brewber19

Hi V1, I overclocked my CPU right from new (about 18 months ago now) so I couldn't tell you how much of an improvement it would make but if we figure that's a 25% overclock....I would expect 10-15% improvement over stock? Its pretty easy to test the effectiveness of your overclock if you record (and benchmark with FRAPS) a track before overclock and same again after. It'll definitely improve performance and as long as you keep the CPU temps below 45 degrees...40 is better...then no worries. An aftermarket CPU cooler is a worthwhile investment ;) Doubt that helps you much but....the E6600 is very overclockable, mine is super stable at that overclock - excellent value for money the E6600 ;)

This sounds like a familiar pissing contest :( Given that all these a/c exist and are in service tells us there is a valid need for both/all roles - end of debate...move on. Some prefer the challenge of fighters and others the different challenges presented by moving mud - celebrate the difference I say. I'll fly them all when each module is released...though I have a preference for air-to-ground ;)

If you already have a dual core, like an Intel E6600 or similar...I wouldnt bother upgrading for DCS until a future version natively/properly supports more than one core. I have an o/clocked E6600 from 2.4Ghz stock to 3.0Ghz (on air) and get mostly 30fps - not much point buying an upgrade for DCS if you have a similar setup (I use an 880GTX gfx card by they way, 2Gb ram on Win XP Pro. Just my 2 cents ;)

Didnt FC mission editor used to have a 'satellite view' which was very useful because it showed treelines etc...dunno why that got removed, it was a useful feature.

Harsh :( It might have been a while, but better to take longer and release a stable product than rush and release a sub-standard product. I remember the original release of Lock On 1.0 and it was awful...1.02 did a pretty good job but not brill. Flaming Cliffs (1.1) was extremely stable and a credit to ED, which I think went a long way to support its longevity. (1.11 and 1.12a was just faffing about changing a few things for those who 'fed back' about missile performance etc...and still stable!) So far DCS BS 1.0 is very stable, and also a credit to ED. I'd still rather they take longer to release a stable product than rush a piece of crap out. I say this as a hugely keen customer of a heli flight sim (I also have 3 collective-pitch radio controlled nitro helicopters...which I think make me a huge heli-fan). ED still get my reps for a stable release. Thanks also to all the testers ;)

LOL! Its only since you mention it that I notice. WOW...you're absolutely right and if I could give ED some reps then I would. This is the first piece of software I've had that hasn't crashed to desktop, even with all my Alt-Tabbing in and out.

Any tips on how to install in DCS? Is it much different to LOMAC?

I seen it...lucky feckers. I have 3 radio controlled helis but none of them have all them gadgets on them. I know what the 3 of mine cost me...so I have an idea of the $$$ hanging on the wall there :eek:

Thanks ED - great stuff; some nice bedtime reading there ;)

Hi Thrasher, TB being able to run in Local Mode vs Client/Server, if memory serves, generally has little to do with the game/application being run and more to do with WinDoze and a 'live' application window losing focus etc. Zorlac, the creator of TouchBuddy, will know the proper technical answer I'm sure. I wouldn't expect ED to include 2D versions of their gfx to make a TB profile easier; you'd probably end up having to screenshot the cockpit in game then pull it all together in Photoshop etc.

So very wrong. As Yellonet said, provided the core is faster = benefit in LOMAC/DCS (same engine) as its more CPU limited than anything else. Give you an example, all on LOFC 1.12, using ProCaff to assign LOFC to core 2: P4 3.2Ghz = average FPS of 16-20 AMD X2 2.2Ghz dual-core = average FPS of 25-35 Intel E6600 2.4Ghz dual core overclocked to 3.0Ghz = average FPS of 40-60 An upgrade of a CPU will give benefit, no question, you just need to do your homework that what you're about to buy is actually an upgrade over what you have currently (and that's no guarantee when you just buy based on the naming scheme of the supplier...for CPUs you need to check clock speed, FSB and L1 & L2 cache). Depends on what mobo etc you currently have but for me the best buy/upgrade is still the Intel Q6600 2.4Ghz which is easily overclocked to a stable 3.0-3.2Ghz on air.

