HPS new games

[uncc]

ditto...and because of the new patch grabbed NC3: Guadalcanal as well

[Scott_WAR]

ORIGINAL: Grim.Reaper

Yet again I was weak and I have also placed an order, even as I was awaiting more feedback:)

Something about Midway. I have always enjoyed playing that battle in other wargames. I even remeber playing it on the Commodore 64 (could have been Vic-20, can't remember which one since I had both) as a game with a bunch of dots and on a tape:)

I played it on the C-64,...as a matter of fact it was the first PC wargame I ever played.

[Grim.Reaper]

ORIGINAL: Scott_WAR

ORIGINAL: Grim.Reaper

Yet again I was weak and I have also placed an order, even as I was awaiting more feedback:)

Something about Midway. I have always enjoyed playing that battle in other wargames. I even remeber playing it on the Commodore 64 (could have been Vic-20, can't remember which one since I had both) as a game with a bunch of dots and on a tape:)

I played it on the C-64,...as a matter of fact it was the first PC wargame I ever played.

I remember playing B1 Bomber as well....similar game type. Those were the days:)

[rahamy]

ORIGINAL: Scott_WAR
Maybe so,...but I find scenarios extremely boring after one play through. Most games dont make things random,..or random ENOUGH, that there is any real replayability in them. Now a campaign can be different each time depending on how you play............

So it doesnt really matter how good a game is,....if it doesnt have a campaign it just isnt worth it to me,.....unless there is a large mulitplayer community,....which I have yet to find in any decent war game.

Midway uses a new feature called "deployment boxes" which randomizes the placement of the forces each time the scenario is played. So a battle will be at least a little different each time you play it. And in a battle the size of Midway that could have some major implications.

There was a decent sized community for the original 3 naval games, and while I never participated, I heard many tales of big multi-players games going. Sometimes 6 or 7 players per side. I think the best games are usually 2 or 3 players a side as it reduces the chances for connectivity issues, etc.

The Jutland update is in the works now.

[rahamy]

Oh, and the deployment box size is variable, depending on how big the scenario designer wants to make it...so it could be a few nautical miles, or it could be huge...

[watchtower]

I have just ordered the Sealion game from NWS. When it gets here and I have had a weeks play i'll post a report in this thread. I have wanted someone to do a Sealion game ever since I started wargaming on a computer. My first was a squad leader type game that was for the Atari 800 and came with a gameboard and counters with the puter doing the calcs, wish I could remember what it was called. That and a D-Day game that SSI did - still hooked on wargames, gosh! I been sitting in front of a monitor killing pixel Germans for twenty five years!

[junk2drive]

This is about as far back as I can remember on an Apple IIe 1987

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_of_Fury

and Desert Commander on the NES 1989

Might have been something on Atari before that.

[Yogi the Great]

As usual, might as well save a few dollars using NWS. $10 right now over the HPS introductory price, eventually you save as much as $15 to $20 a game over the HPS price. I bought a lot of games directly from HPS until I figured out that I may as well save some money. Currently I own about 18 HPS titles. I think I will try the Naval games soon, as I haven't any of those to date. Might as well start with Midway and work back.

I do have fond memories of playing the orginal boxed Avalon Hill Jutland game. All those counters spread out on the floor, sometimes using two adjoining rooms.

[Airborne82nd]

ORIGINAL: Grim.Reaper

Wow...with these first impressions, hard to not pull the trigger and purchase. Keep them coming:) I do have a few questions if you have time.

1) With all the depth, is it tedious to play? Ton of micromanagement?
2) How long does an average game take to play? Can you save in the middle of a game?
3) Might be too early for this one, but does each scenario seem replayable with different outcomes or do you think they would playout roughly the same each time?
4) In the end, does it have a "fun" factor and seem like a game you just can't put down?

Thanks!

I've played a few scenarios now, and I like it. Some issues but overall, much more detailed than CAW. There is some micromanagement. For instance, you can give orders to each individual plane flight (2 or 3 planes) or double click on a plane which highlights all in the group. You can save anytime you want but I haven't experimented with that much.

Some issues I've run across. I've had planes tend to freeze in place--especially in the larger scenarios such as Pearl Harbor. There are many planes attacking and this may be an issue with my computer. I've also yet to use CAP successfully. Sometimes they attack enemy incoming strikes, but sometimes mine just fly around sightseeing. Someone earlier mentioned 'vectoring' them to intercept but I've yet to discover that one.

