PhantomHans

Thinking of a scenario I'd like to make. Is it possible to have Neutral / Gray nation aircraft and SAMs in a sim and to make them hostile to both sides, but only when targets are in a certain zone? For example a pair of fighters patrols over a zone and will attack either Red or Blue for entering the zone.

Please don't do this to the Tomcat, at least without an option to totally disable it. I suspect that system is why the F-4E runs like total crap on my PC, it's just too old to power it!

I shall list reasons then: Two seat combat capable jets existed IRL and have been quite common at least in the USAF. As I said before, it represents an opportunity to get a dual-role trainer into DCS. It gives you a chance, to put someone in a cockpit and go "Look, THIS is how and where you line this thing up on the tanker", etc. Furthermore, it also presents an opportunity for ED to develop their own version of Jester AI. For those who like flying the F-15 but may not want to be so involved in the operation of the radar, it would be a great module to sell together with a simple AI "guy in back" who will help run the radar systems for you, tune the radios, etc, thus offering an alternative option to simply selecting easy mode. Maybe even sell it as it's own stand-alone module and co-develop the GIB AI with Heatblur. I don't know. But if you do the work for a 15D, it could also mean an easier time developing an F/A-18D, or F/A-18F, or F-16D. If it's developed with a GIB AI, then you could sell it as a completely stand alone module and market it towards those who like having a little help with the onboard systems. "The F-15 for F-4E and F-14 owners" The 15D was used by some F-15 users as an ad-hoc ground attack platform prior to the introduction of the F-15E. IIRC, the IAF used them loaded up with GBU-8 or GBU-15 TV guided bombs to strike a camp in Morocco or somewhere like that, and then had a second wave of 15D's come by and sprinkle MK-82s over it to eliminate the reinforcements that arrived. Although ED has said they will not be fully rendering the F-15's systems, should they ever decide to fully render all of the features, it would be a great "in between" jet. There is also no guarantee we will see any further development on the 15E module. The best thing is if they build it, you don't have to buy it. I own the FC3 F-15C and the half finished F-15E without an AI WSO, and if I were going to buy another F-15, I'd probably be more inclined to buy a two seater with an AI GIB than another single seat jet.

If the AJS-37 weren't already in game, I'd have to think a JA-37 wouldn't make money. But given that we have the AJS-37 I'd think you could sell an "FC3+" level module to go with it. I know they'd have to make some stuff up F-35 style or frankenjet it like the existing F-5, F-16, F/A-18, etc, but I'd expect it to still get some love as long as they got the flight model done right.

Seems strange for them to do it like that, and would the 24J have been in service up to the AJS-37 retirement? You may be onto something about the cooling. Perhaps they couldn't run the lines for the gas to the outer pylons, and couldn't get or didn't have the Navy style pylons that carry small bottles for the missiles.

For me the RB-74 will not track for head-on shots from any pylon. Tested at altitudes between 8,000 and 15,000 feet against MiG-19 and MiG-25. Works great for rear aspect shots though. There is a disabled AIM-9M in the Entry file, enabling it gives you an AIM-9M mounted directly to the main hardpoint, without an adapter rail, that will not launch or tone. Is there some reason the AIM-9M is not enabled for the AJS-37, or that the most modern sidewinders can only mount on the inner hardpoints where we want to carry other items? I find it a little odd that the outboard wing pylons seem to be there exclusively for the AIM-9 missiles, as they don't carry anything else, but they can only use the older models?

Better yet, how about just making it functional again across all modules? Absolutely it should be enabled/disabled by a difficulty option with the ability to force it server side, but the radio is probably the most annoying part of the Viggen. Having it workable with easy comms would take lots of frustration away from new or casual users. I postulate that taking frustration away from new or casual users is a good thing. It means more people buying into DCS. You can eliminate them from your servers by making their life miserable with enforced difficulty options.

