Where are the new maps?

[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.

[horseback]

Speaking of maps, how about a method of 'jumping' from one map to another in a single mission format? If you're taking off from the Kuban to patrol over Crimea for instance, from 'England' to Normandy, or from 'Rabaul' to Guadalcanal it would be quite useful. Some way of linking the maps together (and they wouldn't have to be adjacent to each other) with way of assigning fuel burned + altitude gained/lost and time gone on the cockpit clock in a single mission would be very cool.

cheers

horseback

[Treetop64]

Surprised by the display of familiarity of wartime Chinese geography. Refreshing.

I'd like to see a Hankow/Wuchang/Changsha scenario, but am a bit wary of it being the basis of a map in IL-2 since those cities were quite large and very heavily urbanized (by Chinese mid-20th century standards), though not so much for Wuchang, which was pretty much just a cross-river extension of Hankow. Could wreak havoc on frame rates.

[JG26_EZ]

I just can't believe that no one has offered one that meets the specs after all of this time. Where are all you map makers?

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by JG26_EZ

I just can't believe that no one has offered one that meets the specs after all of this time. Where are all you map makers?

No idea... I see a lot of WIP on SAS. Some of that stuff must get finished, not be under any other external copyrights, etc.

[Lagarto]

I'm really looking forward to that huge New Guinea map by the Team Pacific

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by IceFire

No idea... I see a lot of WIP on SAS. Some of that stuff must get finished, not be under any other external copyrights, etc.

I find that hard to believe, since there are so many excellent mapmakers on SAS and literally dozens of completed modded maps.

While I don't want to start an argument or waste TD members time, I'd be interested in their analysis of why certain modded maps don't make the grade. If nothing else, it would be instructive to new mapmakers as to what they need to do.

I'm also wondering if TD isn't being a bit sensitive over what constitutes copyright. At least in the U.S., you can claim that it is an original work of art if you modify a someone else's work in a significant fashion. For example, taking a copyrighted Google Earth image, cropping it, editing it to make it consistent with 1940s era terrain and otherwise manipulating the image in a photo editing program ought to be good enough to make it an "original work of art."

[Artist]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

I'm also wondering if TD isn't being a bit sensitive [...] to make it an "original work of art."

Sure, you're right of course, this is a sustainable position once you're in court - but this is not an option for TD. Having no lawyers, assets, and money for defending, it will never get there. Overcautiousness is a sheer necessity here.

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

I find that hard to believe, since there are so many excellent mapmakers on SAS and literally dozens of completed modded maps.

While I don't want to start an argument or waste TD members time, I'd be interested in their analysis of why certain modded maps don't make the grade. If nothing else, it would be instructive to new mapmakers as to what they need to do.

I'm also wondering if TD isn't being a bit sensitive over what constitutes copyright. At least in the U.S., you can claim that it is an original work of art if you modify a someone else's work in a significant fashion. For example, taking a copyrighted Google Earth image, cropping it, editing it to make it consistent with 1940s era terrain and otherwise manipulating the image in a photo editing program ought to be good enough to make it an "original work of art."

Part of it might be that none of those map makers have ever bothered to see if they might get their stuff in an official patch. Or how much work it would be to get one ready... perhaps a couple of quick changes and it's all good to go.

I think the copyright issue point has already been made but to reiterate.. an overabundance of caution is extremely important here.