It is time for some new Squad Ops terrains

[daddog]

Was thinking about the need for Squad Operations to be injected with some new terrains. If you think about the last couple terrains we have had, they are for Scenarios. Scenarios only. Yes, I suppose they could be used for Squad Ops and or Snapshots, but that was not their intent. They were built with the Scenario in mind.

IMHO I think the terrain team should build some with Squad Ops in mind. Dux an team could build Squad Ops some SWEET terrains with some of those fancy cool objects they have in the new terrains.

Lets face it, Squad Ops has cranked out 250 players a week now. Certainly 700 a month, every month for quite a while. I think it is time for the CM team to consider building or improving existing terrains for our bread and butter events. Squad Operations is where it is at gents.

When it comes to terrains Squad Operations should be on the front burner. The numbers demand it.

[Dux]

Originally posted by daddog
...If you think about the last couple terrains we have had, they are for Scenarios. Scenarios only. Yes, I suppose they could be used for Squad Ops and or Snapshots, but that was not their intent. They were built with the Scenario in mind... IMHO I think the terrain team should build some with Squad Ops in mind....

Daddog, I'm curious as to what or how your vision of a Squad Ops terrain is different from the Scenario terrains we build, which btw are always built with FSOs and Snapshots in mind?

Please describe your ideal SO terrain.

btw, I'm in agreement that we need more terrains... and we're working on it.

[daddog]

I know you guys are working all the time. No grips there!

Well.... The last two terrains were built for Scenarios IMHO. Lets look at Japan. For historical purposes in Squad Ops and Snapshots we are limited obviously to a 1945 setup in the Pacific with Japan. Not much else we can do with it.

Karelia covers some of the same area as finrus. Basically around Leningrad. We have a limited plane set for that area also and (I don’t mean to make any enemies here) it is not the most popular theatre for events. I think the three strong theatres would be Western Europe, Mediterrian/North Africa, and the Pacific.

I think of your ETO main set overview.
France
Gibraltar
Tunisia
Norway
To name a few…

Many of those could cover several years of the war, not just 1945 as Japan would be stuck in.

You did a great service to us with the Winter Rhine terrain. Maybe you could do that to some other terrains. Britain? Northern Italy? Some desert tiles would be so cool for North Africa. I don’t even know if desert tiles are possible yet with what you guys have to work with. I look at things from a Squad Ops eye glass. Japan and Karelia would not have done me a lot of good in designing multiple events.

I guess for me the bottom line would be this. If the Squad Ops community were able to pick their next three terrains, I would bet a lot of $ that they would not have been Japan and Karelia.

Would the CM's be willing to list some terrains and let the Squad Ops players pick what they want? Is that unreasonable?

[Dux]

Let me start off by listing what we already have on deck, and go from there. (hold on, I'm gonna kill your dial-up!):

Norway


Tunisia


Gibraltar


Luzon (Philippines, North)


Mindanao (Philippines, South)


... and Pearl, of course.


We aslo have an update for BoB planned in the next month.

Lots of early-late war opportunities in this group, I think.

We also will winterize a few of the existing maps that can use it. Rhine2 was kind of a test... I guess it's okay to assume it was a success?

Now I'm aware that there are not any dedicated Eastern Front maps in planning yet, maybe you guys could vote on that...  be it Stalingrad, or updates of the old Kurland or Black Sea...?

And, finally, as you know from discussions during your CM days, wishing does not make these things magically happen, so please bear with us as we get to them in due order.

[Nifty]

any chance you can somehow convince the powers that be that we really really really need the He111 for your updated Battle of Britain terrain?  

[332nd outlaw]

really nice work there they all look impressive.


i was wondering, sometimes we do what if scripts. maybe aluetions/alaska area or maybe even west coast U.S. . for maybe a setup for early/mid/late war what if set ups. i know these would be more fantasy then anything but maybe some twist could be worked out to make them viable to the community if we had maps of these areas.

there was some action in the northern area and the japanese did have plans for attacking both the west coast and the central american area that they never got to put in to effect because of the turn in events that forced them into defensive mode rather then offensive.

an example of a what if .. what if midway was a diversion like some thought and the real intent of the imperial command was the occupation of alaska for it's oil to fuel thier war machine.

anyway just some thoughts. i think you guys are doing a great job and you all for your time and effort you all have been giving to the community.

[doobs]

looks cool  WTG

thanks for the effort:aok

[Dichotomy]

WHOA

*drools

[daddog]

Those are nice Dux. Thanks for posting them. I am sure many in the Squad Ops community like what they see.

Now I'm aware that there are not any dedicated Eastern Front maps in planning yet, maybe you guys could vote on that... be it Stalingrad, or updates of the old Kurland or Black Sea...?

Black Sea please. One of the first three Squad Ops I wrote was using the old Black Sea terrain we had. I still remember the IL2 flight my squad had, (right below the cloud level) and how we were wiped out by some 190's that found us. I still have that write up on my HD.

[scottydawg]

Dux,

Awe. Some.

[ghostdancer]

Wow dastardly, mean spirited squad flying 190s would ever wipe out you poor, angelic IL2s?  ::whistles and tries to look innocent::

[ghostdancer]

Oh, my vote is Black Sea also .. one of the most flexible maps for FSO settings.

[Dux]

I was guessing that you'd go for the Black Sea... good, consider it officially "on the list".

Outlaw, we'd batted the Aleutians idea around before, maybe it's time to resurrect it.

Thanks for the comments, guys... keep the ideas coming.

[Skyfoxx]

The Aleutians would be nice for the "Aleutian Tigers" snapshot that we have. Plus several other Aleutian setups that would also be possible.

Those "work in progress" terrains look great btw.
We event flyers really appreciate the work you guys put into them.

[Casper1]

Great work Dux...nice stuff.  Glad to see you and your team are still churning out good stuff.

BTW - winterized Rhine2 ROCKED.  That was the coolest terrain by far, IMHO.