[Rus_Andrey]

For example, look at this pictures. There are from Normandy map. But with Bessarabian fields and Slovakian city textures I think North-West France should look like this:

[asheshouse]

I agree. Those textures look very good. The time when I must get some real field textures introduced is approaching fast.

For the moment I have been learning about airfields. Here is an MS-406 of the l'Armee de l'Air taking off from the field on the east of Calais. I have got the orientation and general layout from Google Satellite Images but the layout is mainly based on my imagination.

I have made the runway length shorter than the IL-2 standard, based on a diagram I have of RAF Kenley which shows the runway length as 800 yards in 1940.

Struggling to find good WWII photos of airfields in Northeast France.

I think I will copy this around the map so that I have the correct number of airfields on the map and worry about changing individual layouts later. This will at least provide a quick proof that the game speed remains ok.

I still have a lot of work to do on sorting out the appearance of the steep sided valleys in the Ardennes and placing bridges which is quite difficult to achieve in these areas.

[Nocturnum]

This is going to be very good, Asheshouse. The exacting detail is amazing. If I were you I'd draw the line at getting every airstrip exactly right and getting every river exactly right. It'd look great of course but would be huge amount of labour for you.
if you need any tessters i'd love to have a look.
Cheers,
FlatSpinMan

[Jg3_Prodigy]

what airfields will you use.
I hope not the standart once!
Would you use one like on norwegian map on british side in north?

[Skunkmeister]

what airfields will you use.
I hope not the standart once!
Would you use one like on norwegian map on british side in north?

The problem with those types of airfields is that you can only have a few per map. So on a map that has airfields numbering in the 30's, you have to chose maybe 4 out of those.

That said, you can manipulate the plates that are used to create airfields in such ways that your airfields dont all look like Oleg's standard eastern front ones.

[asheshouse]

I will be following Skunkmeister approach, using standard ground plates to make non-standard layouts. The image of Calais is a non-standard arrangement, using 3 runway strips side by side and with the take of indicators aligned slightly skew so that the plane takes off slightly off the centreline.

Calais also has two taxi loops on the south side leading to hanger and administration blocks.

It will be easy to create a few variations of this and then copy them around the map.

I have more detail on Dutch and Belgian fields than French though. For the first release of the map I don't intend to spend much time personalising each airfield. That can be done later.

I also need to keep the object count low to begin with until we see how game speed is affected.

[Guest]

hock: hock: Mate thats looking fantastic......I'll throw my hand up as a tester also :wink:

[asheshouse]

Added various rivers to map_c. R Semois, R Chiers, Ardennes Canal, R Dyle, R Yser.

All of these feature in the historic BoF campaign. The R Semois was supposed to have been the forward line on which the French light forces would delay the German advance on while reinforcements moved up to the R. Meuse. In reality the German attack was so swift and severe that French resistance collapsed and the Germans were able to move on to the key Meuse crossings before the French expected them.

A number of air attacks were made by allied airforces on the Semois crossing points.

The R Chiers was the French front line east of Sedan -- not seriously threatened.

The Ardennes canal was the main barrier to Guderians breakout west from the Sedan bridgehead and south of this point the Germans established a holding line to guard the southern flank. French armoured attacks came from south at this point and were subject to Luftwaffe attacks.

THe R Dyle was supposed to have been the main defence line in Belgium. Major tank v tank actions between the French and German forces took place on the south of the line. It was this line which was effectively outflanked by the Panzer breakthrough in the south.

The R Yser formed the eastern side of the Dunkirk perimeter during the evacuation.

---- Lots more ground levelling to do to make these rivers fit properly. Especially the R Semois which has got huge sweeping bends through the hilly Ardennes terrain.

[asheshouse]

hock: hock: Mate thats looking fantastic......I'll throw my hand up as a tester also :wink:

Thanks for the offer Boomer, however Beta testing is some way away yet. I'm afraid I cant keep up with the progress being made on The Slot and Malta.

[Guest]

hock: hock: Mate thats looking fantastic......I'll throw my hand up as a tester also :wink:

Thanks for the offer Boomer, however Beta testing is some way away yet. I'm afraid I cant keep up with the progress being made on The Slot and Malta.

take your time ashes, we are here

and of course: "take me, take me, I am aplying, take me, meee" :mrgreen:

[Blacknight]

Lets Just Say WOW. I am sure to get this map as soon as it is released guys who luv to tinker and build I salute YOU!!


Blacknight

[asheshouse]

Just playing around with textures.
This is Calais-Marck Airfield. Not sure these textures look right. Seem to be too stripey.
These come from Bessarabia, but they look much better on that map because of the lines of tree objects on the field boundaries. That sort of thing could be added later.
The dark patches on the texture are transparencies for something?

Must spend some time putting more bridges in.



and a variation
Probably need to reduce the built up area a bit - don't think Calais was that big in 1940.

[Rus_Andrey]

Very good!
Try to combine textures.

[_1SMV_Gitano]

Just playing around with textures.
This is Calais-Marck Airfield. Not sure these textures look right. Seem to be too stripey.

Hi asheshouse, IMO using runway plates for large strips gives a stripey effect too, maybe tarmac plates are better... :wink:

[Username]

I vaguely remember reading that in parts of Europe in the Middle Ages it was the custom for all sons of a father to inherit his land equally. The result of this over a few generations was that the field pattern became divided into thin strips of land cultivated by different families. You can see the effect on the Slovakia and Bessarabia maps.

This is totally different from England and France, where the law of primogeniture ensured that the eldest son inherited all of the father's land. This kept estates together, resulting in much larger fields and a distinctly different look to the pattern.

There were many other factors involved of course - especially where large areas were cleared for sheep farming - so there is always a mix of patterns, but generally the above is true..

Just something to bear in mind. :wink: