What WW1 maps would you want to see get added to FC?

[Enceladus828]

WW1 was not fought exclusively in France after 1914, just like aerial activity was not exclusive to just land planes over France, it consisted of many fronts in Europe and in the Middle East that lasted until 1918 and aerial activity was also present in significant numbers over the Eastern, Italian, Macedonia and Palestine Fronts and also seaplanes over the English Channel and the Gulf of Venice. While these fronts are not as popular as over France, there still is enough air activity to justify making a map and including a Pilot Career and Scripted Campaigns as long as there is interest by the community and it is feasible. For instance the Romanian Air Corps acquired over 300 Entente planes and flew over 750 sorties from 1916-18 so a Romanian Front map can be done. The Corpo Aeronautico Militare and the Imperial Russian Air Service used considerable Entente planes that are already in FC so it's not like all the planes required for these maps are to be entirely new.

 

As per the devs they have no plans of adding the Channel Map and Tarnopol Map from RoF. I don't know if it's because Ugra Media has higher priorities or the devs don't think there's enough interest by the community to add more maps to FC but I feel that it's wrong to exclude these maps as how can FC overall be better than RoF if it stops short of adding them? 

 

I've started this Poll to see if there is interest by the community for more WW1 maps, obviously we wouldn't be seeing a Macedonia or Palestine Map for FC5 but further down the road... after the Eastern and Italian Front maps.

[ST_Catchov]

Good poll. We desperately need flying boats.

 

[Avimimus]

Nice to see Italy and the Channel map pulling ahead - both had great opportunities for floatplane/seaplane operations.

 

An Italian map would be gorgeous - the cities of Venice and Trieste duelling over the Gulf of Venice - then flying up the Isonzo river into the Alps (all in one map, all with different types of air combat, at different altitudes with different flight dynamics and tactics).

 

With the developers now collaborating with two map teams (and even some 3rd party 3d modellers) it also doesn't seem completely impossible.

[Enceladus828]

9 hours ago, Avimimus said:

With the developers now collaborating with two map teams (and even some 3rd party 3d modellers) it also doesn't seem completely impossible.

I feel that the devs will actually be the ones who will make it. There is no groundwork so it would have to be made from scratch and the most of the terrain is very mountainous, therefore would be much more challenging for newbie map teams as opposed to making the Channel or Tarnopol maps.

[Trooper117]

When the new project kicks in, I doubt they will be using the manpower they have on doing anything else with FC.

We know they have mentioned some stuff they will do if possible with elements of GB, but they aren't going to drip feed manpower away from their main money earner.

[Avimimus]

 

Honestly, I don't have the experience with map making in this engine. I doubt applying the topographical data would be that hard. There might be quite a bit of labour in making sure rivers and tributaries work - as other sims have had issues with the topographical data not matching the course of the rivers. We already have some decent mountains from Battle of Kuban. I don't really see any particular technical issues with the idea. In fact it was attempted ten or twelve years ago in the Rise of Flight days.

 

I think it is more a matter of the amount of labour involved to populate a map.

 

By the way, if one were making a Venice/Isonzo map the same size as the typical maps we have in Great Battles , it might look something like this:

 

 

But one could also make a relatively smaller one (30,500 sq km):

 

[ST_Catchov]

You make a good argument @Avimimus. I'm sure the gentlemen in the WW1 community with a taste for the finer things would embrace an Italian map should the devs be kind enough to do so.

 

I myself would like some flying boat action. Like this here Austria-Hungarian 1914 Lohner L series. Which incidentally, was the inspiration for the later Hansa-Brandenburg and Macchi flying boats. Note the side-by-side configuration in the cockpit and the precarious position of the gunner.

 

[Avimimus]

I think a Venice-Isonzo module would have broad appeal:

 

 

1) It has some of the most visually captivating aircraft. A single-seat seaplane fighter or a twin-boom trimotor bomber quickly captures attention . Even the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I 'star-strutter' has an alien look to it.

 

2) It has some of the highest performance types of the war. Austro-Hungarian Albatros D.III fighters could reach 202 km/h (compared to 185 km/h for the German ones). The Ansaldo S.V.A.5 reached 240 km/h - making it the fastest single-seater of the war. The Aviatik D.I achieved a higher power-to-weight ratio and lower wing-loading than any German designs (although at a cost in structural strength). Additionally, the presence of double-barrelled submachine-guns and cannons would attract a broader audience.

 

3) The map, with its mountains and Venice, would be quite pretty.

 

So I actually suspect that, if such a module was made someday, a lot of people who aren't that interested in WWI would pick up a copy just based on the screenshots.

 

[ST_Catchov]

On 6/15/2024 at 8:17 PM, Avimimus said:

I think a Venice-Isonzo module would have broad appeal:

 

Well, the devs new thing, so I'm informed, will allegedly be set on a mountainous peninsula surrounded by water. That sounds very much like Italy circa WW1 to me. I can't think of anywhere else ....