Back in 1998 I started war-gaming by playing Avalon Hill's Advanced Squad Leader, and I still have my original rule book, game boards with 5 expansions, and 2,000 plus game counters carefully stored in two large fishing tackle boxes that I protect with my life. I currently play TacOps4, and I like to have as many details as possible for weapon systems and tactics as I can. I was extremely excited when TacOps4 came bundled with 167 different US Military Field, Technical, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Manuals in pdf format (with searchable text). I have only played land warfare up until now.

 

I discovered Harpoon just a month ago when I was reading an analogy that TacOps was *as close as you could get* to a ground tac sim to what Harpoon was for the sea and air.

 

My war-gaming buddy is a naval junkie, so I sent him the link and he picked up HCCE and Harpoon ANW. The next night I receive the phone call from a friend who obviously didn't sleep that night, "You have to see this." He is already experienced in basic naval tactics, having played old sub and naval sims, and was showing me HCCE. I am not one for fancy graphics, and the game engine and system's database mean everything -- so, like a kid in a candy store, I spent hours just looking through the database, and then purchased HCCE.

 

I started the tutorial, and with no knowledge of naval warships, weapons, or countermeasures except for my experience with "simulated off-board naval gun support", I felt hopeless. I searched for a good web site on practical tactics for modern naval warfare, and came up pretty empty-handed. I downloaded the "Principals of Naval Weapon Systems" and the "Radar Game" pdf files as suggested in an earlier post to a newbie, and luckily science is my strong suit, and I found a lot of the physics and practical applications explain a lot about the details, but I am staring at the formation editor and the different rings and sectors asking, "How far should my ASW ring be from my AAW ring in this situation, or any situation? What if I have a carrier in the group, what are smart ranges for putting ASW frigates, do I put out planes in patrol with the formation editor ever, or only use the patrol feature with a launch air command, and then the worst of all: subs and torpedoes. How do I play defense?" A tank can't outrun an incoming Hellfire, so I feel pretty lost at making a choice when it comes to any smart defensive maneuvers, formations, and without my basic ground tactical safety net of getting defensive benefits from being inside a stone building, heavy woods, employing smoke, or in a light forest out of LOS from a T-90... what are the ways to not get eaten alive by enemy subs?

 

So, basically what I am saying is that I can research a system with the in game database or books from the library, and have a grasp that there are differences between an SPY-1 and a SPS-49 system, and I do not have trouble making choices with aircraft and munitions, and ASW weapons are basically understood in the same way I would make tactical choices about considering the speed/penetration/warhead as if I were making choices about facing a Bradley with a TOW-2 at 3000 meters against a potential contact with BMPs with Spandrel missiles.

 

But, where can I find "Practical Naval Warefare Tactics for Dummies: How and when to steer your ship in this or that direction", because right now my best tutor is learning how to use ASM helicopters from auto air-patrols, weapon recommendations from the staff messages, and having my groups destroyed over and over again by subs.

 

Thanks for any advice or direction to a web site, sorry for the long story.

 

Best,

 

David

Welcome to the forum and the Harpoon community.

 

I've only played ANW, but the principles are the same.

 

There are some guides out on the internet, but some advice from me.

• Try not move your surface vessels faster than necessary. They make noise, which subs can pick up. Also going slow allows you to pick up subs more easily.
  
• Set a patrol of the area around your carrier group with anti-submarine choppers
  
• Switching on your radar might do more than good. With a carrier, use an early warning aircraft a good distance away to spot incoming attackers.
  
• If the missiles are inbound, switch on your systems and let the air defence ships launch their SAMs.
  
• The best defence is a good offence. If you launch your strike aircraft at their land bases, that's something that can help you.#
  
• Place your air defence ships in the direction attackers are likely to come.
  
• Try to go for the aircraft before they launch.
  

Welcome aboard to the world of Harpoon.

 

I play both HCE and ANW versions. Hopefully, you (or your friend) will soon give us an MP battle in ANW. You can find some additional tactical articles at:

 

http://www.harpoonpages.com/archives.htm

 

Good luck to you and let me know if you want to try out the head-to-head for ANW.

Read The Fine Manual !!!

Seriously, from page 83+ onwards, there is a section on naval warfare capabilities and tactics (12.0 Operations Manual)

Also, if you have access to the ANW manual (from your friend ?), it also includes tactics for modern naval warfare.

 

Google "Modern Naval Tactics", "Modern Naval Warfare", and permutations therein, you'll find a plethora of info

 

The links section right here at HG will also point you in numerous directions.

 

As Silent Hunter said, watch emcon (e.g the status of your sensors, use active status sparingly, and don't forget you can set individual platforms sensors in the unit window)

 

Patrol Helos are crucial, and if you have any with blip enhancers, you can also use them as lures to force the enemy to fire up his sensors, accelerate, etc. because your helo(s) will look like medium sized surface contacts to the opfor's sensors.

 

Again, the HCE and ANW manuals are great sources of info, as well as the "original" Harpoon (now at revision 4.1) pen and paper rules.

 

One last thing : experiment, and maybe try different simple scenarios that focus on showing you how to use a single weapon/platform to its fullest.

