[Map] Operation Hailstorm (4km) [WIP]

[VapoMan]

Operation HailStorm WIP

Operation Hailstorm is a 4km jungle island map based off the real world island of Tonoas (also known as Dublon Island) located in the Truk lagoon, in the central Pacific north of New Guinea.

Currently the map is a work in progress with around 65% complete.
I still have to place a whole lot of village statics and make the military island look military, lightmap and tweak the current overgorwth and undergrowth.

The name "operation hailstorm" is from the original world war 2 "operation hailstone" which took place in the same lagoon. Many Japanese wrecks still remain there today.

The story is that the USMC and ADF forces are taking back the group in the Truk lagoon which has been captured by the PLA. This is just one of the many battles happening in the area (the whole lagoon is very big).

The battleplan for this island is the USMC (or ADF) must secure the large island before trying to invade the small Fortified military island to the south.
The PLA is counter attacking, they are trying to drive the enemy out of the area by taking the large island first, forcing the USMC to retreat.

It will focus mainly on infantry but will also feature: light (maybe heavy) attack choppers, transport choppers, boats, apcs, AAVPs and light land vehciles. If the harrier can actually be made to land on a carrier (I havnt been able to do it) I might incude it with a PLA jet also.

The current teams featured are USMC vs PLA. This may change in the future, but for me to include a community faction I will need to change some features of the map such as the US carrier. I would still be happy to use a community faction anyway as long as they have aquotic apcs ect.

Overview of the map:
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/7304 ... update.jpg

UPDATED:Current minimap:


UPDATED:Latest Screens:

http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv17 ... -28-88.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv17 ... -28-47.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv17 ... -41-00.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv17 ... -24-94.jpg
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv17 ... -58-49.jpg

Photobucket albulm:
Operation Hailstorm pictures by vapoman - Photobucket

Albulm of reference photos of the island (NOT MINE):
Picasa Web Albums - Sunkmail - Dublon Island...

OLD download v0.8 Test version:
Download operation_hailstorm_14_oct.rar

Installation:
delete any old versions of operation hailstorm in this directory:
program files>EA GAMES>Battlefield2>mods>pr>levels
Then exract the downloaded file with WINRAR into the levels directory.
You should now have a folder called operation hailstorm containing info, client.zip and server.zip in your levels forlder.
Installation complete.

[VapoMan]

Dammit, I forgot to change the title of the thread.

Can an RMOD please change it to

[Map] Operation Hailstorm (4km) [WIP]

Sorry about that.

EDIT: Thanks

[maarit]

hmm...it just...well..im not sure but....

ou mai gaaad!!!!

this looks perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hope that its not too heavy map for perfomance thing...but....its super

downloaded and testing right now

i added one pic to show that there is problem in bridge area but you gonna tweak those under/overgrowth anyway so im not gonna put anymore pics...
keep it going

[Snazz]

Considered using the latest jungle statics?


https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f354-community-maps/83641-map-operation-tempest-4km-2.html#post1393881

The current teams featured are USMC vs PLA. This may change in the future, but for me to include a community faction I will need to change some features of the map such as the US carrier. I would still be happy to use a community faction anyway as long as they have aquotic apcs ect.

The ADF and USMC do joint amphibious exercises IRL, so you could have the ADF faction using the Essex and AAVs.

Exercise Talisman Sabre:


Essex Completes Successful Talisman Saber ‘09 - Mentions that ADF Blackhawks also operated from the Essex.

[Brainlaag]

WOW I love jungle/forest maps. I always thought Barracuda was cool, but damn compared to your island it looks like ****. Awesome under/overgrowth I'm ready for some intense firefights in OP Ghost Train style

[alexandrei07]

Nice Jungle..downloading !

[Rhino]

Cool, although I feel your carrier is too close to the shore line. You need a 800m min VD for choppers and if your also going to think about putting jets on this map you need it to be 1km and your carrier looks like its within 800m of the shore line. I would be tempted to rearrange your map layout and put the carrier in the bottom left corner.

Your satellite image as your colourmap is fine for now while working its what I also do but I would look into replacing it further down the line with a new colourmap as your one right now dosen't look very good on foot etc.

