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HPS games - 1/24/2007 7:32:21 PM   
Tomus

 

Posts: 234
Joined: 9/22/2003
From: UK
Status: offline 		Are these any good? I came across their website by accident and the Panzer Campaign series looks pretty interesting. Are they worth the investment?

My only worry is that they look very old school, are they DOS converted games from the old school kept alive for nostalgia purposes?

Some advice would be really appreciated.

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RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 7:39:11 PM   
Terminus


Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline 		They DO look very old-school, don't they? HPS doesn't do a great deal with their graphics (they're "functional" at best), apparently they concentrate on good gameplay instead. There's one or two titles I'd like to pick up if they'd only join the rest of us in 2007 and sell by Digital Download.

I've calculated that getting a game sent to me could cost as much as $100, and that's just too much!

< Message edited by Terminus -- 1/24/2007 7:52:27 PM >

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RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 8:19:02 PM   
Hertston


Posts: 3564
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Tomus
My only worry is that they look very old school, are they DOS converted games from the old school kept alive for nostalgia purposes?


No, they aren't DOS games. Their pedigree goes back to the Talonsoft 'Campaign' and 'Battleground' series, and those familiar with those games will find the interface very familiar. Gameplay, though, is much improved.. more so than many Battleground players like to admit.

Graphically, they suck, no doubt about it. The reason is simply that HPS are a small publisher, the games are essentially the product of one one man, and they just don't have anyone who 'does' graphics. The UI is just fine, a mixture of the usual Windows pull-downs and hot-keys. The good news , though, is that virtually all are modded with much better ones.. especially unit portrait stuff. Volcano Man's alternative art is superb. The 3D maps/unit graphics are the worst, but the 2D is acceptable enough, and that's what you'll be using 95% of the time, anyway.

I'm a big fan of the HPS stuff, especially Squad Battles and the ACW games, but some things do nark me. They are too expensive, particularly direct (buy from NWS instead for a good discount), and many of the PzC series in particular are far more 'scenario pack' than 'new game'. The lack of a map editor is also annoying (particularly as it is so obvious that Tiller is using one himself), the only reason for which seeming to be that the community would end up churning out new scenarios just as frequently, and just as good as the 'official' ones. AI has an undeserved reputation for being poor.. it certainly isn't brilliant, but name a similar sort of game where it is? As usual, PBEM is best, though, and there is a healthy PBEM community for most HPS series.

Worth trying one or two to see if you like them. I'd recommend one of the Vietnam 'Squad Battles' games (which do helicopter ops really well, for some reason) and Campaign Gettysburg or Waterloo, depending on preference. I prefer the 'Modern Battles' to 'Panzer Campaigns' because, in all honesty, games like the SSG 'Decisive Battles' series really do WW2 rather better.

< Message edited by Hertston -- 1/24/2007 8:34:11 PM >

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RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 8:34:10 PM   
Skeleton


Posts: 560
Joined: 3/14/2006
Status: offline 		Herston is correct, if you are going to get one, go with www.nws-online@nws-online.net Mr. Dean is beyond fair and professional in a manner in which you don't see much of these days. As for how good these games are, they are good. The A.I. in the games I have purchased was okay and I have yet to engage in a PBEM game with the two titles I bought (Waterloo and First Blitzkrieg). I am not the biggest fan of a million small scenarios, which these two games contained. The bigger scenarios were not really solitaire friendly. Overall they were good games. Hope I was of some help.

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RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 9:06:26 PM   
Terminus


Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline 		I'm personally very tempted by Defending the Reich...

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RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 9:14:53 PM   
Dixie


Posts: 10303
Joined: 3/10/2006
From: UK
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

I'm personally very tempted by Defending the Reich...


It's quite a fun game, the turn scale is a little strange though. But it appeals to the geek in me

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RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 9:15:55 PM   
Terminus


Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Dixie


quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

I'm personally very tempted by Defending the Reich...


It's quite a fun game, the turn scale is a little strange though. But it appeals to the geek in me


What'd you pay for it?

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RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 9:20:44 PM   
Dixie


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From: UK
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

What'd you pay for it?


£22.24, which includes my bank trying to stiff me for currency conversion

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Post #: 8
RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 9:22:13 PM   
Terminus


Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline 		Where'd you buy it?

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Post #: 9
RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 9:26:11 PM   
Dixie


Posts: 10303
Joined: 3/10/2006
From: UK
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Where'd you buy it?


I got it direct from HPS, it took about a week to get here with regular postage.

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Post #: 10
RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 9:32:10 PM   
Terminus


Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline 		That's a bit cheaper than I thought, direct from HPS...

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Post #: 11
RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 9:34:24 PM   
Dixie


Posts: 10303
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From: UK
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

That's a bit cheaper than I thought, direct from HPS...


Decent exchange rates help a bit I was pleasantly surprised at the cost, probably cheaper than I could have got in the UK, IF I could have found somewhere that sold it.

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RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 10:10:09 PM   
James Ward

 

Posts: 1183
Joined: 5/9/2000
From: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Status: offline 		You can go here to get some information and feedback on the HPS games. The people seem friendly enough.

http://www.xtreme-gamer.com/forums/all-game-forums/

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Post #: 13
RE: HPS games - 1/24/2007 11:04:01 PM   
Hertston


Posts: 3564
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Dixie

Decent exchange rates help a bit I was pleasantly surprised at the cost, probably cheaper than I could have got in the UK, IF I could have found somewhere that sold it.


You won't, other than e-bay anyway (there's a couple there at the moment, BTW). I'd point out in passing, though, that Defending the Reich is actually $10 cheaper than anythng else they sell. Standard price direct for most games is $49.99, while from NWS its $32.99 (plus shipping in both cases). That's pretty good value with a 2:1 exchange rate.

< Message edited by Hertston -- 1/24/2007 11:16:27 PM >

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Post #: 14
RE: HPS games - 1/25/2007 2:48:55 AM   
Sarge


Posts: 2841
Joined: 3/1/2003
From: ask doggie
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

They DO look very old-school, don't they? HPS doesn't do a great deal with their graphics (they're "functional" at best), apparently they concentrate on good gameplay instead. There's one or two titles I'd like to pick up if they'd only join the rest of us in 2007 and sell by Digital Download.

I've calculated that getting a game sent to me could cost as much as $100, and that's just too much!



I did a map texture mod for Panzers and Blitz that is a little easier on the eyes




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RE: HPS games - 1/25/2007 2:51:16 AM   
Sarge


Posts: 2841
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From: ask doggie
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RE: HPS games - 1/25/2007 11:24:49 AM   
Tomus

 

Posts: 234
Joined: 9/22/2003
From: UK
Status: offline 		Thanks for the replys guys.

I think I will give them a go and NWS looks like a good place to start. Hertson thanks for the heads up in squad battles, Vietnam is not normally an area of history that I have considered so cheers.

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