[Map] Nad Ali, Afghanistan (4km) [WIP]

[Rudd]

Hi all, here is my first real effort at an original map.

Nad Ali
4k
Brits Vs Taliban

it is 4k, and I know alot of people will say "you should do a 2k first" but, have no fear, I have practiced on 2ks but didn't have the motivation to finish them and I've also completed several map audits, some or all of which I hope will be used in community matches.


Nad Ali, aka Nad-e Ali is near Lashkar Gah, here are a couple of news stories about the area
Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | New FOB improves conditions for troops in Nad e-Ali
Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | IN PICTURES: On patrol with the Welsh Guards in Helmand

the picture of what I'm aiming for
http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/415EECF6 ... 033230.jpg

With that preface, here are teh WIPs of my map so far. This is around 2 weeks on and off work.

Google Map of the area I'm trying to replicate/get inspired by
(Please note, the position of the British structures, and the assets serviced by the brit main base don't reflect the actual facilities IRL. I do not know where the British FOB is IRL, and tbh I don't think it matters too much as long as the gameplay is good and isn't too fantastical.)
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4285/googlemapv.jpg
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7761/nadaliwip3.png VCP
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/2936/nadaliwip2.png british main, layout done, gotta add immersive details now.
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/5742/nadaliwip1.png This is the crops as undergrowth, I will be turning it in to overgrowth later I think, once the rest of the fields are done (and there are alot.

Thats all I want to show for now. As you see its all very very WIP, I spent at least 30% of my time trying to find a damned bridge model to use (its under 'roads' Who knew?!!)
I have done alot of work on the urban area, but building these afghan houses takes ages, so most of the buildings have yet to get roofs or 2nd floors for some of them. But I will say it looks very similar to teh fallujah west housing block west of the USMC main.

Though it is early days I have given thought to what assets are going on the map.

64 - APC centered layer. Warriors and scimis, enough to transport the team but not much else.
32 - Helicopter centered layer. unarmed british helicopters escorted by Apaches.
16 - Jeep centered layer.

How can you help Rudd?

I want references of the Nad Ali area, there isn't a huge amount. Particularly of the canals.

Offer constructive advice and crits, this is a 4k map and therefore is going to take A LONG TIME TO FINISH, so I'm not going to kill myself turning a few months or more into a couple less months slow and steady wins the race and all that.

[gazzthompson]

looks good, if u need testing x-fire me also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3wxOyd04tI seems to be same place going by description.

There was a big *** operation there by Marines in which my brothers friend from college was killed on Christmas eve.

it rained there during the operation, alot.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7810323.stm

build patrol bases in terrain which had been turned into a sea of mud by heavy rain.

might be a different type of terrain for a afghan map than we currently have?

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Defen ... elmand.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Pictu ... dChara.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Red_Dagger

[DankE_SPB]

so even iGi's didnt know exactly what he is doing, what a ninja
good luck with ya project

[Rudd]

but be a different type of terrain for a afghan map than we currently have?

Cheers for those links Gazz, and my condolences to your friend's family.

part of the quality of choosing Nad Ali as a map area is that it has potential post production.

In the back of my mind are ideas for community match maps featuring other teams ingame, and also differnet settings with the same terrain, e.g. winter vs summer (as represented with sky, sky.con effects and lack of crops etc) Using some repainting etc I would be very excited trying to recreate a rainy environment, as this was done on Seven Gates in teh Combined Arms minimod, that would result in a very unique map.

but, gotta get the stock map done first the stock map is going to be much like Basrah in terms of weather etc. I'm currently using both Basrah's Sky.con and water.con. (though that is just so I can get on with the map without worrying about those details for now.

[d1sp0sabl3H3r0]

Looks like a good start Rudd - best of luck on the map!

[sakils2]

Good luck, indeed. A lot of people WILL love to see more Afghanistan maps! Cheers!

[Rudd]

Cheers Jonny I appreciate it

[HangMan_]

This is looking really good. Do you have a minimap you wish to share?

[Wilkinson]

Cool Start. Can't wait to see progress. If you could get someone to model those piles of concrete, would be epic

[=(DK)=stoffen_tacticalsup]

Oh yeds!

[Mad-Mike]

are u still doing this Rudd? if so any updates SS?

looking good btw

[Rudd]

I am still working on this, but its slow going.

I am still just hand sculpting each field, and then painting by hand. this is around 50% completed. Then I have to add crops as undergrowth and then turn that to overgrowth.

I'll post up the minimap when I have finished those particular tasks, and then I can get to the fun part of making the actual buildings etc (though I did start this anyway )



Here's a question though.

on the far west and far east sides of the map there are is a canal. My instinct tells me to put those canals on the very edge of the map as a convenient boundry to obscure the lowdetail area of the edge of the map . (I could put some overgrowth down to hide teh map's edge.)

Or should I move the canals further in to teh map and make them a feature?

I get the feeling that the former would make more sense,

And I'm a little worried that I've placed the british main too near the edge of the map.

I've placed a VCP, so my thoughts are that the british main isn't going to directly in play, there isn't any high ground nearby, and it has good defensive positions, so baserape will really be a challenge unless its mortar based.

There is around 150m of space between the british main and the edge of the map, should I move it more in to the action, or keep it back and safe? It isn't going to be easy to travel offroad on this map, so I think its fine where it is.

[Mongolian_dude]

Donde esta la fuel and ammo dumps in the base? Any room for a fire support pit?

...mongol...

[fuzzhead]

I think canal on the edge border would be good idea, its done in albasrah to some good effet.

[Rudd]

This is an appeal for reference images from teh nad ali area, I'm getting alot of exerience mapping however this is my only 'real location' map that I've made so far, and I'm trying to get it 100% (well, 99%) how it is IRL.

I'm especially after pictures of teh canal system, I've only seen 2 pictures of the canals.

[crazy11]

Members of U.S.-trained Afghanistan Eradication Force use tractors and all terrain vehicles to destroy opium poppy fields in Nad Ali district, the world's biggest opium producing area, in Helmand province of Afghanistan on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007. After a miserable failure last year, the Afghan government has launched a renewed drive to nip its rampant poppy cultivation in the bud, particularly in Helmand province _ which accounted for 42 percent of the 2006's record-breaking crop of 6,100 metric tons (6,725 tons).

Members of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, together with Royal Engineers and some members of 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, are building new patrol bases near Nad e-Ali for ISAF forces and the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. They have also built a new bridge on the fringes of Nad e-Ali in Helmand province, Afghanistan. [Picture: Sgt Keith Cotton RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]

More:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Pictu ... dChara.htm
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Pictu ... elmand.htm