Laobi

Hello Sir, Great to hear from you, well, I didn't want to say, no one saw the beacon and the scars are healing...mostly.

Dear OnReTech, I've taken a long break from DCS over the past few years due to being busy with life and more pressing issues. I returned in late May, and was very optimistic about recent developments (launch of the F4, Chinook etc.,). The June 5th update was fantastic, was re-acquiring old skills, developing new ones and slowly getting ready to get into the production of more videos, however unfortunately update 2.9.6.57650 killed my VR performance to the point that the game was unplayable, the hotfix 2.9.6.58056 made things worse, and I am sorry to report the latest update has screwed the pooch even further to the point that VR is a migraine inducing slideshow. The above is not your problem, and I generally let these things wash over my head, wait for the next update in the hope that things will improve. I've been playing DCS for long enough to know that some updates can kill performance for some users, while improving it for others, this all depends on the myriad combinations of hardware, so I am generally patient in this regard. Allow me to preface the following by saying that I loved this map, probably more than any other map in DCS. I loved the map for its versatility and the ability to set it in either an historic or modern phase of the 3 ring military industrial circus we call the Middle East. What I do neither patiently accept nor forgive is the behaviour of your company in applying this update. This is unprofessional at every level for the following reasons: You did not consider reaching out to your clients prior to the update to inform them of the possibility of a detrimental change. You did not consider that it would be wise to inform current and prospective clients of the reason for this change. Pleas do not hide behind excuses such as 'private discussions' or 'legal pressure', these pale into insignificance compared to your rapidly depleting consumer goodwill and trust. We are your customers and we have a right to know, and a right to be part of the process prior to reaching a decision that removes one third of the value of the product we purchased. Speaking of product value, your map only has 3 uses for military flight sim players: 1: Policing operations in the West Bank. 2: Military operations in and around the Gaza Strip. 3: Historic Arab/Israeli conflicts. Removing the north of Israel removes any way of simulating those historic Arab/Israeli conflicts in any real or complete sense. The ability to repel Syrian attacks over the Golan is now defunct, what are you defending? An empty blank space, nothing of value or consequence. You have left the mission planner/server owner with some policing operations and a lob sided Gaza turkey shoot, meanwhile the Egyptian side is left to training missions and pyramid gazing. Additionally you added all sorts of eye candy, this is great, but not while the navigation aids are partially and in some cases not functioning, we fly past or maybe bomb the eye candy a few times while yelling 'kewlll', but we consistently curse the fact that we can't get our F16 back to our home base without navigating via the stars like Bedouin. As for the F35 parking spaces, don't get me started, I hope to be alive for the 2050 and beyond video, but I've run the engine hard and have to be realistic regarding these things. Finally there's your response. It may have not broken forum rules, but it was unprofessional to an inexcusable degree. First the greeting, we are not your friends, we are your clients, it's quite obvious from your actions and indeed your first communication that you have failed to recognise this distinction. Then you go on to explain, without any evidence, that in order to resolve a conflict quickly you just deleted a very important portion of the product we purchased. You do not explain with whom and why this dispute had arose, we're just supposed to trust you on this. Of course, the implication we're supposed to draw is that Urga Media put legal pressure on you to sabotage our product, we're supposed to pack up our trebuchets and march over to besiege their part of the forum, this should not wash with us, because.....YOU MADE THE DECISION AND YOU NEUTERED OUR PRODUCT! Then you admonish us not to be 'hasty' nor draw 'categorical' conclusions, like somehow we've got it all wrong, that somehow we have made some terrible mistake, and you are the victim of our undeserved wrath, in business there are times for everything, even for passive aggressive indignation, and indeed for grovelling, you have misread the room, this is not the time for the former! I hope the above issues with your statement is a result of the inaccuracies of Google Translate or perhaps a lack of fluency in English, and not the intention of your message, both are forgivable, but not in public relations, this is why we employ translators or engage someone with a high degree of expertise in a language before posting messages that could be critical to the survival of our business. As you have made the decisions it is up to you to resolve them to the satisfaction of your customer base, or face the commercial consequences. Thank you, Laobi To the Moderators: It is not my intention to inflame the situation, just to make my displeasure with this event unequivocally clear. I appreciate all the hard work you guys do and know it is often a thankless task. I do not believe I have broken the forum rules here, but if I have sailed too close to the wind please remove it, as always, your house, your rules, I will post this elsewhere without taking offence.

