redmantab

Thank you so much for your reply! Truly appreciate it. Politely, I have to say I think there is a language/grammatical barrier of some sort here. I genuinely can't really grasp all that you are saying here my friend. Can anyone familiar with this please elaborate? Thank you in advance.

How do I take over on ground? Can you elaborate? I set the plane to hot start? How do I add pilots? Also, what's the best way to have one orbit? What setting? Won't they run out of fuel? I don't want to cheat and use unlimited fuel.

I downloaded a mission from someone that was user created on the DCS website. Great mission. It's an F-14 mission entitled "Last Minute Replacement Crew – F14B Persian Gulf." In case I die...so that I don't have to spend hours getting back to the same position (since there is no in game save feature) a good solution is using R alt + J to take over another F-14. I'm finding this feature as a potential life saver for a DCS user that needs to cut down on time. In the mission generator...I added two F-14 on the ground at a local airport doing "nothing." I died. I then kept pressing F2 to swap to the F-14 I had on the ground. Then when I pressed R alt + J to take it over....it acted "weird." The wheels sunk into the ground and there were no pilots visible in the F14 either. I couldn't take over the F-14. Should I have used the mission editor differently and had the parked plane to being doing something else....? Why couldn't I take it over? During the same mission I was able to take over yet another F-14 further away that was mid flight....but not the ones on the ground. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

This is good to know! So if it doesn't launch....let me get this clear please - just kick back to idle and keep pressing shift u until it does....then afterburners?

Half the folks replying here are of the same mindset. It really would just make sense for the ridiculous time sink (especially in SP) to be able to save your mission. That's it. All this nonsense about do different things. Go edit and build missions. Sure. I DO! And I love it! And then after it takes eons to accomplish anything that you are referencing....I'd rather run another game and form of entertainment. ED would be better served with a feature to save. Any well done, complex mission, just simply takes too much time to replay over and over. I've been strong. (what a silly point to make). It's just a poor use of time to try the same thing over and over 4 times after 4 hours to finally do what a save feature would allow in 1/4 the time. I don't know about you, but I value my time : ) Now on the positive! The guy's recommendation to jump into another aircraft with Left Alt +J or whatnot above....I just tried it and I think that is a pretty good solution. So, for the time being, I have something that works! Very nice! Since resuming from traks...especially with VR and a cockpit, sucks b#$! and isn't dependable. Thanks guys. Assuming another aircraft seems to be a pretty good solution . Cheers.

I've taken off from the carrier many times in the F-14. Does anyone have any idea why sometimes it won't launch me. For example, I'm in a mission where you start already with the hook set up. You literally just press SHift + U and it should launch. I see my pilot giving the salute. I'm hooked up. Nothing happens. What am I missing? Thank you

See....there ya go. Yay. Luuuame tbh.

Hey bud. Thanks for the reply. Look...I get it. Inevitably I knew this thread would, understandably, turn into the old guard vs the new....realism vs arcade....etc. And contrary to how I seem, I appreciate what you do. I also enjoy campaigns. I bought the Mirage 2000 campaign (I believe Its Red Flag?!) because of the most excellent voice work and quality. Problem is, like many of the veterans in that forum have experienced, I can fly a mission 3 times, spend 3 hours (one on each attempt), and miss a mid air trigger. Poof. Hours gone. Try it again. Yay. That will be fun. Oh wait, it's now midnight. I've spent hours trying to get a trigger to trigger and want to enjoy SOME real flight without "fast forwarding." Let's not simplify my approach too much here please. I'm not simply a "casual trying to turn DCS into an arcade." If you read through this thread and see my setup and what I enjoy (realism) I'm quite the opposite. It just gets to a point where the time sink (3 hours+ over and over for a trigger) becomes too much. This is just a time issue...well, and the lack of enjoyment going through a campaign mission over and over....and over.....and over....due to time. Sure I mess up...it's just time consuming. So far, the Ralt + J solution to jump in another jet seems like that REALLY really might kick some ass. I'm pumped on that recommendation here!

