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wiewla

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Everything posted by wiewla

  1. Btw. can't se sensor (temp/load/fan) on thoes drivers Fricking AMD I raported it as a bug to AMD, hope they will fix it. Please do the same
  2. Same here, I guess you also have AMG GPUs, as it occured after i switched from Nvidia. The problem was fixed after rolling back AMD Software from 25.6.1 to 25.4.1. < Hop DCS and AMD will work as intended on newer drivers.
  3. "Hi, I also had to replay M02 to catch up, but I think if you get past that one, it starts to get better. After all, it’s still just a simplified game. From my experience with different campaigns, I’ve learned that you kind of have to play 'by the script' for the missions to work as intended. Try to overlook the fact that you you don’t have time to go through all the startup procedures. I like to think of it this way: the jet is mission-ready and has already been checked — the payload was assigned by command, and there’s no time for changes." AAR in this campaign is treated as optional, mainly for those who want to 'simulate' the need for it. It's a sandbox-like feature. (I think that’s a good thing, since a lot of people struggle with it — as we know, it's relatively difficult.) I guess real pilots spend way more time in the air during missions than we do in-game, and need to refuel few times per flight. I'd say what we get is kind of a summary — the distilled essence of a real mission so it is only an option. And since we're sometimes flying as wingmen, we’ve got to keep up . It wasn’t that obvious to me either at first, since no other campaign really offered that kind of setup. I hope you’ll give this campaign a chance — it really stands out compared to other F-16 campaigns and is executed at a very high level."
  4. Sure, Gamblers is much more static, which solves the FIWOS / LOWOS problems. We have more time to locate the target, and we often receive hints about its location. In addition, we usually have to confirm that we’ve acquired the target before we’re allowed to engage it, and if we can’t find it, the wingman will often give us the exact coordinates. This doesn’t make Gamblers easy by any means, but it is much more controlled — actions are deliberate rather than dynamically chaotic like in WOS. I had similar feelings about WOS as you, and in that regard, I think Gamblers is much better designed. "I really liked WOS's storytelling, but sometimes the pacing was a bit overwhelming — especially for me, since I was doing a lot of F-16 stuff for the first time.Still, I sometimes enjoyed replaying Gamblers mission when I already knew ‘what’s what’ in order to play it more ‘by the script.’ In my opinion, it feels more like the calm, precise operations of real pilots rather than flashy shootouts, as I mentioned in my review. Also — spoiler —
  5. Review of the "The Gamblers" Campaign: Rain, Chaos, and the Legacy of the 77th Fighter Squadron In the campaign The Gamblers, created by Baltic Dragon in collaboration with John "Rain" Waters — a pilot from the Viper Demo Team and former member of the 77th Fighter Squadron "The Gamblers" — we take on the role of a fictional lieutenant with the callsign Chaos. Alongside our unit, we begin a deployment in Syria as part of the international operation “Inherent Resolve”, launched in 2014. Throughout the campaign, we participate in 13 missions, many of which are inspired by real events experienced by Rain and his fellow squadron members. We have the opportunity to take part in the 2017 Battle of Raqqa and other remarkable operations, such as the integrated attack on Shyriat Air Base conducted by U.S. carriers and air forces. Gameplay and Mission Design The campaign includes a variety of scenarios divided into two main phases. The first consists of missions set in 2014, based on Rain Waters' personal experiences, while the second features historically grounded events from two years later, supported by in-depth research. Despite the diversity of missions, a certain repetitiveness of patterns becomes noticeable. The tasks are designed with great realism and military logic — undeniably a strong point of the campaign — but this same realism can, paradoxically, sometimes lead to a sense of monotony. It's easy to imagine that military operations are also governed by strict procedures and patterns. That’s precisely what’s reflected here with high fidelity. We act in a predictable, controlled environment — much like a well-planned combat mission, whose goal is to accomplish the objective without unnecessary risk. The campaign avoids the kind of dramatic flair typical in action games. There are no random threats or edge-of-chaos situations. Instead, we get logically connected segments where every action has a clearly defined purpose and its own consequences. It’s a structure designed for smooth learning and tactical adaptation. It accurately mirrors an environment where predictability and discipline are key to success. For this reason, I also recommend The Gamblers to players who are just starting their journey with the F-16C in DCS. While the campaign requires an understanding of several advanced aircraft systems and weaponry, it does not place the player under constant pressure. It doesn’t demand perfection or split-second reactions. Nor does it punish mistakes unnecessarily. It’s a calm, well-guided experience — more a test of discipline and tactical awareness than of nerves. Instead of sudden strikes and chaos, the campaign flows like tactical rain — steady, deliberate, each radio call a reminder that decisions made in the air carry more weight than they might seem. A unique feature of the campaign is the presence of decision-making mechanics. This allows certain parts of the scenario to be played in multiple ways, leading to different outcomes. These choices are not merely cosmetic — they have an impact on mission progression. At times, we can even take the initiative, reporting what we observe in the area of operations, which then affects the