Flyby

seems a bit barren for online play So with Black Shark there is no real hope for online opfor until well into the series, possibly a LOMAC-like presentation of aircraft. That will probably take many years. Too bad. I hope the series has the legs to last that long. But why reproduce a/c that are already reresented in LOMAC? I ask this from the online perspective. I think aside from BS being a study simulation, I'm missing the point. I hope the AI opfor is nearly unbeatable. Those of us who also fly IL2 eventually come to regularly defeat the enemy ai fighter when it's set on "ACE". But that's life. BS is what it is, and still highly anticipated. Flyby

OK, it could happen. point taken, but given the time span were those rare events? Nice photo of a Cobra and a Hind Flyby

With the release of Black Shark due any time now, I look forward to learning, and becoming a proficient killer with it. I also look forward to the online play. In fact, flying a gunship online will be a really exciting thing for me. I wonder what the future holds for a proper human opfor to the Black Shark. Being a ground attack weapon it's not expected to dominate the A2A scene, and I'm not sure the helo-v-helo fight is where I'm at as it seems a bit unrealistic (in a sim of such realism). So I ask you the question: what would be a fitting human opfor to play against the Black Shark online? Is it even feasible to think of such a thing for a gunship simulation? I as used to participation against human opfor in the IL2 series, and to a lesser extent LOMAC, and I must say that performing online against fellow humans really cranks up my interest in any sim. I guess I think that's the ultimate experince in simming. Flyby out

Just curious, but why not create the Mi-28 Havok? Is it a been-there-done-that gunship? It's a two-seater, and has a mast-mounted radome, plus it's gun is fully turreted ala the Apache. Perhaps it's even a lighter pilot workload? Might be fun. Flyby

good luck! I look forward to checking out your new site. Here's to it's success! :D Flyby

How'd it run? In the SimHq discusssion of the article I asked Tom to poat info on the system BS ran on and what the performance was like. I'll passon his reply, unless osmeone beats me to it. Flyby

thereminqblank thanks for the reply. I'll do a search. I feel I need to wait a bit befoer upgrading anyway. Hopefully when the Penryn comes out it will drive the price of the q6850 down a bit. Meanwhile there should be a wealth of articles pointing to the biggest bang for the buck processor. Who knows? Maybe the price of ddr3 ram will also drop. Pigs do fly. Don't they? :) Flyby

interesting idea fo ra mission and inquiring minds want to know. Flyby

Go Gunship! for fun for practicing engagement tactics with ground targets don't overlook Gunship. Simple, but in some ways challenging tactics-wise. It's no Longbow or EECH, but still good fun, and WinXP friendly. Some are still flying it online today (Search BearHunters). Flyby

M$ can really suck at times Thanks for the reply Joey. Not that I'm interested in Crysis, but it really looks great from what I've seen. Too bad M$ is dicking around with it's DX, and NOT MAKING 10.1 BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE! Is that realy true? I hope not. Flyby

With my current system in pieces (p4-2.8, 1.5gig/DDR-PC3500, BFG 6800 Ultra, Cougar Hotas) I am looking at a chance for a pc upgrade. I've read about what's available, from the core2dou to the core2quads to the 45nm Penryn, and graphics cards til it's all runningout of my ears. I may be able to get a fairly decent, if not top line system. Can Wags or someone give some input based on his familarity with playing/testing Black Shark? Oh, I'm also looking forward to Oleg's Storm 0f War/Battle of Britain. I understand that it will really press older pc technology lilke mine. Another note is that I've seen a few videos of Crysis, and Tom's Hardware says that thing is a pc killer. thanks all Flyby

Danish_Squid I hope to enjoy some of your mountain missions one day. Good luck! :D GGT I read online in researching the Ka-50, that the range was 8km for the Vihkr. I guess different sources will qoute different figures, but even if it's 6-6.5km that's still a far shot, and out of range of at least small arms fire, and even a sabot round (I hope). i wonder how accurately the missile will be represented in Black Shark? Flyby

i still want usable trees... and forests too, but I'll see how it goes. With a good standoff range of up to 8km for the Vihkr, and a jam-resistant laser designator I guess trees are not really essential. But the additional immersion factor would have been nice. I think it's going to be a high pucker factor anyway to sit there lasing a target, even though the Vihkr is a supersonic missile. So mission builders put your minds to work! Don't let me get caught within range of the bad guys without brass armor plating for the gonads. :) I wonder how stand-off works in hill country? Flyby

