Harpoon Classic Scenario Editor Help Contents
Harpoon Classic Scenario Editor Help

Introduction

Change BattleSets

New Scenario

Edit User Scenario

Edit BattleSet Scenario

Save Scenario

Enter Game Time Limit

Enter Victory Conditions

Create New Group

Create New Base

Change Group Position

Edit Group/Base

Delete Group/Base

Attack

Set Speed

Enter Group Course

Formation Editor

Ready Aircraft

Launch Aircraft

Join Group

Split Group

Sensors

Edit Staff Note

Enter Alternate Path

Grant Nuclear Release

Edit Group Orders

Game Icons

Set Grid Lines

Set Land Color

Rename Unit

Menu Commands


Introduction

The Computer Opponent

In Scenario Editor, your primary role is that of the brains behind the computer opponent.  You supply the mission objectives and long term strategic planning that the computer opponent is to carry out.  You can rely on the computer to carry out attacks (including air strikes from bases) against all newly detected units.  The only exception is bases, which are stationary, known targets.  It is your responsibility to configure attacks against the computer opponents bases in Scenario Editor yourself.

Hint:  to set up potential strikes against surface and submarine units, you may want to station a long-distance air patrol in the vicinity of the target group.  This will reduce prosecution time if the launching base is substantially far away from the target.  (Most mainland Soviet bases fall into this category.)  Just be careful to station this patrol where it wont be easily detected!

Playing Both Sides

In Scenario Editor, it will be necessary for you to give orders for both the Blue and the Red sides.  These orders will be carried out by the computer opponent when playing against a user, and most orders will be ignored when the user is playing that side, forcing him to supply his own.  All that will remain for the user are the groups and units, and their initial movement orders, including starting points, paths, initial speeds, and formation patrols.

The Difference Between a BattleSet and a Scenario

Before editing your own scenarios, it is important to understand the difference between a BattleSet and a scenario.  A BattleSet consists of the maps, data, pictures, and even songs that represent the area and nations involved in a related set of naval conflicts.  These naval conflicts are referred to as scenarios, and they draw upon the data contained in the BattleSet.  This BattleSet data is kept in a highly compressed format; uncompressed, it requires roughly 2-3 megabytes of disk space.  A scenario, on the other hand, is very small, seldom exceeding 20KB of disk space.  Hence, in Scenario Editor, you will be editing the way the BattleSet data will be used, rather than the data itself.


Change BattleSets

Allows you to edit scenarios for a different BattleSet.

A dialog will come up verifying that you are finished editing the current scenario.  If you have made any changes to your current scenario, you will be given the chance to save it.  Unless you choose Cancel from the dialog, the next screen you will see is the familiar BattleSet Selection screen, where you may choose to load any of the battlesets you have purchased.  Selecting OK at this point brings you back to the Scenario Editor main screen with an empty scenario.


New Scenario

Allows you to restart with an empty scenario.

As with Change BattleSet, you will first be presented with a verification dialog - this is you one chance to cancel.  (Again, you will be able to save any changes you have made to your current scenario.)


Edit User Scenario

Allows you to edit previously saved scenarios.

After verifying that you wish to quit your current scenario, the Edit User Scenario screen will appear.  A standard Windows file open dialog box will apear.

When you have selected a scenario, its name will appear in the Edit box.  Selecting the Edit button will return you to the Scenario Editor main screen with the selected scenario loaded and ready to edit.


Edit Battleset Scenario
Edit BattleSet Scenarios

Allows you to load scenarios from you current BattleSet.

After verifying that you wish to quit your current scenario, a dialog box will appear that is similar to the Harpoon Scenario Selection screen.  The top scroll box allows you to select a scenario, and the bottom scroll box displays the orders for that scenario.

Since editing a scenario involves creating units and orders for BOTH sides, the RED/BLUE Orders button allows you to alternately display the orders for either side.  The BattleSets button will allow you to load scenarios from another BattleSet.  This is functionally equivalent to using the Change BattleSet command from the File Menu.  (NOTE:  this does not allow you to transfer scenarios from one BattleSet to another.)  Selecting OK will load a copy of the selected scenario for editing.  When you save changes to this scenario, it will be saved as a user scenario, and you will have to use Edit User Scenario to load it in the future.  When editing a BattleSet Scenario, you WILL NOT be actually modifying the BattleSet itself.  These BattleSet scenarios are provided as a starting point, and as examples of completed scenarios.


