I would put Slovakia under the good looking maps.
For your conf.ini check reply 5 of this link:
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,9756.msg102914.html#msg102914 I have these settings in my game when I fly (mid range PC built last year, decent graphic card, FPS around 60 in CUP, good enough for me).
Back to maps, not all are equal as you have found out ... Actually the very reason I started tweaking maps and eventually started my own(s): I cannot fly using a map that looks like ....hem... I do not like either zig-zag roads so all my roads or rail are handmade. Same goes with airfields, town layout and so forth.
Another thing is flying at midday on the 21st of June 1941 with no clouds at all looks bad for pretty much all maps. Early morning, late afternoon, big clouds, some kind of hazy atmosphere makes it look so much better. In the case of Leningrad as you go towards winter the sun lowers on the horizon, giving you some very nice shading. No such thing in Hawaii!
Having said that I think Rabaul 1944 is in CUP? This one:
http://www.sas1946.com/main/?topic=39938.0.Great textures and some curved roads too!
For VP Pack, it is a separate install from CUP, you can give it a go (if you are keen on the downloads...).
Most of us have multiple installs of IL-2. For example I use:
- "IL-2 Test CUP" for all my flying to test my map creations.
- "IL-2 MMK" my custom 4.12 SAS lightweight install for map making (MMK!)
- "IL-2 DGEN Pack 1.1" This is another mod based on 4.13, very soviet centric, me likes! I use it for the testing of files for a particular campaign generator.
- "IL-2 VP Pack" the VP Media version, also based on 4.12. I do not fly it much but his quick missions for the Stalingrad (Cyberolas) map are visually fabulous!!
- Others I do not even use ...
All installs are in separate folders, each with their own shortcuts on the desktop.