I have been working on my campaign map as and when the mood has taken me, and I am well on the way to completing it.
Since my last blog entry, when the map looked like this ...
... I have added more marshland, forests, and roads, ...
... and the place names.
I am quite pleased with the results, especially when the various sections of the map are seen full size, as the following screenshots of a section of the map shows:
I have one or two changes that I want to make, but to all intents and purposes, the map is almost finished.
Since my last blog entry, when the map looked like this ...
... I have added more marshland, forests, and roads, ...
... and the place names.
I am quite pleased with the results, especially when the various sections of the map are seen full size, as the following screenshots of a section of the map shows:
I have one or two changes that I want to make, but to all intents and purposes, the map is almost finished.
Very impressive. All come together very well. What's the gridscale? Is there enough marsh/forest in the Leningrad area? Only going by the boardgames I have but they have extensive swamp around there - pretty much the whole of the square between Novgorod and Leningrad, for example?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, regardless, it looks to be an excellent, attractive and practical campaign tool.
Cheers
Andrew
Rumblestrip (Andrew),
DeleteThe grid scale is purely arbitrary, and I hope to use it in the way that the campaign grid map in PCW was used.
Leningrad was built on a swamp, but I didn’t want to surround it with swampland as that would have made it difficult to attack. As most of the swamp has now been drained, it’s only the area along the river that is still difficult terrain.
I’m quite pleased with the result, but if time permits, I’d like to tweak it a bit more.
All the best,
Bob
I was curious, so did the sum. Interestingly 50 miles to each side of a square (70 on the diagonal) is there or thereabouts.
DeleteAndrew
Rumblestrip (Andrew),
DeleteThanks for doing that. It’s a very helpful bit of information.
All the best,
Bob
Excellent work Bob, it's a very impressive map. Your previous map post inspired me and I've been playing about with Map making myself.
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteCheers ... and I’m very pleased that my efforts have encouraged you to try to create your own map.
All the best,
Bob
Hi BOB,
ReplyDeleteYou've done a splendid job of your MAP- the scale of the Place Names is just right. It will be interesting to see how you are going to translate your MAP into a Grid Tabletop Game. Well done. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteThanks very much for your encouraging comment! I want to tinker with it a bit more, and then I hope to draft some simple campaign rules to use with it.
All the best,
Bob
Hi BOB,
DeleteYou have mentioned that 1 MAP SQUARE will be the equivalent of 4 of your 8 x 8 Grid Squares. Just thinking - Will a Battle take place on an 8 x 8 Grid Square? It is all very interesting and enjoyable to hear of your development for the Campaign. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteMy plan is for the battles to take place on an 8 x 8 square grid or 8 x 9 hexed grid, with a 'formation in a box' per side plus any heavy support units that are within the map square.
All the best,
Bob
Great map, I am impressed with what you have achieved using only the Paint programme!
ReplyDeleteStryker,
DeleteCheers! I do have more sophisticated drawing programs, but I’ve been using MS Paint for so long that I can do things faster and work at pixel level.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteLike your map, it looks very impressive
I have also been playing around with maps lately. I find it very soothing. I imagine it must be similar knitting or basket weaving!
How will you transfer from the map to the wargame and back again?
I look forward to seeing how the campaign develops
best regards
Paul
Paul,
DeleteI find drawing maps requires the sort of attention to detail and concentration that I find very relaxing. Time zips by, which during the current lockdown helps me to get through the days and to feel that I’ve achieved something.
I’m interested to known what you have been doing in terms of your maps, which were one of the things that inspired me to produce this map.
When it comes to transferring the map squares to the tabletop, I’m assuming that each map square will be approximately equivalent to four of my 8 x 8 square grids/8 x 9 hexed grids. I’ll then use my PCW terrain generator to add any details.
This is still a work in progress, but it is getting towards the end of the process.
All the best,
Bob
Bob - that looks very, very good! I enjoy map-making myself, but haven't yet tried anything on this scale. Most impressive.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo,
DeleteI’m rather pleased with how it has turned out, but it still needs a bit of tweaking.
If you’ve got the time and ability (and judging by the maps of yours that I have seen, you certainly have that!), making maps can be a very relaxing and rewarding pursuit.
All the best,
Bob
You have spent so many years talking about this project and now you are close to realizing the goal. I am looking forward to seeing the first battle reports.
ReplyDeleteSteve8,
DeleteI do feel as if I’m finally getting somewhere with this project, although I suspect I will still be adding stuff to it for some time to come. What I hope to do is to finish my current programme of renovating a sizeable chunk of my Russian WW2 stuff, and then to run a short campaign to test the rules.
All the best,
Bob
Great map Bob, very serviceable yet a work of art in its own right. Like your other readers, I look forward to the first encounter. Cheers Greg
ReplyDeleteDelta Coy (Greg),
DeleteThanks for your kind comment about my map. It still needs a bit of tweaking, and one that has been done, I will then try to write up some simple campaign rules based on those in my PCW book.
All the best,
Bob
Nice
ReplyDeleteI see your points about the terrain having such an impact on the Russian Campaign - which is glossed over in some histories
A lot of effort and work .. well done ;)
Geordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteOther that the flatness of the steppe and the marshes, the terrain in Russia rarely gets a mention, but once one begins to look at maps of the terrain, the three-pronged attack that the Axis planned makes lots of sense.
All the best,
Bob