HPS wargames for the PC?

[Arsan]

I think Lowlander was quoting me and not you about the "appalling graphics" Sarge [;)][:)]
Really, Lowlander i think you are overreacting a lot. [X(]
The original poster asked for opinions and i just gave my personal opinion about the games and pointed both bad and good things about them.
As personally i don't like HPS games too much, i expressed more negative than positive things about them but i don't think i bashed them at all.

Surely HPS games are very detailed and great for PBEM players (i'm an only AI player so maybe that's why i don't like them) but i don't think even the best HPS supporter can really say they have good graphics, a strong AI or are light on the micromanagement department.

That some Matrix games have mediocre or bad graphics (and they certainly do) don't make HPS one's better.
But personally, i will take the old TOAW graphics over the PZc ones (even the modded ones you posted above) any day. Not to mention the SSG ones...
Its a matter of tastes i guess [8|]
Regards

[JudgeDredd]

ORIGINAL: Lowlander
And yes your at the wrong site to ask about any HPSSIMS games.

He isn't at the wrong site at all m8. And I take offense to the fact that you consider him to be and, moreover, publicise the fact.

As Erik stated, there are plenty of people who play and like HPS games who post here. He can just as easily go to other forums and ask their opinions and will probably get the same mix of responses as he will (and has) here.

I've already told him I liked the Squad Battles Vietnam game and that I still like the Modern Air Power game...I don't understand at what point any here were not being objective. He asked for opinions and that's what he got....some opinions were alot more polite than others [:-]

[BAL]

Thanks for your thoughtful post, Erik.  For the record I own games from HPS, Matrix, Shrapnel & others.  I guess, like others, I have too often seen certain posters (not necessarily at the Matrix forums) bash one game or company in order to tout the merits of their own favorite game or company.
 
In that spirit I deleted my original post.

[Titanwarrior89]

I have many of the HPS games and play them.  Only one did I not like(Guadalcanal: Naval Campaign).  Squad battle, civilwar series I do like.   I have both the Punic and Gallic wars.  I enjoy them as well.

[Grell]

I own a good number of HPS games and I adore them.[:)]

Regards,

Grell

[Hertston]

Most has already been said I think, but I might as well add my proverbial 2 cents worth of opinion.

The following points are pretty general;

AI could be better but I've seen a lot worse.

Eye candy wise, the 3D graphics, when implemented, are so bad they make your eyes bleed. The easy answer, as they serve no purpose anyway, is turn them off. The 2D maps are actually quite nice, IMHO, and the counter art (where applicable) and unit portraits, which also seriously suck, can usually be replaced by fan art - 'Volcano's stuff, already mentioned is professional quality. While the games will run in any resolution, they don't scale, so you get a lot of map and very small counters at any 'modern' resolution. There are two zoom levels, but these have clearly been designed for 800x600 and 1024x768 and one you will never use. The counters don't countain enough info due to size - I much prefer those in TOAW, for example.

Wide choice of scenarios, in some cases (Gettysburg springs to mind), a vast choice of scenarios. With campaign options (where implemented) you won't get bored for a long while.

No printed manual, but you won't miss one. All the docs can be easily called up from in-game, and the systems aren't sufficiently complicated to require frequent reference.

Shop around. I buy my HPS titles from NWS; check prices and you'll see why.

As to the individual series, some highly subjective comments

1. Panzer Campaigns. There are better WW2 operational games, all of them available from Matrix.

2. Modern Campaigns. Same system as above, but more worthy of consideration because of lack of kick-ass competition. Both the Middle East and WW3 Germany series are very good.

3. Squad Battles. Best of the bunch. Every title has something to recommend it, but I particularly like the way the system handles helicopter operations. Simple, but effective and 'realistic'.

4. Civil War. Huge amount of content, particularly in later titles, including a novel and effective campaign approach.

5. Naval. The Jutland offering is actually surprisingly good, although I guess most with an interest in the battle would now plump for the Storm Eagle game.

6. Ancients. Nearly forget these, which would be a shame. I have the Punic Wars title; same story on graphics but the rest is a much more modern design (not John Tiller, in this case), which simulates the period very well and has noticeably better AI than the other games. Or maybe I'm just not as good at ancient warfare!

[New York Jets]

ORIGINAL: sapper_astro

I have only recently become aware of the HPS wargames, ie; Squad battles, Panzer campaigns, etc, and am intrigued by them.

Can anyone who has played these games give their impressions and thoughts on them? The ups and downs? I cannot believe these games have been hiding away so well for years it seems, especially if they are good games.

Yes! They're very good!

[V22 Osprey]

Ok, why are you guys so worried about grahpics? I thought wargames were about realism and functionality, not graphics.If you want graphics, go get Company of Heroes.[8|]

I love Panzer Campaigns and Squad Battles.They are great games, with John Tiller's look and feel interface.I dont care about the graphics, as long as they get the job done.To me though TAOW III wasn't as fun as PzC, yes you get all the battles in one game, but they werent detailed at all and felt like they were thrown together just to add a scenario on the box.Personally, I dont know much about the AI but this game really shines in PBEM.Squad Battles is by far the one of the most realistic Squad Battle game ever.The system is fantastic, even being able to drop and use dropped weapons.I highly recommend these games.

[Perturabo]

Some of the games look tempting, but I'm put off by lack of local distribution (prices!) or at least digital downloads (postal prices!), demos and printed manuals.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

Ok, why are you guys so worried about grahpics? I thought wargames were about realism and functionality, not graphics.If you want graphics, go get Company of Heroes.[8|]

I love Panzer Campaigns and Squad Battles.They are great games, with John Tiller's look and feel interface.I dont care about the graphics, as long as they get the job done.

There is an awful lot of graphical ground between the HPS titles and Company of Heroes. There are limits, IMHO, and some aspects of the HPS titles cross them although as I said they can either be ignored (3D counters) or replaced (unit portraits). I like my games to look good, even if they are 2D map and counter jobs, and good means 'functional' as well; particularly the unit information given on counters in TAOW and CotA, to name but two. As I said, though, the 2D maps are fine. I agree on the interface, I've always liked it and it's universality means very little additional learning is required even across different series.

ORIGINAL: Perturabo

Some of the games look tempting, but I'm put off by lack of local distribution (prices!) or at least digital downloads (postal prices!), demos and printed manuals.

As I said previously, you can buy them for substantially less than HPS charge selling them direct if you shop around, and you won't miss or need a printed manual (have to trust me on that one). No demos, true.. you have to take the plunge on at least one, really.

[06 Maestro]

I purchased my first HPS title last year; Spanish Civil War. There are large scenarios and small ones, but are dealing with things at a tactical level regardless-as you would in the Campaign Series. As stated, the graphics are basic, but very functional and clear. The graphics are better than in the original CS games-which I used to play in 2d rather than 3d nearly all the time. There is a very good tutorial to get you going quickly. The game runs very good and apparently bug free.

I like the HPS approach and will certainly buy from them again when a game subject comes up that I have a particular interest in. The squad level games will not replace my much more modern favorites, but they still are sound war games.

[New York Jets]

I actually like the Squad Battles series and own several of them. It is not too far off from old ASL in a lot of ways. Although the armour rules are not nearly so detailed as ASL. I like the way you can lose one or two men at a time without having a squad go straight from full to half. You can even have a squad equipped with several different weapons and choose to fire only the exact weapons you want. Even in the small arms area. And like ASL you need to keep your leaders intact. I wish there were a way to have the occasional leader created in combat like ASL, though. One other advantage to ASL is that Tiller keeps creating more titles in the series while ASL is pretty much not going anywhere last time I checked. Plus no worries about having to set up the boards and finding a ftf opponent.

There is even what's known as The Board Game Project at the website called "Task Force Echo Four" that adapts a lot of the old ASL scenarios to the Squad Battles format.

I'm a couple of SB titles behind but I intend to pick up The Russo-Finnish War and Spanish Civil War titles.

[sapper_astro]

Thanks to everyone who contributed. I am sold on one of the Squad battles series for a starter, just need to pick which one. I am erring towards either the Winter War or the Spanish civil war due to the hardly covered battles therein, as well as the fact that these wars lend themselves well to squad level tactics. The others are becoming more intriguing.

What is this NWS place Hertston? http://yhst-12000246778232.stores.yahoo.net/ Is this what you are talking about?

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: sapper_astro
Is this what you are talking about?

Yes.

[Perturabo]

ORIGINAL: Hertston

As I said previously, you can buy them for substantially less than HPS charge selling them direct if you shop around,

Well, even the prices in the less expensive store are too much for me. I can't really see myself buying a computer game for more than 50 PLN, unless it's an OOP collector's item.

ORIGINAL: Hertston

and you won't miss or need a printed manual (have to trust me on that one).

Well, it probably depends on a game - the demo-manual for PoA2 has 375 pages - I doubt anyone would bother to write such a thick manual if it wasn't necessary for playing the game.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Perturabo
Well, it probably depends on a game - the demo-manual for PoA2 has 375 pages - I doubt anyone would bother to write such a thick manual if it wasn't necessary for playing the game.

PoA2 is very much one of a kind (and isn't even really a 'game' at all), and is not one of John Tiller designed 'stable' (Panzer Campaigns, Modern Battles, Squad Battles ACW campaigns, Napoleonic campaigns, etc.)that have been the subject of this thread. You can learn pretty much all you need to know about Squad Battles in half-an-hour.

[Lützow]

Does anybody own PoA2 ? Have to admit this one, unlike other HPS titles, looks interesting to me.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Lützow
Does anybody own PoA2 ? Have to admit this one, unlike other HPS titles, looks interesting to me.

Yes. PM me your snail-mail address and it's yours. I can't see me ever wanting to install it again, life's too short.

[E]

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

Ok, why are you guys so worried about grahpics? I thought wargames were about realism and functionality, not graphics.If you want graphics, go get Company of Heroes.[8|]

Ditto. Computer wargames have traditionally never been about graphics.

And if the original poster watches E-bay, they can sometimes get great deals on them (I picked up Advance of the Reich and Eagles Strike for under $12.00 shipped (both were new and still shrinkwrapped!). But that takes patience (which oddly enough, many wargamers don't have when it comes to getting a "new" game!)

[Lützow]

ORIGINAL: Hertston

ORIGINAL: Lützow
Does anybody own PoA2 ? Have to admit this one, unlike other HPS titles, looks interesting to me.

Yes. PM me your snail-mail address and it's yours. I can't see me ever wanting to install it again, life's too short.

Did send you a PM, Herston.