3WA

The shkval has just become absolutely horrible. I was playing this game years before too, and it was better ( though even then I thought it was pretty bad). I can't even lock up helicopter 1-2nm away. Nice black spot against the blue sky, and the STUPID computer just can't see it. I think we need to get the Ka-50 some dark glasses and a cane, because it has gone blind.

What happened to the Shkval? It seems to be TOTALLY BORKED against air targets now. Even aircraft as slow as helicopters, which should be easy to lockup against the neutral sky. It was bad enough in 1.x, but now it seems HORRIBLE. I have a hard time locking up aircraft 1nm away. Beyond about 2nm, it seems to be impossible. These are slow moving AH-64's I'm trying to lock up. The STINKING SHKVAL just seems to refuse to do it! Is it REALLY that bad in RL? I would NEVER fly this helicopter in Real Combat. It's a DEATH TRAP, because you can't use any weapons. THEY ARE ALL LINKED TO THE WORTHLESS SHKVAL! PLEASE FIX THIS ED! THE SHARK HAS BECOME UNPLAYABLE WHEN THERE ARE AIR THREATS AROUND.

Never mind. After recalibrating the joystick twice, World finally recognized the rudder in game.

I've noticed the rudder is not working on BS2. Also seems to not work on the A-10. Joystick calibration in Windows 10 shows RY ( or whatever it's called ) axis is working. Same shows in DCS: World control screen. I have it set to RY, and when I move the stick, I see the gain go up and down. But in game, it doesn't work. I flip to F2 view on the Shark, and I can clearly see the rudder does not budge one inch. I think it's broken in World.

The Igla's wouldn't replace the Vhikers. They would hang from the wing tip pylons. And I tell you, I'm getting SO frustrated with the dam Shkval. And I've owned the Shark for years! It can't lock up SHIT! It's not TOO bad for ground targets, but GOD HELP YOU trying to lock up even a helicopter! Su-25? FORGET IT. This is why we need Igla's, for quick air defense. Swing the seeker head over the target, get growl, uncage, fire, head for cover. Vhiker air-to-air is a worthless GIMMICK! This is why I cheat in single player, and let at least one wingie carry R-60's. Fast Mission on medium puts Su-27's and Mig-29's all over the place. And they WILL come after you.

Happened with me the other day. Hadn't played Shark in a while, and I noticed the Shkval was really wandering. Tried to ground stabilize it, and that helped a little, but even then it was trying to wander still.

My personal gripe is the maps. I would like to see more "Arma 2" like maps. I know you can't do too much on maps this large, but a couple of "in depth" villages and towns on a map would be nice for us Ground Pounders. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just look at a village in Arma 2. Maybe the maps look good when your at Angels 30, but when your low and slow, they look pretty fake. Some are little more than splashes of color. Another gripe of mine is incredibly STUPID and STATIC infantry. Would be great if they could actually move a little.

Yeah, I like the F-18, but I'm not buying yet. During the free weekend trial, I got the feeling that some of the systems are still "Alpha" at best. I'm sure there will be a lot more tweeking in the future.

I think R-60 is rare on a heli. All the ones I have seen armed with AA have always had Iglas. R-60 might need some speed to launch, not sure. Plus also the blast, which might get sucked in by the engines. BLASPHEMY!! :p If I'm going into a hard fight with heli's, I just usually cheat and let my wingmen carry R-60's. That usually takes care of some of the fighters.

Uh, you do realize that doesn't mean he can't dodge it right? I believe it just means he won't be able to outrun it at that range. Using chaff and evasive manuevers would be quite another thing. Thanks for the track files, but unfortunately I can't watch them because I didn't buy the modules. I did manage to watch a few seconds of it, where I guess it didn't need the module, but it kicked me out. From what I saw in the 40k file, it was head on, and he was flying fast enough to escape the blast. Though it was close.

Being able to carry aerial Igla system would be nice. The Shark was kind of an experiment, but as you say, it does have a selector switch for AA. And being an experimental aircraft, I don't see why we can't have AA. Ability just needs to be added to the FCC to use them and put a cue up on the HUD. You actually can add them to your wingmen, by adding the CLSID for them into weapon selection for that craft. And they will use them! You can even put R-63's and such on them if you want. :thumbup:

Yeah, I've heard they're hard to get. I guess they're trying to keep the value of their product high by not selling too much of it.

Huh, really? Did you have problems with VKB? I was liking their grips, but I've never dealt with them.

