Rex

I just moved a buttload of Soviet armor from the East German border, through Fulda, and into Frankfurt, and it was hilly and congested with windy mountain roads. Not much better than the what I assume the Ardennes would have been like. There was no "gap" to speak of. Why was this considered such an easy route, to the point that everyone assumed they were going to use it?

This map is already a contender for "Best Map of All Time", IMHO. It's just fantastic! There are so many air bases, if the one you want isn't modeled, use a another base as a stand-in. I mean, they have to release it at some point and 120 bases is really a lot. I think the Fulda Gap focus probably provides for the highest number of air+ground scenarios. Oh one minor thing, Ctl+F12 isn't taking me to my train. I'm sure it was a minor consideration and rightfully so, just throwing it out there as an FYI.

I just noticed "DCS Market" in the lower right. LOL.

Generally speaking, the more full an SSD is, the slower it gets, especially with writes. This has to do with wear-level algorithms and things like that (allows TRIM to work optimally I believe). SSD cells have a finite number of re-writes before they are marked as bad and taken out of the write table, so like mechanical drives, they eventually die, albeit for dissimilar reasons. Ideally, SSDs are at their highest speed & longevity when they are at < 50% capacity, although few people can actually do this, and it's not like it's orders of magnitude slower at 70% full vs, say 45%. You may or may not notice the difference much, but it's there. The lifespan is also higher since they can overwrite blocks much less often, but you'll probably replace your machine before the SSD wears out. Point being, when it comes to SSDs, if you can afford it, it makes sense on a couple of levels to buy a larger drive than you need for storage. I'd personally go for 4TB. You never know how big the DCS Des Moines map is going to be when it comes out.

Wow, really good job. Just outstanding! I thought Normandy 2.0 was awesome, and it is, but Ugra-Media may have outdone themselves with Germany. The detail is top-notch, I'm finding all kinds of interesting things in Berlin. It just looks fantastic from every angle. Really nice job! 10/10 My screenshot is poorly-composed and doesn't do it justice, but this map is a must-own IMHO.

I don't Understand the "Anchored" orbit or how it differs from a circular orbit. It seems like if you put the waypoint at the anchor, they are the same thing. Can someone please explain how it works? Pretend that I'm 5 years old, which doesn't take much imagination to do. Thank you!

Thanks very much! That seems to have helped!

