Slitherine

Hi everyone,

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: China: Equatorial South America

Someone stealing my good ideas again! I must congratulate you on the level of detail though.

By the way, you will be able to post a download link when you have made 10 posts on the forums.

- BNC

Hi.

Yes, your mod was inspiration for me, but you focus on scripting historical events. I would like to focus on multiplayer more.

Thank you for the advice with 10 posts.¨

MarkusParkus wrote:Hi.

Yes, your mod was inspiration for me, but you focus on scripting historical events. I would like to focus on multiplayer more.

Thank you for the advice with 10 posts.¨

Actually, War of the World and its predecessor Panzer Fury (no longer avaliable for download) are quite abstracted.

WWI is more based on the vanilla campaigns, so there isn't too much scripting. but yes, I see what you mean.

- BNC

Wow! This map must be huge! I used a similar scale for the Battlefield: Europe mod (about 30-40 km/hex), but obviously it only covers Europe and the surrounding areas. But this one is many times larger and as I see you added more cities, too. Because of the sheer size and the number of units you will also need to use the /nocache switch, I reckon. The other problem might be with the strategic map: units and cities will be too small on that one (maybe just one pixel) so strategic planning will not be easy. And the minimap on the main screen will be all but useless because of its small size compared to the map. Anyway, it is a great project, and I cannot wait to download and check it out! I have a couple questionw. How many in-game days a turn will take? How many turns will there be in the scenario? And approximately how many units per side? Will it end in 1945?

/nocache switch is probably a must. I will see during tests.

The map size is compromise to give at least some reasonable level of detail in Europe or Indonesia and not to be unnecessary big.

Strategic map is definitely going to be just to get some overview - unles I figure out some very tiny icons for unit types.
Regarding strategic map I also have a problem, that it displays units over just black background. But I've had simmilar issue with "Battlefield: Europe" big map and with both "1941" and "War of World" scenarios as well, so I suppose this is generaly a problem of huge maps.

Minimap on the other hand is working good enough for me. You can easily jump through the map to aproximate position via minimap and then use scrolling to get where you need and it is fast enough.

Answers to your questions:
Most of the issues, you are asking about, are not decided yet. I am now creating some testing e-file, then I will run some test, before I make my final decision. But for time being:

- lenght of turn - I would like to set it either 1 or 2 weeks. 1 sounds more realistic with respect to unit movement values, 2 sounds more fun as you will get faster developement.
- length of scenario - My aim is to cover time from 1939 to 1946, but it has some issues with early war years - allied human opponent playing USSR or USA cannot be scripted to wait until he's attacked ). 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.
- on the other hand, I love "what-if" scenarios, so I am also thinking about different entry times and different setups - for time being I am considering just prepared and scripted maps, without units and with huge amount of prestige for players to set up units themselves. This way, it might be possible to have different fictious scenarions, from some early conflicts in 1936 to west vs east clash in 1945 with minimum effort.
- Regarding the end - for me, it would be best to have an unlimited-turns scenario and base the victories just on the victory hexes. But as there is no further unit developement after 1945, I will probably make it until 1946 and then stop.
- number of units is not yet decided - the playtest will show...

I have a question for you as well. For internal testing, I am now using slightly adjusted e-file from Battlefield: Europe. Are you OK with this? And would you give me an approval to use it's parts even later on, for public release?

Thank you...

MarkusParkus wrote:The map size is compromise to give at least some reasonable level of detail in Europe or Indonesia and not to be unnecessary big.

Strategic map is definitely going to be just to get some overview - unles I figure out some very tiny icons for unit types.
Regarding strategic map I also have a problem, that it displays units over just black background. But I've had simmilar issue with "Battlefield: Europe" big map and with both "1941" and "War of World" scenarios as well, so I suppose this is generaly a problem of huge maps.

Minimap on the other hand is working good enough for me. You can easily jump through the map to aproximate position via minimap and then use scrolling to get where you need and it is fast enough.

