Oleg Maddox's Room #1

[Asheshouse]

Its interesting to see the map tools which it is planned to be available with the sim.

Will it be possible to overlay scans of real maps so that these can be used as a guide when creating the terrain model, laying out roads, rail, towns, woods, waterways etc?

Will it be possible to import satellite height data (SRTM Data) to create the initial terrain model?

Will it be possible to automatically fill ground textures with buildings and objects, based on standard templates? If so can the standard templates be edited by the map maker?

Will there be any fixed limits on the size of map which can be created?

Will it be possible to copy and paste groups of objects in a map?

Will it be possible to copy and paste groups of objects from one map to another map.

Automatic aligning and spacing of objects?

Will it be possible for rivers/bridges to be above sea level. On IL-2 maps the water surfaces and bridges are all at zero level.

Will it be possible to create more complex rail systems including rail sidings, rail junctions, embankments, cuttings, more realistic looking bridges (without approach ramps), tunnels, rail over road bridges, road over rail bridges?

Will it be possible to make steps in a river, to create waterfalls, river weirs, lock systems, enclosed harbours etc.

Will the sea be tidal with more land exposed at low tide?

Will you be able to crop out part of a large map to easily create a small custom map for online use.

Will you be able to extend the boundaries of an existing map to cover a larger geographical area?

Just a few thoughts.

[_ITAF_UgoRipley]

If you ever want to read some answers to your Qs, please stop here !!
Just kidding...

As far as I understood, the users will be able to build maps up to a certain size, the bigger ones reserved to Oleg's Team or 3rd party developers.

And I hope there'll be no photo texturing since this makes maps look really dull and flat.

[Bobb4]

Tanks, numberplates and open hatches - WoW the detail is amazing but something is missing! Where are the people, will they be rendered, will we see tank crews around parked tanks. Crews manning AA guns. Truck drivers etc...
Or will everything be empty?

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by Asheshouse

Its interesting to see the map tools which it is planned to be available with the sim.

Will it be possible to overlay scans of real maps so that these can be used as a guide when creating the terrain model, laying out roads, rail, towns, woods, waterways etc?

Will it be possible to import satellite height data (SRTM Data) to create the initial terrain model?

Will it be possible to automatically fill ground textures with buildings and objects, based on standard templates? If so can the standard templates be edited by the map maker?

Will there be any fixed limits on the size of map which can be created?

Will it be possible to copy and paste groups of objects in a map?

Will it be possible to copy and paste groups of objects from one map to another map.

Automatic aligning and spacing of objects?

Will it be possible for rivers/bridges to be above sea level. On IL-2 maps the water surfaces and bridges are all at zero level.

Will it be possible to create more complex rail systems including rail sidings, rail junctions, embankments, cuttings, more realistic looking bridges (without approach ramps), tunnels, rail over road bridges, road over rail bridges?

Will it be possible to make steps in a river, to create waterfalls, river weirs, lock systems, enclosed harbours etc.

Will the sea be tidal with more land exposed at low tide?

Will you be able to crop out part of a large map to easily create a small custom map for online use.

Will you be able to extend the boundaries of an existing map to cover a larger geographical area?

Just a few thoughts.

You would like to know to much and too early.
Right now I would say that most of requested by you features are used for internal tools.
For the end user some of them will be removed due to many commercial reasons.

100% answer can be done for the size of map. For the end users it will be limited in size. Because the great size map will will keep only for us, as a developrs of the next after BoB new sim or/nad map + objects addons on a payware basis.
So in general enduser will be able to make own maps say for online gameplay in proportions like it is done for Il-2.

[HFC_Dolphin]

So, Oleg, how large can these user-made maps be?
Can we get a minimum of 100x100 kms?

[JVM]

Originally Posted by Oleg Maddox

Right now I would say that most of requested by you features are used for internal tools.
For the end user some of them will be removed due to many commercial reasons.

Hello Oleg!

