I've recently finished Yet Another World Map. For now, it is just a raw map for Vannila Panzercorps. Not a scenario yet, but I am uploading it, so it is available for everyone to use. Later on, I am going to develop it into multiplayer scenario.
Map parameters:
Size 818x302 hexes.
Distance between two hexes - approx 50km (vary with latitude).
Projection - transverse Mercator
The whole map was by hand, following these steps:
1) Creation of water areas (oceans, seas, rivers and lakes) based on satelite images of the earth.
2) Creating of city and railway network, based on Digital Chart of the World.
- in dense populated areas, only main railway lines and big cities are used, to avoid overcrowding the map
- in sparse populated areas, even small towns and all railway lines are used, to fill in the map with some interesting tactical possibilities
- city naming was done manualy by comparing data position with googlemaps - so there might be some errors in placing or typos in naming
3) Mountains and hills were added, based on SLOPE recalculation of SRTM30 DEM
- using slope data instead of heights allowed better displaying of plateaus and bigger variety of terrain on some areas
4) Rest of the hexes were filled based on Land cover classigication from GLC2000.
- Tree covered areas are displayed as forreset, deep forests or jungles, based on their latitude
- Shrub and herbaceous covered area are displayed as clear
- Cultivated and mosaic arreas are displayed as countryside
- Cultivated and mosaic arreas are also displayed as bocage, where suitable (for example rice fields in China)
- Flooded areas are diplayed as swamps
- Bare areas or snow and ice areas are diplayed as either desert or clear, based on their location
- Artificial areas are displayed as more cities.
5) Last layer added was road network. No atomated data could be used for this, as the road network is to dense, so handwork based on google maps was used
- in dense populated areas, roads were put to connect all cities the most suitable way
- in sparse populated areas, major roads were implemented, often adjusted to fit in generated terain
Beside points stated above, some hand-polishing was done. For example major fjords were put in manualy or some railways, roads and citypositions were adjusted to fit in chosen scale better or to offer some gameplay possibilities. This needs further tweaking, based on some playtests.
All data used are dated from 1992-1997. In 1940s there was probably less railways, less roads and less cultivated areas, also different cities were considered important. As there is no consistent world data from 1940, adapting map to 1940 might be possible later on, but only by manual adjustments.
Plans for near future:
- create a WW2 multiplayer scenario out of this map, including:
-- balanced start for Axis and Allied sides (start year not yet decided)
-- victory points (used to decide which side is winning the map and for spawning some special units as a reward for controlling them)
-- major industrial areas (used to buy units when controlled)
-- major resource areas (used to generate prestige when controlled)
The forum do not allow me to place download link yet, so for time being here are some screeshots, download linkg will follow as soon as the forum allows me to do so.:
Europe:
- Europe
- V22_SCN1_Europe.jpg (198.24 KiB) Viewed 9312 times
- China
- V22_SCN2_China.jpg (213.23 KiB) Viewed 9312 times
- South America
- V22_SCN3_EquatorialSouthAmerica.jpg (227.37 KiB) Viewed 9312 times
). If I don't figure out, how to fix this, I will make the main scenario cover time from 1942-1946, which doesn't have those issues.
