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RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 2:55:55 AM   
06 Maestro


Posts: 3989
Joined: 10/12/2005
From: Nevada, USA
Status: offline 		I purchased my first HPS title last year; Spanish Civil War. There are large scenarios and small ones, but are dealing with things at a tactical level regardless-as you would in the Campaign Series. As stated, the graphics are basic, but very functional and clear. The graphics are better than in the original CS games-which I used to play in 2d rather than 3d nearly all the time. There is a very good tutorial to get you going quickly. The game runs very good and apparently bug free.

I like the HPS approach and will certainly buy from them again when a game subject comes up that I have a particular interest in. The squad level games will not replace my much more modern favorites, but they still are sound war games.

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Post #: 31
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 3:55:30 AM   
New York Jets


Posts: 2087
Joined: 6/25/2001
From: St. Louis, MO but stuck in Bremerton,WA
Status: offline 		I actually like the Squad Battles series and own several of them. It is not too far off from old ASL in a lot of ways. Although the armour rules are not nearly so detailed as ASL. I like the way you can lose one or two men at a time without having a squad go straight from full to half. You can even have a squad equipped with several different weapons and choose to fire only the exact weapons you want. Even in the small arms area. And like ASL you need to keep your leaders intact. I wish there were a way to have the occasional leader created in combat like ASL, though. One other advantage to ASL is that Tiller keeps creating more titles in the series while ASL is pretty much not going anywhere last time I checked. Plus no worries about having to set up the boards and finding a ftf opponent.

There is even what's known as The Board Game Project at the website called "Task Force Echo Four" that adapts a lot of the old ASL scenarios to the Squad Battles format.

I'm a couple of SB titles behind but I intend to pick up The Russo-Finnish War and Spanish Civil War titles.

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(in reply to 06 Maestro)
Post #: 32
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 1:58:44 PM   
sapper_astro

 

Posts: 300
Joined: 7/5/2005
Status: offline 		Thanks to everyone who contributed. I am sold on one of the Squad battles series for a starter, just need to pick which one. I am erring towards either the Winter War or the Spanish civil war due to the hardly covered battles therein, as well as the fact that these wars lend themselves well to squad level tactics. The others are becoming more intriguing.

What is this NWS place Hertston? http://yhst-12000246778232.stores.yahoo.net/ Is this what you are talking about?

(in reply to New York Jets)
Post #: 33
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 6:47:06 PM   
Hertston


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

ORIGINAL: sapper_astro
Is this what you are talking about?


Yes.

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Post #: 34
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 7:56:18 PM   
Perturabo


Posts: 2614
Joined: 11/17/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Hertston

As I said previously, you can buy them for substantially less than HPS charge selling them direct if you shop around,

Well, even the prices in the less expensive store are too much for me. I can't really see myself buying a computer game for more than 50 PLN, unless it's an OOP collector's item.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hertston

and you won't miss or need a printed manual (have to trust me on that one).

Well, it probably depends on a game - the demo-manual for PoA2 has 375 pages - I doubt anyone would bother to write such a thick manual if it wasn't necessary for playing the game.

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Post #: 35
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 8:19:49 PM   
Hertston


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

ORIGINAL: Perturabo
Well, it probably depends on a game - the demo-manual for PoA2 has 375 pages - I doubt anyone would bother to write such a thick manual if it wasn't necessary for playing the game.


PoA2 is very much one of a kind (and isn't even really a 'game' at all), and is not one of John Tiller designed 'stable' (Panzer Campaigns, Modern Battles, Squad Battles ACW campaigns, Napoleonic campaigns, etc.)that have been the subject of this thread. You can learn pretty much all you need to know about Squad Battles in half-an-hour.

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Post #: 36
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 8:57:46 PM   
Lützow


Posts: 1517
Joined: 7/22/2008
From: Germany
Status: offline 		Does anybody own PoA2 ? Have to admit this one, unlike other HPS titles, looks interesting to me.

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Post #: 37
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 10:13:15 PM   
Hertston


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

ORIGINAL: Lützow
Does anybody own PoA2 ? Have to admit this one, unlike other HPS titles, looks interesting to me.


Yes. PM me your snail-mail address and it's yours. I can't see me ever wanting to install it again, life's too short.

(in reply to Lützow)
Post #: 38
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 10:31:30 PM   
E

 

Posts: 1247
Joined: 9/20/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

Ok, why are you guys so worried about grahpics? I thought wargames were about realism and functionality, not graphics.If you want graphics, go get Company of Heroes.


Ditto. Computer wargames have traditionally never been about graphics.

And if the original poster watches E-bay, they can sometimes get great deals on them (I picked up Advance of the Reich and Eagles Strike for under $12.00 shipped (both were new and still shrinkwrapped!). But that takes patience (which oddly enough, many wargamers don't have when it comes to getting a "new" game!)


