[Buddha]

Did any of you guys play NavTag when you were active duty? We got it on the Midway shortly before I was transferred, and I believe it was used for the TAO course at FCTCP when I was teaching ASUW there later. I only got to play it a couple of times, but I recall it being similar to Harpoon, but maybe a little dry for the casual user. I know it was classified Secret, but after dealing with the group here and seeing how much is available from open source/declass sources, I wonder about that aspect.

[JClark]

Where do you think Larry Bond and Chris Carlson got the idea from?

ISYN,
Boats

[Buddha]

JClark, on Apr 9 2006, 03:54 PM, said:

Where do you think Larry Bond and Chris Carlson got the idea from?

ISYN,
Boats

Given the similarities, that's not surprising. But I always thought that Harpoon evolved from a board game. I never played Harpoon prior to the 360 DOS version myself, and I've only heard about the paper version.

[JClark]

Official history of Harpoon clearly says that Bond and Carlson got tired of NAVTAG, and decided they could do better....and I think they were right

Byron

[Buddha]

JClark, on Apr 11 2006, 01:30 AM, said:

Official history of Harpoon clearly says that Bond and Carlson got tired of NAVTAG, and decided they could do better....and I think they were right

Byron

Well, my NavTAG experience is limited, as I said, but I certainly have to agree with your assesment of Harpoon being an improvement. The Staff Assistant alone makes for easier play, also more realistic. We used it in Saudi Arabia when I was an instructor there, since NavTAG was out of the question due to security concerns. I only wish we'd had the PE available then.

[JClark]

Buddha, once upon a time, someone named Don Gilman told me that two things couldn't be done with the Harpoon Classics code: Westpac, and a platform editor. Three really good editors, and the database manager for a major mid-western bank chain proved him wrong

Boats

[Buddha]

JClark, on Apr 11 2006, 01:33 PM, said:

Buddha, once upon a time, someone named Don Gilman told me that two things couldn't be done with the Harpoon Classics code: Westpac, and a platform editor. Three really good editors, and the database manager for a major mid-western bank chain proved him wrong

Boats

Well, Boats, I'm glad they did, as we all benefitted. Given enough time, I could probably design a Klingon Bird of Prey with the PE. It was always my experience when I was AD that the best way to get something done was to get my division together and tell them that whatever it was couldn't be done.

[A6BSTARM]

Budda check out Clash of Arms Harpoon 4 this is the most current generation of the Harpoon board game. I have played it a few times while haze grey and under way with some similar minded folks. We sort of cheated the system since we couldn't set up a few set piece battle on the mess decks of an aircraft carrier. So we used graph paper and scored some tounge depressors from a Corpsman in sickbay. It usually worked well enough for us. I have all the current books out for Harpon 4, and both of its world war 2 and world war 1 additions. Command at sea and Fear God and Dreadnaught. They just published about 1yr ago another time period the Russo-Japan war. I don't have that one yet ( ). My only problem right now, is that I live in an area that it takes me about 3hrs to head to anyone else that wants to play Harpoon 4. If you look around too there are various compaines that also make lead and pewter models that you can use to. I have bought a few from a company called ALNAVCO out of Richmond, VA, the only problem is to build a decent 9 ship size CVBG set me back about USD$200 before S&H.

The other thing that clash of arms also publishes a bi-monthly magizine that includes rule claification, scenario updates, new rules, etc. One of the more intresting ones when I use to subscribe to that was a scenario that included a battle between the Japansese Self Defence Force against some radioactive lizard monster ( I just wish I could remember its name )

[Buddha]

A6BSTARM, on Apr 11 2006, 04:26 PM, said:

Budda check out Clash of Arms Harpoon 4 this is the most current generation of the Harpoon board game. I have played it a few times while haze grey and under way with some similar minded folks. We sort of cheated the system since we couldn't set up a few set piece battle on the mess decks of an aircraft carrier. So we used graph paper and scored some tounge depressors from a Corpsman in sickbay. It usually worked well enough for us. I have all the current books out for Harpon 4, and both of its world war 2 and world war 1 additions. Command at sea and Fear God and Dreadnaught. They just published about 1yr ago another time period the Russo-Japan war. I don't have that one yet ( ). My only problem right now, is that I live in an area that it takes me about 3hrs to head to anyone else that wants to play Harpoon 4. If you look around too there are various compaines that also make lead and pewter models that you can use to. I have bought a few from a company called ALNAVCO out of Richmond, VA, the only problem is to build a decent 9 ship size CVBG set me back about USD$200 before S&H.