I just had the Mission Editor CTD twice, taking all of my unsaved work with it, when I tried to load a Static Unit from a Mod (possibly the VPC Field Equipment Mod). It feels like you'd just get a "resource cannot be loaded" message while it continues on it's way. To be clear, it DOES write the "resource cannot be loaded" message in a popup, but it then panics, aborts the app, then tries to write a dump. In fact, I managed to get a video of the exact moment DCS realizes it cannot find the resource I have specified: I can't say for sure, but it might be a slight overreaction? 2025-01-10 09:42:46.034 WARNING VISUALIZER (9308): terrainSampleOptions aren't set for DemoScene with terrain rendering 2025-01-10 09:42:46.037 INFO EDTERRAIN4 (27420): ITerrainContextImpl4::setTrafficDecimation(1) 2025-01-10 09:42:46.037 INFO EDTERRAIN4 (27420): ITerrainContextImpl4::setDate( day=1, month=10) 2025-01-10 09:42:46.037 INFO EDTERRAIN4 (27420): ITerrainContextImpl4::setTextureMode(full=1) 2025-01-10 09:42:46.043 INFO EDTERRAIN4 (29956): ITerrainContextImpl4::setTrafficDecimation(1) 2025-01-10 09:42:46.043 INFO EDTERRAIN4 (29956): ITerrainContextImpl4::setDate( day=1, month=10) 2025-01-10 09:42:46.043 INFO EDTERRAIN4 (29956): ITerrainContextImpl4::setTextureMode(full=1) 2025-01-10 09:42:46.399 WARNING VISUALIZER (9308): terrainSampleOptions aren't set for DemoScene with terrain rendering 2025-01-10 09:42:46.403 WARNING SCENE (9308): Scene was removed with 1 alive objects 2025-01-10 09:42:46.408 WARNING VISUALIZER (9308): terrainSampleOptions aren't set for DemoScene with terrain rendering 2025-01-10 09:42:46.524 WARNING SCENE (9308): Scene was removed with 1 alive objects 2025-01-10 09:42:46.526 WARNING VISUALIZER (9308): terrainSampleOptions aren't set for DemoScene with terrain rendering 2025-01-10 09:42:57.532 INFO DX11BACKEND (4564): Compile shader: model/fake_omni_lights.fx:DIRECTX11=true;USE_DCS_DEFERRED=1; 2025-01-10 09:42:57.532 ERROR EDCORE (4564): Can't open file: /shaders/model/fake_omni_lights.fx. 2025-01-10 09:42:57.573 INFO DXGUI_WIN_ADAPTER (Main): resize main window to [0, 0] 2025-01-10 09:43:06.306 ERROR EDCORE (4564): Can't open file: /shaders/model/fake_omni_lights.fx. 2025-01-10 09:43:06.342 INFO DXGUI_WIN_ADAPTER (Main): resize main window to [5120, 1440] 2025-01-10 09:43:06.380 INFO DXGUI_WIN_ADAPTER (Main): resize main window to [0, 0] 2025-01-10 09:43:07.285 ERROR EDCORE (4564): Can't open file: /shaders/model/fake_omni_lights.fx. 2025-01-10 09:43:07.317 INFO DXGUI_WIN_ADAPTER (Main): resize main window to [5120, 1440] 2025-01-10 09:43:07.353 INFO DXGUI_WIN_ADAPTER (Main): resize main window to [0, 0] 2025-01-10 09:43:09.902 INFO DXGUI_WIN_ADAPTER (Main): resize main window to [5120, 1440] 2025-01-10 09:43:09.965 INFO EDCORE (Main): try to write dump information

In each case I've logged in within 3 days, so I'm not sure why this happens. As mentioned, in once case it actually kicked me out less than an hour after authorizing. This seems to be of questionable usefulness, as the only time you'd really need to use DCS offline is when you don't have a connection. This also means that when DCS servers go down, we can't auth for offline sessions. I mean, it's certainly a benefit for people with ESP/precognition. Although those people are usually too busy trading stocks and playing the lottery to use DCS, so I'm not sure how much they'll actually use it. I guess the rest of us are on our own. Yeah, the thing about EULAs is that they are wish-lists on the part of the drafter (in this case the company), which may or may not comport with the legal realities of the jurisdictions in which they are being enforced. I mean, Zappos had a EULA too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericgoldman/2012/10/10/how-zappos-user-agreement-failed-in-court-and-left-zappos-legally-naked/ And I'm willing to bet that most EULAs have similar unilateral-modification clauses, rendering many of them wholly unenforceable, depending on jurisdiction. I'm not stating an opinion on the DCS EULA, simply that EULAs in general are not the last word on every matter, and in the case of inability-to-access-purchases, probably would have an uphill climb to be upheld. Same with "licenses", people have to be able to benefit from they licenses the purchase. Also, if authorization is required, what happens when authorization is not possible? Is the customer bound by contract to pound sand in every denial scenario? In the USA, that would fall under contra preferentum, but I can't say for other countries. Remember, though, lawyers (the usual drafters of EULAs) don't get paid for avoiding litigation. In order for a contract to be formed, consideration has to be exchanged, and that consideration cannot be illusory (ie. you have to pay us but we may or may not provide what you paid us for at our discretion). Both parties must be ENTITLED to their respective consideration. Obviously that's the USA, and I don't imagine that it would be easy to sue ED from the USA (nor do I personally have any inclination or desire to do so). I'm simply saying that the EULA doe s not offer the blanket, ironclad protection against prevention of access that many companies assume that it does. In many jurisdiction, the customer actually does have a claim to the good and services they pay for. That said, the way things are going, if you give it a few years, this will probably no longer be the case. I think EU folks have far more consumer rights than we do, though, so that might be an even tougher nut to crack from a EULA perspective. I reiterate, the whole thing is very disappointing to me. The goodwill I've historically felt has certainly suffered, and the notion that nobody really cares about that is finally reaching the acceptance phase. The relationship between consumers and the companies they patronize certainly is a hostile one (at least in the USA), and I don't think exceptions to this exist any longer. Assuming they ever did.