I've also found it rather hard to keep track of strikes and air units during carrier ops. I'm still learning so this may come easier in time. Overall, I'd recommend this game. I'm having fun with it.

[Ashtur]

To "vector" your cap.

(This assumes your CAP aircraft has the plane in question in LOS)

Click on the CAP unit you want to vector. Rightclick on the plane you want it to engage.

To vector it to an area without "siccing" it on a specific aircraft, rightclick on the area where you want that plane to go.

Hint: when handling airops like this, its very helpful to have "Ship/Aircraft Facing" checked ON in the View Menu

[ezzler]

All positives from everyone so as was suggested I went to NWS and bought both at the discount price.

[Prince of Eckmühl]

ORIGINAL: garymc

To "vector" your cap.

(This assumes your CAP aircraft has the plain in question in LOS)

Click on the CAP unit you want to vector. Rightclick on the plane you want it to engage.

To vector it to an area without "siccing" it on a specific aircraft, rightclick on the area where you want that plane to go.

Hint: when handling airops like this, its very helpful to have "Ship/Aircraft Facing" checked ON in the View Menu

Some Feedback...

As simple as the surface action is (and has been in previous versions of NCx), air operations are far more complex. I'd strongly recommend some serious "fleshing-out" of the documentation regarding aircraft/mission/package handling, the aircraft dialogue, and the aircraft package dialogue, complete with examples and illustrations.

A question...

Is there a problem with the Saratoga? I ask because attempting to spot even one aircraft unit shuts down launches, regardless of the spotting values. Until that one unit gets spotted, no takeoffs will take place. However, Saratoga and Lexington did have a weird elevator configuration. Does that have anything to do with what I'm describing?

And a request...

PLEASE, start a forum someplace so that folks who are interested in this game can go and chat about it. Doing so will save you a lot of headaches, as you won't have to keep answering the same questions over and over again. A tech-support forum would be nice also. If there's already a Midway forum in existence, forgive me, but for goodness sake throw us a link!

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

[Ashtur]

Did you get my email yesterday? There is a general forum for HPS games at http://hpssims.com.c7.previewyoursite.com/forums/ though, I admit, it's not hugely busy much of the time.

Anyway, all carriers can only do one deck operation at a time. You can launch, land or spot at any given moment, but not a mixture of them.

As to the docs, those are done by JT himself, but I'll certainly pass that along

[rahamy]

You can go here for a forum: http://www.wargamer.com/forums/tt.aspx?forumid=217

There are no "official" HPS forums. All support is handled via email (Support at hpssims.com) or via phone.

You can't launch any planes from any carrier when you are "spotting" other air craft. The elevator operations preclude take offs or landings.

[junk2drive]

There are sections for HPS games at wargamer, gamesquad, and the blitz but I think there has been more action here at Matrix than all of those combined.

Maybe HPS should...

[rahamy]

Oh I wouldn't say that at all...Wargamer has had more traffice when you combine the HPS specific forums & the general gaming discussion area. [8D] The Blitz is also pretty active...GameSquad has been pretty quiet of late though...

[dudalb_slith]

If HPS really has managed to do to a game that combines both surface and aerial combat on a tactical level sucessfullly, then we have hit the jackpot, and we can finally have a game on the Med in WW2.
BTW how much change in surface combat has their been from the first three? I am wondering how much of the upgrade will be applicable to Jutland and Tshshima, since those take place before airpower was a factor in Naval Combat.

[dudalb_slith]

There is also a HPS section at the Consimworld forums where you can get a lot of help. Most of the desginers for HPS pop in from time to time.

[Ashtur]

There's not a huge change in surface warfare introduced with Midway. There are two major changes, both torpedo related.

1) Ships now take Flotation Damage when struck with a torpedo.
2) When you fire torpedos, you have the right to fire a single torp, or fire by the full salvo. The great advantage of firing the single torp is that now you can set up your own "spread" to increase the chance to hit. (And, even a single torpedo can do a fair bit of damage. Up to and including sinking the ship)

[dudalb_slith]

Just downloaded and installed the new patch for Guadalcanal.


THose of you who had problems with the game should try it now. There are over a dozen new scenarios, and they pretty much cover every major Suface Action of the Pacific war from Java Sea to Leyte Gulf. It's like a whole new game.