Hello everybody, I'm new to this (just discovered) forum!

I have played for long to Harpoon Classic many years ago, I have now found out that an updated version called HCE is sold online and I've just downloaded the demo before buying the game.

I have tested the demo this week but I have found a very annoying bug, it seems that many subs are almost impossible to sink: you need to release 15 or more torpedos before even seeing the animation of the torbedo approaching the sub. I've just tested again this issue on the Western Pacific Battleset mission 9# where two Echo II subs spotted many miles away have just managed to hit my carrier group even after something like 10 Vikings have repeatedly tried to sink them (around 30 or 40 torpedoes released!) without success. Am i doing anything wrong ?

I have also found that it's no more possible to zoom to the center zone of the formation editor and move the ships as desidered, every unit still remains one over the other in the exact center of the formation...

Any suggestion?

Thanks

Sergio

I can speak to the first right away, the AI torpedo dropping needs improvement! The workaround is to manually release torpedoes by plotting a course over the contact and dropping when you see fit, not at max range like the AI likes to do for you.

I have also found that it's no more possible to zoom to the center zone of the formation editor and move the ships as desidered, every unit still remains one over the other in the exact center of the formation... Any suggestion?

 

If you're talking about Blue group AAS in Westpac #9, they're stacked closely together in the center of the formation (the 'main body' ring) for a reason.

I seem to remember last year that there was quite some effort that went into the torpedo issue and a work around was done by Brad (CV32) in the database. This is an improvement but maybe you wont' see it in the demo unless you can and do install the update database (I can't remember if you can use updated database in the demo).

 

Any way good you're getting back and it sounds like you're having fun.

I have also found that it's no more possible to zoom to the center zone of the formation editor and move the ships as desidered, every unit still remains one over the other in the exact center of the formation...

Yep, I just verified that the "Zoom to Main Body" went away when the GE (Game Engine/winharp) was converted from 16-bits to 32-bits for Harpoon Classic 97. There are no plans at present to bring it back. Westpac is a challenge there since the map is much larger, the zoom levels don't get you as close in. That effect is less pronounced in the other (smaller geographically) battlesets.

 

Thanks guys, I'll try to follow your suggestions

Tony, another nice feature in Harpoon Classic was that after launching all missiles against the assigned surface target a plane group automatically started a course back to the home base, now they just loiter over the enemy sams...

Thanks guys, I'll try to follow your suggestions

Tony, another nice feature in Harpoon Classic was that after launching all missiles against the assigned surface target a plane group automatically started a course back to the home base, now they just loiter over the enemy sams...

This can be time consuming but in some ways more flexible - you should get a message that the group is loitering this gives you a chance to decide what to do with them eg you might want to use them to attack some aircraft or act as target surveillance. The advisory message give the option of selecting the group, if you do that then press and hold the F3 key while mouse clicking the 1:1 (or 'continue') button you should go straight to the course editor before the computer has a chance to bombard you with other stuff, this lets you think about what you want the group to do and give appropriate orders. Very often a direct return to base isn't the best way home either.