Answers to your questions:
Most of the issues, you are asking about, are not decided yet. I am now creating some testing e-file, then I will run some test, before I make my final decision. But for time being:

- lenght of turn - I would like to set it either 1 or 2 weeks. 1 sounds more realistic with respect to unit movement values, 2 sounds more fun as you will get faster developement.
- length of scenario - My aim is to cover time from 1939 to 1946, but it has some issues with early war years - allied human opponent playing USSR or USA cannot be scripted to wait until he's attacked ). 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.
- on the other hand, I love "what-if" scenarios, so I am also thinking about different entry times and different setups - for time being I am considering just prepared and scripted maps, without units and with huge amount of prestige for players to set up units themselves. This way, it might be possible to have different fictious scenarions, from some early conflicts in 1936 to west vs east clash in 1945 with minimum effort.
- Regarding the end - for me, it would be best to have an unlimited-turns scenario and base the victories just on the victory hexes. But as there is no further unit developement after 1945, I will probably make it until 1946 and then stop.
- number of units is not yet decided - the playtest will show...

I have a question for you as well. For internal testing, I am now using slightly adjusted e-file from Battlefield: Europe. Are you OK with this? And would you give me an approval to use it's parts even later on, for public release?

Thank you...

The map... talk about unnecessarily big. It might have outgrown even that. I do agree with your idea though - more detail is probably needed. My global map was only 200x80 mostly because I had a picture a similar size to my screen (~1024x500 picture, 1024x768 screen), and I couldn't get too much detail into the "pad" image. At this scale, Okinawa and Iwo Jima are "edges" of hees in appearance, but can be landed on. Malta is completely absent.

My minimap was very crowded in the v1.0 and v1.1 of WotW, so in the new "War of the World II', which is essentially an expansion, I have removed all icons and replaced them with transperant ones, so that you can see the map and not just 2 huge blobs of green and grey (around Europe and China).

Don't even worry about the strategic map. If the "black screen" issue is there for my map, yours will not have it EVER (your thing is 16x the size -> 16x as many resources)

I agree that 1 week is better (historical accuracy in terms of unit speed). You can set it so that all starting units for the USSR and USA are set to appear only on the turn that the player is attacked, and never before.

It will be very easy to change the end of unit deployment times to later than 1945. Just open "equipment.pzdat", and find the column with lots of entries along the lines of 31.12.1945 and 1.1.1946. Set every value in this column to 1.1.1948 - and then the scenario may go to 1947.

1936 start and 1945 NATO vs Comintern... those sound like some of my ideas!

- BNC

Later start for units is probably not an option - what would prevent Axis player to attack Russia or USA?

I have to figure out some other way.

The problem of time after 1946 is not about end of units, but about lack of new units.

I see you misunderstood me. You would set a trigger in the editor saying "if at least 1 axis unit is in zone ## (zone for USSR), trigger this unit to appear. Do this for all USSR units. The USA may be harder to set up, but ultimately the same idea.

- BNC

That might work for Axis, but it will not prevent Allied player to buy his own units and attack axis.

After two days of testing the scripts, I have for now decided for following solution:

Basic strategical mechanics:
Basicaly unlimited (400+) turns....
Victory conditions based on controlling victory points (nations capitals or major cities).
Prestige per turn awards based on controlling secondary points (heavy industry areas, natural resources like oil, iron, coal, precious metals), with some degression (first controlled points are more effective) - to be balanced.

Following nations will be in a war from the beginning:
Axis: Germany, Japan
Allies: UK, China, Poland
France will not be involved in war due its passive role in early war months and will be considered "semi-neutral".

Countries not yet involved in the war will have no units, no flags and their teritory will be clearly marked on the map. Those countries might enter the war, based on criteria stated bellow.

To enter the war means:
- marking of neutral arrea will be removed
- prestige boost will be awarded to side, neutral nation is joining
- flags will apear on all cities, ports, airports and secondary targets, allowing neutral nation immidietly buy their units with gained prestige
- spawning of some units might be possilble in later versions, but for time beeing I want to keep it simple.

