What makes a good map?

[AngusHeaf 0]

Good islands pick a theme and stick to it religiously. Islands can't be all things to all people and I think that ultimately if you pick a concept (war torn, idealic and clean, low lands and hills, european, north american, etc) and stick to it you will end up with a much better result than trying to pack all areas of combat (desert, forest, hills, mountains, streams) into one island.

Size matters. If you create an island that's so huge you lose all will to live before you've placed all the foliage and stuff nicely, then it comes out half assed with parts that look great (the early parts) and parts that look not so hot (the later parts when you got bored with island making).

Infrastructure!! Islands need roads. Main drags where lots of traffic goes and less travelled roads in more remote areas. A paved road through the mountains is pretty hokey. Think, folks.

And my #1 advice as a player and possibly a future island maker....

LESS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN!!!

I know it looks great in your screenshots for ofp.info. You know what I mean.... You make some big ass mountains really close to a city, maybe a beach, set the mission at 4:50am right when the sky is all pink and pretty, install Kegety's highsky addon, maybe throw a BAS Delta into the shot, and snap away with your shadowy mountains in the background. Then when it comes time for people to download your map, hey these mountains are enormous and right out of nowhere?! WTF? Big mountains that reach 100s of meters high don't spring up out of the friggin' beach people. Terrain like that can only be found in tiny portions of the earth (vulcanic islands? south pacific?) and definitely not in the areas that match your european textures and trees from Everon. Foothills exist for a reason. Not only is it unrealistic but it's also no fun to play on when your tank can only go 2mph or you are forced to sidestep everywhere.

So I guess my biggest advice is to make fewer mountains and make them lower, because they're not good playable terrain. Everyone should look at Everon or Malden and see that rolling hills is the way to go.

P.S. This rant is not directed at anyone. I'm just cranky cause someone stole my lolli.

[Donnervogel 0]

A paved road through the mountains is pretty hokey. Think, folks.

sorry when I ask but what do you mean with "hokey" ? Sorry just a foreigner asking.

If you mean it's unrealistic. Well come to Switzerland and see. It can be realistic. It depends on the wealth of the country you're making or it's dependency on such roads.

If I misunderstood you just forget what I said.

[Guest]

Good islands pick a theme and stick to it religiously. Islands can't be all things to all people and I think that ultimately if you pick a concept (war torn, idealic and clean, low lands and hills, european, north american, etc) and stick to it you will end up with a much better result than trying to pack all areas of combat (desert, forest, hills, mountains, streams) into one island.

Size matters. If you create an island that's so huge you lose all will to live before you've placed all the foliage and stuff nicely, then it comes out half assed with parts that look great (the early parts) and parts that look not so hot (the later parts when you got bored with island making).

Infrastructure!! Islands need roads. Main drags where lots of traffic goes and less travelled roads in more remote areas. A paved road through the mountains is pretty hokey. Think, folks.

And my #1 advice as a player and possibly a future island maker....

LESS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN!!!

I know it looks great in your screenshots for ofp.info. You know what I mean.... You make some big ass mountains really close to a city, maybe a beach, set the mission at 4:50am right when the sky is all pink and pretty, install Kegety's highsky addon, maybe throw a BAS Delta into the shot, and snap away with your shadowy mountains in the background. Then when it comes time for people to download your map, hey these mountains are enormous and right out of nowhere?! WTF? Big mountains that reach 100s of meters high don't spring up out of the friggin' beach people. Terrain like that can only be found in tiny portions of the earth (vulcanic islands? south pacific?) and definitely not in the areas that match your european textures and trees from Everon. Foothills exist for a reason. Not only is it unrealistic but it's also no fun to play on when your tank can only go 2mph or you are forced to sidestep everywhere.

So I guess my biggest advice is to make fewer mountains and make them lower, because they're not good playable terrain. Everyone should look at Everon or Malden and see that rolling hills is the way to go.

P.S. This rant is not directed at anyone. I'm just cranky cause someone stole my lolli.  

I know what you are saying, but you are contradicting yourself a little bit.....stick to a theme, but it has to have infrastructure and less mountains?

I think just stick to a theme....and if that theme is the sort island that has no roads, then so be it (desert/arctic for example). Less mountains isn't applicable for something like Afghanistan or Switzerland.

