dumgrunt

thanks heaps for the input fellas! There, learnt something, I thought crossfire and SLI were the same thing. I have always preferred Nvidia to AMD, but it seems that DCS is happy with AMD since 1.5, and from what I am reading AMD provides better value for money at the moment? I will look at a bigger PSU too. Thanks again!

After 4 years of faithful (yet steadily degrading) service of my Toshiba P750 with its GT540M 1GB card, it obviously wont be able to run DCS 1.5-2.0; hence its time for an upgrade. I have always preferred laptops, but the transformation from a nomadic into a settled home environment obviates the need for portability. That and the fact laptops seem to cost twice as much for half the given ability. On the back end of a three month holiday and impending nuptials, bang for buck is key, but with the possibility of expanding later, such as SLI/Crossfire and overclocking. If not already blatantly obvious, I know bugger all about computers, but I thought that starting with a good motherboard, and looking for a second hand midrange GFX card will keep performance reasonable, cost down, and later upgrading possible. After some research and perusing the computer build wiki on Whirlpool, i have come up with: CPU: Intel Core i5 6600K $316 MOBO: Gigabyte GA-B150M-D3H $129 RAM: Corsair Vengeance Lpx 8Gb (2X4gb) Ddr4 Dram 2133Mhz C13 Memory Kit – Red $91 SSD: OCZ 240 GB Internal SSD SATA 6Gb/s 2.5" ARC 100 $106 HDD: Seagate Desktop HDD 1 TB Internal hard drive SATA 6Gb/s 3.5" 7200 rpm ST1000DM003 $80 GPU: GTX 970 $350-$400 second hand Case: Corsair Carbide Series 200R Mid tower - No power supply $85 PSU: Antec VPF 650W PSU 80+ Bronze $107 DVD-RW drive $20 All coming in at a smidge under $1300AUD. I can source peripherals cheaply elsewhere, not looking at a multi screen set up, but may consider Occulus rift in the medium term. I was intending on Win 8.1 for the OS. Does this look like a reasonable build? Are the any incompatibilities, or nonsensical hardware matches? I have also looked at second hand and new gaming rigs on gumtree and ebay, but even with 4000 series i5 or i7, and a 960 GFX card, its hard to find anything under 2 grand. Any help, or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Cheers :D

Re 5. I would say that the operator is referring to a specific sub unit group of various call signs. there are fixed and "coded" C/S. Fixed don't change, "coded" C/S do. They aren't always used, think of them like an extra layer of security on top of encryption. Without the "instructions" for the specific task, as has been speculated a red flag ex, it would be impossible to know who they are specifically referring to. Code words can also refer to places, events, specific groups/elements/individuals in the AO, or anything really that might come from the boss.

I'm not sure where you studied history dude... You refer to the contra affair. involved about 500 tow missiles. not exactly a war winner for a conflict that was spread over almost 10 years, and the yanks sure werent happy about it. the supply from the west went far beyond small covert amounts. It went into substantial amounts on weapons, energy (uranium), but more importantly technology like force multipliers, radar and missile systems, not to mention substantial aid for CBNRD weapons. Its major suppliers from the west included France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, the UK and the USA. not to mention the BILLIONS AND BILLIONS of dollars other Sunni nations were pumping into Iraq (or did you forget the REAL reason why the Gulf War started?). Not forgetting to mention the substantial support that Iraq was receiving from both the USSR and the PRC. Yes the contract for the F-14 included some local support facilities, which were largely sabotaged by departing US personnel when the coup kicked off, along with maintenance equipment, and the aircraft themselves. And what was "groomed to be the strongest Air force in the region", like I said were more or less exterminated, or exiled. If you had any association with the pre-revolution regime, you were tortured then executed, bar a couple of exceptions. not exactly a massive talent pool, or broad experience base to fight a high intensity war with. in fact most of the pre revolution iran air force that made it out alive are in diaspora in Turkey and Syria. So back to my point. What the Iranian Air Force acheived in the Iraq-Iran with the F-14 is nothing short of amazing. The IRAF F-14s were up against the latest fighter aircraft from both the Soviets and the French. It probably single handedly stoped the Iraqi's from ever gaining air dominance over Iran. My point is also that the IRAF operations with the F-14 are the main providence the aircraft has regarding its intended role. the Bombcat is all very well, but the F-14 was originally designed to be the best money could buy interceptor and fighter aircraft. Which is exactly how the IRAF used it. It really is a shame that we will never know exactly what the F-14's true operational history is.

