sthompson

Thanks Hollywood. Follow up question: Is TX6 available in the F-5 or P-51 with the PTT rotary switch in the "NORMAL" position? I normally leave it in that position and it works fine except for this issue. If TX6 is available with NORMAL PTT mode, do you have any suggestions for debugging why it isn't available on my rig? In case it matters, TX6 is available in those modules when I set the switch to MULTI on my system so the cause has something to do with the difference between NORMAL and MULTI.

Feature request Feature request: I like to use TX6 to talk to the AI when I'm also on voice comms and don't want other players to hear certain VAICOM commands I'm giving, for example Select commands, Option commands, or commands to Jester. But I've found that TX6 is not always available. It makes sense that the TX nodes associated with radios would disappear when there is no corresponding radio, but this does not make sense for TX6. And whether it is present varies from module to module. For example, I can use TX6 in the Hornet and the F15 but not in the F5 or P51. Would it be possible to make it always available when PTT is set to NORMAL?

Hollywood, with all due respect (and I mean that because I'm a big fan of VAICOM), the description in the manual implies that VAICOM will switch dynamically between talking to the AI and talking to SRS/VC when "Mic to Human Players" is deselected. For example page 25 of the manual says... The plugin integration with both VoiceChat and SRS takes the above into account. VAICOM PRO remote-controls the microphone listening states for SRS and VoiceChat dynamically, based on behavior preferences set on the MP page. Behavior settings (applies to both VC and SRS) When the Integration options are enabled, the settings under header HUMAN/AI CHANNELS determine behavior. • Mic to Human Players DISABLED: Select this if you don’t want your talks to AI units to be heard by fellow players on the same frequency. ENABLED: Select this if you’re OK with people listening in on your talks to AI. But in fact when you disable this option you can't talk to anyone on SRS at all. There is no dynamic switching at all as nearly as I can tell. Before these options were available I would use SRS and VAICOM simultaneously with the same PTT setup. That seemed to work fine, and was essentially the same behavior as enabling "Mic to Human Players" and "Mic to AI Units." However it did have the downside of broadcasting various commands that were for VAICOM itself, and not for units. (Options, or Select, for example, as well as ARIO commands to Jester.) Not really a complaint since it's possible to use VAICOM just as before. But the manual seems to promise more than is delivered, so I'm writing in the spirit of feedback.

+1. Anyone who says otherwise probably hasn't tried the I-16.

Voice Attack has the ability to have nested profiles. So if you nest a profile for the ARIO commands in the main VAICOM Pro profile then all of the ARIO commands will be available with no need to explicitly copy them into the VAICOM Pro profile. This has the advantage that if just the ARIO profile changes then those changes will be available in the main profile automatically. There are rules that determine precedence when the commands in a nested profile conflict. See the Voice Attack manual for details. I don't currently have it available.

Question about new MP options: The manual describes "Mic to Human Players" DISABLED as "Select this if you don’t want your talks to AI units to be heard by fellow players on the same frequency." Can this work even when the same PTT key is being used for VAICOM TX and SRS radio? (If not, what is the recommended PTT configuration?) If so, does VAICOM block transmission over the SRS radio while it tries to detect a command? If so, does that introduce a delay when I'm talking to a fellow player? Some examples of use with different setups would be helpful. BTW, have you thought about integration with Discord or Teamspeak PTT as well? Thanks so much for this incredible product Hollywood!

I have some trouble learning the more complicated AI communications flows. 'd love to see a collection of AI Comms tutorials to include, for example ATC JTAC Flight Tanker Carrier / Supercarrier F-14 Jester Ship FARP Some of these should be pretty easy, but I'm not sure I understand the new carrier comms for example. I'm a user of Voice Attack and VAICOM PRO to talk to the AI, and it would especially awesome to see some tutorials using this amazing tool.

Exit VA, rename the ario dll file to have a different extension (e.g. .backup)or move it outside the VA folders (a subfolder will not work) and restart VA. Jester will return. I agree it would be nice to have a switch inside VAICOM to switch back and forth but apparently Hollywood hasn't been able to implement that. It isn't clear to me why you would ever disable ARIO via the control panel since then you have neither ARIO nor Jester.

You have to ask chief to connect air supply first. Did you do that?

If you mean that the columns in the controller pages are not in the order you prefer then yes, I have that issue using my CH setup. It would be nice if you could specify the order or move them around. On the other hand, they seem to come up consistently, if not in the order I would have chosen if I could, and so you get used to this quickly. Hover on the column headings before making any changes so that you know which controller you are assigning to the function. And if a change doesn't "take" then probably it's because you are trying to make it in the wrong column.

