Author Topic: Sidi Barrani  (Read 6565 times)

Offline ksl94

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Sidi Barrani
« on: 28-12-2012, 23:12:16 »
Dear FH2 communnity,

The time has come! ksl94 has finally figured out how to open the bf2editor without having it crash minutes later. And, actually I already learned the basics of mapping; well, the very basics-I'm still rather inexperienced, but I am making progress rapidly.
So, I decided to make my first quality map that shall meet the FH2 quality standards. Please note that I am fully aware of the difficulty of successfully creating a map like this.
For a number of reasons, I chose Sidi Barrani as my first professional mapping project:
  I. The British Army was involved
 II. It scored a glorious victory
III. The terrain is very simple-flat and full of small rocks. There is a variety of Italian camps and fortifications plus a small town.

The map will have similarities with OP. Supercharge; the British will have to fight their way towards the city, overcoming several obstacles, those being Italian fortifications and trenches, before finally taking Sidi Barrani. Please note that this level will not feature the push eastwards by the Seventh Armoured Brigade towards Buq Buq in order to keep the map size within acceptable limits. If my mapping skills are good enough to make Sidi Barrani a success, then I shall create a second level that will feature the fall of Buq Buq.

Please let me know your thoughts on my plan, I am especially interested whether the scope of the map would be too big or not. Alternatively, I could also focus on the taking of Nibeiwa and Tummar East or the Fall of Sidi Barrani itself.

Here are some interesting resources regarding the battle:
http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/ww2/middle_east/images/qme_0019_550.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Compass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sidi_Barrani

Cheers,
           ksl94

Offline titsmcgee852

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #1 on: 29-12-2012, 00:12:12 »
Interesting, looking forward to see what you come up with :)

Offline Turkish007

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #2 on: 29-12-2012, 10:12:18 »
Looks good! Cant wait to see the first stuff.  :D

Offline ksl94

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #3 on: 29-12-2012, 12:12:15 »
Thanks for your support!  ;D
Actually, I've been extremely lucky, look what I found on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1940-Aerial-Of-Fortress-Sidi-Barrani-Egypt-WWII-Wire-Photo-/290613399633

Without this aerial photograph I would have had to guess how the town and the  fortress looked like, but now I can recreate it in vivid detail. On top, all the statics that I need are already in FH2.

I expect to finish the terrain this afternoon. I will then start to place the objects, first of all the town (or better what's left of it) and the Italian fortress.

Offline Turkish007

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #4 on: 29-12-2012, 13:12:35 »
Nice find! Be sure to place the shacks and around the fortress too.  :)

Offline ksl94

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #5 on: 29-12-2012, 13:12:53 »
I shure will! I'll keep posting my progress in this thread.

Offline ksl94

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #6 on: 29-12-2012, 14:12:44 »
Alright, I chose the colour in which I will paint the terrain; it will be very close to Sidi Rezegh.

Offline Turkish007

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #7 on: 29-12-2012, 14:12:10 »
I imagined something like Sidi Bou Zid, but Rezegh colour sounds great too!  :)

Offline ksl94

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #8 on: 29-12-2012, 14:12:30 »
The bloody editor crashed. Alas, I will have to start from scratch, but it shouldn't take me too long to redo everything.

EDIT: It looks like I managed to recover everything!
EDIT: No, unfortunately I couldn't.

The terrain is almost completely painted now! I'm about to finish the shoreline as I type.
In the rear part of the map, the ground looks a lot like Sidi Rezegh, although it has a slightly darker shade in it. The section where the town is located is rather sandy with some brush on it. The shoreline is of bright sand and gravel. I will post photos as soon as I'm done finishing the details!
« Last Edit: 29-12-2012, 15:12:16 by ksl94 »

Offline jan_kurator

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #9 on: 29-12-2012, 15:12:59 »
I imagined something like Sidi Bou Zid, but Rezegh colour sounds great too!  :)
like Sidi Bou Zid? Why?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Sidi_Bouzid.jpg/800px-Sidi_Bouzid.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Sidi_Barrani06.JPG/800px-Sidi_Barrani06.JPG

Mare Nostrum mod for Red Orchestra had Sidi Barrani map, don't know how accurate it was but maybe you can take a look at it ;)
« Last Edit: 29-12-2012, 15:12:36 by jan_kurator »

Offline Turkish007

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #10 on: 29-12-2012, 15:12:34 »
I imagined something like Sidi Bou Zid, but Rezegh colour sounds great too!  :)
like Sidi Bou Zid? Why?

I dont know, after seeing that photo on Ebay, I felt like it would have the Sidi Bou Zid-kind of ambience

Offline ksl94

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #11 on: 29-12-2012, 15:12:36 »
Ok, I'm done painting!  :D

Expect some pictures tonight!

Offline Turkish007

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #12 on: 29-12-2012, 15:12:27 »
Cant wait!  :D

Offline ksl94

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #13 on: 29-12-2012, 17:12:47 »
There'll be more to see than just the terrain (which got better than I expected!)-because I'm just building the British main!  8) There are three tents in which the Allies will spawn-two regular and one field hospital.
The vehicles will spawn next to a lot of oil drums, some of which are loaded on an Bedford OYD.
There will be some more, but I shall keep that as a surprise.
The pictures will come around 2200 hrs.

Offline Turkish007

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Re: Sidi Barrani
« Reply #14 on: 29-12-2012, 17:12:05 »
Cool! Dont forget to put a medic pickup kit in the medical tent  ;)