It sounds like there simply isn't enough released information to do it authentically to Heatblur's standards. I wouldn't mind seeing it done as an "FC3+" level release as it would be apparently the best we could really do right now. With the Kola map, I'm hoping some day we'll get an A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair, and that someone will re-create the good old days of campaigns on the North Cape. I want a JA-37 mostly for use as an AI jet. Jaktviggens and MiG-21Bis circling over Neutral Sweden and Finland, ready to pounce upon stray fighters and bombers from either side while the Reds and NATO fight it out. IYKYK. I'm SO incredibly grateful that Heatblur finally did some justice to the Tomcat, the flight model in Microprose's rendition makes it feel quite chubby in a dogfight, but I'm still waiting for someone to recapture the feeling of a 1980's Cold War gone hot... IN A VIDEO GAME! Don't need that one on my 2025 bingo card...

I'd hope that they'd alter the flight model sensors and weapons on the FC jet to match the full (except for all the stuff they aren't modeling) featured version to keep them on the same level competitively.

Wish: A two seat, dual control capable, and accurately modeled F-15D. Sell it as an upgrade or a tied in module. Offers the ability to put a newer player in the front seat and directly "show them" instead of just telling them.

Something like this would be my preference for this, instead of the current "on rails" behavior of the AI... However given the limited time available for development, the difficulty in implementing various degrees of assistance that can be slowly rolled back, for example like slowly raising and then eventually removing training wheels on a bicycle, I would be perfectly happy to accept the current "on rails" behavior of the AI. My premise here is essentially that, at least in Single Player where by the very definition of the mode only a single person's entertainment is on the line, it should be common sense for DCS to have some accommodation to help through certain tricky maneuvers. Note for example that the AJS-37 Red Flag campaign suggests enabling labels or immortality at the beginning of Mission 3. These are not forced upon the player. The player is given the option to go onwards with full realism, or to accept some help to make the experience more enjoyable.

Related to this, is there some reason the RB-74 can't be loaded on the outer wing hardpoints? They can take the RB-24 series only, currently, and it seems odd to leave them without the AIM-9L as an option given how they are apparently ONLY used for AIM-9s?

I'm not familiar with this one. Although this isn't my ideal solution, it sounds like close to what I am looking for. Unlike some DCS users, I'm into this for something called "entertainment". That does mean that at some points in time I do want to go "I'm not in the mood for this right now." and be able to tell the AI to "fill it up at the tanker and I will take control again when the tanks are full" or "fly the pattern and I will take it back over on final". What I'm looking for basically is an "AI Assist" option for non-combat activities that can be enabled or disabled as a difficulty option, and then activated by the player at the appropriate time, ideally while staying in the cockpit view. There are other ways to do this that are aimed at helping players gradually improve skills, but these options are more complicated, require more coding, and are equally hated by the community.

Yup! That seems to be exactly the request! There are assorted reasons for doing this at assorted times.

Wish: A feature to temporarily hand over controls to the AI while in single player missions, using the radio comms menu. When told to "rejoin precontact" by a tanker, a menu option to allow the existing AI to take control of pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle to fly the jet to precontact position, contact position when cleared to do so, and to hold the jet at contact position until the player resumes control through the radio menu by selecting "Abort AI Control". When given directions to marshall on a radial by the supercarrier module, a menu option to allow the AI to take control of pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle to fly the jet to the marshall point, and orbit there, until player takes back control by selecting "Abort AI Control". When given directions by ATC to enter the pattern or fly a vector, a menu option to let the existing AI take control of pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle, fly the jet into the pattern, and even execute the landing and taxi to parking unless aborted by the player. These functions are already existing functions that the AI performs. This request is for an option in single player only, thus rendering no competitive advantage in multiplayer, and no impact on those who do not wish for this feature in their own game. The intent of this feature is to make the various campaigns available for purchase, many of which require holding at marshall points, flying the pattern, landing, refueling, and so on, more accessible to players with less frustration. DCS is a computer game and accommodation to facilitate enjoyment is an expected feature of computer games.