blkspade

Something you probably aren't accounting for is how the AI operates compared to human pilots. The AI doesn't setup shots for maximum effectiveness, and will always take the first shot at rMax. Ai opponents will always be easier than humans, when they aren't relying on cheats to make up for flawed programming. That said the F-15 is an air superiority fighter that has been incredible successful in its role IRL. How many F-15s have been shot down by MiG29s IRL? This is a simulator that tries very much to mimic real life. It should not be considered very far fetched that there would be some difficulty engaging Eagles with MiGs. I'm not half bad in the Eagle most days, but really good MiG drivers to get me from time to time.

The problem is in game it actually fires left to right from the body stations first, and is completely unstable from the asymmetry. If I forget to manually sort to my right wing station prior to my first engagement I end up completely screwed.

I wasn't blaming the sim/afm, this was me just trying out the AFM landing for the first time, and realizing a collection of different things for the first time compared to the SFM. I wasn't crazy fast, but I knew I was faster would have liked to have been. The difference in effectiveness of the air brake at low speed probably left me about 30knots faster over the threshold than I would have been with the SFM. There is so much to be appreciated about the F-15 not wanting to bleed speed for a change. There will be more merges in my future.

I've had just 2 bad landings in the F-15. The first one that while the landing was technically good, stopping was drastically different and I ran out of runway. Then there was the first one after setting up the brake axis on my pedals, and forgetting to invert them. I did take the TF-51D for a spin and had a decent landing first try.

I hit the DACT missions pretty hard after every patch to evaluate what i can/need to do versus the enemy's capabilities and how that may have changed. This is pretty much the only function of the single player for me. I convert that into great K/D ratios in MP.

Its logical that the CAS role entails a high probability of having to provide support to troops in close proximity to the enemy. In these situations a cannon produces the least amount of collateral damage. Then I guess it makes even more sense to have something that is designed to fly and maneuver at a slow enough speed to easily surveil an area and employ said cannon, while still being fast enough to not be greatly threatened by small arms fire. To me that sounds like the exact reason you'd want the A-10 over the F-15E, or an attack chopper.

Yeah what SithSpawn said. If FSX is in anyway the solution to boredom from DCS, then I really don't know what you have been doing in DCS. The terrain is something I care about the least in DCS, as it means next to nothing for what the sim is about. Which is of course about a realistic representation of aircraft designed to blow stuff up, or in the case of CA, vehicles designed to blow stuff up. So one patch of digital dirt is as good as the next in that respect. DCS ain't about sight seeing. Doing that with human opponents make the experience so much better. That said the one thing that has bothered me since Lomac is the limited flyable aircraft, particularly US aircraft. There could be more space in which to blow stuff up, but lengthening the time between human interaction could be a turn off to some. That basically makes using tankers pretty much useless, outside of just because you can. Unless I've opted to specifically spend time escorting an AI asset, anytime I need fuel I also need weapons and an airfield is right there. Half the people online would sooner respawn than wait to R&R on the ground.

Yeah there are a couple different videos about that Boeing setup. One they mention that is could be configured helo's, which is probably what is actually being flown on the bulk of that video as opposed to the F-18.

Objects were definitely easier to see on my 47" 1080P TV that I briefly played on, compared to my 27' 1440p monitor. The problem is really the combination of resolution and scale. Its not the tech to provide more realistic visual acuity in a sim doesn't exist, its just prohibitively expensive in the consumer space. ZFFbhKlywK0 If DCS ran more efficiently something like this could be achieved with multiple projectors and screens. It would still be expensive, and you'd have to dedicate a room for it.

This was also an issue on the warthog. The only way around this was with a custom curve on the throttle. Someone posted one somewhere in the forum, but it specific to the Warthog. In 1.2.8 its mostly working with the stock linear settings, but its just shy of full mil if going by engine temp.

Yeah that's why I described it as an 'annoyance', rather than bug. I sensed that it may have been by design, given the -1 lists a missile reject button, which I gather sorts out this issue. If CAS should be handling it, it hasn't been.

There is also some annoying behavior in weapon cycling. I've only noticed it with AIM120s, but when you fire one it auto selects the next one on the same side. Due to the AFM the asymmetry then leaves one side heavy where the aircraft then rolls. You can attempt to trim it out but it never centers. You have to manually cycle through your other missiles to get it to select one on the opposite side.

It seems more logical to have the commands held. Given the nature of the FC aircraft control logic, there are no provisions for the middle positions for the switches on the warthog throttle.

So the speed brake doesn't function the way you expect it to. At first I though it was missing its incremental adjustment capability, but it turns out you have to hit the button to start it moving, and then again to stop it in place. If you have it mapped to the brake switch on the warthog, it becomes slightly more complicated to operate, since the hold position is not recognized. Then the auto-retract causes you to have to cycle back to the off position before you can redploy.

My point was that if the bandit is firing a medium range missile in optimal parameters, a kinematic defeat @ 3nm really isn't going to happen with the AFM. Maybe in a ridiculously low altitude engagement, but there is a good chance the motor would still be burning or just stopping when the missile reaches you. It'll have to be notched or spoofed as opposed to being outrun. I kill bandits at 3-4nm in a full chase.

If an R-77 misses at 3nm, a kinematic defeat is probably not what happened. I think the closest I have ever evaded one was like 6nm. There are specific scenarios where the chaff works really well against the active missiles.

I have felt as if I've gone Super-Saiyan in the F-15 since the AFM, but considering that no A-A missile in the world has ever shot down the F-15, seems legit. There some eventual speed loss and some odd behavior associated with it when holding that 8.0. However after reading the DCS: F-15C desciption page, it makes total sense now.

This is really the by product of pulling too hard too fast, while also being too fast. I am still occasionally making that mistake myself, trying to stay just on the edge of departure. When I do over do it I can usually bring it right back where I need it. Of course the AFM is still being tuned.

Actually I have had the AI do this several times in single player, at close range. I was thinking it was an ET as it was launched without there even being a nail on the RWR, and I sent him defensive immediately, yet the missile continued to track. The debriefing indicated it as being an ER. This was in 1.2.7 when I first noticed it happening. Haven't tested/noticed it yet in 1.2.8.

In general I find issues maintaining lock at range can also be attributed to not being in high PRF. It should also be noted that its almost pointless trying to hit helis with the radar guided missiles. Seeming for the same reasons you end up loosing lock can cause the missile to lose track. Since I almost always carry sidewinders, those will typically get used on helis/strikers if the opportunity presents itself. Save the amraams for more threatening aircraft, or 25Ts trying so run SEAD on my airfield.

The new AFM includes the ability to turn off CAS Pitch, Roll, and yaw.

That's a funny statement considering the 290 cards outperform the nvidia cards in most games at or around the same msrp. If he got it at a non-gouged price, then was a really good choice.

The AMD cards for all intents and purposes are fine in just about everything you listed. They aren't exactly the best performing in DCS, but stuttering could be coming from another source. I haven't tried the 290 specifically but I am currently on 6950(70), and was playing on 7970 that died and needs a RMA. Generally gameplay is very smooth though there are areas that slow down, but in most case those times are times that slow down no matter what hardware you are throwing at it. I couldn't tell you anything about FSX as I stopped trying to play that a very long time ago.

What I was about to say. The 7 is good to have with the intention of being a wasted missile just to push a bandit off a friendly's 6.

If you're in range for flood mode acquisition and have fired before going STT, its not going to matter much for them at that point. You aren't exactly invisible in flood, they'll see you as a close RWR contact regardless and ought to be looking in your direction anyway. So it essentially looks like you have an ET inbound.