I think alot of people underrate what exactly the IRAF achieved in the Iraq-Iran war. Not only had they just suffered a massive purge (the majority of their experience base was literally taken out the back and shot) they were using their F-14s unsupported from the OEM source, and fighting against a foe that was enjoyed significant support from BOTH the Eastern and Western superpowers. If half even the shit what is said to have occurred is true, then they really did achieve something astounding. most significantly is the "record" of the IRAF success with the phoenix. since the f-14 and the Aim54 were complementary. the USN only fired it once in anger, and it failed the fire. The USN might have flown more sorties, but dont take away from what the IRAF did in a high intensity conventional state on state conflict, in what was a fair fight... not overrunning a defunct (iraq) or non existent (Afghanistan) government in a matter of weeks, then leaving the ground forces to mop up the resistance and start a long COIN war.

I really dont get why people get upity about 40 bucks for a QUALITY simulation like what DCS offers. most games in this country get sold at 80-100 buck on release. I paid $60 for a hard copy of A-10C in 2012, and in terms of bang for buck enjoyment. Its probably the best 60 bucks I have ever spent. And out of all the games I have brought over the years it has undoubtedly provided the best replay value. The only reason why I have stopped playing it recently is because I have had t make a concerted effort to get back into real life pursuits. I would happily pay $200 for a full ASM PFM f-18, I would happily pay $400 for a full ASM PFM f-14, cause DCS is the closest i can ever get to flying one. seriously, for the amount of work the devs put into these projects, i think at least $50 per copy isnt asking to much. I reckon DCS products are way underpriced as they are. And remember if they stop making a buck out of them, they will simply stop making them.

fly-by smly-by. On my bikes and cars, I hate any ABS or traction control, because it limits what I CAN do with the vehicle. so it seems the lesson is, don't be shit, and win the fight? :P On a serious note, that was a very interesting post. The tomcats fickle handling certainly seemed to cost a lot of lives and airframes. But the overall result seems not much different to say the tests done between the F-4 and the MIG-21 where the contest was invariably determined on pilot skill, not the air frame. But in saying that it is very true the military is always looking for ways to reduce its training liability, FBW is a perfect example. would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the design came out 10 years latter when FBW was becoming the norm in US fighters. It seemed the TF30 was a bag thing the tomcat inherinted from the VFX, the good thing being the AWG-9/Phoenix. It sure worked on the F-111, but mainly straight line, high speed 200ft AGL was what was called for, not ACM.

check out that wingflex... the tomcat Aim54 combo definitely kept the soviet naval air arm on their toes, (so they must not have thought it was a rubbish weapon) but in USN service it didn't have any providence. It would be really interesting to see how the weapon ACTUALLY performed in the Iraq-Iran war.

best day ever.

the ballistics of the weapons employment will dictate the optimum HOF. default is 1800ft. HOF is changed in the stores menu on the DSMS page. 300ft is ok only if you are using a low altitude loft (yes it is possible with the A-10C) which in some threat pictures may be required. 500ft is what I set as my default for most situations. I find it works quite well for most low and medium altitude engagements. 700ft is required if you are doing a high altitude release, reason being the the weapon will be in an almost 90 degree nose down attitude and at high speed when it deploys. the pucks need time to deploy and activate. the lower the deployment altitude the better, since it gives a target less time to move out of the weapon's envelope, and it will make the sub-munitions less susceptible to wind.

i have never noticed a slew range difference. the main problem as eluded to is that there is no cue on the HUD when in A2A mode, but the TGP will bore sight in the normal manner. If you are hunting helos, A2G mode is better (as is using mavericks instead of AIM-9s, IR impervious and if it hits it WILL splash the target). I even use A2G mode if I am looking for fighters with the TGP, it is harder to get the initial track, but I find it overall easier to use.

the whole point of the operation is to keep intervention to an absolute minimum. We had a RAAF spokesperson on the telly a couple of weeks being probed about the legitmacy of the operation. They opined that: "if the coalition wanted to finish this in two weeks it could, but the point is to contain it to being an Iraqi problem, with an Iraqi solution" Dropping bombs in Syria was an important facet of degrading ISIS, the quickest cleanest, and most effective way of doing that was with F-22s. why use a mace when a razor will do, especially when using a mace will potentially broaden the conflict, and undermine the very objectives you are trying to achieve. So far as the A-10s are concerned, id say the reason why they havent deployed sooner is that it wasnt known if it would be a long term operation, now that much is apparent. That and ISIS are changing their tactics, avoiding advancing in large "formations" in open terrain, whereby the A-10 characteristics are best suited to search and destroy. not to mention a major push by the iraqi military is probably looming.

wow, isnt she a bit of a pig compared to the Eagle? love it.

and that was flown by an airforce that had just had its experience base gutted by the post revolutionary purge, was recieving no technical support or upgrades, AND was fighting an enemy that was being supported by no less than 5 super powers...

