[WIP] DoD_Nightingale

Hi!

Seems like this darling has finally reached a presentable stage - although it still is very [WIP], so to say, since I've only had two weeks of work to spend until now. Many things will be fixed and there also are numerous placeholders, but on the whole I suppose one can get an impression of what it is going to look like. And that's what WIP threads are there for, right? :]

Anyway, the setting:

- Autumn of 1944, the German troops are retreating on all fronts. While the Allies are advancing surprisingly fast, they realize that the rapid speed of their push towards the German borders confronts them with new problems - such as vulnerable supply lines or unexpectedly strong defense on certain spots.

On this day, an allied infantry battaillon happened to run into a squad of a regrouping German Panzer Regiment, consisting of two Tiger tanks and two StuG III due to the shortage of battle tanks in this late episode of the war. The squad had just arrived in a little village near the silesian-bohemian border (I know. No americans at the eastern front, but I heard rumors of Sovjet skins having been released, so if that could be combined, the historical aspect would be corrected, too) to refuel.

While the allied troops now have an opportunity to catch a sitting duck and destroy or capture the German tanks, while the Germans could quickly break up the frontline and attack the vulnerable supply lines, if they managed to win the day.

Screens:

[Blocked Image: http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachtk1.jpg]

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The battle zone includes a small cloister, a water mill, a fortified church, several fields. orchards and a small forest.

It will be a 16 to 32-player map measuring about 5000 x 5000 units/inches (130 x 130 metres), which is an average size, at least for DoD .

Looking forward to some comments, suggestions or all kinds of critics .

Thanks to Happyernst & piu piu for the models & assistance with the skybox colour .

Cheers.

Hi again

As I said, it's in a very early stage, so detail improvements will definately happen. Concerning the ivy: most people considered it a bush until now, and I suppose going from the looks only a person knowing it is an ivy model that normally is being used with a 180° rotation will notice that.

The idea for that ivy on the bridge came from an old picture - it looks extremely similar to my result.

The rooftop spires... well, same thing. They served as decoration, aswell on houses as on railings, bridges... the reason that the model's creator intended it to be used on roof tops doesn't mean it has to be used there and nowhere else . Although I must admit that I'm not satisfied with them spires, too... I'll try and make some custom ones when I find the time.

Cheers & thanks for the feedback ,

Albatros

Hi E-Freak!

Well, your comments are always like heaven and hell to me, not devilish . Half of it is very useful and appreciated, while the other half is, to be honest, totally pointless.

Some things of those are certainly correct, but: a) noone would ever think of critizising them were they found in stock maps, b) as I told you concerning another map, it would help to take the time for both an extensive critic AND actually play the map (which you couldn't do in this case, but in that other one, you remember? ) and last but not least c) please! read my introduction - it does have a purpose, you know.

If you had considered point a) and c), you could easily have saved half of your text there .

Let's take that water wheel, for instance; it should look used? Well, I took it from DoD_Kalt; maybe that mill in the other map wasn't used a lot, or it was bought as a late addition or restored sometime later, but I'm certain a reskin for neglictable optical reasons doesn't make much sense compared to the amount of time & the bigger filesize.

Coming to the next point: I mentioned in my intro text that I'm hoping for the sovjet skin pack to work properly soon, so this could in fact be an eastern front map; I grew up a few Kilometres away from Mülhausen in Elsaß-Lothringen, where not a single village is of french origin and German was the only language taught between 1939 and '45, so I can assure you it won't be a bitter blamage to see German Inn signs in a Franco-German-border village if I ever had to change the scenario, so sorry - but that kind of points is rather pointless.

Quote from e-freak

The horizontal timbers on the wall at the left do both look wired:

The higher one (beneath the first row of concrete windows) uses a totally different wood than the entire rest of the half-timbered construction, the second one further below looks like "Katscher Leimholz" - a bunch of small pieces stickied together because it seems you forgot to rotate the texture (same problem as above here) 90° round.

Second thing: From there is the guest supposed to see the "Gasthaus zum [...]" thing and why is it in german - pushing towards the german border sounds to me like france (or elsas lotringen)

Nope, it's rotated correctly according to the author.

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta6.jpgtexture on the bottom looks extremly blurry, wall texture at the left behind the tree looks (at least from that pov) extremely oversized (the brown one)

Correct, too blurry. Will be fixed!

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta10.jpghillside looks to bland and lowdetailed

http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta12.jpg

rock edge in the foreground looks too blocky, texture on the left is not correctly set up

bridge texture seems to be oversized

Yep, these are the WIP points in it. Thanks, will be fixed.

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta13.jpgtext is extremly blurry (german language here as well)

angel is not at the actual pin point of the roof

upper window row on that building is undetailed and repeating

small windows on the displacement roof seem to be to small

displacement roof would extremely benefit from a dirt overlay (the lower roof part)

Good idea on the overlay - other points will be fixed, too. Thanks!

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta14.jpgGive that Waterfall a Model or some sprites and cliffedges

texturing at the far left over the waterfall looks extreme blurry

http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta15.jpg

I assume that little river is meant to spring from the waterfall - needs movement (modeling militia style)

If the boat is already destroyed - move the parts further away from each other

cliffs look edgy

Display More

The boat is an integrated model - I could add some gibs, that could do the trick. What do you think?

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta16.jpgsigns look wired

wheels of the keg-waggon seem to tinny

dirt on the low wall below the fence

Yup, dirt sounds like an idea there . I'll tell the Author of the beercart that the wheels aren't correct, though I suppose he has had quite some reference material.

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta17.jpggive that window on the left a trim

same goes to the doors

Yup, should look nicer

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta18.jpgchurchwindow does not fit into that building

Funny you mention it. It is the only one of those buildings that really have an existing original, a fortified medieval church of the Holy Wolfgang that can be seen in Rothenburg o.d.T. I'll tell it's architect that the windows don't fit in . J/k, I get your point - will try some trimming.

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta5.jpgi love the new "Büsche Dünger" on the bridge

looks wired to raise the trim of the bridge in the middle

tower spikes don't look good on bridge trims

Matter of taste, I suppose. Might be a mix of styles, but then again it's one of the nicer kind .

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta2.jpgwhy would someone light that latern in war and at full daylight - make it cracked down - looks more interesting (or something like this is my suggestion )

It's an evening scenario with a setting sun, and the only lighted lanterns are lighted in dark areas. Then again, the war-time-thingy wasn't too much of a problem in dod_zafod, dod_pier or dod_granville, so I'll allow myself that bit of artistic freedom for the sake of grand athmosphere :].

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http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/nachta1.jpgortsschild looks wired as well

displacement windows need trims

graveyard in the cornfield?

there's a strange decal on that house on the right behind the cornfield (the abflussrohr next to the street - doesn't fit the style)

With wired you mean like barbed or weird? Aye on those window trims.

Graveyard - no, it's simply a cruzifix. There's dozens of these in my area. About the gutter pipe - even today there are buildings from the 18th or 19th century that feature those; I guess it's a matter of taste, too, whether to allow those inhabitants of the village some gutters or not. :]

Thanks for the constructive part and hey, I'd really appreciate your critics even more if you tried to remember point a) to c) in the future!

- Alba

Some shots showing a bit of progress...

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[Blocked Image: http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/npa14k.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://www.albatros44.de/nachtwip/npa15k.jpg]