DCS Discussion

[Tuna]

^ ne of the issues I had with Track IR (Twice - bought twice and sold twice) was finding a profile that worked with my setup (distance from screen, light etc). But the other MAIN problem I had was with clickable cockpits....it proved just way too sensitive to be used with a clickable cockpit. I just couldn't keep my head still (seemingly) in order to click the right button. In the end I was spending way too much time zoomed in and looking down...

I could never get on with TrackIR as much as I tried (twice!)

Same reason why a don't use TIR with FSX but use it with SF2. You can actually disable tracking when you want to click the cockpit but it is quite troublesome.

EZDok is awesome in FSX... you zoom in on the panel that you're focused on with TrackIR turning off automatically.. then you can zoom back to you normal view and the Track IR turns back on automatically... I wish EZDok ported into other games as well, like DCS, that would've been awesome!

[Nefaro]

I wasn't using anyone else's. When I say "finding", I meant me trying and failing to set it up.

I'm sure it's a great piece of kit. Just about everyone I've ever heard speak of it swears by it - I couldn't get on with it at all.

I'm still not used to craning my head around to look backward while still looking at the screen.  It just feels odd.  I also have old neck injuries that tend to result in pinched nerves and a headache if I keep my head on a swivel with it, so I still use the Padlock Target views a lot, especially when they're behind me.  I have finally tweaked it to about as comfortable as I can get with it, but I will never be able to fully utilize it as some do.

It's still nice when I'm using it to look around in the forward hemisphere and looking about in general and I've still been using it in all my sims.

I certainly understand your issue with the clickable cockpits.  It can sometimes be a pain in the neck (literally) to hold your head still when you're looking in certain directions.  If you're like me, you have the head movement ratio set higher than default, which is nice for looking around without having to look out the side of your eyelids, but it's not so good for holding still when looking to the side at an angle whilst trying to click on a little button.

[MengJiao]

Yet with all these other sims I feel I should be playing soon, I keep starting up Wings Over Flanders Fields because the single-player campaign is so damn cool.  I've had some wonderful experiences in it, especially since the AI pilots have such varying degrees of skill level and survival instinct.  So the other sims on my wait list will still be waiting for awhile.

  That's pretty much the ideal gaming sweet spot: one game that keeps a lot of other good games on a wait list for quite a while.

[Toonces]

I don't know if you guys have been following the drama, but there appears to have been a hiccup in DCS: MiG-21. 

There are a few posts at SimHQ regarding it.  It seems that somebody on the team (Beczl?) had some sort of issue and basically cancelled the project.  Then another part of the team posted that there were some internal problems but that they'd be resolved and to keep the faith that MiG-21 would eventually be released.

Then the discussion sort of moved to other 3rd party developers and if I read it correctly it seems that Iris may or may not be still working on the F-15E.

Once again I come away with the feeling that someday DCS might be the best modern sim ever, but man alive is it taking a really long time to get awesome.  I personally do not care for DCS single player in its current state. 

I like the direction they are going- Combined Arms is a brilliant idea- but I've given up on actually being excited by anything DCS-related anymore.  I was looking forward to MiG-21, it was scheduled for release in March, but now who knows? 

I wonder if ED is wishing they could go back and create a more user friendly SDK?  Because it seems that the difficulty in using the SDK is what is slowing 3rd party development to a crawl.  Although if you consider that DCS has been releasing add-ons at a very slow, but steady rate, maybe I'm being a bit unfair in criticizing their development pace.  I just don't know.

[Yskonyn]

Their slow pace and suspected lack of focus have been a discussion before on several occasions.
I believe they just want to do too much at the same time and that might endanger the proper progress of DCS. This is made even worse by the community on the official boards; every time someone tries to post something even remotely critical about the development process of DCS he gets jumped on immediately causing the thread to transform in an immediate flamewar.

