Flying by map

[sitting_duck 3]

Tried flying by map (thanks rabu), and couldnt find much in the game that actually matched up to the map in the area I was at. Took of from LaGourge airfield, and attempted to find the river that would take me west to Armentieres.

 

 

Has anyone been able to navigate sucessfully by means of map, or is the terrain in the game just too random.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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sitting_duck, external map is how I've been flying the DID missions for quite some time now. I have a second computer and monitor sitting to my port side and I pull up the map of my AO and zoom in for good detail, (I am using the vintage map set posted by rabu also). I have the map displayed via my picture editor program, and I spend my first two or three campaign missions making a cook's tour of the AO, adding in features and notes and such right on my map in a separate layer, then save it. If you look for towns, rivers, main roads, and lakes you will have the best luck, and I have noticed that large wooded areas seem to stay constant so I draw those in on my map as well.

 

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[Maeran 20]

Some areas seem more easy to 'read' compared to others.

 

I've tried using Rabu's maps and then gone further and bought (admittedly modern) road maps of the Flanders and Somme region. The northern region is readable (i.e. you can find your way around using a map)- for example, in a recent mission I lost my flight, but returned home to Clairmarais from Poperinghe by keeping the river Yser to my right. In the main however, the roads and rail lines in the north are hard to follow using either modern or older maps.

 

In comparison, the Somme region is a joy to fly using map navigation. Especially around Arras, Cambrai and Albert, where you can clearly identify and navigate by the rivers roads and major rail lines.

 

So, while it is true that it isn't always easy, you can indeed navigate by map in OFF. I warmly recommend using the western front map posted by Rabu here with 54 RFC squadron in early 1917. Take off from Chippily, on a bend in the Somme, fly north to Albert and follow the main road NE through Bapaume and on to Cambrai, or stick with the river Ancre and its rail line, taking you north to Arras. You won't need to pull up the in game map at all.

 

 

On a similar matter, there's a large circular lake on the front line north of Ypres. It's very distinctive and in an area sadly devoid of many handy landmarks. I can't find anything similar on the map. Does anyone have any ideas what that might be?

Edited January 4, 2010 by Maeran

[MikeDixonUK 5]

I use the mission briefing map for my navigation so I don't have to open the in game map as I don't like how it shows your position, I usualy mix the major landmarks from the map such as the front line or the coast, mixed with simple time / direction guessing.

 

"Heading 110 until I reach the big brown muddy line with the explosions, then head south along it until the big brown muddy line turns to the left, then heading 090 and bomb the 3rd Airfield on the right, after which run away."

[sitting_duck 3]

ok,,great,,,thanks for the reply...guess i started off in a bad area to test.

 

will give it another go.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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sitting_duck, here is the link to an earlier topic about the location of aerodromes. I mentioned in this thread how I get the dromes onto my out-of-sim map.

 

Project Aerodromes

 

Hope you find this useful.

 

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[sitting_duck 3]

Ok...tried it again,,,and ill tell you.....anyone who is making this work...my hat is off to you!!

 

Tried raf's map,,,with airfields...and passed 3 of them without even noticing,,,,,,

 

But stupid (maybe) question...on the western front map,,,,,blue is obviously rivers.....how would you you classify the black and red lines?

 

Lens should have what seems to be 5 major roads leading in and out,,but all I could see was a big river (unless i was hopelessly lost at the time)

 

oh,,and ovs,,in case your reading....i wouldnt hold your breath if i were you.....

[MikeDixonUK 5]

Another map navigation related thing that I've been testing out recently for the DiD Campaign is replacing the map_inflight.dds file in aircraft/shared with a screenshot of the briefing map before each mission so that I can look at the map in game.

 

Guess that only works with craft like the Strutter that has a map in its cockpit though.

 

Haven't been able to test it much in campaign yet as we only get two flights per day, but I thought it might be good for immersion for if you can find a good map for navigation with.

 

 

[Mr. Lucky 0]

This is a link to the sticky OFF General help, second topic.

It's a repost by uncleal of a post I put up a couple of years ago,

so map navigating has been discussed for some time.

 

I've found no better method except you have to note airdromes, army bases, balloons, etc. on the maps yourself. As close as you can get to how they actually did it in WWI except these maps are better.

 

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=37490

 

If you have any questions, let me know, I'll be glad to help you out on techniques, etc. we use in real life flying.

[sitting_duck 3]

When i was browsing the maps in downloads, skipped over the flanders maps cause i thout it was just one map of a small specific area. Actually (and im sure you all know this), its rabus map but with airfields entered on it.

 

5 of us flew a mission for over 2 hours in multiplayer basically in Did (no tac, no lables no waypoints), and did manage to make a rather large circuit, and get back to home base. But with little exception, the only reliable landmarks where the airfields, and the larger cities. And often we would have to bring up the ingame map, and find out exactly what airfield we where passing over to find out exactly where we were. But gotta admit, it did add another dimension to the game.

 

 

[Mr. Lucky 0]

When i was browsing the maps in downloads, skipped over the flanders maps cause i thout it was just one map of a small specific area. Actually (and im sure you all know this), its rabus map but with airfields entered on it.

 

5 of us flew a mission for over 2 hours in multiplayer basically in Did (no tac, no lables no waypoints), and did manage to make a rather large circuit, and get back to home base. But with little exception, the only reliable landmarks where the airfields, and the larger cities. And often we would have to bring up the ingame map, and find out exactly what airfield we where passing over to find out exactly where we were. But gotta admit, it did add another dimension to the game.

 

 

The link I posted solves all that but if you desire to struggle on, go ahead.