Operation Exporter, Damour Scenario. WIP

[Chief Rudiger]

Hi,

I've created a very basic scenario to test out my first 3x2 km map. It is based on a contemporary tracing annotated with some of the Vichy French defences on the Damour River, during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign, June-July 1941. The source is the 2/27th Aust Bn War Diary.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Damour

The actual scenario simply have secure/defend objectives for the two sides, 3:1 force ratio, and is to play test the map. I would appreciate any tips on map making, particularly , on how to choose which features to include and how to ensure they work properly in game. For example, you will see that the riverside road is unusable due the the gradient.

Eventually, i would like to expand the scenario to depict the entire Damour river/town operation with addition exit/delay orders, air support etc.

The scenario, map and tracing are zipped in the following downloadable file.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5PBTC2YG

And here is a larger (period) map which much of the detail came from.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=K2QCA71Z

[Prince of Eckmühl]

That looks terrific, Chief.

Your map is nicely done, very polished looking.

Keep us posted!

[Chief Rudiger]

Thanks,

I've found the hardest thing with mapmaking at this scale is to know when to stop adding detail and how the details will effect game play.

I've roughed out an elevation model for a 9x7km map using a 1:50,000 topological map and plan to add detail from a 1:12,500 tracing, reasonaing that what roads/woods/villages seemed important to its author is probably important to the game.

What i'd really like to do is mod the graphics to mimic those of the periods maps as i love parts of each of the existing graphic mods but don't think any one suits perfectly my conception of Lebanon.

As you might tell, progress isn't rapid!

[Arjuna]

Re what details to include. Please keep in mind that while the MapMaker tool allows you tremendous accuracy for defining and placing terrain, the AI uses a 100m terrain grid. To determine the dominant terrain, move and hit effects it uses some extensive algorythms. In general if no dominant terrain feature is identified for a give grid it will average the effects. If a dominant terrain type is identified it will either use that exclusively or in combination with some other feature. Forts and urban terrain dominate for instance. So you might only have a small portion of the grid covered by village, but it will be deemed to be village for hit effects. The rationale for this is that the units would naturally use the village as cover.

Similarly major rivers and or normal rivers that prohibit movement for one or more move types ( ie foot or motorised ) will invoke special code that aims to prevent diagonal movement. It pulgs these virtual holes by making them impassable. this can override the actual terrain in the grid. In effect it flows the river into the adjacent grid.