terrain detail is not the problem. the current map has OFP LOD essentially, which considering the the scale and the purpose (air sim) is pretty bloody good. the main issue is accurately simulating ground warfare, in particular the relationship between the various arms, little lone tactics, protection, weapons effects, then in addition the real world detailed stuff like active and passive protection measures, concealment and cover. I could go on an on... ARMA is leaps and bounds ahead of DCS in this regard and it is (in term of DCS air vs AMRA ground) arcade compared to DCS. Its no bloody good having a DCS A-10C level abrams set in a "street fighter '89" standard battlefield. you would be pissing into the wind.

the roles are distinct, although as mentioned air superiority generally entails the ability to intercept. the interceptor needs speed, time to altitude, and traditionally did this at the sacrifice of endurance. the "modern" definition probably encompasses very long range BVR missles, ie what the MIG-25/31 and the F-14 would carry. The air superiority fighter needs performance in most flight regimes, and endurance. the F-86 was the last purpose designed air superiority fighter until the F-15, although the F-14 was "both" at the expense of a massive maintenance liability. As pointed out though the distinction is perhaps no longer helpful, look at the F-4 and the Mig-21. Both aircraft were designed as interceptors in response to the tactical problem of the 50's (mass bomber formations) but were instead used as dog-fighters in the 60's and 70's. It would also be very interesting to hear what actually happened when the F-14s and the F-15s engaged in DACT exercises. since the F-14 was more of a compromise than the Eagle. I've heard multiple stories that one or the other beasted the opponents, but nothing in concrete...

planning hinges on three main considerations... Mission: CAS, interdiction, armed recon? if target areas are known, set up waypoints as "target reference points", then you can slave the sensor to that point, same applies using mark points if the JTAC is kind enough to send your mission via datalink. set your load out appropriately. expecting that you are going to have to clear some AD, take MAVs, and mix it up between the IR the EO, learn how to use force correlate. interdiction of convoys? take CBU 97s. dont know what you are facing? mix it up. dont take the kitchen sink however, since if you get into poo and cant maneuver, you will have to jettison all that shit anyway. threat picture: CAP, SAM AAA? if you just have a manpads threat, by all means keep you arse above FL12 AGL... but if you are facing a serious SAM or CAP threat, regardless of the strike package, keep your nose in the weeds, except maybe for short periods to scan your route and target area for threats and targets. The A-10 isnt really great for lofting, but learn how to do it anyway, it can be quite effective with CBU-97/CBU105 in CCRP flying at 300knts, much better than doing a standard bombing profile and overflying the target. terrain: use it. conceal your approach; give yourself an escape option if approaching a target area and someone rudely throws something nasty your way. RADAR no matter how gucci cant see through terrain. all this will shape your approach to the target, flying at 90 degrees to the approach of friendly forces is best practice. if there arent any friendly forces in the area, fly from the angle which mitigates the risk best. locating them quickly comes down to mission planning, and using the sensors at your disposal.

those are some stunning photos, thanks for sharing.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=116544 for the record, i think the idea is balls.

They would be an EFP or shaped charge nature of munitions. And being sensor fuzed. It's no wonder it's tearing up older MBTs. The weakest point on top are the crew hatches, by the virtue that they must be light enough for the crew to lift them. If an EFP hit the hatch it would bounce around inside shredding the crew and likely hitting the ammo bin, after which there will not be much left. Thats the whole reason why the tanks get obliterated, the secondary explosion, a submunition (or even something substantial like a jav or Metis) would not disintegrate a tank on its own. The t-64s were a formibable peice of kit, the Russians never exported them, I think even their issue within the USSR was restricted.

I would give my left nut and my first born for an f-111c.

hmmm, sea of japan or east china sea would kill two birds with one stone; in terms of a period map for the sabre and fagot, while putting a US aircraft carrier into its current "pivot" and what is very much a potential flashpoint. All for a good deal of the same terrain building work. middle east... meh.

I was seriously considering calling it quits, but after this UPDATE I am bullsh*t excited. It might a massive (and erroneous) assumption, but if ED are deferring work on the Normandy map (which already have a number of assets and modules, and we saw the early map builds last year) for the hornet map, it might be fair to say that it is much closer than those cockpit pics would otherwise suggest. Besides its the systems and not the cockpit model which are the greatest amount of work. BEST. UPDATE. EVER.

same aircraft from a different view, and what they did the next day :D

Just out of curiosity, is there a standard "big night"? Sundays were always a big night for ArmaII, and I remember Sundays and Tuesdays generally had a few dudes (and dudettes?) playing, but the few times ive been on in the last few months it was very quiet.