WW2 Malaysia/Singapore terrain

[+Baltika]

Looking at all the great WW2 terrains which Edward, Gepard and stwa have created, I realised there was a gap to fill - which happily coincides with my current interest in the early air war in the PTO.

 

In flyable beta phase. Most of the cities in Malaya are added, need to finish the airfields before uploading.

 

 

"2 weeks"

Edited August 19, 2008 by Baltika

[The_Editor]

Looks great.

 

That will be ideal for the small war between Britain/Malaysia and Indonesia during the early 1960's.

[kct]

Awesome, something about home. The whole region?

 

The_Editor: You are looking at the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation?

Edited August 19, 2008 by kct

[Wrench]

Super!!

 

Be a great place for those NEI skins we have, too!!!

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[+Baltika]

Awesome, something about home. The whole region?

 

 

The map covers the area shown in the screenshot, it is a full-scale map created using Gepard's TE guide from the KB. So it is pretty huge already. There are Philippines, Darwin, New Guinea and Burma maps (all by Edward ) which essentially cover the surrounding regions in every direction. Like I said, this is by way of "plugging a gap"

 

v1.0 will feature a target- and airfield-rich environment on the Malay Peninsula, from say, Singora (as it then was) down to Singapore - just ideal for that "Defence of Singapore" 1941-42 campaign I have in mind :yes: (or should that be, Surrender of Singapore campaign )

 

I'm not sure how much of an air war there actually was over Borneo, Celebes and Java, but I extended the map out there anyway to cover all eventualities. That will give the NEI somewhere to fly, I reckon, like The Wrench says, so I ought to read up on their air battles vs the Japanese. Also good for the Battle of the Java Sea. Additional target areas, bases etc can be added for more modern scenarios, eg the 60s conflict The_Editor mentioned.

 

Cheers all,

 

Baltika

Edited August 20, 2008 by Baltika

[kct]

v1.0 will feature a target- and airfield-rich environment on the Malay Peninsula, from say, Singora (as it then was) down to Singapore - just ideal for that "Defence of Singapore" 1941-42 campaign I have in mind :yes: (or should that be, Surrender of Singapore campaign )

More like the one month blitz...or should I say, one week (of course, it was insanely fast, since the Japanese did their homework in a way similar to what happened elsewhere)? My history's pretty rusted by now .

Edited August 20, 2008 by kct

[+Stary]

Another one for my PTO install! Good job Baltka!

[+Baltika]

Progress being made. I decided just to go the whole hog, as adding in extra target areas and airbases and getting the tiling right after the map has been finalised for v1.0 can result in duplication of effort. So it will take a little longer, but the whole theatre will be flyable, and should save having to fiddle with it later. Also, I am using WW2 era placenames, but it should be an easy job to revise them for more modern usage. Likewise the WW2 dirt/grass surfaced airstrips can be relatively easily replaced with more modern equivalents.

 

 

Still have to get going with airbases - and now the list is much longer

Edited August 20, 2008 by Baltika

[Wrench]

Make sure you leave enough space in the airfield exclusion zones for the larger runways, for "modern times" conversions.!!! Ran into that with the WW2 Darwin conversion to the Modern Darwin!!

 

Also, I think it'd be a VERY good idea to have at least one large/medium runway for each side (as I've been doing with the WW2 map tweeks). This assures the lack of a CTD with the 'aircraftformation.dll' fault. Many of the bombers need a MEDIUM or LARGE runway, and the game either CTDs or the birds do a 'driving Miss Daisy' wander around on the ground.

 

If you need my repaved, unpaved strips, let me know. (Runway 1 and Runway '7' from New Guines and Okinawa)

 

Wrench

kevin stein

 

edit: is that Krakatoa Island I see in the Sunda Strait??? Damn, we need a 'smoking volcano effect'!!!

[The_Editor]

Looks brilliant.

 

Glad you included Kuching, that was the RAF's main base in the 1960's confrontation.

[Guest Stiglr]

Hey, Baltika:

 

allendkrsn@yahoo.com

 

If you want, keep in close contact with me as you do this. I've already been over this area with regard to terrain, and could perhaps lighten your research burden with regards to the various fields. We might also trade info on custom features, like the Singapore Naval Base, the Malaya/Singapore causeway, the round airfield at the south of Singapore (which doesn't exist anymore... but the terminal does!) the gun batteries about Singapore, the urban/rural/jungle disposition of 1941 Singapore, etc.

 

Here's a screenie of circular Kallang AF (don't mind the tile darkening, issue under development! ). Also, this screenie was taken quite some time ago, before I changed the terrain map to limit the urban area back to 1941.

 

Edited August 21, 2008 by Wrench
please don't reply with pics still embedded

[+Baltika]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

This is in early development, and having been doing my homework it seems there was a stack of air combat over Borneo, Java and Sumatra in WW2 so I am embarrassed for my earlier ignorance But I sure am glad I made a big enough map for it all

 

Wrench, I was thinking about your runway mods and it would be great if I could included them here. It seems there were some pretty sizeable airstrips even in WW2 days - P1 at Palembang had a paved runway, and what with the oil interests in Borneo for British and Dutch, the refinery/transport installations there seemed pretty advanced. There were at least three airfields near Saigon where the Japanese based their bomber force, so I will make sure there are big enough strips for the "heavies."

 

Editor, that conflict is something I don't have a great deal of knowledge about (eerrh, none at all ), so if you have any other suggestions which would ease a "modern" conversion, fire away. A few words now could save a lot of sweat later, which would be greatly appreciated :yes:

 

Cheers all,

 

Baltika

[+Baltika]

Hi stiglr,

 

Nice work there. Thanks for the offer of co-operation, that would be greatly appreciated. At the moment I am using the WoV tile naming convention, and I am having some concerns about the fact that basically I have a choice of jungle, paddy field, or more "cultivated" field. I am also using Brain32's VietnamSEA tile repaint with CA_Stary's superlative Green Hell 2 mod, but I have essentially programmed TE to eliminate all but the merest trace of Paddy field. Even so, I think the SEA tileset is maybe not perfect for Malaya, and certainly not Borneo - but having started a custom tileset for Iceland, I am not about to start up another tiling project in this lifetime.

 

So, yes, the urban/rural jungle disposition of the region in 1941 is something I am very interested in.

 

Cheers for the email addy, I will certainly keep in touch.

[Guest Stiglr]

Hi stiglr,

 

Nice work there. Thanks for the offer of co-operation, that would be greatly appreciated. At the moment I am using the WoV tile naming convention, and I am having some concerns about the fact that basically I have a choice of jungle, paddy field, or more "cultivated" field. I am also using Brain32's VietnamSEA tile repaint with CA_Stary's superlative Green Hell 2 mod, but I have essentially programmed TE to eliminate all but the merest trace of Paddy field. Even so, I think the SEA tileset is maybe not perfect for Malaya, and certainly not Borneo - but having started a custom tileset for Iceland, I am not about to start up another tiling project in this lifetime.

 

So, yes, the urban/rural jungle disposition of the region in 1941 is something I am very interested in.

 

Cheers for the email addy, I will certainly keep in touch.

 

OK!

 

I feel your pain in regards to custom terrain tiles. Even if you CAN create them and put them in your campaigns, it is very difficult to make them look good and to blend naturally with neighboring textures. It's an art unto itself! Case in point: I bought a brand spanking new Bryce terrain texturing creation software THREE YEARS AGO, and it's still waiting to actually be used!! I haven't had time, what with learning 3D model building, 2D texturing and how to work with the Targetware system!!!

 

As far as retrograding Singapore, I have a graphic of an old(er) Singapore map I can send you that shows where to "cut back" on the urban, and where some of the key villages lie, that were key positions and objectives in the rather short and (for the British) embarassing invasion phase of the island nation. Email me and I'll send it to ya.

Edited August 20, 2008 by Stiglr

[The_Editor]

Some good links for you Baltika:

 

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Borneo/index.html

 

 

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Borneo/air-war.html

 

You've already got Kuching, so the only one missing on Borneo is Labuan Island airfield and perhaps Seletar on Singapore, but this may interfere with the WW2 senario.

Edited August 20, 2008 by The_Editor

[kct]

And for the 60s scenario, the most important base used by the RAAF (transferred to them by the RAF) is located in Butterworth (which till today is considered one of the major airbases). Heck, they even placed their Mirage IIIOs there! (the Mirage IIIO mod available around here is perfect for this...albeit a little late...and they gave us their Sabres instead of these babies.)

 

As for the urban and jungle disposition of that period, its pretty much patchy, since urban development was concentrated on certain areas (those with heavy tin mining activity). Kuala Lumpur used to be a mining city before all this.

Edited August 21, 2008 by kct

[Wrench]

Watch the edge near Saigon ... it looks pretty close to THE WALL.

 

Use whatever you needs. Don't forget, I've got Polaks' PTO object Pak, too. (many items are in the recent upgrades). Unfortunately, I don't think it can be uploaded...but since there's bits and dribbles in my terrain paks...

 

Check the Okinawa or New Guinea upgrade paks, the Runway 7 (IIRC) is a dirt-paved Runway 6. The dirt Runway 1 is, of course, Runway 1. You can always substitue any other of the Medium runways (2, 5, 6). Other wise, you into hex editing and bmp/tga renaming.

 

Speaking of Saigon, maybe you can get away with just using Runway 4 (the V-crossing, Large Airfield)

 

The Balkipan Oil Fields are going to be quite interesting to build...my oil field layout may not be of any use here, and you may have to do it the hard way...by single objects (rrruuugggh!!! blah! - I've been doing this at Boela)

 

BTW, I've just made a small tweek to the Rex (fixed loadout, and rudder pivot). It already has the skin for the squadron tasked with defending the oil fields. And I have a fairly nice layout for a seaplane base. Of course, we can't actually take off and land on water....but it makes a nice Allied target.

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[kct]

Of course, we could re-enact the fall of the Prince of Wales and Repulse as part of the IJN campaign or something if we wanted to...wasn't there's already a Repulse around here?

 

It's a painful chapter in the history of the Royal Navy, but it is one that changes the face of naval warfare (or even warfare as a whole) in terms of battleship use.

Edited August 21, 2008 by kct

[+Baltika]

Hi again,

 

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

 

@ Wrench - You nearly gave me a heart attack over Saigon - don't want to have to start over - but having flown a test mission out of there, although The Wall is close by to the north, it will not interfere with departures/landings from the Saigon fields, thank goodness.

 

Cheers for permission to use your airfield repaints, greatly appreciated

 

@kct, my 1941 map of Malaya shows a British Airfield at Butterworth (courtesy of wikipedia), so no problem there. And on that more painful note, "Force Z" will be found somewhere at sea, and will no doubt attract attention from the invading japanese forces

 

Right, well, more airfields to place :yes:

[Kirsten]

If you have any questions about the Neth East Indies part just say so and I'll find out (have a number of books /pic's etc.) Airbases at Kalidajti (Djakarta), Kemayoran, Andir (Bandung), Semarang, Surabaya, Djocja, Samarinda, Ambon and so on.

I have the official book(s) om what happened there,

 

Aju,

 

Derk

[+Baltika]

If you have any questions about the Neth East Indies part just say so and I'll find out (have a number of books /pic's etc.) Airbases at Kalidajti (Djakarta), Kemayoran, Andir (Bandung), Semarang, Surabaya, Djocja, Samarinda, Ambon and so on.

I have the official book(s) om what happened there,

 

Aju,

 

Derk

 

 

Thanks very much, I have my hands full with Malaya right now but I will be in touch :yes:

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

[+Baltika]

BTW, I've just made a small tweek to the Rex (fixed loadout, and rudder pivot). It already has the skin for the squadron tasked with defending the oil fields. And I have a fairly nice layout for a seaplane base. Of course, we can't actually take off and land on water....but it makes a nice Allied target.

 

Wrench

kevin stein

 

 

That sounds pretty nifty. . . And I was thinking that maybe Gepard's idea of "invisible" airbases on the water (for "carrier" style take-offs on his Midway terrain) might allow us to "fake" a water take-off for floatplanes. . . Oooh, the possibilities :yes:

 

I'm still waiting for my Grumman Goose

 

But what I'd really like to see is the floatplane version of the Mitsubishi Zero - maybe we need to throw the gauntlet down to capun on that one, given those charming Luftwaffe floatplanes over at skunkworks

[Wrench]

In fact, I emailed him about the Rufe yesturday. Unfortunately, we aren't working on one. And it's not like we could just stick the float assemblies onto AD's Zeke.

 

However...

 

 

(please excuse the untexured floats -- I'd forgotten to update this version to the newer lod, that has the floats mapped & skinned -by me!)

 

The Rex sits slightly higher UP, due to Pasko's genius of adding a 'retractable beaching gear' (ie: small wheels) No pic as I forgot to take one, sorry.

 

Even as we speak, I've testing some ideas for operational seaplane bases. The only drawback with them is, the game engine WILL consider them valid airports for land based birds, too. Expecially in single missions.

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[Wrench]

I stand corrected....got this little surprise from Capun via my email inbox this morning....

 

 

 

(I just love that linked animtion that opens the canopy!)

 

Now, I just need to bug him to send me the lined map for the floats; they're a 'weapon' -ie, a non-jettisonable fuel tank; which they also were in Real Life ™. Then I can reskin it. Might have to create 2 floats; one in the whiteish finish and the other IJN green camo. That means 2 lods and bmps, but thats a very simple hex edit.

 

Very very pleased, and VERY surprised! Now, to collect artwork for the hangar/loading screens...now where did I put that realy good Kioke print....

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[+Stary]

Lovely!

 

@Baltika -I made new purely clean install for your campaign, under testing now. Will see where's the bug I told you about