Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 A preview and discussion thread for the new MG map I just uploaded. This map extends the covered area W and NW of the "Counterattack at Son" map that shipped with the MG Module. Below, both map areas overlaid on Google Earth. Counterattack At Son is the game map on lower right, my new map is the bounded area (1,744m x 1,536m on the upper left): Now you have a map covering the previous action on Sept. 17-18, when the 101st Airborne advanced on its objective: Son Bridge. The Counterattack at Son map also included Son Bridge and parts of Son Town, but focused on the area where the German 107th Pz Brigade counterattacked later in the campaign. A preview tour of the map will follow in several more posts... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 A level 9 view of nearly the entire map (a bit of the S edge isn't visible here): The US paratroops' dropzones were north of this map. They advanced south along Hell's Highway, on the right, and through the Zonsche Forest in the NW. Note the variety in the forest -- some of it is mixed woods, which will block more LOS, but those gridded areas are the "pine tree plantation" type of forest often described in AARs. More on those later. The US objective -- Son Bridge. In reality it was a swivel bridge, which could pivot 90 degrees to let water traffic on the Wilhelmina Canal pass through. We don't have a swivel bridge in the game, and the "Canal Bridge" we have is beautiful but the wrong style for Son. So I used an urban bridge to approximate the look of the original. Note how the wooden fence in shallow ford tiles can approximate the look of wooden piers at the waterline. Here's a view of the bridge from the south end: And from the north end. Note how the raised canal dike makes the bridge crossing higher than the surrounding terrain and blocks LOS: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 A closer look at Son town... View north along Hell's Highway from the bridge: In town, the North Brabant Sanatorium: The sanatorium was a prewar TB hospital. Once the 101st captured it, the building served as a field hospital for the rest of the campaign. To the left of the entrance is the doctor's residence. Behind the hospital (not shown) are nurses/staff quarters, a meadow and gardens, and some outbuildings that served during the battle as a morgue. Across the street from the hospital, the St. Aloysius Boys School: This was the site of one of the infamous German 88s that the 101st had to knock out before they could approach the bridge. St. Petrus Church: The tour continues... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 A postcard-like view of St. Petrus Church overlooking the Market Square and the old Town Hall: The flat landscape makes the church steeple the highest thing for miles around, and an extremely valuable observation post. Here's a shot looking toward the steeple from a forest clearing all the way on the W edge of the map (see the steeple on the far center horizon?): Now we'll look toward the west and northwest, where the town gives way to mixed farmlands/woodlots and the Zonsche Forest. Best and its bridge would be offmap in this direction: The tour continues... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 An area roughly in the center of the map, where various woods and clearings mix with farms and pastures. Kind of like Normandy without bocage, I guess: A closer look at the tree plantation area on the west side of the map. Note the lanes (path tiles) between tree sections. This made crossing the forest a nightmare for US soldiers, because Germans could set up machineguns to fire along the lanes: Aerial looking east along the canal from the west end of the map: The raised canal dike is not crossable by vehicles, but there's a path along the top of the dike that vehicles might be able to use in places. The problem is that once a vehicle is on the dike, it can't get off except at Son Bridge and maybe a few other spots. There are two water-filled (shallow ford) creeks on the map, as well as the Dommel River in the NE corner, which has a little bridge of its own (it's there for authenticity but it probably doesn't have much tactical use on this particular map). Next: The final shots... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 The SW part of the map has a little settlement on it -- since I had no period photos or sources for buildings here (just the building locations) I used some imagination to make a factory/warehouse complex and worker settlement. The factory front office and entrance: The loading dock at the rear: Inside the walled courtyard, covered warehouse area: Aerial view of the compund: And finally, since this is Holland after all, from the SE corner of the map: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 OK, one more shot of the windmill that I really like: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerMike Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Looks great! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aragorn2002 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Sensational! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjkerner Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Absolutely fantastic, my friend! How long did this take? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 Hard to say exactly. About 2 weeks of working on it an hour or so at a time, so roughly 15 hours. Overlays make things go much faster than before. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger73 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Absolutely fantastic, my friend! How long did this take? +1. These are gorgeous! Also wonder how long it took. Would love to see a tutorial for how to do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 +1. These are gorgeous! Also wonder how long it took. Would love to see a tutorial for how to do. JonS recently made the definitive tutorial for maps and scenario creation. It's on this site and came as a PDF with the MG Module too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sburke Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Perfect timing, with the patch out it should really enhance the experience. This looks to be turning into one of your best yet. The Wehrmacht is gearing up, let's see if you can take this bridge. You better, I am really looking forward to the Battle for Eindhoven. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broadsword56 Posted November 17, 2013 Author Share Posted November 17, 2013 Perfect timing, with the patch out it should really enhance the experience. This looks to be turning into one of your best yet. The Wehrmacht is gearing up, let's see if you can take this bridge. You better, I am really looking forward to the Battle for Eindhoven. Thanks! Just to make things even more challenging for the Allies, I think I'm going to make the scenario's touch objective zone (which triggers the bridge becoming "contested" and a determination of when the Germans can attempt to blow it) known only to the German side. That way, the only way I'll know when it's triggered is when you get an alert and telle me it's time for a demolition check. Prevents me from getting to gamey with the zone and creeping right up to it, and gives me relaistic uncertainty about exactly how close I can get without a possible KA-BOOM! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaws Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Very well done As a Dutchman I can tell you it really has the look and atmosphere of a Dutch Country sight! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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