HPS Naval Battles: Suggestion NA'86

HirooOnoda · 08-25-2007, 02:49 AM,

Prinz von Egan Wrote:"If HPS bothered to make North Atlantic'86 version of the game they'd have a very active club. WW2 had been done to death guys. Time to move on."
The only strategic Pacific war game is Grinsby's. North Atlantic fleet action is hypotheitical and everyone knows damn well the Warsaw Pact naval forces wouldn't have had a chance against the USN.

What? Everyone knows? So why do we bother doing HPS MC games predicated upon a Warsaw Pact assault on Europe?

"Everyone knows" that the North Koreans would have their hat handed to them yet we play that hypothetical battle also.

If these WW2 naval games are soooooooooooo popular why does the club not register a post in almost a year?

Action my friend speaks louder than words.

jonnymacbrown · 08-25-2007, 09:00 AM,

"If these WW2 naval games are soooooooooooo popular why does the club not register a post in almost a year?"

You are comparing apples with oranges Big Daddy. Everybody doesn’t know that the North Koreans would get their butts kicked. Those boys are tough. So is the Red Army, an army with a long history of success; which is why Warsaw Pact vs. NATO games are popular. At sea however, (not a pun) the Warsaw Pact, i.e. The Russian Navy, has zero history of success. The Russian Navy has seldom ever even engaged in naval operations, and when they do, it’s been as disaster, like in 1905. Their vaunted “aircraft carrier” was never able to operate fixed wing aircraft, and was reduced to helicopter duty. The Russian Navy has a difficult time getting out of port, so any naval game pitting them against the USN is essentially ridiculous. As for the lack of participation in the naval forum that’s because the titles have been given up on: the forums did not, for the most part, lead to any game improvements. For example, the Guadalcanal game touted American radar is being paramount in the struggle. I pointed out that American radar, for a number of reasons, didn’t work in the Solomons Campaign, and that in the vast majority of cases, first contact was made by the IJN using their superior optics. You can’t turn off the American radar in the game and it gives the USN an advantage they didn’t have. The forum moderator was convinced enough to say he’d bring it up, but nothing was ever done, as with most of the valid arguments for improvements in the Jutland game. The PzC series is an ongoing evolutionary experience where constant arguments in this forum are used to continually improve not only the game in question but every other game in the series as well. This process never happened in the naval campaigns series, which is why the forum is dead, and this cadaver is not due to lack of interest, but a realization that nothing is ever going to get done, so why bother? There are thousands of guys like me out there, fellows who can name every IJN aircraft carrier, as well as most of their BBs and CAs. We are legion, and we are waiting. Von ege. :smoke:

jonnymacbrown · 08-25-2007, 10:23 AM,

CORRECTION: The Russian Navy has had some success against the Swedish Navy in the Baltic Sea and against the Turkish Fleet in the Black Sea. Von ege

HirooOnoda · 08-26-2007, 12:35 AM,

Von ege,

I'm glad you enjoy WW2 Naval games. I did to. I started playing them with Grigsby's Guadalcanal '42 back in 1982. I've played so many my head hurts.
Don't discount me from your "legion."

Did you ever play NA'86?

HirooOnoda · 08-28-2007, 01:42 AM,

Prinz von Egan Wrote:CORRECTION: The Russian Navy has had some success against the Swedish Navy in the Baltic Sea and against the Turkish Fleet in the Black Sea. Von ege

Just curious, did you ever play NA'86?

jonnymacbrown · 08-28-2007, 03:36 AM,

Just curious, did you ever play NA'86?

No, never even heard about it. Did try Age of Sail, which was fun. I'm stuck waiting for a Pacific strategic game. Grimsby doesn't understand visuals like HPS does. All HPS games are visual treats for the players: you don't have to be reading charts to figure things out; click on a hex and everything is revealed visually. In Grimsby's games, click on a hex and read a clip-board! I can't figure out why HPS naval games were given up on so easily. One comment the moderator made was that "they weren't designed to be a grognard's dream." Why not? I wondered. Most of the other HPS titles are a grognard's dream, and it seems the "beer and pretzel" games don't command much attention among the members here. von ege cheers

HirooOnoda · 08-28-2007, 08:19 AM,

Very good. I too am a Pacific War nut.

I take it you're not a fan of the huge Pacific War game that Matrix put out a couple of years ago?

If not may I ask why not as I've considered purchasing that game.

Hiroo

Lowlander · 08-28-2007, 02:49 PM,

I would recommend WitP but as pointed out the graphics are a step down from most HPS games however Andrew Browns CHS Mod version 2.08c enhances the map, ship and aircraft art and fixes a lotta faults.
Another exstensively researched Mod RHS, which builds on CHS uses a digital map and completely new art, development has just been frozen for in depth testing, more info at Matrix message board, this is a really deep game, with loads of decisions and settings to be altered each turn, ( can be played with one, two or three day turns ).
All are available for download.
I've got three installs, basic, CHS Mod and RHS Mod.
Again I've got 40 hps games with various others but War in the Pacific is something else, don't hesitate, buy it now, like HPS this game is well supported with the latest patch 1.806.

Easymeat · 08-31-2007, 06:50 AM,

What about Carriers At War available from Matrix?
You can easily finish a game in an hour or less.
A lot of issues have been dealt with in the recent patch.
If you want a game just say.

As for WitP, vast game with many possibilities but lacking in the layout department. Although a few user utilities have helped make the information/data more assessable. Bought the game a few months ago but have just started playing the game.

And Harpoon 3 ANW. Although for ww2 battles it does have the flaw in that the guns can fire 360 degrees. Last time I looked anyway.

jonnymacbrown · 09-01-2007, 03:59 PM,

"I would recommend WitP but as pointed out the graphics are a step down from most HPS games...but War in the Pacific is something else, don't hesitate, buy it now, like HPS this game is well supported with the latest patch 1.806."

Does the game actually work? Have you ever tried a Pearl Harbor attack (silly question, of course you have!). Well, how does that attack work? Does it cripple the USN or do the IJN air wings get chewed up? I think any Pac war game can be tested by a PH attack. In Grimsby's DOS B&W game the Pearl Harbor attack was totally absurd, as was the game itself. Is the new one much better? You say it is and I hope you are right. As far as I am concerned Gary Grimsby is in the stone age, barely out of DOS: Click on a hex and read a line of statistics. With HPS I don't have to read anything; the units are visually represented and everything I need to know about them is in plain sight. I've been burned by Gary Grimsby before and I'm wary. von ege Eek