No tree-masking? MADNESS!! Can that be true? We are about to enter a high-realism gunship sim, and there is no opportunity to hide amongst trees? :( Surely that's a mistake. It's one thing to not have human opfor, if the AI is up to the trick, but the ground environment cannot be overlooked. Say it ain't so. Flyby

I wouldn't mind having a copse of trees between me and a sabot. Beats being out in the wide open...;) As far as being detected amidst trees, I'll take that chance too. The whole idea is to try to not be seen while seeing the enemy (ground forces). If I'm otherwise detected, but the enemy can't get a firing solution on me I'm haaving a good day. If I know I've been detected, I doubt I'd risk a pop-up in the Black Shark. Rather I'd redeploy to another position. Of course if I'm at optimal weapons range for my systems, and outside the enemy's best ranges I'd risk a pop-up, even if detected. Obviously I'd rather feel safe when taking a shot since I have to hold lock, so range to target will be extremely important. Slightly OT: Can a loal be used by the Black Shark? Flyby

I'd like to add my apprecaition to the people who are bringing us Black Shark, testing it, and answering our many excellent questions. Flyby

no peroscope?! Hey GGT, I was just kidding about the mast-mounted periscope.:) I agree there will be many dangerous scenarios for Black Shark missions without so much emphasis on fighting the enemy air defenses. Personally I'd send in Su25s to perform SEAD, cleansing the area before the arrival of the Black Sharks, if that were necessary. Too bad the Fulda gap isn't modeled in the Black Shark world (yet). In the sim "Gunship!" it was always interesting trying to survive on the battlefield while attacking enemy armour. I mention that sim because it had the overlooked quality of allowing a gunship to mask itself behind actual trees, and stalk it's victims. I hope to revive my stalking techniques in Black Shark. Flyby out

I can see it's gonna be fun trying to survive in the old combat arena. Is it too late to modify the Black Shark so it has a bubble canopy? Maybe a mast mounted periscope? :) This sim already has a huge drool factor. Good coops with plenty of danger to overcome will only fan it's reputation. Oh, I was just kidding about pushing my rep button ( a little embarassed by that bit). Flyby out

Hey Wags! you forgot to push my reputation button! :D Yellonet, I'd like to see that mission! But I'm not going to fly in those "deadmeat" bait slots. ;) I'll sit back and shoot whatever you flush out. But I gotta say I like your thinking.:thumbup: I suppose there will be the type of triggers where if a certain level of destruction of enemy ground assets isn't reached the mission will be deemed a failure. That would make desperate scenarios that much more so. Say a friendly brigade is trying to escape envelopement by an opfor. The job of your flight is to keep open a corridor to safety and hold it for their escape. Holding the gap open shouldn't be too easy, but doable. And the clock is running But hey, I speculate. Just 'illin til release of more info about the ME (Wags, you listening). Flyby out

I noticed before but the new color threw me. Even as I noticed before I never gave it any thought. The pink color drew my attention, and I was then more curious than before. Thanks for the explanation! :) Flyby out

can't fly yet Sorry, but my system is in parts now awating a rebuild from a lightning strike. processor, video card and ram survived; mobo, psu, and other stuff kaput. :( Good news though! The wife m ay let me upgrade to the next gen chipsets! The old 2.8c and 6800 ultra may have to retire! :beer: Flyby out

ahh.. the venerable "A". Flyby

while dropping the kids off at the pool I figured it must be some sort of system where when all the blocks (5) are gone a person is banned. But maybe there's it's change of color to indicate that a ban is imminent too. I won't worry unless I start gettting outrageous. Thanks for the replies, guys. Flyby out

thanks!!! got it! been there, saved it! Flyby out

that's it It's the warn meter. I see five pink blocks next to the warn meter. what's that about?