Midtown Manhattan

[LegionCXVII]

Would you like to see this map in-game?

• Yes
• No
• Maybe

Introduction

• Imagine modern jets dogfighting overhead, weaving through skyscrapers in a high-stakes aerial ballet, while tanks engage in fierce battles on the ground, using the urban landscape for cover and strategic advantage. This dynamic combination of air and ground combat in Midtown Manhattan would create an unparalleled experience in War Thunder because there is nothing else like it in the game currently. We keep seeing more and more modern vehicles, so having an actual modern and sprawling city with iconic and recognizable locations would be an interesting option considering the only maps to really have skyscrapers in the ground forces play area are Alaska and Sun City, but they only have a handful, so it doesn’t really make a significant difference in gameplay. People often complain about the potency of CAS aircraft and SPAA at top tier, but what better way to reduce their effectiveness than by reducing both of their ranges through forcing the aircraft to get in close with unguided ordinance while flying between buildings in order to accurately hit their targets?

Overview

• New York City is the largest city in the United States by population, coming in at over 8,000,000 residents in the actual city and approximately 22,000,000 when looking at the larger New York-Newark Metropolitan area. On the global scale, it serves as the host city for the United Nations Headquarters, and it is the largest city in the world when accounting for trade and GDP.

Map Size

• The portion I have carved out of Manhattan accounts for about a 4-5km² area, making it on par with some of the largest tank maps that are currently present. The outer limits of the area I’ve selected consists of 56th Street to the north, 33rd Street to the south, 8th Avenue in the west, and the East River to the (you guessed it) east.

Time Period

• I think the best choice for setting would be sometime between 2008 and 2020. Setting a map in NYC anytime from 1973-2001 would be a bad idea for… obvious reasons, and setting it anytime before then would miss out on a lot of the modern aesthetic of the Big Apple.

Capture Points

For the prominent locations that would be featured on this map, I’ll start with my proposals for the 3 capture points.

A: Times Square

• The iconic location known for its neon signs and massive billboards would serve as our A point, the large and open area would provide ample opportunities for a different playstyle from the other two capture points.
  
  

B: Grand Central Terminal

• The central point for the map is an interesting one because I see it as having the most dynamic potential. It’s a structure with large interiors that could be utilized, multiple entrances (both existing and “improvised”), and subway tunnel access could all come together to offer varied combat scenarios.
  
  

C: United Nations Headquarters

• This international symbol of diplomacy and a universal desire for global peace and cooperation serves as a rather ironic C point, featuring the main structure itself, surrounding gardens, various security checkpoints, and nearby East River access points for any amphibious vehicles keen on flanking through the water.
  
  

Other Points of Interest

• Empire State Building

  • A towering skyscraper that serves as a prominent landmark and visual reference point, adding to the map’s iconic skyline.
    
    

• Chrysler Building

  • An iconic skyscraper with its distinctive Art Deco design and chrome eagle heads towards the top of the structure, providing a recognizable landmark amidst the urban landscape.
    
    

• Rockefeller Center

  • A major complex with a central plaza known for its famous ice skating rink in the winter. The location could serve as a strategic open area for ground battles, surrounded by towering buildings.
    
    

• Broadway

  • The famous theater district, characterized by its bustling streets and bright marquee lights, adding vibrant urban scenery and narrow streets for tactical maneuvers.
    
    

• Battery Park

  • Located on the southern tip of Manhattan Island, Battery Park would serve as the forward helicopter base for the southern team at about 6.5 km away from the B point.
    
    

• Statue of Liberty

  • Positioned on Liberty Island, the location would serve as the rear helicopter spawn point for the southern team. It’s positioned about 9 km away from the B point.
    
    

• Sakura Park

  • A serene park east of the General Grant National Memorial, serving as the forward helicopter spawn point for the northern team. It’s placed approximately 6.5 km away from the B point.
    
    

• Yankee Stadium

  • A famous sports venue which would be the rear helicopter base for the northern team. It is about 9.5 km away from the B point.
    
    

• Central Park

  • Although inaccessible to ground forces in this iteration of the map, it would be a fascinating patch of greenery for aircraft to see in the concrete jungle. I might make a separate proposal specifically for this location as its own map because it fits within the average scale of a War Thunder ground forces map, and it could make for an interesting option on its own.
    
    

Gameplay

• While New York City is known for its grid design, this could be broken up with makeshift barricades, rubble, and craters scattered around the city streets to ensure that there are plenty of options for gameplay styles outside of sniping down long and open corridors. Some of the craters around the map could even provide access to the underground subway system, giving players even more opportunities to seek alternative routes to the central B point and elsewhere on the map as well.

Here’s the area I’m envisioning, and please just keep in mind that it would rely heavily on the aforementioned gameplay/map design elements to break up the long corridors. I opted to not mark anything like that on the map I made purely because I’m not a game designer, and I’m not the one best suited to decide how to make the gameplay more dynamic in a grid city. So, that aspect would be more up to Gaijin and player feedback than my own individual suggestions.

Thank you all for reading my suggestion! Please let me know what you think in the replies.

[warner7]

+1, would like more concrete jungles as ground forces maps in WT

[Thunderphenol]

I like the concept of having a grb match set within a city (I have had some great times playing on BF4’s dawnbreaker). Especially a busy one like new york would be wonderful to fly around/fight in.

