[WIP] Channel map

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by arnoritter

Would it be possible to expand the map to the east? It would be great to have the ruhr area on the map, for example.

That would make the map too big for IL2's map size limits.

Ignoring that, any map of Western Europe is going to be limited by the fact that it's one of the more densely settled places on the planet. That can reduce frame rates to a crawl, even on the best computer.

Gitano's Channel Map is already a tremendously ambitious project in that it will need to incorporate not one, but TWO, major world cities and their suburbs, each with their associated landmarks. Plus harbors, coastal defenses, and all the towns, roads, canals, and railroads in between.

It would more practical to have a map of England to the Ruhr be its own project. It could be done, since the distance from the SW coast of England to the Ruhr is less than 300 miles, but to limit the scope and size of the project, it would make sense to have the map be a long, narrow rectangle.

The north edge of the map could stretch from Ipswich to Munster, and the southern edge could stretch from Canterbury to Dortmund.

[stovak]

Originally Posted by arnoritter

There is a map spreading from england to dresden. If a modder can do it, a daidalos developer should be able to do it better.

If I'm not mistaken, the map you are thinking of is very limited in that it only has buildings in the target areas of Hamburg and Dresden. Other towns/cities like London, Berlin etc. are empty because the game can't handle a populated map of that size, so the map is very mission-specific.

I think the DT channel map is intended to be useful for any operations in the area covered, not just one particular target.

[Verdun1916]

Originally Posted by arnoritter

I think you are wasting an oppurtunity.

The map you are planning wouldn't bring anything new to the game.

WHAT???? Seriously? In what world "wouldn't" a channel map like this "bring anyhing new to the game"?

IT BRINGS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL AREA!!!! Both sides of it! Not just Normany without a proper British coastline. That is good enough for most of us! It brings the opportunity for all of us who DO NOT run modded versions of IL-2 to play and recreate arial combat ranging from 1940 until 1944 over an area that has not yet been represented properly in this game!

It brings a map that most of us have been wishing for for years and years! Basically since the first version of IL-2 came out!

So how could you even dare use words like "wasting an opportunity" or "wouldn't bring anything new" when we finally will get a geographical area represented that has been lacking for so long????

An English Channel map IS a GREAT addition to the stock game!!It will be loved and appreciated by the majority of the IL-2 Community all over the world, both players using mods and especially all of us who don't run mods!

I really can't thank TD enough for finally bringing a map like this to the stock game!!!

[TitusFlavius]

Originally Posted by Verdun1916

WHAT???? Seriously? In what world "wouldn't" a channel map like this "bring anyhing new to the game"?

IT BRINGS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL AREA!!!! Both sides of it! Not just Normany without a proper British coastline. That is good enough for most of us! It brings the opportunity for all of us who DO NOT run modded versions of IL-2 to play and recreate arial combat ranging from 1940 until 1944 over an area that has not yet been represented properly in this game!

It brings a map that most of us have been wishing for for years and years! Basically since the first version of IL-2 came out!

So how could you even dare use words like "wasting an opportunity" or "wouldn't bring anything new" when we finally will get a geographical area represented that has been lacking for so long????

An English Channel map IS a GREAT addition to the stock game!!It will be loved and appreciated by the majority of the IL-2 Community all over the world, both players using mods and especially all of us who don't run mods!

I really can't thank TD enough for finally bringing a map like this to the stock game!!!

+1

[Verdun1916]

Originally Posted by arnoritter

- It wouldn't add a new type of mission. A map of europe should be made with the strategic bombing in mind.


- Yeah, a map with Germany on it would bring that, too.


- Yep, but such a map should include Germany


- You don't plan to have GERMANY on it - wasted

Strategic bombing could be used with the B-24 in mind on this map aswell. They did not always opperate at their maximum ranges! And stategic bombing was done by medium bombers aswell.

You talk about ONE type of new mission yet a map like this can be used for SEVERAL/MANY types of missions from fighter missions, fighter-bomber missions, anti-shipping missions, tactical to strategic bombing missions! Just to mention a few!

Would it be cool to have a map covering the entire western Europe from Germanys east border in the east to Ireland in the west and from the Spanish border in the south to the northern tip of Scotland in the north?

Sure it would! But would it be practical? No, probably not!