Save Scenario

Allows you to save your current scenario.

This command will bring up a screen very similar to the Save Game screen in Harpoon.  As with Edit User Scenario, you will be able to navigate your available disk drives using a standard Windows file Save As dialog box.  If you attempt to save over an already existing scenario, a dialog will appear to confirm this action.


Enter Game Time Limit

Allows you to enter the time limit for the current scenario.

A dialog will appear, allowing you to input the number of days and hours to be allowed for this scenario.  If a time has already been entered, the dialog will come up with this time; otherwise, it will come up will all zeros.  Selecting OK will cause the To Go time in the upper right corner of the main screen to be reset with the time you have entered.


Enter Victory Conditions

Allows you to Add, Edit, or Delete Victory Conditions for both sides.

This command will bring up a window in the lower half of the screen containing a scroll box and four buttons: Close, Add, Edit, and Delete.  If no victory conditions have been entered for this scenario, the scroll box will be empty and the Edit and Delete Buttons will be disabled.  Selecting the Add button will bring up the following dialog:

This dialog will allow you to set the parameters for a single victory condition.  These parameters are as follows:

The first line of the victory conditions dialog allows you to choose whether you want this victory condition to be minimum or total.  Minimum victory is the condition that a player must meet to minimally complete a mission.  After a player has met minimum victory conditions, he can either quit the game or go for total victory.  Total victory is the complete defeat of the enemy, beyond merely carrying out orders.  Note that one sides victory conditions may not be exclusive of the other sides victory conditions.  Thus in a typical scenario, both sides can meet their victory conditions, minimum and total.  In this case, the side reaching each victory level first is declared the winner.

The next line asks you which side this victory condition is for.  The third line lets you choose whether this victory condition must be meet for victory (ANDed: a necessary condition), or whether meeting this victory condition will independently result in victory (ORed:  a sufficient condition).  This choice will determine how a victory condition will interact with others.  For example, the minimum victory condition for the NATO side might be: sink 3 Soviet ships AND sink 2 Soviet subs.  Both of these conditions must be met in order for victory to occur.  On the other hand, if the victory conditions were: sink 4 Soviet ships OR sink 3 Soviet subs,  then meeting either of these conditions would result in victory.  These groupings apply to the victory conditions of the same level (minimum or total) and side (Blue or Red).  In other words, all of the blue minimum conditions are grouped, etc.  It is not a good idea to mix ANDs and ORs in the same grouping, for reasons explained in the Hints for Entering Victory Conditions section.

The next option determines the level of categorization for the victory condition, from Type, the broadest level, to Class, the most narrow level.  These levels will be used to determine what kinds of units will be included in the victory condition.

Type - the victory condition will apply to all of one type of unit: all carriers, all ships, all subs, etc.

Broad type - allows a more refined choice such as all large carriers, all medium combat ships, all primary bases.

Subtype - allows categorization by subtypes of units.  For carriers, ships, and subs, it is the naval designation, such as CV, DDG, FF, SSN, etc.  For planes and helos, the breakdown is by Fighter, ASW, Bomber, etc.  For bases, the categories are Base, Port, and Airfield.

Class - the most narrow category.  For everything but bases, this denotes a particular class (such as Nimitz class carrier, O.H. Perry class frigate, F-15 class aircraft, etc.).  For bases, it means a particular base (such as Keflavik, Iceland or London, UK).

After you have chosen the categorization level of the victory condition, you must select which type of unit will be included in the category (Carrier, ship, sub, etc.), before you can choose the actual category.  If you have selected the Type level of categorization, you are finished with this step.  If you have chosen one of the other levels, however, the second button at the bottom of the dialog will activate to let you choose the actual category.  If you level of categorization is Broad type, a scroll box will appear listing the predefined broad-type categories for that type of unit.  If your level of categorization is Subtype, a scroll box will appear allowing you to choose from the available subtype categories for that type of unit (for bases it will be a dialog).  And finally, if you choose Class as you level of categorization, a scroll box listing available classes for that unit type will appear.  (NOTE: in the above scroll boxes, carriers and ships will share categories, as will helicopters and planes.)