Like I said...I know what you mean, but I think the most important part is finding a theme and try and get the most millage possible out of that (within the limits of the OFPengine/Mod).

[cbfasi 4]

One good way to get the right balaance is to use real locations as a basis...

The wolrd is full of placed that would make good gaming locations, and they don't need to git in the 12.8km square, just you will en up with a vertical cliff, which when you consider that larger islands maybe possible in the future is not a bad thing as you could end up merging several sections to make an even larger portion.

I am doing a chunk out of the North Devon Coastline (England), the highest point is only about 250m from sea level. The contours are taken direct from a 1:50,000 map.

Beign western there is much more speration with hedgeing, fences and many many roads, of which few are straight. The villalges are being laid out as close to the real thing as possible from following a 1:25000 map, this will include where possible the shops, churches, etc...

All the Falklands terrain is also direct from maps and is scaled at 1:1

I am also workign on Ascension Island whic is putting OPF to the limits in certain areas, as its a volcaniuc island, looks great, even just the elevations, and will look much better when I get back to it (others have priority).

[CuteQA 0]

I think the OFP　road pavement texture need to be improved．

Also, it would be cool to have wider road with lines and highway.

[cbfasi 4]

Well I got a picture of some trials I was doing a while ago with wider roads..

You can see the new road with the center line, well the bit thats at the bottom and narrower is silnice.

[mrukas 0]

Well I got a picture of some trials I was doing a while ago with wider roads..

You can see the new road with the center line, well the bit thats at the bottom and narrower is silnice.

you say tomato, i say that looks nice... since i love ofp racing i think wider roads is better and urbanized cities to make it more city feely!

[BronzeEagle 2]

a good map is one that the editor clearly wanted to make himself. also an uninhabited land would make a good map. if you make a desert map put lots of vegetation regardless because not all deserts are so dry and vast. if you make a jungle be sure to put something new like a rope bridge. try making a map more like usa.

[Guest]

try making a map more like usa.

[vitoal125 0]

i like mountanous with towns in the valleys with a good mix of forrest covering uninhabited areas.

[Waterman 0]

I started Skye about a year ago now, and alot has changed. I started my island in WRPedit, without even using Wilbur etc... I manually raised each point (because I didn't know about "Ctrl+LeftMouseButton").

At first it was fairly flat and very small but after discovering the "Ctrl+LeftMouseButton" I made it much bigger. Then I managed to get Resistance, so I put the bridge onto it. I think I was the first(only?) person to put a bridge on-land.

I know Skye might seem a little mountainous but Skye is actually a name of a real Scottish island near where I live and it's very mountainous... As some of you scots have already guessed it's not a representation of the real island. I would also like to use Res roads, but that would take forever.

My suggestions to island makers is to take your time, use Resistance stuff as it's more realistic, but if possible make your own models. If you cant I suggest agent smiths addons.

Also keep the mission maker in mind, making area's of interest.

Hidden buildings in forests, small islands around the edge for CTF map makers to make maps on.

These are just my opinions though...

Good islands to check out are CBFASI's one (Im using his airport models), Legus, Greece 3 and erm... Im sure theres a few others I've missed.

Waterman.

[cbfasi 4]

Unfortunately my North Devon map is only available in piccy form as its a major project which has had to take a sideline while I get the Falklands Terrains done.

I would certainly like to release it as is, but I dont think its ready, and the best section is about to be scraped and replaced with an improved version. Another thing with the maps, as Watermans has said is I am doign a fiarly large number of new buildings as 99% of the OFP ones do not suit the location I am doing.

I have already had to create several military barracks, 3 types of hanger, a watertower, and a few other specials..

[Jinef 2]

So the Falklands map is 1:1?

It is actual size?

If it is then great, i am really looking forward to this map.

Also do you have new scrubby vegetation?

[cbfasi 4]

We are doing portions of the Falklands (ie bits that are relavent and fit within the 12.8 x 128km size) this includes Pebble Island, San Carlos and a few others.. 7 or 8 maps in total.

To do the whole of East Falkalnd (this is just HALF) would require over 150 present sized maps!!!!

I have also done NEW gorse vegetation, which like real gorse is a pig to get through.

The biggest catch with OFP is that even at 1:1 scale you are limited to elevation points that only change every 50m, this means some locations are just not possible (within present limits)