SonofEil

After looking fine for about two years, as of yesterday my BS desktop shortcut no longer displays the proper icon. Instead it show the "unknown program" icon. When I click on it, it sill launches BS though. So it still works, but now I have that ugly icon sitting there. I created a new shortcut off the Launcher.exe, the green icon in the picture, and it works also, but the black "DOS" (don't know what else to call it) window stays open the whole time giving me a sort of look behind the scenes. Creating a shortcut off the DCS.exe does not work. Any idea what happened, or how to fix it right? EDIT: included pic of the Black Shark "DOS" window always running.

I saw some reviews, but not that one. I had a hard time deciding between the GTX 570 and the 6970 since they are both within my current budget and similar advertised performance. I'm choosing the 6970 because I've never had any issues with AMD, the PSU/card bundle offered on newegg is a decent deal, and I'm already somewhat familiar with the Catalyst Control Center software. I'll update this post with results, etc. when it gets here. EDIT: Dammit! I'm also going to have to upgrade my surge protector/battery backup! It's a 550W. It just never ends, does it.

whoa. +1 for stream of consciousness post. And, I agree.

Good advice, thanks. The size is a concern of mine. I haven't been able to find hard specs on the card's dimensions, but I have seen a couple of forum posts outside of ED that say 11(!)inches. From looking in my case, there is nothing between the "end" of my current card and the inside-front of the case, so there should be enough room. I'm also upgrading my psu from a 480W to 750W to handle the increased load, and I'm prepared to get an entirely new case if I run into cooling problems anyway. The HP Pavilion Elite isn't the most ventilated of cases! (Assuming the card fits in the first place.) So I've got my work cut out for me. Thanks for the advice! I think I'm going to take the plunge and "make" it work.

Are you kidding? Cleavage? A-Jo's bare tah-tah's are all over the place! I mean, more is always good, of course (like communication from ED:doh:), but your post makes it sound like you haven't seen 'em before! I'm looking at them right now and they...are...amazing! :helpsmilie:

Ok, I'm thinking about getting this, the Sapphire Radeon HD 6970, a major card upgrade from what you see in my sig down below. Now allow me to advertise my ignorance: I've never built a computer...or even upgraded components. //head hanging in shame// My computer referenced in my sig is an HP Elite that I got for a good price about 1.5 years ago, so I don't know what motherboard i'm using. My main question is (and here comes the ignorance): The HD 6970 is a PCIe 2.1 X 16. Will that fit in my graphics slot, considering my current 4850 is a 2.0 X 16? Phew. If you guys would like to tell me any other pertinent info, please feel free!

I think that sums up this thread pretty well. We'll just have to wait (forever?:music_whistling:) and see what the improvements are.

Jeez Groove, you must have been working on that all night! Thank you though.

The CRJ line carries the CF34 as it's thrust producing engines, the civilian variant of the A-10's TF34. Consequently, the CRJ carries a much more advanced and modernized version of the TF34. None of the CRJ models carry the same APU though, so it's still kind of an odd request. Exactly.

Though the screens and gauges (e.g., the displays for the information) are inside the bathtub, most of the actual avionics computers are outside the cockpit, just under the (fragile) skin. In the attached pictures, many of those open panels contain different (unprotected) flight, nav, and weapons computers for the in-cockpit (protected) information displays. So, while your MFCD's may not be taking rounds, the black boxes that feed it certainly are! Could avionics damage be more accurately and intricately rendered? Always! But they really have done a pretty damn good job so far.

Is your point to get ED to release the next beta, or get the community to abandon the thread? just curious.

The coup de grace!

My favorite quotes from the comments: "Ditto. I loved how mechwarrior 2 was almost a simulator. I couldn't play any other mechwarrior after that because they were too arcadey." (really, is that a joke?) "If you get serious and dig in really deep from the start though you could probably master most stuff in a few days.". (ummmm, 'master' might not be the right word) "Either way, thank god there is still a company that will go all out to make these types of sims. It's a sadly neglected genre on the PC these days. I'd love to see Falcon 5 be made!" (+1 sir, +1.)