Once you have chosen your category, you will be given the opportunity to select whether the condition is to be a friendly on-station condition or an enemy damage/kill condition.  You do this by checking the on-station checkbox on or off (default).  If you do not choose on-station, you will proceed to the damage/killed text boxes.  The damaged and killed boxes work as follows:  to translate kill 3 enemy ships or damage 5 enemy ships at 60%, you would enter 60 in the Percent Damage box, 5 in the Number Damaged box, and 3 in the Number Killed box.  If you only care about damage, leave the Number Killed box zeroed.  (NOTE: When Harpoon checks victory conditions, killed ships also satisfy the damaged victory condition).  If you select the on-station type victory condition, the Percent/Number Damaged boxes will be disabled, the Number Killed box will change to Number On Station, and the Time On Station box and the Enter Rect  button will be activated.  Number On Station refers to the number of friendly units that must be on-station for the condition to be satisfied.  Time On Station refers to how long the units must be in the on-station area.  The Enter Rect button brings up a dialog that allows you to define the on-station area as two opposite points in a rectangle on the Group Map (you will be able to scroll and zoom the map).

Once you have completed all of the above steps, selecting OK will return you to the Victory Conditions Edit window, where you will be able to add more conditions or edit or delete already existing conditions.  The Edit button brings up the same dialog as before, with the selections filled in.  The Delete button deletes the currently selected victory condition (after a confirmation dialog).  OK quits from the victory conditions edit window.


Create New Group

Allows you to create surface and submarine groups.

First, a dialog will appear, asking you to select the groups side.  Next, you will be asked to position the group on the map.  Click on the group map until you are satisfied with the groups position (the map can be scrolled or zoomed).

Next, a screen will appear that will allow you to edit the groups units.

You will be able to add surface units and submarines to the group, and add planes and helicopters to carrier and ship units with the capacity to carry them.  To add a surface unit, select Ship from the Unit Type scroll box.  The Class scroll box will list the carrier and ship classes available for the groups chosen side.  Select one of these classes and press the Add Unit button.  You will then be asked to select a name from the list of available ships commissioned for this class in the BattleSets area of the world.  As you choose a name, it will be removed from the list to prevent duplicating an already existing unit.  After you have chosen the units name, you will be asked for its probability of inclusion in the scenario (the default is 100%).  Once you select OK, the new unit will appear in the Groups Unit List scroll box.  Submarine units are entered in the same way, except that you must first choose Sub from the Unit Type scroll box.

To add a plane to a surface unit, first select the unit in the Groups Unit List scroll box.  Next, select Aircraft from the Unit Type scroll box, and the list of planes and helicopters able to be carried by the selected unit will appear in the Class scroll box on the lower right.  Select the aircraft you wish to add to the unit and press the Add Plane button.

You will be asked to enter the number of aircraft to add.  The maximum allowable aircraft will appear in the text box.  If you add more than the maximum, you will get the maximum, and if you enter zero, no planes will be added.  Once you have selected the number of planes, you will be asked for their probability of inclusion in the scenario.  Creative use of this feature will enable you to automatically vary the strength of each sides air assets each time a user plays your scenario.

Some units will have their helicopters added automatically.  These aircraft will be displayed for informational purposes, but you will not be able to delete them or give them any orders, including formation patrols.  Harpoon handles these aircraft automatically for the enemy, to spare the scenario creator the tremendous overhead of dealing with them.

You may delete units or user-added planes by selecting them in the Unit scroll box and hitting the Delete button.

You may get Platform Display reports on units or planes in the group by selecting them in the Groups Unit List scroll and then selecting the Display button.  Exiting from the Platform Display will return you to the Edit Group screen.  Selecting the Display button when the Unit Type or Class scrolls are active will bring up Platform Display for the currently selected class in the Class scroll.  You may also edit the groups formation by selecting the Formation Editor button.  Formation Editor differs slightly from the one in Harpoon, and will be explained in the Orders Menu description.  Finally, selecting Exit will prompt you for the groups probability of inclusion and will return you to the Scenario Editor main screen.


