BeachAV8R

Yeah. I'm a "bounce the rubble" kind of guy. I'm also a big fan of cat & mouse..which is why helicopters have always appealed to me. I don't mind flying for 30 minutes NOE trying to get into position for a few good shots. The tension and flying are what I really enjoy. I really hope the payware DLC takes off and we can see some great Su-25T, A-10A/C, and Ka-50 campaigns. I'm also really hoping to see some Su-33 work done by ED with regards to AFM and maybe getting some campaigns in that arena. The only thing that competes with helos in my mind is carrier ops. Love that stuff.. Thanks for the comments. I'm going to finish up The Ultimate Argument this week I hope and might have a few more summary type comments (without spoilers though). Regards, BeachAV8R

I'm gonna give this a whirl tonight. Always enjoy your stuff StrongHarm. Was pleasantly surprised to come across some of your stuff on Armaholic the other day (I'm actually very much enjoying flying helos in Arma2/3).. Regards, BeachAV8R

Here are some first look impressions of this fantastic campaign (caution..spoilers!): AAR #01: HERE! AAR #02: HERE! AAR #03: HERE! AAR #04: HERE! Really nice job on this campaign.. I'd like to see more of this type of thing (DLC missions, campaigns, utilities, skins, etc..) BeachAV8R

Indeed. It is very well done with the voiceovers and the briefing maps and just the general flow. I'm impressed and think it is a great value. Can't wait to fly mission #5... BeachAV8R

I noticed that the wingman tends to go in and out of burner when trying to hold position. And sometimes even throwing out speedbrake. I think maybe keeping the lead throttle at 90% or something will give him more buffer to not go into burner. I've found that by doing that I'm having better success at him not running out of gas. That said, there should be absolutely no reason for him to be ejecting due to lack of fuel. They do need to fix this and at the bare minimum have him divert of his own accord when he is too low on fuel. Well, many heavy jets have what is called "breakaway" thrust where the weight on the wheels actually causes them to be sort flat on the bottom. Even the light Citation I fly (16,500 lbs) has this behavior that you have to add a good bit of thrust to breakaway and start rolling, after that you can reduce throttle pretty much to idle and you'll keep moving. I don't know if the breakaway thrust is accurate for the Su-27, but it is probably something that actually happens to some degree or another. BeachAV8R

AAR #4 Posted: HERE! This is the last one I'm planning to do - despite wanting to do more. I figure this has given a good enough glimpse into the DLC. I'm definitely going to be flying the rest of the campaign though. It is a lot of fun... BeachAV8R

WINGMAN -> ENGAGE -> ENGAGE MY TARGET :thumbup: Honestly though..the Su-27 carries so many damn missiles, I just flood my target until he gives up out exhaustion. <g> BeachAV8R

AAR #3 has been posted: HERE! BeachAV8R

Hmm..I just finished mission #3 - but The AI definitely needs some work...(not in the campaign, just overall) BeachAV8R

This is a problem. Just a bit of negative G without pressing any buttons is causing me to black out, and the plane enters some sort of scripted inverted behavior. I've had it happen twice on the last five missions.. The fact that you can't eject or anything means something wonky is going on... I just spent 40 minutes flying a mission only to have it all for nothing because I bunted the nose slightly to join up with another flight... I wasn't hitting any buttons or anything... Very frustrating.. BeachAV8R

Yeah - that would be nice to fly this in MP... BeachAV8R

That's nice to hear..! The Shark is my first love... <g> BeachAV8R

Link to 2nd AAR: HERE! BeachAV8R

My first blush thoughts and an AAR on the first mission. I could be wrong about some stuff and I'll post up changes as I encounter them through the campaign... The Ultimate Argument AAR #01 BeachAV8R

Awesome. I've got enough airplanes..I'll pay for any kind of campaign type DLC or even $1 a mission or whatever. I wish they'd do something similar for the Ka-50.. I wonder if they have a plan to keep all those triggers working as the Mission Editor evolves. That has always been a concern for mission makers.. BeachAV8R

Hmm..what is that one? Got a link? BeachAV8R

Agreed.. I love these discussions and it's interesting to read what other people envision for the future of DCS World..