I haven't kept up to date on the Mig project as I am not very interested in the aircraft, but if its true that the project is in limbo that would be a rather big blow for DCS. It was the one thing that was on the horizon to be released with a proper 'DCS' realism label and many many people were looking forward to it.

I just wish ED would be more up to date on telling us what is going on, instead of the more generic 'we're still working on it' posts with the odd screenshot thrown in.

I agree that DCS singleplayer is not very strong. I enjoy it as a multiplayer platform on a private server with a great bunch of guys. We have created a nice version of the map with different training areas, AAR options and a live fire enemy danger zone.
But it's all more procedurally oriented (learning how to employ the A-10 successfully) instead of having an action packed narrative. Well, we make that ourselves I guess.

But for a cool SP experience Falcon still reigns supreme IMO. At least for Modern Day ops.

[republic]

I would like to see more developers put out Flaming Cliffs type fidelity, and then work on moving to DCS fidelity later.  Sell the flaming cliffs version at $10 and the DCS version higher later...just get some kind of movement going.  I also wish DCS would host their own servers and get it such that we can get 50+ in a server stable.  The community is so fragmented.  I login to DCS to play online and see 30+ servers with 2 or 3 people in each.

[MengJiao]

I would like to see more developers put out Flaming Cliffs type fidelity, and then work on moving to DCS fidelity later.  Sell the flaming cliffs version at $10 and the DCS version higher later...just get some kind of movement going.  I also wish DCS would host their own servers and get it such that we can get 50+ in a server stable.  The community is so fragmented.  I login to DCS to play online and see 30+ servers with 2 or 3 people in each.

It looks like 1.2.7 is out and ships have much improved wakes and bow waves.  Which is nice because in the base scenario I play in various ways, there is a Russian warship with SAM-8s that can play a crucial role in stopping the last wave of attacks on a base.  I guess the wake graphic makes little difference per se -- but still, it is nice to have a ship with a decent indication of its speed.

[Toonces]

Just an FYI- I saw the F-86F was released.  50 clams (30-something euros). 

No, it doesn't come with a Korea map or any of that type of stuff.  It does have AI MiG-15s to fight against.

Looks good to me.  I actually am a fan of the jet but I'm going to hold off a bit.  I'm not super into DCS right now.

[JudgeDredd]

I really wanted to support DCS and I bought the P51 even though I had zero interest in a WWII era in that world - but I have to say, things have been incredibly slow and they are going in a different direction (well...at least not in MY direction) that I had wanted the world to continue down - so I WILL (hear that UCG - I WILL) not be buying any other products until they work on the world.

That might not be the most lucrative part for them - but they may find out that's the case when other people stop buying their modules in protest over the lack of a credible environment and campaign system....either dynamic or otherwise.

So I am not in for the moment.

(besides - I'd probably suck real bad at jet fighters with no AA missiles!) 

[Toonces]

While I'm intrigued by the idea of flying a super high-fidelity model of the F-86 in skirmishes against MiG-15s, I'm not sure I'm $50 intrigued. 

I'm going to take a wait and see on this one for a while.  MiG-21 might be a bit harder, though.

[MikeGER]

...i am interested ...well, when the days get shorter, and maybe there is a sale (Thanksgiving or Xmas) too
it's on my mental watchlist now      

[Asid]

...i am interested ...well, when the days get shorter, and maybe there is a sale (Thanksgiving or Xmas) too
it's on my mental watchlist now   

There is always a DCS sale or six...Through Eagle Dynamics or Steam.

[Nefaro]

Just an FYI- I saw the F-86F was released. ..

No, it doesn't come with a Korea map or any of that type of stuff.

[Yskonyn]

That's hardly a surprise at this point now, is it? 

It's just modules adding that specific thing. For the Korea map you would need DCS: Korea. And for the rest of the fluff you would need DCS: Korean War.

 

[MikeGER]

...the Nevada map ASAP would be good ...so all the strange planes could be part of secret Red Flag exercises ...fluff /immersion wise