Steppe in Finland? (Terrain question)

[Holman]

I have some terrain questions:

I thought that CMBB would only produce steppe terrain on Central and South zone maps. Just now I whipped up a QB map in Finland (very open, so perhaps unhistorical) that featured quite a bit of steppe. Further testing showed steppe appearing on any open rural map regardless of whether it was South, Central, North, or Finland.

Also, what is the real difference (for modding purposes) between steppe and open ground? Is steppe just open ground with doodads, or does it actually have a separate base tile?

Thanks!

[Bone_Vulture]

Steppe is considered "high grass" of sort. It provides absolutely no cover, but a bit of concealment. Sneaking troops might traverse through steppe unnoticed.

I don't think steppe was common in Finland; a combination of tightly knit forest and grain fields is more realistic. Oh, and there's gotta be a lake and a couple of hay barns. :cool:

[Sergei]

And either lots of snow or mosquitoes, depending on date.

I have used steppe as an alternative to fields, to reflect grazing areas for livestock. Game-wise, I think steppe is also less likely to make your vehicle bog than a grain field (or even open?) is. I don't know if this has been proven, though.

Actually, I have sometimes some worries about how well the CMBB grain reflects Finnish periods of growth, as the status of the fields is the same in South and in Finland, even though you don't quite have the same sorts of grain fields in June as you'd do in Ukraine. But thinking of that sort of stuff makes your head explode.

[Larry Thorne]

I don't think steppe was common in Finland; a combination of tightly knit forest and grain fields is more realistic. Oh, and there's gotta be a lake and a couple of hay barns. [Cool]

Correct.

The way I see steppe used in Finland is if the battle takes place in old winter war battlefield with moonscape craters, after being levelled by Russian arty. As in few years those areas are growing brush and high grass.

There are some meadows in between forests too but not that common. Also steppe could simulate livestock fields. So combined with brush I see the idea of steppe. Ofcourse random maps are a different story.

-LT

[Bannon DC]

I don't worry too much about where Steppe belongs and where it doesn't. The palate of terrain types is very limited. "High grass" can occur anywhere is a nice terrain type to deal with in battle.

I don't know about bogging either... but I have had bad luck bogging in steppe. Seems to be fairly common... at least for me.