Tirak

And yet... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F-14A_AIM-120_Test_3.JPEG https://research.archives.gov/id/6368592 These are F-14As, they are launching AMRAAMs.

Fine, so lets simulate the real planned capabilities of the aircraft and give us the AMRAAM.

The choice to use the Grom was a deliberate decision made to expand the scope of the module in a non intrusive way, and to help 'soft' represent other versions of the MiG-21 that could use the weapon. This wasn't a case of LN being in the dark or trying to slip one past. Very few people have had negative responses towards Grom integration, in fact, most of the community agreed that such integration was a positive thing. It is because of that decision, which LN took that there is the distinct possibility of seeing AMRAAM integration on the aircraft, not despite it.

The changes required for the AMRAAM to be integrated into the Tomcat were exceptionally minor. It was only the end of the cold war, and with it and end of any foreseeable air threat, that the Tomcat wasn't upgraded with it on schedule. Had the cold war continued, the F-14Bs would have been upgraded to use it. These upgrades are far more minor a gameplay concession than the Grom was on the MiG-21, and frankly, I've seen very few complaints on the integration of that weapon. The multiplayer community would be better served by granting the Tomcat a weapon that would let it fight on par with the Eagles. Rivet counters can keep their hyper realistic loadouts if they want, but a minor upgrade that would have been included on the real aircraft anyway if conflict like the kind fought in PvP servers were to have actually happened does nothing but enhance the experiance of those of us who want to simulate what a cold war gone hot scenario would play out as, rather than the 'technology in a vacuum' style that some rivet counters demand. What I want is a competitive Tomcat. I want the US Naval fighter that it was meant to be, and not the one that shrinking cold war budgets and political dealings gimped it into. I don't want to have to worry about not being able to use my Tomcat except on 80s night style events because the rivet counters screamed bloody murder about integrating a missile that had been planned for, and the tryhards whining about the overpowered phoenix. At the end of the day, DCS is a game, don't let the title fool you. If such a minor change, that will in no way affect the enjoyment of those who don't want it can be justified, as I believe it can, I see no reason not to implement it. If LN wants to make a final decision on the subject then that's fine, but as long as they don't come down on it one way or the other i will always advocate giving greater options to the player.

Of course it centers around fantasy wars. PvP servers are about having fun flying combat aircraft against each other. If the F-14 were never able to carry the AMRAAM I'd think differently, but it physically can, and the only reason it wasn't integrated fleet wide was due to budget constraints following the cold war. The capability to use it is not far fetched, it is not something out of a sci fi movie. It was planned capability the only was axed because the world took a step back from going nuclear. We're talking a single electronic bus and a small firmware upgrade, not rewiring the whole bird and tossing an AESA radar set in the nose. Without the AMRAAM, Tomcats are going to be Blufor MiG-21s. Quirky and surprising, but more often than not, rather harmless. No server is going to keep Phoenix's in the airfield armories, and no SARH equipped bird can fight against an ARH equipped one. Deprived of a long range punch, one of the worlds best BVR interceptors will become little more than an F-5 with a surprisingly strong radar, but nothing to use it with. Adding in the capability is well within what was originally envisioned for the Tomcat and it will be good for multiplayer gameplay. If you want to have your super serious "REAL WARZ ONLY" club that's fine, but i frankly don't see that as a particularly strong reason not to integrate it when nothing is lost by it. I'll be getting this module either way this issue flips, but I strongly believe AMRAAM integration would in no way jeopardize the legitimacy of the module as the premier F-14 flight sim.

AMRAAM integration won't bring that sort of gameplay. The way that the AMRAAM currently is in game, it has absolutely abysmal range compared to what it should have, so engagement ranges won't go up, even though the F-14 has a superior radar. That sort of play however will likely come as a result of the Phoenix integration, which because LN is going to be modeling it, it will likely live up to its real capability, rather than the parachute equipped Slammers the Eagles are currently throwing around. I feel the opposite, I hope that AMRAAMs are integrated onto the F-14 for a few reasons, but most important of all, I hold no illusions as to the Phoenix being allowed in servers. Some servers have already banned some of the MiG-21 missiles for 'overperforming', and when the Phoenix hits, it'll last at most a week before servers start removing it because players will whine about being splashed from 80nm away. In light of that, without the AMRAAM, the F-14 stops being a competitive multiplayer choice and becomes another gimmick fighter in PvP combat, which would be really sad. I don't see how you think turning the F-14, one of the premier long range fighters in the world, into a short range knife fighter will be positive for gameplay. Without AMRAAMs, and without Phoenix, the F-14 will just get sealclubbed by F-15s operating as they always do. SARH missiles cannot compete with ARH missiles.

Well it's a tad more complicated than that. The F-14 was never deployed with AMRAAMs. The change was relatively minor, it was only that the Navy wanted LGB capability on their Tomcats due to perceived future mission requirements that they went with that rather than the AMRAAM. If the cold war had still been going on with the extravagant defense budgets, then the Tomcat would have had AMRAAM capability. The question is will LN make their Tomcat with the potential AMRAAM upgrade available or not.

SFMs have been nothing but a fiasco that have turned off many potential customers. If I want to fly an approximation of a Mirage, I'll do so in Strike Fighters 2, but in DCS, if you don't put out your product as the full flight model, you've accomplished next to nothing.

An A-4C was very briefly in the making, but unfortunately a licensing agreement couldn't be reached on agreeable terms for all parties, so the project was canceled.

There's just no point. You don't get enough, and the style of engagement you fight just isn't conducive to using the CM pods. Your best defense is terrain masking for that surprise opening attack, once the enemy gets into a position to shoot, the MiG is dead, so you may as well have fun on takeoff with the RATO pods.

We are not getting the Mirage 2000-5, we're getting the Mirage 2000C S-5. These are two very different aircraft. No lasing. No Mica.

Obviously it was because the Evil Military Industrial Complex made him do it. :ermm:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=145038

Except the SR-71 can hit Mach 3.5 for short periods and has a standard cruise of Mach 3.3, whereas the MiG-31 has a speed of Mach 2.83, an cruises at Mach 2.35. I'll put my money on the Blackbird thank you very much :smartass:

This article crops up every couple of weeks it feels like. Will people please use the search function. Also, the author retracted his statements about the Lightning in a later statement.

The only problem with the Thrustmaster Warthog is that it's $300, which is as much as a computer upgrade and simply out of the budget for me and a lot of people. So as much as I dream about getting it, I'm stuck juggling between getting a new X-52Pro or going for the X-55 which has so many conflicting reviews I don't know what to think anymore.

Yep, and also let's not forget that in Leatherneck Time, or LNT, each month lasts two weeks into the next month :lol:

While true, and I don't actually expect the planes to be announced this month, they have been promising an update in August for the past few months, and we've got all our old pitchforks and torches in the shed if they fail to give us one :music_whistling:

It's Operation Credible Sport. Operation Eagle Claw is different.

It would appear I based it on a misinterpretation of the Kh-66, my mistake :smartass:

I could have sworn I read that they took this out, or at least were planning to. This I know they fixed. I knew the Sapphire couldn't do fixed beam, but it lacks ECCM too? Is the weapon overmodeled, or just when compared to how badly undermodeled the normal ED weapons are? This is one of the things being implemented no?

There used to be a scripted speed limit put on the engine to prevent the player from overspeeding the aircraft. It was removed.

As far as I know, nose wheel steering and the limits on the engines were both removed. The only intentional 'game' element I can think of off the top of my head, is the MiG's ability to use the Grom, as the sapphire radar on board is actually incapable of guiding it.