Hi Mar, Thank you very much for confirming. I scanned the manual in case I was accidentally tripping some fail-safe on the drive, but could find nothing. Hopefully next week's patch will sort this one. Have a great day. Many thanks, Laobi

Perhaps (More than likely) a user issue, however, during various take offs I have noticed that the gear failed to operate. On investigation I noticed that the CB for the Undercarriage Drive is mysteriously out, this is in spite of ensuring it was pushed in pre-taxi. After testing further I discovered that the Anton is doing some sort of sleight of hand on this one, I keep the panel open, release CB, push CB back in (just to ensure it's in), open the throttle, lift off, attempt to raise the gear, nothing...check the CB is in....look away...look back and CB is out...push it in and gear raises. I never see it move, but move it does. I'm hoping it's a bug as I don't know the first thing about performing an exorcism on my PC.

I have a sneaking suspicion it is Cuba up to Ft.Lauderdale. Not sure if this has been mentioned, too lazy to go through the other entries. Would love denial or confirmation

Hello everyone, Just a quick heads up for anyone using WMR (Samsung, Lenovo etc.,). Last week just after the update I noticed horrendous stutters when using VR. At first I blamed my PC as I had upgraded memory and a few other things, so I swore at my PC for a few hours frantically disconnecting and re-connecting peripherals, that achieved nothing. Then I realised there had just been an update, so I rolled back, same issue (pauses every 4 seconds, even in the menu), so I swore at Eagle Dynamics for a while, that also achieved nothing. I didn't want to submit a bug report without at least trying to identify the problem, so I searched the forums. Nothing I could find on the forums that exactly replicated my issue, so I swore at the forums....... Reddit.....Twitter, then Mrs. Laobi asked me some questions about something unrelated, so I swore at...... After realising that the couch was not as comfortable as I remembered I had a look at Task Manager and noticed that every so often Bit Defender (only installed a couple of days previously) peaked at 99% of processor usage (coincidentally every 4 seconds). I swore at it for a while, deleted it and voila! So, in conclusion it may be just rig specific, however, if you are using VR and have noticed intolerable regular pauses it may be worth uninstalling (pausing it didn't help) Bit Defender and re-testing. Cheers, Laobi

Delighted you got it working. I have also found a solution for those encountering this particular issue. Download Skate Zilla's (peace and blessings be upon his name) Launcher GUI from here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=160053 Set your DCS and Save Games paths, run 'Update to Latest Release'. Then try DCS to see if it loads up. Then run 'Update to Latest Beta' and see if it works on your system. Worked great for me, hopefully anyone else encountering this issue will get some benefit from our experiences. Cheers, Laobi

Hi guys, As it says on the title DCS is failing to start after the latest update. Initially it was briefly showing up in the task manager before promptly disappearing without a trace. After running the repair several times I am now getting a failed to launch message. Here is the log: Any help would be very much appreciated. Many thanks, Laobi

My 2c on this would be to hold off a while before purchasing any hardware. Remember when Nevada launched? First day it was fine, an update later it was slower, over time it became more and more optimised until it was running like a dream. Normandy is going to be the same, there are so many variables with alpha releases and updates, it may run beautifully on one motherboard or chipset and terribly on another, it's through feedback that these things improve. As was said earlier, I really don't think the type of RAM matters that much, it's the quantity 16gb seems to be a nice sweet spot at the moment.

I would love this as a flyable, there should be enough evidence available for production and I'm sure one of the replica owners would gladly share the all important technical details (as it's generally impossible to get talented people with that kind of passion to shut up about their particular project). As VEAO are doing the Meteor, having the first operational Axis jet fighter would be a dream, this is something DCS really needs.

Great idea, this is one I've been hoping one of the devs would pick up

Your reply was very helpful, thank you. I had thought of Steam, the only drawback there is anything that is just released takes some time to get there.

Is it still possible to gift an un-used module? I was thinking of giving one to a friend, but am unsure if the module is account bound on purchase or installation. Not looking or willing to engage in any discussion about the merits or otherwise of key transfers as that stuff which has been thoroughly dealt with elsewhere. Just curious as to how it works now. Cheers

Here's a potential work-around for the time being. We're all pretty much agreed you start with your outer pylons first. As 3 &4 are the outer pylons on the AA part of the selector a solution is quite simple using the HOTAS. Program your weapon release button to fire on press and go previous selector position on release, on takeoff set your selector to 4 and you're all set. Regarding the IR/SAR issue, bind it as any operation that's regularly used should be. It's not perfect, but it's a workaround until LN make a change if there is no reason not to.

