MWiF Map Review - America

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Frederyck

They look beautiful!

One comment: I am not sure how wide the inlet outside Maracaibo is, but given that we have a hexdot south of it (Lake Maracaibo) we are assuming that an enemy fleet could sail past the narrow part unhampered and that you can invade the Encontrados hex and that you can give Shore Bombardment in support during this.

First, let me say again that this is the same on the WiF FE map.

Now, investigating a little, from Google Earth, I see that the inlet is about 40 km long and from 6-7 km to 18-20 km wide. Thats more narrow than Gibraltar.

[Gibraltar is 15 km wide at its narrowest point, and the length of the "narrow way" (15-40 km) is 50 km long. Just to compare to other places, the Malaca strait eastern entry is not wider (a couple of 15 km wide "entries"), and the length of the "narrow way" (about 40-60 km wide) is 300-350 km. The Strait of Aden is 20-40 km wide, and about 100 km long.]

But Gibraltar is also on of the the most important (maybe THE most important) base of the British, and they occupy it since 200 years, so maybe their strong naval occuation & patrols and their fortification of the Rock lead to the "blockade effect".

As a side note, that's why I advocate having other rules for Gibraltar passage in WiF FE, because what is blocking the way is not the land, but the military installations.

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Maracaibo) we learn that it was the theater of a naval battle in 1823, a battle in the Venezuelan War of Independence. So, warships from early 19th century can enter the lake.
Also, I learnt that Lake Maracaibo is made of Brackish water which means less salted than seawater, but slatier than fresh water.

Also, in Pirate Gold, the famous Sid Meyer's game about piracy in the Caribbean during the 16th-17th century, I remember that I could sail my fleet inside the lake and attack its inner shores easily.

Is this viable? As I implied, I haven't ever been near the place, but when I look at maps such as Lake Maracaibo at Encarta it looks like an awfully tight squeeze that might be comparable to the Strait of Gibraltar.

I know that the Oil hex in Venezuela has an all-sea side hex i WiF.

Well, I don't know if this is viable for 20th century warships, but given what I wrote previously, I think that Lake Maracaibo can stay part of the Caribbean sea and allow ships to interact with its shores.

[Froonp]

1) Vera Cruz should be Veracruz. He pointed that out right away.
2) Not sure if you are putting stuff like "Island of" in a space but if so, it should be Isla del Carmen.

The map agree with you on Veracruz, so it is corrected.
For "Island of", I'm not sure of what you mean, but normaly I did not use the word "island" for island names, for example, Wake is simply "Wake", not "Wake Island". Is that what you were asking ?

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: iamspamus
Hey guys, beautiful map, as usual. I talked with a guy who has been on Guantanamo and he said that MOST of the base is on the right side of the bay, not the left. Think it's too late but the US hex should straddle the bay, but mostly be on the right. Otherwise, probably the right hex should be the US space, unless you wanted to keep the space surrounded by Cuban spaces.

Well, I guess we cannot do much about it, except redraw the coastlines of this part of Cuba.

This said, I was not 100% happy with those coastlines (SE Cuba), because the overall landmass seemed not quite like the real map's landmasses, but I judged that this area was really not that important to bother redoing it, and let it how it was.

Now, if there is a concensus toward habing southeastern Cuba better... Is there one ?

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: qgaliana
This is gonna be so pretty [&o]
Any chance it will run on a mac? I'd buy a second copy for a friend of mine just to play him.

It is not in the project plans, though using a Mac to run Windows (XP?) under emulation is a possibility.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
Colombia, Venezuela, and British Guyana. Personally, I like the detail around Maracaibo.

While I was reviewing the map, a couple of days ago, I saw in horror that Baranquilla was on the wrong side of the Magdalena river. Granted, this is a place that may never see a single unit, but I would like MWiF to have the best map possible, so I looked for solutions.

Here is what I found. On the left, this is how it is, on the center this is reality as of 1985, and on the right this is my proposal for change.

Edit : I also changed the terrain in Baranquilla, so that it is as on the WiF FE maps and reality seems to warrant a clear hex rather than a mountain hex. I also shown the southern hex changed into Forest.