Create New Base

Allows you to create a new base group.

As with Create New Group, the first thing youll be prompted for is the bases side.  Next, a window containing a scroll box and two buttons will appear in the lower half of the screen.  The scroll box will list that sides available bases.  As you select a base from the scroll box, the map will scroll to show you the bases position on the group map.  Selecting OK will choose the selected base and take you to the Edit Group screen (see Create New Group.)  You will notice that, this time, the Groups unit list scroll will not be empty, but will contain the base as the first unit in the list.  You may not, however, delete the base or display it.  You may only add aircraft to airfield type bases, or ships and subs to port type bases.  You may add either to base type bases.  (NOTE: it is not recommended that you add ships and subs to base groups, since the computer opponent will not make use of these assets.)  Everything else works the same way as the New Group command, except that you will not be asked for the bases probability of inclusion - they are more or less fixtures in the scenario.


Change Group Position

This command allows you to reposition a group or base using the Position Group dialog as described in Create New Group.

You will have the capability to reposition bases because we recognize that some of their positions are not optimal.  This will also allow you a little more strategic flexibility.


Edit Group/Base

Allows you to edit and display a groups unit list.

Brings up the Edit Group screen as described in Create New Group or Create New Base, with the units that have already been added listed in the Groups Unit List scroll.


Delete Group/Base

Allows you to delete a group that has already been created.

After selecting Yes to a confirmation dialog, the group, all of its units, and its orders will be flushed from the scenario.  (CAUTION: There is no undelete command; this change will be permanent.)


Attack

Attack works similarly to Harpoon, except for two major differences.  First, you will only be able to order attacks against base targets, since the computer opponent automatically handles all other attacks.  Second, you will not be asked for weapons allocation, since this also is handled by the computer opponent.


Set Speed

Works identically to Harpoon Classic.  Sets the speed of the selected Group.


Enter Group Couse
Enter Group Course

There have been several changes/improvements to this order (also referred to as Path Editor), including the ability to Cancel changes made to the original path, as well as the ability to Revert to the original path without exiting from Path Editor.  Other additional features include: the ability to edit attack and launch aircraft orders, the ability to enter alternate paths (see the Orders2 Menu), and the ability to access commands from the Settings Menu, such as grid lines and game icons.


Formation Editor

There are a few subtle but important differences between the Scenario Editor version of Formation Editor, and that of Harpoon.  In Harpoon, you use Formation Editor to order ships and subs to move to a new location within the group, and to set air patrols.  When you exit Formation Editor, the ships and subs start moving from their current locations to their new locations, and the aircraft begin launching for their patrols.  In Scenario Editor, when you exit the Formation Editor, the ships will be located where you placed them - magically translocated to their new position within the group.  This will be the units relative starting location when your scenario is played.  Air patrols in Formation Editor will not be immediately launched, as they are in Harpoon.  Instead, the scenario will remember to launch the patrols at game startup.  Another item you may have noticed are the asterisks that appear next to some of the units in the scroll box.  This indicates that this unit has not yet been placed in the formation circle.  As soon as you place the unit, the asterisk will disappear.


Ready Aircraft

Use the Ready Aircraft command to initialize the loadouts for the aircraft you have added to the scenario.  The aircraft will be readied immediately, and will have this loadout at scenario startup when Harpoon is run.  (CAUTION:  changing loadouts for aircraft whose patrols or strikes have already been assigned will cancel these orders.)


Launch Aircraft

Works identically to Harpoon, with a few minor changes.  When you select OK to accept your launch orders, you will be asked for a time delta; this will allow you to delay launching until a given amount of time has passed.  In this way, you can coordinate the computer opponents air strikes as you would if you were playing Harpoon.  Also, as with formation air patrols, your orders will not be carried out by Scenario Editor itself, but will be remembered in your scenario to be executed during Harpoon play.


Join Group

Use Join Group in Scenario Editor to transfer all of the units from one group into another.  These units will have to be repositioned in their new group using Formation Editor.


Split Group

Use Split Group in Scenario Editor to split units off from a group to form a new group.  These units will have to be repositioned in this new group using Formation Editor.