Hello, I presume others have experienced this one. Tracks seem to be erratic, on some aircraft and in some places they'll record perfectly, on others they're all over the place. Just curious if a fix is being worked on as tracks are a great learning tool and also provide great features for recording video. Cheers

Hi Guys, Quick message for those trying to install X55 drivers on Windows 7. Installed a new motherboard and CPU over the weekend, ended up selecting format on the wrong drive during the Win 7 re-install and lost everything. Had an annoying issue trying to re-install my Saitek X55 drivers, each time with the drivers from the website it failed with a driver signing error. The solution I found was to use older drivers from: ftp://ftp.saitek.com/pub/software/beta/Windows10/ I used these (X55_Rhino_7_0_41_10_x64_Drivers.exe) from here: ftp://ftp.saitek.com/pub/software/beta/Windows10/X55_Rhino_7_0_41_10_x64_Drivers.exe Hope this helps for anyone that encounters a similar issue. Cheers. [url=ftp://ftp.saitek.com/pub/software/beta/Windows10/X55_Rhino_7_0_41_10_x64_Drivers.exe][/url]

I also have a question regarding the Vive. I'm steering clear of the OR because of their decision to go down the exclusive route. So, I'm pinning my hopes on HTC or any other competitors who enter the market. Back OT... With the Vive, can you see the script around the gauges and switches correctly? How are the frame rates? And, Which card are you using? It's really the only thing putting me off the tech at the moment, I hate anything that looks fuzzy or blurry.

I could type out a huge list of reasons why I think civilian aircraft would be great for DCS, including being able to ditch the other 3 flight sims I currently own. It's something I've been thinking about for a while, particularly after an argument on another forum about it a while back. I made a video on the topic recently: [ame] [/ame] Hope it doesn't break any forum rules, if it does please delete.

The F117A would be nice, so would the F-16, Mig 23, Mig 25, Mitsubishi Zero, Yak-9D, any Soviet contemporary of the Mirage if access allows. Even a Sopwith Camel would be fun (what's to stop us going back to the beginning of flight). You make it to DCS standard...6DOF, EFM etc. etc., and I'll buy it.

Definite purchase for me too. I think it's high time you were rewarded for all the excellent work you have done for the community. If you want to pm me paypal details whenever you've got it set up I will be straight back to you. By the way, an easy and low tech way of protecting this would be as follows: 1: Zip and password protect each copy 2: Create a unique password for each copy - link that in a spreadsheet to the purchaser I doubt many in the community would pirate this. To anyone who would consider it - Don't! You're not striking out against "the man", you're being a c£$% to someone who has given a lot of time and effort to all of us for free. If there is anyone in the community who can provide Starway with a free protection system for his work please do so and do it for FREE. You can download many examples of his work for free, so it should be a matter of pride for people here with the skills to pay the bills to return the favour for once!

