I guess we'll have to see what happens with that eh

Wheels

What do you think guys, will it be a white Christmas?

Wow, I can't believe I am going to have another birthday while waiting for this map.

Warbirds, you aren't the only one. There's a whole darned team of dedicated folks involved in making the map or creating the missions and campaigns who never thought it would take this long. It seems like every time we think we actually have a handle on getting it ready, something jumps up and bites us on the behind.

It's been over two years since we said "yes" to the idea. It's been almost a year since we changed our focus and said "let's get this thing out in 45 days" knowing we could never do that, but trying to get us thinking about getting it done *sooner* rather than later.

Perhaps we shouldn't try and be so "perfect" ... nothing we can ever do will be "perfect", but we are trying to make the map very, very good. Skills get better, new techniques are found, different ideas develop, and our focus changes. Dang it, will we ever get it released? We ask the same questions, have the same disagreements, and sometimes they aren't terribly positive. At other times the changes are revolutionary and what wasn't really achievable earlier becomes a "piece of cake".

BUT. The result is really, really worth the wait. JIHO. I keep telling myself we are "just around the corner". With luck, we are. Oh yeah, isn't that the corner right over there?? I do believe it is!

Seriously, what remains to be done? We are putting the final touches on the actors.static file, adding all the airfields back in (it was already done once, but we found an unacceptable AI taxi way problem). We are adjusting textures on the continent. There are some shoreline issues to resolve, and a few bridges to "tweak".

That may not seem like much, but consider that the map area involved is perhaps 10 times the size of the in-game Normandy map, there are more than 90 airfields on the map, and miles and miles and miles of shoreline and rivers to "get right", thousands of miles of roads and railways, and you can begin to get a feeling for just how much work is involved.

And finally, we realize that, no matter how good we make it and how "right" it is (in the sense of having no major editing errors), folks who actually live on the continent or in Great Britain will say "hey, it doesn't look like that here!", and they will probably be right. UGH.

But, we persevere. A late Christmas present would be very, very nice.

However, no promises.

Besides, the 352nd Virtual Fighter Group is a nine year old combat flight sim group. We aren't in the business of making IL-2 maps. This Cross Channel Map is an effort of love, not a career. We actually do enjoy flying combat missions during our twice-weekly sessions, and map making is not our top priority. So .... it will get done when it gets done and, with luck, we'll all be the better for it.

and WE will love you for it. We may drool incessantly, but we'll wait.
Cheers

SW + 1, thanks 352nd!

Yeah, and then some!

We will love it whatever.. Just hope my machine will love it too!.. lol!

I keep checking back on this one. I can't wait to go zooming around over all that goodness. Thanks for putting the time and effort into this, and please, please, please be prepared for the nay-sayers. They are a small minority, but they are bloody loud. Once they start, please just keep in mind that they are a minority, and those of us who will be enjoying your hard work outnumber them greatly. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't let the b-tards drag you down!

Thanks again,
Kessler