previous version:
Ok. The projector works!
The topic of this map is the German attack on Holland in may 1940, and more specifically the paratrooper landings.
I got this idea from a Map Ideas topic about the Market Garden suggestion, of which sprung the idea to do something about all the big paradroppings attacks in WW2 (another one on the agenda would be Crete 1941).
To me a knowledge , but to non-Dutchmen a surprise: here the German paratroopers were actually defeated by the "clumsy" dutch troops.
And because the german paratroopers suffered a great deal (again!) on Crete 1941 it comes as no surprise why Hitler ordered that paratroopers should never be used as such again.
More info about the fights (and heroism versus stupidities) during this dutch campaign you can find on this excellent site
http://www.waroverholland.nl/index.php? ... hague.html
Reading from it I understood I had to enlarge the map to encompass all the landings in South-Holland, but should not leave out the Wehrmacht assault through the northern provinces Friesland/Groningen nor the important effect of air superiority.
Of course the map is not perfected, and I myself have some misgivings about the choice of some graphics, but with your comments (and preferably tips how to improve it with Inkscape) I'll work on it.
At least now there is something on-line.
The Map:
The islands are not true to geography. Some areas were stretched and others compressed. I had to do this to enlarge the areas where there were much activity (fighting, important objects) and I had to find space for the legend and other side features.
Also the Botlek area with the oil tanks has been moved from the southbank to the north bank. This is because the British Royal Marines engineers that were landed at Hoek van Holland were directed to demolish the tanks/oil supply and I have no idea how they got there.
Either a dutch riverjetty brought them over, or a british vessel (more likely) put them there directly.
However, these men were ordered NOT to engage in fightings with german troops (who were to be found at Spijkenisse bridge and Waalhaven airport) and returned after they did their job.
So , on the map it would not be correct to give it a two-way link (because the germans on the south would be able to cross the Maasriver..which is not correct) nor is it satisfactory to have a one direction attack (as once on the south bank you cannot retreat your armies..and these troops are not supposed to assault troops on the island south of Rotterdam).
Well, think about it.
Gameplay:
I set up this map with the idea of 2 players playing, and design it so that the fights and objectives of that time comes to light on this map.
So the bonussystem should reflect that :
1) Airfields are important : to allow more german airlift troops to poor in / to allow Dutch airplanes to get refitted.
2) Bridges are important: to allow free unhindered movement of the expected german panzer kolonne / to build up an increasing and more organized dutch defense.
3) The dutch government seat in The Hague (denHaag) is important: to capture the head of state(the queen) and enforce a quick surrender / to keep the fight going and hope for allied (french 7th army) counter attacks.
4) Hoek vHolland harbour and oil supply is important: Last escape route and entry point for British Marines.
Then I wanted to apply a bonus for Germans to reach their most important objectives (indicated by the German Iron Cross) and for the Dutch to keep their best defense (indicated by a golden crown emblem).
Note that the complex at "Kornwerderzand" held the Germans at bay during the entire campaign and denied them quick access into North Holland.
http://www.verdedigingswerken.nl/kwzand/index.htm
Some of the bridges were , once captured by the germans, of no importance: there simply were no counterattacks or troop movements expected from the population on the island...so these have a lower bonus value than the others.
Air superiority:
In reality, of course the germans had it 100% all the time.
But a lot of german planes were shot down by dutch ground and air forces, which meant that the airfields could not be used for german (fighter) airplanes. Thus, the germans had to fly the same far distance as the (few) english planes, and the few dutch planes had the advantage of less flying distance from Amsterdam airfields.
So I wanted to put this feature in the game map in which a linear advancement line shows where you have control to allow bombardment of a certain place on the map.
The more you place resources here , the more it is possible to bombard your counterpart bonuszones behind his well defended bridgeheads.
In return you cant afford to advance too far without paying attention to your flak defense.
As it is a paratroopers map, I put a single place where the germans can drop additional troops on designated locations as long as they have that slot.
Technically, I wanted to disallow this slot to be reachable from the left (as the british/dutch would not do paralandings in these places) but I realised that in a 6 player map one player could be so unfortunate to be stuck in this air superiority slider (by elimination of troops on the land) and so needed a way out.
Consider it as surprise landings per river boat or surprise resistance from once scattered but now reorganised dutch troops.
(make another icon ?).
4 players ? 6 players ?
Well, honestly, other than the above modification, I have no idea how good or bad the map would run in terms of balance with more players.
The good thing about this map is the fact that there is always a "backdoor" to harass someones bonusareas. In classical maps you'll often see that the bonuszone in the corner of a map is the key to winning the game.
Come to think of it: the german 18th army slot needs to be two ways connected to "Oosterhout" (or allow it to be bombarded ) ..otherwise there could be no final winner...
).
, dealing with finding best kitchen amongst annoying dealers 
, and losing myself in online first person shooter games 
.