Possible criteria for joining one side of the war:
- violation of space by one or both of the sides (for example Russia or USA will join allies when attacked by axis, Low Countries will seek the protection of oposing side when attacked by either axis or allies)
- turn timeout (for example Russia or USA will join allies sometime in 1943 even if they are not attacked)
- area of interest violated by someone (for example Italy will join the war when Germany attacks France, France will join the war when Germany attacks Russia or when Russia goes to war by it self)

Generaly there will be three kinds of scripted behavior of countries:
- resisting neutral - violating their area by anyone will cause them to join opposing side - examples: Low Countries, Norway, Switzerland, Iran,
- in favour of one side - they will allow friends to pass freely, but violation of their area by foes will cause them to join the war on favoured side - examples: France, USSR, Italy, USA
- divided country - violating their area will result in civil war where nation divides into two - one colaborating with invading country, the other oposing - examples: Spain

Combination of condition above sometimes might have more consequences and lead to chain events:
- for example violating of Spanish borders by Axis units my lead to uprising, civil war and also might force Portugeese into allied hands.

For each script two or three zones needs to be defined, so probably there will be around 15 different events prescripted in the map.

MarkusParkus wrote:After two days of testing the scripts, I have for now decided for following solution:

Basic strategical mechanics:
Basicaly unlimited (400+) turns....

Or over a year in actual gameplay if you do a turn each day!

- BNC

As I said before, speed of the game will be adjusted after testing. Main idea is, that the game should end, because one side wins, not because of runing out of turns.

MarkusParkus wrote:
I have a question for you as well. For internal testing, I am now using slightly adjusted e-file from Battlefield: Europe. Are you OK with this? And would you give me an approval to use it's parts even later on, for public release?

Thank you...

Sure. As long as you do it for free.

Thank you for your approval. Of course, it will be for free.

Some news on the progress:

I am now going nation by nation, hand-polishing position of cities, roads, railways and placing airports. Only confirmed pre-1939 airports will be placed on the map.
I will also run some testing on "building units". I am considering creating some units, that can be deployed into facilities (but not back into units). Currently I have in mind:
- Mine laying
- Building fortresses
- Laying aifields (in fact land-based carriers without movements)
- Deploying radars


At the same time, I am scripting behavior of these nations. So far done:

Germany - at war as Axis from the beginning.
UK and colonies - at war as Allied from the beginning
USA - neutral, friendly towards Allied. It will enter the war when attacked by Axis. It will allow Allied units freely pass its teritory. It will join allies in mid 1942 even if not attacked, by their own decision.
USSR - not yet decied, in test now. Most probable result: neutral, freindly towards Allied. It will enter the war when attacked by Axis. It will allow Allied units freely pass its teritory. It will join allies in mid 1942 even if not attacked, by their own decision. Winter war will not be simulated. Molotov-Ribentrop pact will be simulated (if Axis captures west Poland, East poland will become russian territory under the same rules). If anyone have an ideal, how to incorporate Winterwar, to make Soviets playeble from begining but not allowing them to attack Germany too soon, I am open to read them.
France - neutral (simulating the "Sitzkrieg"), friendly toward Allied. It will enter the war, when attacked by Axis or to protect Low Countries. It will allow Allied units freely pass its teritory. It will join allies by their own decision if USSR is attacked or in mid 1942. If the Axis manage to capture all flags in Western France, it will surrender and puppet Vichy France will be established (all remaining French flags and units in colonies will become Axis - Vichy France). Escaped units might continue the war on allied side.
Italy - neutral, friendly toward Axis. It will enter the war when attacked by Allied or to help Axis when assaulting France or USSR. It will allow Axis units freely pass its teritory. It will join Axis by their own decision in mid 1942.
Poland - at war from the begining
Low Countries - neutral. It will join Allied when attacked by Axis. It will join Axis (as Rexis Belgium) if attacked by Allied.
Japan - at war from the begining
Spain - neutral. If attacked by any side, a civil war will start again with Nationalist Spain joining Axis and Republican Spain joining Allied.

Rest of the countries are not yet decided.

Good choice! I think, that e-file represents most the historical accuracy!

MarkusParkus wrote:
I have a question for you as well. For internal testing, I am now using slightly adjusted e-file from Battlefield: Europe. Are you OK with this? And would you give me an approval to use it's parts even later on, for public release?

Thank you...

Uhu wrote:Good choice! I think, that e-file represents most the historical accuracy!

MarkusParkus wrote:
I have a question for you as well. For internal testing, I am now using slightly adjusted e-file from Battlefield: Europe. Are you OK with this? And would you give me an approval to use it's parts even later on, for public release?

Thank you...

But how would you add Japanese and Chinese units? The WotW one for those countries? If you do, you will need to multiply all aircraft fuel levels by 3, as I reduced them for that, considering the scale of the mod.

- BNC

Update on progress:

Europe, Africa, Australia, Oceania and North America has initial setup finished and all nation's behavior is scripted.
Asia is partialy done (China, Japan, USSR and european colonies), some neutral nations needs to be done yet.
South America is not done yet.

I have also included some chain events, making the "diplomacy" more interesting. It still needs some tweeking, but generaly the idea is, that some war declarations might cause more nations to join the war (for example attack on USSR makes Balkan Axis nations to enter the war). New nations scripted:
Slovakia at war on Axis side from begining
Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria neutral, frieldny towards Axis. Axis units may pass freely. Joining war when one of them attacked by Allies or when USSR, Yugoslavia or Greece enters war.
Yugoslavia, Greece neutral, frieldny towards Allies. Allied units may pass freely. Joining war when one of them attacked by Axis.
Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa at war on Allied side from begining.
China at war on Allied side from begining.
Finland neutral, friendly towards Axis (in simulating Winter war and Continuation war which players can not affect). Axis units may pass freely. Joining war and allowing players to control, when attacked by Allies or when USSR enters war.
Norway neutral, friendly towards Allies. Allied units may pass freely. Joining war when attacked by Axis.
Sweden neutral, friendly towards Axis. Axis units may pass freely, simulating agreement with germany about transfer of units to Finland. Joining war when attacked by Allies.
Switzerland neutral. When attacked, joining the oposide side.
Portugal neutral, friendly toward Allies. Allied units may pass freely. Joining war when attacked by Axis. Entering the war will also trigger Spain to re-enter civil war.
Turkey neutral, friendly toward Allies. Allied units may pass freely. Joining war when attacked by Axis.

More nations will follow.

Some screenshots from Editor:
Red lines are borders of true neutral countries.
Green lines are borders of neutral, friendly towards Allies.
Blue lines are borders of neutral, friendly towards Axis.
Gray lines are borders of nations, that enter civil war when attacked.
When a country enters a war, all boundary markings and gray overlay disapears.
After some initial testing I have also decied on some changes in the game
- two weeks in one turn, instead of one, to improve pace of the game. I prefer gameplay to realism in this.
- I am slowly tweaking the economy. Important resources, like mines, industrial cities or oildfields will be secondary targets, determining how much prestige each side gets each turn. Capital cities of major nations will be primary targets, deciding the result of the game.

After a longer break, I am here to update the progress.

Basic economic model is done and I am slowly playtesting it against myself now. For time being, it looks that Axis have to be very carefull on declaring war steb-by-step, otherwise it will be overrun easily by allied economic power. On the other hand, the Axis has almost always the moment of surprise - Allies has to defend a lot of teritory, and Axis can strike anywhere - especialy in Pacific.

Some screenshots
TURN 3:
Also if anyone nows, how to fix this bug on large scale maps, please, let mi know.

And few more screenshots from later game:

TURN 15: