New Velikie Luki Summer map

[Avimimus]

Any good spots to sight-see?

 

It seems really nice from what little I've explored.

[Mika_87]

Looking forward to try this map. It look so good in screenshots! Hopefully we get some missions or campaigns too ?

[SYN_Vander]

47 minutes ago, Mika_87 said:

Looking forward to try this map. It look so good in screenshots! Hopefully we get some missions or campaigns too ?

 

Look here: 

 

 

Or better use the EMG to quickly generate a mission: https://sites.google.com/view/il2-great-battles-emg/

 

Forum link: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/43276-il2-great-battles-easy-mission-generator/

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by SYN_Vander

[zeus--]

Hi pilots!

There are a lot of changes in the map for both season: new RW stations and Airfields. Many cities and villages have been completely rebuilt. Added farms, windmills, factories, etc.

 

Еven some kind of small "Easter Eggs" added

Please use the new objects templates for creating new and replace it in yours old missions. 

...game folder...\data\Template\Vluki_ALL_su.Group - for summer VL map
...game folder...\data\Template\Vluki_ALL_wi.Group - for winter VL map 

[FeuerFliegen]

Just got back from my super sekret spy mission...

 

New sekret train discovered!

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by SCG_FeuerFliegen

[Juri_JS]

43 minutes ago, zeus-- said:

Hi pilots!

There are a lot of changes in the map for both season: new RW stations and Airfields. Many cities and villages have been completely rebuilt. Added farms, windmills, factories, etc.

The map is really well done, good work Zeus.

 

I have a question - Some sources mention a German forward airfield called "Maklok", 60 km south of Toropets, probably somewhere near Il'ino. III./JG 53 was based there in August and September 1941. Have you found any information on this airfield?

 

Henry L. deZeng mentions it in his compilation of Luftwaffe airfields in Russia:

https://www.ww2.dk/Airfields - Russia and Ukraine.pdf

Edited August 18, 2020 by Juri_JS

[SYN_Vander]

54 minutes ago, zeus-- said:

Hi pilots!

There are a lot of changes in the map for both season: new RW stations and Airfields. Many cities and villages have been completely rebuilt. Added farms, windmills, factories, etc.

 

Еven some kind of small "Easter Eggs" added

Please use the new objects templates for creating new and replace it in yours old missions. 

...game folder...\data\Template\Vluki_ALL_su.Group - for summer VL map
...game folder...\data\Template\Vluki_ALL_wi.Group - for winter VL map 

 

The map has really improved a lot! I like the new static train cars objects, very useful. Curious about the Easter Eggs!

What are exactly the differences between summer and winter templates? Only the airfields on frozen lakes or more?

Edited August 18, 2020 by SYN_Vander

[zeus--]

14 minutes ago, SYN_Vander said:

Only the airfields on frozen lakes or more?

Yes.Only 2 ice AF

[Lusekofte]

Hey I focused on ai improvements. 
I will test this map with my U2 

[Missionbug]

Excellent work on the maps zeus, thank you very much, really appreciated.

 

I once flew a FW-190 campaign on the winter version and that was amazing, hopefully something similar will come along for the summer one.

 

There is such a diverse range of terrain and climate throughout the what was the Soviet Union that each map is a pleasure to use for each have their own very special character.

 

Take care and be safe.

 

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[Soilworker]

2 hours ago, zeus-- said:

Еven some kind of small "Easter Eggs" added

 

 

Prizes if we find them? ???

[zeus--]

6 minutes ago, Soilworker said:

Prizes if we find them? ???

This is an Armored Train

Look above in the screenshots. This is a new destructible static object. Consists of a armored locomotive and 4 armored cars. 

[Soilworker]

Ah I see, didn't get that that was an easter egg. 

Well does Feuerfliegen get a prize? ??

[zeus--]

There are many new interesting places that were not in the previous version of the winter map...  

[Elem]

50 minutes ago, zeus-- said:

This is a new destructible static object

I've been crying out for armoured trains for years! This is a great addition, but we need to see them on all maps and not just static! When?

[QB.Gregor-]

Love the new Railwaystation at Velikie-Luki!

https://streamable.com/990znd

Edited August 18, 2020 by QB.Gregor-

[rowdyb00t]

44 minutes ago, zeus-- said:

There are many new interesting places that were not in the previous version of the winter map...  

Looks amazing! Hopefully we get some of this kind of detail in the BoN map 

[Talisman]

1 hour ago, rowdyb00t said:

Looks amazing! Hopefully we get some of this kind of detail in the BoN map 

 

The Southern English county of Kent (also Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire) has lots of houses like these:

https://www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/country/oasts.shtml

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oast_house

 

[J2_Bidu]

The map looks great.

