The Don region is meant to bring an Autumn environment to a Russian region for first time now. Being a mix of mainly Michigan foliage assets (with just a little addition of Russian pines and larches) and Russian infrastructure assets, it does not feature a visually something new. Feels more like an addition to already existing Michigan maps, so I'm not a big fan of how it looks currently.
Got two main issues with that, first is the lack of actually new visual style for a DLC region, in cases of other DLCs, the assets were mixed together that way, they managed to create something new and unique (well, maybe except of Amur). Second problem is the fact that current set of assets, in my opinion, does not fit the Eastern Europe/Russia well, and the only thing to indicate the region is set in Eurasia instead of North America (like the Michigan is) is the Russian infrastructure.
I've started to redesigning the visuals of the Don region in my own limited way to share with Environment Art and Level designers at Saber in hope the style may improve.
First thing I've began to visualize, was a set of two edited screenshot of the Don region, main things was to make more contrast between grass/ground and the trees/bushes. Lighter and stronger colors of green applied on trees and bushes, while having the grass more darker, desaturated yellow shades. This combination was based on real life pictures of Rostov Oblast.
Afterwards I've moved to map editor to mix already existing assets to provide more European than American feel from it. I've used as a ground and grass base, the Yukon's grass textures, it provided similar colors (and contrast to the rest) as I did on my screenshot edits. For the general foliage of bushes and trees, it is the mix of Russian variants of birches, bushes and aspens with American aspens.
This being my favorite and close to my original concept, I think it fits pretty well to the European style. However given the fact you tried to achieve more of Autumn-y look and some people also wanted to get that feel, I've prepared the second variant.
It adds Michigan's birches to the mix and blends well with yellow-ish aspens and green Russian birches. Main feature of this style that differs it from Michigan, is the presence of green color aswell (which also happens to be dominant here), pretty close to real life mid-Autumn in Eastern Europe (of which the first variant also fits well late-Summer to early-Autumn).
I've prepared two mutators for Level Editor for easier style application and navigations about things that differs in my version from base one.
<Mutators>
</Mutator>
<Mutator Name="ru_05_fix">
<Mutations>
<ModelMutation Source = "rock_03" Target = "rock_03_rus"/>
<ModelMutation Source = "rock_06" Target = "rock_04_rus"/>
<ModelMutation Source = "rock_05" Target = "rock_rus_ter_01"/>
<ModelMutation Source = "rock_06a" Target = "rock_04a_rus"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "grass_rus_01" Target = "grass_spring_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "grass_test" Target = "grass_spring_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "default" Target = "grass_spring_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "ground_test" Target = "ground_rus_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "stone_test" Target = "rocks_rus_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "gravel_pbr_test" Target = "gravel_rus_01"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Birches01" Target = "Birches01Rus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Bushes" Target = "BushesRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Birches04" Target = "Birches04Rus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "SmallRocks" Target = "RocksRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "FernField" Target = "FernsRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Spruces_usa" Target = "SprucesRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Tsugas" Target = "Firs"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "CanesRus" Target = "Canes"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "LeavesAutumn" Target = "LeavesSummer"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "GrassTallAutumnA" Target = "GrassTallSummerB"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Pines" Target = "Firs"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "LarchesRus" Target = "AspensRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Aspens" Target = "Aspens"/>
<PlantMutation Source = "birch_01" Target = "birch_01_rus" />
<PlantMutation Source = "pine_03_rus" Target = "oak_02" />
<PlantMutation Source = "aspen_dry_01" Target = "aspen_01_rus" />
