TOH South Asian terrain. Where is it?

[b101_uk 10]

Leaflet bombing or just litter?

http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2011/09/Take-On-Helicopters-2.jpg

[royaltyinexile 175]

Leaflet bombing or just litter?

http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2011/09/Take-On-Helicopters-2.jpg

I suppose that all depends on your perspective :)

[-GR-Operative 10]

I rarely create anything which is interesting ;)

The video hopefully communicates a couple of things.

• It shows a bit of our 'South Asia' (Karzeghistan, Takistan, Ardistan) terrain first and foremost, showing military helicopters above it.
  
• It also provides some background to the story element of the game, talking about the fictional operations that Joe Larkin (the player's brother) took part in.
  

I think you've (perhaps not intentionally) made a decent point, though, and I'll try to add English captions to the video when I get a chance. so I've added new captions, as the machine translated ones were redonkeydickulous. :)

Best,

RiE

Really thank you! I wasn't expecting a dev answer, but you guys are really communicative :o

Also, thanks for adding the captions!

[liquidpinky 11]

Leaflet bombing or just litter?

http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2011/09/Take-On-Helicopters-2.jpg

My apologies, I was sat in the back eating a packet of Chewits. :o

No doubt the cops will spot fine me for littering now. :(

[mir_o 85]

Hey

It`s great to see that my interview was worthwhile also for some Arma heads as well(at least czech/slovak). About the "terrorist thing", this supposed to be a joke of course ;) .

When you ask for an aerial/satellite imagery all companies always need to know what purposes imagery`s gonna be used for. If you order it for purpose of getting a new contect from it(eg by vectorization or additional processing), sell it then and make money again and again, final offered price can be really high. LandInfo just wanted us to swear that imagery will not be used by third party company(BISim) and could offer us lower price.

So no big deal, no terrorist scenarios :cool:

So that's interesting question, if someone from BI can answered it, if they choose map data from USA because of problem with permission with real for e.g. Afghanistan data? (of course if at all US data are model for south asia terrain :))

Sometimes and especially when you require such huge area as South Asia map is, it is harder to find imagery in good quality over the whole area, it means almost zero cloudness and whole area must be captured in the same season. We were very satisfied with quality of Seattle imagery from one unnamed source so we decided to use it for SA map as well, but they cover only US land, that`s it ... no permission problem at all.

Edited September 20, 2011 by Mir_o

[bobocz 10]

Thanks for your answer.

Anyway these details are interesting. From Geobusinesses article it was not clear what exactly was problem with BISim and I missed that you were joking ;).

Next time when you are making interview, you have to better clear up these details, because arma fan can make up crazy theories :).

p.s. Suggestion! I think, that also non czech/slovak community are interested how you are making maps, it could be nice devblog article about how Seattle map was made :).

Edited September 20, 2011 by BoboCZ

[soldier2390 0]

So all of the SA terrian is really USA terrian in RL? but is suppost to represent Karzeghistan, Takistan, Ardistan in game? Or am i missiong something?

If so this is interesting and cool, we train in the Cali desert all the time before U.S. troops deploy to afghan/iraq, as it looks exactly like parts of each place! :)

[_michal 10]

p.s. Suggestion! I think, that also non czech/slovak community are interested how you are making maps, it could be nice devblog article about how Seattle map was made :).

Agreed!

[mir_o 85]

Agreed!

Well, I have no problem with it :) , but it`s up to you guys, what would you like to hear/know as map development is kinda looong run involves not only placing objects into a map but also solving technical issues(both tools&engine side) related to maps, design decisions, managing people working on different maps... to pushing programmers to fix some itchy visitor bugs :)

So maybe would be good to create a new thread(or use existing one) and write down all of your questions to know areas of interest, at least.

[_michal 10]

Well, I have no problem with it :) , but it`s up to you guys, what would you like to hear/know as map development is kinda looong run involves not only placing objects into a map but also solving technical issues(both tools&engine side) related to maps, design decisions, managing people working on different maps... to pushing programmers to fix some itchy visitor bugs :)

So maybe would be good to create a new thread(or use existing one) and write down all of your questions to know areas of interest, at least.

I'm more aircraft than scenery guy, I've been modding FS9 and FSX for a long time, I did few planes, and few sceneries for these sims as well. I believe TKOH modding is easier for Arma veterans, but since TKOH is a flight sim it would be nice to show newcomers how to start modding, both maps and new helicopters.

[icebreakr 3157]

Currently we cannot afford $xxxx to buy(!) tools that would help us contribute to the community. And that is a major issue currently... I'm almost dropping a tear when I get Presagis tools demos... there's so much to do but not with current crappy tools (no-offense) ;)

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Guess what I think would be most interesting for me to see, is a video recording from a brainstorming meeting where some new feature is being discussed that on the surface looks fairly simple but proves a daunting task when examined closely. Pros and cons to various solution approaches, what needs to be done with the tools, engine changes and propagation effects to already implemented content etc.

