Team Fusion Buzzsaw Posted October 28, 2023 Team Fusion Posted October 28, 2023 This post is intended to provide the community with an understanding of the rationale behind Team Fusion’s map creation decisions. First of all: The maximum map size in the original and current game engine is approximately 400 km X 400 km. TOBRUK: - At the moment of the agreement with 1C Online Games, Team Fusion was presented with a copy of the Source Code. This was not the latest version, as that had been lost, we were fortunate the version we were given had been saved on a computer which was overlooked during the renovations etc. which occurred after the departure of Ilya Shevchenko and his team. - We were not given any tools which might allow us to work with the game engine and Source Code. So there was no map creation tool, there was no tool to allow Imports of 3D aircraft and objects into the game and there were no instructions on how to program aircraft flight, damage, or other modeling. - We were able to adapt the IL-2 1946 Aircraft/object Import tool to work in CLIFFS and through much trial and error, we were able to understand the methods used to program the various modeling systems. - However, although we searched, nothing was found and we were required to build our own map tool. Anyone can created a contour mapped 3d representation of a section of historical terrain, but to import that large 3D object into a game such that the game’s physics engine recognizes the surfaces and substances which comprise the map, the objects you want to place, as well as temperatures, weather integration, etc. requires a tool which can translate all these elements through the physics engine into a simulation of a real environment. - After 3 failed attempts, (3 bugfests) we were finally able to build a first generation map tool, but the clock was ticking on TF 5.0, and this initial generation Tool had no means to create water environments other than the sea… so no rivers, no lakes, etc. In addition, the problems with bridges etc. which existed on the Channel map remained… best to avoid a lot of river crossings. - Initially we thought about a Malta map, but that required at least a section of Sicily, which has numerous rivers and streams. A NW European map was out of the question. The obvious choice was a North African map of Libya/Egypt… there are only dry Wadis in the desert environment. The area which saw combat would fit the 400 X 400 km format. - In addition, we already had a number of aircraft which were AI, i.e. not flyable by the players, due to their lack of cockpits… which could be made flyable relatively easily. Existing aircraft could also have new variants created. All of these would be compatible with a desert campaign. - Finally a Desert map is relatively unpopulated, it can be completed without a lot of effort, and for a team which was learning on the job, the choice was obvious. - So we made the decision for TOBRUK. DIEPPE: - By the launch of TOBRUK, we had a map tool which could do rivers. After TOBRUK we had a choice… go to another Mediterranean scenario, North Africa or Malta, or go back to NW Europe. We didn’t believe the community wanted another North Africa map immediately. (we think the new version of TOBRUK with 4k terrain, Speedtree 8.42 and trueSKY will be more popular) We now had a map tool which could do a Malta scenario… but the time frame to create the map would be lengthy… the area including Malta and Sicily that is required is quite large, there are a lot of towns and villages, these have a lot of unique building types. And the terrain is incredibly complex. - The existing Channel map was popular, but bug ridden. If we spent a lot of time fixing all these bugs, we wouldn’t have time to build a whole new NW Europe map. In any case, a new map covering an area of NW Europe would be incredibly dense, huge numbers of roads, huge numbers of towns and villages, huge numbers of unique buildings. It would take years. - We knew the community was enthusiastic about aerial combat which included B-17’s… and there was a core of bomber jockeys who would be delighted to have this aircraft as a ride. - The Dieppe Raid was an obvious choice. We could fix the existing Battle of Britain map, plus create a new version Channel map for 1941-42. We could add the B-17, plus a number of new types, including the FW-190, Typhoon, P-51A, later models of the Spitfire, Bf-109, etc. The Channel map is a large map… the area of Dieppe is not one which saw a lot of use in BLITZ… so in effect it would be new terrain for the players to fly over. ---- TF 7.0 Central-Western Egypt: - Again, a Malta map is some time away. Several years. Creating a new Desert map would be much simpler, it could use a lot of the same textures and features as the 2nd generation TOBRUK… and we could work on the Malta map in parallel. The new Central-Western Egypt map would allow us to introduce a number of new aircraft types which should be popular… and which could be used on the Channel map and the TOBRUK map. (see the detailed post on this map and scenario in this forum section) TF 8.0 Mediterranean Sea… including Malta and Sicily: (detailed post upcoming later) TF 9.0 Expanded size NW Europe Map… at least 600 km X 600 km… Eastern Britain, Northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Western Germany: (detailed post upcoming later) 27 5 3
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