Enjoying CMANO & CMO, is Harpoon UE worth getting in 2019?

[stolowski]

I think the title says it all.. I love CMANO and now CMO. Also I've always been looking at Harpoon UE, but never made the plunge knowing it was no longer actively developed or supported... For those who play(ed) both CM(AN)O and Harpoon: is Harpoon Ultimate Edition still worth getting in 2019 (I've never played any of Harpoon games before)? Price aside (I'd probably get it when on sale, if at all), does it make sense at all or is it going to be a disappointment after playing Command..? I know Harpoon has a long list of unresolved bugs - are those game braking issues?

PS. I hope this doesn't get moved to Harpoon subforum as I'm mostly interested in opinons of CMANO/CMO players (and Harpoon subforum seems to be very quiet).

[demyansk]

Good post and I look forward to responses.

[temkc5]

I think this might aid you in your decision making

Click here


Since the release of command modern operations

I have realised I'm too much of a graphics fanboy these days

[ultradave]

My opinion only - take for what it's worth.

I have had all the Harpoon editions over the years. They were great and I had many hours of enjoyment with them.

To me, C:MANO and CMO are what Harpoon might have become at some point with further development. Once C:MANO came out I didn't look back.

Not everyone may feel this way, but C:MANO and now CMO are much more satisfying in every way. Just the databases and Mission Editors alone are huge "enhancements" over Harpoon.

[Gunner98]

Harpoon was the first computer game I played, started in '89. Loved it, and its successors. However CMANO/CMO is far deeper, more realistic and overall just a much better game/sim. I see CMANO/CMO as the evolutionary successor to Harpoon - some don't agree and it is probably not an accurate statement on many levels, but for game-play that's how it feels to me.

I have tried a couple times but I won't be going back to Harpoon, although I haven't tried the UE version. CMANO/CMO is like driving a modern Cadillac after stepping out of a Ford Pinto.

Just my $.02CAD

[mavfin]

ORIGINAL: ultradave

My opinion only - take for what it's worth.

I have had all the Harpoon editions over the years. They were great and I had many hours of enjoyment with them.

To me, C:MANO and CMO are what Harpoon might have become at some point with further development. Once C:MANO came out I didn't look back.

Not everyone may feel this way, but C:MANO and now CMO are much more satisfying in every way. Just the databases and Mission Editors alone are huge "enhancements" over Harpoon.

I can't add anything to this, really.

I've had all the Harpoon stuff over the years, spent a ton of time playing them, but its time has passed, imo. Keep in mind that Harpoon Scenedit is still a 16-bit app, unless they've gotten a beta version out that actually works in the last year or two. I don't think they have.

[smbrannan]

I also have to echo ultradave and Gunner98... Harpoon has scarcely entered my mind since I bought CMANO. Harpoon was great fun in its day, but CMANO, and now I assume CMO, just offer so much more.

[thewood1]

The only thing Harpoon I still enjoy is reading the old Harpoon Strategy guide and watching Herman Humm still posting scenarios in the dark corners of the web.

[Darren_H_slith]

"...watching Herman Humm still posting scenarios in the dark corners of the web." [:D]

[LaughingBuccaneer]

ORIGINAL: mavfin

ORIGINAL: ultradave

My opinion only - take for what it's worth.

I have had all the Harpoon editions over the years. They were great and I had many hours of enjoyment with them.

To me, C:MANO and CMO are what Harpoon might have become at some point with further development. Once C:MANO came out I didn't look back.

Not everyone may feel this way, but C:MANO and now CMO are much more satisfying in every way. Just the databases and Mission Editors alone are huge "enhancements" over Harpoon.

I can't add anything to this, really.

I've had all the Harpoon stuff over the years, spent a ton of time playing them, but its time has passed, imo. Keep in mind that Harpoon Scenedit is still a 16-bit app, unless they've gotten a beta version out that actually works in the last year or two. I don't think they have.

