Digital Combat Simulator

[Daan]

Yeah, the F-15E, interesting aircraft. Notwithstanding the picture, the limiting factor among the development teams is the not the number of modellers, but the number of coders to make it all work. Then there is the early access model, which was severely criticized this week on Hoggit.

[MiloMorai]

ED/DCS always puts out half finished modules that never get finished.

[Stuart Galbraith]

I dont know if that's entirely fair. The Spitfire, Fw190D, A10, KA50 and all the FC3 aircraft are all finished. And problems they have are down to bugs introduced with DCS upgrades for the most part. In fact the changes they are making to the A10 and the KA50 are completely free, but will bring the cockpits up to the 21st Century at last.

 

There IS a lot of half finished modules out there, its perfectly true. But I think the worst offenders are the 3rd Parties in truth, such as the (otherwise excellent mig21) that seems to be dragging on forever. Compare and contrast to Heatblur whom have a more logical structure, yes there are delays but there is a perfectly playable module there in the F14. They just want to make it perfect before they downgrade to an A model. When unfinished modules are as good as that, I find it difficult to find complaint personally.

[Stuart Galbraith]

[Stuart Galbraith]

Its here......

 

[Daan]

According to the early impressions, the version released is very basic with all the promised features left to to be implemented in the future. Some popular MP serves already banned it, seeing that it has no IFF and would result in a lot of blue on blue.

 

Despite the recent discussions on Hoggit, I really do not get ED's early access policy. What would have been lost by waiting for another 3-6 months and applying some polish? It is almost as if ED has a cash flow problem that it needs to plug by releasing such alpha modules.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yeah, it is bare bones. Flies nice and the HIS is great though.

 

I've decided, I like flying the F16.But it's much more fun shooting them down in multiplayer.Tomcat fodder baby.

Edited October 4, 2019 by Stuart Galbraith

[Daan]

It is probably quite easy to ID the F-16 in WVR combat in the latest beta, it is the only type without a ladder hanging off it.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Ive not noticed it myself.

 

I recently bought the Saab Viggen. Ive yet to really delve into it with any detail yet, but this thing is seriously fast on the deck, and steady as a rock in autopilot. I was doing about Mach 1.1 at about 50 feet off the sea, One hell of a lot of fun.

[Stuart Galbraith]

This is good too, particularly from 2.22 onwards.

[Ssnake]

Because, ABBA?

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yes, I must put some Abba tracks on the aircrafts walkman, I feel sure it would enhance my BFM no end.

Groovy Times.

[Daan]

Good purchase, the Viggen is great. It is a highly peculiar aircraft though, completely focused on pre-planned, high speed, low altitude, single pass attack and strike missions. The interface and mission computer is like no other in the DCS universe. However, when you get acquainted, it becomes quite intuitive and the HUD modes for different weapons have a similar symbology. Seeing the degree of automation implemented in a 1970s aircraft, I find it an extraordinary accomplishment for a small country such as Sweden.

 

For the Viggen I did not find Chuck's guide wholly sufficient and I regularly had to refer to the Heatblur manual, especially for the various M-71 bomb attack modes, the BK 90 and the anti-ship missiles.

 

Coming from the thirsty F-14B, you should not be afraid to engage the Viggen's afterburner for extended periods, as it lasts quite a while.

 

Having finished the easy but enjoyable Mjölnir campaign, I am now progressing slowly through the Red Flag campaign for the Viggen. Also not very difficult, but rather long missions, often 90 minutes or so. According to Heatblur the Viggen is soon to come out of EA with the release of the promised campaign.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Daan

[Stuart Galbraith]

Its got a nice mix of almost modern avionics, and a period, steam gauged cockpit. It feels like a Tornado available about 10 years earlier and it can dogfight as well. I really like it. All we need now is a Swedish map so we can park it in a forest.

 

Heatblur continually defy whats expected from DLC. I personally think they keep making products actually better than what Eagle Dynamics make.

 

Yeah, I made sure I got it now its coming to the end of QA. It looks reasonably complete already best I can tell.

 

 

Oh, and happy day today with the F14 on multiplayer, had an epic furball with an F16 on the multiplayer dogfight server, completed by my sawing his left wing off with the 20mm. I feel so epic right now.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Stuart Galbraith

[Daan]

Aside from the promise to overhaul the Gazelle's flight model and the rewriting of the code behind its much maligned Mistral missile, Polychop is working on a Kiowa recce helicopter:

 

Looks great so far, but I do hope enough time is spent to fit it with a believable flight model.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yeah, this will fit in a treat on the Persian Gulf Map. The Kiowa Warrior was originally designed for TF150 IIRC, to combat the Iranian boghammars and the mining operations.

 

Ive not flown the Gazelle, but however its implimented, it would be difficult to improve on the flight model for the Huey. The only bad thing about the Huey is there isnt nearly enough opportunity to use it in the maps and scenario packs we have.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yes YES YESSSSSS!!!!!!!

 

[Ssnake]

We shall fly over France, we shall fly on the seas and oceans, we shall fly with growing confidence and growing strength, we shall fly over our virtual island, as little as the software license cost may be. We shall fly over the beaches, we shall fly over the landing grounds, we shall fly over the fields and over the streets, we shall fly in the hills; we shall never land!

[Stuart Galbraith]

There is also a really nice FW190, which develops some pleasing holes and leaks when you fill it full of 20mm Hispano fire.

 

[Ssnake]

"Two Steps from Hell" sounds like a copyright lawsuit from the Phantom of the Opera.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yeah, needs more Sabaton.

 

[Daan]

Update on the aerodynamics:

[Daan]

Back to DCS: the JF-17 will be released soon. Below a startup video. The designers apparently put quite some energy into the electronics of the aircraft, but left other systems pretty bare bones. Note the large oxygen valve similar to that in the MiG-15, the old-fashioned canopy closure lever, the throttle being a straight copy of that in the F-16 combined with a center mounted and rather clunky Chinese stick. Only 5000 lbs of internal fuel paired with a thirsty MiG-29 engine.

 

Edited December 1, 2019 by Daan

[Stuart Galbraith]

Bojan called it the last development of the Mig21, and the more I look at it, the more I think he is right at that.

 

I dont know whether to get it. I kind of like aircraft like the Mig21 or the Tomcat where you can actually feel it. Fly by wire for me gets in the way of the experience. Although having something that can loft antiship missiles is kinda appealing.

[Daan]

The JF-17 has been released today, as a full price module unfortunately. Given that I have many untouched aircraft in my stable and the fact that I am playing other games (mainly RDR2) at the moment, I will not be buying it anytime soon.