 

Most importantly, have fun whether you lose or win

Thank you for your thoughtful answers and prompt responses. I think I read the manual prematurely, and after giving HCE more time, I am looking back through the manual to find the small details that were either originally missed, or now have a tangible meaning to my past actions in game play. During the second look, I noticed a few lines in between screen shots, that reveal some mechanics I had originally missed.

 

Unfortunately, I was a week or so late for the bundle pack Matrix was offering for both games, but I just purchased ANW to have on hand, and check the manual, and it would seem that the increased "freedom" in ANW would yield an enhanced understanding of the mechanics, although from what I understand they based on different rule systems.

 

We would definitely be up for MP play -- our personal philosophy is that winning or losing is not the ultimate goal, but playing the sim and discussing tactics and benefits of different weapon system combos, game mechanics, etc. after the game are the most important parts. Losing and learning are just part of the process.

 

I'm going to explore ANW some, and stick to one or the other for now. I hear that they are different games, not just a beginners version of ANW. Regarding HCE: I have read on other sites various opinions versus the GIUK scenario set versus WestPac for beginners. I noticed some ancillary mission goals in WestPac -- although interesting -- were distracting from focusing on individual naval weapons and platforms, as noxious pointed out would be the best place to focus.

 

I'll check through the links (and the branches from them) again; thanks again, everyone provided some valuable ideas to work with.

 

I'll keep you posted, and advise when we are ready for Multiplayer with ANW.

We'd love to have you come and chat in public via IRC and observe or take part in your tactics and strategy discussions.

 

IRC: newnet.net IRC network

Channel: #harpgamer

 

There are also two separate Java IRC chat mechanisms on our home page, http://www.harpgamer.com.

 

Just for some overkill I also created a bare but usually functional IRC client that connects right to #harpgamer. It can be downloaded from: http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?a...mp;showfile=281

 

The idea with the tutorials is that WestPac 1.0 gets you into the action more quickly and does a better job of assuring you make contact with the Red forces. GIUK 1.0 however does indeed allow for more variation in tactics. WestPac 1.0 is more to see the game mechanism and use the commands. Sounds pretty much like your description

 

I love your username by the way , one never forgets engineering classes...

We would definitely be up for MP play -- our personal philosophy is that winning or losing is not the ultimate goal, but playing the sim and discussing tactics and benefits of different weapon system combos, game mechanics, etc. after the game are the most important parts. Losing and learning are just part of the process.

 

I'm going to explore ANW some, and stick to one or the other for now. I hear that they are different games, not just a beginners version of ANW. Regarding HCE: I have read on other sites various opinions versus the GIUK scenario set versus WestPac for beginners. I noticed some ancillary mission goals in WestPac -- although interesting -- were distracting from focusing on individual naval weapons and platforms, as noxious pointed out would be the best place to focus.

That's certainly the philosophy most Harpoon players share. IMO, some of the best MP games are where we get in character with the sides we are commanding and act as if we are truly representing our respective countries with our banter. We want a good, fun, and, hopefully, tough game regardless if we win, lose, or draw.

 

You are in a good to position to find what you like. Many of the HC scenarios have been re-made for compatibility with ANW. Therefore, you can play one version for each version of the game and decide where your tastes lie. For example, several of the WestPac scenarios in HCE are also available in ANW. You can check them out at your leisure.

 

http://www.ughhq.com/Harpoon/ANWscenlist.htm

Someone who enjoys TacOps4 and has an interest in Harpoon, not a bad guy if may say so.

 

Welcome aboard.

Honestly, I didn't expect to like learning Harpoon as much as I am -- let us not mince words, I am learning and loving it -- but, any 1st grader with Naval service in his blood could easily take me down in a MP match. That being said, I am sure I'll be a long time fan.

 

TonyE -- Thanks for the invite; I will definitely be on as soon as I get a handle on the game and improve my knowledge of systems as not to embarrass myself. Right now, IRC means I am not playing, and y'all lose to the game at the moment -- I am sure you understand.

 

pmaidhof -- My first computer game was a SR-71 simulator (Tandy 1000). After S-71, despite spending a large majority of my life on computers (programming, web development, or BBS/Internet), I never enjoyed "games." The only reason my computer runs Windows is to run Microsoft's Flight Simulator X. My game history includes: TOAW, Talonsoft's Eastern &Western Fronts, TacOps, and recently I have been pulled to real time gaming by CMSF:Marines. Honestly, I have seen Harpoon around, but didn't bother to pick it up. I admit it, I had a prejudice against naval sims without ever trying one, and I didn't think any game would do air warfare any justice. I don't mind being proved wrong.

 

Harpoon came along by accident, and I have to admit that I wasted a lot of good gaming years by not checking out Harpoon earlier.

 

Herman -- I definitely understand, and I appreciate the link. I am moving along in my orientation, and very impressed.

One last suggestion. As you move to the ANW tutorials, I strongly recommend that you install the PlayersDB library and run the Tutorials with it instead. The tutorials that come with the game are in poor condition and you will likely be frustrated when you try to follow the instructions and cannot get the results described.

 

Complete Harpoon ANW Library

 

and then select the PlayersDB from the Database Manager tab.