I would like to see a Kumming Map. There are dramatic mountain landscapes in western China and I understand that this area was an active air combat zone up to the end of World War II.
I've tried my hand at modifying maps, but did not get far with it. My hat is off to anyone who can actually create a map. However, I would like to offer some thoughts on how developing the China maps could be approached:
Airfield Locations - After putting in the airfields for which there is least some information about, I would put in speculative airfields to make the map mission builder friendly. The speculative airfields could be textured so that they are not very noticeable from a distance. That way, if someone thinks a given airfield is inappropriate at a certain location, at least, it could be ignored. Ideally, there should be enough airfields to go around for both the Red and Blue sides. In the absence of more complete information, I think the emphasis should be on making the map readily playable.
Airfield Facilties - I suspect that most were of a very primitive nature. I would assume that all were turf or compacted earth. Those near a large city might have some sheds or even hangars. For those in more remote areas and for which there is no specific information about the airfield, I would put in only the landing strip and let the mission builder decide whether airfield facilities consisted of buildings or just a tent city.
I would put make sure the runway was flat and usable. Unfortunately, on some existing maps, not all airfields are usable.
River Crossings: It is my understanding that there were few, if any, bridges over the large rivers in China in the 1930's and 40's. So, I would put a minimal ferry landing on both sides of a river crossing on the roads between major cities.
Cities and Villages: Regarding cities and villages, I would begin by putting a street texture at the site of the city. Having a texture suggesting turf where there are non-farm type building just doesn't look realistic. It appears that the more recent maps include some kind of street texture at city and village sites.
"China" Objects - Another problem with Asian maps is that there aren't enough Asian style buildings available. The few existing Asian buildings are made for Japan. They have been used on other Asian maps because there is nothing else available. Traditional buildings in China are somewhat different. It would be a great help if someone could re-skin existing objects to create some Chinese style buildings, just like they did to create Mediterranean buildings.
I hope someone, with the ability, will take up this cause. Some China maps would be a great addition to IL-2.
Cheers,
Riptide
Author
Topic: DOWNLOAD CHINA Starter Map Pack (Read 24063 times)