[Semor76]

6 hours ago, Mika_87 said:

Looking forward to try this map. It look so good in screenshots! Hopefully we get some missions or campaigns too ?

I assume you won´t see any missions/campaigns/Career on the Summer version of this map, because the only relevant timeframe for BoX would be the soviet offensive from November 24th 1942 till January the 23th 1943.

 

Which brings me to the big elephant in the room...

 

@zeus-- Outstanding work. Really impressive and maybe the best map for the entire IL-2 series so far. But, what I can´t understand is, why you guys put so much work and love into details for a map who has little to non historical value for the Il-2 Series and on the other hand, many of us still waiting for major improvements for the Rheinland map, which has a very low & poor quality compared to all the other maps in Il-2?

This is no offence to you or the dev. team. You guys did a fine job as map creators!

 

I only like to ask, because I can´t understand it and I´m sure I´m not allone with this question in the Il-2 community.

 

[Jason_Williams]

12 minutes ago, Semor76 said:

I assume you won´t see any missions/campaigns/Career on the Summer version of this map, because the only relevant timeframe for BoX would be the soviet offensive from November 24th 1942 till January the 23th 1943.

 

Which brings me to the big elephant in the room...

 

@zeus-- Outstanding work. Really impressive and maybe the best map for the entire IL-2 series so far. But, what I can´t understand is, why you guys put so much work and love into details for a map who has little to non historical value for the Il-2 Series and on the other hand, many of us still waiting for major improvements for the Rheinland map, which has a very low & poor quality compared to all the other maps in Il-2?

This is no offence to you or the dev. team. You guys did a fine job as map creators!

 

I only like to ask, because I can´t understand it and I´m sure I´m not allone with this question in the Il-2 community.

 

 

Because you don't understand how we do things and the schedules we have to keep and the personnel we have. The new Luki summer map was the work of one guy over several years. Bodenplatte map was work of the map team over a few months after we spent several months making TC map. If I can find the time and resources I will try to make the Rhineland map more interesting I will, but it already taxes users machines hard so adding a lot more towns and other details likely won't make players happy due to decreased performance.

 

As I have explained before, we chose to focus on making historically accurate airfields and larger cities and towns on Rhineland map. Not a million small villages and farms.

 

With more time and resources anything is possible. 

 

Jason

[I.JG3_CDRSEABEE]

15 minutes ago, Jason_Williams said:

If I can find the time and resources I will try to make the Rhineland map more interesting I will, but it already taxes users machines hard so adding a lot more towns and other details likely won't make players happy due to decreased performance.

 

But that 3080ti!!!? AND HP G2

[BlitzPig_EL]

Jason is absolutely correct here.  The Rhineland map is the most difficult on hardware map in the sim, by a mile.  If it had the density of details that everyone keeps moaning about, very few players could even run the thing.  Even as it is, I could not host DF missions on it at all until I went from a GTX 980 and 16 gigs of ram, to an RTX 2070 Super and 32 gigs of ram.

 

We all want more and better stuff.  It's a meme in combat flight simulation.  More and bigger maps, higher resolution everything, etc...  but eventually expectation runs headlong into reality, be it technical reality or economic reality, usually both.  Enjoy what we have, which is a lot, and be happy when good things come, no matter how small they may be.

Life is too short to fret over these things.

[Jason_Williams]

6 minutes ago, CDRSEABEE said:

 

But that 3080ti!!!? AND HP G2

 

One can only hope! 

 

Jason

[RedKestrel]

10 minutes ago, CDRSEABEE said:

 

But that 3080ti!!!? AND HP G2

I can see the advertising now - "3080TI - you didn't need that second kidney, anyway!"

[J2_Bidu]

29 minutes ago, Jason_Williams said:

 If I can find the time and resources I will try to make the Rhineland map more interesting I will, but it already taxes users machines hard so adding a lot more towns and other details likely won't make players happy due to decreased performance.

 

Since there will alwaysbe differences of performance between players machines, maybe some player-side content could be found that stresses his machine only, while adding realism to his individual experience. Small things that require no global world consistence.Ground crews, for instance. Even if I couldn't see the fellow player's ground crew surrounding his plane, I'd be happy to see mine. Or guys running inside the trenches... whatever.

Edited August 18, 2020 by J2_Bidu

[Semor76]

7 hours ago, Jason_Williams said:

 

-Snip-

Thanks for the detailed explanation Jason.

 

No futher complains from my side. ?

 

7 hours ago, BlitzPig_EL said:

  Enjoy what we have, which is a lot, and be happy when good things come, no matter how small they may be.

Life is too short to fret over these things.

Amen to that bro. You´re right.

