Hello HarpGamers,

 

Had to join and say thank you to all that play our game. Started on a Mac back in '95. Evolved to Windows' Classic '97. Forced to Windows XP and thought the game gone forever. Tried Harpoon Classic, and III, and AE: crashed every time. Figured she was gone.

 

Thank the internet Gods for the Google Machine. Who knew? Found y'all...

 

Initially, I found a playable III, and it just ain't the same. After much reading here and elsewhere, it may be better, but I ain't military, I'm just a drunk from California, and Classic is where it's at. So, I find another forum, this one, and HCE is the solution... Cool. I spent $70 on copies of II and III, neither of which were playable on my XP machine.

 

So, I guess I said all that to say, I found the HCE demo. Love it. Reminds me of my youth. Read here, and I concur: GIUK unplayable, WPAC easy. Want to buy, yet again. Read more here: am I understanding this right? The (three?) folks most responsible for this beautiful game don't get paid? Can I toss $40 bucks in their direction, rather than Matrix?

 

I don't know. I ramble. What I'm sayin': when I was a kid, the E-3 was it. It. Now, what I'm sayin': I saw the Osprey's loadout and thought 'worthless.' Then I had to attack an undefended target, and said thank you Osprey. Though, I still wished I had a Sentry. Or ten.

 

OK, let me try the sober version: Thank you.

Welcome, Steve. That's a great first post, rambles and all.

Hello HarpGamers,

 

Had to join and say thank you to all that play our game.

 

So, I guess I said all that to say, I found the HCE demo. Love it. Reminds me of my youth. Read here, and I concur: GIUK unplayable, WPAC easy. Want to buy, yet again. Read more here: am I understanding this right? The (three?) folks most responsible for this beautiful game don't get paid? Can I toss $40 bucks in their direction, rather than Matrix?

 

Welcome . Like Herb Brooks asking "Who do you play for?", you calling HC "our game" is perfect. We needs a whole host more people who say "our game".

 

Yup, we begged and pleaded over the course of a couple of years with multiple proposals to revive HC and work on it for free . We get small, unrequested royalties, certainly nothing worth the time, not enough enough to pay for the programming tools, but enough as it was once said to take the significant other out to dinner.

 

That said we don't encourage pirating so you should buy a copy from Matrix if you want the full game. That also sends a sign Matrix and AGSI understand that there is still interest in the game (an expensive sign but a sign nonetheless). If you want to help us, participate here as an advocate, AAR writer, tester, fundraiser, whatever suits your fancy!

Welcome aboard, Steve. I always like the Bay Area, and I'd probably be there now instead of San Diego if I could afford it.

 

If anybody can get you up and running on whatever OS you have, it's the cats in this group.

 

Buddha

Thanks for the welcomes, folks.

 

Well, sounds like Matrix'll get my $40. Previously, in reading their decision to combine the two games, I thought it a good idea. Exposes both sides to the other game. Including as many versions as they did should help appease those with earlier builds (in theory). A cheapskate like me thinks he's getting two for the price of one. All that.

 

But after reading this in another thread, and again here: "that also sends a sign Matrix and AGSI understand that there is still interest in the game," I wonder how they'll be able to infer interest between the two, when they only sell them combined. Seems like an easy way for them to phase HCE out, perhaps without intending to.

 

I don't know. I probably shouldn't even mention the topic, but clearly a lot has gone on with development of the game over the years, and clearly there is a divide. I've read a lot the last couple of weeks since finding that Harpoon was still alive. Very interesting topic, to me, what's gone on these 20 years. Hopefully, all's well, and Matrix'll continue to let y'all do what you do.

 

"If anybody can get you up and running on whatever OS you have, it's the cats in this group."

 

I was shocked when I was able to load Classic on my machine. I got through the first three scenarios, before the old crash came back. Decided to give Ebay/Amazon/Google a shot, and found the two communities, and the demo. It seems, reading here, that the current version of the game runs perfectly on XP, now. The only issue I see is the many mentions of the editor not running in 64 bit systems. No worries for me. I'll let y'all design 'em; I just want to play 'em.