Sensors

Works identically to Harpoon Classic.  Sets Group Sensors


Edit Staff Note

Works identically to Harpoon Classic.  Enters a note that will apear at the designated time.


Enter Alternate Path

This command allows you to enter forks in the groups path.

This command can only be accessed through Group Course Command.  To enter an alternate path from Path Editor, use the Prev and Next buttons to position the leg marker on the path point at which you want the fork to originate.  Use your mouse to access the menu as you would from the main screen.

When you have selected the Enter Alternate Path command, the groups path will be redrawn without the path points that come after the marked point.

Once this is done, you may edit the groups new course as before, with one exception: you will not be able to edit points that came before the forks originating point.

When you select OK to the alternate path, you will be asked for the forks probability (i.e. the percent chance that the group will take this fork). The groups course will then be restored to its state before you began entering the alternate path.  If you look in the Orders box to the left, the words Alternate Path will appear, designating the fork you just entered.

You may then edit or delete this order like any other.  If you choose to edit your alternate path, the groups course will be redrawn to show the alternate path you have already entered.  When you have finished editing, selecting OK will save your changes and allow you to reassign the forks probability.  And, once again, you will return to editing the group course at the point where you left.  (NOTE:  You may have more than one alternate path order at any one path point and you may also add an alternate path to an alternate path.)


Enter Variable Start Points

This command allows you to enter alternate starting points for a group.

Upon selecting this command, you will be presented with a half screen window containing a scroll box and buttons.  At the bottom of the box will be Default Starting Point:, followed by a percentage.  This refers to the probability that the group will start where it is located on the map.  As you enter variable starting points, this percentage will decrease accordingly.

To enter a variable starting point, select the Add button.  A dialog will appear that is very similar to the one used to position the group originally.  Click in the Group Map until you are satisfied with the starting points placement (the starting point will appear as a dimmed square), and select OK to accept.

Another dialog will follow, asking for the probability that the group will start at this point.  If you enter a value greater than the default percentage, then your starting points percentage will be the default percentage minus one.  If you enter zero or less for the probability, the probability will be reset to one.  In this way, the system prevents you from entering starting points that will never occur, or from having your cumulative percentage be other than 100%.

You may edit a starting point by selecting it in the scroll box (a square will be drawn around it on the Group Map), and selecting the Edit button.  The edit procedure is the same as the add procedure.

You may also delete starting points using the Delete button (a confirmation dialog will appear).  Finally, selecting the OK button will let you exit from the Edit Variable Start Points interface.


Grant Nuclear Release

Allows you to set a time for each side to be granted nuclear release.  (NOTE:  If you do not grant nuclear release for a side, it will not be given in your scenario unless the player overrides the system and grants himself nuclear release.)

First you must choose the side to be granted nuclear release.  Next, you will need to provide the time point in the scenario at which you would like nuclear release to occur (the time delta).  You may also enter a variation on this time (this translates to time plus or minus variation %).  If you enter 100%, nuclear release will occur any time from game startup to twice the time delta you entered.

You may only enter one nuclear release order per side.  If you select the Grant Nuclear Release command for a side that has already been given this order, you will merely be editing the existing order.


Edit Group Orders

This command allows you to edit or delete orders that have been given outside of Path Editor (Enter Group Course).

The orders will be shown one side at a time.  To edit the other sides orders, select the Change Side button.  If orders appear in the scroll box, you may edit or delete them.  If you choose Edit, the appropriate interface for entering that order will appear, with the information you have already supplied filled in for you.  When you exit that interface, you will be returned to the Edit Orders interface.  As usual, you may delete the currently selected order by selecting the Delete button and selecting Yes to the confirmation dialog that follows.


Game Icons

Works identically to Harpoon Classic.  Set icons to Stylized or CDS.


Set Grid Lines

Works identically to Harpoon Classic.  Shows longitude and latitude grid lines


Set Land Color

Works identically to Harpoon Classic.  Selects color of land mass to grey or black.


Analyze Scenario

This command allows you to check your scenario in four key areas:

1) How much memory the scenario will take when run from Harpoon.

2) The relative strengths of the two opposing sides.

3) Whether any groups movement orders will cause any of its units to run aground.

4) Whether your scenario has all of the components of a complete Harpoon scenario.

