Jump to content

What happened to map development?


QuiGon

Recommended Posts

It got pretty silent about Heatblurs map developments, so I wonder what its current status is?

Cobra always said that they not just want to create single aircraft, but also want to provide a fitting environment for them, meaning a fitting theatre for the Viggen as well as another one for the Tomcat.

Terrain & Theatre Development

We've recently began ramping up the amount of time we spend on developing our new theatres and terrains for DCS World. Currently we have three separate theaters in development, one of which we have previously announced and will be released together with the F-14. The other two are slated for release either with, or directly after the release of our other two aircraft. All three are very unique and don't really have a lot in common. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it makes it easier to create more theaters in these particular environments later on, but also dramatically increases current workload.

 

Our goal with theaters is to not only build a great environment to immerse the player in the game world, but to also try and provide an appropriate framework for the aircraft we create.

To achieve this framework, we have to spend a lot of time creating AI Aircraft, Ground and Naval units, all of which represent a huge investment of time and effort.

Thus, we hope to avoid aircraft that are 'misplaced' in the wrong theater and environment. Naturally, the main campaign for each module will take place in their respective theater.

 

Current Art team focus on the front of Theatre development is the creation of everything from terrain textures (many based on Photogrammetry), environmental models, props & buildings, airfield objects, and 'unique' terrain features (Some terrain features require extra detail, an unrelated example would be Mt. Rushmore).

We're also creating custom models and artwork for e.g. trenchlines, defensive installations and unique coastlines.

 

The construction of the overall terrain components such as the coastline, roads, towns, airfields, fields, forests and more takes an incredible amount of time.

I'm sure you can imagine how time consuming it can be to mark out each and every field in an e.g. 250x250 km area.

Then add in all the forests and towns, and you certainly have your work cut out for you.

Thankfully, resources exist to more easily automate some terrain features, such as roads.

 

One of the most time intensive tasks is the creation of airports and airbases.

These can be very complex, with many unique buildings and large amounts of interconnected taxiways and runways.

Proper integration of AI pathing and other components such as beacons and radio frequencies, together with the documentation for these (charts and other reference) significantly add to the workload.

 

Theatre development has been a learning process for us. We've already grown proficient with working with terrain in DCS world and we look forward to applying our new knowledge to continuously expand the world of DCS, whether it is to complement our own aircraft modules or those in development by other DCS developers.

VectorAssets2.jpg

Theatre Development

During most of 2015; we've focused on the creation of primary map content

for our planned theatres. This includes not only things like actual map objects (hangars, trenches, bunkers, destroyed aircraft, buildings, vegetation, and much more) but

also various vector assets such as roads, coastlines, elevation models, bodies of water and similar items.

 

Learning the production pipeline for the creation of maps for DCS has taken us close to the entire year; but we are now confident in our ability to create any terrain we set our mind to for the platform.

Perhaps most exciting, is that we've already carried out several in-game tests of already produced sections of land. It's a small, but very exciting step forwards!

 

In the beginning of 2016; we will be investing additional resources into the expansion of our theatre construction team. This will be in the form of more permanent employees at our offices in Swinoujscie.

We feel that only a large investment package will be enough to maintain our project goals, especially for products slated in 2017 and beyond.

 

 

 

 

What happened to this and the polish map development team? Are the maps still planned or even actively beeing worked on or have those plans been put on hold or even been canceled completly?

A word on their current status would really be appreciated :)


Edited by QuiGon

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take account that newsletters was with not happens the leatherneck split. The actual maps status has unknown.

 

That Three maps I suppose one was the old Leatherneck Iwo Jima Theatre, actually "on hold" by Magnitude 3. The others two maps by HeatBlur has actually "Unknown / on hold"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take account that newsletters was with not happens the leatherneck split. The actual maps status has unknown.

 

That Three maps I suppose one was the old Leatherneck Iwo Jima Theatre, actually "on hold" by Magnitude 3. The others two maps by HeatBlur has actually "Unknown / on hold"?

Check the reddit link I posted below the Cobra quotes. He said the LNS map team in Poland remained with Heatblur after the split, so at least the Viggen and the Tomcat map should still be worked on under the Heatblur banner. A confirmation by the devs themselves would be nice :)

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The main problem about that reddit post was from one year o more ago (March 2017), and actually none about develop map status has been appears on the 2017 or 2018 HeatBlur newsletters. Expected some news appears on the future.

I know its old and there hasn't been any news about map development lately. That is the very reason why I'm asking for a new status update on theatre development from the devs...


Edited by QuiGon

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Silver Dragon, I think pretty much everyone is aware the unclear status of maps right now since the split, and I would say that is exactly why QuiGon is asking: "maps still a thing or not?" or at the very least if they are still being considered at some point even if not in near future.

Wishlist: F-4E Block 53 +, MiG-27K, Su-17M3 or M4, AH-1F or W circa 80s or early 90s, J35 Draken, Kfir C7, Mirage III/V

DCS-Dismounts Script

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Silver Dragon, I think pretty much everyone is aware the unclear status of maps right now since the split, and I would say that is exactly why QuiGon is asking: "maps still a thing or not?" or at the very least if they are still being considered at some point even if not in near future.

 

Meanwhile dont put a update about them get dates and status, the Heatblur maps I put them as a "medium term" map. The same situations actually have the Heatblur AI map "assets" as the AJ-35 from 2017 (Sweden Army / Baltic map?) and others outside of the "cromecarrier" CV-59 show, and sea / air carrier assets never show (Second map?).