To the ED Team: I know you're busy, but can we please get confirmation that the sim is running the GAU-8 with TW25 grease? It feels like mine is slipping on some Mobil Polyrex EM, and I don't want no NASCAR grease on my GAU if it ain't authentic. Thank you. :tomato:

Ummm, they're modeled now. Left, G-meter. Right, magnetic compass.

I'm actually suprised that it hasn't been mentioned here, but there is a top-tier simulator out there that already employs the subscription model, and make no mistake, they are making unheard-of profits for a small group of sim developers. It's called iRacing, and it's now easily the most popular auto racing simulator available. And in their particular instance I don't think they would have reached their level of popularity if it hadn't been for their subscription model and the competition structure they utilize. Racing sims have suffered a similar fate as us flight folks. Interest has plummeted in the last decade while costs have skyrocketed. Most of the guys in the sim racing business have taken one of two roads; partner with the bigshots for (poor-quality) console releases (simbin), or offer contract services to race teams and auto companies while maintaining a smaller niche PC release pipeline based on their contract work. (Sound familiar?) But it's not working so well for them. Contracts come and go. Race teams evaporate as fast as indie developers, and the niche releases get pushed back by years because of it (rFactor2). My point is that we are a small niche that requires rediculous time and money to produce quality products for, and the current business model hasn't worked for years. (<-How many developer interviews do I need to reference for that one?) Are you speaking with the knowledge of ED's sales figures and financial statements? While I certainly don't have them in front of me either, from the beginning I strongly suspected that the whole "pre-purchase" idea came about as a need for a cash infusion. Not that I would ever expect you or any of the ED team to admit that, or that there's anything wrong with it in the first place. All of the above is absolutely true. I won't argue for one second that ED should try and migrate DCS to a subscription model. That would be nearly impossible to accomplish properly in it's current form. But I will argue that subscriptions have allowed a previously struggling simulator development team to flourish, and that maybe we, as a community, should be more open to alternatives to support the rediculously talented people that make our hobby possible.

That keyboard map was brilliant! I use it often. I noticed that he only has 3 reps. People weren't doing him justice for that wonderful contribution. It would be really great if something like that would show up for DCS:WH, though I now use the keyboard very little since I have a TM WH!

I'm going to have to choose the Shark. I love it's flight model and characteristics. It is an exremely complicated machine to fly correctly. I prefer the hog's avianics and weapons systems for the same reason; accuracy and complication. But I push buttons and manipulate systems all day in my real job, so I'll take the shark and it's wonderful flight physics if I'm only allowed to choose one. (this should have been a poll.)

I learned quite a lot from MSFS'98 about the "avionics" in a Cessna, proper navigation procedures, different phases of flight, etc. I bought it as a learning tool prior to starting my private license. I can tell you that that decision saved me thousands of dollars in time that would have been spent with an instructor, and/or with an engine running. It wasn't that the instructor wasn't needed, it's that I had a firm grasp of the principles before I walked in the door. When people tell me that they're thinking of getting a pilots license I always tell them to pick up MSFS first and learn the equipment. Not the maneuvers, the equipment. Maneuvers are for the instructor to teach.

Did I stumble into 4chan accidentally?

F-86 Sabre Guaranteed.

*fingers crossed*

I must have missed that. That is exciting!

OMG!! OMG!! OMG!! That's definitley code for fighter! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! JK. (Quite honestly, though I have my preferences like everyone, I don't really care what plane is modeled. Strike fighter, Bomber, Apache, C-17, Eurofighter Typhoon, another CAS, as long as it's modeled accurately and in greater depth than I'll ever be able to use, I'll be the first in line. So far, I am not disappointed!)

^ Party foul!