Good afternoon everyone.

 

I have recently purchased the Matrix Games Harpoon Ultimate Commander's Edition as well as Harpoon 3 -3.9.4 after not playing Harpoon for ages.

 

One of the things I have noticed is that UCE is more "user friendly" and easier for a relative Newbie like myself to get up and playing.. While Harpoon 3 appears to be more difficult.

 

That being said, I guess I am frustrated with H3 even though I am perceiving it to be the more "accurate" simulation for playing against the computer AI, as opposed to UCE as being more of an "advanced video game" version of Harpoon.

 

Is my own perception? or am I missing something.

 

What I want to be able to do is play accurate simulations of modern naval combat, using the "latest" data. Facing the challenges of what modern Naval commander would face.

 

I hope that this makes sense, and would respectfully ask for help from those of you who have been using both versions.

 

Which version do you play more, and why?

 

Thank you all in advance.

 

Scott

...

 

Which version do you play more, and why?

 

Thank you all in advance.

 

Scott

Welcome back!

 

I play HCE exclusively. I have never really gone far into the others, because the feel of HCE is more to my liking. Consequently, I can't offer any comparisons.

 

 

What I want to be able to do is play accurate simulations of modern naval combat, using the "latest" data. Facing the challenges of what modern Naval commander would face.

I couldn't have said it any better myself, although I would add that, personally, I am interested in WWII era and onwards... and I'm more oriented towards the air side of things than the naval side.

 

Joe K

Also a "new" old player looking to dig through the myriad number of Harpoon software out there. I have, and still enjoy, Harpoon Classic 1.53c. I have tried GCB2, which is great but still too buggy, and would like to be able to upgrade. The question is, to what? It doesn't look like anyone is selling Harpoon other than Matrix's Harpoon Utlimate Edition. Is this my only current option? I know there are resellers out there who might have other editions, but which is which? My most important criterion is I want something stable.

 

I see HC, HCE, HUCE, ANW, H2, H3, it's confusing. Then there are all the user-created databases and scenarios. Which are they usable with? I've been searching this site and the amount of material is staggering, so please have some patience with me. I just want to make the right decision and get back to Harpoon, even if it's 153c again.

 

Thanks.

Your question can really fire up the community so please don't be too surprised or offended if it is pretty quiet or if it blows up into a flame war.

 

With that, welcome back!

 

I do play both games. H3/ANW is your only choice for multiplayer Harpoon so that is one of the few clear differentiators.

 

H3 is going to be better for engagements in the Norwegian fjords since it models land altitudes and sea depths interacting with sensors (whereas in HC you can drop sonobuoys over land and detect the T-72 passing by which probably is quite accurate if the SB didn't crumple on impact).

 

My general level of happiness is maintained if I play very small engagements in H3 and larger engagements in HC.

 

Each game has some models better than the other but in general H3 has the more complex models. That hasn't always meant more accurate or realistic but most people make that assumption.

 

H3 does have a higher learning curve and requires significantly more patience with the UI but the learning curve isn't as steep as it seems at first (the interface looks sparse and uninviting but getting up and playing effectively isn't that difficult).

 

Give them both a whirl and imho play what you enjoy (I'm after enjoyment first and foremost, not accuracy or excruciating detail).

Also a "new" old player looking to dig through the myriad number of Harpoon software out there. I have, and still enjoy, Harpoon Classic 1.53c. I have tried GCB2, which is great but still too buggy, and would like to be able to upgrade. The question is, to what? It doesn't look like anyone is selling Harpoon other than Matrix's Harpoon Utlimate Edition. Is this my only current option? I know there are resellers out there who might have other editions, but which is which? My most important criterion is I want something stable.

 

I see HC, HCE, HUCE, ANW, H2, H3, it's confusing. Then there are all the user-created databases and scenarios. Which are they usable with? I've been searching this site and the amount of material is staggering, so please have some patience with me. I just want to make the right decision and get back to Harpoon, even if it's 153c again.

 

Thanks.

 

Welcome back to you as well Damascus!

 

There is no other currently published Harpoon package other than HUE at Matrix as you've found.

 

 

First there are two families, HC and H2, that are derived from two codebases:

 

Harpoon 1 -> HC -> HCE -> HUCE (I call all of these HC for Harpoon Classic)

 

Harpoon 2 = H2 -> H3 -> ANW -> HUANW (In my head I call all of these H3 but publicly I've shifted to using ANW)

 

 

The HUE (Harpoon Ultimate Edition) package includes twenty-some versions of the games, 20 iterations of HC and 3 iterations of H3.

 

 

I'll start with HC since that is what I play most (and where I'm currently the programmer). When you look through the downloads here in the HC section all of them will run on the current version of the game. At each scenario's listing it will show the battleset to use, anything older than EC2003 doesn't use many of the features added in the game in the last 8 years but they will still run. http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?a...mp;showfile=638 for example will run in any version of the game with the HDS1 battleset which is the vast majority of them.

 

The current version of HC is very stable. It rarely crashes, as compared to 1.53c the current version is rock solid.

 

 

ANW doesn't work out of the box with all of the historical scenarios. Some of them were written for databases that are no longer maintained and haven't been updated for use in the current version. But what does come with ANW runs quite stably (I'd venture HC is more stable but they are both stable).

 

 

HC is what you are used to and HUCE is just the current iteration of that delivered in the HUE package from Matrix. They definitely took the "buckshot" approach and stuffed it all into one big installer so you get most everything you would want, and for HC you just head over here for hundreds more scenarios.

