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General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: oboe on January 24, 2022, 04:04:58 PM

Title: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: oboe on January 24, 2022, 04:04:58 PM
I have had so much fun over the years in this game on some great main arena terrains.   I wanted to see what I could do with one of my favorite terrains, CraterMA, reproducing it in as much detail as I could muster, at as large a scale as I could make it, and giving it a vintage AAF Aeronautical Chart style.   I even flew a plane to the NE corner of the map to see what the land was like underneath Greebo's title plate on the clipboard map of CraterMA.  I took screenshots and used the resulting "aerial reconnaissance photos" to reconstruct the NE corner land mass.

Don't know how much further I'll pursue this, but for now may I present a first edition commemorative map of the CraterMA terrain by Greebo:

Click for the full-size version:
(https://i.imgur.com/WQEWUup.jpg)



Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Shuffler on January 24, 2022, 04:10:23 PM
Very cool.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: JimmyD3 on January 24, 2022, 04:14:48 PM
Very Nice
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Marco on January 24, 2022, 04:52:57 PM
Hell yeah! :rock
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Devil 505 on January 24, 2022, 04:59:12 PM
Love it.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Trev95 on January 24, 2022, 05:17:10 PM
This looks amazing!  Someone get Dale on the line.

<S>FBTrev95
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: DmonSlyr on January 24, 2022, 06:46:20 PM
Really like your map design there. Definitely cool.

Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Mongoose on January 24, 2022, 10:40:40 PM
Very cool
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: SpinDoc1 on January 24, 2022, 10:48:58 PM
How does someone build new maps for the MA? And what are the chances of them actually entering rotation? Love this new design, very original!
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: oboe on January 25, 2022, 08:29:30 AM
Thanks guys

Spin, if you're interested in MA terrains go check out the TERRAIN EDITOR forum on this BB.   Kenai/JimmyD3 is currently working on a new terrain depicting all of NW Europe.   I guess there are a lot of steps and requirements to building and submitting a terrain to be used in the MA.   Hitech ultimately approves or rejects terrain submissions.    The last new terrain in the MA was NorthCo, I believe.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Shane on January 25, 2022, 08:53:10 AM
Awesome work!   :aok :salute
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Hajo on January 25, 2022, 10:21:14 AM
Nice work Oboe!
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Eagler on January 27, 2022, 07:13:16 AM
Very nice!

Any additional topo features in the map are appreciated as currently they are basically featureless

Eagler
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Max on January 27, 2022, 07:31:22 AM
That looks fabulous Oboe! Thanks for the effort  :aok
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: oboe on January 27, 2022, 08:48:44 AM
Thank you.  I wish I had access to supply roads and RR track information - it could make the map actually useful for planning strikes.

I printed the map across a couple of pages and joined the together and it came out as a roughly 15"x11" map sheet.  It looks pretty good, except that when printed there is less contrast between the land and sea than we see in the online image.   May have to lighten the water even more for a printable version...
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: oboe on February 01, 2022, 10:54:08 AM
Made a version for the Baltic terrain:

Click for full-size version of image:
(https://i.imgur.com/AqEGoEQ.jpg)


Also made greyscale versions which make pretty good tracking charts for MA bombing missions:

(https://i.imgur.com/0m6uy8G.jpg)         (https://i.imgur.com/L5zb5kT.jpg)
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: JimmyD3 on February 01, 2022, 12:11:57 PM
Very nice Oboe. :rock
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Eagler on February 01, 2022, 12:19:36 PM
Nice!

Eagler
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Marco on February 01, 2022, 01:21:40 PM
Beautiful.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Bizman on February 01, 2022, 01:53:58 PM
O' Boe! The only thing that disturbs me a bit is the viewing angle of the map. But it's not your fault, it's how the map projection works - Gall-Peters or something similar I suppose. Gauss-Krüger is what we're more used to here.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: oboe on February 01, 2022, 03:51:05 PM
O' Boe! The only thing that disturbs me a bit is the viewing angle of the map. But it's not your fault, it's how the map projection works - Gall-Peters or something similar I suppose. Gauss-Krüger is what we're more used to here.

Yes I bet - depending on the projection used, far northern and southern land areas can become quite distorted.     I do like the clean layout of the bases on this map though.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Max on February 01, 2022, 05:37:03 PM
Not to reflect in any way on your fine craftsmanship Oboe but what would be really cool was a map like this that had a legend as to the town layouts....i.e.  SW-NE  or  SE -NW.

`js <S>
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: oboe on February 01, 2022, 06:32:56 PM
I'm all for anything that makes the maps more useful, but can you show me what you mean?   I'm not sure what is meant by a town layout being SW-NE.   I assume its the orientation, but what is North on a town map?

For example, does this map show a N-S town orientation?

(https://i.imgur.com/UMeafEn.png)
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Max on February 01, 2022, 07:37:42 PM
The town layout you show is typical of about 80% of towns in that a bombing run to white flag it would require an approach from 8:00 (SW) towards a 2:00 (NE) egress, or vice versa. The remaining bases (with towns) are laid out in a way that require a 4:00 (SE) to 10:00 (NW) (or vice versa) bomb run. Most of the earlier AH3 maps are the former. Those who like to be inbound and calibrated half a sector out would benefit in knowing which layout they're dealing with.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: JimmyD3 on February 01, 2022, 10:12:11 PM
The town layout you show is typical of about 80% of towns in that a bombing run to white flag it would require an approach from 8:00 (SW) towards a 2:00 (NE) egress, or vice versa. The remaining bases (with towns) are laid out in a way that require a 4:00 (SE) to 10:00 (NW) (or vice versa) bomb run. Most of the earlier AH3 maps are the former. Those who like to be inbound and calibrated half a sector out would benefit in knowing which layout they're dealing with.

On maps that I generate, I try to set all even number bases 2/8, odd number 10/4.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Max on February 02, 2022, 06:46:16 AM
On maps that I generate, I try to set all even number bases 2/8, odd number 10/4.

Good to know, will keep that in mind and pass along to fellow Bish bombers.
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: oboe on February 02, 2022, 07:52:46 AM
The town layout you show is typical of about 80% of towns in that a bombing run to white flag it would require an approach from 8:00 (SW) towards a 2:00 (NE) egress, or vice versa. The remaining bases (with towns) are laid out in a way that require a 4:00 (SE) to 10:00 (NW) (or vice versa) bomb run. Most of the earlier AH3 maps are the former. Those who like to be inbound and calibrated half a sector out would benefit in knowing which layout they're dealing with.

Can I white flag a town with a set of B-17s?   I need to try this - I'm not sure what size bombs, salvo setting and delay is best?
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: Eagler on February 02, 2022, 08:56:38 AM
Are towns all the same size now?

Sorry but I have paid that much attention to base capture over the last 20 something years playing this game :)

You would think different town layouts and size would improve game play for the base capture folks

Eagler
Title: Re: Main Arena map; vintage-style
Post by: JimmyD3 on February 02, 2022, 09:08:33 AM
Are towns all the same size now?

Sorry but I have paid that much attention to base capture over the last 20 something years playing this game :)

You would think different town layouts and size would improve game play for the base capture folks

Eagler

Agreed Eagler, I would love to see the AH2 towns and especially the AH2 Tank Town incorporated into AH3.