fudabidu

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=281095 It's from a texture mod for the OLD Ka-50 cockpit, but the list is still accurate.

Yes, I think videos / tracks are very necessary. Just look at this thread. People still don't understand why the Shkval is problematic and a long time ago I posted my findings about the 'magic Shkval formula' for locking somewhere. Do you see a single response from ED on this topic anywhere? Did they say the Shkval logic is gonna be reworked for BS3? I'm feeling like if we don't raise awareness, it's not gonna get fixed. People will just assume it's how it's supposed to work and the few experienced Ka-50 drivers have to deal with the same crap again. A lot of hype for nothing.

"Servers would go nuts" .. no they won't, because the Shkval logic is running on the client side, as are most other things. If the server was involved in every little thing like this we'd need insane computers to host any kind of multiplayer mission and every single optical sensor would make it worse. Think about it. That said, contrast tracking would be easy. Just use the Shkval feed and evaluate the contrast inside the tracking box. Can we all get back on topic now? It's amazing how you can mention a single shortcoming relevant to a problem and everything derails. Also, where are the videos or track files showing the original problem? No wonder this is getting no support. It's probably one of those quirks that have been around since forever (and which I tried to explain).

Please be so kind to provide a track file or at least a video so I can see for myself. The Shkval can drift every time it's NOT tracking ... that's why I brought up the (non-existant) tracking based on contrast.

This has been a thing since the helicopter first came out. Ever heard people begging for tracking based on contrast? This is part of the reason why. In reality the Shkval would track anything inside the targeting box as long as there is enough contrast to make out something. That's why you can change the size of the targeting box (which is currently completely useless). In DCS BS you just point at a solid object (basically everything except trees or terrain) and the Shkval magically keeps tracking it. If the Shkval isn't tracking and is slewed it falls back into some sort of calculated stabilized mode, which doesn't take into account terrain elevation. You could be looking at a target 10km away, but because you're above a hill you'll be stabilized on some point in the air along the way. Using the HMS works because it instructs the Shkval to look at a certain coordinate in 3D space (just like targeting a datalink point) and it will stay there until you start slewing. It's the way they programmed it and it makes no sense. Either the Shkval knows terrain elevation or it doesn't. Not both at the same time. The only way around that is using the laser range finder often, which of course will lead to a lot of burnt out lasers. Using trees as cover can also cause a similar issue. If only one branch is visible at the edge of the screen the Shkval might be following that tree. It's the first 'object' in line of sight, so DCS assumes it should be tracking that. In this case the laser might only give you the range to the tree and track a point right next to it, because trees reflect so much stray laser energy .... insert Picard facepalm here. The Shkval really needs an update and this isn't the only issue it has. You can deal with it if you're perfectly hovering 7km away from a cluster of enemies (like on most servers these days), but try providing CAS in an area where you can't afford to stop and engage targets of opportunity. You either abuse the HMS, burn out your laser or go mad.

"The Channel" just released and it features 'gorgeous' hard edges and texture transitions. If this is the best the engine can do then I think it's safe to say it's outdated. With Syria coming soon as well I think we can't expect another major terrain update in at least 3 - 5 years. Hey ED: did you read the news? Did you see the pictures? And what are you gonna do about it?

Folks, please test before posting! Tried the same mission, sent the AI to scout and all DLink points were significantly off vertically. The coordinates are correct, but not the altitude. In the track file I'm flying sideways and the reticle will stay perfectly above the target. I suspect there is something wrong with the altitude calculation, basically adding the wingman's radar altitude to the target altitude. ED, if you're working on the upcoming BS3, that's cool, but it would be really nice if you stopped pushing incomplete/broken updates into open beta. Thank you DLink bug.trk

In OB the helicopter appears to be in a transitional phase. The flight model feels slightly different, fuel quantity power switch is current non-functional, I've heard about sudden engine vibration and fire without prior warning, weapon pylon indicator lights are hard to see, Kh-25 aren't tracking anymore ... it's totally not bug free. The Shkval is still terrible under specific conditions. Sometimes it's not even possible to lock a plane/helicopter silhouetted against the sky, because your locking range is artificially decreased (based on weather & TOD). It's probably not going to be perfect before BS3 releases and even then it might need a couple of patches. To be fair it's pretty good most of the time.