I can understand the statement above...to a degree!
Does that mean for instance there will be limitations on size or which zones are acceptable (that is commercially OK), or that useful creation tools would be forbidden to non-commercial creators?
I believe many map makers would be interested in making accurate specific operational or target areas like airfields, radar stations, V-weapon sites, marshalling yards, bridges...the list is endless! To insure proper insertion in the bigger map, "pruning", "grafting" and duplicating tools will be a must...are you referring to this kind of tools?

Will it be possible that MG integrate (a bit like in IL2) certain high-quality and accurate (= up to MG standard) non-commercial areas in the basic maps during a update, for everyone to benefit?

Thanks again for all your updates, cordially

JVM

PS If ever you have time to answer some of the questions I asked before (and also via direct mail) I believe I may not be the only one interested...even if the answer is "too early to say"!

[dflion]

Originally Posted by Oleg Maddox

You would like to know to much and too early.
Right now I would say that most of requested by you features are used for internal tools.
For the end user some of them will be removed due to many commercial reasons.

100% answer can be done for the size of map. For the end users it will be limited in size. Because the great size map will will keep only for us, as a developrs of the next after BoB new sim or/nad map + objects addons on a payware basis.
So in general enduser will be able to make own maps say for online gameplay in proportions like it is done for Il-2.

Oleg, thanks for your answer to ‘Asheshouse’ excellent questions. (see above)

It looks as though the map making tools will be very comprehensive – you will have a basic set of tools for ‘end users’ and a more comprehensive set of tools for ‘developers’. The ‘end users’ will be able to make their own maps to the size of our current online maps for free and the ‘developers’ will have access to create much larger maps to on-sell on a payware basis.

I know that most of our community would always want to fly (including me), though I have enjoyed making some quite realistic ‘ground action’ to fly over –or attack, in some of my campaign missions using our current FMB.

Question 1. With much more realistic ground vehicles/objects in SOW-BOB, will you be able to create more accurate ground battles – artillery placements, troop movements, tank movements etc while you are fighting the air battle? – will this eventually lead to some alternative ground fighting simulation play with the air battle doing an ‘AI’ above you?

Question 2. Can you divulge any more information about the airfield environments in SOW-BOB? I am very interested to know if you can get ‘AI’ aircraft to taxi from their dispersal points to their take-off points and on return from the mission, taxi back to their dispersal point to rearm and refuel.

Question 3. Will you be able to change skins on static parked airfield aircraft?

Question 4. Will there be some ‘AI people animation’ during rearming and refuelling.

Question 5. Can static airfield aircraft be modelled with panels removed/raised for service or repair.

Question 6. Will there be a comprehensive set of animated/static airfield service vehicles?

DFLion

[II/JG54_Emil]

Dear Mr. Oleg Maddox,

since I saw the extremely detailed moddeling of ground objects, I begin to wonder if it wouldn´t be a nice feature to fight(armed with a cute little pistol) ones way back to friendly lines when shot down over enemy territory?

I know it rarely happened in history but was possible.

I bet many of us thought of that scenario when reading XY was captured by enemyforces.

Thanks for answering,
Emil

P.S.: If someone else already asked the same question, I´m sorry. But I couldn´t find it anywhere.

[Igo kyu]

Originally Posted by II/JG54_Emil

Dear Mr. Oleg Maddox,

since I saw the extremely detailed moddeling of ground objects, I begin to wonder if it wouldn´t be a nice feature to fight(armed with a cute little pistol) ones way back to friendly lines when shot down over enemy territory?

I know it rarely happened in history but was possible.

I bet many of us thought of that scenario when reading XY was captured by enemyforces.

Thanks for answering,
Emil

P.S.: If someone else already asked the same question, I´m sorry. But I couldn´t find it anywhere.

In the offline situation I wouldn't want that, but I would like some (10%? 5%? 2%?) chance of making it back to base if shot down over the enemy lines. Otherwise there's no point bailing out or landing on the other side of the front line, you might just as well crash, it's probably quicker. It may never have happened on the Eastern Front, but in the West it was occasionally known to happen, and given all the subs at least crossing the "front lines" in the Pacific, I would imagine that some pilots were occasionally recovered there. Perhaps if you did make it back to base, it might be that in a career that would sometimes mean the start of a new campaign.