When you select the Analyze Scenario command, a full screen window will come up containing a large scroll box and eight buttons.  The four buttons on the left will be used to access the analysis features mentioned above.

Estimate Memory

This feature will evaluate your scenario and estimate how much free memory your scenario will have at game startup.  In addition, it will evaluate this amount to determine if it is enough to comfortably run Harpoon.

Evaluate Forces

This feature will evaluate the relative postures of both sides, both offensive and defensive.  Tip to save memory - it does not cost as much to include two ships of the same class as it does to include two ships from two different classes.

Check Group Movement

This feature checks each unit in every group against that groups movement orders, including paths, alternate paths, and variable starting points.  If any units are aground at any of these points, you will be notified.

Check Completeness

This will check to make sure that your scenario contains every element of a complete scenario.  These elements include:  at least one group per side, at least one unit per group, and at least one total and one minimum victory condition per side.  It will also give warnings about other missing but optional elements, such as nuclear release, variable starting points, alternate paths, planes on carriers, etc.

Do Complete Analysis

This command is equivalent to selecting all of the above buttons at once.  This allows you to bypass pressing each button if you want the complete analysis.


Rename Unit

Allows you to rename ships, sub, or carrier units, using the same scroll box that is used to name these units originally.  (NOTE: You must select a unit in the Unit Window for this item to be activated.)


Menu Commands

Alt+C	Change BattleSets

Alt+N	New Scenario

Alt+U	Edit User Scenario

Alt+B	Edit BattleSet Scenario

Alt+S	Save Scenario

Alt+L	Enter Game Time Limit

Alt+V	Enter Victory Conditions

Ctrl+Q	Exit

Ctrl+G	Create New Group

Ctrl+B	Create New Base

Ctrl+P	Change Group Position

Ctrl+E	Edit Group/Base

Ctrl+D	Delete Group/Base

Alt+P	Platform Display

Ctrl+1	Attack

Ctrl+2	Set Speed

Ctrl+3	Enter Group Course

Ctrl+4	Formation Editor

Ctrl+5	Ready Aircraft

Ctrl+6	Launch Aircraft

Ctrl+7	Join Group

Ctrl+8	 	Split Group

Ctrl+9	Sensors

Ctrl+0	 	Enter Staff Note

Ctrl+A	Enter Alternate Path

Ctrl+V	Enter Variable Start Points

Ctrl+N	Grant Nuclear Release

Ctrl+O	Edit Orders

Alt+I	Game Icons

Ctrl+L	 	Set Grid Lines

Alt+D	Set Land Color

Ctrl+Z	Analyze Scenario

Ctrl+U	Rename Unit

Ctrl+C	Calc Range & Bearings


Recommended Carrier Air Wings

UK   CVH Invincible

8	Sea Harrier FRS.2	Attack

9	Sea King HAS.5	ASW

3	Sea King AEW.2	AEW

USA   CV Forrestal

24	F-14A Tomcat	Fighter

18	F/A-18 Hornet	Attack

20	A-6E Intruder	Bomber

10	S-3 Viking	ASW

5	EA-6B Prowler	EW

5	E-2C Hawkeye	AEW

6	SH-60F Oceanhawk	ASW

USA   CVN Nimitz

24	F-14A Tomcat	Fighter

24	F/A-18 Hornet	Attack

12	A-6E Intruder	Bomber

10	S-3 Viking	ASW

5	EA-6B Prowler	EW

5	E-2C Hawkeye	AEW

8	SH-60F Oceanhawk	ASW

France   CV Clemenceau

16	Super Etendard	Attack

10	F-8E(FN) Crusader	Fighter

8	Alize 	ASW

2	SA.321G Sup Frelon	ASW

2	Lynx Mk4	Naval

France   CVH Jeanne dArc

8	Lynx Mk4	Naval

Spain   CVH Principe de Asturias

8	Matador AV-8B	Attack

6	SH-3D Sea King	ASW

3	SH-3 AEW	AEW

4	AB-212ASW	ASW

USSR   CVHG Kiev/Baku

13	Yak-38 Forger	Attack

14	Ka-27 Helix A	ASW

3	Ka-25 Hormone B	Search