I really appreciate the 'optimization' in the last couple of patches. Gained a lot of frames per second, even after cranking up the graphics. But now it can take minutes to even see my aircraft or cockpit. Maybe prioritize loading those first, so it's possible to start up while everything else is still loading.

"I think when people see module prices they just look some other way" What other way? 20 year old sims that have been modded to death? There is currently nothing like DCS on the market so you either buy in or you play arcade flight games. You only have a choice if you want to fly warbirds, but not for jets/helicopters. Free stuff brings in 'Steam kiddies'. Enthusiasts (like myself) are willing to pay because we getting our money's worth out of it. "Caucasus is made using old technology and won't be updated as it would break old missions." 2.5 broke several Ka-50 campaign missions and probably others. If ED is so concerned about compatibility, why do we still rely on an unofficial patch? And if you made a mission 3 years ago there is a good chance it won't work as intended anymore because of changes in the scripting system.

The new map will be 98% water for carrier ops. You can't compare that to Caucasus. ED is not interested in updating Caucasus any time soon, even though it looks pretty bad in some areas: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=264304 Making a map takes (a lot) of work. People want to get paid for their work. Free maps don't make money to pay workers with. The current map is still partially based on the on the old LOMAC map because that's a way to save money. Making Caucasus a paid map would just kick off a massive shitstorm. Crimea isn't "unfinished", it was cut many years ago in favor of moving to the east, which offered much more interesting terrain for the then new Ka-50 module. I played LOMAC / DCS for many years and I fully support this decision. People "just flying around" are not the focus of DCS and if they just want to do sightseeing there will be an alternative very soon. No point in adding details that 90% of players will never even notice.

Was looking for a server to practice flying the Mi-8 and somehow found your server. I like it so far, so here I am to provide a bit of feedback: - Restart your server periodically Right now it's been running for 12 days and we encountered some serious freezes and de-syncs. Since it isn't a busy combat server you might be able to get away with a restart once per day or even less frequent. - Spawn new SAR missions automatically Reacting to a given situation and coordinating with other pilots feels more engaging than simply spawning stuff manually in a given area. - More bases / diverse missions Deliver picked up units to a specific location, transfer units from one base to another, cargo/sling load transport ... just to add more variety. You've already mentioned sling loading, so you probably get the idea. - Less forest pickups It's very doable with the in-game overlay, but having to rely on it breaks the immersion and can be troublesome for VR users (as they have to look up to see it). Might solve itself when there are more diverse missions available. - Dynamic weather Hard to control sometimes, but it would require assessing each LZ individually and approaching them accordingly. Thank you very much for giving DCS helicopters a purpose and I'm looking forward to ferrying more stuff on your server.

No. I could go on to talk about how terrible helicopter AI is in general but that doesn't help with anything. There might be a way for planes to drop illumination flares, but then you might as well stick to the illumination script and pretend it's some 'off screen' artillery or something.