A map specialized for long range strategic bombing would be cool for those who would actually spend hour after hour flying the B-24 to reach a target and then hour after hour flying back home. But to the vast majority of players who probably would not have the time and interest to fly those kinds of missions a map like that would be considered a waste of time, especially if a map that size would affect the playabillity of the game due to it's share size. In that case a map of part of Japan would be better suited with a WAST expanse of Pacific Ocean and an Pacific Island with an US bomber base in the other end.

Not as fun off course as a huge western Europe map but it would be more practical.

However, this Channel Map will not be a waste of time for the vast majority of IL-2 players since it caters to the need/want of many and it can still be used for shorter/medium range stategic bombing. And it will hopefully be in a size that is practical for most players computers to handle.

Germany does not need to be on a Channel map!

An alternative for you strategic bomber fans would be a map with a wide stretch of North Sea in the middle with a Dutch/German coastline in the east end and a British coastline in the west end. Wast areas of sea would make a long range map far more practical than a long range map with densly populated landmasses.

[Nil]

I am looking forward to fly in this map! and I think it will be a very useful map!

[_1SMV_Gitano]

As I wrote, the map is for cross-channel operations. There is plenty of room for bombers, even heavy ones. In any case I stress that there were no operationl airfields of RAF Bomber Command and the 8th AF in the area I chose. There will be some airfields used by the 9th AF (Boreham, Chippin Ongar and Matching) and RAF no.2 Group (e.g. Lasham, Dunsfold and others) medium bombers though.

For strategic bombing a map of the North Sea, including east anglia and other "bomber counties" as well as the Netherlands and parts of Germany would fit better.

cheers

[majorfailure]

I don't get it. We will get a new and important map for free and all this complaining about how that's a bad thing?

This map covers a land area that saw nearly constant action from 40 to 45, and that alone makes it needed.
It can be used for early war, German offense vs. Allied defense, potentially with a fictional invasion. That's a lot of fighter/attack/bomber mission options there.

Second option is to employ it for any kind of smaller skirmishes - in between the big battles, perfect for Il-2, and it does give the option for German harassment missions on RAF installations for the first time (There are your "new" missions). Allied can do the same, and not having to play on the limited Normandy map is an advantage.

Third, of course, is Invasion of Normandy, and now we have the opportunity to go hunting further off the invasion area, destroy supplies/infrastructure. German options also change, now a big area is to be patroled, and not just a few square kilometers of invasion area.

Okay, it is not the perfect map for strategic bombing/ship hunting or whatever, but it still is a great, important map, and it is big enough to allow strategic bomber operations on a limited scale(and after all IL2 is a tactical game!), and it does have water so anti shipping is possible.

So as far as I'm concerned, I'm excited to play on this map.

[nic727]

Originally Posted by majorfailure

I don't get it. We will get a new and important map for free and all this complaining about how that's a bad thing?

This map covers a land area that saw nearly constant action from 40 to 45, and that alone makes it needed.
It can be used for early war, German offense vs. Allied defense, potentially with a fictional invasion. That's a lot of fighter/attack/bomber mission options there.

Second option is to employ it for any kind of smaller skirmishes - in between the big battles, perfect for Il-2, and it does give the option for German harassment missions on RAF installations for the first time (There are your "new" missions). Allied can do the same, and not having to play on the limited Normandy map is an advantage.

Third, of course, is Invasion of Normandy, and now we have the opportunity to go hunting further off the invasion area, destroy supplies/infrastructure. German options also change, now a big area is to be patroled, and not just a few square kilometers of invasion area.

Okay, it is not the perfect map for strategic bombing/ship hunting or whatever, but it still is a great, important map, and it is big enough to allow strategic bomber operations on a limited scale(and after all IL2 is a tactical game!), and it does have water so anti shipping is possible.

So as far as I'm concerned, I'm excited to play on this map.

+1

[Ice_Eagle]

Yep.. great map for people with stock games. These people screaming for long range strategic bombing.. just get the mods and especially this map:

http://gillesbabin.perso.neuf.fr/tru...ont39-45uk.htm

Or if you want to take off from a base in England, & fly right to Berlin and back:

http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.ph...c,42939.0.html

You know.. if you don't want to 'hurry up and wait'.