decisions made by the mission leader or command. Narrative and Characters Characters and voice actors play a remarkable and distinctive role in this campaign. Dialogues are well-written, and because we’re not always flying as the flight lead, we get a real sense of being part of a living, dynamic team. The conversations feel natural, credible, and free of artificiality. They're complemented by ambient communication — radio chatter and unrelated unit conversations — that reinforce the impression that we are part of a much larger operation. This greatly enhances the credibility and the sense of scale of the conflict. It’s also the first campaign I've encountered where we fly as a wingman. I have to admit, it’s something I’ve long wanted to experience. It allows you to improve your formation flying skills in a realistic, narrative context rather than simply following a scripted aircraft in training missions. The campaign, through the naturalness of its interactions and rich ambient detail, effectively recreates the operational environment of fighter pilots. Realism and Atmosphere The missions are designed with attention to conveying the true nature of combat operations. Often, we circle over the target area for extended periods, observing the unfolding events on the ground. These aren’t artificially created sequences — they are logical elements of the scenario that reinforce the illusion of being part of a real mission. Such moments build tension and evoke a sense of responsibility — when looking through the targeting pod or glancing past the canopy, you feel like you have the situation in your hands, that a single trigger pull could change the course of events. There are also moments of helplessness, when intervention is impossible and we are left only to observe — the emotional impact of these sequences can be strong. This is not only a powerful narrative device but also a reflection of real operational frustration, where not every situation ends in a successful intervention. Technical Layer From a technical standpoint, the campaign runs smoothly and follows best practices, with only rare and minor bugs — mostly due to the game engine itself. What really sets The Gamblers apart is the audio layer. It's one of the highest-quality productions I've encountered in this genre. Radio communication builds an excellent atmosphere. Especially noteworthy is the innovative decision-making menu, controllable via HOTAS. This seemingly small feature greatly improves the fluidity of gameplay and the sense of control over the situation. The campaign also introduces a new feature in the form of debriefings — summaries available immediately after each mission. This reflects military procedures, where analyzing actions and discussing mistakes are key elements of every operation. Debriefings allow you to review your engagement, assess the soundness of your decisions, and draw valuable conclusions, which deepens the realism and gives the virtual pilot a strong sense of responsibility for the task. An additional convenience is a note in the briefing with the estimated mission duration. It’s a small but practical innovation. A good expansion would be to add a list of systems used in the mission to make preparation easier without having to interrupt gameplay. Impression and Final Verdict The Gamblers campaign undoubtedly meets — and even exceeds — my expectations. I’ll certainly return to the missions that left a lasting impression. I strongly recommend it to players seeking deep storytelling, realism, and history. It’s also a solid choice for newcomers who prefer a slower pace but want to immerse themselves in a credible military environment. While the structure of missions may feel somewhat repetitive at times, this stems more from a commitment to operational realism than design limitations. Despite its many strengths, the campaign is not without elements that may not appeal to everyone. Players seeking fast-paced action and unexpected twists might find the lack of sudden changes or dynamic threats underwhelming. Although the mission structure reflects real-world planning, it can occasionally feel too predictable, which may affect pacing over time. Nevertheless, each mission carries a distinct character and tells a different story based on historical events. Excellent narrative and the emotional weight of the tasks help to offset this impression. It is also important to note that the gameplay is entirely devoid of air-to-air combat, which is again historically accurate, but may be significant for players who are looking for that type of engagement. The Gamblers leaves more than just memories of well-executed missions — it gives the feeling of being part of something larger than yourself. A story of people who flew before we ever sat in a virtual cockpit. Yet the campaign doesn’t tell this story outright — it leads us through it by way of conversations, decisions, and tension, and sometimes the silence in the cockpit, which lingers in the air like heavy, dense rain before a storm. When the ordered reality of air operations meets the unpredictability of the situation on the ground, a space emerges where chaos is no longer a mistake, but part of the rhythm. And it is there — between order and uncertainty — that legacy is born. A legacy that this campaign delivers to the pilots of the 77th Fighter Squadron "The Gamblers" with care and respect.
  6. The same thing is visable in the manual. If the values represent geographical position with 1 meter precision, changing the value after pressing CNVRT create a 1m offset to the target. DEST.trk
  7. When creating UTM STPT - by DEST menu, after entering East/North numbers, at the moment of pressing CVNRT it drops the north value by 1 digit. (This situation can be seen fe. in this movie (13:07) . but i got the same effect every time also in other scenarios) In this example it changes the ending from 40 to 39, to save it at point with 40 at the end you need to write 41. The effect is that saved STPT is always slightly (south i guess) off the target and need to be corrected by hand.
