Extranajero

I just don't understand the resistance to labels. I wonder if it's because many server owners don't understand the difference between the huge and horrible default labels - with all that text - and a carefully designed custom dot. If it's " realism " then they are barking up the wrong tree. I had experience of spotting aircraft in real life when flight training and once your brain is attuned to detecting an aircraft then you can spot them at greater distances than I can on my screen in DCS. In real life you are using all sorts of cues that don't exist in our computer world, so adding a dot to help seems like the best option to me. I'm sure spotting will improve as DCS evolves, I'm not going to make any suggestions as to how because it's been done to death for years and I'm damn sure ED are considering a whole range of options. Or not :D

So we STILL have a dedicated night attack aircraft that is completely useless at night and can't use Mavericks no matter what the time of day. I don't care about switch animations and warning light logic, how about fixing the important issues instead ? What's the excuse this time ?

I just had a test session with the 109 and a P-47 flown by a friend. We have a similar amount of time in the aircraft ( not much ) and a similar overall level of ability. I flew smoothly, co-ordinated the turns carefully and he could not touch me, I could have shot him multiple times in the course of the fight. I took two things away from the fight... 1 :- The P-47 dives like a piano falling off a high rise building, I am very glad I was behind him when he dove. 2 :- The BF109K is a killer if it's flown as you suggest PS - I was also flying on a server without MW50

OK, I thought you might be one of those people who thinks everything should be done exactly their way. I hate being told what I can and can't do. Thankfully no-one like that has appeared on this thread yet. ;) Phil's server is his own, and he sets the rules - as it should be. I think he's flat out wrong about spotting, but apart from that I appreciate everything he's done and continues to do for the online WW-2 flying community. Interesting you mention that other sim, I have no issues with labels off spotting in it ( apart from it being difficult ) although one of the reasons spotting is easier is that it doesn't look as good graphically. If I wanted an online WW-2 dogfighting experience, then I'd just fly in that sim. DCS has much much more to offer me though. But we aren't meant to talk about other flight sims...

YOU might prefer this approach, others might not. Read my previous post and then think about this - you won't see an object if you aren't looking for it - riding a motorcycle has taught me that. A grey dot is difficult enough to spot anyway and can get lost in terrain, overcast, against a dark sea. I'm not advocating for bright coloured labels here.

And the idea of dot labels being unrealistic is crazy, in the context of WW-2 at least. Everyone on a public server is scooting around at treetop height because they know that it makes them very difficult to spot from above and gives them a way better chance of spotting another plane if it is silhouetted against the sky. I have flown a lot on servers where the sky above a few thousand feet is completely empty until you get to 20k feet, where you may find some AI bombers. Every real world set of rules for air fighting - until the dawn of the SAM - stresses height as being one of the fighter pilots primary advantages and aircraft development reflected this.

I didn't realise that under some conditions VR users got an advantage...that's interesting Shadoh. I don't really mind users of different devices seeing a little better than me, if I can at least see something - before its way too close to react properly.

Grey dots rarely show up through the cockpit. They also disappear in ground clutter. Clouds aren't synced in multiplayer anyway - you might think you are hiding, but you might not be. Dot labels also provide a level playing field, despite what your equipment is, whether it's 4K or 1080, or one of those magic buckets you wear on your head. It seems to me that some people don't want a level playing field in terms of spotting.

So many people have 4K monitors now and spotting in DCS when using one is awful. Everything else looks great in 4K, but you can't see a plane until it's right in front of you. If people don't like the labels then they have the option to turn them off, the grey unobtrusive dots seem best to me.

This is on a level with a Chucks guide, which means it's superb...

Because I don't want to go through the whole process if I don't have the information I need to hand, or the procedure is too complicated compared to some other way of giving my friend a gift.

As the title really :)

Yes, exactly why they are capable of things that we can't do is a side issue. They just need to be fixed.

F190D compared to our opponents :- Spitfire : The D-9 was better in level flight, climb and dive. It was slightly inferior in turns. Tempest : Almost equal in level flight, a lengthy pursuit was usually fruitless. The D-9 climbed and turned better, but was inferior in a dive. Mustang : The two aircraft were about equal in normal combat maneuvers, which was an advantage for us compared to the A-8. The Mustang was rather faster in a dive. Thunderbolt : With the Dora-9 we had advantages in level flight, climb and turn. We were hopelessly inferior in a dive ( never try to dive from a Thunderbolt. ) Lt Ossenkop JG.26 'Schlageter'

MAD-MM :- those graphs you show - where did you find those ? did you make them yourself using Tacview data ? Thanks so much for posting them anyway

How will it affect you, if you don't use it ?

