Proposal: Full Photogrammetry for the Entire Ruhrgebiet in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
TL;DR
Give the entire Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr metropolitan region, ~5+ million people, ~4,400 km²) full photogrammetry (PG). It is functionally one continuous, polycentric metropolis—effectively Germany’s largest “city” by contiguous urban fabric. PG here would deliver unmatched low‑and‑slow VFR sightseeing, dense landmark variety, and hugely replayable missions for a very large and passionate German player base.
Why the Ruhrgebiet deserves all‑in photogrammetry
1) A single mega‑metropolis, not just many cities.
The Ruhrgebiet is a seamless urban conurbation encompassing Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, Gelsenkirchen, Oberhausen, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Herne, Bottrop, Hagen, and more. On the ground it feels like one enormous city; from the air it’s even more apparent. Treating it as one PG capture reflects reality and unlocks a uniquely coherent flying experience.
2) A playground tailor‑made for VFR fun.
Where else combines rivers (Rhine, Ruhr, Emscher), lakes, canals, slag‑heap panoramas (Halden), steelworks, stadiums, and dense residential textures in a single hour‑long hop? The region rewards helicopter hovering, STOL practice, slow GA sightseeing, and night flights with spectacular lighting.
3) Authenticity that autogen can’t match.
The Ruhr’s industrial heritage is defined by idiosyncratic shapes: winding towers, gasometers, blast furnaces, conveyor belts, stadium roofs, unique bridges, and terraced worker housing. PG captures these silhouettes and micro‑details that generic assets simply can’t reproduce—especially for low altitude VFR and rotorcraft.
4) Massive engagement potential in a key market.
Germany is one of MSFS’s strongest communities. A headline PG pack for the Ruhrgebiet would create a clear “you have to see this” moment—great for trailers, screenshots, community challenges, and third‑party route packs.
5) Natural mission design and replayability.
The terrain and built environment suggest ready‑made activities: canal‑to‑canal navigation, industrial heritage tours, stadium hops on match day lighting, lake circuits at sunset, or IFR‑to‑VFR transitions that pop you out right over iconic skylines.
6) Technical feasibility with big visual payoff.
The Ruhr area is large but relatively flat, minimizing mesh complexity while maximizing PG’s visual ROI. Tiled capture + smart LOD streaming would let players seamlessly traverse city after city without harsh transitions.
Entertainment-first: sample experiences PG would unlock
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Industrial Heritage Tour (GA/Heli): Trace the Emscher and Ruhr valleys, hover around blast furnaces, and identify winding towers from their real photogrammetric geometry.
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“Stadium Hop” at Dusk: Thread a line from Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park to Gelsenkirchen’s VELTINS‑Arena and beyond—night lighting makes each venue a distinct beacon.
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“Blue Ribbon of the Ruhr” Waterway Run: Follow the Rhine‑Herne Canal and Ruhr lakes low‑and‑slow, bridge‑spotting with accurate spans and embankments.
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Halde Ridge Line: Climb and circle the iconic spoil heaps (Halden) with their art installations—perfect helicopter playgrounds.
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“Steel and Green” Contrast Loop: Start over steelworks, end over lakes and forests; photoreal textures sell the transformation story the Ruhr is known for.
20 must‑have handcrafted POIs to pair with PG
Integrating these with PG ensures standout silhouettes, custom night lighting, and perfect LODs for approaches and screenshots:
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Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (Essen, UNESCO)
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Landschaftspark Duisburg‑Nord (Duisburg) – blast furnaces & high walkways
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Signal Iduna Park / Westfalenstadion (Dortmund)
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VELTINS‑Arena (Gelsenkirchen)
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Gasometer Oberhausen (Oberhausen)
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Tetraeder Bottrop (Bottrop)
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Villa Hügel (Essen)
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Baldeneysee (Essen) – dam, regatta course, shoreline landmarks
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Dortmunder U – Zentrum für Kunst und Kreativität (Dortmund)
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Florianturm & Westfalenpark (Dortmund)
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Phoenix‑See & Phoenix West (Dortmund‑Hörde)
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Jahrhunderthalle Bochum & Westpark (Bochum)
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Deutsches Bergbau‑Museum with winding tower (Bochum)
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Innenhafen Duisburg (Duisburg) – red‑brick waterfront ensemble
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Rheinorange sculpture at the Rhine–Ruhr confluence (Duisburg)
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Nordsternpark & Hercules atop Nordsternturm (Gelsenkirchen)
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Schiffshebewerk Henrichenburg (Waltrop)
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Starlight Express Theater (Bochum)
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Halde Hoheward with Horizontobservatorium (Herten/Recklinghausen)
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Alpincenter Bottrop (Bottrop) – indoor ski slope complex
(If scope allows, secondary POIs like the Slinky Springs to Fame bridge, Sechs‑Seen‑Platte, additional winding towers, and unique canal bridges would further enrich local discovery.)
Airports and strips that benefit immediately
Even without new airports, Ruhr PG instantly upgrades approaches and pattern work at:
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EDLW Dortmund (regional)
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EDLE Essen/Mülheim (GA)
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EDLD Dinslaken/Schwarze Heide (GA)
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EDLM Marl‑Loemühle (GA)
…and puts Düsseldorf/Cologne approaches into a far richer context just beyond the core.
Implementation notes (to make life easier for the team)
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Tiled capture by river corridors: Prioritize the Rhine, Ruhr, Emscher, and Rhine‑Herne Canal corridors first; they stitch cities together naturally for pilots.
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LOD & performance: Use aggressive mid‑distance LODs for industrial complexes (thin steel geometry) and prioritize crisp near‑LOD for rooftops and stadiums. Many players will tour at 500–1,500 ft AGL where detail matters most.
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Night lighting pass: Landmark‑specific emissives (stadiums, Gasometer animations, industrial lighting pools) create memorable night screenshots.
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Water masking: Pay extra attention to lakes and canals (Baldeneysee, Phoenix‑See, Rhine‑Herne Canal) for believable reflections and shoreline transitions.
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Heli pads & POI triggers: Add optional markers for helicopter pads and sightseeing triggers (photo tasks, achievements) to encourage exploration.
Why this is great for the brand
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Trailer gold: PG over blast furnaces at sunset, banking past stadium floodlights, then cruising low along a canal—instant trailer moments that look different from any other world region.
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Community love: The Ruhrgebiet has a strong identity. A dedicated PG pack signals that MS/Asobo understands and celebrates the places simmers actually fly.
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Third‑party synergy: Route packs, missions, helicopter tours, liveries, and local scenery creators will build on this foundation.
The Ruhrgebiet is where MSFS can feel truly alive at low altitude: a continuous city with a thousand stories in steel, brick, water, and light. Give it full photogrammetry, crown it with handcrafted hero POIs, and you’ll deliver one of the sim’s most distinctive and replayable playgrounds—right in the heart of a huge and enthusiastic community.
