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  Razani Map v0.55 (v 0.55 beta)  
Picture of Razani Map v0.55 Author : Nicholas Bell Version : 0.55 beta
Era : Modern Demo mission : No
Downloads : 5499 Rating : 4.8 / 5 (rated 4 times)

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Included *.pbo files : Needed addons :
  • razani.pbo
  • razmisc.pbo
 
Description :
Island : Razani Map v0.55

V0.55 Changes
1. New Sat Map colors
2. Couple of new compound clusters
3. Improved ability of AI to get in and out of qalats.
4. New wall and building objects.
5. Some walls will “destruct” rather than fall over.
6. Opteryx’s PBO’s no longer required.
7. Other miscellaneous items.

Content :
Razani is a 10 km x 10 km map based on an area in North Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. The area is currently controlled by the Taliban and has numerous Al-Qaeda training camps. Razani is on the main highway between North Warziristan's two largest towns - Miranshah and Razmak. Please use Google Earth or Google maps to locate Razani, Pakistan to get a good look at what I am attempting to depict. Apart from being a potential real-world "hot-spot" for combat in the future, the terrain is also typical of most areas on either side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In addition to current conflicts, it could also be used in scenarios from the Soviet-Afghan War

The area depicted encompasses a wide range of terrain types including flat plateaus, valleys, washes, ravines, hills, cliffs and high mountains. Numerous individual compounds and clusters of compounds cover the landscape, along with small farm fields. The walled compounds (known as qalats or kots) are in effect every family's "fortress".

Installation :
The PBO and Sign files in the archive need to be extracted into your ArmA/Addons folder.
However the mod folder method is the better solution.
Click here to get redirected to a Mod Folder Tutorial

Credits and Thanks :
Opteryx - for allowing the use and modification of his objects. In addition to the great assistance he gave by use of his objects, Opteryx has provided both inspiration and a challenge to me with his passion for detail and accuracy in his many outstanding maps.
BIS - for use and modification of the Sample Model MLODs

Source : BIS Forums, ArmedAssault.info Forums

Click here to view the full Readme (more information) :


Credits:
Opteryx - for allowing the use and modification of his objects. In addition to the great assistance he gave by use of his objects, Opteryx has provided both inspiration and a challenge to me with his passion for detail and accuracy in his many outstanding maps.
BIS - for use and modification of the Sample Model MLODs

Legal:
Permission is granted for personal use with Assault or VBS2. Any commercial use is strictly forbidden without permission from BIS in accordance with their licenses:

For the map:
http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/End_User_License_Agreement_for_BI%27s_Tools

For the modified Sample Models
http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard311/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=61&t=67070

In accordance with this license, modified BIS P3D models have been included in a separate compressed file.

Permission is granted to distribute this software as long as it is 100% free of charge and this readme file is distributed with it.

I assume no responsibility for any damages this program may cause - use at your own risk. If your video card overheats or your computer blows up you're on your own.

Requirements:
This map addon (razani.pbo) requires the following additional addons to function:

Razmisc.pbo - included in this package. (Bisign and public key for both included.)

Desert2.pbo - from Queen's Gambit. You lose grass clutter, one rock type and one bush type if you don't have it.

Razani is a 10 km x 10 km map based on an area in North Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. The area is currently controlled by the Taliban and has numerous Al-Qaeda training camps. Razani is on the main highway between North Warziristan's two largest towns - Miranshah and Razmak. Please use Google Earth or Google maps to locate Razani, Pakistan to get a good look at what I am attempting to depict. Apart from being a potential real-world "hot-spot" for combat in the future, the terrain is also typical of most areas on either side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In addition to current conflicts, it could also be used in scenarios from the Soviet-Afghan War

The area depicted encompasses a wide range of terrain types including flat plateaus, valleys, washes, ravines, hills, cliffs and high mountains. Numerous individual compounds and clusters of compounds cover the landscape, along with small farm fields. The walled compounds (known as qalats or kots) are in effect every family's "fortress".

This map is based on SRTM 90 DEM and the high-resolution Google Earth image of the area. Because the DEM is based on a 90 meter grid, and the map elevation cell size is 10 meters, a great deal of additional terra-forming was necessary. This was accomplished with erosion routines or done by hand using Daylon Leveller (an excellent heightmap editor) and Visitor. The overall height of the terrain as been lowered by over a 1000 meters to permit helicopters to operate and to prevent the cloud layers from covering large areas of the map. The difference in height from the lowest point and the highest point has not been altered - ie there is no down-scaling of the elevation. The 10 meter elevation cell size is a limiting factor in accurately depicting the rugged terrain, especially the numerous narrow ravines and gullies. It also creates some unfortunate inconsistencies which include mountain side roadways which are far too wide, and the inability to terrace the farm fields.

Other limitations which are noticeable include the ArmA limit of 4 texture types per "segment" (a segment in this map is 512 x 512 pixel square portion of the satellite image, where each pixel is 1 meter square). Each texture is one color. The actual terrain and satellite image of course have more than 4 colors in a 512 square meter area, and this can result in less than optimal color transition where the engine blends the satellite image (long range) with the mid-and short range images based on the texture. The alternative to this is creating a satellite image which is uniform in color to match the terrain texture - unrealistic looking, boring, and therefore unacceptable to me.