So I'm not crazy then MAD-MM ? I didn't think so :smilewink: I do realise that DCS isn't like that other sim, where everything is more or less balanced, because the focus is on online competitive dogfighting. I prefer the DCS model. I only know the basics of the mission editor, but that idea of yours sounds great, I'll ask a mate of mine how he uses triggers so I can vary things a little to add interest. Great idea :)

That's good because the irony of being told to 'can the attitude' by possibly the most self important, opinionated and arrogant member of this forum ( I may not post much, but I do read ) was a treat :D

#1 - A few did. They tended to last about as long as I do in MP :D #2 - Can we leave the history and tactics of WW2 combat - and the performance of the various models of FW-190 out of this ? let's just assume I already know this and then we are on the same page. #3 - Yes, I know. I think the best comment I have read about flying the D9 is someone who said he flew it " like it has a crate of eggs in the cockpit " or something like that. I wish I could remember where I'd read it and who it was. I'd like to pick that guys brains. #4 - Kills aren't something I am particularly bothered about, although they are nice. It's a learning experience for me, a way to explore aviation history by taking part in - I don't know what you'd call it - maybe ED's own description of DCS as a sandbox is the best. The issue I am struggling to understand is the variance between the DCS FW190D in my own experience and the historical ones success. my edit :- No, I'm far from a 'nub' - check out the date I joined this forum - I just rarely bother to post anything. I've been a DCS user since there was only the KA50 and the A-10 and a member here longer than most. I've been interested in military aviation since I was a kid, and flown sims since there were home computers. The only issue I have with people weighing in are the ones who don't have a clue, i.e. people who are talking about drag racing, or just having a mild pop at me to try and make themselves feel superior.

If anyone disagrees with me from a position of having absolutely no idea of what they are talking about then I'll ignore them, yes. I'll take on board comments from anyone who actually has experience with the Dora, no matter if they agree with me or not. I'm going to ignore you now too, because what have you brought to the debate apart from a bit of mild sarcasm ?

No argument about that. I suppose the Dora has an advantage in that the engine doesn't need the same level of management as the P-51 I can't remember blowing up the Dora's engine in the heat of the moment and never suffer any issues with the auto cooling flaps.

I've spent enough money on flight sim gear so far this year ( with DCS in mind ) to buy a nice secondhand car. What I haven't bought I have spent hours making. Mostly with the aim of increasing the 'feeling' and realism of flight. Do I want an autopilot in a plane that had no autopilot ? nope, no way, no how. Do I care if other people use an autopilot in a plane that didn't have one ? no, I don't, because they are enjoying the sim in their own way - and if there is one thing I cannot stand it's people who tell other people what they can and can't do. I wouldn't be thrilled if ED took a programmer off something I consider useful so this autopilot idea could be implemented, but that isn't any of my business. Unless you are sitting in a perfect replica cockpit of the jet or warbird you fly, using professional grade simulator controls, mounted on a motion platform - and if forced to bail out you climb onto the roof of your house and jump off holding an umbrella - then I don't think you have a right to tell this bloke what he can and can't ask for. And even if that is the case, you still don't have the right :D

Hi Nick In the song " Johnny Come Lately " by Steve Earle and the Dukes, the protagonist refers to his P-47 as a 'pretty good ship' - would you agree with his assessment ?

I don't have a clue what you are talking about when you say over energizing. Don't bother to explain though. I'm not American, but I do know that Top Fuel dragsters aren't intended to go round corners at all. A bit like the Dora :D You are just disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing. I'm not going to respond to any more of your posts, because it just isn't worth the effort.

Why I'm getting what ? what's 'dunked' ? Do you fly the Dora in MP with any success at all - got any tips for me ? What is questionable about my comments, tell me ? I love the Dora, and it is what it is in DCS - nothing I can say will make it change. I am asking what role it can perform. So far we have a Jabo and maybe a bomber destroyer in SP if I build my own mission with the AI gunners turned down.