Matrix Games Forums

You most certainly DO NOT need the CD for each game to run HPS games.  In fact, one could use a single "magic" CD to run ALL HPS and BG games. 

True, you need to buy the HPS CD and install it, but once done, you can store it away and NEVER use it again. 

Instructions:

1) Install game normally on HD

2) Create a temp folder

3) With in the temp folder, create another folder for each game, i.e. Campaign Shiloh, Campaign Chickamauga, BGG, BGBR, etc...

4) For each game folder, copy the .exe files (only) and place in appropriate folder. Example: Campaign Atlanta will have 4 files. 1) cp_start.exe 2) cpt.exe 3) cwcamp.exe 4) cwedit.exe

5) Copy all game folders from temp folder to new CD and burn away.

New CD should have folders titled the same as on HD, and play as if game CD were in drive.

The whole point is that you still need a CD to play HPS games (be it original CD or copy), where with Matrix games, you do not!!!

While I hate it, hps could use a e-license system, but I would prefer the matrix way, seems to be succesfull anyway 

Just curious, how many of you folks have at least one copy of John Tiller's ACW or nappy games published by HPS?

acwbuff63

I do not have any of the Civil War Series, but I do own three squad battles titles and love them. If you could only have one game in the Civil War Series at HPS which one would it be. I ask because I can only afford one at the moment.

I do love the Battle Ground series and am finally happy to have them all in one place. I had only owned Antietam before.

ORIGINAL: AlvinS

Just curious, how many of you folks have at least one copy of John Tiller's ACW or nappy games published by HPS?

acwbuff63

I do not have any of the Civil War Series, but I do own three squad battles titles and love them. If you could only have one game in the Civil War Series at HPS which one would it be. I ask because I can only afford one at the moment.

I do love the Battle Ground series and am finally happy to have them all in one place. I had only owned Antietam before.

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Without a doubt, I recommend HPS Campaign Gettysburg if you only can afford one of the series. While I own Campaign Shiloh, Campaign Atlanta, and Campaign Chickamauga also, I have played Gettysburg far more than the other titles. It is still THE Civil War campaign in my estimation and offers a tremendous range of outcomes in the campaign mode and an extensive library of scenarios for individual battles. There are also alternative graphic sets available for this game so you can easily make it look more like BG. To my knowledge, I haven't found new graphics out there for the newer games in the series and I had problems with Shiloh's set so Gettysburg is the only one I have modded.

You really can't go too far wrong with any of them though if you prefer the Western theater campaigns. The series is well worth your money even with the less than stellar unit graphics (you do get used to them after awhile). The huge campaign maps are just stunning.

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn

I haven't found new graphics out there for the newer games in the series and I had problems with Shiloh's set so Gettysburg is the only one I have modded.

At the ACW Campaign Games Design Center, I've successfully used Rolf Hall's Shiloh (IIRC) graphics set with the three HPS CW games I own, Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Vicksburg. (I'm partial to the war in the west.) In fact, I'm playing a scenario from HPS Vicksburg using the Hall 3D graphics even as I write this. Be prepared to experiment, maybe selectively using some files and not others, but BACK UP YOUR ORIGINAL GRAPHICS FILES FIRST!

ORIGINAL: Panama Red

The whole point is that you still need a CD to play HPS games (be it original CD or copy), where with Matrix games, you do not!!!

Yep, even with a "master disk" created it is still a chore having my CD drive tied up with it inserted or else it's just another CD that I have to have laying about constantly.

If there was really ANY anti-piracy value to this protection system I would be tolerant, but it doesn't do anything to protect HPS. I lost my HPS Campaign Atlanta CD (foolishly mailed it to NetFlix I think when returning a movie). Then I got the great advice (form multiple sources) that all I had to do was copy a couple of files back off my hard drive to create my "master CD" and I was back in business. I didn't even need need the original install CD's to create the master. Once I've installed the game I'm all set. For backup purposes I can just copy the Campaign Atlanta folder to my backup hard drive (or burn to a disk) and I have essentially replaced my lost CD in every way.

Tiller has a mindset on this issue that is getting in the way of listening to the fans of the series. I would be quite happy for them to use the Matrix serial Number system so I could just ditch the CD in the drive forever. The Matrix system would provide a lot more in the way of real piracy protection as well.

Just my two cents.

Without a doubt, I recommend HPS Campaign Gettysburg if you only can afford one of the series. While I own Campaign Shiloh, Campaign Atlanta, and Campaign Chickamauga also, I have played Gettysburg far more than the other titles. It is still THE Civil War campaign in my estimation and offers a tremendous range of outcomes in the campaign mode and an extensive library of scenarios for individual battles. There are also alternative graphic sets available for this game so you can easily make it look more like BG. To my knowledge, I haven't found new graphics out there for the newer games in the series and I had problems with Shiloh's set so Gettysburg is the only one I have modded.

You really can't go too far wrong with any of them though if you prefer the Western theater campaigns. The series is well worth your money even with the less than stellar unit graphics (you do get used to them after awhile). The huge campaign maps are just stunning.

rhondabrwn

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out. I will eventually own them all.