Hi Excorcet. Thank you for the reply. I type fast so pardon errors. I'm aware of the solutions you mentioned. The time acceleration is kinda cool....but man....I'm sure you know it's pretty wonky....it feels so darned unnatural....you barely move left and you almost tip over haha. And resuming from Traks. Dear God. Surely you are aware...that is unreliable as all hell....I mean man. Sometimes you can. Sometimes you can't. It really is pretty rough. Especially in VR. And getting in a new plane in a campaign can be tough as well....shot down....now I'm back on the ground in the same position my Mirage needed .....far from the battle....lining up my INS....20 minutes to take off.....not always the best right? If you have a better approach to having a new plane please share. Thank you! How can I just jump in my wingman's cockpit when I'm dead? I actually never knew about that. That seems to be perhaps the easiest. We may be on to something here. Pretty lame if I create a mission I'll always need a wingman somewhere....but that may work. How will that work when I'm doing a campaign though? I need to edit each mission to guarantee a wingman? I guess they usually do have a wingman. Hmmm. Please elaborate kind sir. Thank you in advance!

As Dudley AZ mentioned in another thread on these forums - +1. I just spent five hours over the course of a weekend replying the same campaign mission over and over, repeating the first 30 minutes of start up and simple flying just to try a different approach to resolve the challenging situation that kept getting me killed. Turned the sense of victory into something of a grudge fight, me against the mission designer. This is supposed to be fun right? A save game feature would have done saved me hours of repetition. Please ED!

Now this could be pretty cool. I enjoy multiplayer. But when considering campaigns or missions (purchased usually or even from other users online) that are single player...which are the majority of options around here.....I'm discouraged. Obviously I don't want to be discouraged....but it really is almost no choice.

Decent point on "forced." I would be a good sport and perhaps edit my title to "choose" but hey, it won't let me. Still, let's not argue over simple wording. Aaaaand stating "Forced" gets the point across. In a title with short wording, it helps convey my point. Due to the ridiculous necessity to replay everything and the time requirement that entails....I'm really almost forced out of this game. Want to get through a mission that 3 attempts hasn't helped finish yet...? Sure thing, to continue I'm now Forced into at least another hour (4 total now). Forced would be accurate to complete a campaign or mission I purchased at that point. So it isn't too far off. And If I chose not to do so, well then that really isn't very attractive. I'm Forced to Choose another hour on that mission at the very least....perhaps even more time will be needed. Or quit. How lovely. Get my point? Rather, can we discuss my broader point? Thank you!

Number 2 seems to be the most practical and needed. Doesn't exist. I heard it did a couple years ago in a mod form. That would be perfect. I also didn't mention my own solutions, as this isn't meant for the suggestion forum with low pop. Curious what other players feel that are in the same boat....as almost all of us are. Cheers

I absolutely love DCS World. I have a Volair cockpit setup, Rift S, X52, 1080 ti, and a rig largely built solely for the purpose of enjoying this great simulator. Taking one look at my cockpit shows that I have a respect and admiration for DCS. I share this message in the hopes of solutions and camaraderie....perhaps to relate to other DCS users that have this issue. Based on the design of DCS, this is something we ALL deal with. I simply cannot re-dedicate the 1 hour segments for each attempt at one portion of just one mission in DCS world. Sure it is a simulator....but we play DCS for fun. This IS supposed to be fun, right? After 20 minutes startup/takeoff in my aircraft, 45 minutes flight and reaching the hour mark, to just get shot down in .5 seconds...or miss a trigger....or die due to something that would really happen ....is FINE. It's realistic. Love it... Problem is, using the exact same hour yet AGAIN to get to the same point in a mission. That loses it's charm...quite quickly. By the third or fourth hour of trying it all YET again that enjoyment is turned to irritation. After 1000+ hours in DCS it is a fact that users are more often than not required to Re Engage in the same content for hours just to "move forward." It feels more like I'm fighting the mission designer .... dedicating HOURS while irritated at the time sink. I'm finding myself dreading completing campaigns and even basic missions for this very same reason. Gave my Volair a nice look this morning, the X52's were lit up blue....ahhh my old friend....and then I remembered what I actually have to do....over and over again..... No thanks. :/

This! Exactly and clearly this! Please, find some way to provide this service. Good god.

Friendly nudge regarding my posts :)

Thank you! I've moved on through the mission and am now on to the next. This was helpful. In the next mission, I somehow crashed in formation into one of my wingmen....I'm in VR making adjustments lol. Anyway, it was yet another example of having to spend another 30 minutes of time just to get back to the same point and my greater message of needing some sort of save feature in general. Cheers.

