The future of the Channel map

[Ghost79]

With more and more of Channel map airfields appearing on the Normandy 2 map, what is the future for the channel map, if any?

 

To me, it looks like the channel map will become redundant, cant see why anyone would develop missions or campaigns for it, better to base them on N2.

 

if the channel map does become redundant, what will this mean for those of us who own the map? 

[Nealius]

I'm hoping it doesn't become redundant. Aside from the night lighting in Normandy 2.0, I much prefer the Channel for it's superior autogen detail, winter textures, and smoother performance.

[cw4ogden]

I think part of the problem is the channel map's relevant period of the war isn't supported by the aircraft pool in DCS.  Meaning no early Bf-109s, hurricane early spitfire etc.  Channel seems fitting for Battle of Britain era, but I'm not a historian by any stretch. 

Given there are only one or two populated WW2 servers at any given time, and they tend towards "realistic", they choose normandy because it's more time period appropriate to the stable of WW2 aircraft that currently exist.  

I've tried running a WW2 channel map server and my takeaway was there isn't enough interest to make it feasible.  Until ww2 fans can populate more than a single server, options will be limited to flavor of the month which is Normandy.

[Gunfreak]

"Easiest" way to make channel map relevant would be to expand it into low countries and parts of Western Germany.

Give us market garden and Bodenplatte map for late 44 and early 45. This is actually were the Dora and Kurfyrst was seen.

It would also be useful for 41-43 raids on Nederlands and Germany with A20, Spitfire, B17s and P47s. 

[Mr_sukebe]

I would have thought it easier to simplify to represent the 1940 time period for the Battle Of Britain, as against post DD in 1944.

[Gunfreak]

52 minutes ago, Mr_sukebe said:

I would have thought it easier to simplify to represent the 1940 time period for the Battle Of Britain, as against post DD in 1944.

Except we have zero planes for 1940.

Expanding 1 map is much easier/faster then making 4-10 new planes.

 

[hnbdgr]

Aren't there plans to make planesets with lower cockpit fidelity ( i presume, non clickable but full on flight model) specifically for bob and other periods? I think I heard this in an interview a year or 2 back.

[Coxy_99]

1 hour ago, hnbdgr said:

Aren't there plans to make planesets with lower cockpit fidelity ( i presume, non clickable but full on flight model) specifically for bob and other periods? I think I heard this in an interview a year or 2 back.

That was MAC modern air combat, And i doubt the WW2 birds will be FC3 style, Theres no need, However the original OP correct and still many many features missing on this map along the kent coast.

[hnbdgr]

Why no need... i know many people would welcome modules like that. Get a whole planeset for under 100$? diverse mp options.  Anyway, just my 2 cents.

[Slippa]

23 hours ago, Coxy_99 said:

still many many features missing on this map along the kent coast.

Not just the coast. I live in Kent and was chuffed to see some of the stuff they’d modelled. Some of the choices are a bit odd. Leeds Castle but no Rochester Castle or Cathedral. Canterbury should’ve been sorted. Some of the fields included are a bonus for me, places like Headcorn, High Halden, Detling and Eastchurch I know very well. Biggin of course but no Hornchurch, North Weald or West Malling. They’re not small airfields, they’re major parts of the ring around the Capital. We can’t have everything I s’pose.

It runs better on my system than Normandy. It looks better but it’s hemmed in by sensible planesets and its size. I spent most of my time learning to fly on the Channel Map just putting hours in converting to different types without using weapon systems. It’s a good map, I’d just like to see it grow, maybe North as well as Easterly. Aircraft would help.

I have to admit, these days I get more time on Normandy than the Channel. Give us MkI, II and Vc Spits, Hurris, Stukas, 110s etc. and we’ll be laughing. One day maybe? When N2 arrived, along with an active updating for additional fields it left the Channel Map In the dark a bit. We’ll have to hope for expansions.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Slippa

[Nealius]

We need some more USAAF fields as well, for both Channel and Normandy maps.

[DD_Fenrir]

@NineLine @BIGNEWY

Gents, could you shed some light on the OPs original question.

Would like to know what the future holds for my investment in this map; will it be backdated and/or expanded to provide greater variety for those of us who brought in to it?

Edited April 19 by DD_Fenrir

[Ghost79]

On 4/19/2024 at 2:52 PM, DD_Fenrir said:

@NineLine @BIGNEWY

Gents, could you shed some light on the OPs original question.

Would like to know what the future holds for my investment in this map; will it be backdated and/or expanded to provide greater variety for those of us who brought in to it?

 

Thanks Fenrir

 

Yes, i would still like to know if the channel map still has a future as per my original post.  Looks like its been abandoned and all WW2 europe stuff is focused on N2.

[Qcumber]

I would love to see this map expanded to cover East Anglia and possible across to the coast of Belgium and Netherlands. 

[Slippa]

I’d like to see it expand too, updated, whatever. Something would be good.

 

[DD_Fenrir]

@NineLine @BIGNEWY

Asking again: 

Could someone at ED please shed some light on the OPs original question.

Would like to know what the future holds for my investment in this map; I am increasingly wondering why I bothered to buy it with Normandy 2 now covering the area and starting to see more common airfields.

Is there a plan? Will it be backdated? Or expanded further East to provide greater variety for those of us who brought in to it?

Edited October 2 by DD_Fenrir

[Gierasimov]

1 hour ago, DD_Fenrir said:

@NineLine @BIGNEWY

Asking again: 

Could someone at ED please shed some light on the OPs original question.

Would like to know what the future holds for my investment in this map; I am increasingly wondering why I bothered to buy it with Normandy 2 now covering the area and starting to see more common airfields.

Is there a plan? Will it be backdated? Or expanded further East to provide greater variety for those of us who brought in to it?

 

That is interesting question, Channel map is interesting for its specific content, while Normandy 2 is outstanding with Paris and London, if the prison and Dover castle were included in Normandy 2, Channel map would not be needed anymore. But yeah, lack of updates, lack of news, I guess it is no longer relevant for ED.

[MAXsenna]

MERGE!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Aernov]

Expanding eastwards and northwards to Germany seems to be the way to keep the map relevant (aside from singleplayer campaigns for it). But, ED got Pacific theater now, and ocean with small islands is easier for map making than Europe.

[Gierasimov]

10 hours ago, MAXsenna said:

MERGE!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk
 

Yeah, they already said no as two businesses collide here. 

[Hotdognz]

Channels map future is in the mission you make for it or others make for it, its as simple as that, ED I doubt would expand it, as for WW2 plane set for the channel map, live in hope, but I feel EDs commitment to the WW2 side of DCS is very sporadic and doesn't have any firm plans as far as I can tell to flesh a proper WW2 plane set for any period of WW2, there are many holes in what we have, but at least flying what we have is fun.