Wasn't there some discussion of post-DCS:BS modules using a different engine that could make use of DX9, multi-core CPUs and various other things? If so, how can 3rd party developments for DCS:BS be compatible with a product that doesn't exist yet? If I've understood correctly, any "mods" for DCS:BS are likely to only be compatible with DCS:BS...since the mods will have been made with that "game engine" in mind...or is that not the case? I'm not a modder (skinner occasionally but...) so I'm ambivalent but either mods for DCS:BS will somehow need to be "future proof" or its actually going to be some time before DCS has an engine that makes use of multi-core/DX9 shaders etc so future proofing not likely to be an issue. Anyone shine a light here or got any thoughts around DCS game engines and the impact of mod-making?

I'm flying radio controlled helicopters... The model is called a T-rex 600n Pro, the 'n' meaning nitro-methanol powered and the 'Pro' meaning 3D capable flying...not me just yet. Its about 1m long, 0.35m tall and has a rotor diameter of 1.35 metres with a headspeed of 1500-2200rpm - not a toy. Anyways, here's some pics of me on my second attempt at flying it but in 25mph winds (very frightening)... (1) The model (2) Engine running, just straightening the blades for a smoother spool-up (yup, that's me...no laughing....or like Ahmed....I KIIIIIIILLLL YOU!) (3) Tentative first steps in 25mph head/side wind... (4) Getting the hang of it now... The pics dont really do it justice but...that's my new hobby! Edit: The orange ball things are training undercarriage, stop it tipping when novices snag the skids on the ground etc...its already saved me about 20 tip-overs...which at £35 a time for a set of blades, very grateful to have them there...even though they do look odd. I've had 32 flights now and comfortable with tail-in and nose-in hovering, done my first loop-the-loop and hammerheads, figure-8s and circuits. Great fun but its only a matter of time before this £700 work of art does a "figure 9" (lawn dart). Anways, that's what keeps me amused.

Ditto mate, hope life is treating you well. I just can't seem to find the time to get online atm but fingers crossed the job calms down (yeah right!).

erm...I disagree. If you're flying the 25/25T you will frequently be using the pedals, usually for minor corrections in cannon runs etc but more often to stop the a/c from wing-stalling in tight turns, or just to maneouvre sharply and stay airborne. Pedals are a must, much better than twisty grip due to longer "throw" of the control, and by not using a twisty grip you avoid any adverse push/pull on the elevator or aileron when you get..er..excited. Mind you, thats just my opinion/experience ;)

CH FTW! I've tried CH and Saitek pedals. As others have mentioned, CH pedals are a little too close together for comfort after 2 hours straight flying BUT...they are much smoother and more precise than the Saitek...and I prefer precision over comfort so, Saiteks got e-bay'd and went back to CH ;) The pots are getting a little dodgy now (2+ years old now I think) so when BS comes out I might replace them with shiny new ones (or replace the pots may be).

that does look sweet. pity it isnt made, or we can't easily retrofit it, with CH gear :(

As much as I am an advocate for A2G, and I voted accordingly, the ground AI is frankly so retarded it isnt even entertaining any more. When I started LO(FC) it was all very challenging...3 years on...not so much. (1) Vehicles carry on in a straight line, no reaction to your presence (2) AAA/SAMS can see you behind terrain, so cant use masking as a tactic (3) AAA/SAMS fire at you at their Rmax...so easy to avoid most sams unless you screw up or there's more than 2 or 3 of them incoming at the same time I'm looking forward to BS...but only for the challenge of the flight model and doing some novel things in a rotary a/c. When I feel I've mastered that, I'll do some skinning etc, may be try my hand at making a movie. I won't be buying BS with any hope of a challenging ground AI because they will behave in exactly the same way I am sure. (they might still kill me, quickly, but thats only because I'll be flying my BS like an ass-hat for the first few months!). I still vote for A2G cos I like to see things get blown up ;)

I hope, but doubt, that installing/uninstalling skins is an easier affair than it is in LO. But hey, thats what TempTextures is for, right? I like IL2s approach to custom skins...just create a folder in the Skins directory, and stick some Bmps in it! Magic...no dicking around with bloody config files etc. Food for thought for ED?