Yes I have Harpoon UE on my Windows 7 Laptop and still play the scenarios occasionally. Which reminds me has
anyone converted the GIUK - Medium sized Convoy making it's way to Narvik, available as a CMANO scenario yet ?
As that's still one of my favourites.
With Harpoon Scenario Editor, I keep it on my Windows XP VM on the same laptop for making new Harpoon scenarios.

The sad thing is Windows 7 reaches it's End of Life on January 14th 2020 ( that being the end of extended life
support from MS that is ) Still like Windows 7 and sad to see it go. Nevertheless I can still use my Windows 7
Laptop beyond that date although no doubt best to leave it offline from the internet.

Maybe some kind souls on the forum, might post or direct me to an FAQ for getting Harpoon UE to run on
Windows 10 ?

Finally if there are any suggestions for improving CMO / CMANO - are there plans to bring it into the Virtual
Reality world ?

[stolowski]

Thank you guys for all the valuable feedback, it’s very helpful!

[TheCabal]

Hey stolowski,

older games/sims are like time capsules:
- no fancy weaponry/weapons platforms
- scenarios/missions/campaigns made during a time close to the cold war era
- reg. Harpoon UE => you have plenty of scenarios in various battlesets which you will not find in CMANO/CMO except for a few single scenarios.

These times are best preserved in older simulations like Harpoon, DI's Tornado, Microprose Fleet Defender (F-14) etc. the same with older books which brings you back in time. (I need to mention a fresh book reg. the "old times" => Northern Fury: H-Hour http://northernfury.us/)

So if you are not scared using the older UI and controls => go for it but be prepared to adapt your eyes and be patient. Youtube gives you an idea about almost all older gems. Harpoon UE was a great addition to my collection (not to collect virtual dust, but to play the hell out of them).

[goodwoodrw]

I to bought every version of Harpoon both PC and Amiga. CMO is far superior to Harpoon why would you go back! My first Amiga edition was on 5.25 floppies. The only thing Harpoon has over CMO is the box art! In 30 years of gaming nothing come close to the Admiral with grey moustache and steel rimmed sunglasses. Can't remember what most game boxes look like, but I won't forget that admirals face. [:D] [:D]

[TarkError]

Harpoon is considerably dated fidelity-wise compared to CMO. I'd say the only reason you would want to play Harpoon would be to experience the late 1980s/early 1990s-themed Cold War scenarios in the 16 or so battlesets included, plus user scenarios that date from before the fall of the USSR!

[TheCabal]

It's a shame these Harpoon battlesets seem uninteresting for a CMO DLC...

[Rory Noonan]

ORIGINAL: TheCabal

It's a shame these Harpoon battlesets seem uninteresting for a CMO DLC...

My experience has been that scenarios from Harpoon were great for the time and work well with Harpoon, but feel very barebones in Command.

There's also the issue of intellectual property. Even remaking a scenario with permission and distributing it as a free community scenario has turned sour for me in the past. I would not go anywhere near these old scenarios for DLC content.

That said, these scenarios are pretty easy to replicate. Maybe you could make the first community linked campaign. Have at it!

[britten]

Guys, don't forget about that one functionality which Harpoon 3/ANW has while Command (at this point) has not...Do I have to say it's name?[;)]

[Dimitris]

ORIGINAL: britten
Guys, don't forget about that one functionality which Harpoon 3/ANW has while Command (at this point) has not...Do I have to say it's name?[;)]

You mean MP? Where's the public server again ?

[stolowski]

Thanks again for all the input! I was on the fence, but the Holiday sale that just started today sealed the deal [8D], $9.60 for Harpoon Ultimate is a no-brainer [&o], I can now experience this piece of history myself and get rid of the itching [:)]. I think this concludes this topic!

Yes, I totally expect outdated graphics, no fancy weapons and cold-war era scenarios. That's not bad, actually.

[BDukes]

That price might be a little too much at point. Maybe worth three dollars if you get a bottle of the cheap stuff with,

Multiplayer barely work. Mostly not.

Save cash and buy next game out.