Thanks for your tips, I appreciate the help. I don't use DCS connected to a VPN as it typically increases latency, and I reboot generally once a day. I have other potential causes of IP issues, though (see below). I'm a software developer and am fairly literate about such thing, but am by no means infallible. I'm a Unix/Linux guy and only use Windows for things like DCS, so I'm far from a Windows expert, but I suppose I've used it enough to be at least proficient. I'm not really puzzled about the connection itself being interrupted. I have a hypothesis that the auth issues may be caused by a mid-session IP change (I have multiple IP addresses on a multi-WAN router), but it's not relevant because my problem isn't connectivity per-se. Even assuming this is the issue, it's still disconcerting to get zero time locally with paid modules if the connection gets interrupted, as well as to get booted out of a Mission Editor session because of an IP address change. Note that I am not criticizing or blaming DCS for my potential network issues, nor am I asking them to troubleshoot them. I'm simply disturbed by the way they now deal with it (completely severing access to all of my paid modules for even 1 minute of non-connectivity). I used to get 2-3 days grace period to reconnect, but now they are requiring a 24/7 internet connection or their removing access to your paid modules. I cannot even fly locally in my own home on my own computer. Network issues can happen any number of places for any number of reasons, and now any and all of those reasons completely negate all of my paid modules until the problem is cleared up. Essentially, I'll be punished regardless of whose fault it is. ED, me, my ISP, their ISP, some random Script Kiddie DDOSing an intermittent node, the customer will get punished for any and all of it. Unfortunately, the customer usually is the first party to be punished for problems, and that's on top of the problems I already have of my own. I never punish ED for those problems, and if I did, I can 100% guarantee you that they would be very, very unhappy if I did. Ensuring the customer is deprived of their paid content regardless of issue's cause is generally looked down upon, and even in the customer-hostile USA, the practice is controversial. It's something that everyone expects from, for instance, EA, because that company has never had anything but contempt for its customers. I never before felt that was the case with ED. With their frequent flyer miles, generous sales, try-before-you-buy program, grace period on authentication, etc, I always felt comfortable giving them my money because they seemed to take steps to prevent us from being without our content for trivial reasons. They were a company and hobby that tends to inspire a little more loyalty and dedication as we each depend on each other's support to thrive. Now, I feel basically as if we've been put on notice that they intend to screw us as hard as the typical gaming company, so we need to start looking out for our own interests because they are going to look out for theirs. For instance, even though I have a Steam account with numerous games, I never use Steam to purchase DCS products because I want ED to have that 30% and not Steam. It's not a ton of money, but it's probably $300 - $400 that they otherwise wouldn't have, and for that, I was happy. It was totally and completely a goodwill dividend. I don't usually consider these things, I'm an American and I generally enjoy a hostile relationship with the companies I do business with. If I have an opportunity to screw them before they screw me, well I'd be a sucker not to take it. I didn't feel this way toward ED. ED is the only company I have gladly inconvenience myself for, so this move feels like a slap in the face. Apparently some people claim they can still use the sim in "offline mode". I was one of those people until recently. Why some can and some can't, I'm not sure, but it actually booted me from a previously-authorized connection a week or so ago, and that's an extremely negative outcome. Talk about a middle finger being thrust your way. Knowing that can happen at any time stays in your head and, well, it certainly does not add to the enjoyment. Especially when I've paid so much to enjoy this hobby, and in my opinion, it's been worth every cent, and I'm happy to give them more. I didn't expect it to be yanked from me randomly for issues that I will sometimes have no control over, though. Going forward, however, I'll know that it can and will be taken away for any failure between Seattle (where I am), and wherever DCS is (Russia or whatever). That's a lot of hops, and a lot of potential for things to not be 100%. I've seen them through some issues before and I've always supported and stood up for them. This is the first time I've really been bummed out about something ED has done. I'm disappointed.

