Scenario: Russian Invasion of the Baltic States

[DRG]

Originally Posted by shahadi

HELP!

Okay I inserted the coordinates into the SP map tool at
http://www.venhola.com/maps/. It generated a flat map devoid of any features. What gives?

Did you flood fill the entire map with page two editor base terrain ?? ( editor--page 2-- top left button ) There is a how to guide out there for the program https://github.com/tvenhola/SPMBT-ma...ster/MANUAL.md

and a sticky thread full of info in this tread

IF you did do that and the map is still dead flat you have your answer to "what's the terrain in the Baltics like:

[Mobhack]

Oh, and looking at my random rectangle, I picked a large castle it seems, at Medininkai. An odd type - an enclosure castle, i.e. mainly a whacking great curtain wall with a keep tower tucked away in one corner.

[Mobhack]

The venhola maps have a button to save the data - and it saves to map999, which in 999.9% of all users saves is already titled "auto saved map" or whatever, since that is the auto-save slot. So that has a CMT file already associated.

It will open a save dialogue - usually save to your downloads folder.

Now, simply drop it in the game's maps folder (overwrite any existing map999) and then open map999, save off to another slot with appropriate name (if keeping it) ASAP.

If you dont have an auto saved map in 999 - go into the map editor, dont do anything, then save the blank map as map999 with a file name and do the above process.

[DRG]

This is the terrain Venhola creates for the game just east of the Coordinates Andy supplied...... the KEY is to look at the mini map.. the mini map was redone a couple years back so that every contour is a different tan/ brown with the darkest indicating the highest ....



......so if you see terrain showing on the mini map but it's not on the main map you haven't defined the contours using flood file.

This program is, IMHO, stellar top notch work. I am VERY impressed with what this can do

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by DRG

This is the terrain Venhola creates for the game just east of the Coordinates Andy supplied...... the KEY is to look at the mini map.. the mini map was redone a couple years back so that every contour is a different tan/ brown with the darkest indicating the highest ....



......so if you see terrain showing on the mini map but it's not on the main map you haven't defined the contours using flood file.

This program is, IMHO, stellar top notch work. I am VERY impressed with what this can do

Indeed. Impressive. Thanks.

[Grant1pa]

Originally Posted by shahadi

You maybe right about the Baltics being indefensible.

So, let's say they can not be defended by Nato or by themselves, then a scenario, a timed objective, of a Russian airborne assualt, say a company tasked to secure a com station at a crossroads, or a bridge maybe just what the doctor ordered.

=====

Sorry I came into this discussion late. As for the Baltic States being indefensible I would imagine that historically (and currently) this would be an accurate statement. The terrain offers immense opportunities for defense, but also affords open terrain for the offense (especially in the current infrastructure).

However, I don't consider the question of defensibility is pertinent to the potential of "if" it may occur. There are distinct strategic incentives for the Russians to stabilize their Baltic border, especially considering the Kaliningrad Oblast. Much as the Crimea gained tactical and strategic importance with the current Russian/Ukraine conflict, the Baltic states face similar pressure on the northern borders.

In gaming perspective, I consider the northern states a ripe zone for scenarios and I've spent much of my time focused on this region (Baltics, Finland, Norway). Perhaps it's my penchant for history, but history has a habit of repeating itself.

I believe the intrinsic forces in the Baltic would put up fierce resistance (much as seen in the Ukraine) but differing from the south, would soon be overrun due to their lack of substantive armor, air or anti-armor capabilities. Hence, in my scenarios, NATO falls into a support role with unfavorable odds.

In what I've developed to date, US participation is gauged on those rapid response units (GRF) able to deploy in theatre in 36-48 hours. Not a happy concept when you consider what we can conceivably get there quickest.

I have a second US scenario about ready to post (still not happy with it yet) based on this concept.

But, this is an interesting area and full of potential in this forum's context.

Tom

[Grant1pa]

[quote=shahadi;836800
Indeed. Impressive. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

I've been using the map generator: http://www.venhola.com/maps/

almost exclusively to generate maps for scenarios. It is a perfect tool to get correct topography for locations and adds realism to scenarios based on specific locations or conflicts.

It has it's limitations though I consider them minimal. One of the problems is including streams or lakes into the topography. This is an issue with SPMBT and from previous discussions, I know it is one that we live with.

Therefore, when I generate a map that has what I consider essential waterways, you have to re-work the map a little (if possible due to the terrain), to lower terrain to zero for those streams you wish to include (essential if you want water crossings or bridges). Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I used to spend significant time in exactly placing roadways and buildings as depicted in the venhola program map, into the SP map. Now I cheat. Unfortunately, the map generator hex numbers don't carry over to SP, so if you want to exactly place features, you have to mechanically count hexes in SP. So I'll put start and end points for the major roadways, and then find reference points between them to fill in the roadways from a visual inspection of the map. I do the same for the secondary roadways. You'll find that in counting hexes, you sometimes encounter what appears to be a incomprehensible route in reference to terrain (my geology background kicking in), so I move the road slightly to match the terrain.

I do the same with towns. The map generator's scale and that in SP is differing. I put in the general aspect of the town roadways visually. It works for me.

Cheating doesn't give you an exact representation of the map, but it provides the more general context of features to terrain. Plus, it's faster (now I do maps in a week that took me significantly more time in construction before).

Additionally, as provided previously by other posts, I use google maps and go to the roadway view to show me trees and other obstacles which I try to emulate in the map.

The best part of Venhola is the ability to rotate the map. This way, you can place the main roadway that you are using for your advance or the OPFOR's advance across the map lengthwise. This is a superb tool that gives you the best orientation for the scenario.

I've learned some other tricks of the trade in using the program such as obtaining the correct coordinates through google maps, screen printing the Vehnola map for reference later, and most importantly, writing down the coordinates you finally select ahead of time so as to re-draw the map at a later date. There are more.

I highly recommend scenario developers to use this tool.

Tom

[DRG]

Yes, I am very impressed with that tool as well. Superb work

Don

[Mobhack]

You dont need to screen print the Venhola map - I just right clicked on it and chose "save image as". It saves as canvas.png as default.

[Grant1pa]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

You dont need to screen print the Venhola map - I just right clicked on it and chose "save image as". It saves as canvas.png as default.

Thanks for that. That saves more time!

Tom