In response to question about F-15 training missions... Never? I have some recollection that there used to be some training videos bundled with the module (not interactive training missions) but that they disappeared a number of years ago on one of the updates when new training missions were released for the Russian FC3 jets. They were recordings of training missions voiced over by Wags that were based on much older versions of DCS and FC3, so perhaps no longer completely accurate, but still better than the "nothing" that seems to be the current distribution. Am I imagining this? Relatedly, I've seen mentioned in some threads the suggestion that perhaps you do get training missions if you purchase the F-15 on a standalone basis. Is that true? If so is there a way to get them if a current FC3 owner?

In my experience both matter. Furthermore, it's essential to have a good microphone, preferably on a headset.

Or you are paying (completely) today for what you might have tomorrow. (The Hawk was cancelled while still in EA. The Viggen has been in EA for almost 3 years.) The problem with the current EA model is that the company has no financial incentive to continue development at a reasonable pace if most of the money customers are going to spend on a module is collected up front. That's especially true if the unfinished parts are technically more challenging, and thus more expensive, to finish, which seems to be the norm. While I've been pretty happy with the pace of development of the Hornet so far, I will not be surprised if development slows and the release of some promised features is delayed indefinitely. I'm not blaming the engineers, but financial incentives matter, and the developers are deluding themselves if they think they are somehow exempt from that reality.

I don't think that tells us much about what will be available at launch or when we can expect the rest. ("As much as possible" is pretty vague.) Furthermore, it misses the point that none of this information is on the product information pages where you actually sell the product. For example, the product information "Details" page for the Viper advertises that the module will have "Dozens of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons and sensors. From simple rockets to high-tech GPS and laser-guided bombs, experience what only F-16C pilots have experienced ‘til now." But it's clear from Wags' thread that many of those advertised capabilities will not be there until sometime during phase II at some unspecified future date. You could be more transparent and forthcoming on the sales site. Your customers have a right to know that they are licensing an unfinished product, and they shouldn't have to browse these forums to find out. Disclosure of EA status should be prominent on every product information page that describes features or products still in development.

Then your counting needs some work. Admittedly ED is inconsistent in saying which modules are EA and which are not. If you go to https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/products/planes/?SHOWALL_1=1 and search for "early access" then only the hornet is listed as EA. But if you go to https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/shop/modules/?SHOWALL_1=1 and search for "early access" you will get hits on 10 modules, including every new plane released since the Viggen (except for the Viper, which is NOT labelled Early Access), and also the WWII asset pack.

So will the Viper be Early Access when released? There is no mention of that one way or the other on the product information pages at digitalcombatsimulator.com. If the pre-purchase is for an unfinished module it seems ED should be disclosing that on the order and product information pages and indicating which of the advertised "key features" will or will not be included in the initial release. And I'm wondering if there is any internal timeline for taking the VIper or other modules out of EA. As nearly as I can tell, every new plane released since the Viggen is in EA status, and the Viggen is pushing 3 years old.

I used to get the weekly newsletter by email but they stopped arriving some time ago and I can't figure out how to sign up again. I had assumed they were no longer sent, but some people today suggest they are still getting the emails. So how do I sign up? Is there a sticky for this?

Um, that is CSS mode! CSS is the mode you are in when the AP is engaged but none of the other modes are selected on the UFC.

Not according to NATOPS manual, which specifies that behavior for CSS autopilot mode, but not for ATTH. ATTH is attitude hold and should hold any attitude (within certain limits), not heading.

Not on those maps, but Vegas baby on NTTR! And Hoover dam nearby.

Cribob: Your reply quoted above was to a question about whether the Guard channel works in the DCS Hornet. I'm a bit unclear about the reply. What exactly can't be read? If I manually tune 243.000 on radio 2 and so do others should we be able to communicate? I tried this last night (after not using SRS for some time) and it appeared that I was transmitting. Also in the SRS overlay window it showed me transmitting. Also the 243.000 in that window would go green when I transmitted and occasionally white (when others were transmitting?) but I couldn't hear others at all.

Search for flight manuals online suggests that CSS will maintain magnetic heading, NOT roll angle, if the roll angle is less than 5 degrees when engaged, and that roll inputs (whether stick or trim hat) in this configuration adjust heading, not roll. Same source says that CSS maintains roll angle if the angle exceeds 5 degrees when engaged, and in this case it operates just like ATTH. In contrast, ATTH always maintains roll angle. I have no idea if this distinction is modeled in the sim. I'm not near my rig to try it out.

You do realize that DCS is a free download, right? Comes with two free full fidelity planes and a fully featured Caucuses map. Plus other modules are on sale right now and you can pick up some of them for a few dollars.

Mig-15 is pretty easy to learn.

NATOPS warns that an uncommanded pitch up after takeoff can occur if the aircraft senses weight on wheels (WOW) after liftoff due to a failure. The described cause is that the nose-up takeoff trim is not trimmed out by the FCS in this case, causing pitch up as the plane accelerates. It also warns that the pitch up rate increases if flaps are moved to AUTO. I wonder if this is somehow related.