Harpoon 4.1 Rules [EXCLUSIVE]
6.. Optional: is it possible to describe the basic game play of harpoon 4.x without stealing anybodies time? As far as I know I have to buy the rules to understand the system anyway but couldn't find a synopsis on net either.
Harpoon 4.1 Rules
Personally I don't think someone without naval background (or prior) interest will have the patience to play for very long. A less intense set of rules like Shipwreck, Harpoon: Captain's Edition, or Red Banner might be a better place to get them hooked on the whole naval genre.
My opinion is that the rules have some gaps, mainly due to them being so detailed it just isn't possible to account for every situation. There are times when I've wondered what the intent of a rule is and how to apply the rule. That said, I suppose I haven't seen a game where a new player doesn't have some of those issues.
imho the rules are well written and understandable for non naval-experts. The difficulty may be that a non-naval expert might not know which tactics to use (I have this active sonar to detect the enemy but I should probably never use it). That said, I think using incorrect tactics will quickly show you the weakness in your tactics as the opponents quickly destroy your forces.
I don't have my rules at home here to run thru a turn but you'll probably get a feel from the AARs here at HarpGamer. You can also find a version of the QuickStart at (you'll probably have to join the group, then go into the files section and look for H4 Quickstart.pdf). The quickstart guide is 30 pages, it isn't a play in an hour sort of game...
As the rules can be considered somewhat detailed, start small and progress from there. If you want to get right into larger scale naval engagements, I'd recommend Shipwreck, which can also be played with the aforementioned items. Shipwreck in UK or strangecargogames in the US. I did not post a link as I am not getting the site today. They have been around a while, I have ordered the shipwreck and tankwreck rules as well as a number of the 1/6000 ships and 1/1250 aircraft over the years. The owner has been bouncing between CA and the FL keys for work so they have been somewhat timely response-challenged for the past year or so, but I must say that I have never been dissatisfied with them. Or Red Banner as Tony pointed out.
You do not need the 1/6000 figurehead ships, nor any others to enjoy either Harpoon 4.1/High Tide or Shipwreck. No kidding, I've played shipwreck once with bottle caps on the floor of my house. Think of shipwreck as Harpoon, but extremely light. The systems and capabilities are very generalized. However it is this generalization that allows you to play a scenario in an evening and still get a reasonable/plausable, or at least Harpoon-like result. To be honest, I bounce between the two depending upon what I want from my game that day. There are times I want the detail harpoon gives me, other times there is "no time" so shipwreck it is. .
Although I have participated in a couple of pbem scenarios of harpoon with an umpire, I have solo'd many many more hours of Harpoon, often relying upon Brad, Tony, and others here, and on the Trilogy yahoo sites as sounding boards to ensure I'm at least somewhat complient with the rules.
I am guilty to have never played Harpoon face to face, in fact the majority of my harpoon gaming has been solo with a lot of help from the guys here and on some of the yahoo sites. I suppose with a trusting gaming opponent, without one why make the effort, I suppose that you could use neutral markers until detected. Detection would require some cooperation as far as target size, speed, etc.
South Atlantic War II uses Harpoon4 to game many individual situations which made up the 1982 Falklands campaign. It contains discussion, the scenarios, the data, and the Ground Combat System (GCS) rules, (along with some Falklands ground scenarios). GCS is needed for some of the amphibious scenarios found in High Tide.
Harpoon for Android is a proposal to adapt the wargame Harpoon 4.1.Courtesy of Larry Bond and Chris Carlson - Thank you.Harpoon is a very complete and complex wargame of naval and aerial simulation. The game allows you to take control of all elements of a modern battle group and explore the complexity of combat from the fifties to the present. Reserved for experienced players, this simulation is a \"Serious Game\" which is used by several National War navies to perform exercises and allows them to test different conflict scenarios. It is played with figurines representing ships, submarines, planes on large tables or on the ground. This wargame was created in 1981 by Larry Bond and is considered the most successful in the world. The latest version 4.1 of the rules, of which Chris Carlson is the co-author, went back to 2001. Version 5 is expected in 2020 and will be available on Wargame Wault.Several computer adaptations of this game have been made. We can quote Harpoon 1,2 and 3. I played Harpoon 1 on Amiga. There was also Jane's Fleet Command, which is very close and very easy to use. Nowadays, we have the CMANO (Command Modern Air / Navale Operation) system from Matrix Games, which is very successful, but requires a very powerful PC configuration. I blame him for being too complicated to use. I would like to make a mixture of Fleet Command and CMANO.There is nothing comparable on touch pads, hence the idea for this project. Possessing a very strong expertise in development (UML and the Java/C++ language) and databases (creation of data models and use of SQL). I naturally turned to Android tablets and Chromebooks.Note, that there is a possibility that I realize this application with Qt and the Marble API or ArcGis in C ++. It is currently under study. The advantage of Qt would be that Harpoon would be available on all operating systems: Windows/MacOS/Linux/Android and iOS.\"He who commands on the sea has great power on land.\" Cardinal RichelieuEven if I strive to have a versatile screen. The game is intended for screens of 10 inches and more.This game works on Android Box TV and ChromebooksFrom the Android 5.0 systemTo Do (not exhaustive):Defensive maneuvering of shipsDefensive maneuvering of aircraftDogfightFinalization of Damage Management> Minimum viable product reached Later
Harpoon is a very complete and complex wargame of naval and aerial simulation. The game allows you to take control of all elements of a modern battle group and explore the complexity of combat from the fifties to the present. Reserved for experienced players, this simulation is a "Serious Game" which is used by several National War navies to perform exercises and allows them to test different conflict scenarios. It is played with figurines representing ships, submarines, planes on large tables or on the ground. This wargame was created in 1981 by Larry Bond and is considered the most successful in the world. The latest version 4.1 of the rules, of which Chris Carlson is the co-author, went back to 2001. Version 5 is expected in 2020 and will be available on Wargame Wault.
Although far more detailed than is necessary for the purposes of Harpoon Commander's Edition (HCE), Part 1 of this discussion about naval formations will help to establish the fundamentals and could be useful for other versions of Harpoon (principally Harpoon 4.1 paper rules) and other naval wargaming efforts. Part 2 will focus on the step by side assembly of a naval formation within HCE. Part 3, in turn, will deal with adding fixed wing aircraft and helicopters to a naval formation.
The precision and effectiveness of formation maneuvers depend upon prompt and precise execution, as well as some basic rules. Some basic maneuvering rules to avoid other ships that have the right of way include avoiding ships that are engaged in minesweeping, flight operations, or underway replenishment; avoiding helicopters that are employing dipping sonar; and avoiding other ships in the formation, including ships both in the main body and in the screen, by maintaining a distance of at least 1,000 yd and trying to pass astern.
