doedkoett

Oh no, I got miles for preordering the Apache using real money. I feel like a thief robbing some of you now. Gee.. I have a bad case of bad conscience now. I wish I had used miles instead of real money, so you guys wouldn´t feel robbed by me. And only we who payed real money will get the Apache module, right? You poor robbed people who used miles won´t get anything, right? Absolutely not an $80 module, essentially for free.. --------- Listen to yourselves. Now you imply that we, the other Apache customers have taken your money. Miles are not money! They are just a part of a customer loyalty scheme. When you pay something with miles, you essentially get stuff for free from ED because they want you as a loyal customer. Just to be clear. I have not received any of your money, I haven't received YOUR miles. I have received customer loyalty points from ED for using my real, hard earned and taxed money to buy a module before it is released. Miles are not money, and MY miles aren't your money either, so stop implying that I have taken something that is yours.

I´d buy a real one!

I am pretty sure you won’t be able to have a 3d model of a soldier strapped to the side of your bird, but in almost all other respects, that would be a possible mission. Right down to adding the weight of the soldier to your aircraft when the soldier is ”picked up”. Unfortunately there is no way afaik to control the weight distribution, so the weight is probably just added at cg.

That’s one of the most addicting features of DCS - you can take any map and create a mission for any aircraft. So Hind in Nevada? No problem. Hind in Normandy? Easy peasy. Hind versus Focke Wulfs in the Falklands? Whenever that map is out, it’s possible.

I got both for Christmas! I just read Apache over Libya, and I recommend it. From a mission creators point of view it is pure inspiration regarding how to set up a mission, what targets to use and so forth. It was a quick read too, without leaving me, the reader, with the feeling that there could be more. It´s more like the book is on point with a minimum of embellishments. I haven't read "We Own The Night" from cover to cover yet, but I think it is more of a picture book than anything you read for the facts. A lot of nice photos of the Apache. It´s made by/for Boeing, so I get the feeling that it´s more of a PR Giveaway thing than a book for people who want to know more.

Of course the SSD-trick is not the solution for all performance woes or in anyway a better solution than a multi threaded core game. I just meant to tip those who haven´t put their DCS on an SSD yet, that they should. As a mission creator I am trying hard to learn what works and what kills the game in terms of performance. In one mission I had a complete armoured battalion with support elements face of against another battalion for some "real simulated" combat, with reinforcements advancing along roads leading to the front line, while we were supposed to fly CAS overhead. Seems like that was a bit too much for most players computers (at the time). So I learned how to replace AI-vehicles with static vehicles to cut down the CPU usage and other short cuts to emulate ground combat in a way that takes less resources. Another thing to avoid is massive spawning of elements mid game - that will create lagspikes for everyone - with possibly fatal results. Or functions like artillery barrage zones, rocket artillery or massive missile attacks from ships. DCS being what it is for the time being, we need to find ways to work around it if we want to give ourselves and our fellow pilots a good experience.

Put DCS on an SSD-disk and set preload radius to minimum. I think putting DCS on an SSD gave me the highest percieved performance boost so far in DCS (and I have upgraded the graphics cards twice and cpu once in my 7-8 years with the sim.) Maybe not in strict FPS numbers, but it eliminated a lot of stutter and temporary freezes that was taking away from the immersion. So if anyone out there still runs DCS from an old mechanical spinning disk drive, buy an SSD. They are a bit cheaper than a new graphics card, and you can´t get the latter anyway due to the current situation being that it is.

Is there any way to copy/paste drawn elements? If I want 10 circles the same size or if I want all textboxes to follow the same style. Ctrl-c ctrl-v does not seem to work.

So what kind of capability could we expect from the Ah-64D, provided it is properly simulated? The ability to put target symbols on the map and send them to the other aircraft in the company? Anything more exiting than that? I am quite happy if I all I would be able to, is to share targets with my co-players, and in a more convenient, and less roundabout way than in the Ka-50. Far too many keypresses and moving about in the cockpit for my taste, but on the other hand, when properly used, it is really a nice thing to have when playing co-op.