This is a big YES for me. For the following reasons: 1: Many in the DCS community are caught up in the whole "Top Gun" power fantasy idea of military aviation where it's all F15/16 vs Migs. This is fine, but it creates an aerial COD ideal on the most popular servers. This has very little to do with any recent real world events. 2: Most military aviation globally is concentrated around preserving border intregrity, coastal contraband patrols, protecting no-fly zones and so forth. There are a few escorts of stray aircraft, suspected drug traffickers, surveillance and even fewer escort missions due to suspected issues on passenger jets. 3: Military pilots spend a significant amount of time training in.........trainers. While this is not a trainer as such, guess what? In air forces worldwide, pilots fly what they're told to fly, they may start off by getting a priapism everytime crappy 80s movies with jets play or while looking at a pair of aviator glasses, but, many pilots realise the value of other roles and are quite proud of the part they play. 4: Hot wars tend to be internal insurgencies and mostly slow burning fuses rather than outright wars which often take decades to resolve. From the South American right/left wing militias, narco para-militaries, to US no fly zones/anti-smuggling patrols, EU anti-incursion patrols/narco surveillance. In the Middle East Turkey's war against the PKK and Israel's war against HAMAS. In the Far East you have various air patrols from China/Taiwan/Vietnam/Japan/Philippines engaged in cat and mouse games relating to China's expansionist policy into the southern seas. Shots fired/Missiles launched are the exception in the above cases. Smaller light attack aircraft generally play a much greater observation/interdiction role due to their slower speeds. 5: South America is one of the few places where small scale insurgencies have been active, where the jungle/mountain terrain is more suitible for this type of aircraft. This aircraft has also been used during the Sri Lankan war against the Tamil Tigers. It was also used during the Falklands War, so when that map arrives this plane will have a natural home. All of the above are historical examples of this aircraft in action. 6: It's important that DCS stretches beyond it's Euro-Americo-Russio-centric approach. We are a world wide community and our aircraft should reflect that. If we are to see South American, Asian, Middle Eastern, Western European, South Pacific, etc., maps, then we need to grow beyond our "Top Gun" power fantasies (I honestly though that movie was about a group of guys unsure as to whether their jet jock buddys would approve of them leaping out of the closet) and more importantly if we are to embrace the true meaning of the words "Combat Simulator" then all sorts of roles/aircraft should be necessary, from surveillance aircraft, logistics deliveries, ATC, troop transport, etc.. etc., are equally important in the grand scheme of things. 7: To further my above point, DCS needs to be all things simulator to all people. If your F15 is to have missiles then someone should have to fly the damn things in a transit aircraft, we should have piloted re-fuelling modules, an advanced intelligent ATC AI. We should have civilian aircraft modules, passenger aircraft modules. Is no one else sick of seeing skies full of military aircraft with nothing else going on? Is that how the real world looks to everyone? Imagine having to obey traffic patterns, sharing airports with civilian aircraft (many airports worldwide are dual use). The satisfaction we gain from learning complex systems should not suddenly halt when it comes to learning real-world aviation procedures/rules. As technology improves we should be improving our sim to match and leaving air-COD as something people do for some light relief rather than what the majority do. What I'm saying is this aircraft is as important to some people as an F16 is to you or I. To me if it's an F16 or an effing Cessna is of no importance provided it meets the DCS standard. So far, Razbam have proved more than capable of designing great modules and these modules are worth supporting. I know.....TLDFR Cheers

Hi guys, Thank you for your very kind comments Devrim, I have many happy memories of your country and the people when I used to spend time there often. Bourrinopathe, the types of functions I use it for are things like the Pinky switch in the A10C which is a 3 state switch (forward, middle & Aft). There are a few other switches in the A10c & KA-50 which have 2 states that I don't want to waste a hat on. The other use I program latching for is the landing gears on the Mig 15 & Mig 21 which have 3 distinct states and which bleed air from the braking system if the "neutral" state is not engaged, so instead of using the next switch along for gear neutral a second flip of the gear up or down switch activates neutral. Hope this helps.

I too have the X55 for about a year now. I read a lot of the complaints and even watched some videos. There seems to have been (it may still exist) a QC issue at Madcatz, however, the internet being the internet I would venture that half of the posts you read rubbishing it are from people who have never used it. I also watched some reviews which were firmly divided between the shrill edgy clickbait "this is a turd and I'm returning it!" and the fanboy "this will make you an ace!". I have no complaints, it's well made (of plastic), the soldering and wiring inside is of good quality (yes I open things to see how much care was taken with wiring and soldering - if it looks like it was assembled by blind slave children wearing boxing gloves in the PRC, then it's going back). It's definitely not a rival for the Warthog, it's half the price, but I have found it very accurate and reliable. As I'm a module whore it was more of a fit for me than the Warthog. It is designed for those with larger hands, that's a bit of a non-issue though, you can adjust your thumb position quite easily for most operations. The only real con for me is that the plastic buttons do feel a little cheap, I bought mine from a German company on ebay for €180 and considering the cost of higher end Hotas controls this one is a bargin. As mentioned by others you will need to lubricate the throttle and stick from time to time. I use graphite lubricant which is non-erosive, I've been using it for years on my guitar trems without any adverse effects. If you've any issues programming it drop me a PM. Cheers

Hello all, Again I'm not sure if this has been already done to death. I couldn't find very much on the subject and as Saitek don't seem to deem it important to produce a detailed manual I made a quick tutorial on how to make a 2 way switch perform 3 functions. This is useful for the A10C & Blackshark in particular. There are a couple of narration errors due to me burning the candle at both ends last weekend, however, you'll get the idea. Here's the link: [ame] [/ame] Hope this helps a little and happy crashing! Cheers, Laobi

Just an update on this, a fellow forum user PM'ed me a question about this and in my answer I promised to make a video on the subject. Well many weeks later here it is: [ame] [/ame] I hope this is of help to those who prefer a video example. Cheers