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I've had a few people quiz me about when it'll be ready, and I'm thankful for the interest. I've had a couple of setbacks a few weeks ago while testing out the RE betas and lost approx 2 weeks worth of work...[&:] Stupid me loaded up my backup as well and killed both copies of the DB I had at that time.

As many of you are aware I've been away from the game for a while, and have had to catch up on what's new in the game and undertake undoing some of the "fixes" I had applied when dealing with H2/H2AE. There's heaps of stuff that I'd removed from platforms that has to go back in. I've also been editing platforms to allow the full rebuild of all CG1 Battleset scenarios, allowing editing of these scens for better play balance, correction of invalid platforms for countries involved in the scens etc.

I'm aiming at sending a "test" copy of the DB along with a few of the scens I've been working on, to Tony Eischens for play testing on his MP server immediately after Christmas (Like maybe Boxing Day - Dec 26th). The database has grown a little and I've now broken an old HUD rule and the DB wont load into Pfedit anymore... I'm presently adding the new "Turbofan" flag to aircraft propulsion entries and cleaning up some of the fuel consumptions. I can't say I'm anywhere near back to where I'd like to have it but that just means I'll have to update often early on in the HUD3's life. I apologise for taking so long but I couldn't turn down Don Gilman's generous offer to Beta test the game, so I spent DB time doing that... bite me [:'(] I'm joking I've been able to put in a lot of time over the past few days, just need the weather to change and I'll be able to run Scenedit for more than 10 minutes before my rig starts telling me she's too hot [8D]

Stayed tuned and I'll keep everyone updated over the next few days.

Cheers

Darren

Thanks for the update Darren, I wanted to ask but knew you'd get it out as soon as it was ready. Looking forward to taking HUD3 for a spin when the time comes but I for one don't want to apply pressure, keep it fun for yourself.

Here's a progress report.
 
Until having some major HDD issues approximately a week ago things were progressing well. [:(] Unfortunately I am having trouble recovering the scenario files I had been preparing. The database is safe and I'm presently attempting to recover what I can from the disc in question, aftert losing my Homeworld 2 mod - about a years work, photos etc that can't be replaced and my copy of H3 ANW...
 
Anyway I'll get back to rebuilding this bloody machine and hope to be back fully working on things in the next day or two.
 
Cheers
 
Darren

Greetings from the mines...

Many of you will be wondering, "what ever happened to the HUD3?" I'm happy to report that I've managed to put together a group of people from across the Harpoon "World" that are now furiously testing the updated database and rebuilt Global Conflicts 1 Battleset.

Don Gilman/AGSI has been kind enough to grant me permission to rebuild and modify the stock scenarios and that's well underway. The project aims to rebuild and or modify all of the original stock scenarios for full compatibility with the HUD3 and H3ANW 3.8.0+ as well as improved game play. I'm also working on a modified set of Tutorial scenarios that function with the DB.

Don has also in an effort to provide content to the community, offered the HUD3 database a website. I've enthusiastically accepted this offer and this is where I plan to host the database, scenarios and other associated "bits & pieces" for your H3ANW enjoyment. Tony Eischens will also be providing hosting on his site for the DB and files so access shouldn't be an issue.

So far I've had a positive response from the community in general and have managed to put together what I consider to be an impressive team, before even announcing a request for volunteers publicly.

Anthony (Tony) Eischens - USA, Partner Website and forum support - www.harpgamer.com - Scenario Testing
Craig Paffhausen - USA, Official H4.1+ rules contributor and Harpoon2 database designer. - want to know something about an aircraft, just ask Craig. He helps write the rules...
Dave Steinmeyer - USA, HUD-II/HUD3 Scenario designer.
Freek Schepers - Netherlands, H3 Scenario Designer.
Harold Hutchison - USA, Database Platform contribution and testing.
Herman Hum - Canada, Player's Database Editor - scenario and DB testing.
Jan Masterson - Belgium, European platform advisor - scenario and DB testing.
Michael Mackay-Blair - Australia, ex-RAN (20 years service) - Australian Platforms & our reality check. [:)]
Ralf Koelbach - Germany, Legend amongst scenario designers - Scenario design & testing.