 

Speaking of which, I need to take back saying the entire GIUK is unplayable. I've only tried USNI I, from blue, and I just don't see how that's winnable. I've yet to try the rest. And, to be fair, my concept of winnable is based on the 90's versions of the game, almost entirely from blue. I think those were impossible to lose.

 

Finally, I suspect a whole lot of folks say the same about San Diego: "I'd probably be there now instead if I could afford it."

 

I wonder if I ramble more sober or drunk. Too close to call?

The legacy versions that come with the full package use DOSBox, when necessary, included in the installation so you don't have to configure it yourself.

 

Believe me, if I can run them on this miserable Vista system, you can run them on anything.

 

Buddha

I was shocked when I was able to load Classic on my machine. I got through the first three scenarios, before the old crash came back. Decided to give Ebay/Amazon/Google a shot, and found the two communities, and the demo. It seems, reading here, that the current version of the game runs perfectly on XP, now. The only issue I see is the many mentions of the editor not running in 64 bit systems. No worries for me. I'll let y'all design 'em; I just want to play 'em.

 

I've played Harpoon since '98 and I've had some minor issues, nothing that would make me have fits and use the CD as a clay pigeon. It can be done so get some of these "cats" involved. They will help. I should know. I'm surprised that I haven't been banned from this board from asking so many questions.

 

Finally, I suspect a whole lot of folks say the same about San Diego: "I'd probably be there now instead if I could afford it."

 

I was stationed in San Diego 32nd Street Naval Station for 3 years. It was nice. Lived in Northern California all of my adult life and I can't complain, except the trip to AT&T Park gets a bit expensive for a family of four. I envy you.

 

I wonder if I ramble more sober or drunk. Too close to call?

Not even a topic of discussion. Have fun "pooning" and have a 7 and 7 for me.

I don't know. I probably shouldn't even mention the topic, but clearly a lot has gone on with development of the game over the years, and clearly there is a divide. I've read a lot the last couple of weeks since finding that Harpoon was still alive. Very interesting topic, to me, what's gone on these 20 years. Hopefully, all's well, and Matrix'll continue to let y'all do what you do.

 

Some of us old farts can go on for a long time weaving the stories as we each see them. You'll get very different stories depending upon who you ask, part of the fun. Get to know us on IRC and we'll blabber on endlessly about the comings and goings in the community over the years. I'll be on quite a bit this evening through Monday (Friday and Monday vacation days, yay) if you want to give it a try. Use your favorite IRC client or try out http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?a...mp;showfile=281 if you want to come chat.

 

It seems, reading here, that the current version of the game runs perfectly on XP, now. The only issue I see is the many mentions of the editor not running in 64 bit systems. No worries for me. I'll let y'all design 'em; I just want to play 'em.

That's a good summary . That would be the scenario editor that doesn't run on 64-bit Windows. The platform editor and battleset builder both do, really it is only the scenario editor that doesn't (though it is naturally a key part of the game for many people).

 

Speaking of which, I need to take back saying the entire GIUK is unplayable. I've only tried USNI I, from blue, and I just don't see how that's winnable. I've yet to try the rest. And, to be fair, my concept of winnable is based on the 90's versions of the game, almost entirely from blue. I think those were impossible to lose.

The good news is that the full game has all of the battlesets you remember from HC97. The scenarios play somewhat differently due to game engine changes but the scenarios for the most part are untouched (some orders files were edited, a few weapons and platforms with glaring errors were improved,...). The full game doesn't include the new USNI battleset but it does include the original USNI battleset of the nearly unloseable ilk! Speaking of which, I need to upload a demo with a new expiration date. imho it is the user-made scenarios here at HarpGamer that really make the game shine (and the updated database(s))!