A&A G40 Map Files - Archive & Library

[Young Grasshopper]

Hello everyone,

Many years ago a member named Ambilzi began the tortured task of scanning all the A&A G40 game boards in order to create a printable one piece map file which would provide a better G40 gaming experience. He didn’t know it at the time, but what Ambilzi did was revolutionized the way we play Axis & Allies, and also provided an essential customization for any custom game table. I was fortunate to work with Ambilzi simply because I reached out made some design suggestions which he was very open to, and the list of those first modifications really tell the story. I shared some ideas that made the map more efficient during games, but Ambilzi was the true pioneer when it come to the history of this file because of the effort he undertook to scan and stitch all those images together. We don’t here from him anymore, he doesn’t, won’t, or can’t return our messages… but his efforts should never be forgotten.

Since then there have been many of us that use his scanned image file to modify, tweak, and reinvent how it looks, and how we think the map should function. Whether we print this map for our own gaming pleasure, or to modify it and share our ideas with the community, we all owe Ambilzi a great deal of gratitude. Today we can enjoy even better works and map files by those that dedicate their time and skills to improve upon the original scan. Customizers like Cyanight who created many versions mostly dedicated to options for the roundels, Ithaut with his creative ocean layer, and intrepid who cleaned up many imperfections that only his professional eye can detect. In the coming months we await the works of new customizers like Siredblood, and Tjoek… they may use the base scan or create their own map files from scratch, but one thing is for sure… the Axis & Allies community thanks all of them for their efforts.

[Young Grasshopper]

A&A G40 MAP - BEST AND LATEST - BY YG & INTREPID

A&A G40 CUSTOM MAP FILE APRIL 10th : (WITHOUT GHOST BOXES)
https://www.mediafire.com/?1v1vdppaj1dg652

A&A G40 CUSTOM MAP FILE APRIL 10th: (WITH GHOST BOXES)
https://www.mediafire.com/?vzek2q0jrp99qra

A&A G40 MAP FILE ARCHIVE AND LIBRARY

This thread is an archive for map files that predate those that are now available in a new sticky thread on this forum, the map files in this link… http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=39696.0
are the latest from Intrepid and myself based on Ambilzi’s original work.

AMBILZI’S ORIGINAL SCAN WITHOUT CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS
AMBILZI’S A&A GLOBAL MAP FILE - CLEAN - ORIGINAL LEVELS https://www.mediafire.com/?o6z3o6w8m6r1ggc

AMBILZI’S ORIGINAL SCAN WITH CUSTOM MOFIFICATIONS YG & AMBILZI’S A&A GLOBAL MAP FILE - CUSTOM - ORIGINAL LEVELS
http://www.mediafire.com/view/rdaipoycmccpr85/A%26A_1940_Global_Game_Board.jpg

CYANIGHT’S VARIATIONS FROM ORIGINAL SCAN & MODIFICATIONS
CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (L) http://www.mediafire.com/view/d702etl13mzs1n8/A&A_1940_Global_Game_Board_1_L.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (0) http://www.mediafire.com/view/sbsaxbzo8gn3yk9/A%26A 1940 Global Game Board_1_O.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION ® http://www.mediafire.com/view/vy7b0in3dgja2ak/A%26A 1940 Global Game Board_1_R.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (S) http://www.mediafire.com/view/9z56u24ffnzoa2b/A&A_1940_Global_Game_Board_1_S.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (U) http://www.mediafire.com/view/sri7aqtt6897p13/A%26A 1940 Global Game Board_1_U.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (V) http://www.mediafire.com/view/rcmdrmv0506exs2/A&A_1940_Global_Game_Board_1_V.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (W) http://www.mediafire.com/view/xa6xr9dpu99x640/A%26A 1940 Global Game Board_1_W.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (U-008) http://www.mediafire.com/view/m1oe962p1os59nr/A%26A 1940 Global Game Board_1_U_008.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (RAND-006) http://www.mediafire.com/view/cmxs60d1arny82p/A%26A 1940 Global Game Board_1_RAND_006.jpg

CYANIGHT’S DOWNLOAD VERSION (U-010) http://www.mediafire.com/view/yygavermgncv1rg/A%26A 1940 Global Game Board_1_U_010.jpg

lTHAUT’S VARIATION FROM ORIGINAL SCAN AND MODIFICATIONS

A&A G40 CUSTOM MAP FILE - WITH ALTERNATE WATER LAYER - ORIGINAL LEVELS
http://www.mediafire.com/download/kg4t4861cj7j46y/1940_Redux.rar

INTREPID’S VARIATIONS FROM ORIGINAL SCAN & MODIFICATIONS
YG & INTREPID’S A&A GLOBAL MAP FILE - CUSTOM - ORIGINAL LEVELS
https://www.mediafire.com/?fywk57y6xwycdul

YG & INTREPID’S A&A GLOBAL MAP FILE - BASIC - ORIGINAL LEVELS
https://www.mediafire.com/?yj1sa8eai6orygr

A&A G40 CUSTOM MAP FILE - WITHOUT GHOST BOXES - ADJUSTED LEVELS
https://www.mediafire.com/?1v1vdppaj1dg652

