Post: MW2 Maps: A Real World Perspective
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06-13-2010, 09:42 PM
#1
Convivium
Dieu et les Dames
[multipage=General]
General
** Please note the information contained in here is only an estimate and considerably speculative. No flaming please.**
** Please note the information contained in here is only an estimate and considerably speculative. No flaming please.**
Last night, I was not really in the mood for MW2, it’s become a real drag lately, so I decided to go spot searching in some of the maps. I wasn’t really looking for anything special, just d*cking around. I noticed on the back of some of the shipping containers found throughtout the maps there were marking indicating volume and size. THE LIGHTBULB WENT OFF!! See picture below.
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I quickly pulled up google and typed the size 2694 cu ft. That’s 2694 cubic feet. To my surpise, I hit a motherload of sites. I did a little research and found that the only size shipping container with the volume of 2694 cu ft is a container with the size of 40’L x8’Wx9’6”H. This size is considered a standard worldwide. See below
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I glanced back at my screen, thought, that’s not 40 feet long. I did a little more looking on the internet. I found this domestic shipping container and knew that’s the correct size used in MW2. A explanation of why will be given in a minute. This container has dimensions of 20’Lx8’Wx9’6”H. See below.
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I do not know why IW decided to put this marking on the container, when it is clearly wrong. I suppose one of two things: Either they did not know the capacity on the container was incorrect, or they ran out of time making the game and used the first measurement they came across. Below is a representation of the 40’L container compared to a 6’tall man.
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So you ask, how do I know the MW2 container is not 40 feet long?
Simple. Line up at one end and walk to the other.
It takes approximately 1.7 seconds to walk the length of the container. If this were a 40’ container then you would have traveled approximately 16mph. Walking, I might add. Just for reference, the average person walks about 3mph, 4.9Km/h, for the UK guys; swiftly at 4mph.
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And, a handy metric and speed coverter.
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Now you are thinking, “Well, 20 feet at 1.7 seconds, that’s absurd speed too!?!”
True. So we won’t use length.
That leaves width and height. Height is easy to eliminate, we are measuring length and width not elevation. So height is no use, other than for representation.
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Width. Well, the width of 8 feet did not change between containers, so that’s a standard we can use to measure. Perfect. See below
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We can safely assume, the width of container in the game is around 8ft, assuming the character is around 6 feet tall, because we aren’t giants nor do we seem like midgets when playing. Everything is in perspective, so to speak. Doors, windows, barrels, cars, guns, grass, paper, chickens,ect. Secondly, you can lie down next to the container and see the container has overhang on both sides, and the difference, if it we were say 8.5 feet or 7.5 feet, is minuscule to the length difference of 20 feet stated earlier. See below.
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Now, on to measuring the maps.
[multipage=Measurement]
Measurement
First, left me show you what distance actually looks like. This will give you a horizontal approach and will help you to understand different distances in terms of eyesight. I do not know this man. See below.
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These are well known landmarks, first, Kingdom Centre, it measures 1020ft, 311m, to the top for the vertical representation. The other, 986ft, 300.65m, to the roof, not top of the antenna.
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Next, come the maps. Either one of these will work for these approximations. I have measured both using the method I am about to describe and come up with only a 20 foot or so difference. This is good since this is only an estimate. I chose the color map due to, well, mainly color, but either one will work. See below.
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Since I am measuring distance across the map I stacked the boxes along the vertical Y axis and horizontal X axis and got this. See below.
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Count the boxes of one side and multiply by the width of 8 feet. This will give you the approximate distance on one side. Using an elementary geometric equation, a^2 + b^2 = c^2, we can estimate the distance across the map is approximately 403.8ft, 123m. You can verify by walking along the X axis and timing it. This yields 17 seconds at 244 feet is approximately 8mph. Extremely faster walker, I guess. I have measured each map this way and 8mph is pretty constant across all the maps contained here. I would like to point out, that on the US Ranger characters wrist is an instrumentation device. The number 8 is on the device; whether that is 8mph there is no way to tell. We will assume it is, why would a US Ranger use Km/h over mph???? 8 km/h would be roughly 5 mph, still extremely fast for walking, as noted earlier from the reference. There is no need to walk every map in every direction, only one map, one side, a couple different times. You can leave the rest for mathematics because we are only approximating. See below.
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*Side note- the coordinates displayed go to some house with a pool in Johnson, Nebraska. N38°51.833 W94°47.941 See below*
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Finally, we move to the real world perspective.
[multipage=Skidrow]
Skidrow
So what would 403 feet look like? The Coca-Cola Headquarters in Atlanta, Ga is 403ft tall. See below.
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For those of you that do not have google maps. Here is the pro version from a well respected NGU Moderator. If you can not access this, you are not premium. Go find $10 in the couch cushions and become premium, it’s well worth it. If you can’t find the $10, either you are too young or you have bigger issues and gaming should be the last of your concerns.
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Please notice the sandbag trailer in the map next to A spawn and the size as it relates to the bus on the left side in Google Earth. They are very similar in size. This could be fairly accurate after all. I would assume the building is to scale, as well, since Google Earth Pro is used by some professional engineers and navigators alike. Moving on.
[multipage=Sub Base]
Sub Base
Sub Base is calculated as 413 ft.,126m
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What is 413ft???
The London Eye is 443ft, 135m
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A Royal Navy Resolution class submarine is 425ft.
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[multipage= (New) Quarry]
Quarry
Quarry is calculated as 483ft, 147m
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What is 483ft???
The Old Kockums Crane in Malmo, Sweden is 453ft.
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The Worldest Strongest Crane, Taisun, in Yantai, China is 436ft tall.
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[multipage=Underpass]
Underpass
Underpass is calculated as 570ft, 173m
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What is 570ft???
From my state, South Carolina, the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, height 575ft, 175m
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This is the Arthur Ravenel Bridge extremely piss drunk.
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The Mega Bridge in southern Bangkok is 570ft.
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[multipage= Derail]
Derail
Derail is calculated as 704ft, 214m
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What is 704ft???
The Al Seef Tower in Dubai is 705ft, 214m
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[multipage=References]
References
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