Comments on: Harpoon – Commander’s Edition Redefines “Hardcore” http://www.kotaku.com.au/2007/11/harpoon_-_commanders_edition_redefines_hardcore/ the Gamer's Guide | Computer and video game news and reviews Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:35:52 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Chris http://www.kotaku.com.au/2007/11/harpoon_-_commanders_edition_redefines_hardcore/comment-page-1/#comment-17017 Chris Thu, 22 Nov 2007 13:31:48 +0000 http://www.kotaku.com.au/games/2007/11/harpoon_-_commanders_edition_redefines_hardcore.html#comment-17017 <p>I'd been waiting (original release was in June, but thanks to a complete fuckup by the people responsible for printing the "real world" manual, it's been delayed till now), and it's great update to the series for people with an older version, well worth the $45 that the digital download version costs (do not buy the "download protection"), just download it within a month, and burn it to a disc or 3, plus keep the zipped file backed up (with the serial somewhere) and you will be fine..</p> <p>This is not one for the people who think every game needs to look like Crysis. Hell, it's a basic (graphics wise, not simulation wise) 3d representation of it's subject, which is naval warfare, from massive cold war nuclear exchanges to small skirmishes involving a handful of ships, to large air battles, carrier attacks, submarine hunting, convoy protection, often combining these into huge battles.</p> <p>About 200 scenarios, of which there are 2 major subsets, that being the EC2005 set (where a coalition of all the major european powers, as well as a large middle eastern group, attack the United States), and the Cold War era, which is about 1989 or so, and includes major set piece attacks, carrier battles, convoy missions.</p> <p>The battlesets, are the basic "locations" and breakdown to:<br /> North Atlantic Convoys - Which is based around the huge convoys which need to form in the wake of a Soviet attack, in and around the pacific ocean. This is a massive area.<br /> GIUK - Greenland, Iceland, UK gap - Which is based around the GIUK Gap, a major strategic area for any war against Europe/US as well as missions attacking major Soviet Ports, and Scandinavian countries.<br /> Mediterranean - This streches from Gibraltar to the Middle East, and encompasses Italy, Turkey and the Balkans, Libya, Egypt, and Israel.<br /> The Gulf - This set is based around India, Sri Lanka, Diego Garcia, and the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait.</p> <p>New in HCE, is the WestPac battleset, which is the Western Pacific. This is a massive area which basically encludes the entire pacific ocean, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Russia.</p> <p># 269 Scenarios in total spanning 1989 to 2008 time period<br /> # 2900+ Ships, submarines, helicopters and aircraft<br /> # Includes the WestPac Battleset scenario pack - all new scenarios not available with any other version of Harpoon!<br /> # WestPac Battleset includes:<br /> # Mobile Armor, Artillery, Infantry and Base Defense Units are now more completely modelled.<br /> # Neutral and Unknown units.<br /> # Electronic Warfare upgraded (from Sensors to Seekers and ECM)<br /> # Improved aircraft intelligence<br /> # Enhanced ability to handle high resolution display (including Widescreen).<br /> # Updated/Expanded manuals</p> <p>A screenshot I took in the scenario I'm playing now, of part of the westpac area, Japan/US against North Korea, including several rocket batteries:<br /> <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v369/davidbowieWAU/HCE.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v369/davidbowieWAU/HCE.jpg</a><br /> This is probably a medium-high level of complexity, the "newbie" could start off fighting a few missile boats or submarines and work up to higher levels.<br /> </p> I’d been waiting (original release was in June, but thanks to a complete fuckup by the people responsible for printing the “real world” manual, it’s been delayed till now), and it’s great update to the series for people with an older version, well worth the $45 that the digital download version costs (do not buy the “download protection”), just download it within a month, and burn it to a disc or 3, plus keep the zipped file backed up (with the serial somewhere) and you will be fine..

This is not one for the people who think every game needs to look like Crysis. Hell, it’s a basic (graphics wise, not simulation wise) 3d representation of it’s subject, which is naval warfare, from massive cold war nuclear exchanges to small skirmishes involving a handful of ships, to large air battles, carrier attacks, submarine hunting, convoy protection, often combining these into huge battles.

About 200 scenarios, of which there are 2 major subsets, that being the EC2005 set (where a coalition of all the major european powers, as well as a large middle eastern group, attack the United States), and the Cold War era, which is about 1989 or so, and includes major set piece attacks, carrier battles, convoy missions.

The battlesets, are the basic “locations” and breakdown to:
North Atlantic Convoys – Which is based around the huge convoys which need to form in the wake of a Soviet attack, in and around the pacific ocean. This is a massive area.
GIUK – Greenland, Iceland, UK gap – Which is based around the GIUK Gap, a major strategic area for any war against Europe/US as well as missions attacking major Soviet Ports, and Scandinavian countries.
Mediterranean – This streches from Gibraltar to the Middle East, and encompasses Italy, Turkey and the Balkans, Libya, Egypt, and Israel.
The Gulf – This set is based around India, Sri Lanka, Diego Garcia, and the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait.

New in HCE, is the WestPac battleset, which is the Western Pacific. This is a massive area which basically encludes the entire pacific ocean, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Russia.

# 269 Scenarios in total spanning 1989 to 2008 time period
# 2900+ Ships, submarines, helicopters and aircraft
# Includes the WestPac Battleset scenario pack – all new scenarios not available with any other version of Harpoon!
# WestPac Battleset includes:
# Mobile Armor, Artillery, Infantry and Base Defense Units are now more completely modelled.
# Neutral and Unknown units.
# Electronic Warfare upgraded (from Sensors to Seekers and ECM)
# Improved aircraft intelligence
# Enhanced ability to handle high resolution display (including Widescreen).
# Updated/Expanded manuals

A screenshot I took in the scenario I’m playing now, of part of the westpac area, Japan/US against North Korea, including several rocket batteries:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v369/davidbowieWAU/HCE.jpg
This is probably a medium-high level of complexity, the “newbie” could start off fighting a few missile boats or submarines and work up to higher levels.

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