A&A G40 CUSTOM MAP FILE - WITH GHOST BOXES - ADJUSTED LEVELS
https://www.mediafire.com/?vzek2q0jrp99qra

[Young Grasshopper]

ADDED FEATURES & MODIFIED ENHANCEMENTS

Ambilzi’s ideas with Ambilzi’s designs

• Scan all pieces of the original game boards, stitch them together in PhotoShop
• Enhance all Convoy and Kamikaze zone symbols for better visibility
• Repair the misaligned land border to properly connect with sea zone 5, and Amur
• Replace all United Kingdom roundels on Canadian territories with Canadian roundels
• Place notes on the far edges explaining which spaces connect on the other side of the board
• Number the sea zone called the Caspian Sea
• Encase entire image with 1/4" white border

Young Grasshopper’s ideas with Ambilzi’s designs

• Place a 72 space income tracker along the very bottom edge of the map
• Place a 15 space turn tracker in the middle of the Indian Ocean
• Place all airbase and naval base icons directly on the territories which occupy them
• Design and place charts explaining the combined arms, order of play, starting income, turn sequence and research and development options

Cyanight’s ideas and designs from YG and Ambilzi

• Version (L)
• Version (0)
• Version ®
• Version (S)
• Version (U)
• Version (V)
• Version (W)
• Version (U-008)
• Version (RAND-006)
• Version (U-010)

Intrepid’s ideas with Intrepid’s designs

• Clean up original scan (shifted territory lines, distorted territory income numbers, creases, scratches, etc.)
• Replace all roundels with new artwork (OOB designs except for Pacific UK see below)
• Make two border corrections for better clarification in and around Canada
• Make Bessarabia slightly bigger to fit more units when needed
• Make sea zone 110 slightly bigger to fit more units when needed

Young Grasshopper’s ideas with Intrepid’s designs

• Remove combined arms chart, game play chart, and research & development charts
• Remove turn tracker from the middle of the Indian Ocean
• Place 6 ghost box graphics in the Indian Ocean to record victory objectives gained
• Place 2 ghost box graphics in each bottom corner of the map for turn sequence cards
• Remove attack and defence numbers on the battle board in favour of dice face graphics
• Label Attacker and Defender centre columns on the left and right of the battle board
• Make the battle board two tone colours for easy verification of Attack and Defender sides
• Remove the “or less” text graphics on the battle board making more room for the icons
• Swap the AA Artillery icon on the battle board for something more suitable
• Place Union Jack roundels on all United Kingdom Pacific territories (Cyanight credit)
• Invert the naval base icon in Normandy to black & white for 1940 /1942 scenario switch

[siredblood]

Ive been double checking the OOB design with actual coastlines, shapes etc, its pretty bad actually. Im about done redoing the entire board finally… anyway, one fix you should do (thinking off top my head) is fix iwo jima… its upside down… OOB its pointing toward japan, should be pointing down towards Philippines  :) … there are more, I should make you a list.

[dajokr]

@siredblood:

Ive been double checking the OOB design with actual coastlines, shapes etc, its pretty bad actually. Im about done redoing the entire board finally… anyway, one fix you should do (thinking off top my head) is fix iwo jima… its upside down… OOB its pointing toward japan, should be pointing down towards Philippines  :) … there are more, I should make you a list.

Sired,

I am watching the board every day waiting to see your map.  :-D  The previews look intriguing!!  I don’t have any custom maps, but I may have to get one when yours is done.

Cheers,
D

[siredblood]

@Dajokr:

@siredblood:

Ive been double checking the OOB design with actual coastlines, shapes etc, its pretty bad actually. Im about done redoing the entire board finally… anyway, one fix you should do (thinking off top my head) is fix iwo jima… its upside down… OOB its pointing toward japan, should be pointing down towards Philippines�  :) … there are more, I should make you a list.

Sired,

I am watching the board every day waiting to see your map.   :-D  The previews look intriguing!!  I don’t have any custom maps, but I may have to get one when yours is done.

Cheers,
D

Thanks, but don’t get this topic confused with mine, this is actually YG’s map topic, don’t want it to get off track :) I do appreciate your support though!

[Imperious Leader]

List should include Norway, Spain, England, France and German coastline and borders so that a future map could include Poland, Austria, etc

[Intrepid]

Thanks for posting the files, YG. I should note that the map file is in no way perfect, but the map has been improved from the original Ambilzi scan. I found many odd artifacts, blurred lines, mis-shapen roundels, etc. I spent a couple of days cleaning up these items, but am keenly aware that more time would improve the map even more. Also, as someone else noted, the scans were obviously made from a used game board, and it would take alot of time to fix all those imperfections - so I decided to call it good enough and accept that the file has “character”!

Also, thanks to Tjoek, I stole the New Brunswick and Denmark teaser fixes that you posted in your thread. It was much quicker than trying to fix those areas myself!