The other thing that clash of arms also publishes a bi-monthly magizine that includes rule claification, scenario updates, new rules, etc. One of the more intresting ones when I use to subscribe to that was a scenario that included a battle between the Japansese Self Defence Force against some radioactive lizard monster ( I just wish I could remember its name )

Graph paper and tongue depressers, huh? We used to use tongue depressers for chart scales in CIC to figure set and drift during radar nav, and I don't doubt those little sticks were put to many other creative uses over the years. The only problem with paper games is that in my area, I'd have to go down to the local FRA Hall and spring for beers to recruit opponents. Not a totally bad idea, but we might never get to the game. Another couple of PC games you all might want to check out are Gulf Strike, Strike Fleet and Red Storm Rising. They're all abandonware, and you can get them at HOTU. I don't know what scruples you might have about abandonware, but since I personally purchased them all when they were still published, I have no problem with downloading and playing them now. I don't find any of them to be of the caliber of Harpoon, but they're all fun to play. I think I'll pass on Godzilla though.

[A6BSTARM]

Buddha, on Apr 13 2006, 03:53 PM, said:

Graph paper and tongue depressers, huh? We used to use tongue depressers for chart scales in CIC to figure set and drift during radar nav, and I don't doubt those little sticks were put to many other creative uses over the years. The only problem with paper games is that in my area, I'd have to go down to the local FRA Hall and spring for beers to recruit opponents. Not a totally bad idea, but we might never get to the game. Another couple of PC games you all might want to check out are Gulf Strike, Strike Fleet and Red Storm Rising. They're all abandonware, and you can get them at HOTU. I don't know what scruples you might have about abandonware, but since I personally purchased them all when they were still published, I have no problem with downloading and playing them now. I don't find any of them to be of the caliber of Harpoon, but they're all fun to play. I think I'll pass on Godzilla though.

Never know, Budda.
I played while drinking beer in a game shop in Norfolk. Though we did spend a lot of time drinking beer while setting up once the game got going there was more thinking then drinking. One of the things that I did for a while when a large number of people (ie over 5 per side) wanted to play was break in into teams and have various people either running task forces or run individual ships and report orders through an overall side commander. The minimum to play is 2 for the pen and paper version, perferable is 3. Since you can have a blue force player and a red force player and a ref (who in some scenarios are running yellow force units).

[JClark]

And just as fun is a play by email/forum/internet wargame like the one Dimitris has running at the HQ. It's in another thread here in the Wardroom, and if you're interested in some serious time-wasting whilst seriously challenging your brain, give it a whirl.

Boats, who has played one, and had a lot of fun, right up till the gamemaster decided to "even up" the results so Blue could win (I played Red, and was in charge of subs )

[Buddha]

JClark, on Apr 13 2006, 05:34 PM, said:

And just as fun is a play by email/forum/internet wargame like the one Dimitris has running at the HQ. It's in another thread here in the Wardroom, and if you're interested in some serious time-wasting whilst seriously challenging your brain, give it a whirl.

Boats, who has played one, and had a lot of fun, right up till the gamemaster decided to "even up" the results so Blue could win (I played Red, and was in charge of subs )

I vaguely recall talk being bandied about regarding Multi-Player Harpoon over the net, but I can't recall the final results of the discussion. I unfortunately also can't recall whether it involved HC or H III. I've got both, but I find HC a lot easier to play, although the H III DB is more extensive. If the group ever works out a multi-player scenario for the net in the future, I'll gladly do my part to make it work.

Buddha

[A6BSTARM]

AGSI was working on a LAN verison of H3 however, that has been put off to the way side (from last that I heard) while H3 is being developed into its "Pro" and basic editions. Also, I think that Matrix when they bought in to publishing Harpoon from AGSI has looked at that a little bit.

[MikMyk]

A6BSTARM, on Apr 14 2006, 10:37 PM, said:

AGSI was working on a LAN verison of H3 however, that has been put off to the way side (from last that I heard) while H3 is being developed into its "Pro" and basic editions. Also, I think that Matrix when they bought in to publishing Harpoon from AGSI has looked at that a little bit.

H3 ANW has single player and multiplayer. Bunch of other nice features including VCR playback. Matrix will publish it although the developer is AGSI. Pro versions have pro features (GIS,HTI, etc. etc).

info etc. http://www.advancedgaming.biz

[Buddha]

MikMyk, on Apr 14 2006, 09:06 PM, said:

H3 ANW has single player and multiplayer. Bunch of other nice features including VCR playback. Matrix will publish it although the developer is AGSI. Pro versions have pro features (GIS,HTI, etc. etc).

info etc. http://www.advancedgaming.biz

Maybe in a multi-player/team situation, it might work to assign warfare commander duties to each player. I was AS on the Midway for instance, and while I certainly had to know what the other cats were doing, I reported to AB, who exercised control by negation.

Buddha