Hi Eagle, exactly like BGP said and to add: In order: B-32: Fire from VERY short range (<500m) as dispersion is high and explosive is small...or 500-1000m if targets are only trucks. B-8: Same tactic as B-32, fire short range to minimise dispersion. B-13: High dispersion but extraordinary impact, excellent against a tight group of vehicles or buildings etc. The B13 is the compromise between the high round-capacity of the lighter rockets and the one-shot S-24 and S-25. Although 5 rounds per pod, it shoots all 5 rounds in one go so...they are a one-shot device. S-24: Heav-ish rocket but difficult to shoot with pin-point accuracy, It has a smaller area of effect that the 25 so you need to hit targets almost spot on. Decent enough against tanks (one-shot kill) if you can hit them ;) (Laser on is the way to go with these, so you pipper is more precise). S-25/L: Super-heavy rockets and excellent as one-shot kills against any ground unit and light ships (bulk carriers and that light AAA ship, Molnya or Albatros, I forget its name). Good against structures but I always prefer a BTAB-250 if I'm after shelters/ammo dumps etc. S-25 is very useful against Vulcan/Shilka and Avenger/Strela if you have no guided munitions or want a bit of head-to-head fun with air defences. They have a wide area of effect so you just need to strike near them...perfect for that banked diving turn and loosing the rocket as your pipper passes through/near the target, before you jink away. S25s have a range of just under 3km...which is the Rmax of the SHORAD units I listed above...so you can go head-to-head with those units and, provided you are going fast enough, launch and bug out (hard) as they launch on you (which is enought to evade the IR missiles and easily evade the AAA). Because they have a large area of effect, you just need to get the rocket to land within 20m of the target and it'll die - they're a good rocket and multipurpose but very heavy though. Hope that helps.

I had the same issue and, for me, it was the mobo itself was failing. I tried a few things, cos I have the occasional spare lying around, and nothing worked so in the end I concluded it was my mobo. I tried changing monitor, changing VGA/DVI lead, changing the gfx card (and slot) and replacing the CMOS battery but nope, the mobo itself had decided to do everything except the VGA. Before you jump to that conclusion though, try as follows: (1) Try another VGA/DVI cable (2) Try another monitor/any other screen that accepts a VGA type connection just to see if you get any video type image from the PC (like the BIOS) (3) Try another GFX card, or the GFX card in another slot (4) Replace the CMOS battery (should be cheap, <4 stirling...unless you buy from PC World...other Brits will know what I mean when I say PC World, Dixons and Currys are absolute thieving bandits when it comes to things like that). (5) Cry and resign yourself to it likely being a mobo issue. Also, have you tried hitting DEL on bootup to get in the BIOS at all? Do you even see the BIOS screen?

You should keep your ECM on during ingress as it reduces the S-300's "Rmax", allowing you to get closer to launch your 58s. The technique Colt recommends is a good one also (keeping ECM on). Don't bother with chaff as it has no effect with the 300. So, ingress at 6000m when 100km out...start gentle descent at 70-75km to pick up speed, and start a gentle "beam", then hold your nerve to get your launch, then do as Colt suggested ;)

CH all the way for me...and believe me, I've had them all! Cost me a frickin fortune (UK prices) and if/when my current CH gear dies...it'll get replaced with CH gear again ;)

I'm thinking there will be whining on both camps...just look at LO/FC...or IL2 or... You get my point. If someone's favourite is perceived to perform poorly its always the software/model etc, never the pilot or the fact that their favourite is just plain inferior. My favourite ride in FC is the Frog. I love the vanilla for its speed and maneouvrability (versus the T!), I love the T for its payload and range, but I acknowledge the Hog is simply far better at eliminating armour while improving survivability for the pilot. (I also acknowledge they're designed for slightly different roles/tasks). The whining is simply part of gaming (it aint just sims) and, in fact, is part of human behaviour so...when the next DCS modules arrive just kick back, grab a beer and try to review the whining with impartiality. (I'll get down from the moral high-ground now, as the air is very thin up and here and its seems to have given me a brain-fart ;))

Nice one Moose. I know the feeling when you finally buy a car you really love. I've had a few cars and, for what I do nowadays (about 26,000 miles per year) my current car is my favourite (BMW 1-series)