MikeMikeJuliet

The problem is not what changes, but rather when the updates are pushed on Steam. At this point in time, I've been waiting now for 2 and a half weeks for DCS to be updated to Open Beta 1.5.4. ED has not given any information when the Open beta will be pushed to the Steam open beta branch. What is the point in having an open beta steam version, if the open beta only updates with every stable update? Could ED kindly provide just 1 line of text in the 1.5. update notes as to when the steam version updates? Thank you.

This thread has been an interesting read. One thing that has not been mentioned though, is cloud base and cloud top. Ok, I know that is just a couple of the many many aspects we all would like to have with a better weather system, but hear me out. Back where I'm at we tend to have a lot of low cloud bases, especially in fall and early winter. Now if I remember right, DCS weather editor only allows you to drop cloud base down to 300m above ground level... 300 meters?!? C'mon, that's not even IMC, it's 1000ft! ILS/equivalent approach minimums are 200 FEET, which is approximately 60 meters. Now, you can sort of cheat it by using a lot of fog, but many times the air is in fact all clear below the cloud base even if it was that low. EDIT: about the cloud tops... there are times when your cloud starts from 200ft or lower, and ends up at FL350... I don't remember exactly, but I think DCS limits your cloud top to a max of around 5km... Noooot even close. Couple realistic IMC conditions with dynamic weather change and you could have a scenario, where the combat zone is mostly VMC so attackers and helos have something to do, and then some airfields would be better, some worse in IMC conditions. You'd actually need to take a glance at the ol' fuel gauge and see if you have fuel for a go-around and flight to a divert airfield. Another thing I'd really want are CB clouds. You could see one clearly towering amidst all other clouds and you'd know you'll have a bad time if you hit that. Then again, I bet everyone here want's that. I've always wondered why game clouds are always so... soft and mushy... I mean. If a real cloud is made of water and not ice crystals, it many times is very, very clear cut where the cloud starts. In every single game and sim I've played, DCS included the clouds are always like a fog in the sky. That's just what I think. Feel free to agree or disagree as you will, MikeMikeJuliet

I have made several iterations of the 25T setup on HOTAS Warthog with scripting. I'm not sure if Rhino allows to do the same things, but I found particularly helpful to automate the TV/LLTV/Fantasmagoria pod under a 3 way switch + 1 sensors master switch. I also divided the setup in 3 major parts: 1 Air to Air, 2 Navigation (default) and 3 Air to Ground. Not sure if this helps at all, but perhaps it gives some ideas. If you want to, I can send you the script if you know how to read it and want to check it out. For the most part our design philosophy seems to follow the same lines. Cheers, MikeMikeJuliet

Sound good. You'll probably have a good time even with those. Mastering an aircraft is a long way regardless of how simple it is. Have fun!

Hello! We are glad to have you. There's no such thing as too many simmers. Which sims have you previously flown, or is this your first? Cheers!

In-cockpit kneeboard would be a very good addition. 1 - added immersion 2 - less buttons to use on the keyboard and the kneeboard would always be visible when you need it 3 - you can always look at the kneeboard without needing to get your hands off the stick. You could also add a click-feature so that you could swap pages with the mouse/cursor as you would any other cockpit item.

They actually use those on trainer aircraft to this day. Back-up maps if MFD's and such fail. Always a handy tool to have. ;)

Hello everybody, I was having a bash with the Mig-21 and the Hawk and realized how poor the kneeboard maps are for "cross country" flights. When you fly low radio signals don't help you much once you get even a little distance between you and the beacon, not to mention flying near high terrain... Now as we all know, not all planes have GNSS systems nor inertial navigation equipment (mig-21 doesn't even have a mission computer...). Thus, flying low the only way you know where you are is by looking outside. As the maps are not quite as detailed as I would like, I can live with that. My problem is, that when you plan a route, no info apart from turning point number is replicated on the kneeboard map. I propose the following: Add leg distance (NM/KM) and the leg's magnetic heading (degrees). This would greatly increase the maps usability and help flying the low-fi aircraft. Direction, speed, time and you should be able to tell where you are. Now I know most of us would probably want the whole keeboard revamped, but i feel this would be easy to implement, and would make the whole thing much more useful. Cheers, MikeMikeJuliet

Hmm... I should also check how the Descent-mode works... The tutorials only touch on Nav and Landing modes. Perhaps transitioning from Descent mode (which, if you believe the tutorials' brief note, is meant for cloud penetration... whatever that exactly means) to Landing mode is the issue.

I just got my MiG-21 and played around with it for hours today... from what I understand, the PRMG transmitter on the ground has a rather narrow beam that it projects, meaning you need to be at the exact right spot to get the signal. My advice would be to intercept the final approach course (with RSBN) from a large enough distance (20km or more) and fly toward the runway. This way you will intercept the PRMG beam from below as you fly level. When you do, just enter the required descent to land. [EDIT] Naturally the need for distance increases the higher up you are. Otherwise the beam is below you and you won't get a signal.

Oh boy, I would love to join with the Su-25T and what is especially appealing to me is the inclusion of human ATC... The only problem is that I'm a very in-and-out player because of my work schedule and all that, so I wouldn't be able to attend regularly at all times...