Thank you for your quick, and concise responses.

 

I see from some of the statements, that the "battle" over Harpoon- which is better, still rages on....sigh.

 

Tony, and the rest of you Harpoon veterans, please know that I am certainly not trying to stir a debate which will most likely not ever end.

 

One of the reasons why I STOPPED playing Harpoon in the past involved the message board battles due to asking an innocent question, that ended up "kicking open a hornet's nest", as to which was a better sim, between what is now HUCE or ANW.

 

I too want to play for enjoyment Tony, but also appreciate, from my own naval service, some of the depth of being involved in CIC during a modern war scenario.

 

Alas, as a "lowly" enlisted man I was never in position to see what went on but could imagine being there due to some of the reading I had done via, Tom Clancy and Larry Bond, which ultimately made me find Harpoon in the first place.

 

I am finding myself playing HUCE at the moment, but wish to expand my knowledge and familiarity with ANW, and would like to be able to try and enjoy some of my time in that world as well.

 

So, I guess it will just be a trial and error situation that I will have to spend time working over.

...

 

Which version do you play more, and why?

 

Thank you all in advance.

 

Scott

Welcome back!

 

I play HCE exclusively. I have never really gone far into the others, because the feel of HCE is more to my liking. Consequently, I can't offer any comparisons.

 

 

What I want to be able to do is play accurate simulations of modern naval combat, using the "latest" data. Facing the challenges of what modern Naval commander would face.

I couldn't have said it any better myself, although I would add that, personally, I am interested in WWII era and onwards... and I'm more oriented towards the air side of things than the naval side.

 

Joe K

 

Thanks Joe, I too have been finding myself involved with WWII era sims as well, probably due to the various computer enhanced TV shows on History Channel or Military Channel which show some of the key battles in WWII "in living color".

Thank you for your quick, and concise responses.

 

I see from some of the statements, that the "battle" over Harpoon- which is better, still rages on....sigh.

 

Tony, and the rest of you Harpoon veterans, please know that I am certainly not trying to stir a debate which will most likely not ever end.

 

One of the reasons why I STOPPED playing Harpoon in the past involved the message board battles due to asking an innocent question, that ended up "kicking open a hornet's nest", as to which was a better sim, between what is now HUCE or ANW.

 

I too want to play for enjoyment Tony, but also appreciate, from my own naval service, some of the depth of being involved in CIC during a modern war scenario.

 

Alas, as a "lowly" enlisted man I was never in position to see what went on but could imagine being there due to some of the reading I had done via, Tom Clancy and Larry Bond, which ultimately made me find Harpoon in the first place.

 

I am finding myself playing HUCE at the moment, but wish to expand my knowledge and familiarity with ANW, and would like to be able to try and enjoy some of my time in that world as well.

 

So, I guess it will just be a trial and error situation that I will have to spend time working over.

 

I was enlisted in CIC as well, and when I first saw Harpoon my initial thought was "Now I can play NavTAG without having to wait for the officers to be off of it" like I had to do on the Midway. I actually find Harpoon to be better than NavTAG anyway, and it's "Mine, all mine"

 

Buddha

Welcome back, ScottoT.

 

I started off playing ANW, but recently have been looking at HC and am highly enjoying it.

Welcome to ScottoT and Damascus.

I was enlisted in CIC as well, and when I first saw Harpoon my initial thought was "Now I can play NavTAG without having to wait for the officers to be off of it" like I had to do on the Midway. I actually find Harpoon to be better than NavTAG anyway, and it's "Mine, all mine"

 

Buddha

 

That's a very impressive proclamation

I was enlisted in CIC as well, and when I first saw Harpoon my initial thought was "Now I can play NavTAG without having to wait for the officers to be off of it" like I had to do on the Midway. I actually find Harpoon to be better than NavTAG anyway, and it's "Mine, all mine"

 

Buddha

 

That's a very impressive proclamation

 

Also quite true. We also used Harpoon as a NavTAG type training aid when I taught at the Naval Tactical School on the RSNF base in Al-Jubail since it was unclassified. A side benefit of that was that when I persuaded the Saudi commodore that it would be a good idea, we sent a letter signed by him to 360 on RSNF letterhead expressing interest, and got the entire package gratis. Judging by the number of officers who took one look at it and ran out to purchase their own copies, 360 no doubt came out ahead on that one.

 

Buddha

Thanks for all the quick answers. Very helpful. Since I'm not an online player-type, Matrix's HUE seems to be what I would want and would feel comfortable with. I also found my Harpoon DOS disks! I installed them under DOSbox and boy do they take me back to the days of RAMDISKS of spending $319 for 1 mb of additional memory for my 286, 12 MHz machine!

Thanks for all the quick answers. Very helpful. Since I'm not an online player-type, Matrix's HUE seems to be what I would want and would feel comfortable with. I also found my Harpoon DOS disks! I installed them under DOSbox and boy do they take me back to the days of RAMDISKS of spending $319 for 1 mb of additional memory for my 286, 12 MHz machine!

..and I thought my first 286, with one whole meg of RAM (and whopping 20 meg HD) was hot stuff. That's what using old XTs to do remote database searching does to you I guess.

Don Thomas

I was enlisted in CIC as well, and when I first saw Harpoon my initial thought was "Now I can play NavTAG without having to wait for the officers to be off of it" like I had to do on the Midway. I actually find Harpoon to be better than NavTAG anyway, and it's "Mine, all mine"

 

Buddha

 

That's a very impressive proclamation

 

Also quite true. Buddha

 

I've not the lesser doubt about it