< Message edited by E -- 4/16/2009 10:42:40 PM >

(in reply to V22 Osprey)
Post #: 39
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/16/2009 10:42:50 PM   
Lützow


Posts: 1517
Joined: 7/22/2008
From: Germany
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Hertston

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lützow
Does anybody own PoA2 ? Have to admit this one, unlike other HPS titles, looks interesting to me.


Yes. PM me your snail-mail address and it's yours. I can't see me ever wanting to install it again, life's too short.



Did send you a PM, Herston.

(in reply to Hertston)
Post #: 40
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/17/2009 3:27:53 PM   
New York Jets


Posts: 2087
Joined: 6/25/2001
From: St. Louis, MO but stuck in Bremerton,WA
Status: offline 		PoA2?

Whazzit?

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Post #: 41
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/17/2009 3:35:07 PM   
JudgeDredd


Posts: 8573
Joined: 11/14/2003
From: Scotland
Status: offline 		Point of Attack 2

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Post #: 42
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/17/2009 8:16:54 PM   
Nemo121


Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline 		Lowlander,
"when someone launches an attack on things I love".
Whoa there, people like different things and I think that someone saying they don't like an HPS game, when asked for opinions about HPS games, isn't "an attack" but merely an expression of an opinion.

And for the record I date back with HPS to the time when Tigers on The Prowl was being sent out from his home on 3.5 inch floppies. Some of their games I love, some I don't. The graphics are usually less than stellar but that's not the most important thing in the world.

Most wargamers I know have HPS, Matrix, Paradox, Battlefront, Shrapnel etc etc games and go where the good games are as opposed to getting all tribal about it.

(in reply to Hertston)
Post #: 43
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/17/2009 8:30:06 PM   
Halsey

 

Posts: 5069
Joined: 2/7/2004
Status: offline 		John Tiller has made solid wargames for years, he's a pioneer in the field.
Solid gameplay, with hardly any gamebreaker bugs.
After playing a title, you can easily start another, with a very minor learning curb.

BTW
You'll see some of his older titles republished here at Matrix.

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Post #: 44
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/18/2009 12:40:21 AM   
SnowBlue88

 

Posts: 5
Joined: 2/16/2009
Status: offline 		I played North German Plain '85 and Smolensk '41 and enjoyed both greatly. While the rule set is very easy to learn every time I opened the grand campaign for each game I froze as to what to do, not because the games are so complex and confusing but because there are so many options and decisions. They also did a great job of capturing the 'feel' of the conflict if that means anything.


< Message edited by SnowBlue88 -- 4/18/2009 1:48:57 AM >

(in reply to sapper_astro)
Post #: 45
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/22/2009 1:09:54 AM   
Awac835


Posts: 279
Joined: 7/16/2004
Status: offline 		I really liked the map art of korsun pocket and DB engine in general  and the engine is awesome.

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Post #: 46
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/22/2009 2:13:17 AM   
Adam Parker


Posts: 1848
Joined: 4/2/2002
From: Melbourne Australia
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Awac835

I really liked the map art of korsun pocket and DB engine in general  and the engine is awesome.


Yes, the art in Korsun Pocket was nice for it's day (its AI was atrocious) and I actually think that DB Battles in Normandy is still the best PC D-Day game ever made.

However, like HPS's core games I personally think that SSG's Decisive Battles is now old and stale. They're both based on 1990's art and for me just look and (UI-wise) feel old hat (in the case of DB all the way through to its current iterations - Battlefront and Kharkov).

Am I still buying games? Sure. Just came home with some Memoir 44 expansions and (I'm a sucker for these things) its big carrying case .

But is it war? As war-like as playing a turn of Advanced Squad Leader spanning 2 minutes of real time in half an hour of actual time!

(in reply to Awac835)
Post #: 47
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/22/2009 3:47:10 AM   
E

 

Posts: 1247
Joined: 9/20/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Nemo121

And for the record I date back with HPS to the time when Tigers on The Prowl was being sent out from his home on 3.5 inch floppies. Some of their games I love, some I don't. The graphics are usually less than stellar but that's not the most important thing in the world.



Hehe, I just cranked up Tigers on the Prowl last night! Still a good game.

(in reply to Nemo121)
Post #: 48
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/22/2009 8:35:40 AM   
SS Hauptsturmfuhrer


Posts: 358
Joined: 10/26/2008
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Awac835

I really liked the map art of korsun pocket and DB engine in general  and the engine is awesome.


I agree. I first got interested in the Decisive Battles series when I saw the artwork in pictures of Battles in Italy and then found out they are strategy games with strong AIs and good for email games cause there are no gamey exploits at all. So I finally got round to buying Italy, Normandy and Kharkov not long ago. I would buy Korsun too but financial issues intervened to prevent any further purchases. I talk about games a lot and read about them on Gamespot but seldom actually get any but I am very happy with the Decisive Battles games cause they actually leave me feeling like I worked out my brain making strategy while most other PC games are more for a relaxing break from thinking. Also, I am an avid military history fan reading tons of books mostly on WWII and found the DB games to be very accurate and realistic which helps to understand the units and strategic situation in the games better.

