[[New Faction Proposal] ] PLAN Marines

[charliegrs]

i think there used to be a taiwan map in the works, i dont remember who was doing it but if you can find them maybe they can give it to you to finish? that would be the most realistic theater for the US and China to fight in. i never really could understand why the US was invading mainland china that just sounds like suicide to me.

[McBumLuv]

If I had any skill in modding, I'd volunteer for this awesome idea (how often do people showcase the "bad" guys?). Not only would this open up a new faction, but also many new map possibilities.

[motherdear]

check your pm on the boat progress heavy, and just sign me up for it (half way done with the model if not more)

[steve_06-07]

China Defense Blog: December 2008

[arjan]

PRC_Heavy_Z have you checked youre PM for the map idea ?
What do you think.

[Rhino]

Nice heavy, thou I do not think a "entire new faction" is really necessary to archive this goal since there is nothing hugely different about the PLA and the PLANM than simply the vehicles they use and there fighting environments which can easily be archived all by how a map is setup. Same would go for if we where to make a British Royal Marine map for PR, since the Royal Marines use the same weapons as the British Army with the exception of some different vehicles like the Viking etc, in fact the Royal Marines and the PLANM are very similar in the way they work since they are both more of a "Commando unit" than a full army. With this also and with the fact that China has no Aircraft Carriers you would not be able to stage a huge beach invasion more just some island attacks and operations that are close to home really best to have them inside aircraft operational range from land bases.

There is only really 2 main issues that I see which you will encounter with making this which is.

1, maps. At the moment there are no real maps (apart from a "day 2" of Op Barra already mentioned in this topic) that really suit this faction. Creating enough good quality maps for it will be hard pressed.

2. Crating assault ships and support ships for the attack will be something very necessary and very hard. Any one undertaking the task of crating a ship needs to fully understand the ways BF2 statics work with the texture pallet system etc and also have a very clear idea before they start of how they are going to make it stage by stage. Put it this way I've been watching a modeller struggle away at making a Nimits carrier for over a year now (not for PR for any one who asks) and its been modelled now but the skinning process is taking a very long time due to no one able to work on it right now, a bit of it has been skinned but not much. Even thou an assault ship and a destroyer etc may not be as big or as complex as a super carrier the fact still remains the same, they are very hard models to make and if not made by some one who knows exactly what they are doing and is 100% determined to finish it, it will not get finished. So to put it simply, if you do not get an assault ship at the very minimum, you will not have this faction done. Who ever you choose to do this task make sure you talk to me about it because this is the big difference between this faction working and not. The reason why we do not have any Royal Marine maps is due to us having no British Assault Ships or Carriers.


Now to exspand on maps, I suggest you guys talk to the Aus forces mod team, you guys should be able to work together some what.

Op Barra is also a good idea but we would not do it as a "cloned map", thou I see no reason why we could not do it as a separate GPO layer, apart from removing the USS Essex and putting in PLA ships may be a bit of a problem hehe, would be a very large problem in fact due to LMs.

You may also want to look into crating a realistic Wake Island map, with the Chinese assaulting the island and the US having air power from the air base, thou this would not be a realistic as with China having no carrier there attack would be screwed over big time from US air power unless China found some way of stopping it (unlikely).



Anyways keep up the good work HZ, will see if I can talk to you a little more at some point on xfire

[Rhino]

Well that would depend on if the map was in range of there bomber aircraft from the nearest PLA Air Base that could take that kinda jet.

[RedAlertSF]

Midway would be better, as I said before.

I think it would be balanced. PLANM needs few ships (those in which are in the starting post) with a lot of boats and AA on the ships. US could have some choppers or jets. It would be really awesome. Take a look:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... slands.svg

[arjan]

As for PLA air support, could we not have the JDAM on a much shorter timer? Or even a new arty system that delivers a bunch of smaller bombs in an area?

I allready had a converstation with HZ about that, we had the idea of a new area attack: a cannon bombardment, it is realistic since those ships have cannons.

Around 8 to 10 shells, that would come down within 3 seconds and duration would be 4 to 6 seconds, and it could take out around 1 or half a grid?

But he said that was upto the dev's since its has to do with gameplay.

For the maps, i sended ZH a map idea via PM but he hasnt responded yet.

[RedAlertSF]

Jonny, you're right. I got BF2editor on my computer but can't make anything with it actually. Maybe it's just about the skill, but interface of that thing is...horrible.

[motherdear]

well i have been tasked with creating a small boat for the chinese so i'm just gonna post the update pictures.





the biped in the picture is 2 meter high so that you got something to compare with, the boat is 4-5 m long, 1 meter + wide, and about 0.75 m highish.

[aperson444]

Looks good for a small transport boat.

[arjan]

Arjan, RedAlert, try making the maps, not just talking about them. Midway will look much better to us in the editor than on wikipedia...

What would made you think i havent made a map yet?
I was allready talking about me doing maps and stuff back in EEF.

And i only sended him a map idea, so i could get a green light on it or not.

[PRC_Heavy_Z]

@Rhino
I will plan on creating the assualt Vessels and I am currently searching for info on the pallet texture thing you've mentioned. I will not make much of an interior for the ship, only a stair way to the rear heli hanger from the vehicle bay so it shouldn't be too much of a task compared to a Carrier, and as you mentioned the Vessel is ~ less than 3/4 the size of a carrier. If you could give me a link to some info on creating a "carrier" static that'd be awesome. Though why can't we just create a giant single static? If the Assualt vessel doesn't go well, we could also simply have small islands on the maps as staging areas.

@Motherdear

Very nice work Make sure to use some smoothing groups and "make planar" some of those faces good job.

Regarding the Maps, I remember there were a few community maps that were made which could be utilized by PLAN Marines.. IE. Wake Island Remake, one of the maps HughJassy made... I'd have to ask around though.

And Arjan is planning a map already, I just got to PM him about certain things... Arjan, expect a PM soon, I like the general map Idea though I think there's certain things are needed.

We still need someone who can do texture, IE. Bump Maps, Specular Maps and of course the good ol' color map. If anyone could take up this position, please PM me.

Edit: Regarding Air assets, realistically the PLAN Marines will never invade without the skies cleared out by the PLAAF. The PLAN Marines have no Anti-air assets and very limited air support. Thus, there will not be any air assets on the defending faction (Otherwise one apache will wipe out the whole team ).

[Drav]

Motherdear some of the triangulation looks a bit suspect, tho that may just be the lack of smoothing groups. Post a picture up with it smoothed.....fits the reference nicely tho....