[Feathered_IV]

The map looks amazing.  Really top notch.  I would love to see a similar amount of love go to the relatively small WW1 Arras map. Maybe even as a DLC. 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Feathered_IV

[Juri_JS]

14 hours ago, Semor76 said:

I assume you won´t see any missions/campaigns/Career on the Summer version of this map, because the only relevant timeframe for BoX would be the soviet offensive from November 24th 1942 till January the 23th 1943.

 

The map is also useable for scenarios in 1941. There was heavy fighting in the area in summer of 1941. In late July the Red Army recapture Velikie Luki from the Germans, but lost it again in late August. Information is sketchy, but apparently there was also fighting in the air. As I wrote above III./JG 53 was based in the area and their claims lists show numerous victories during the time. Unfortunately it seems that the airfield III./JG 53 used is not on the map.

[blue_max]

The new map is amazing! I'd love some nice scripted campaigns for it.

[J2_Oelmann]

20 hours ago, Semor76 said:

I assume you won´t see any missions/campaigns/Career on the Summer version of this map, because the only relevant timeframe for BoX would be the soviet offensive from November 24th 1942 till January the 23th 1943.

 

Which brings me to the big elephant in the room...

 

@zeus-- Outstanding work. Really impressive and maybe the best map for the entire IL-2 series so far. But, what I can´t understand is, why you guys put so much work and love into details for a map who has little to non historical value for the Il-2 Series and on the other hand, many of us still waiting for major improvements for the Rheinland map, which has a very low & poor quality compared to all the other maps in Il-2?

This is no offence to you or the dev. team. You guys did a fine job as map creators!

 

I only like to ask, because I can´t understand it and I´m sure I´m not allone with this question in the Il-2 community.

 

I have some bordurian plane skins. I could do a few syldavian as well and you have your 110% real authentic epic conflict ?

 

[blue_max]

20 hours ago, Jason_Williams said:

 

Because you don't understand how we do things and the schedules we have to keep and the personnel we have. The new Luki summer map was the work of one guy over several years. Bodenplatte map was work of the map team over a few months after we spent several months making TC map. If I can find the time and resources I will try to make the Rhineland map more interesting I will, but it already taxes users machines hard so adding a lot more towns and other details likely won't make players happy due to decreased performance.

 

As I have explained before, we chose to focus on making historically accurate airfields and larger cities and towns on Rhineland map. Not a million small villages and farms.

 

With more time and resources anything is possible. 

 

Jason

To be honest, I don't think the Bodenplatte map needs more stuff, it just needs more... love? When you fly around Kuban, the map has tons of personality. BP on the other hand just feels like less care was put into it. For example, the lack of pine trees around the Ardennes (and perhaps a little castle here and there) or the distinctive Dutch farm landscape. I am Dutch myself by the way, so I am acutely feeling it when flying around the area I live haha.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

18 hours ago, Semor76 said:

I assume you won´t see any missions/campaigns/Career on the Summer version of this map, because the only relevant timeframe for BoX would be the soviet offensive from November 24th 1942 till January the 23th 1943.

 

4 hours ago, Juri_JS said:

The map is also useable for scenarios in 1941. There was heavy fighting in the area in summer of 1941. In late July the Red Army recapture Velikie Luki from the Germans, but lost it again in late August. Information is sketchy, but apparently there was also fighting in the air. As I wrote above III./JG 53 was based in the area and their claims lists show numerous victories during the time. Unfortunately it seems that the airfield III./JG 53 used is not on the map.

 

And don't forget the front line goes right through the middle of the map for the whole of 1943

 

Admittedly, there's no major offensives during summer 1943 that I'm aware of, but certainly nice for some low-intensity action.

 

10 hours ago, Feathered_IV said:

The map looks amazing.  Really top notch.  I would love to see a similar mount of love go to the relatively small WW1 Arras map. Maybe even as a DLC. 

Are you serious? After the new VL map, which I completely agree with you is top notch, the Arras map is my next favourite. Sure, the front lines look a bit flat, but it's got tons of small villages, roads, nice forested hills, ...

Edited August 19, 2020 by AEthelraedUnraed

[RedKestrel]

25 minutes ago, blue_max said:

To be honest, I don't think the Bodenplatte map needs more stuff, it just needs more... love? When you fly around Kuban, the map has tons of personality. BP on the other hand just feels like less care was put into it. For example, the lack of pine trees around the Ardennes (and perhaps a little castle here and there) or the distinctive Dutch farm landscape. I am Dutch myself by the way, so I am acutely feeling it when flying around the area I live haha.

No offense, and I get where you're coming from...but you just described more stuff to add to the map after saying you don't think it needs more stuff.
 

[blue_max]

1 hour ago, RedKestrel said:

No offense, and I get where you're coming from...but you just described more stuff to add to the map after saying you don't think it needs more stuff.