May I propose this to Rob, Steve ?

We should also send him the Willamette modification.

Edit : Changed the picture.

Patrice,

Let's let the forum members review the remaining 2 map segments (South America) and perhaps after a week of gestation put together a 'final' list of map modifications for Rob. I would like to tell him: "these are the last map modifications, and then it is done." I was able to do that with the units, and I haven't been back to him about any additional changes since May, 2006. As of today, map changes are: Calcutta, the Williamette, and Baranquilla. That's a pretty short list given that there are 5054 coastal hexes and 7173 river hexes/hexsides bitmaps.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
Let's let the forum members review the remaining 2 map segments (South America) and perhaps after a week of gestation put together a 'final' list of map modifications for Rob. I would like to tell him: "these are the last map modifications, and then it is done." I was able to do that with the units, and I haven't been back to him about any additional changes since May, 2006. As of today, map changes are: Calcutta, the Williamette, and Baranquilla.

There is also the Zuider Zee to make as a Lake.

That's a pretty short list given that there are 5054 coastal hexes and 7173 river hexes/hexsides bitmaps.

Don't forget that I already had posted the drafts on the forums before going to Rob, so there already were a lots of changes [:D].

[Froonp]

There is also the All sea hexside between Hex 46,28 (Sheffield) and hex 45,28 (Hull) that can be improved (made deeper).

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Froonp
There is also the All sea hexside between Hex 46,28 (Sheffield) and hex 45,28 (Hull) that can be improved (made deeper).

You might want to review all the trouble spots from the WIFFE European map - the MWIF graphics were taken directly from that artwork.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: Froonp
There is also the All sea hexside between Hex 46,28 (Sheffield) and hex 45,28 (Hull) that can be improved (made deeper).

You might want to review all the trouble spots from the WIFFE European map - the MWIF graphics were taken directly from that artwork.

So there might have been an alignement problem, by looking at this comparison, you see that the Hull / Sheffield separation is obvious on the WiF map, and not obvious at all on the MWiF map.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

It is more than simple alignment. The original WIF FE artwork had to be stretched along both axes to fit the given pixels per hex. And then the WI FE map did not have complete hexes along the borders, so the final version I got from Rob had to be repositioned both N-S and E-W to allow for the missing pixels (5 as I recall).

[Shannon V. OKeets]

Here are the final 2 map segments: South America. I'll start with the 3 Guyanas and the mouths of the Amazon.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

Here are most of the rivers that feed the Amazon.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: Froonp
There is also the All sea hexside between Hex 46,28 (Sheffield) and hex 45,28 (Hull) that can be improved (made deeper).

You might want to review all the trouble spots from the WIFFE European map - the MWIF graphics were taken directly from that artwork.

There might be an alignement problem, but it may be easier to correct the few places where it shows, that try to realign the European map, now that the rest of the map portions are connected to it.

Here are the places that are doubtfull on the European map and that will be understood wrong if not changed (are separated by an all sea hexside that is not obvious on the MWiF map).
Completely wrong :
- Sheffield / Hull.
- Turku / Hango.
- Nikolayev / hex W (moreover, the river SE of Nikolayev does not connect perfectly with the shore).

Slightly doubtfull :
- Bristol / Cardiff.
- Kiel / Bremen.
- Le Havre / hex SE.
- Bordeaux / hex E (moreover, the river does not connect perfectly with the shore).
- Evpatoria / Sevastopol.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

More of Brazil, including its capital, plus all of Paraguay.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

Southern tip of Brazil and Uruguay.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

The rail network linking Buenos Aires to Santiago. Valparaiso is a real nice port, but it would be tough to capture.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

I thought I should show one screen shot at the highest zoom level (8).

[Shannon V. OKeets]

The middle section of Chile and Argentina. Now you know where Patagonia is (it is not in Asia).

Look at all the lovely work Rob did (working with Patrice's draft) in the islands off the Chilean coast.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

Here are some famous names: Cape Horn, Magellan Strait, Drake Passage, Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Islands (Las Malvinas). That is Port Stanley that had its name trimmed.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

Northwestern Argentina and most of northern Chile.