Wow. This is beyond fascinating and pretty encouraging. I'm glad to see you relate, so many here (understandably) are purists who say that would cheapen the experience with diminished realism. The fact is, it just takes too many hours to enjoy campaigns and all of the multiple attempts they require. All that being said, I'm hoping that I read into something you said and it can be a general solution for all modes of DCS? Would it be possible to somehow create something we all can use for your campaigns but also for DCS in general that would allow saving in missions I generate, are shared from the community etc? Basically, a save feature that is HUGELY needed for all of DCS and the time involved? Thank you for taking my questions seriously and your replies.

To add to my comment above....it is a bit frustrating that I've done this mission 7 times now. Probably about 7 hours. I'm doing EXACTLY what you are saying now. and it worked. Thank you! Waited for Banshee to tell me he's saddled up. We are all joined. Check on map to make sure we are all joined. I easily make it there (by doing INS first and then just starting the take off process) by 6:18. So today I was able to get the trigger hitting with your help. Then I just went in for my attack run and, understandably cause it happens, was shot down. To my point in the post above....not exactly thrilled to try this entire process all over yet again. Hope there is some solution out there for mission save or something....anything..... ; /

Hey Baltic, I have a question to ask you that is a bit off topic. I'd of directly messaged you but perhaps some others may provide some perspective. And it is through your excellent campaign that I have come across this issue so perhaps you can be patient and try and help me and others with this : Here is an example of a night playing ED. Get VR, Voice attack, x52, and my Volair Setup all ready. By the time I launch your excellent campaign 10 minutes has gone by. Power up the Mirage, input INS, take off, i'm about 25 minutes in. Cruise over to waypoint 1 and it is 45 min. Head to the "core" of whatever mission it is and then and frequently 1.5 hours have gone by. Then, suddenly, I get shot down. Perfect. I want it realistic. But here's the problem. To do all that AGAIN is not exactly encouraging. It takes quite some time. I love ED for realism....but time is also a reality and we need a middle ground. I own my own business and have free time. I can, if I'd like, spend hours in ED. Still, I have to make best use of my time for kids, family, dinners, events etc. What advice would you have? I truly wish there was a save mid mission feature. This is the single reason why I don't log into ED as much as I'd like to. I spend money on these campaigns and have many aircraft, but the time needed to fly missions again and again to succeed...hit triggers, deal with dying and trying again, is extreme. Is there any solution you can think of for this? Watching tracks and fast forwarding to then "take over" is tedious and doesn't even always work. My god they need a save feature. Please share any thoughts or solutions.

I have a Rift S also. Ok, to confirm, I make sure eveyrone "catches up" right after take off? Isn't it time consuming to let everyone catch up and then try to make it by 20? I used to let the INS compute before I started up and I think that is what slows me down too much. That part isn't really in the simulation I believe, so I can just "power up" and continue pre flight and take off while INS finalizes right? Thank you!

Cough....cough.....ahem. Uh....anything kind sir ?!

Thank you sir. I really don't get what I'm not doing to hit the trigger? Maybe I need to be grouped up closer with my wingmen first....or....fly at a certain altitude or? hmmmm This is all that's holding me up from continuing.

Pretty good campaing with the M2k Red Flag....on mission 7 however, I CANNOT for the life of me get the trigger to work at way point 2 which I am supposed to fly to by 620am. I book it, get there ontime and at 13,000 feet as per the mission....but it doesn't let me advance to the next part of the mission and move on to the rocket attacks etc. Here is a link to the youtube video I'm trying to copy that I can't even get to work - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPgu...ndex=8&t=2723s Please help. Thank you!

Originally Posted by KansasCS View Post Hey guys, I'm experiencing problems with the weather tab. I can't change it to any sort of preset, nor will it stay in dynamic weather mode. Whenever I change stuff and want to save the mission file, it resets back to standard weather. The setting for wind and turbulence with static weather however, can be changed. Am I missing something? Cheers! --------------- I also for the life of me can't figure this out. I've changed the weather from default to winter clear and then clicked the little load button next to winter clear in the mission editor....but it ALWAYS just goes back to default. Please share how to change the weather. Simply want some of the missions I run during the summer to change to a snow/winter weather to provide a nice change of scenery. This really shouldn't be so complicated? Please advise. Thank you.