Harpoon has a very large number of scenarios and they're always increasing. It would take a very long time to play every one twice, and then you can get your favourites and redo them for added difficulty (though I wouldn't try redoing any of the 'breakouts' for added difficulty ) Personally I wouldn't bother with online gaming, you never know the opposition might be less challenge than the AI and you have to organise yourself to fit in with the other player (I assume). It seems to me there are lots of on line games, it's only reasonable that some games don't go down that road but concentrate on other aspects. As has been said, if some one wanted to through in the necessary money/ time to make it happen (without degrading other aspects of the game) great! Don, a contented harpoon player.

Maybe in complex scenarios the victory conditions need an "OR" condition for each possible approach while in the simpler ones there can be multiple "AND" conditions to get a very tight victory requirement. Generally I've found every ones comments very instructive, now I think I need to go over all scenarios I've uploaded and check my Vic Cond's and orders....

File Name: korea_51 (HC_50to65 BS) File Submitter: donaldseadog File Submitted: 9 May 2010 File Updated: 5 Feb 2011 File Category: WestPac DB Used: HC-50to65-DB_100426 Authors: don thomas Battleset-WPac: .scq - WPac - WestPac A new scenario for new database HC-50to65-DB_100426 Placed (geographically and in time) about the Korean war but based on very loosely on the actual situation. Limited naval action, primarily air strikes against ground forces and bases. "Take this new data base for a spin" Click here to download this file

Thanks for that confirmation Tony. The way I look at it the only thing that needs to be done is to ensure that following the given orders successfully is guaranteed to give minimum victory. some times orders are pretty 'tight' so no problems but other times problems can occur (it is up to scenario designers I guess, but they need to know the situation).. EG in a scenario I looked at last night (EC2003 scneario 12) a necessary minimum victory achievement is to have bombers on station for a given time, in the orders the only requirement that seems to relate to this is having bombers proceed to a failsafe (I think that is the term) position. The actual 'on station' rectangle is quite small on a regional basis so even if you understand the failsafe terminology (I'm not sure I do!) it is still a bit of luck that you choose the right spot. Now I refer to this as an example only, often I read a post where people have had problems getting any victory even though they have destroyed the whole opponent's forces. People with more experience than me comment please.

I like your solution, on looking in more detail at the scenario in question, the other of the two total victory conditions (Kill four bases) has one of the minimum victory conditions damage four bases - so that's why it always works. I kind of wonder maybe it is correct to 'insist' on meeting the minimum before being awarded the total, I think you, Akula, pointed out your terminology 'tactical' and strategic' victories and we should always I think be going for the tactical as a minimum result, so to speak.?? Don

(I'm actually a kelpie Man myself, but the retriever photo was handy) Back to the issue. A lot of good comments, thanks. The victory conditions are a bit more complex than most scenarios I feel, that has been mentioned in the applicable issue tracker thread. There cert.......................y conditions. I made copies of the scenario with all sorts of tweeking to the victory conditions but haven't really been able to make up some "rule". I'll go back to the scenario editor and try more fiddles with a simplified version of the scenario. I welcome any further comments, thanks. Woof. I've attached a very small scenario from EC2003 GIUK (I used HCDB 100308, GE 2009.48 to play). Red and Blue each have an air base and an undefended base and each have strike aircraft. Here are the victory conditions (from the SE): ANALYZING VICTORY CONDITIONS: BLUE MINIMUM VICTORY CONDITION (OR) 1: 2 bases must be damaged at 20%. BLUE TOTAL VICTORY CONDITION (OR) 1: 1 base must be killed. RED TOTAL VICTORY CONDITION (OR) 1: 1 base must be killed. MISSING RED MINIMUM VICTORY CONDITIONS!! Notice that red has no minimum victory conditions, just to test something. Play blue side and kill one base (without damaging the other base) No victory condition is awarded! Now damage the second base (I suggest send only two bombers) more than 20% but don't destroy it, you are now awarded the total victory. The 'rule' seems to be that to get the total victory you have to obtain a minimum victory either before hand, after or simultaneously (of fulfilling the total victory condition). The total victory is awarded if both minimum and total victory conditionsare met. Just to check Red has no minimum victory condition (and the SE warns you of this, implying it is necessary!). Kill both bases and you get nothing awarded. Does this apply to all battlesets? I'd assume so. Therefore players need to know that they have to follow basic orders (and fulfil minimum victory conditions) before going for glory. I also wonder if it would be good to have the victory conditions in the orders or somewhere accessible to the player. woof victory_conditions.zip