This doesn't really make any sense. "Jackasses hacking" has nothing to do with being unable to use your modules offline in single-player mode, and if you allow "jackasses hacking" to take all of our paid modules away from us, then that's your fault. (not you specifically but the people selling said modules) Your using a bunch of generalities as blanket exceptions to things things that they should not apply apply to. It reminds me if the "all software has bugs" brainwashing campaign my industry foisted on the masses a decade ago. Everytime we released untested crap, there was always two or three people yelling "All softweare has bugs!" to anyone who would listen. We didn't even have to try to mitigate it, the masses had their opiate, and it gave us an awful lot of leeway we should never have had. I'll be honest, I kinda miss that scapegoat. It was nice while it lasted. Now people expect us to QA our stuff, and it's so much more time consuming, not to mention, expensive. Hmmm, maybe this "all systems need updating thanks to jackass hackers" isn't such a bad position after all. Hold that thought, I'm going to see if it has legs. Blasted hackers! Will they ever stop hacking??!! I don't see where I have an offline mode anymore (I used to). Can you tell me how you're currently accessing it?

As thrilled as I am for both of you, I only get the option to play with free modules when it happens. It's Friday night and that's the only option I am being presented with now, and I am not pleased. Also, I got kicked out when my "login expired" and lost a bunch of Mission Editor work. My experience used to be like both of yours, and I used to have two or so days to connect. Now not only can I not use paid modules, I can't even stay logged in if it disconnects. P.S. Seems other people have hit it too. This thread is from 2022/2023. More recent one:

I'm really pissed off today. I've gotten the "you can only use free modules" popup several times, and now just I got booted from my DCS session because the "Login Expired". Seriously? This is the new acceptable? This switch to an always-on connection is abhorrent, repugnant, and just play wrong, and if it's not criminal it very well should be because it punishes customers (and only customers) when anything less than perfect network conditions arise. This is that case whether that imperfection has anything to do with the customer or not. I don't mind paying $1,000+ for DCS modules, they are worth every penny in my opinion. I do mind, however, when I cannot use them, solely so that ED can look after it's own interests while wiping it's backside with my interests. It's going to take one full-blown outage for this house of cards to come crashing down, and when it does, it will be completely self-inflicted. Frankly, I don't know what you were thinking with this one, as it didn't use to be this way. We used to have a 2-3 day grace period for reconnection, and now we have zero? That's one hell of a bet being placed on endless perfection, and it's a bet you're going to lose. Not "if" but "when", and given that it was planned this way, I don't know how much "understanding: or "patience" you have a right to ask of us when our inconvenience is the official plan whenever a problem arises. The thing is, I have problems of my own that I have never once asked you to suffer for, and I doubt you'd be willing to suffer for if I asked. Be decent enough to return the favor. I love DCS and I'd challenge someone to find another Internet user who has said more consistently glowing things about the sim, or someone who has always sided with the company on every issue, even when the company was arguably wrong. When you start ruining my hard-wearned weekends, however ... for things that any half-sane human being can predict (like network issues), then we're no longer friends. I'm a software developer that has to deal with things like network issues all week, and I have no desire to spend my Saturday doing so as well. Everything else works. I'm extremely pissed off with this nonsense.

I got it too. I really, really hate getting that message. It's a blatant reminder that $1,000+ worth of content is one network glitch away from not existing. It's not a matter of "if" either, but a matter of "when". The most likely answer? The vacation week you ook off and desperately need. You know, the one where you'd planned to spend quality time with your favorite hobby? Yeah, that one. Not looking forward to that happening, and I know it's coming. Generally speaking, I never criticize ED. I just like what they're doing too much. That said, making their network problems, our problem, and penalizing us the cost of our expensive modules for their potential infrastructure problems are the one thing they do that I absolutely abhor, and think should be illegal.

In just an hour, it's meade editing large missions so much easier! I didn't even know I wanted this, but I'll be damned if it isn't my favorite feature you guys have released in years. Whoever's idea this was ... outstanding call!