A bunch of maps of Ukraine I have made over the years

[Zveroboy1]

So I have been toying with the map editor in Combat Mission ever since I got Black Sea a couple of years ago and I have half a dozen maps that I am fairly happy with, pretty much all of them 90% complete. Most of them are maps of the Donbas region where fighting actually took place but there are also a couple that I simply picked because the topography looked interesting. I have downloaded tons of stuff over the years from other people, scenarios, campaigns, maps and loads of mods so I thought I'd post what I have here. Is not purely unselfish because I also hope it might encourage other people like me to share their work with the community.

All these maps are based on real terrain and topography, using google earth, tons of photos and a bit of creative license from time to time. But I tried to stick as much as possible to the real terrain. I am going to provide a couple of satellite pictures for each one because some people might find it interesting to know where they are located. But obviously you're free to use them for whatever purpose you like and pretend it is a place in Greenland or Kentucky if you feel like it.

I decided to post them all in a single thread and plan on releasing them in the next weeks as I put the finishing touches to them. I got one of Nikishyno and Logvynovo in the Debaltseve area in particular that people might like.

Again feel free to use these for whatever you want. All I ask is that you link to this thread if you end up using them to create a scenario with one of them for instance. Also if you are some sort of genius or mastermind who knows how to create an AI plan for quick battles and make one for one of these maps, please post it here.
 

 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Zveroboy1

[Zveroboy1]

Maryanivka

4750 X 3200m

230km from Kyiv and 95 km to the Russian Border, located on the M02 road.

Google Earth :

View in game from the North :

And from the South side :

From South West corner :

Notes :

Included in the download are both a version with setup zones and objectives for a meeting engagement and a raw version with nothing, only landmarks.

While the map is quite large, the setup zones are not that big, so either enlarge them a bit before playing or pick a relatively small force. There should be plenty of time to deploy though given the length of the map so even if it gets a bit crowded at the start it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

How to Install :

Extract in the following folder :
documents/battlefront/combat mission/black sea/game files/scenarios

Download link :

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0zr7pmcjy79pybf/CMBS map maryanivka.rar?dl=0

Edited December 5, 2019 by Zveroboy1

[Kaunitz]

Yay! Thanks a lot! I can never get enough realistic maps! I'm always searching for maps suitable for H2H play.

Have you considered to port them to the other (WWII) titles as well? It's actually super easy.

 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Kaunitz

[Zveroboy1]

Hmm I will look into it. I have heard of the tool before but never tried it. I only have RT and FB though for WWII titles. But really someone who is already experienced with the conversion tool should do it and post the results here. I'd be grateful if someone could do it because these maps are very time consuming to create.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Wonderful, thank you!

More maps, especially realistic ones, are very welcome.

[Combatintman]

@Zveroboy1are you sure the .btt files are the right ones at that link - I'm getting a standard 320 x 320 blank map in both the editor and 3d preview.

[Kaunitz]

2 hours ago, Combatintman said:

@Zveroboy1are you sure the .btt files are the right ones at that link - I'm getting a standard 320 x 320 blank map in both the editor and 3d preview.

I could load it just fine. 

[Kaunitz]

@Zveroboy1

I've converted your map for Red Thunder and Final Blitzkrieg. Just had a quick look, everything looks fine. The only thing you might want to adjust are the flavour objects. I've uploaded the files here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/91wr3f203ub9ash/AABD8cAKYNLStBpusxo1yl_pa?dl=0

[Zveroboy1]

Anyone else having a problem with the map?

@Kaunitz Thanks a lot! Much appreciated.

[Combatintman]

10 hours ago, Zveroboy1 said:

Anyone else having a problem with the map?

@Kaunitz Thanks a lot! Much appreciated.

My bad - I hadn't downloaded the latest patch - it all works fine now - nice looking map, my first observation is that some of your conjoined buildings have got interior windows but that is a minor distraction from an excellent piece of map making.  Thanks a lot for creating this and sharing it for the benefit of the community and I look forward to seeing more of your work - earns a well-deserved like from me.

[Zveroboy1]

Ah good, glad you managed to find why it wasn't working.

I might have a quick look at the village and check all the interior walls. Shouldn't take too long. Good call.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

This an excellent thing that you have done sir.....Many thanks! 

PS - Just looking at it in the editor.....Really well done!

Edited December 6, 2019 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Combatintman]

@Zveroboy1 - had a more detailed look at this.  It is impressive as you clearly have used street view to get the road sign placement, the shrine and the bus shelters in the right places.  Should you wish to make some changes I would recommend the following:

Have a look at the telegraph poles in the village - quite a few of them need rotating.

I would rotate the shrine by 90 degrees.

I would replace the gravel tiles in the area of the shrine.  As you know from street view the area is a small car park which can be replicated using the highway tiles using the two tiles circled in red in the image below with different rotations to achieve a parking bay look:

Otherwise - I repeat my earlier comment - good work.

[Zveroboy1]

Yes I had a look at street view. I didn't realize it was available until I had already done half the map. I didn't think of checking at first because the areas I had mapped previously in the Donbas region are barely covered at all by street view. It was useful for the little shrine and picnic area and also the thickness of the vegetation on both sides of the road. I made it impassable by vehicles because it just looked too thick, except in a couple of spots because otherwise it would limit movement too much and be a death trap. It already kind of is actually, on the eastern half. I mean I have never driven a tank but I don't see how you could cross that. Maybe it is possible, I don't know.

Anyway great feedback and tips thanks, especially the parking spots. Easy to implement too.

Edited December 7, 2019 by Zveroboy1

[Combatintman]

1 hour ago, Zveroboy1 said:

Yes I had a look at street view. I didn't realize it was available until I had already done half the map. I didn't think of checking at first because the areas I had mapped previously in the Donbas region are barely covered at all by street view. It was useful for the little shrine and picnic area and also the thickness of the vegetation on both sides of the road. I made it impassable by vehicles because it just looked too thick, except in a couple of spots because otherwise it would limit movement too much and be a death trap. It already kind of is actually, on the eastern half. I mean I have never driven a tank but I don't see how you could cross that. Maybe it is possible, I don't know.

Anyway great feedback and tips thanks, especially the parking spots. Easy to implement too.

No dramas - always happy to help people with what goes on in the editor and then shares it with the rest of us, particularly when the work is so good.

[Zveroboy1]

The map has been updated with Combatintman's suggestions. I also reworked the village quite a lot. I added lots of bushes, hedges and a couple of walls around houses.  It looks more detailed and should offer more concealment.

There is a bonus winter map  included, designed to work in conjunction with Barbarico's CMBS Winter Mod. I added a [snow] mod tag to it but also replaced all the crops with dirt. Because obviously even with modded snowy textures, since it is just a cosmetic change, wheat still reduces visibility. So with so many fields on the map, that wasn't going to work.

Link to Barbarico's mod :

The dropbox download in the second post has been updated with the reworked map. Get it there.

[Rokossovski]

This map is great! Please post the others. 

[Zveroboy1]

Thanks. I have some more, three or four. Nikishyne/Nikishino is next. South east of Debaltseve. Lots of fighting took place there.

 

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I look froward to seeing them, reckon I might have a crack at a couple of long-duration, low-intensity type scenarios, as I think these maps would work well for that format (keeping the number of units down would cut down on the workload for lower-end machines too).

I'm experimenting with a format in CM:A (the system relies heavily on exit zones), which if it works should also be readily applicable to the more complex scripting options in CM:BS. 

[Zveroboy1]

Cool. I like low intensity battles with a low troops/terrain ratio, lots of space to manoeuver etc. Not all the maps I have are as big as Maryanivka though. Nikishyne is only 1500 X 2000m. Well I am thinking of expanding the area a bit in one direction, which is why it is taking a bit longer than planned. I want to include a setup for a meeting engagement, but struggling to find one that both makes sense historically and where the objectives are more or less equidistant for both sides.

Ideally what I try to do is create maps that are designed around a meeting engagement with several possible entry points but that can also be played as an attack from several directions in order to maximize replayability. Multipurpose if you like. Because spending 2-3 months on a map and then toying with it once or twice isn't exactly that great a time investment. So it has to be framed right during the early stages.

How do you use exit zones for your system? I have CMA but I don't play it very often because I find the ground textures too pig ugly.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

15 minutes ago, Zveroboy1 said:

How do you use exit zones for your system?

It's a way of getting maximum bang for your AI slots (in CM:A you only have eight).....So you might give an AI unit orders up to Turn #20, then on Turn #25 you tell them to head for an exit. 

At some point after around Turn #30 you spawn a new unit in the same AI group and start issuing orders again.....Rinse & repeat as necessary (a bit of testing is required for best results, but it does work and it means you can afford to spread your AI slots around a bit more, allowing your AI units to be more flexible in their actions). 

15 minutes ago, Zveroboy1 said:

I have CMA but I don't play it very often because I find the ground textures too pig ugly.

I'd agree about the textures, but I love the game.....Best asymmetrical warfare title that BF do IMHO.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Zveroboy1]

Oh I see. Yeah only eight AI slots clearly isn't enough if you want to do something a bit fancy. Nice workaround.

Well it is not so much the textures themselves, it is the way they don't blend together at all. But yes it is a good title and I have always found Afghanistan fascinating.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

11 hours ago, Zveroboy1 said:

Well it is not so much the textures themselves, it is the way they don't blend together at all.

You hit the nail on the head there.....The CM:A textures seem to work better when applied as a Jackson Pollack style splattering, rather than when applied according to a systematic set of rules (my normal mapping technique). 

Once you get over that, it becomes a bit easier to live with. 

I don't think THIS looks too bad really. 

[Zveroboy1]

Nikishyne / Nikishino

North-east of Donetsk and south-east of Debaltseve.

map size : 2100 X 1900 m

type : village

Nikishyne saw a lot of fighting in 2015 during the battle for Debaltseve. I might post more in depth background info later. But at the end of the battle, it was basically a field of rubble with barely any house intact.

Google Earth view :

View from the South West :

From the North East :

Notes :

Again the setup zones aren't that big. They're sufficient for a small force.

I added objectives and setup zones for a meeting engagement so people could give the map a go and have some fun either as a pbem or a hotseat game. Historically the setup zones don't make a lot of sense though. I am aware of that. As far as I understand, the Ukrainian forces were reinforcing the village from the North and North-West and the separatists were coming from the South or South East. I picked these setup zones because I think they offer the most interesting tactical options and are more or less fair for both sides but they're not historical at all.

Download link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/j5vfid5og72t0c7/cmbs map nikishyne.rar?dl=0

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by Zveroboy1

[Zveroboy1]

In this map I make heavy use of the small sheds or barns present in the editor, in order to try and recreate a realistic looking Ukrainian village so I recommend downloading the mod I made :

Also the dark wooden fences.