Subscribe to download
(2-8) Wilderness/Canal #2 (winter)

A lightly wooded wilderness area transected by a canal - no other signs of civilization in sight.

The canal is frozen, and crossable everywhere, so this is not a bottleneck map. However, it is dangerous to cross the ice under enemy fire, so the canal can still be used as a defensive line.

This is an update to my earlier map with a similar name.

New features:

• Larger, square map.
  
• Population cap 768 per team.
  (1 - 768, 2 - 384, 3 - 256, 4 - 192)
  
• Day-night cycle with random start.
  
• Random winter weather + blizzards.
  
• For 2p-6p, map can be 'rotated' with a careful choice of the starting positions.

There will be more night phases than day phases, since this is assumed to be mid-winter at European latitudes.

Base Defenses:

• Everyone gets a light AA position.
  
• The four bases that are close to an enemy base (1,4,5,8) get a second light AA position facing the nearest enemy base.
  
• Everyone gets two watchtowers and some log stacks.

You may want to provide additional defenses in case of an enemy rush.

Beware of the enemy driving off your AA crew, capturing it, and turning it on your base!

Map Orientation:

• For 4p, use odd-numbered positions to put the canal between the armies, or even-numbered positions to turn it 90 degrees.
  
• For 6p, use positions 1-3 vs. 5-7 to put the canal between the armies, or 2-4 vs 6-8 to turn it ~90 degrees.
  
• Note that for 8p, positions 4 and 8 will be on the enemy's side of the canal. This provides both opportunities and risks.

Known Problems:

• Weather changes may stress older or low-end systems.
  
• Some of the weather transitions are pretty abrupt.
  
• The shadows do not move correctly over the course of the day.
  
• If it's already snowing when a blizzard starts, the transition clears the current snowfall before the blizard's snowfall shows up, so it looks like the weather is clearing up rather than getting worse. Pay attention to the blizzard cues!

If people like this I will make a summer version, and rural versions that provide a few buildings and some cover.