If anyone would like to lend a hand I'm crediting contributors to the project in the database.xml file - the file that loads when starting the game and selecting a database for play in the luncher. I'm always looking for people with time on their hands. Genuine game issues are reported directly to AGSI for actioning through their official MANTIS bug tracking system; you get to kill two birds with one stone.

I'm also looking for anyone with my more than basic web site design skills. I have a plan in mind and have even started myself, but if anyone is willing to throw in with the above mentioned "bilge rats", I am open to offers. If you'd like to be involved in this project in any way drop me a line off list and I'll be happy to discuss including you in the "HUD3 Design Team".

Thanks in advance

Darren Buckley

Darren,

How's it going?

Best wishes,

Better late than never is one way to look at this and I apologise for the continued delays. Early in the process of reinventing the HUD3 I hitched my cart to the AGSI wagon and we've both been held up fixing lots of issues for the community in general. It's almost looked to me like the HUD3 group and myself have uncovered lots of issues in Scenedit that had remained hidden for years and the Development Team have been making good progress getting things sorted out.

I'm presently working on construction of a website to house the HUD3 and the new Photo Libraries for use with the "Harpoon Media Viewer". I was originally planning on releasing the DB and some scens for the 3.9 patch/upgrade. I may very well release the DB prior to the 3.9 patch and allow the community at large to start playing around with the HUD3 using the curent 3.8 release. I'll make sure everyone is kept advised of my progress as we near release date and I'm looking forward to players enjoying the fruits of the HUD3 Team's labours.

Cheers

Darren

Greetings all. Sorry I have been MIA, but as anyone who has served in the armed forces can tell you, you tend to come away with a few medical problems. And mine of late have flair'd up a bit. But now as we approach the New Year, things will improve.[:D]

I recently have contact with an old freind of mine who is still in the mob. However he has gone over to the dark side and is now a submariner[X(]. He said he will help mwe with updating any thing he can without crossing the red line of security.

So hopefully the new year will go well.

Anyway Merry Xmas to all and a Happy new year.

Michael Mackay-Blair POETS RAN Retired (Thank God!!)

ps POETS Stands for Petty Officer ( equiv SGT) Electronic Tech Sonar

pps The pic is me in 1994 on HMAS Torrens as a LSETS which is a CPL equiv

ORIGINAL: Bucks

The database has grown a little and I've now broken an old HUD rule and the DB wont load into Pfedit anymore...

Wow does that bring back memories! What happened to Tom? Is he still around? PFedit was the tool that brought me into the editing way back when.....

Cheers and I believe that the new pictures and viewer will offer one thing that I have been 'looking' forward to for years now.

I have some questions on the Flexibility of changes within it. With some pictures being 'copyrighted' etc, how can the community add or modify it? I guess there will be standard DB's, so that MP matches will work, but to add the SR-91A Auroa's etc could be an issue?

Keep up the great work and I look forward to checking out the HUD3.

Ethan

ORIGINAL: JRyan

ORIGINAL: Bucks

The database has grown a little and I've now broken an old HUD rule and the DB wont load into Pfedit anymore...

Wow does that bring back memories! What happened to Tom? Is he still around? PFedit was the tool that brought me into the editing way back when.....

Cheers and I believe that the new pictures and viewer will offer one thing that I have been 'looking' forward to for years now.

I have some questions on the Flexibility of changes within it. With some pictures being 'copyrighted' etc, how can the community add or modify it? I guess there will be standard DB's, so that MP matches will work, but to add the SR-91A Auroa's etc could be an issue?

Keep up the great work and I look forward to checking out the HUD3.