<PlantMutation Source = "aspen_dry_02" Target = "aspen_02_rus" />
<PlantMutation Source = "birch_dry_01" Target = "birch_dry_01_rus" />
<PlantMutation Source = "bush_b" Target = "bush_a" />
<PlantMutation Source = "bush_d" Target = "bush_d_rus" />
<OverlayMutation Source = "cliff_dirt_rus" Target = "cliff_dirt"/>
<OverlayMutation Source = "cliff_dirt_large_rus" Target = "cliff_dirt_large"/>
<OverlayMutation Source = "grass_road_rus" Target = "grass_road_01"/>
</Mutations>
</Mutator>
<Mutator Name="ru_05_fix_oranger_alt">
<Mutations>
<ModelMutation Source = "rock_03" Target = "rock_03_rus"/>
<ModelMutation Source = "rock_06" Target = "rock_04_rus"/>
<ModelMutation Source = "rock_05" Target = "rock_rus_ter_01"/>
<ModelMutation Source = "rock_06a" Target = "rock_04a_rus"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "grass_rus_01" Target = "grass_spring_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "grass_test" Target = "grass_spring_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "default" Target = "grass_spring_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "ground_test" Target = "ground_rus_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "stone_test" Target = "rocks_rus_01"/>
<MaterialLayerMutation Source = "gravel_pbr_test" Target = "gravel_rus_01"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Birches01" Target = "Birches01Rus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Bushes" Target = "BushesRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Birches04" Target = "Birches04Rus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "SmallRocks" Target = "RocksRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "FernField" Target = "FernsRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Spruces_usa" Target = "SprucesRus"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Tsugas" Target = "Firs"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "CanesRus" Target = "Canes"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "LeavesAutumn" Target = "LeavesSummer"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "GrassTallAutumnA" Target = "GrassTallSummerB"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Pines" Target = "Firs"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "LarchesRus" Target = "Birches03"/>
<BrushMutation Source = "Aspens" Target = "Aspens"/>
<PlantMutation Source = "birch_01" Target = "birch_01_rus" />
<PlantMutation Source = "pine_03_rus" Target = "oak_02" />
<PlantMutation Source = "aspen_dry_01" Target = "aspen_01_rus" />
<PlantMutation Source = "aspen_dry_02" Target = "aspen_02_rus" />
<PlantMutation Source = "birch_dry_01" Target = "birch_dry_01_rus" />
<PlantMutation Source = "bush_b" Target = "bush_a" />
<PlantMutation Source = "bush_d" Target = "bush_d_rus" />
<OverlayMutation Source = "cliff_dirt_rus" Target = "cliff_dirt"/>
<OverlayMutation Source = "cliff_dirt_large_rus" Target = "cliff_dirt_large"/>
<OverlayMutation Source = "grass_road_rus" Target = "grass_road_01"/>
</Mutations>
</Mutator>
</Mutators>
As you see, mutators aim to keep mainly the Russian birches and bushes, replaces grass texture to Yukon's. First version replaces foliage distribution of LarchesRus to AspenRus (to keep most of the visuals around green and yellow as seen on first screenshot), second version replaces the distribution of LarchesRus to Birches03 (to add also orange color as seen on second screenshot).
Additionally the style could probably benefit of Larch_[1-5] models and small_tree_[a,b,c], however I did not personally tried that configuration (and I've noticed later on you did use Larch models on Don maps). I also did not alter and test in any ways the Pine and Spruce models which are also used on Don. I'm not sure how well the model oak_02 would fit with my proposed style, so replacing it with oak_green may work here better.
The foliage distributions I've used for both variants, in case of the second one, Birches03 may work better than Birches.
Also in code version:
<Distributions>
<Distribution
Seed="340"
IgnoreOverlays="false"
IgnoreWater="false"
IgnoreMud="false"
Map="autumn_russia"
Brushes="Aspens,AspensRus,Birches01Rus,Birches04Rus,BushesRus,FernsRus,GrassShortCan,GrassShortCanA,GrassTallCanA,GrassTallCanB,GrassTallCanC,GrassTallSummerB,LeavesSummer"
/>
</Distributions>
That's the best way I could address the problems and visualize it, I wish I could apply it myself on actual Don maps, but that requires source files of both maps.
I do hope some improvements to the variety of Don style will be at least considered to stand up from Michigan stylistics, especially since there's a month apart to release, as many people also reacted positively on my changes in the pts-discussions channel on discord.