I played LB Gold, LB2, EEAH/EECH (all very similar) extensively and switching to the Ka-50 came with a huge step up in complexity and workload: No almighty mast mounted radar, no RWR*, no MWS*, no FLIR (only TV), no copilot to help you in any way, finicky beam riding ATGMs, manually datalinking individual targets (no auto-saving of targets or NFZs/PFZs), a dozen individual systems, several quirks you absolutely need to know about (...). Just flying/trimming takes some time to get used to and it doesn't help that people are still spreading wrong information about the 'autopilot' 11 years after release (don't trust anybody telling you to tap the trimmer; hold it). *(the BS3 upgrade supposedly will add RWR and MWS, but it's still not gonna be 'magic' like in LB2) Most of your fundamentals/tactics will probably work just fine in DCS, but forget everything you learned about the AH-64 in LB2. The Ka-50 works very very differently and it's not a simplified sim like LB2 was. It'll take quiet a while to learn! It's still a very capable attack helicopter and I found learning about it very rewarding. It's especially fun in multiplayer when you coordinate with other Ka-50s. If you decide to pick up the Ka-50 I highly recommend the "Deployment" campaign. It's rather easy and a good place to practice what you've learned. However, get the unofficial patch for that campaign, because some missions have been 'broken' since the big 2.5 update years ago. ED is focusing on new content rather than maintaining old modules. BTW That's one of the reasons some customers/long time supporters are more than dissatisfied. Maybe they'll update the missions with the upcoming BS3 upgrade, but who knows. If you want to fly in multiplayer, apply to a squad that focuses on helicopters and custom missions. Jets are by far more popular in DCS and this is reflected in almost every public multiplayer server. It's either a boring turkey shoot or you're put up against totally unreasonable air defenses. Nothing beats a well thought out mission that's all about helicopters.

Easy: change the trimming mode in the options to "default" "Central Stick Trimmer Mode" locks your controls after trimming until you center the joystick again. "Default" doesn't do that. When using rudder pedals you probably want to disable the rudder trim.

Been flying the Ka-50 since its first release and suddenly I'm doing something wrong that causes the chopper to bank? And other people are suddenly making the exact same mistake? Seriously? Go ahead, I really wanna read this. Say, did anybody post a track showing the bank not happening by now? If my issue wasn't an issue this thread wouldn't be labeled "unable to reproduce" but "correct as is".

The controller overlay does show up in replays, right? If it does pay close attention to it! Once I accelerate I'm NOT touching roll or yaw at all. The helicopter starts banking right on its own as speed increases. The controller overlay clearly shows this. If it was a problem with my calibration it would show up on the controller overlay. It would also be very funny if everybody here suddenly had the same calibration issue. Speaking of which: I'm a TM Cougar user and the device has been manually calibrated. Rudder works fine and the pitch & roll pots have been replaced with magnetic sensors. Everything works perfectly everywhere (Windows devices, Thrustmaster Control panel, DCS axis properties), so there is no way this is a problem with my calibration.

Fixed my track recording, so please have a look at this. I'm not touching roll or yaw at all and around 100kph the bank becomes pretty obvious. This wasn't the case previously. banking.trk

I love how this has been an issue for years and we still don't have an official response.

The knob selects different filters. It's not a magical night vision device. We could assume there is wiring to support the mercury pod, but then we might as well add all kinds of ridiculous loadouts to other aircraft as well. How about urging ED to fix the damn illumination rockets so their light shows up on the Shkval?

- Play DCS Ka-50 for 10+ years - notice something weird is happening - take it to the forum - people tell you it has always been that way - useless arguments - don't get anywhere Such a great community.

Are those at maximum texture settings? I think as texture resolution is reduced adjacent symbols bleed over. This could also happen as you zoom out and a lower resolution mip is used.

Just today a helicopter flew overhead and as it passed by the dominant sound wasn't the rotors, it was the turbine engine. So at least under certain conditions this is accurate.

To abbreviate things: Can anyone provide a track or video showing the Ka-50 NOT banking to the right with increasing airspeed? Please show the briefing for wind settings and include the in-game control indicator. I didn't believe it either, but I tested it and it's there. It's not like I suddenly forgot how to fly this thing.

Caucasus might have been updated, but in some areas it still looks like LOMAC with some additional trees and higher texture resolution. As a helicopter pilot I find that really disappointing. Only alternatives are the flat Normandy map or mostly empty deserts and I can't say I'm excited about a new map consisting mostly of water. It shouldn't be too difficult to create some more low-poly buildings and distribute them around or fix a few flat taxiways, but what do I know. Could be DCS has the worst terrain editing tools ever conceived.