Gunslinger22

To be fair he is only speculating, no need to ring his neck. It literally says in the OP this is a place for speculation. So i’d Imagine that allows both optimism and pessimism regardless of if it’s what you like or not? Just trying to keep this civilised before the whole ‘toxic’ thing starts getting thrown around because someone isn’t positive in regards to the F-14’s release.

Completely agree! It’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Voice any opinion that’s either left or right of the centre opinion and you’ll be either called a toxic immature child or a fan boy whom can’t see passed his bias for the developer in question. I just think everyone of all opinions in regards to the F-14 just needs to calm down. I don’t think any of this bickering is doing both us as a community and the developers any favours. Surely by this point everyone has learned to take a grain of salt with their release dates. I want it released, HB want it released, so I don’t see how their can be a question to their motives. I take their silence for once to be truly golden. But until someone is killed or physically harmed because HB won’t release their Tomcat then I don’t see a problem that requires anymore attention than a civil conversation.

I think this thread is a great example of where the common view upon the F-14's release is divided, many are overly optimistic and others are overly pessimistic. I think there is definitely something to be taken from F22xRaptors point and some to someones like GrizzlyBears83 points. I sit somewhere in the middle of them, I don't think it will be released in 2018, but am not too critical of previous promises, yes it is mind boggling how many deadlines haven't been met. But I really don't think we've seen a product even close to the quality of what we've seen so far (Disclaimer: Obviously that's an optimistic thought because once released the quality of the f-14 could be bug ridden and a total mess) so naturally it's going to take heaps of unforeseen time. HB are breaking new grounds in the simulation realm it seems. So who is to say other than HB what is happening behind the scenes to cause any delays but I think their silence is golden. Though that has become a throwaway line like many other things in the world of DCS.

Yeah it ain’t happening this year folks. I’ve said it before but we’re just having a repeat of last year. While I’d love for HB to make me eat my words. Seems like any timeframe they put on something the Tomcat blows it away. Remember the many videos they have in the pipeline? If they’re so busy with work that any time devoted to videos is a detriment to the module then we’re not seeing it until Q2 2019. But I say once again I would love to eat my words on this. But my guts tells me otherwise.

Oh maybe they're a little too clean, haha HB has it down perfect!!

I think that even if they don't release it before Christmas they'll be having time off. So if anything, it probably isn't something they're sweating on to get time off by releasing it before then.

Hmm, all this is taking me back to this time last year. The feelings and expectations where very similar weren't they :music_whistling: Though I can more confidently say we are closer to release than we certainly were compared to last year it seems. Makes you think how truly far off they were 12 months ago when a release was promised. Quality like what HB offer really does take time it seems, can't wait for them to get the monkey off their back and a well earned break to ensue. Whether that's this year or not I don't know, but it will be glorious for both them and us the customers.

So this has basically come down to what your preferences are to what you like/want. For you the B with all the bells and whistles is the definitive Turkey. For other like me and many others it's 80's/90's A's/A+s that were. Where the primary role was fleet defence/air superiority, where the tomcat was still very advanced and to many was the supreme aircraft over enemy skies. Not the dying old airframes of the early 2000's that while yes, had more advanced electronics, couldn't do much more than preform long range strike. It pretty much just became a fighter sized B-1B. So yes, modelling the most advanced variant of an airframe might be nice and fit your wishes, it's not what many think of when looking back on the Tomcat. Heck after all most people will think of the grimey A's of the TOPGUN fame. Edit -- I'm not accounting the D in this because HB have already addressed this in their future plans and the point of discussion has been around the B.

Not to insult you, but you need to do some more research if you think that not having the Sparrowhawk or PTID is unrealistic for the implementation of the LANTIRN. The Sparrowhawk wasn't deployed until 2002, in limited numbers. Tomcats were still able to use the pod without the use of the PTID. People are so picky with how they want their F-14. Everyone wants late development Tomcats that have more comforts making them easier to fly. Yet the fact is there was 557 F-14As, 38 F-14Bs & 37 F-14Ds. With 48 F-14As converted to F-14B type. So the large majority were A's.

Feel defender was amazing, everything from the briefs to mission design was so emmersive! Hopefully HB will deliver those feeling and much more!

It may be considered a imperfection now, but in 1970 it was quite the achievement.

I much prefer this style of PR over the trailers. Something with a bit of meat on it! Though the only thing I would change for the next one is maybe just focus on one section of the flight at a time rather than the split screen? Other than that was 10/10!

I'm looking forward to the in-depth looks with live gameplay! But this was amazing!!

I like 70's Hiviz schemes. But these two look grouse!

You're joking aren't you? You seriously just said classification has nothing to do with how modules are made? Hmm, well when should we expect the F-22 and F-35 modules to come out? If they can't gather enough information on the required technologies because they're classified then they can't accurately simulate it can they.

Which is why I can’t see them being able to accurately simulate the -D. Also considering the fact that the APG-71 which the -D used was based on the APG-70 (which is still in service with the F-15E) I’d imagine it would be highly classified, or enough so that it could not be accurately simulated.

Sweet! Looking forward to it!

It's not a high priority for me, there is more important things I'd like them to work on first.

-1 for the D.

Joint the 104th, then simply sit in the pit for hours watching people take to the sky. Eventually I will start it up and do the same.

I would put my house on the MIG-31 not getting fully simulated in the next 10 years.

I know, I was just making a joke about how much work there might still be to do. Considering that many of us thought we’d get it before the end of 2017.

I do find it funny how spoiled we’ve become in DCS with moving maps and advanced navigational systems that the A-10, AV-8B and F/A-18 have! Like most things in the -A/B I’m really looking forward to mastering the challenges of less advanced Nav gear and all the -70’s technology the F-14 has in it!

Hmm, winter is 6 months away in Australia, so Heatblur has plenty of time to finish the Tomcat apparently.

Also to add, not every -A was upgraded to -A+/B status. As what the upgrade primarily added was the F110-GE-400 engines that replaced the TF-30’s. With some avionics upgrades but most notably being the ALR-67, but most of the suite stayed the same as the -A.