  8. It is cosmetic, but there are winter trucks all over the campaign. One standing directly in front of us at the beginning of Mission 6. Chilly...
  9. MISSION 13 -As they dispatched a few helicopters with my crew chief, parts, and a loadout woudn't be nice of them to also take my JHMCS -As the ships take 0% damage, i think there is no explosion on impact, just a water splash, which is a bit immersion-breaking, but they sink after a few seconds as intended. MISSION 14 -Uzi 3 destroyed all targets more or less when my pilot gave the order to fance in. The HARMs were already on their way by then. -HARM codes are not on the kneeboard, so you have to refer back to the briefing to set them. -The sudden SA-5 threat is also eliminated almost immediately after appearing. So there is really not much to do in this mission; it plays pretty much by itself. MISSION 15 -Target locations are in the middle of the woods on the wrong island O_O. ===== I'm done with this campaign, and I felt more like a beta tester than a final client. I don't think it should be priced equally to the FI-LO WOS or GAMBLERS campaigns, which are prepared with much greater attention to detail, carefulness, and overall better planning and writing. -I liked the fact that the action is just a few minutes after the start and there isn't so much flying just for the sake of flying, as is common in other campaigns. -The voiceover was also good, but mixing it with default DCS communications, especially in the case of our female wingman (as I guessed in my first post, we are not to be blessed with knowing her callsign, or, in fact, any other character's), was not enjoyable. -I liked the scenario and setting, although it was a bit scattered to me. I guess mainly because of bugs and inconsistency. -I liked the diversity of weather and night/day missions, but there is really no fun in seeing just a black screen for an hour, especially after two similar full-black missions, so I believe it might be better set up with a full moon to add some light and image to it. -I didn't like the documentation at all, as it is lacking, disorienting, and not really handy or useful. -Text messages should be revisited, corrected, and organized, as they are confusing and often not synced with the voiceover. -I believe there is more to correct than the things I pointed out in my post, and that it doesn't feel like a finished product (as I compare it to other campaigns I've played). I hope for it to be updated and upgraded so maybe I'll revisit it someday, as the missions were quick and light to play. But really, I believe it should be more user-friendly and better organized, as it might be a target campaign for new F-16 pilots, and if they aren't familiar with DCS and how it works, what the quirks are, and what is allowed with AI, well, it will be tough for them, and sadly, in my opinion, off-putting. Well, I guess that's it. I had fun, but I'm also kind of unfulfilled. EJECT! EJECT! EJECT! BYE BYEEEEEeeeee...... !
  10. MISSION 8 (+screenshots) Flying with NVGs at daytime. Audio triggers are a mess. When I fire, Wingman speaks. When She fires, Bogey speaks. The yellow wheel cart looks like it has fallen it to ditch Spacebar to winchester info too short (it popups in the middle of the fight) MISSION 9 (+track) Watch in the jet shows the wrong time . Mission progression triggers are problematic. I had to manually kill the last infantryman to begin the rescue operation as F15 didn't hit the guy. No ATC communication at arrival and landing, scripted nor automated (@250.10 UFH) (seems like in some mission it is muted (like in tihs one) but in some not like in M8) Tacview-20250131-222226-DCS-F-16M9.zip.acmi
  11. MISSION 7 Regarding burst altitude, since it can currently only be set via fuses in "Rearm and refuel" (which isn't obvious (especially for newcomers)), I'm letting you know that the current default setting of 1500 is too high. The bomblets are drifting with the wind, making accurate hits very difficult (it's more of a guessing game)especially when doing a quick pop-up at the wrong angle. I don't envy the residents of those houses . I think it should be set by the crew chief to 900, which is the current minimum. Aside from not being able to score a hit on multiple tries before i figured it out, I really liked this one. Yet again we are getting DMPI - SP data on Kneeboard but it is already set to SP3 just the ALT is 30000 instead of 62ft. Easy to change if you know the jet. but...