I never played those HPS games but am interested cause I think I saw that Wild Bill helped in the designs and I know his creative ability from the Korsun battle in Steel Panthers I did just recently. Was that Bill dude involved in HPS a lot?

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Post #: 49
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/22/2009 4:38:08 PM   
BAL


Posts: 222
Joined: 9/1/2002
From: West of the Missouri
Status: offline
quote:

never played those HPS games but am interested cause I think I saw that Wild Bill helped in the designs and I know his creative ability from the Korsun battle in Steel Panthers I did just recently. Was that Bill dude involved in HPS a lot?


I almost 100% sure he designed a lot of scenarios for Squad Battles, especially those set in the Pacific theatre.

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Post #: 50
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/22/2009 7:48:37 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline
quote:

I almost 100% sure he designed a lot of scenarios for Squad Battles, especially those set in the Pacific theatre


To be clear is that >90% but <100% or something different.

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Post #: 51
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/23/2009 12:29:02 PM   
SS Hauptsturmfuhrer


Posts: 358
Joined: 10/26/2008
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: BAL

quote:

never played those HPS games but am interested cause I think I saw that Wild Bill helped in the designs and I know his creative ability from the Korsun battle in Steel Panthers I did just recently. Was that Bill dude involved in HPS a lot?


I almost 100% sure he designed a lot of scenarios for Squad Battles, especially those set in the Pacific theatre.


It must a pretty cool game then. Those HPS games are kinduv old now aren't they? Have any become freeware?

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Post #: 52
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/23/2009 1:59:38 PM   
Cheeks

 

Posts: 157
Joined: 8/31/2002
From: Ohio Valley
Status: offline 		No..., no freeware. HPS/Tiller continually releases updates & improvements for every Squad Battle title.

As far as being old, well that's subjective and in my opinion doesn't relate to Squad Battles. Trying to pin "old" to a game that has a well researched OOB/TOE doesen't sit right with me. I think "seasoned" might work though .

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Post #: 53
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/23/2009 2:28:27 PM   
James Ward

 

Posts: 1183
Joined: 5/9/2000
From: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Status: offline 		I love the HPS Panzer Campaign games. They remind me of board games in a way without the dangers of cats or flying things wiping out the map.
They are very well researched, easy to learn and a lot of fun against a human opponent. They definately aren't 'pretty' looking games but they are good games. You can usually find them for under $30.

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Post #: 54
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/23/2009 4:54:51 PM   
SS Hauptsturmfuhrer


Posts: 358
Joined: 10/26/2008
Status: offline 		These games look like the kind of war games I like to support, but how is the AI in them?  Or does everyone play email games only with these HPS games?

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Post #: 55
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/23/2009 5:24:12 PM   
James Ward

 

Posts: 1183
Joined: 5/9/2000
From: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: SS Hauptsturmfuhrer

These games look like the kind of war games I like to support, but how is the AI in them?  Or does everyone play email games only with these HPS games?


The smaller the scenario the better the AI generally speaking. Also the more recent titles have better AI. In the large Campaign scenarios you will crush the AI.

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Post #: 56
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/24/2009 5:06:33 AM   
SS Hauptsturmfuhrer


Posts: 358
Joined: 10/26/2008
Status: offline 		Okay thanks for the info Cheeks and James.   I'm gonna look into getting one of these HPS games most probably Korea or Vietnam.  Korea is a newer title but I have a special place in my heart for the war in Vietnam.

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Post #: 57
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/24/2009 3:43:24 PM   
sapper_astro

 

Posts: 300
Joined: 7/5/2005
Status: offline 		I think I will get hold of the Spanish Civil war, and then the Winter war, in that order. If they are ASL type games, I will love them.

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Post #: 58
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/24/2009 11:54:39 PM   
SS Hauptsturmfuhrer


Posts: 358
Joined: 10/26/2008
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: sapper_astro

I think I will get hold of the Spanish Civil war, and then the Winter war, in that order. If they are ASL type games, I will love them.


Those sound cool. Argh, I want those too. Maybe I just want everything HPS made.


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Post #: 59
RE: HPS wargames for the PC? - 4/25/2009 3:09:57 AM   
Hertston


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

ORIGINAL: SS Hauptsturmfuhrer
I'm gonna look into getting one of these HPS games most probably Korea or Vietnam.  Korea is a newer title but I have a special place in my heart for the war in Vietnam.


Good choice. The Vietnam games are the best of the bunch IMHO, although admittedly Soviet-Afghan is the last one I've played.

< Message edited by Hertston -- 4/25/2009 3:10:24 AM >

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Post #: 60
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