Just something to smack in the face of those asking for simple features. And I know this is coming to haunt me :D

[soldier2390 0]

A question for a BIS Developer! Since the SE Asia terrain is really Californa terrain, Where was the Arma2 OA "Takistan" terrain made from???

[Zipper5 74]

The South Asia terrain is not based on part of California. :)

[metalcraze 290]

A question for a BIS Developer! Since the SE Asia terrain is really Californa terrain, Where was the Arma2 OA "Takistan" terrain made from???

Iran.

[soldier2390 0]

The South Asia terrain is not based on part of California. :)

Oh, my apologizes, I must had been confused with the previous comments..the ones that has to do something about california(?) lol! So is it based off actual SE Asia terrian? Like Afghanistan terrain or something?

And thanks metalcraze!

[purepassion 22]

As I understood it, it is using SAT data from Cali but is based on (inspired by) a south asian terrain close to the places in A2 OA (BAF map)

[soldier2390 0]

As I understood it, it is using SAT data from Cali but is based on (inspired by) a south asian terrain close to the places in A2 OA (BAF map)

yeah thats what i meant to say, not based on Cali, just uses Cali as where the terrain is from in RL!

[ThreeProphets 10]

Iran.

Isn't it in Daykundi province, Afghanistan?

[soldier2390 0]

can a dev comment as too if Takistan is really Iran or Daykundi province, Afghanistan? Sorry butthis has been bugging me for a long time!

[OMAC 254]

It is lame, because I can go to the USGS website to get their NED data set, download 5m or 10m DEM, get lots of different vector maps inc <1m resolution aerial photo, there are portals at JPL/NASA for similar data, you can go to the Census Bureau and get there Tiger/line vector/tiff/point data for sewers, power, and other services, demographics, etc etc, then augment that with Google earth, street view, etc, if I then head to the ESA portal for ASTER project images and if I am lucky with data grains I could get one that will cover ware I want at <1m resolution to also make <1m DEM, there are a host of places I can get low resolution daily images for ground cover or to infer actual daily water high of streams etc all perfectly geo-referenced, and I can do all that and it will cost me $0 just some time and at most the creation of a login or use of my logon created prior to 2001.

I then fire up my 3D program to make buildings that I will need for the place I wish to plan my terrorist attack on US soil and I use all the GIS data I have with the BIS tools to assemble that in game, and hay presto Johnny Terrorist could plan an attack on any part of the USA largely without going there! If you went to the USGS a few years ago Iraqi and Afghanistan were also available at the same resolution as the NED and 30m and 90m SRTM for the world is easy to get warzone or not.

Absolutely correct. I've worked in satellite and airborne remote sensing and GIS for 23 years including 13 years at the U S G S, and am now mapping the entire western US (and possibly more) using Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper + and ASTER data. I've just downloaded cloud-free ETM+ and ASTER data for the whole area in the last 2 months. Here's what the ASTER coverage looks like (961 63x63 km scenes), including area used for ToH:

http://tinyurl.com/7jj3db8

Data portal with free orthocorrected Landsat (and other) data for the world:

http://glovis.usgs.gov

Monster amounts of work in Afghanistan, including lots of maps, imagery, etc.:

http://afghanistan.cr.usgs.gov/minerals

I checked a mine marked on the ToH map and it is a mine in real life in the Riverside Mountains of extreme SE Cali.

http://tinyurl.com/85bowwx

Mir_o, PM me if you have any questions about data acquisition or processing. I would be very interested in getting an English translation of your interview, and in reading any mapping/imagery-related devblog you may make. You and your team did a great job with the imagery for ToH, although I wish the "South Asia" imagery really was from there - more exotic.

Edited December 9, 2011 by OMAC

[OMAC 254]

Isn't it in Daykundi province, Afghanistan?

Based on RiE's image here:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=2067051&postcount=4

Takistan is in western Arizona! ;)

[soldier2390 0]

ok cool so the Takistan Terrian(Used in ArmA2 OA, not TKOH) is really from Arizona and not Daykundi, Afghanistan?

Another question is how come Takistan terrian(OA) looks better then the one in TKOH, other then TKOH is hugh and would other wise cause massive lag and fps loss, I would love BIS to make an offical Map(communiy made ones are great dont get me wrong, but i would like an offical BIS one) that is really made from real Afghanistan terrain and with not as many OFP style bases...infact how bout a hugh map with only one large US Military Airbase??? one last DLC before A3???? I have tried making one but failed, still need alot of help cause with a kid i have no time to learn everything my self :(

Dave,

[twisted 128]

a question i have is are the heights of the mountains right?

or is that a restriction of the engine not to be able to render truly massive impressive realistically scaled mountains?

[OMAC 254]

What would be VERY cool is a ToH map of the Karakoram

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Baltoro_glacier_from_air.jpg

or region surrounding La Paz, Bolivia

http://www.flickr.com/photos/twiga_269/3690862155/lightbox/

http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/Bishop/170?gallery=

http://www.mrsikhnet.com/uploaded_images/IMG_3781-4698-775688.jpg

Edited January 26, 2012 by OMAC