[Imperious Leader]

The clean version should just be the map, no air bases, naval, not strip on bottom, no anything. To me that’s clean…OOB

[Young Grasshopper]

@Imperious:

The clean version should just be the map, no air bases, naval, not strip on bottom, no anything. To me that’s clean…OOB

Well that would be more for customizers that want a totally clean slate to add their own stuff, and there’s nothing wrong with that… but I’m interested in a file for players who play this game and need a board that functions during game play. I know you’ve never been a fan of the bases directly on the map (even though I’ve never heard that from others) but getting rid of the income tracker does not help provide a functional board for players. Your idea of clean means a template for creating a totally different WW2 game that might not resemble 1940 Global at all… sorry if I’m assuming, and I will ask for a “clean” file from Intrepid if he’s willing.

[Intrepid]

@Imperious:

The clean version should just be the map, no air bases, naval, not strip on bottom, no anything. To me that’s clean…OOB

If that’s what you’re looking for, the “clean” file that YG and I provided should give you a good head start. I have no plans to pull further items off the board - I like the bases, income tracker, etc. YG, maybe just rename the clean file to “basic” or something so others won’t get confused? Thanks :)

[Schroeder]

The naval base in Normandy/Bordeaux is black, like a negative of the others.

I also like the leveled map but I would prefer to not have the house rule victory conditions at the bottom, the ghost spots for the cards.

Adding the leveled design to the old Ambilzi design would look great I think.

[Young Grasshopper]

Thanks for the comments Schroeder, the naval base graphic in Normandy matters if your playing 1940, or 1942 (it’s not in the 1942 setup). Intrepid helped me put together a map that will compliment my house rules and custom card deck. I know that a lot of members aren’t gonna like those ghost boxes, but I can’t let that stop me from sharing the map that I did design.

[Imperious Leader]

Well that would be more for customizers that want a totally clean slate to add their own stuff, and there’s nothing wrong with that…

That’s not my intention. I appreciate the OOB map, just want larger. I feel the numbers running on the bottom detract, as well as the other charts. The only exception would be the combined arms chart and build chart. We use the battle board off map, and use the chips or paper for income tracking.  Its ok but a clean version to me means ( OOB).

[Schroeder]

Hey YG, I understand that you designed the map and you like the boxes there, but maybe the two of you could release a version without them there?  I’m sure everyone would like more options available if it isn’t too much work.

[Intrepid]

@Schroeder:

Hey YG, I understand that you designed the map and you like the boxes there, but maybe the two of you could release a version without them there?  I’m sure everyone would like more options available if it isn’t too much work.

Hi Schroeder, the “clean” file has the ghost boxes removed already, have you had a chance to download and view that file?

[Schroeder]

Hey Siredblood,

Yes I have looked at the clean file, but if you compare the clean file and the leveled file, the leveled one is brighter and more colorful.  As far as I know there is no leveled version without the ghost card images.

[Young Grasshopper]

@Imperious:

Well that would be more for customizers that want a totally clean slate to add their own stuff, and there’s nothing wrong with that…

That’s not my intention. I appreciate the OOB map, just want larger. I feel the numbers running on the bottom detract, as well as the other charts. The only exception would be the combined arms chart and build chart. We use the battle board off map, and use the chips or paper for income tracking.  Its ok but a clean version to me means ( OOB).

Hey IL, have you played with a battle board right on map?.. it’s awesome, IMO playing with a loose battle board to the side of the table is horrible. Besides, the battle board that Intrepid and I designed is beautiful and extremely functional, but we haven’t heard anything about that yet. I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed in this thread right now… we worked really hard to add more options for those looking for printable maps, and I haven’t heard anything accept complaining.

Anyone with significant Adobe skills can take the Custom Levelled Map file in JPEG and remove anything they want, ghost boxes, battle board, bases, income tracker… etc… Intrepid did it, so it’s no mystery to those that know their stuff. I don’t understand this reaction considering that Intrepid is a new conscript but just pulled off a ton of customizer work that looks amazing, and yet no one has said… “hey man, nice work”. Should we really be wondering anymore what happened to Ambilzi?

Anyways, the Ghost Boxes are for my house rules, for my custom card deck, and for my tournament format, Intrepid put them there because I asked him to considering that I was designing “Grasshopper’s Invitational Edition”… if you don’t like them, you can try and ask Intrepid to change it for you, or you can just remove them from the file yourselves, Intrepid say’s it’s possible.

[Tjoek]

This sounds really great YG!

I just finished the European side of my attempt to fixup the files from Ambilzi and you. Sounds like most of my work can be thrown down the drain now as it sounds like Intrepid fixed most if not all of my issues with the original map.

Will check the new map later today to see if I can save myself the hard work of editing the pacific side of the map. Although it feels a bit like a loss of time at the moment  :cry: :-)

[General 6 Stars]

For some reason  I can’t get the maps to download. So I don’t know if you have battle boards on each end of the map or 1 end.

I prefer battle boards at end of map and off of map due to split UK and no clutter on map in way of people to keep both sides going at all times.

But the most important thing for you is what YOU want on your map first (group 2nd)!!!

People want to change it so be it. The funny thing (and not) is people complain but maybe don’t realize (not most) that you can download a map that somebody has made for free with a ton of there time and make it any size you want.

Keep up the good work YG and Co.  :wink: