Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!know!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!agate!bionet!parc!gerson From: gerson@parc.xerox.com (Dan Gerson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games Subject: Re: Harpoon Questions Message-ID: Date: 21 Mar 91 20:05:52 GMT References: <4480@se-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM> <10793@bunny.GTE.COM> <1991Mar21.173352.15181@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> Sender: news@parc.xerox.com Organization: Xerox PARC, Palo Alto, CA Lines: 68 In-Reply-To: rsb5c@watt.acc.Virginia.EDU's message of 21 Mar 91 17:33:52 GMT In article <1991Mar21.173352.15181@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> rsb5c@watt.acc.Virginia.EDU (Richard S. Bondi) writes: From: rsb5c@watt.acc.Virginia.EDU (Richard S. Bondi) Message-ID: <1991Mar21.173352.15181@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> Date: 21 Mar 91 17:33:52 GMT These questions are all for the GUIK scenario. 1. I can't get Nato or USSR subs to do anything useful, they always get detected. I thought subs were supposed to be a terrible naval threat, but I all too easily pick off the opponent's, and he all too easily picks off mine. How can I make my subs escape detection? Is there any way to evade torpedoes, exscept for constantly changing depth, speed, and direction while enemy torpedoes are in the water? (This involves the frustrating use of Change Course again and again.) Same for me. The best I can do is to try to position myself in their path, and then just sit tight. 2. Is the computer doing something wrong in GUIK? No matter what side is taken, we humans always beat the computer, and the computer does incredibly foolish things, like let Bears with 250mi standoff missiles get within range of his base, even when he has no distractions elsewhere. Am running this on SE/30. Yeah, it isn't too smart. Almost all of the scenarios aren't much of a challenge. There are a couple that are (such as scenario 8) but not because the computer is playing smart. 3. Annoyingly, Harpoon occasionally freezes after about an hour of play, regardless of whether other inits are loaded or no. I'm using version 1.0 on System 6.0.7. Anyone know anything about this? This is the real reason I'm responding - I'm not sure if everyone knows that when Harpoon freezes, normally (except in those more rare cases where it freezes the entire machine) you can pick Save off of the File menu, save your game, quit Harpoon, and then fire up your saved game. I find I have to do this frequently, but since I discovered it, I rarely lose my game state (making Harpoon's bugs much more tolerable). 4. Why do air-craft EVER crash because they run out of fuel? For example, if I have a plane on patrol, take it off patrol to intercept/attack something, and then want to let it loiter further on patrol, I CAN'T, because the computer won't warn me when it reaches bingo fuel. Does anyone know a work-around, or know what I'm doing wrong? One obvious reason would be if you return to base on military power or something. But I gather that isn't your question. I've found that Harpoon doesn't (always?) notify you about a plane reaching bingo fuel if it is loitering while returning to base. That is, if you went and attacked something, then said return to base, and then say loiter, I think it won't tell you when it reaches bingo fuel. If this is true, to get around it go into the set course option, clear the current leg (i.e. clear the return to base command), and then loiter. This might not be it - I used to have this problem all the time, and now I rarely do, so I learned to do something to avoid it. I think the above was it. 5. Why aren't aircraft that have been put on patrol in the formation editor not displayed on the map? Is this a bug/oversight? I believe it is a feature. 6. Does anyone have a good workaround for quickly locating a group identified only by its call number? I just scroll around crazily, then usually give up and continue with whatever groups I am working with at the time. Thanks.