Somme Terrain Improvements for FS-WWI (Many Pics)

[ArgonV 2]

In expectation of FS-WWI Plane Pack 5, and to further the completion of the FS-WWI mod for SDOE I have decided to further enhance the Somme terrain in light of Recon3's texture improvements. The list of improvements I have already completed or wish to complete are as follows:

 

-Fixed many shading oddities. Some still remain around the airfields and towns however. I'm still looking for a fix for these...

 

-Add blown-out buildings and rubble near the front lines (In Progress)

 

-Create more forests (In Progress)

 

-Add more buildings to all of the existing towns (In Progress)

 

-Add "fields of battle" to front lines area (Done)

 

-Remove "invisible ground" that aircraft crashed into or ground objects got placed ontop of (Done)

 

-Add a permanent Zeppelin Shed to the terrain (Done)

 

-Make the two bridges able to be driven or landed upon (Done)

 

-Correct shading on many of the tents, hangars and buildings (Done)

 

-Airfield building and hangars are now mostly hi-res (Done - Recon3)

 

-Airfield tiles are hi-res (Done - Recon3)

 

-Add hi-res support to the terrain (Done)

 

-Fix "floating" windmills and lighting issues of the windmill object (Done)

 

-Correct the error that the windmills all were either Axis or Allied in the Mission Editor. Now each of the three windmill targets can be set to either/or (Done)

 

-Correct all Training Takoff and Landing missions so the Allied aircraft take off on the Allied side of the front and the Axis aircraft take off on the Axis side of the front (Done)

 

-Correct all of the airfield AI take off coords and positions. They are now not so randomly placed on the airfields (Done)

 

-Create a new Allied and Axis observation balloon object. The placeable object now has a squad or so of men to protect it, a few tents around and you can see the cable ran from the balloon to the ground. The men do fire on enemy aircraft, and they can also be killed or ran over (Done)

 

-The above mentioned object has been modified to have a flak gun. These objects are permanent now on the terrain up and down the front lines on both sides. I would not venture to the front so half-hearted now!! (Done)

 

-Add balloon bases to all airfields (Done)

 

-Add more buildings, houses and trees to the town of Bertincourt (Done)

 

-Add a stationary train object to the railroad station (Done)

 

Not all of these are 100% completed, but I am getting close. I'm also looking to add more objects on the terrain to shoot at and to liven up the atmosphere a little. I expect this terrain project to take me a couple of more months. When it's finished, I will attempt to transpose these modifications to Snowy Somme. Then, FS-WWI Plane Pack 5 will be completed and released.

 

:)

 

Some quick screenshots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new deflated and burning damage model for the balloons:

 

 

After it reaches the ground:

 

New tree textures

 

 

 

Permanent Zepp hangar

Edited October 20, 2008 by ArgonV

[ArgonV 2]

Hehe all of these views and not a single comment! ;)

[jeanba 1,920]

I am very interested and looking forward to v5

[Alexander51 3]

WOW!! This sim looks nothing like I remember it!

Great job mate

[ArgonV 2]

Lots of things happening on this front! Tons of bugs are being squashed and the Somme terrain is still undergoing vast improvements. Recon3 is actively retexturing the towns and areas around the factories. An effort has also been made to flatten out the terrain (The old Somme had mountians and plateaus which was totally unrealistic) and add many new tree objects and forests as well as to fix the old ones.

 

A pic:

 

 

At the front lines inbetween the German and Allied battlefields smoke has been added to a couple of the craters. This spreads up and down the front lines and makes spotting the battlefields from a distance a bit easier as well as adds a touch of realism.

 

 

[ArgonV 2]

Ok lots of updates to report!!! New bridge textures (Included rail tracks and better looking brick), added more hangars for the airfields, fixed take off positions for German airfield 3 (Now named Epinoy), and a few other goodies for the airfields (Lamp posts, crates, a wind sock that moves and a AEC truck).