However, the map or infographic you have at the start really sells the idea short IMO. Just on first look, angles go from spawn to spawn and the map is just essentially a grid with very few interesting elements to it which would make it miserable to play for all players.

[StormRyder13]

part of me realized this is a bad idea.

On the other hand, it would be really funny.

+1

[LegionCXVII]

As I mentioned, it would really rely heavily on things like barricades, rubble, and craters to break up the long corridors. I didn’t mark anything like that on my map purely because I’m not a game designer, and I’m not the one best suited to decide how to make the gameplay more dynamic in a grid city. So, that aspect would be more up to Gaijin and player feedback than my own suggestions in that regard. I think I’m going to move my map towards the end because I think some people have probably said no just because they saw 1 image and didn’t like it.

[LegionCXVII]

If you don’t mind me asking, what about it would be a bad idea? This is just out of curiosity because if it’s about the street layout, I offered some solutions to that issue in order to make gameplay more dynamic.

[StormRyder13]

I don’t exactly have an answer to that. hence why only part of me finds it one.

More of me wants it.

[LegionCXVII]

fair enough lol

[NmoAmituofoBudha]

I think the time setting the map would be placed in would be the real kicker. 1940s-50s bright neon and bulbs would look beautiful, but so would a 2000s-20s hyper-bright ad screen filled dystopia. I feel any of the major nations biggest cities would work in the same vein for dogfighting. Crisscrossing between skyscrapers would be awesome. That said Gaijin would also have to model everything outside the city, and it’s not all just ocean or some rolling hills with trees dotted around.

[LegionCXVII]

One thing I’d personally love to see is tanks fighting in Times Square at night. I just feel like it would be such an interesting and unique visual experience, but I do agree that if they didn’t model the surrounding area somewhat accurately or at least put an equally dense urban landscape of some kind in the surrounding area, it would feel a bit lackluster.

[cheseburgeer]

+1. a huge modern city map for ground combat

[MeowZedongツ]

u forgot trump tower

[Константинович7]

Loved the map idea of something very very urban combat where things like PSO or 122B+ would make sense,

But since when Manhattan was a scenario of some real conflict?

Even using the argument of “Just same as Alaska, it’s a fake place intended to trainings” etc. I really don’t get why it should be added. But still, love the idea, I really wanted War Thunder to get those crazy maps you find in BF 2042 or something like that.

They’re stunning.

[_Kahama]

A simple city MAP like this is sure to be a tedious game of waiting around corners unless you place a large number of diagonal rubble-like objects at the corners. Also, since there are no ridgelines at all, tanks such as MBTs, which are built for hull-down, will stalemate, unable to take tactics that would prevent their bodies from being overtaken, as is currently the case in the current disaster in Sun City. Therefore, it is necessary to place a large amount of objects on long corridors, create a moderate elevation difference, and place the above objects at the corners. If it is not there, it would be wise not to installation this map to game.

[BasherBenDawg8]

Two problems,
One: something something architecture copyright or something I heard about. I’ve seen games and movies unable to put actually versions of real life buildings in their stuff for these reasons, so they buildings and such would all have to be different and “inspired” of New York. This is just info coming from a vaguely educated Texan who doesn’t tend to know shi, so correct me if I’m wrong :)

Two: too much work for the lazy gaijoobles to add, they’ll likely say, “nah” and than make a slightly altered sun city rotated 47 degrees like with the last new map :)

[S3b5]

An issue I’d have with this is regarding the air map version. Obviously there’s going to be an air segment for a ground map, even if some people hate it. How big would the air section be? Because it could be like 128x128km for a decently sized Air RB map or it could be even larger, maybe up to like some ridiculous size.
Given the addition of ARH missiles for air soon, I think it’s prudent to have larger maps (I made a suggestion for one recently) but how large is up to debate.

For example, a ~130x130km map centered around NYC could be like this,

While a ridiculously sized map of like 800x800km could look like this.

It could include numerous cities, airports, and many places for potential ground maps in just one large air map. But its so big that it would take forever to make.

Also, regarding debris and craters, I do agree with debris but not really with craters (unless they’re caused by gameplay). Debris blocking the road in the form of piled up cars or buses and the like would be really cool, but in my opinion the craters shouldn’t be there unless created by bombs or ammo detonations and the like, because it would ruin the aesthetic of a somewhat pristine city having tanks fighting in it. Just an idea, though.

[lxtav]

Yeah, +1

Only downside is the long, thin streets would be ideal for campers and hellish to push to points, but i guess that could be solved through adding various obsticals along the streets like is done on many other maps like Seversk, Sweden, alaska etc.

I would personally say to take some artistic liberty in its representation, maybe moving central park further over to the shore and give an area to have a break from the streets, alogside maybe enlarging some areas for a more enjoyable experience with teams full of 40+ ton armoured vehicles

[Ghostmaxi]

Yeah.
Gonna do some sort of 9/11 2.0
Or just crash/bomb the trump Tower.

]:)

[bbbdddaaa]

Would be so cool lol
+1

[bbbdddaaa]

Just that they were not used in actual battles does not mean they do not qualify as maps. in that case, we would never get much maps in latin america or africa.