New map rework: Hameln (RS9)

[rjlee]

I have completed a rework of Red Storm 9 ("The Pied Piper") using the vector techniques I've been playing with over the past few days. While these still have to be done by hand, the various art elements have been coded into a series of cascading styles, so in theory all that is necessary to create additional maps is to mark the shapes in the right layers and "tag" them with the appropriate styles. In practice I doubt it will be that simple, but we will see.

Stylistically I was shooting for a "flat" military-style map with minimal textures, which would be well-suited to conversion to a black-and-white planning map. However, I had some ideas this morning for a simple shaded relief layer, which I've implemented. I have mixed feelings about it: the terrain model in FCRS isn't particularly well-suited for shaded relief, and in some ways I think the shading detracts from my original goal (others have done 3D much better). But, it seems to make reading the terrain a little bit easier and while I would probably not use it in a planning map/AAR illustration, it might make gameplay easier. I have included both versions for you to try out.

I have also prepared a simplified "planning map" for those of you who like to develop orders overlays and the like.

Flat version: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/Red%20Storm%209%20flat.png

Shaded version: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/Red%20Stor ... shaded.png

Planning map: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/Red%20Stor ... %20map.jpg

Now, off to download v2.04...

[rjlee]

Version with shading layer on.

[rjlee]

Simplified planning map.

[pekische]

really nice, clear and readable...!

[Kado]

That's one awesome piece of art. Thank you for sharing this with community!

[Rosseau]

That is really sweet and up to the standards of this great game. Not to take anything away from W1ll14m and all his maps. Great stuff. Thanks.

[kipanderson]

Hi,

Yup, they do look very good...

Congratulations...

All the best,
Kip.

[Mad Russian]

Hameln, everybody's second favorite place to fight!

Nice soft presentation for the terrain.

Good Hunting.

MR

[rjlee]

Here is a rework of Red Storm 1 (Bad Neustadt), in both flat and shaded formats. I have also included a planning map.

Flat version: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/Red%20Storm%201%20flat.png

Shaded version: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/Red%20Stor ... shaded.png

Planning map: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/Red%20Stor ... %20map.jpg

[rjlee]

And a rework of CA 5 Red Storm (Bremen), with the usual variations.

Flat: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/CA%205%20R ... 20flat.png

Shaded: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/CA%205%20R ... shaded.png

Planning map: http://www.rjlee.org/FPCmaps/CA%205%20R ... %20map.jpg

[Kado]

I've been just playing a game with your Red Storm 1 map. It's really great. All these nice little things such as marking town hall in Bad Neustadt, nature preserve just south of the city or castle on the opposite side of river add huge ammount of immersion. Great job and thank you!

[wodin]

Love it. Have posted this thread on my Tactical Wargames FB page. I will def use these maps if you manage to do them all:) Like the planning version..or shaded..not sure which:)

[pekische]

I would like to see all maps made by you too

[Phoenix100]

+1. Love the unshaded version most. Nice and clear, no clutter, yet, as Kado says, the little details ad to the immersion. Great stuff. Thanks.

But - no doubt this is my stupidity - but how do I get the files to use? When I click on your links all I get is a picture (a PNG) of the map, not a download (I need an fp9 file, right?)?

[wodin]

right click and save. then rename them to the proper name and they are good to go.

[MikeAP]

I can actually see elevation!

[SeriousCatNZ]

It's so... *sob* beautiful...



I hope you redo all the official maps.

[rjlee]

Thanks all! Glad you like the format. I am still playing with things so we will see how this goes.

The reworked maps are not difficult to do but they do take some time. Red Storm 1 took about 7 hours to complete, with a few more hours of polishing. A disproportionate amount of that number is spent on the road network (not drawing, but identifying the correct route numbers -- Ortelius tracks road "objects" and names them individually). Truthfully this is not entirely necessary but it's a bit of chrome that I like.

I do wish that I could figure out a better way to get at the elevation data, as this is what I use to draw each independent terrain level (i.e., I draw plateaus around all the 1s, then around all the 2s, then around all the 3s). What I do now is load the game, turn elevation numbers on, take a series of screen shots, stitch them together for a complete map, and then import into Ortelius. This is perfectly workable but it would be nice to be able to generate otherwise blank hexmaps from the .FP9 files where all the 1s are in bright green, then all the 2s are in bright green, etc. If there is a way to do this in Hexdraw then I may pick that package up.

[WildCatNL]

ORIGINAL: rjlee

Thanks all! Glad you like the format. I am still playing with things so we will see how this goes.

The reworked maps are not difficult to do but they do take some time. Red Storm 1 took about 7 hours to complete, with a few more hours of polishing. A disproportionate amount of that number is spent on the road network (not drawing, but identifying the correct route numbers -- Ortelius tracks road "objects" and names them individually). Truthfully this is not entirely necessary but it's a bit of chrome that I like.

I do wish that I could figure out a better way to get at the elevation data, as this is what I use to draw each independent terrain level (i.e., I draw plateaus around all the 1s, then around all the 2s, then around all the 3s). What I do now is load the game, turn elevation numbers on, take a series of screen shots, stitch them together for a complete map, and then import into Ortelius. This is perfectly workable but it would be nice to be able to generate otherwise blank hexmaps from the .FP9 files where all the 1s are in bright green, then all the 2s are in bright green, etc. If there is a way to do this in Hexdraw then I may pick that package up.

Great looking maps (and markers).

I might be able to help out in two ways:
- I'm capable of reading the .fp9 files and render maps just containing the elevation colors. You can even specify your colors for the elevation levels. Pls send me a message
- I've been making solid steps towards being able to generate valid FCRS maps from GIS data (OpenStreetMap + elevation data) using GIS tooling. This might be even more useful to you, as it would give you good plateau boundaries, city/forest boundaries and all key street names.

William

[Mad Russian]

The official elevation colors would be good but not absolutely necessary.

Good Hunting.

MR