No my dude, farm landscape is just proper texturing, pine trees replace the current trees, and a little castle, sure it's stuff, but one object shouldn't bring down anyone's system. Not compared to an entire town or city.

 

Edit: Zeeland! It should be more... Zeeland-like. Lord knows what that means, but if I fly over it now I just think 'man oh man this is not Zeeland, it's just a bunch of green textures in a vaguely Zeelandish shape. I mean, New-Zealand was named after Zeeland. The poor islands deserve a bit of TLC, right? Right???

Edited August 19, 2020 by blue_max

[RedKestrel]

1 minute ago, blue_max said:

No my dude, farm landscape is just proper texturing, pine trees replace the current trees, and a little castle, sure it's stuff, but one object shouldn't bring down anyone's system. Not compared to an entire town or city.

That is all work that someone has to do. Hopefully at some point it gets done. But its not in the near future in any case.

One object isn't bringing down anyone's system - but we aren't realistically talking about one object. We are realistically talking about hundreds or thousands of objects across the entire map to improve it - 'here and there' adds up when you cover such a vast area. If you don't do more than a literal handful of objects you might as well not bother, it will not make much impact on the feel of the map.

Personally I would like if the map had more character in the in-between areas, like farms and mills and castle ruins, and I would sacrifice some graphical fidelity in the cities for that in a heartbeat. But that is my personal opinion and isn't the design decision that was made. If the map was done that way, with sacrifices in the city, we would have another thread where people ask why they can't fly over their favourite cathedral in Antwerp (and in fact we do see that for some of the settlements already). 

[AEthelraedUnraed]

Just now, blue_max said:

No my dude, farm landscape is just proper texturing, pine trees replace the current trees, and a little castle, sure it's stuff, but one object shouldn't bring down anyone's system. Not compared to an entire town or city.

 

Edit: Zeeland! It should be more... Zeeland-like. Lord knows what that means, but if I fly over it now I just think 'man oh man this is not Zeeland, it's just a bunch of green textures in a vaguely Zeelandish shape. I mean, New-Zealand was named after Zeeland. The poor islands deserve a bit of TLC, right? Right???

If you compare satellite images of Zeeland (or even WW2 aerial photos) with the BOBP map, it actually comes pretty close. The main difference is that the fields are sort of rectangular on the satellite pics while in-game they're all kinds of shapes. Compared to the WW2 aerial photo's I found with a quick google search, it doesn't even look any greener.

 

What I do miss is what RedKestrel suggests, the occasional farm every few fields. And a couple of extra villages. But both are a *huge* job to create. EDIT: oh, and the beaches. And the coastal waves, that were added to the Kuban map but somehow didn't make it to Bodenplatte.

 

Perhaps if we'd find a couple of people willing to put in a couple of hours to divide the work? I volunteer to do southeastern North Brabant

Edited August 19, 2020 by AEthelraedUnraed

[Zeev]

On 8/18/2020 at 4:35 PM, QB.Gregor- said:

Love the new Railwaystation at Velikie-Luki!

https://streamable.com/990znd

Nice flying!

[blue_max]

14 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

If you compare satellite images of Zeeland (or even WW2 aerial photos) with the BOBP map, it actually comes pretty close. The main difference is that the fields are sort of rectangular on the satellite pics while in-game they're all kinds of shapes. Compared to the WW2 aerial photo's I found with a quick google search, it doesn't even look any greener.

(...)

Perhaps if we'd find a couple of people willing to put in a couple of hours to divide the work? I volunteer to do southeastern North Brabant

Yeah the fields in a certain pattern are a defining feature of dutch farming landscape, has some historical reason. There is a re-texture mod that actually does a fairly good job over at the mods section of the forum. I'd love to volunteer time, but I'm doing a 70 hour a week job so... (university, hallelujah).

 

Cheers!

[Viktor33_33]

On 8/18/2020 at 5:38 AM, zeus-- said:

This is an Armored Train

Look above in the screenshots. This is a new destructible static object. Consists of a armored locomotive and 4 armored cars. 

Зевс, огромное спасибо за проделанную работу. Карта лучшее, над чем летали в этом симуляторе. Вопрос насчёт бронепоезда. Он может стрелять, или только стоит в качестве антуража на путях и никак воздействовать на противника не может? Будут ли его "оживлять", чтобы стать полноценной боевой единицей в игре?

 

Zeus, thank you so much for the work done. The map is the best we have flown over in this simulator. A question about an armored train. Can he shoot, or does he just stand as an entourage on the tracks and cannot influence the enemy in any way? Will he be "revived" to become a full-fledged combat unit in the game?

Edited August 21, 2020 by LukeFF