Anyways keep up the good work, the map has some potential

[VapoMan]

[quote=""'[R-DEV"]Rhino;1415296']Cool, although I feel your carrier is too close to the shore line. You need a 800m min VD for choppers and if your also going to think about putting jets on this map you need it to be 1km and your carrier looks like its within 800m of the shore line. I would be tempted to rearrange your map layout and put the carrier in the bottom left corner.

Your satellite image as your colourmap is fine for now while working its what I also do but I would look into replacing it further down the line with a new colourmap as your one right now dosen't look very good on foot etc.

Anyways keep up the good work, the map has some potential [/quote]

The current colour map will be replaced in future, im just using to see where to put things.

Its pretty hard to up the overgrowth viewdistance (level viewdistance is 800) when you have 50000+ overgrowth objects, thats why ive used a stormy/mist effect. I could probably turn it up now as ive lowered the number from 70000+ and ive got enough FPS to.

If the carrier was in the bottom left corner than it would right next to the military island which I dont want to move for realism. I could move it to the top right hand corner so there is less land near it.

And jets are a BIG MAYBE. Even Heavy attack choppers are. The only reason I have them in the test map is so I could see what its like with them.

[quote="Snazz""]Considered using the latest jungle statics?

The ADF and USMC do joint amphibious exercises IRL, so you could have the ADF faction using the Essex and AAVs.[/quote]

Yes I was thinking of using the Jungle overgrowth but I forgot about it. It wouldnt be to hard to impelent it, just need to replace the new with the old.

I didnt know about the US and ADF working together like that, looks like I could use them after all.

I already know about that dogey road, thanks for letting me know anyway

Thanks guys

[Rhino]

The current colour map will be replaced in future, im just using to see where to put things.

Its pretty hard to up the overgrowth viewdistance (level viewdistance is 800) when you have 50000+ overgrowth objects, thats why ive used a stormy/mist effect. I could probably turn it up now as ive lowered the number from 70000+ and ive got enough FPS to.

If the carrier was in the bottom left corner than it would right next to the military island which I dont want to move for realism. I could move it to the top right hand corner so there is less land near it.

And jets are a BIG MAYBE. Even Heavy attack choppers are. The only reason I have them in the test map is so I could see what its like with them.

Aint looked at your test build I'm just going off the overview and screenshots.

Map's VD is going to need to be over 800 if you want choppers otherwise your just down to land vehicles. It is possible to work with the OG with large VD you just need to be careful how you use it and maybe optimize in other areas.

I was also not suggesting you move the island, you can quite easily move the PLA main itself onto the NE or even NW edge of the map and use the island for anouther purpose like a small PLA fortification that needs to be taken.

[Zulnex]

Very nice screenshots. Excellent work.

[Psyrus]

Performance was decent on my PC, 100 on the outskirts and around 65-80 at certain points in the island (seemingly no different from other places though?).

There doesn't seem to be many 'objective' areas though, is this part of the % that is remaining (like adding statics to make the 'flag areas')?

[VapoMan]

Performance was decent on my PC, 100 on the outskirts and around 65-80 at certain points in the island (seemingly no different from other places though?).

There doesn't seem to be many 'objective' areas though, is this part of the % that is remaining (like adding statics to make the 'flag areas')?

Yes, thats most of what I have to do.

[Nebsif]

Add a link to that thread to ur sig pic Screenies look very kewl, too lazy to install it tho

[billoute]

very good work ! the island is magnificent and realist .....

[Silly_Savage]

Looking good so far.

I'm going to echo Snazz's statement about using the new jungle statics. I think they would improve your map visually, ten-fold.

[General Dragosh]

I was also not suggesting you move the island, you can quite easily move the PLA main itself onto the NE or even NW edge of the map and use the island for anouther purpose like a small PLA fortification that needs to be taken.

Hah we have barracuda for that xD dont want another same map hehe

Oh yea the map looks very interesting, didnt test it out thou, but looks quite fine from the pictures

[Rhino]

Hah we have barracuda for that xD dont want another same map hehe

Well Deer thinks you guys love copies of maps even more than brand new map concepts?


This map would also be 4km and could portray lots of different elements. By having two islands to attack instead of cutting off the small island as a small base would make it more different from barra than having that small island cut off from the gameplay as it was the PLA's main base.

[VapoMan]

Well Deer thinks you guys love copies of maps even more than brand new map concepts?


This map would also be 4km and could portray lots of different elements. By having two islands to attack instead of cutting off the small island as a small base would make it more different from barra than having that small island cut off from the gameplay as it was the PLA's main base.

I dont know where I would put the PLA base other than small island. I would LOVE it if the PLA had some sort of carrier (even if the model is bad at least its something), I dont want to use a cargoship.

[General Dragosh]

Well Deer thinks you guys love copies of maps even more than brand new map concepts?

Well thinking is overated haha xD

Heres an idea, PLA starts from the island with all the shiny assets, and the BLUFOR starts with a carrier from the top left corner on a carrier with helicopters/airplanes only and top right on a "assault ship" where the all other assets are

[Rhino]

I dont know where I would put the PLA base other than small island. I would LOVE it if the PLA had some sort of carrier (even if the model is bad at least its something), I dont want to use a cargoship.

Ye cargoships are pretty gay. If you where going to have a "PLA Carrier" it would first of all really need to a LPD, most likley the Type 071 as the only carrier the Chinese are building (since they dont have any) is the Shi Lang (called the Varyag there which is its old Russian name) but that really wouldn't do on its own as its only carriers jets and a few small choppers, can't carry any landing craft / amphibious vehicles etc like the vBF2 Carrier (which is in fact a LHD and not a carrier, even thou it can take STOVL aircraft).

The big problem with going down this rout with your map is that as noted before there is only really one spot right now which is far enough away from the shore for it to be so you would kinda need to shrink down the size of your islands in order to fit two naval tasks forces on there at opposite sides of the island. Not to mention this would be pretty unrealistic to have two, head on amphibious assaults attacking each other, more likley to have a large naval engagement before it would get to that which would result in the head on amphibious assault not happening most likley.

The biggest problem with this thou is of course the amount of work required to make a carrier/LPD if your going to be going into any detail which would be needed tbh. I'm just saying unless you have someone who has a lot of experience with staticobjects and is 100% committed to doing it with lots of time on there hands its not going to happen.


Your only real option as far as I can see is to put the PLA main on to the main island and make the small island into a small PLA garrison. I've drawn up this quick plan for you of where you could put your PLA main with the USS Essex in the SW of the map.



Option 1 for the PLA main in the very NE corner would be the most "traditional" place to put the PLA main, tucked nicely out of the way out of the combat and it wouldn't come into the played area much. Only real problem with it is it has limited exit points from it, just west really which makes the PLA's movements more predictable. This place is a pretty safe bet for a ok main base but it wouldn't give your map a new edge or anything.

Option 2 is an interesting point, pretty much in the centre of the island, with pretty equal distance from all major cap points that would be put around it. Problem with this location is it would limit quite a bit your potential objectives and would also get in the way of the flow of play for the USMC quite a bit and they would have to sweep around it the entire time which might not work too well but then again, might give your map quite a unique point to it and you could put the USMC off by going near it by putting lots of AAA etc in there

Option 3 like Option 2 is a pretty safe bet, slightly less traditional but would leave a lot of area open for combat zones even the bit to its NE where option 1 would be. This spot has pretty much the same problems as option 1 where PLA's movements are pretty predictable, only being able to go west.

Option 4 is an interesting spot, with the bridge and the whore line coming into its location and thous spots basically being in control of the main, all movement over the bridge can be monitored by the PLA and gives them lots of places to move out to. The main problem with this spot is it cuts the area to the east of it off quite a bit from game play. You could put a flag there but once that flag is capped, anyone there can't really move off that point and they are pretty much trapped there. This could still lead to some nice interesting gameplay if you put it as a middle/end flag point and not as a begging flag. The good thing about this point is the rest of the map is open for gameplay, although the USMC might have to work around the PLA main a bit.


Also if you where going to put your PLA main on the main island and the USS Essex in the SW I would be tempted to move all your terrain and statics north quite a bit, a big operation but its very possible and would give you even more water between the carrier and the shore which is only a good thing