Where are the new maps?

[JG26_EZ]

I just noticed v4.12 doesn't have any new maps..
Isn't about time we started to see some maps added to the mix? I don't see any discussion on this.

As it stands...

Mods' list of maps...

[Pursuivant]

I believe that the Solomons maps were added with 4.12

But I agree that there are a lot of very good modded maps out there which really expand the game. Obviously, some are better than others, but to my untrained eye some of them look really good.

Perhaps TD could do like they did with sound mods and allow users to create and add their own "unofficial" maps.

[IceFire]

A serious discussion on maps would be welcomed. I've been thinking about and doing some reading on how to make maps... if I get far enough along then I will make sure that my maps are intended for an official TD release.

Although I'm not certain on the particulars... a lot of MOD maps are semi-finished and some authors never seem to want to make them available for official patch releases. Some do.

4.12 didn't include any new maps but 4.11 included all of the Solomons maps which are IMHO some of the best work I've seen for the Pacific.

I'd also like to see some of the MOD maps renamed in their releases... in some cases they have reused the original map naming (i.e. Okinawa, Ardennes, etc.) and then changed the map massively. This affects single player as it screws up campaigns not meant for the MOD maps and it really messes with the online world where stock and non-stock players are together.

I'm thinking of making a China themed map. Perhaps starting with a dogfight map to cut my teeth on it. Anyone have resources that could help me with that? I'm trying to decide on an area... and then try and get photos of airbases and the like.

[JG26_EZ]

Solomons were already here.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by IceFire

I'm thinking of making a China themed map. Perhaps starting with a dogfight map to cut my teeth on it. Anyone have resources that could help me with that? I'm trying to decide on an area... and then try and get photos of airbases and the like.

China's a bit tricky since the parts where combat occurred were mostly heavily populated and there aren't as many East Asian objects (or specifically Chinese objects) as there might be.

Additionally, IL2 limits you to two different ground textures and parts of China were much more diverse in their terrain. For example, you can't have a mountain/hill terrain texture, plus a tea plantation texture, plus a woods texture, plus a rice paddy texture, all of which you might encounter within a small area of Central China.

To make things even more interesting, many parts of China are prone to floods and farmers flood their rice paddies at certain times of the year. This means that the water textures for the spring map would be very different from those of the autumn or winter maps.

Possibly a map of part of Formosa/Taiwan would work, since some combat took place over it (Japanese invasion in U.S. Carrier raids in 1944). But, the problem there is that the PRC would make trouble for UbiSoft about anything relating to the the Chinese Nationalists, so our Chinese overlords get to veto that one.

A less controversial and equally useful map would be Hong Kong. It would be easier than it looks, since the population and development in 1941 wasn't nearly what it is today. It saw aerial action during the Japanese invasion of 1941, and suffered numerous Allied air raids during the Japanese occupation.

[ElAurens]

A map of (roughly) the area around Hankow and Yochow would provide
a way to depict the fighting between the US 14th. Air Force and the Japanese Army Air Force during the 1944/45 Ichi-Go campaign. This was the last successful ground campaign prosecuted by the Japanese in WW2, and a great place to put the upcoming P40N to use.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

A map of (roughly) the area around Hankow and Yochow

There's a modded map by agracier which covers the area around Hankow.

Any map of central China would need to be fairly small to allow for the factors I mentioned.

[Juri_JS]

Originally Posted by IceFire

I'm thinking of making a China themed map. Perhaps starting with a dogfight map to cut my teeth on it. Anyone have resources that could help me with that? I'm trying to decide on an area... and then try and get photos of airbases and the like.

I think the best area for a map would be the regions of Hunan and Hubei, maybe between Wuhan and Changsha. It could be used both for battles early in the war (Battle of Wuhan) and for later operations (Battles of Changsha, Operation Ichi Go).

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by Juri_JS

I think the best area for a map would be the regions of Hunan and Hubei, maybe between Wuhan and Changsha. It could be used both for battles early in the war (Battle of Wuhan) and for later operations (Battles of Changsha, Operation Ichi Go).

That could work.

I've read some basic tutorials on how to set up a map in IL-2. I'm not exactly sure where I get the game related tools to do it.

It sounds like a China map would be challenging... I can probably handle the technical if I can get some support on the history side of things because this theatre I have a bit of a blind spot in. I still think it'd be interesting and something not covered yet.

Hong Kong area would potentially be useful as well.

[Baddington_VA]

If it came to the wishlist, I would say Kuban winter campaign map.


A China map should have a lot of potential for historical mission builders.

You've got Flying Tigers for one and the Nationalist forces were eventually flying B25s
and the industry moved just like in Russia, with Japanese bombers in pursuit.
Even after Japan surrendered the Russians just kept on moving in the north.
There's the Burma -China road.
I'm not absolutely sure, but B29s may have been based in China for a time.

Map building itself is still a mystery to me. I have looked it up, but never found out much at all.
That it could be accepted in the stock version, if it were 100% original, makes it even more interesting a subject.