RO-Ponyri Beta 1

[Mike Nomad]

From: Sichartshofen;

DOWNLOAD (http://www.maporchestra.com/downloads/p13_sectionid/23/p13_fileid/331)

Summary

Name: Ponyri
Version: Beta 1
Build Time: 1 month
Bot Support: No
Map Style: Rural/urban warfare

Historical Background

In the opening moves of Operation "Zitadelle" on 5 July 1943 the German 9th Army crashed into the defensive lines of the Soviet 13th Army on the northern face of the Kursk Salient. The advance was barred by a cluster of fortified towns and villages strung along high ground about 60 km north of Kursk. For six days one of those settlements, Ponyri Station, became the focal point of immense efforts by both sides. Ponyri Station, sitting astride the main rail link between Kursk and Orel, was a collection and distribution point for the collective farms in the vicinity; this in turn made it a natural goal in the German's North/South pincer move. The Soviets, being under no illusions that an attack would be forthcoming, had previously fortified Ponyri and were determined to hold the village. Among the many fierce battles of Kursk that around Ponyri Station was one the fiercest, the fighting being likened by both sides to a "little Stalingrad". From July 6-9 a see-saw struggle for control of the schoolhouse, tractor depot and railway station took place. On the 7th of July alone, the village changed hands no less than 5 times.

Screenshots
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/9593/s11nv3.th.jpg (http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s11nv3.jpg)http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/740/s12fa1.th.jpg (http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s12fa1.jpg)http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6588/s15jm6.th.jpg (http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s15jm6.jpg)
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/6703/s13rm5.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s13rm5.jpg)http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/2592/s14vs6.th.jpg (http://img172.imageshack.us/my.php?image=s14vs6.jpg)

[Mike Nomad]

For a Beta 1.... this is not a bad looking map.

One MAJOR error though, you have to get out of the tank to capture the School House... and/or call in Artillery.

Yep, you guessed it!!

The dreaded, DEAD TURRET BUG. When you get back in your tank, you now have a dead turret. No, Bunky, its not AB with the "Press the R key". Its the DEAD TURRET BUG. It was introduced by the last update from TWI....

It looks war torn enough... it desperately needs some background sounds and perhaps, some smoke.

The map looks and feels good! It is VERY playable. I'll spend more time in it tomorrow. :B

[Drecks]

Instead of spitting maps like a machinegun he should take more time to make his maps. Once again i noticed a lot of copied stuff from other maps.
But most players doesn't seem to care. The station is from Basovka
the Tractor depot might be original.
The lightning inside is giving a lot of black areas.

[=GG= Mr Moe]

Just a quick comment since I only roamed it in spectate.

The objective areas themselves look nice enough, though smaller than I would have thought (especially the tractor depot). The overall layout of the land is ok also.

Not bad for a beta 1 yes, but at the same time, the objective areas somehow don't feel right. It seems as if they were created seperately and put on the map just as objectives to capture, not as if they are part of a town or the outskirts of it...

Definately need to get in there so I can make more useful comments....

[Reservoir Dog]

I watched at 7 on 7 battle today. Germans took both rounds convincingly. This map is new so I'm sure it will take a little time for Allies to form some more tactics on map.

I kinda agree with Moe that it has an objective to objective to objective feel to it. Nothing really tieing them together. Maybe if the railroad went across the map it would help. Seems more logical that a tractor factory would be next to a railroad to get those tractors shipped out. If it was elevated it could provide cover on both sides as well if it ran down the middle.

With as much work that went into the school house (from the posts on the RO forum), all of the structures should be original. Or at lease heavily modified so no one can knock them off.

Overall, I think its a good beta 1. I thought the Allies artillery vs the Axis vehicles was an interesting match-up. There are some improvements that can be made so we will see what happens with beta 2.