Suggestions (and pipe dreams)

[JAFFA]

Hadn't considered that (the WW1 maps) it's a great idea! I imagine they would require some reworking when it comes to urban density and road networks, but the templates would be there. A whole bunch of titles might be made that way.

I know for certain the maps can be modified if one has access to the editor (I understand it is a chore to learn and get used to...rumor has it that it's based on Tiller's original map editor from the old (ancient) Campaign Series).

True story: Last year (I think it was in October/November), "Tazaaron" the creator of the Danube Front '85 scenario "Bolt Out of The Blue" asked for testers to help him with a version 10.0 of the scenario. I volunteered, along with a few others and upon receiving the files, discovered the "Germany" map had been enlarged (all of the black areas had been filled in) increasing the play area from the west bank of the Rhine all the way to beyond the Polish border. Aaron inferred that he had access to the editor, or maybe I'm wrong and someone with access did the map enlargement for him. Either way, it is possible and was done. Sadly, I haven't heard from Aaron since then, and to my knowledge neither has anyone else. Too bad. He had some really good ideas, and the map alone was worth the price of admission.

On another topic, I swore by the Jison graphics when they first came out, but lately I'm satisfied with the Gold graphics myself. What I do miss is the Volcano Man unit picture sets....he seems to have taken that website down.

I think the development team are totally against given out map editor as people can mod or create titles? 
BUT in my humble opinion.
If anybody wanted to create a game, they could. it would not be historically accurate, but they could simple get a large map, M41, F40 M44 any, and just dump loads of units on there and create or copy OBB's from other titles and there you go. 
Knock yourself out. One large un historical panzer battle. (title).
 
The reason why people buy the games is BECAUSE they historically accurate. noone is going to spend time researching units and maps like the dev team do. Just look at the WDS web site and blogs explaining what involved.

 https://www.wargamedesignstudio.com/quic...log-posts/

Not a lot of people would do that. If they want to creat a game they can as mentioned before. 

Regarding the map i think they have been working on a master map that covers (A LOT) and they basically chop it up as they need. (if you look at the M41 & M42) maps they are exact apart from one has smolensk and the other does not. But both the same hex size? 
Again in the blogs they talk about a monster campaign 


  Master map.JPG (Size: 147.67 KB / Downloads: 17)

Now that would be a big campaign!!!!
instead of Panzer campaigns, it would be more like army group campaigns or Russian front campaigns

Could you imagine if they brought out a map that covered the whole of Europe. Now that's a campaign   
it would put all other to shame, war in the east, Hearts of iron.. plus the free press you would get from the war gaming community ..

Thanks

[2-81 Armor]

Hadn't considered that (the WW1 maps) it's a great idea! I imagine they would require some reworking when it comes to urban density and road networks, but the templates would be there. A whole bunch of titles might be made that way.

I know for certain the maps can be modified if one has access to the editor (I understand it is a chore to learn and get used to...rumor has it that it's based on Tiller's original map editor from the old (ancient) Campaign Series).

True story: Last year (I think it was in October/November), "Tazaaron" the creator of the Danube Front '85 scenario "Bolt Out of The Blue" asked for testers to help him with a version 10.0 of the scenario. I volunteered, along with a few others and upon receiving the files, discovered the "Germany" map had been enlarged (all of the black areas had been filled in) increasing the play area from the west bank of the Rhine all the way to beyond the Polish border. Aaron inferred that he had access to the editor, or maybe I'm wrong and someone with access did the map enlargement for him. Either way, it is possible and was done. Sadly, I haven't heard from Aaron since then, and to my knowledge neither has anyone else. Too bad. He had some really good ideas, and the map alone was worth the price of admission.

On another topic, I swore by the Jison graphics when they first came out, but lately I'm satisfied with the Gold graphics myself. What I do miss is the Volcano Man unit picture sets....he seems to have taken that website down.

I think the development team are totally against given out map editor as people can mod or create titles? 
BUT in my humble opinion.
If anybody wanted to create a game, they could. it would not be historically accurate, but they could simple get a large map, M41, F40 M44 any, and just dump loads of units on there and create or copy OBB's from other titles and there you go. 
Knock yourself out. One large un historical panzer battle. (title).
 
The reason why people buy the games is BECAUSE they historically accurate. noone is going to spend time researching units and maps like the dev team do. Just look at the WDS web site and blogs explaining what involved.

 https://www.wargamedesignstudio.com/quic...log-posts/

Not a lot of people would do that. If they want to creat a game they can as mentioned before. 

Regarding the map i think they have been working on a master map that covers (A LOT) and they basically chop it up as they need. (if you look at the M41 & M42) maps they are exact apart from one has smolensk and the other does not. But both the same hex size? 
Again in the blogs they talk about a monster campaign 



Now that would be a big campaign!!!!
instead of Panzer campaigns, it would be more like army group campaigns or Russian front campaigns

Could you imagine if they brought out a map that covered the whole of Europe. Now that's a campaign   
it would put all other to shame, war in the east, Hearts of iron.. plus the free press you would get from the war gaming community ..

Thanks

I really don't know how to respond because I think you and I just might be missing each others points, but I'll try. My apology in advance if I'm reading wrong.

It is a fact that JTS/WDS do not let the map editors out for use by anyone except authorized personnel. This has always been their policy. If you carefully re-read what I said about the Bolt Out of The Blue 10.0 scenario, you'll see that when it comes to the redone map, I say that Tazaaron either was granted access to the editor, or someone official with such access did the map work for him.

In no way am I suggesting that people go ahead and attempt to adapt maps from varying titles for their use employing new OOBs. This can be done with a lot of effort (I've done it myself just as an exercise, but never in a serious way and only then as an experiment) that really leads nowhere, and just isn't worth it.

As you (correctly) point out doing things like the above, is really just an collection of units on what may or may not be an accurate map. That's why I was suggesting in the original post that JTS/WDS consider doing the things I spoke of officially.

As far as WDS's policies and blogs go, I am fully familiar with them. In the past I've helped play test (my real name is listed in the Japan '45 credits where I did some play testing and helped a bit with OOB naming conventions). I also at one point was working on an enlarged Campaign Gettysburg scenario that featured a custom, "big" map that WDS chief David Freer did for me. That scenario never did get published, and for various reasons the project was abandoned. Somewhere here on the Blitz buried in the Black Powder section there is an early copy available for download (at least I think there still is - for all I know it's gone. It never looked to be popular anyway).

So, when you speak of what a dev team has to do, honestly as far as I'm concerned, I've been there and done that myself.

Off topic a bit now...I am hoping to one day see a policy statement from JTS and WDS concerning what the future holds (not titles being developed, but what direction they are headed). In the past there were separate teams and groups working on different series. We had a Napoleonic group and WW 1 Campaigns group and one hand, and a PzC/MC/ACW/Naval group all under WDS on the other hand. With JT's passing are things staying the same or being reorganized?

[Liebchen]

Then you could also use the first world war maps for panzer campaign titles
With these you could make vistula, poland, seelow heights.

What game is the upper Vistula map from?

[JAFFA]

Liebchen

Then you could also use the first world war maps for panzer campaign titles
With these you could make vistula, poland, seelow heights.

What game is the upper Vistula map from?


East Prussia
First world war campaign.


  East prussia.JPG (Size: 278.46 KB / Downloads: 11)

[Liebchen]

Liebchen

Then you could also use the first world war maps for panzer campaign titles
With these you could make vistula, poland, seelow heights.

What game is the upper Vistula map from?


East Prussia
First world war campaign.

Boy, I don't know how I missed that it had a second map...

[76mm]

For me the greatest addition to this series would be a map editor.