One thing to note about the view seeming to be too far away, is that the HUD is designed to be looked at by both eyes. Quite many of the real HUD's take advantage of the fact that the eyes are apart, so in real life your right eye would see the center and left portion of the HUD, and your left eye would see the right half. As the HUD text is optically focused on infinity you soon forget that the HUD glass and the metal frame supporting it even exist. This can't be recreated in 2D obviously.

Good stuff Bunyap! The only thing I'd like to see more is some clips with both left and right eye displays at the same time. I know it's not something that many viewers can use at all, but you can actually see the depth effect there if you know what to do with it. Would such an addition on your videos be possible? Even short clips with the dual view would be great, no need for a full length video. Also, are you going to aquire the Vive to compare at some point?

... oh and perhaps the same for loadouts too. You could have a plane with limited loadouts, since on that said year a certain missile would not yet be operational. Some love for the editor ^^

An excellent suggestion. I was thinking of the same thing... And if it is not too difficult, there should also be a retirement date if available. Also, it would be nice to have a filter in the editor to only show units of the year you set for your mission. That way mission building would be a lot easier.

Thanks for the info. Additional question: What tools are required to create / mod the map ground mesh and get it back to a .lsa4 file format? I assume the mesh would be imported into ED's own map creation tool, all other assets, textures including then added on top of that and finally saved as .lsa4. I also assume ED's map creation tools are not available to just anybody...?

Hello one and all, Does anyone know specifically about the map mesh files in DCS? 1: Where are they located? 2: What file format do they use? 3: And how are the map textures applied on the mesh (namely is it a top-down projection meaning the underlying mesh can be warped however and the texture still "sits" as intended, or is the ground texture created to the specific mesh shape)? If all's as I think it is, I think it would be possible to edit existing map files to a better resolution - such as the caucasus mountains. I'm not overly confident that I would be able to do this, but I'd still like to know if it were even possible by means of a mod. Regards, MikeMikeJuliet

I wonder if the mesh could be updated by external means (= mods)... or if it is something so integrated that there is no way to touch it without breaking the whole map.

Thanks for the clarification.

I believe it was one of VEAO's streams or a post or something, where they said they wanted to make a version of the Apache, but apparently it was too costly since Boeing (holding the rights to the thing) wanted too high a cut from the profits VEAO would make out of it... I believe this was talked about by Ells on one of their streams just a month back, but I'm not 100% sure. In any case, the helo is not going to be developed in the near future. Shame, since that would be one of the rare helicopters I have any interest in at the moment.

Perhaps I worded the issue a bit strongly. As said, information is all i really like to have of this.

I don't want to go into such debate either. I understand and accept that the Steam version is lagging behind somewhat and as I said I have no problem with that. I know the kind of obstacles there are in using different platforms and I'm not in a mad dash to get everything the second it comes out. What I wish I had is information when the Steam version doesn't update at all for a while, as did happen (at least to me) within the last 30 days. Now I'm unable to confirm if the update has happened within the last 24 hours since I'm away from home... again this would be easier if we had an outlet for information regarding the Steam updates: Like a simple "steam version will update within 3 days" or something of the sort within the the news update posts or something. Thank you for your input.

Hello all. I currently have DCS on Steam and I have opted in the beta updates branch. Usually the updates get there a couple of hours or a day or two after the standalone releases and that is all fine for me. As of late though DCS standalone has been updated a couple of times (both 1.5 and 1.5 open beta) but none of those updates have been pushed to Steam. This is especially frustrating now that 1.5.3 open beta introduced the Hawk EFM last saturday and it doesn't seem that anything has happened on that front on Steam. Additionally I haven't fiund any source of information about the Steam updates at all. The news section on Steam does not provide info (other games usually post their change logs there) and from what I've seen there is no separate thread for Steam updates here either. Why is this? And does someone know when the Steam version is updated next? Is there a place to find that info? I know ED is focused on the standalone and that is fine, but I feel this as lack of support toward the Steam users. Thanks in advance, MikeMikeJuliet

Hello I've been lookin for something like this to contribute. I'm unable to run a server myself and given my personal time to play the sim I know I'm unable to keep a schedule for long. I'm quite profecient in radio navigation and flight operation procedures regarding traffic patterns, IFR and the like and I understand the inner works of common instruments. No Idea if I'm any good in teaching them, but I would certainy like to contribute! If anyone would be able to host a server for practicing navigation, radio phraseology and just the general flying, I can at the very least provide for a (hopefully) competent traffic for you guys. I'm from Finland, so I should be able to provide at least for Europeans regarding time zones. Cheers!

Guys, guys, guys... Hold your horses. Here's Chuck starting to learn the basics and within 3 pages of forum posts we are already talking in abbreviations and terms that he propably does not even know. Chuck, if you need help getting started, PM me or one of the other gentlemen here. I first played the original Lock on back in 2007 (of which DCS World later evolved from) and I have been testing all the systems within the Su25T quite thoroughly lately too, so I for one can get you started on the free-to-play side of the sim, as well as the Flaming cliffs 3 (FC3 for short) module. Now unfortunately I'm not necessarily able to help at too short a notice since I'm quite busy at times, but I will do my best. If you have alredy gotten to fly and are on your way (since your original post is from last month), I wish you all the best in the virtual skies. Cheers.