MA terrain clipboard maps as Operational Navigation Charts...part IV

[oboe]

I just finished my 4th large scale Melee Arena map, done in the style of the Defense Mapping Agency's Operational Navigation Charts.   The full-size versions are 2088 x 2500 px; once you have opened the link to the map in a new tab, you can click again and zoom to full-scale.  It's sorta cool to be able to see these MA terrains at such a large scale, in a somewhat realistic-looking format, but then again I'm a sucker for maps of all types, esp. vintage pieces.   

Not real sure who these maps might be useful for; maybe some of the new guys might appreciate seeing the terrains at such a large scale, or bomber group or large squad guys might find them helpful for planning.  Making them is pretty tedious, so I'm not sure I'll continue, but it just seemed to be an itch I had to scratch.   

 

Click each image to open link to the full-size version:
     

     

[Arlo]

Very nice, sir. 

[oboe]

Thanks Arlo.   Not sure why Imgur sometimes inserts itself in between the 'click' and the image - its coded to open a full version of each map in its own window.   I got it to work on a different computre by going back and re-clicking the images here...

[Bizman]

O'boe! Those maps make the terrains look like real world!

[oboe]

Thank you, Biz!   That's what I was tryin' for!

Bustr I think, spent a lot of time trying to create realistic looking land forms.  I logged into FJORDMA the other day, and saw this view of the mountains in the distance, and I thought it looked right on:


If you fly up the valleys between the ridges, his placement of trees is exceptionally realistic.  The valley might be empty or covered with trees, and these become more sparse as you move up the ridge in elevation, giving way to sparse, bare rock.   Just looks really good from out of the cockpit.

[Simon]

Oboe, very cool. Thank you. I only wish the devs put as much effort in to this game as some of you.

[JimmyD3]

Very nice Oboe.

[Max]

Very nice work Oboe! Thanks for the effort. Glad to see someone is working on the game.

[oboe]

Very nice Oboe.

Thanks JimmyD3!   If your beautiful ETOMA ever makes it in to the terrain rotation, I will for sure do a version for that!

And thank you, Max.  It would be nice to think multiple improvements and enhancements to the game are just around the corner, but it's probably not likely anymore.  So we just have to make the best of what we have.  Still plenty of fun and virtual adventures to be had.   I just started getting into buffs myself, in the past year or so.     So much I didn't know (still don't) about the planning and timing that can go into heavy bomber missions.   Could really use target maps for the strat targets, for example...

[Max]

Could really use target maps for the strat targets, for example...

I'm pretty sure osmium or DallasH has access to those.

[oboe]

Thanks, Max.   

Still not sure you guys are seeing these in their MONSTROUS glory; I've tried another computer now, and clicking the image just takes me to imgur.com, displaying a small version of the map.  If I right click on that image and select "Open image in a new tab", a new tab opens with the image, but you have to navigate to it (click on the new tab).   This tab again shows a small image, fitted to your browser window - but if you left-click on that small image, it'll open in actual size.   Its frickin' huge...

[Worid]

Outstanding Oboe. They look great

Worid

[Devil 505]

These are fantastic.

Have you considered doing some SEA maps as well? I'd love to see your rendition of the Russia terrain I created.

[oboe]

Thanks guys.

Devil, I looked at the Russia terrain and think it'd be too tedious the way I currently build these - first enlarge the clipboard and zoom into the map, and then take about 16 or so screen shots making sure I get full coverage of the terrain inside the clipboard window - then I piece together a large scale map of the terrain from the zoomed in clipboard screenshots.  After that I photoshop out all the grid lines and numbers by hand.   On a 10x10 terrain its quite a lot of work, but the Russia terrain is 20x20, so 4x the # of grid sectors to work on.

That terrain must've been an incredible amount of work for you guys...Any chance I could get a larger-scale image of the terrain, without gridlines, numbers, bases, etc -- just the land and water?

[Devil 505]

Thanks guys.

Devil, I looked at the Russia terrain and think it'd be too tedious the way I currently build these - first enlarge the clipboard and zoom into the map, and then take about 16 or so screen shots making sure I get full coverage of the terrain inside the clipboard window - then I piece together a large scale map of the terrain from the zoomed in clipboard screenshots.  After that I photoshop out all the grid lines and numbers by hand.   On a 10x10 terrain its quite a lot of work, but the Russia terrain is 20x20, so 4x the # of grid sectors to work on.

That terrain must've been an incredible amount of work for you guys...Any chance I could get a larger-scale image of the terrain, without gridlines, numbers, bases, etc -- just the land and water?

I spent about a month researching and plotting the cities, towns, airfields, etc and on a blank image of the terrain that Ghostdancer created for me. Then I whittled down everything to have no more than 250 bases and less than 50,000 total objects. It forced me to do use strats only in larger industrial areas and to minimize the use of towns. Some towns were placed many miles from their associated base because the town was large enough to merit it's placement despite never having an airfield near it during the war.

The southern edge of the terrain slightly overlaps the northern edge of the Black Sea terrain, but the Russia terrain is 1:1 scale and Black Sea is closer to 1:2.

Here's the raw image Ghostdancer provided to me. Sorry, but the grid lines are baked in.