Isla Fernandina

ISLA FERNANDINA
Galápagos, 1989: La Crisis de la Cumbre

Fernandina is the youngest and most active volcano in the Galápagos. It's a shield of black lava rising straight out of the Pacific, with a 1.5 km wide caldera at its summit. This map recreates the real island at 8×8 km, built from real elevation and satellite data.

The setting
In 1984 the islands' breakaway military junta leased the summit to the Soviet Union, officially "for volcanological research". Soviet engineers arrived with bulldozers and asphalt plants, and to keep the islanders happy they started a rally championship. Five years later the volcano is covered in rally roads, and a US reconnaissance photo shows something in the crater that doesn't look like science. American Marines land in the north-east and Soviet naval infantry in the south-east. The mountain in between is up for grabs.

Features
- Volcanic terrain: a 575 m summit, a 1.5 km wide caldera, lava fields, green upper slopes and a rugged coastline with small coves.
- Asphalt network (~53 km): a ring road around the island, three climbs to the summit, mid-slope connector roads and a loop around the crater rim.
- Rally stages (~17 km): seven gravel stages running down every flank of the volcano, from the crater floor to the coast. Rally cars are waiting at the stage starts.
- Dirt roads (~12 km): caldera access ramps, mid-slope tracks and spurs to the fish plant, the fuel depot and a smugglers' warehouse.
- Walking trails (~20 km): nine foot paths across lava flows, fissures and headlands for infantry.
- In-game map: satellite background image with the full road network.
- Game Master scenario: 64 players, with AI navigation for soldiers and vehicles across the whole island.

Status
Work in progress. The terrain, road network and Game Master scenario are playable now. Settlements, bases and a Conflict mode are planned for later updates.