Shibbyland

Thanks for the info. I had another question about the RADAR. I want to map some of the functions to keyboard or joystick inputs. In particular, the button to filter cloud clutter and the one for deselecting modes (so that I can unlock targets). I can't find them in the control options, can anybody direct me please?

So I went ahead and bought the MiG. It's cool, I quite like the aircraft itself. However I find the following to be a bit of a pain and maybe somebody could help me out. The RADAR seems just about useless, it picks up friendlies but not enemies for some weird reason, not even when I'm right there in full view of them. The stalling is definitely weird, just takes so long to recover. The air to air gun pipper just seems to wander around in every which way but when I fire it never coincides with the pipper, so essentially I find the pipper useless. Its pretty difficult to see enemies, the windscreen needs a thorough clean, you'd fail a flight test for having such a filthy windscreen. What am I missing about the air to air gun use?

So how do I update it? Nothing has come through as an update?

Hey with the MiG 29 update, has that been released? I play stable version and I don’t have any updates

Haha I reckon you already know the answer to all those questions. Negative AoA but maintaining level flight makes no sense, I suppose a slight nose down attitude is possible at high speed but that would depend on the angle of incidence of the wing and would still require a positive AoA. As for taxiing, can’t see the rudder working effectively until speeds more toward 30 or 40kts, differential braking required with castoring wheel. How does the MiG 21 detect angle of attack? Is it vanes on the nose or something else placed elsewhere?

Привет, я ищу ваше мнение о МиГ 21. Извините, я не говорю по-русски, поэтому этот перевод, вероятно, плохой. Что думают российские игроки о МиГ-21? Стоит ли покупать его в текущем состоянии? Что хорошего в этом и что плохого в этом?

I'm still on board with DCS. Of all the flight sims I own, the flight models in DCS feel the most authentic. In saying that, they gotta stop letting developers release something and then not finish it, it's damaging to the entire sim.

I'd love a Vietnam setting too, MiG 21s against Thunderchiefs and Phantoms would be awesome but I have to agree with hovring, the MiG 21 needs to be completed before they move on to anything else. I know others don't share the same view but I don't think the CE should be getting any focus at all over the MiG. People say they're trying to get money out of it but I think they'd get far more sales completing the MiG than they'll ever get out of the CE. The MiG 21 is their flagship and will be the aircraft that defines them as a developer. I really want to buy the MiG but I haven't because the feedback regarding development isn't positive enough. So that's one customer holding onto their money for now, there will probably be others. I still believe this is one of the most interesting modules in the game (possibly the most) and it feels like it's rotting in a hangar.

What direction is the wind coming from and how does the aircraft detect AoA? If the wind is high enough and from the rear of the aircraft it MIGHT be causing these issues. Significant airflow from behind could mess with the AoA vanes (if that’s what the MiG has) but as for engine start, I don’t know, I would’ve thought it’d take a hell of a tailwind to cause start issues beyond a high temperature start. Can you try changing wind direction to a headwind and let me know if it helps, I’m interested to find out.

I am hanging out for AGMs and JDAMs. I bought the Hornet for the air to air...but I play it for the air to ground.

I look forward to hearing what magnitude have to say. I don’t know the full story behind the breakaway that happened a year ago. It doesn’t really matter now. If it were me I’d consolidate, finish the projects you’ve got, the MiG is your flagship right now, it’s enormously promising and could be one of the defining modules in DCS. Build up a base of customer support and use it to launch new modules. Try not to bounce from one thing to another, pick what you’re good at and make it your signature. Just my opinion but yea hope to see you guys stay in the game...ps, throw a sale or two our way if you can, they’re deluxe for reinvigorating interest in old modules.

I sincerely hope any developer finding a footing in DCS succeeds, the more modules the better. My preference is that DCS remains a combat simulator but I know not everybody feels that way. Please finish the MiG 21, to my mind it is your most promising and appealing module.

I personally don’t mind bugs and flaws as long as I see Improvements and support for the module. I didn’t know anything about magnitude when I started looking into getting the MiG but now I’ve done some reading it just seems that for whatever reason they aren’t doing much with the MiG and the stuff they are working on isn’t for me. I want to know a module will be completed and 4 years in early access suggests this one won’t be. It would be great so see more Russian aircraft in game. Personally I always found the WW2 setting an odd choice for DCS. It’s really well done but once you’ve done aircraft startup the warbirds don’t offer a whole lot more beyond what you can get in other sims. I reckon more aircraft from the 1960s to late 80s would be great. Vietnam is a time period in which Air combat really evolved to what it is today and it goes underrepresented in the sim market. DCS has a platform which could really make it work...anyway I’ve kind of digressed from the original discussion. No MiG 21 for me, at least not at full price.

