Harpoon . . as a non-naval combat simulator?

[Double Deuce]

I've always thought of Harpoon as a purely Naval sim. I think that assumption is wrong as I have seen it used to create scenario's that have no ships in them at all.

Am I correct in thinking it can it be used to simulate air to air to ground (less ground forces) combat just as well?

[Herman Hum]

You are correct. There are a number of third-party scenarios that don't involve ships, at all.

Some Harpoon 3 examples are:

1st Blood (http://www.strategyzoneonline.com/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=700) depicts Operation Dreamland from the novel, Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy, with the PlayersDB (http://www.strategyzoneonline.com/forums/downloads.php?do=cat&id=119).

Also, the newly released Katyusha (http://www.strategyzoneonline.com/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=1225) simulates an air war between Israel and Iran with the PlayersDB (http://www.strategyzoneonline.com/forums/downloads.php?do=cat&id=119).

Operation El Dorado Canyon (http://www.harpoonhq.com/harpoon3/scenarios) depicts the F-111 strike on Libya.

While most scenarios do involve a naval element, not all do so. Unfortunately, with the immobile nature of ground facilities in Harpoon3, they serve primarily as targets for naval and air assets.

The Harpoon Classic version of the game does have mobile land units. They add an interesting additional dimension . It is conceivable that a scenario could include ground formations whereby ground units would engage other ground units. However, IMO, this is not generally their intended function.

[Double Deuce]

Excellent news.

So then you could more accurately simulate air to air action and attacks on ground "facilities" at a strategic level that could have an efect on ground units in an abstracted way. All the while using another game to simulate the ground combat part such as Steel Panthers or TacOps where aircraft can be used in those engines in a ground support role. :smoke:

[Herman Hum]

IIRC, a number of the MBX being run do just that - use Harpoon to simulate the air combat and TacOps or SP for the ground combat resolution. Global Thunder, and Europe-88 being the two most recent examples of this.