Lurker

Thanks for this little bit of very important information. I hope that it's also something that's relatively high priority on the AI feature list for development.

Why not give him some agency and freedom to do that himself and then report back to the player that he has locked up the next threat? This is a bit of rhetorical question, that I already know the answer to.

I have an MSFBB2, waiting for the 14 day trial so I can try out the Apache. I will then decide if I am going to buy it immediately, wait for issues to be fixed, or skip it entirely.

The Hind does have some really bad outstanding issues though. The yaw AP channel is broken, or at least it's not working like it's supposed to (which is why no one seems to be using it) and it is extremely wobbly and unstable for such a big bird in almost any aerial maneuver. The tail-waning issue is also still present, and has never been explained by any of the developers or admins.

They will add it in at some hopefully not too distant point. I too am waiting for the trial.

All choppers (that feature pedal trim) should really have the same special options that the Apache has. That's one really cool addition that Eagle Dynamics has made, and should make flying it a breeze with springless pedals.

Hind's rotor is offset to the side, it also spins in the opposite direction of the Apache. The same takeoff technique is not going to work in these two very different helicopters.

Just found this thread: Might wanna take a look at your boresighting technique.

What are you setting your range to?

Petrovich is relatively terrible at looking for targets, but that kind of makes sense as he doesn't have the tools at his disposal that George does. However my biggest peeve with this module is that the commands you give George are virtually identical, very, very limited and only limited to weapons use, and he has no agency to actually look for targets\contacts on his own. which is why I'll wait for the 14 day period to try before I buy. I kind of wanted George AI to be much less hands on than he is at the moment.

Well since you asked: I would design him with a contextual wheel (like Jester), in addition to that I would give him the autonomy to AT LEAST scan for the targets on his own, maybe give him a few semi-automated tasks to do ONCE he finds some targets (see example below) What is the use of a co-pilot if he is just sitting there, completely blind and oblivious to his surroundings, where you have to give him direct and specific commands for every single thing he needs to do? You might as well switch to the front cockpit and do everything yourself, right? *example* Telling George to scan for targets and then to mark them as target points within the nav system should be something that is at most nestled within a 2 level contextual wheel, I.E. it's two button presses. Open menu (press A) 1. First level: Select George Scan for Targets using TEDAC and Press A 2. Second level: Different types of Scans that George can do using TEDAC, etc. and what he can do with them is second level: Select Enter as Target Points press A All of this Should take less than a few seconds, and then you just let George do his thing, as you start seeing the target points appearing. Or another *example* Geroge - Scan for Threats > this would let him scan for threats continuously and once he finds some he reports them back preferably through an audio cue of some kind. Things of that nature.

I expected him\it\whatever to be more intuitive to use, to be less hands on, and to be more autonomous. But hey, that's just me. If you're happy with how it's setup, good for you. If that is going to be an option, I'll be happy to try it out and check it out myself. However I don't think this will be available at EA.

As a VR user I'm not looking forward to flying this bird alone, well flying and fighting in it actually. I'm still on the fence whether I will end up getting it, I guess I'm going to wait for some (pre)reviews to see how usable George is. If it turns out to be a handful but still a very enjoyable and decently performing module for VR users I might end up joining a virtual squadron, which would be a first for me. I don't mind shelling out some extra cash, if this turns out to be the case, and I don't mind waiting a few days/weeks after release to make up my mind.

You have a point there

I really dislike them using the term "gone gold" for a product that is clearly going to be released into early access beta. I'm not surprised by it though, they have been hyping this release like no other.

His head is inches away from a gas-turbine jet engine? How does he not go deaf?

You must be relatively new around here. With DCS never ever buy into early access unless you will be absolutely sure that you will enjoy what you are buying, and have no illusions that you might not see progress on the module for a long time. It's been this way for quite a while, especially with regards to modules from Eagle Dynamics.

Damn, that looks incredibly dangerous

I think if the Cobra would ever be developed as a DCS module it's probably realistic to expect only a single version to be produced and developed. In that scenario the most popular version would probably be one of the twin engined Super-Cobra versions still in service with the US Marine corps, and as a naval variant it would probably be quite popular. IF the proper licenses and permissions could be obtained, that is.

I am well aware of this, and it's something I also practice, however flying with the YAW AP channel off, is definitely not how this aircraft is supposed to be operated. It's not just a heading hold mode.

Not for me. I don't like Eagle Dynamics direction with regards to George AI. It's just like in the Hind, a terrible autopilot and an even worse targeting pod Nowhere near the ease of use of Heablur's Jester. All I needed was for ED to release the quickstart manual which confirmed my suspicions on this. Unless I can find someone to fly it with, I will not be buying the Apache.

Yup, maybe I'm making too much of this, and it just "works" out of the box so to speak. I do have a reason though, and that's the Mi24p which needs to be flown with the YAW SAS channel turned off if I want it to be responsive and smooth with the pedal work.

Then this should concern you. It's quite possible that if this system is configured for spring based pedals, that trim in the Apache will be quite broken for pedals that do not use springs.

For one thing the real chopper does not have spring centered pedals. The real helicopter also has AP SAS channels to assist the pilot during flight, which are linked to trim. So yeah, all the helicopters in DCS, the Huey, the Hip the Hind and the Kamov AP channels quite a bit differently, even though we all have the same or similar peripherals. For example in the Hind, I can't even fly with the YAW AP channel on anymore, since the heading hold mode frequently fights my pedal inputs. In the Apache its supposed to work differently, there is no heading hold, only a flight assist that is tied to a flight computer. For example Wags mentions that trim release in the Apache is basically controls mag locks which hold your cyclic and pedals in place.

This is the one I've been looking forward to. I hope Casmo does a small video explaining what Wags is doing with his feet (or in his case hands) on the pedals, and how it differs from the real helicopter.