I would get the game that offers you the battle(s) that interests you the most.  You'll notice that they are named for a particular battle, but each has multiple battles.  For example: HPS Chickamauga also features Perryville, Stones River, and Chattanooga.  It also features "what ifs" around Nashville, Frankfort, etc...    

BTW, the HPS website is not the cheapest place to purchase. Just google the game title you want.

BTW, the HPS website is not the cheapest place to purchase. Just google the game title you want.

I just follow the link in my signature. Naval Warefare Simulations sells all of the HPS titles and I can get the ACW games for $29.95.

ORIGINAL: AlvinS

Without a doubt, I recommend HPS Campaign Gettysburg if you only can afford one of the series. While I own Campaign Shiloh, Campaign Atlanta, and Campaign Chickamauga also, I have played Gettysburg far more than the other titles. It is still THE Civil War campaign in my estimation and offers a tremendous range of outcomes in the campaign mode and an extensive library of scenarios for individual battles. There are also alternative graphic sets available for this game so you can easily make it look more like BG. To my knowledge, I haven't found new graphics out there for the newer games in the series and I had problems with Shiloh's set so Gettysburg is the only one I have modded.

You really can't go too far wrong with any of them though if you prefer the Western theater campaigns. The series is well worth your money even with the less than stellar unit graphics (you do get used to them after awhile). The huge campaign maps are just stunning.

rhondabrwn

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out. I will eventually own them all.

Me too... I can't decide whether to go for The Peninsula Campaign or Vicksburg next. I think I could learn a lot from the former as I rather weak on those battles. Vicksburg, I've been too and have more familiarity, but the campaign seems to have a sense of futility about it... could the South have saved Vicksburg? Or was it just a matter of time? Campaign Corinth has some interesting "what ifs" and is a situation that is more balanced.

Meanwhile, I'm in the middle of a 268 turn PBEM battle as part of Campaign Gettysburg. We drew at Brandy Station and the next battle is quite challenging. Neither of us have any good idea of enemy dispositions and cavalry is ranging all over the map screening and scouting. The map is so huge that if you send a corps down a road it will take 20 turns to get there and you have no idea what they are going to find! And if the enemy is elsewhere... well, it's a long march back to where the action really is. It's quite a challenge, but it will take months to play out. Contrast that with a quick BG Gettysburg scenario.

IMHO, I would go for C.P. first. The game is more balanced. Vicksburg is very slanted for the Union. Mostly medium to large battles. Vicksburg has mostly smaller scale battles with difficult confederate win chances.

Gettysburg is the best of them, rhondabrwn is spot on.
 
I'd recommend Peninsula next. Vicksburg is OK...but probably my least favourite of the series.
 
I rank them as such:
Gettysburg
Peninsula
Shiloh
Chickamauga
Ozark
Atlanta
Vicksburg
 
Don't have Franklin.

Well I have it narrowed down to two. Either Gettysburg or Chickamauga. I used to live aroung the Chickamauga area when I was young, and also in Nashville having fished on the Stones River many times. I have visited Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga where the Battle of the Clouds was fought.

Gettysburg seems to have alot to offer and the graphics update looks really great, although I do not have a problem with the original graphics. I love John Tiller games and shoud be good no matter which way I go.

Thanks for all of the replies. It has been very helpful.

Looks like Friday week (Dec 7th) is gonna be busy.............indications are that HPS is gonna release another ACW or Nappy title that day & Matrix is doing something with WITP!!!!


PS...........I agree with Ashantai, Getty & Peninsula are the best..............lots o' map territory & scenarios with both (Peninsula has the whole 7 Days camapign !)............IMHO you cant go wrong with any of them as own the lot!!!![;)] [:D]

ORIGINAL: captskillet

Looks like Friday week (Dec 7th) is gonna be busy.............indications are that HPS is gonna release another ACW or Nappy title that day & Matrix is doing something with WITP!!!!

If HPS releases another ACW my guess would be Antietam or one of the Bull Run Campaigns. They've already been done by Talonsoft so it'd make sense to fill out the Campaign series with one of these. However, I did hear a while back that the next HPS ACW Campaign game might be about a lesser little know subject. Just have to wait and see. A Shenandoah Campaign would be superb.

HPS titles are chosen by the interest level of the designers. So it could be anything. Perhaps even the Red River Campaign.

The price of the dollar has got so low, that maybe I will finally buy one of the HPS games. But having to wait a few weeks for the delivery is really annoying. I do very much prefer digital download - a few mouse clicks, some typing, an hour+ of downloading and the game is ready to play.

Peninsula would be my choice in the Civil War field; in the Napoleonics I might get tempted by Jena-Auerstadt or Wagram.

I just ordered HPS Campaign Gettysburg.  I hope I'm not spoiling myself because as I see now, not all the civil war battles series have as deep of campaign setups as Gettysburg.  That said, coverage of the west is intriguing since it was not really covered in the TS series.

HPS offers a 5 for 3 deal if you get hungry.