 

ED (Afganistan) and Ugra Media (Syria Map) has actually more avance working to a "Near Term" release . Medium term can be Razbam and the "South Atlantic" map. Others as the Magnitude 3 "Iwo Jima" I put them on the Long Term / on hold.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@SilverDragon: I'm aware of the info we currently have. What I'm asking for is a status update with new info from the devs. Even a short "Yes, we're still working on it" or "Currently on hold" from the Heatblur team would be really appreciated.

 

Silver Dragon, I think pretty much everyone is aware the unclear status of maps right now since the split, and I would say that is exactly why QuiGon is asking: "maps still a thing or not?" or at the very least if they are still being considered at some point even if not in near future.

Exactly this. Since we have not heard anything about theatre development from Heatblur since the split, it is pretty unclear what the status on this is now.

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our plans in this area have changed. Nothing to announce as of yet.

 

Much of the work done during 2015 and 2016 was for a massive Pacific WW2 project that we will not be pursuing under Heatblur due to a change in priorities.

Thanks, I was expecting changes, which is why I asked. That the Pacific project is not beeing pursued by Heatblur is no suprise (as the F-4U is a LNS/M3 project), but what about the Viggen and Tomcat theatres? Are they dead?

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our plans in this area have changed. Nothing to announce as of yet.

 

Much of the work done during 2015 and 2016 was for a massive Pacific WW2 project that we will not be pursuing under Heatblur due to a change in priorities.

 

Cobra, meanwhile that WW2 Pacific project has no pursing under Heatblur. That project was dead or "on hold"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobra, meanwhile that WW2 Pacific project has no pursing under Heatblur. That project was dead or "on hold"?

I guess this project is with LNS/M3, as they are making the F-4U Corsair.

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, I was expecting changes, which is why I asked. That the Pacific project is not beeing pursued by Heatblur is no suprise (as the F-4U is a LNS/M3 project), but what about the Viggen and Tomcat theatres? Are they dead?

 

They are not. Just can't announce anything right now :)

Nicholas Dackard

 

Founder & Lead Artist

Heatblur Simulations

 

https://www.facebook.com/heatblur/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobra, meanwhile that WW2 Pacific project has no pursing under Heatblur. That project was dead or "on hold"?

 

I guess this project is with LNS/M3, as they are making the F-4U Corsair.

 

That's M3's jam now so you'll have to poke -Rudel- :)

 

Much of the work on the Pacific was created by me and I'm looking forward to publishing a personal portfolio with much of it included however, but I don't want to steal anyone's thunder.

Looking forward to seeing M3s work in this area.

 

There is no better tomcat map than the current PG. It fits like a glove.

 

Agreed! We hope to create a lot of Tomcat content for the PG and much of our planning revolves around that.

Nicholas Dackard

 

Founder & Lead Artist

Heatblur Simulations

 

https://www.facebook.com/heatblur/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the update Nick, it's good to hear where we stand. The PG indeed is a great map and will be very fitting for the F-14. So we will have ample opportunities to properly employ our Tomcats. Still, it will be nice to eventually have a map at some point with enough sea-room for the classic fleet defense scenario. And of course to have the proper habitat for the Viggen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are not. Just can't announce anything right now :)

Thanks, that's all I wanted to know. Really appreciate it :thumbup:

I'm happy now :)


Edited by QuiGon

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no better tomcat map than the current PG. It fits like a glove.

 

Except maybe a north Atlantic map. That would be beyond descriptionally amazing.

Intel i7-950 @stock, Asus P6X58D-E, 3x4GB Corsair Vengeance, Asus GTX 580, Corsair 120GB SSD, Corsair HX 750W PSU

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Except maybe a north Atlantic map. That would be beyond descriptionally amazing.

I couldn't agree more :thumbup:

Spoiler

Ryzen 9 5900X | 64GB G.Skill TridentZ 3600 | Gigabyte RX6900XT | ASUS ROG Strix X570-E GAMING | Samsung 990Pro 2TB + 960Pro 1TB NMVe | HP Reverb G2
Pro Flight Trainer Puma | VIRPIL MT-50CM2+3 base / CM2 x2 grip with 200 mm S-curve extension + CM3 throttle + CP2/3 + FSSB R3L + VPC Rotor TCS Plus base with SharKa-50 grip mounted on Monstertech MFC-1 | TPR rudder pedals

OpenXR | PD 1.0 | 100% render resolution | DCS "HIGH" preset

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With Sweden being a really beautiful country (with nice people) and the Viggen being a great aircraft, there definitely needs to be a Sweden map for DCS to employ the Viggen appropriately.

 

Looking forward to news regarding a Sweden map.

Yes indeed! While the Tomcat fits in the Persian Gulf pretty well (although I would love to see it in the north Atlantic!), the Viggen definitely needs a baltic sea map!

Intel i7-12700K @ 8x5GHz+4x3.8GHz + 32 GB DDR5 RAM + Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 (8 GB VRAM) + M.2 SSD + Windows 10 64Bit

 

DCS Panavia Tornado (IDS) really needs to be a thing!

 

Tornado3 small.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With Sweden being a really beautiful country (with nice people) and the Viggen being a great aircraft, there definitely needs to be a Sweden map for DCS to employ the Viggen appropriately.

 

Looking forward to news regarding a Sweden map.

Yeah a Baltic map!

 

Sent from my MiG-29S (9-13S) using Tapatalk

:megalol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...