I'm hopefully with things like the base inventory system, cargo and resupply flights might become more important in the future. IE - if the cargo flight doesn't get through, the fighters based at that station will quickly run out of ordnance or fuel or similar. There are people that play ARMA online who exclusively pilot helicopters to insert and extract troops (and direct fuel trucks and repair vehicles or drive them themselves..) - that is the similar system I envision for DCS World - civil aviation minded guys flying mission in "support" of the combat type pilots. How cool would it be if you landed your damaged helo out in the boonies and a cargo helicopter came and dropped of a mechanic and supplies to fix you up? Maybe a pipe-dream, but who knows! BeachAV8R

I still believe that if you pull a civil mindset person into DCS World flying a Caravan, you might find the introduction to a combat type environment will help them crossover into combat aircraft. And I agree with the assessment about the flight models. When the Su-25T was released way back when, I became a big believer in the fluidity and dynamic feel of DCS. Then the Ka-50 hit and I was like..whoa! While I still fly FSX and X-Plane, I'm a bigger fan of DCS and hope it will expand and nibble away at the margins of those. Regarding the maps - again it might be a lose some, gain some type of scenario for MP. I mean, how many people have we lost over the last two decades due to continuously flying over the same geography (granted, with graphical upgrades over that period). New maps might split the community a bit, but I tend to believe it will bring back people that left, and probably lure in people that never flew it before. (Particularly if we are talking about a Middle East map at some point..) One thing I do know..DCS is fast approaching my dream of a real modular system that was our fantasy way back in the Jane's days. Remember JF-15 and JF-18 menus - they had the option for selecting campaign areas but they never got past adding anything after the initial release. With DCS World - I'm optimistic that we are going to see expansion and continued development. That's a good thing in my book. BeachAV8R

PS - These opinions in no way negate my opinion that ED should put the F/A-18 at the top of the priority list. <g>

True story - I've gotten out of both the Citations I fly and the King Airs at various points in my career with my legs shaking a bit. Stupid decisions, unforecast weather, mechanical malfunctions..all of that can combine to make even the most ordinary flight extraordinary. I've got some of those moments highlighted in my logbook.. :) BeachAV8R

I'm fairly certain that triggers of victory conditions can be set for doing something like landing an aircraft at an airport or in a certain zone. (Don't quote me on that..) Regarding limited MP environment - well, I think we are already seeing a bit of that with the vast array of modules available. There are going to be people that don't buy certain modules that will result in them being excluded from certain MP content. I don't know that there is any way to avoid that though. I mean, mission makers can be as inclusive as they can be, but the one guy that only buys the P-51 and wants to fly it in all MP missions is going to be severely limited by those mission designers that don't want to include the P-51 in their modern aircraft scenario (and I don't blame them). It will be interesting to see going forward whether more DCS modules results in a bigger community, or just a small and fractured one. BeachAV8R

Man, if I could have a C-17 that I could fly low-level to another airbase through enemy territory with a top cover..I'd be signing up in a second. Night, low level, NVGs, watching out for MANPADs. Maybe even a troop drop or cargo drop over an airfield. If your CAP gets shot down can you stay hidden enough in the valleys while the fighters search for you? DCS World needs dirt strips and C-130s.. :joystick: BeachAV8R

The problem with your hyperbolic statement ("sightseeing the Grand Canyon in a Cessna") is that you already have people that fly DCS that never pull a trigger. It's hard to fathom for you because you have a narrow view of what DCS World should be..and that isn't wrong..it's just the way you personally view it. There were 18 people last night on one server flying aerobatics in multiplayer. Sometimes the flying trumps the combat. And again, sucking resources from ED - at what cost though? A bigger, more inclusive environment for the combat pilots to fly in? More money from their licensing agreements with those third parties? More targets for combat pilots? More infrastructure for combat pilots? :cry: BeachAV8R

Well, again, taking a page from FSX development, people vote with their wallets. The vast difference in quality/completeness between something like Wilco and Level-D offerings is evident in their pricing, and overall acceptance in the community. It is almost self policing. And again, I don't think there is an aversion by most to FC3 level quality of modeling when it comes to expanding DCS World. Sure, you'll get the purists howling that not every switch and button is modeled, but you'll get plenty on the other side that rather enjoy flying something like the A-10A or Su-27 as presented in FC3. Different strokes for different folks so to speak, but they can all be brought under the DCS World umbrella. I'm predicting - it is only a matter of time before we see a Grand Caravan or Cessna 172 in DCS World. BeachAV8R