I know everyone always thinks Thrustmaster Warthog instantly, but I'd bring your attention to two of it's competitor's, namely VKB and Virpil. You can google all the problems people have had with Thrustmaster over the years, and they don't seem to be easy to get in contact with. For a few more dollars ( Ok, a little more than that :music_whistling:), you might want to take a look at VKB / Virpil as well. There are some videos on YouTube comparing them to Thrustmaster. VKB doesn't have a throttle out yet, but Virpil does. https://vkbcontrollers.com/ https://virpil.com/en/ P.S. Nice pedals!

A-10C or Black Shark. Both are good introductions to real aircraft and controls as the systems such as fuel, communications, weapons, etc. are all highly detailed and have very good instructions available on how to use them. These will also let you do what you want ( GROUND POUNDING! :thumbup:, My Favorite! ). The A-10 and Shark are also capable of defending themselves, especially the A-10, which can carry AIM-9M's, against air attacks. If you want a little more speed, and an intermediate between the fighter jets and helicopters, go with the A-10. One thing I saw in my brief tryout of the F-18 was the difference between it and the A-10 in the ground attack role. The A-10 shows itself to be a MUCH more effective ground pounder, even without radar capability. It's ability to just hover for extreme amounts of time over the battlefield is it's greatest capability. That, and the immense amount of weapons that it can carry in one load, compared to a general fighter. I was amazed at how fast the F-18 ran out of fuel on a mission. It's obviously made for quick darting in and out of the battlefield, while the A-10 can just hover above like a giant spider, waiting patiently for it's prey to enter the killbox.

Do you have MSAA or better yet SSAA on? That's one of the problems I'm not having.

Hey David OC, are you using a mod for cockpit reflections?

LOL. Normal people don't spend this much on a game, and CERTAINLY don't spend that on a joystick. We have to pay for shelter and food. As one shocked guy on Steam said, "The DLCs for this game total over $1500 !!!!! :shocked face . I know he hasn't even looked at HOTAS prices yet. It's a shame the X-55 really turned out to be an overpriced piece of junk. And Thrustmaster, while sturdier, simply was never that great either. I hope this game ( and hardware, which is mostly the culprit ) come down to a price the lower middle class can afford one day. I own the Shark and A-10, which I got at half price after them being out for many years, and I guess I'm somewhat satisfied with them for that price ( they are very good simulations! ). My biggest gripe with this sim so far, is that there is still no ground simulation ( vehicles, troops ). Like the new EDGE engine, so far. It's actually kind of fun if you bail, and then walk around the villages in the Persian Gulf. You can hear the roar of the jets overhead, and spooky sounds of (traffic?) in the darkness.

My problem is that the module is still obviously in Alpha, and it's too expensive. Plus, $50 for a map? That's pretty steep. How about $10? But the REAL problem is not so much DCS, it's the price of HOTAS. Even Thrustmaster isn't that great. You don't get a decent Hotas until you go with VKB, Virpil, or beyond. And they are WAY overpriced. I've talked to a lot of people who like sims, but say they are too expensive to get into because of sim price and ESPECIALLY hardware prices. Anyway, thanks for the free trial! Hope you'll do it again when the F-18 is a little more presentable.

Heh, have any of you guys jettisoned on the Hormuz map at night, and then walked around in the dark? It's a spooky place. :p For the new guys, you can walk around after you jettison and parachute to the ground with the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Don't get too frustrated, Plainsman. Some of us have been flying sims for YEARS, and it's still pretty hard. AI can be especially vicious ( AND I STILL SAY THEY CAN SEE THROUGH HILLS! ) Be honest with your flight and combat skills , and take on opponents that you think might be about the same. Set AI skills to low until you gain some skill. And of course, if you really want to learn, learn tactics from air combat books and web pages. Personally, I like flying the Shark. I can sneak around and ambush with it. Hide behind buildings when I'm getting fired at. You can also do this somewhat with the A-10, as it can go low and slow, and keep hills between you and the enemy.

Personally, I would go with VKB Gunfighter and Virpil Throttle, myself. If I had the money. :music_whistling: TM was never that great.

I do know they are going to try to utilize the Vulcan graphics API soon, which claims it can help break up the CPU utilization a little better, and speed things up, hopefully.

I'm betting this is what it is.

Wait for a sale, and get it for like $25. Other than that, it's an awesome plane. It can take a beating, and can carry TONS of weapons to dish it back out. Also, the 30mm cannon is nothing to laugh about. It tears the shit out of jeeps and APCs. And if your into heli's, I highly recommend the Shark.