Field Report 11: The creation of maps

1/3 - 2014

Hello and welcome to our eleventh field report!

The creation of maps - South Mountain

Today I'd like to talk to you a bit about the map creation process for War of Rights. We've been focusing on creating Antietam more or less exclusively until a short while ago when we began on the battle of South Mountain as well. It's been an internal plan for ages to recreate the whole of the Maryland campaign of 1862 and now we feel like it's time to let you guys know a thing or two about it as well – more on the subject of the future features of WoR a little later. First, I'd like to take you through the earliest phases of the creation of South Mountain.

First, we sit down and plan the boundaries of the map – the playable area. In South Mountain's case the size of the battlefield is much too long for us to include all of it. Because of this, we've decided to focus on the two northern main points of engagement; Fox's Gap and Turner's Gap. The last main point of the battlefield, Crampton's Gap will not be included.

As we now have the center of the map as well as the size of it(4x4km) we're able to implement an accurate height map of the exact area into the engine, and after a few tweaks, we have our 1:1 scale terrain ready. Next step is to find a detailed period drawn map (the one we're using was made just a few years after the war), crop it so it matches our playable area, and implement it into the engine as a ground texture on our terrain.

As you can see, the map is very detailed indeed. It shows not only the troop movements during the battle, but also where the fields, roads, forests, houses and even fences were located. Now it's just a matter of placing the roads on top of the roads drawn on the map as well as paint the real ground textures (of woodland, wheatfields, cornfields etc.) where they are indicated.

We're now ready to begin setting up the different scenes of the map using assets. Here are a few early work in progress screenshots of scenes at South Mountain:

Road towards Menzer's sawmill

Old National Pike

Appalachian Trail

I hope you enjoyed reading about the very first steps of map creation for WoR. I cannot wait to show you further progress as the map gets filled with scenes like the posted ones above.

Future features of WoR

A while ago, our historical advisor, George, wrote a new description of the features of WoR which we really felt hit the nail on the head so here it is for all of you to enjoy.

War of Rights is a multiplayer game set during the perilous days of the American Civil War, in the Maryland Campaign of September, 1862. Campfire Games is devoted to presenting the gruesome and glorious elements of the period, while maintaining the highest level of historical accuracy and realism as is possible with the wonders of Cryengine 3.

Players in the game will be able to play on multiple battlefields of the campaign, from the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where the Siege of Harper's Ferry took place, to the ridgelines of South Mountain, and to the meandering waters of Antietam Creek at the Battle of Antietam. Additionally, players will also be able to choose from a list of regiments that fought in each battle as well as what rank to fight as, whether they want to slog it out as a lowly private, or if you want to orchestrate the carnage and mayhem as a major general.

Uniforms and bodily features will all be customizable for other players to see as you march and fight in the lines of battle according to the tactics of the period. As a General, you will operate in your headquarters equiped with a map of the battlefield and constantly receiving reports of friendly and enemy positions. Send out new orders to the regiments to move forward, or fall back - all in real time. The orders will move down the chain of command, to the Colonels, Majors, down to the Captains in charge of the individual regiments, all of whom have the option to follow the orders of their trusted commander, or rebel against his wishes and fight as you see fit.

Each map contains a period reconstruction of the buildings, farms, forests, roads, rocks, and Fancy Flowers that existed so players can fight through the streets of Harper's Ferry, in the wooded heights of Fox's Gap at South Mountain, or in the wheatfields and Bloody Lanes of Antietam. Players can feel the whiz of deadly shot and shell fly by their bodies, or hit their comrades or themselves as they scream in a bloody hail from their wounds. Limbs will fly and blood will be spilt once again as Campfire Games brings the fighting of the Civil War right to the player's computer screen!

Will you heed the Union call against the traitors? Or will you fight to defend your family and livelyhood with the Confederacy? You decide!

We hope you're all as excited as us about the future of WoR.

One last thing before we're out – we'd like to make you aware that we're looking for additional teammembers at Campfire Games at the moment: https://www.moddb.com/games/war-of-rights/jobs

That's all for now. Until next time, have a good one!