Ethan

Ethan,
Tom left the Harpoon community a long time back, before I even managed to struggle to get "online". Tom's loss at such an early stage of development is probably the greatest loss Harpoon has suffered. I know when Ed Ladner was still looking after the HULL, Tom was still subscribed but simply refused to post or reply to email efforts to contact him. until recently I was still using PfEdit and it was originally one of the major constraints forced on me in regard to expanding the HUD-II/HUD3. Of course working closely with Jon Reimer solved that problem and with the much greater stability provided by ANW, DB expansion isn't so much of an issue.

On the subject of the the flexibility of changes within the files used for the Harpoon Media Viewer, in terms of your own personal use there shouldn't be any. The fileset I am willing to provide forms the whole of the USNI set and an added expansion for use with ANW 3.9. I have used almost exclusively the images available at the Defense Visual Information Center - http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/DVIC_View/Still_Search.htm. Being the work of a US Govt. employee they are basically public domain and I am providing them as a free "add-on" for 3.9 based on the already completed image set that will ship with the ANW 3.9 Patch. I have also used wikipedia where the image has been confirmed as being within the public domain. I am considering contacting some of the larger Navies of the World in an attempt to gain permission to add their vessels to the library, fingers crossed this comes to fruition. Same will apply to some of the relevant websites that contain some exceptionally hard to obtain images.

I have compiled an Excel spreadsheet that indexes the images to their relevant image reference as used in the Harpoon database. I will publish this list at the same time as I release the HUD3 and the image library becomes available. This will allow 3rd Party DB Editors to make use of the existing fileset and match it with the platforms in their own databases. If you wanted to scan an image from a publication and then add it to the relevant folder containing the images for the platform concerned as far as I can see as long as you don't distribute it further than you're own copy of ANW I doubt anyone will be knocking on your door about it. I have had to be careful myself with donations, as in the case of my own Navy, there's a 50 year copyright rule and I would need to gain permission from the Attorney General's Dept before I could publically release the image or run the risk of breaching copyright. I have also received files from people that are basically downloads from Official navy websites that fall under copyright and therefore cannot be used.

Btw. Here's another teaser

Cheers

Darren

ORIGINAL: Bucks

Ethan,
Tom left the Harpoon community a long time back, before I even managed to struggle to get "online". Tom's loss at such an early stage of development is probably the greatest loss Harpoon has suffered. I know when Ed Ladner was still looking after the HULL, Tom was still subscribed but simply refused to post or reply to email efforts to contact him. until recently I was still using PfEdit and it was originally one of the major constraints forced on me in regard to expanding the HUD-II/HUD3. Of course working closely with Jon Reimer solved that problem and with the much greater stability provided by ANW, DB expansion isn't so much of an issue.

I did not know that, I hope he is ok and nothing ill happened. If he lurks, I am sure he is probably disgusted with some of the 'issues; in the community. I just remember Tom's program really opened the 'inner' workings of Harpoon. I agree it as a huge loss. I hope he still lurks and has at least tried H3ANW. It would be interesting to hear his opinion,

As for the pictures, I understand. Ever since the windows beta I knew the DB viewer in game needed work. So what you are doing is highly appreciated indeed.

Keep up the good work.

Ethan

Hi All,

With the release of the RC5 public Beta, so comes the release of the HUD3.

I've undertaken the rebuilding of the H2/H3 stock scenarios and the latest release also includes the work done on the new Harpoon Media Viewer. There's also a couple of user created scens that Ralf Koelbach and I have run off. I'm also in the process of updating all of the original HUD & HUD-II scenarios from http://www.harpoonpages.com/h2scenarios.htm.

I'm currently in the process of constructing the HUD3 website so don't be surprised if you click on the "database support link" and are met with a less than complete website. I'm about to start work on updating more scenarios and finishing off the site.

I'll make an announcement regarding where the HUD3 Team is at shortly, and I suppose I am forced to join the rampant self-promotion of other DB Editors and start spamming all of you with new release information etc. [:'(]

Cheers

Darren