  12. GENERAL - Kneebords are a mess DEP and ARR sometimes it say "24L" usually: "06L" in mission2 it just say "4" - usually 24R have active lights but the ATC say only "24", So where to land ? MISSION 4 - I think the ATC say turn right 340 after DEP but all the planes are heading about 020 as always. It is unclear for how long should i keep 340 and why ? MISSION 5 - No text from ATC - "turn left 020 after DEP" - CAP again did nothing (no single shot) praudly prepared to landing with full loadout while J-11s was shooting: to them!, fallowing me to AFB and kill the tanker and my wingman along the way xD - it would be so nice to have a note : Order your wingaman to "Engage Mission and Rejoin" as we need to guess it and check if this works. - No HARM codes mentioned in Kneeboard - We have given 3 times DMPI with SP data to fiddle around but clearly emphasizing in the mission objectives that the targets are located at the airport or including a reconnaissance slide would likely be much easier to understand. - SP2 is described @ 15000 while SP3 beeing just next to it (2NM) is @ 30000 not very clear this flight plan. - lets assume it is 30000 how to climb then ? My beloved wingmand girlfiernd died from lack of fuel in ms 2nd playthroud after slow 10* climb to 25000 at WP2 (in the 1st she was shot down by J-11 while preparing to land) - Our pilot reffers to F15Cs escort as "4" but there is nowwhere to be found that Thier flight lead will be "4" MISSION 6 - After firing the ammunition, the F-15s followed the transports directly into the SA-10 circle. My flight, despite descending to the deck under my command (Rejoin), were flying too high or performing pointless maneuvers (I know, AI), and they were also wiped out. Those who survived (1x16 + 1x15) crashed due to lack of fuel, leaving me to land alone:(. Despite having learned from experience and approaching as well as climbing slowly without requiring afterburner use and catching me up by them during the flight. -I'm also waiting for ED to allow AI unlimited fuel, but until then, it's on the campaign creator to ensure this won't be an issue. As it is not in other campaigns i played (mostly) . == Sorry, I know I’m more annoying than Bitching Betty, and that not everything I mention here is a bug, but also behaviors caused by our beloved DCS AI. However, I’m writing this to draw attention to certain issues (and hopefully find solutions and workarounds) that occur during missions. In my opinion, since the campaign is set on a free map, it should be as clear and user-friendly as possible, as it might attract many new players.
  13. RedK0d for clicable FC3 planes. Olympus (not active) Tacview (sometimes) besides that no mods, pure game (I play on steam. ) Ill be in touch if you need. And will list you some more as i progress.
  14. GENERAL -Long voice-over messages are often interrupted by other (frequently automated messages from DCS) and cannot be heard in their entirety. - Often some text lines don’t match the voiceovers. I think there are many more inconsistencies than mentioned below, but I didn’t check line by line. This is a shame since the text is very useful for non-native speakers. - It would be helpful if the text followed a standard format as in other campaings, starting with: "NAME: 'Text...'" as it would make it easier to distinguish who is speaking what. Right now, it’s quite a mess. - The brieffing and Kneebords seems to be inconsistent and lacking of information to better understand how to react on threats and what and when we are suppose to do in given situation/mission. (This is not my first campaign btw. I got a fresh forum account but I'am not new to DCS) This also include lack of knowledge on how to menage our Flight; When are they scripted and when should we command them, as thoes actions seems to be often mixed. And also what command too use fe. in Mission 4 to order them firing HARMS. Here are some bugs/opinions from MISSION 2 nad 4 i noted; M2 - No wingman voice (sadly, we don’t know her callsign yet — maybe just "yet"): "FOX 2!" - "I've got one, splash" - from the YouTube trailer. Also, no "GUN! GUN! GUN!" voiceover from the trailer. Instead: - The "regular" DCS audio takes over (e.g., AWACS BRAA calls and WINGMAN 2 communications with the default male voice). - F-15Cs bump into each other (1 and 2, while 3 and 4 are merging/ghosting in to one plane as they can't collide.) and fall from the sky while following the tanker (tested 3 times in a row). - Bombs do not hit targets? => No single hit or fire at the AFB at return time. - If there are four F-15Cs (excluding the fact that two of them collide), why don’t they assist in attacking the bombers? - Damaged bombers land on the main island (intended?). - Bombers shot with a gun drop all ordnance, making it very easy to disarm them before they reach their target. Perhaps AWACS should detect them later, so the mission has more strategic depth and makes more sense. (just my opinion) - Wrong text line at departure: audio says "uniform 3," but the text displays "victor 3." - In the next mission, we fight two flights of 3x J-11s (or J-15s, not sure) who are CAPing without any specific purpose other than violating airspace. Yet, the bombers are making their run with no escort whatsoever so we can hunt them like ducks . Anyway, my 1st and 2nd points feel like the saddest ones here MISJA 4 - Well it is a mess but looking on forum this is already known - There are eight F-16Cs instead of four, as the briefing states. Each of my wingmen and I have a clone for some reason. - "The CAP flight does not seem very interested in engaging the bandits; even so, I doubt they would be able to handle six fighters. All they really do is perform doom-diddly-doodly maneuvers, fire one AMRAAM, and then either get hit or decide it's time to RTB. (I know it is only AI but i didnt write the scenario) - There is another obvious text/voiceover mistake with lane number 29L instead of 24L, which was probably sent incorrectly to the voice actor, as he read it with this error. - No HMCS (shoudn't be here still after Mission 3 ? ) Ill try too update this post along my journey with this campaign. Nonetheless, I like the mission setting, nicely done starting procedure and overall feel. I hope there aren't as many issues further on . And I love to have a female wingman
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