Dispersion is on by default. I think the default is that they disperse and stop for 10 minutes and then go on about their business. The behavior can be changed with a way point action, so that they will disperse for a shorter or longer time, or not at all. Speaking of worthwhile targets - I guess you all saw the new Toyota technicals in the latest Apache video?

Unfortunately yes. But maybe after 14 days of trial he will find the expense worthwhile?

"Freedom" - I´ll absolutely use that one for something in a future mission.

That’s as boring as those we used in the Swedish Army Air Corps, letter prefix and tail number, like K09, ”Kalle 09” or ”Kilo 09” in English..

So, hit us with your least hollywoodish callsigns you ever had, or seen/heard! It would be hillarious to give my players the callsign "Buttplug" and refer to it being in use in Kandahar in 2005 or something. Well, I guess I´d be more amused than them.

Yeah, I will definitively need to keep it simple. While Apache pilots might be trained in various radio protocols, me and "my" guys are barely able to start up SRS! Thanks for all the input!

So "Dragon 6" would be the boss himself, not his helicopter - he could be sitting in "Dragon 1-1", am I understanding that right?

There is still that very short lag when turning the head/sensor and the stabilisation gear is fighting against the movement, which i recognise from other stabilised optics I’ve played around with - from the main sight of a Leopard 2 tank to the stabilisation in my telephoto lens. I have no Idea if that is true also for the PNVS, but I am sure some of you guys can tell us.

At least in the apache you can have the TADS view on one of the mfd’s and use your helmet display to see where “George” and the TADS is looking, so you are way better off than in the Hind, and if you got a decent amount of SA you should be able to differentiate between bluefor or redfor and avoid blue on blue.

So my fictional example company, Bravo Company "the Dragons" could have "Dragon 11" for 1st platoon lead, and "Dragon 12" as his wingman? And similarily, the A company "the Hobbits" would be "Hobbit 11" and so on?

With the upcoming release of the Apache, my brain is already working on creating a campaign for my "squadron". I think we will be able to "deploy" 6-8 fully crewed Apaches, so that would make about one company. One thing that would add to the immersion, I think, is the correct use of callsigns within the unit and within the battalion. So I simply wonder how callsigns are used. Are the callsigns specific to a unit - would B coy in XYZ Bn always have a certain callsign? Is it derived from the name of the company (ie: The company calls themselves "Dragons", and the callsigns are always "Dragon-XY", or are the callsigns assigned for each mission, like "Today, we are Carcrash-ZX, tomorrow we´re Trashbin-YX"? What does the numbers represent? Do they represent airframe numbers, or are they hierarchical, like everybody in Alpha having 1X while Bravo company always being 2X? Well, I guess you guys get the gist of what I am asking. I will probably have more questions later. There are some things in the "Apache battalion deployment handbook for dummies" that I don´t understand either... /Erik G

I thought it was for silent mode, like in Blue Thunder.. But I may have confused lockout with the chop button, when I start to think about it. Like "chop" for silent, "chop chop" for normal use, and "chop chop chop" for air shows, when you want to impress the crowd.

My most rewarding thing thus far in my "DCS career" has been learning helicopters. I struggled for a while with the Huey (the best helicopter to get the basics down, I believe), having a hard time transitioning from forward flight to a hover and landing. Then I bought the Hind and trained hard during the summer. The Hind thought me the value of patience. You can´t rush things in the Hind - not as a noob anyway. After feeling fairly competent (not crashing ALL the time) I got in to the Huey once again, and found the transitions fairly easy all of a sudden. So I guess a few of the lessions I have learnt are: Helicopters require training, and more training. They are hard. Have patience. You can´t go att full speed and then land on a dime in a few seconds. Not initially anyway. Give yourself plenty of time and space to slow down into transitional lift and hover. Helicopters are fun!

obviously not a model builder!

The first two in game, the last one both in game and in real life. Since the OP said ”modules in DCS” I went with what is possible in game

Hind, Ka-50 and not least Viggen can groundtaxi backwards.