TF 7.0 - Central and Western Egypt Map

October 28, 2023

Hello All

We will have more information on an additional aircraft currently in development in a later post. We have a very significant aircraft type in quite advanced development. It will not be a part of DIEPPE, instead will be the centerpiece of another module.

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This post is the first of a series of three outlining our development and planning of new maps for the CLIFFS series.

There is certainly the potential for adding additional maps besides those discussed in these posts, but at the moment these maps are the focus of our efforts.

Note: All maps are subject to change, dependent on planning, discussions with Fulqrum, the success of the TF 6.0 DIEPPE module, as well as the willingness of our team members to continue their work with the CLIFFS engine.

I would recommend reading the other recent post: "How Map creation decisions were taken" prior to reading this.

Central-Western Egypt (TF-7.0)

This map is designed to complement the existing TOBRUK map… it will be a part of the intended TF 7.0 module which will cover the aerial campaign in the Western Desert from July of 1942 to November of 1942 and allow us to complete the Desert Campaign.

This map is ingame in Beta form and is being developed in parallel with the work ongoing on the DIEPPE Channel map and the upgraded TOBRUK map. At the moment we only have simplified textures to show you. There is no vegetation currently on the map… it will use Speedtree 8.42 vegetation once that program is integrated into the CLIFFS game engine. The new map and module will of course, include the Visual Updates, as well as VR.

The map will share many of its final textures and vegetation with the yet to be released upgraded TOBRUK map… although it will have unique textures of its own… to illustrate for example, the Quattara Depression and areas of the Nile Delta.

Some of the buildings from TOBRUK will be used in this map, but it will add quite a few new types… to allow us to build the city of Alexandria and the naval base there. The city of Cairo will not be included on the map.

As mentioned, this map will be a part of the TF 7.0 module. As part of that module we will introduce a number of new aircraft types, including as one of the centerpieces, the American B-24D. This heavy bomber was first used during WWII in the Western hemisphere by USAAF as part of the Halverson Project based out of Egypt in 1942. (HALPRO) During this time the B-24 was used as a heavy bomber to support the British 8^th Army during the El Alamein campaign. A small number, (13 B-24) from HALPRO also attacked the Ploesti Oil Fields in June of 1942 but we will not be replicating this event or creating a map for it. The B-24D modeling has not yet started although we have a modeler designated who is eager to begin once the 3d work for DIEPPE is complete. We will also include a tropical version of the B-17E in TF 7.0… these aircraft were also part of HALPRO, together with the B-24’s later forming the 376^th and 98^th Bomb Groups of the USAAF. The B-24 will be usable on the DIEPPE Channel map. For TF 7.0 we also plan to introduce at least one new fighter type, as well as new variants of existing fighter types and hopefully new Italian triple engined bomber and American twin engined bomber. There will also be new vehicles and ships.

We also expect to develop the land and naval aspects of the core CLIFFS game engine for TF 7.0 to allow players to experience and control in first person a fully integrated Air/Land/Sea environment… a fully integrated battlefield on a scale not seen before. Aircraft will still be the focus of the Simulation, but the player will be able to control ships/vehicles and/or formations of ships/vehicles, either in first person as a vehicle/ship commander, or via pull up map interactions as a strategic battlefield commander. These new TF 6.0 game engine features will be retroactively patched into BLITZ/TOBRUK/DIEPPE after the release of TF 7.0.

More details on the exact content of TF 7.0 after the DIEPPE release.

Overview contour map of area (click on map to enlarge, then 'open image in new tab' for full size view.