[MiWa]

You know, it's interesting... you could make alternate versions available with nothing different but actors.static.

Ie: early war actors.static deletes whole airfields.

While it might be cooler to have jungle over them, haveing a green field is better than having a huge runway complex where there should be none...

The cool thing is such a change involves nothing but deleting things... EASY.

You can have different map_T files with different actors files (and different load.ini files , of course).
I don't think you need to edit anything else: map_c, map_h map_r and map_f should all be the same.

[spud]

Yeah, textures, too. I was thinking minimal size, but the textures aren't a big deal, really.

[FltLt HardBall]

Hi guys,

I just discovered this site, and I'm amazed to see the progress on the Slot map!

Some of you may know me from my program HardBall's Aircraft Viewer.

I'm a Kiwi, and am very interested in the role of the RNZAF during the Guadalcanal campaign. I have done extensive historical research with the intention of producing a definitive IL-2 static campaign using the original IL-2 maps. Having seen this project, I'm going to stop and wait until this map is ready to go.

I have collected a lot of photos during my research, and although you guys already seem to have a lot of them, I think you may not have seen some of the stuff I have, and it may be useful for you when creating airstrips and so-on. I could zip them all up and send them to someone if you like. For example, I have an excellent picture of Munda, that doesn't seem to have been posted on this thread yet. Some of the stuff is copyrighted so it would have to be done privately.

Skunkmeister, are you the man to talk to about this?

[spud]

I'm game. As you can see I started messing with Ondonga field. I'm trying to make them look as much like the real thing as is practice given our engine limitations.

Such a campaign would rock, too!

BTW, while we concentrate on things like villages, and airfields, any information on possible target areas we might want to add would be appreciated. Due to engine limitations, we can only get jungle by covering everything with layered forests. Ground targets, OTOH, would need to be in clearings if we wished to have them in. Any focus points of air activity that we might not have would be useful.

For example a particular land battle (this is made up as an example) takes place 8 miles WNW of Kahili field. RNZAF planes supplied CAS. OUr map might have naught but jungle there. If we know this area is important, we can put one of the clearings we add to the jungle to break it up there so there is a place for air activity.



tater

[FA_Cheech]

Great point tater!

FltLt HardBall check your PMs 8)

[fly_zo]

@ FltLt HardBall :

hi, and welcome ..... and many thanks for your viewer app

if you're interested to give map modding a try , please PM me your mail address


again, many thanks

Z

[Skunkmeister]

Hi Hardball,

Great to see you take interest in this project. FYI, we are 4 people working on this, FA_Cheech, T, Spud and I. The first 3 are the object placers / airfield builders, so if you have any info, talk to them

[Skunkmeister]

Minor update for the folks playing in excellent settings rather than perfect...

I have fixed up a new map_F, which is what controls what you see in the distance/high altitude.

I must have been playing this sim in perfect settings for way too long because maaan this sim is fugly in excellent :lol:

[FltLt HardBall]

Thanks for the nice welcome, guys. I sent my research stuff to T and FA_Cheech.

I won't get a chance to get into much modding directly myself (work and a 6-month old baby boy see to that!), but I'll certainly be cheering you guys from the sidelines. I'd like to resurrect my campaign once the new map is available - that'll be enough for me in the meantime.

----------------

OT: One project I was working on previously was an I-15 model in 3D Max. I'll post about it on the other thread. If you guys work out how to put new (extra) models in the game I'll dig that stuff out and have another go at it.

[Skunkmeister]

A bit of nostalgia:

http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/ ... 4781025753

Notice the "we have Guadalcanal already..." :wink:

[spud]

His map choices were nothing short of abysmal. He picked all kinds of iconic individual places, but never connected the dots.

The only stock PF campaigns possible (given the maps) were carrier based ones. Which would make more sense of the ship DMs were as complex as even a medium bomber. They aren't, so every CV battle is a total slaughter. CVs are sorta fun, but the game deals with ships poorly in general, and doesn't deal with CV operations AT ALL.

I should add that without even a little AI, ships are just a joke to attack, they all might as well be swinging at anchor.

That was a major failing of the pacific or any nvala combat in il-2. Ships need to follow waypoints, but at the very least when they start shooting at you they should also start evading. It could be as simple as ringing up flank speed and constant helming.

Sigh.

[Murph]

This looks fantastic! Any kind of a vague projected release date for this one?

[spud]

March is the working timeframe, murph.

[Skunkmeister]

A call to the original Beta testers, especially those with lower end machines.

Could you give me approximate loading times along with a couple system specs? I need loading times for both the FMB and when loading up a mission. I know Avala reduced the size of the 2D map and got loading times to reduce, but I'd like to know if others experienced long loading times just to see if I cant make this map more "low-end system friendly" when it hits the downloads section.

[spud]

Skunk, have you messed with those (slovakia, i think) objects that are just flat shapes on the ground with city streets on them?

They will sit on water.

There are over 60 of them in different sizes and shapes. By picking even just a few and retexturing them green (or coast, whatever) we could change the shape of some coastal areas if we wish beyond what is possible with map_c.

Most places it doesn't matter, but I could see this being VERY useful for Simpson Harbor for example. Little details like Munda Point could also be done more accurately this way possibly. Note that near soe target areas where they are more likely to be looked at closely, we could put these under places where layered forest goes over the water.

We could also make some with STREAMS on them. They don't do well on bumpy ground, but by making them transparent except where the stream is it could be mitigated. At the very least near airfields (which are by definition perfectly flat) we could add smaller river features and have them disappear into a WOOD. (retextured trenches would also work for streams, but they are smaller than these ground plates)

tater