The edge the map is ugly. ArmA does some weird stuff at the edge, so there's no way to fix it. It simply was designed for "islands" not maps. Getting the streams at the bottom of narrow valleys is a real pain in the neck. I have to paint them in 2D, which is difficult to do accurately in a 3D environment. Creating flat streambeds which slope downstream is not a function I have found in any of the heightmap editors, so they are not perfect.

This is a work-in-progress - a "snapshot" of where I am at right now - and is missing 95% of the structures which will be on the map when it is complete. Areas that will contain built-up areas and farmland are pretty easily spotted by their flat terrain, lack of major vegetation, and trails apparently going nowhere. Flat "shelves" in the side of hills are future locations of qalats.

Regarding the placement of objects, there is minor modification where necessary, but in general stuff is in the same location and generally laid out like it actually this. Remember I am following the high-resolution image from Google Earth. So the qalats depicted are very large - yet mostly empty. The two cell towers are actually placed that close together. While you might note that vegetation is usually heavier on the North side of hills and ridges (less direct illumination means the soil can hold moisture a little better), sometimes the opposite is true. In similar manner sometimes the "forest" just stop - in a straight line. These are obviously man-made changes - I noted in an article I spotted on the internet that areas of Pakistan are suffering from deforestation. It's pretty clear that there are areas on this map which fit that description.

Other things which will be addressed in future updates beyond more buildings and farms include additional trails, guard rails and stones, a couple more bridges, more plants, and continued refinement of colors & textures on the map and objects. I also need to work on the objects I personally created - the rock walls and the mud-plastered qalat walls. Maybe add a few new objects too.

I will not be including:
1. Caves
2. FOBs
3. Airfield

The AI wouldn't know how to handle a cave any more than it can handle urban areas. Not to mention my modeling skills are about nonexistent. FOB's should not be a permanent part of any map IMO, especially since one can use a template and place one where they need it for a mission. There is no airfield in this area on the map, and I'm reproducing real terrain, so why would I include an airfield? Yeah, yeah, I know - "for gameplay". Maybe I will release the source files and you can add one yourself. :)

Despite the incomplete nature of the map, it is in fact ready-for-play. I have experienced some excellent single-player action on this map using the ACE, GL3 and FFN mods. Add in Mando Bombs and use Kronzky's Urban Patrol Scripts and your set for some interesting action. I also highly recommend the excellent Taliban mod by "Miles Teg".

Please note that the ArmA vehicle AI pathfinding is not really capable of dealing with this terrain - it is primarily a map for infantry combat. The hairpin turns on the roads require more than a few waypoints, but vehicles will follow them (until you start shooting at them). Because it is not possible to make such tight corners with ArmA roads, I have had to break the roads at the tightest corners. I have placed invisible road objects there to smooth the way.

Other AI -pathfinding problems are the walls. I've created plenty of openings in the farm walls - more than is realistic - to help. Help - not solve. The qalats are another problem. Getting the AI to move through a door or gate is problematic - despite the use of AI paths in the models.

Actually, there is something to be said for staying away from the middle of the map - there are a lot of interesting areas elsewhere. The area west of Mount Teap is good for many purposes, and contains a wide variety of terrain without any of it being too steep. The area north of the main east-west river is easy to overlook, but also has a nice series of valleys and ridges. Areas with vegetation and rocks work well for the AI. Pathfinding is not an issue and the AI does know how to use cover - especially when the above noted mods are used.

Although I don't really need to tell you how to use the map, here's a few lame suggestions to get you thinking.

1. Walk around. Set yourself on a hill and change the time of day to notice how the scenery changes.
2. Drive the paved road from one end to the other. Be careful not to go too fast, as you are likely to miss a curve right on the other side of a rise. The road smoothing script doesn't always work as well as it should, so there are rough and bumpy spots too - not unreasonable for this road.
3. There are a few long dirt trails worth driving too.
4. Although I think it is better to get to know the lay of the land on foot, rather than by air, flying around in the valleys and over peaks is a lot of fun. Even at 10 km square, the map is a bit too small for high-speed fixed wing aircraft. Helicopters or prop aircraft are the best.
5. Set up a series of bunkered sandbag positions on hills to defend (or attack) to simulate the situation along the Afghan border with Pakistan.
6. Ambush a convoy on the main road.
7. Use Kronzky's UPS and cover the map with various patrol zones with randomized enemy strengths. Take command of a patrol and attempt to "escape" from one side of the map to the other. Don't use the map. Add in GL3 to increase the challenge as the enemy calls in reinforcements.

I don't know squat about Warfare (too damn busy making maps), but hopefully it will be useable for this too.

The best way to contact me is on the BIS ArmA Forums (member name Nicholas Bell). Stay tuned for updates as I continue work on this project. I have been working on this consistently since July 1st 2008 and it will probably take at least until July 2009 to finish.


Required :

DOWNLOAD REQUIRED - Avgani 1.3 & Afghan Village 0.6 - [160 MB 7z]
 
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Size : 269 MB
  March 14th, 2009 - 19:09   Comment (0)  

 
 
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