why do cities seem so small?

[SaQSoN]

Originally Posted by KG26_Alpha

I see a Moscow map but I don't understand Russian to navigate the site well enough to know exactly what you are trying to say,

I made a picture for you:



You may see how much city area grew since 1940-s. Most of the ex-Soviet cities grew at a similar way between 1945 and 1991. Even not a major ones. And they still grow, although at a bit slower rate.
I bet, European cities also grew in a similar way at the same period.

Edit: If you look closely at the WWII-period photos from the site, I posted above, you may find Moscow defense positions and AT ditches in the South-West sector. If you compare it's location to the modern map, you will find, that currently this places are far within the modern city limits! While in 1941 they were several km out of the city limits.

So, my point is, the cities in the game are small, because they were small back in the 1940-s.

Originally Posted by KG26_Alpha

its probably not what I'm talking about the maps 1:1 perspective not its size geographically.

Distances in the IL-2 non-fictional maps are 1:1 scale. I.e. if distance between, say, Kiev and some nearby village IRL is 10 km, then it is 10 km on the in-game map as well.