I wouldn't expect the rudder to have any effect at all at taxi speeds, given it's a jet there's no airflow over the tail such that you might have from a propeller. It's also a relatively small surface so if I had to guess, I'd say you'd need to be well beyond taxi speed before you could maintain directional control with rudder. What's the actual issue with the stalling? I see what you're saying in terms of significant altitude loss but in what way is it's behaviour wrong? Could you comment about how it stalls at low speed (say on approach) and at high speeds? Again, if it were truly well modelled you'd expect some differences so if it's hardcoded and you're getting the same behaviour, that's not so flash. Do you know what though, the thing that puts me off the most is that they've given the MiG a CCIP mode. It's simple, if it doesn't have it, don't put it in the sim. The whole fun of DCS is learning the aircraft because truth be told I'm rubbish at using the mission editor and the campaigns are often bugged or there just aren't any so all the content is in learning the module. I mean jeez why not just give it BVR weapons too?

I started using 30-35 for rudder years ago for WW2 sims, I found it helped make strafing runs a lot more manageable. I later found that it actually helped with fine control inputs across the board. I see what you're saying about progressive inputs and strictly speaking that's exactly what the curve is doing but I find it makes the inputs feel much more natural. At least with my Logitech, if I don't use those curves I find control inputs are incredibly aggressive. Admittedly my controller is 10 years old but it's always been really good and there's no other module in the game that feels so strange. The Hornet just loses the plot at low speed with my controller.

Just wondering if anybody here has tips for smoother low speed flying (hopefully a good controller setting), such as for a CASE 1 recovery. I've got my curves set to about 35 to limit excessive movement with small inputs and I suspect it's a limitation of my controller (Logitech extreme 3D). I'm just finding the Hornet wallows around a lot at low speed and minimal control input. It's the only aircraft I have in game which seems to behave that way and it makes flying the ball quite tricky.

Jeez yea that does sound incomplete. Maybe back to what I said before then, possibly good for a sale but not worth full price. That’s pretty cheap using su25 sounds. Strange decision to give it NWS if it didn’t actually have it. Castoring nose wheel wouldn’t be that much of a pain to use in the sim, in fact it would add more to the game since if you get slow with it pointing the wrong way it can be a real pain to get it going in the right direction again. Not too difficult but it would’ve added something to the sim. Gutted because the MiG really appeals more so than any of he others but not paying full price for something still in that state after 4 years. I’d buy the MiG 15 but I don’t think it has a lot to offer.

Well that’s pretty much exactly what I was asking and I don’t think anybody has explicitly mentioned that number of systems being incorrect or broken. There’s been one mention of missiles underperforming and some direction to go to the sub forums for bugs but they are either outdated or branch off into leathernecks own bug reporting forum and I don’t know about everybody else but I certainly don’t have the time or inclination to trawl through all that. Easier to ask those who have the module to clarify the scattered information available especially if they’ve had the module throughout its development.

What is it you've seen in the module which makes it not a study sim? I've watched a lot of the videos available and although that doesn't give you a feel for it, it seemed like the aircraft had plenty of systems implemented. I wouldn't expect it to have quite the detail of the A10 or F18 because it's just a much more basic aircraft by comparison. You'd kind of hope with the age of the aircraft they'd have more resources available to them to better model systems but I've never owned a module from these developers so I'm not sure what to expect from them. As for the handling of the aircraft, having never flown a MiG 21 I wouldn't have a clue about whether that's accurate or not. I'm a reasonably judge of what does and doesn't feel right in flight sims in a more generic sense but I'd be surprised if they've made this aircraft a complete fantasy machine. From all the responses I've had on this post here's my understanding. -The MiG is fun -It fits that slot between the warbirds and the modern jets -It's got a different feel to it than the other aircraft in terms of flight, engine management and take off or landing. -It's not well supported in comparison to other modules -It's missiles are a bit rubbish -It's been in early access for four years...not a good sign. People seem to be saying the module is pretty good but it has some bugs and the developers aren't so quick to get rid of them. Would love to know what aspects of the module itself you don't like. What modules do you see as study sims? It's as you say, these modules are so expensive and you can't try them out before you buy so I like to see what other people think. It's not like a steam game where you can just get a refund and the exchange rate at the moment is terrible where I'm at so I'd hate to spend all that money and go oh yea this one does suck I'll never play it.

It'd be really good if modules had demo instant action. Just a 2 v 2 air to air with a 15 minute timer or something so you can try the module before you buy it.

Oh what the missiles are bugged and no fix? How long are they leaving it between updates. Not so good if you can’t even use some missiles.

All the people who like the MiG seem to like it for exactly the reasons I want it haha. All the people who say don’t buy it, say so for the exact reasons I’m being cautious. I’ll likely see what the tomcat announcement is and go from there. I don’t play much multiplayer, what’s the campaign for the MiG like?

MiG 15 is cool but it's really not what I'm looking for. It's as above, the reason I'm interested in the MiG 21 is that it's got that old school feel but still has missiles and a basic RADAR so even though it's hard, it's still possible to take on the modern aircraft. I think I'll wait for a sale, the full price is too much for something with mixed reviews. As I say, its between the MiG and the M2000 as they both interest me for different reasons, but I've got the F/A 18 and I don't see the M2000 offering anything I can't already get from the Hornet. The Tomcat supposedly isn't too far away and I know I'm getting that.

I find the FBW aircraft really weird in DCS. The trimming is bizarre at times, the F18 sort of wallows around at times. Have decided against the MiG, I do feel it’s one of the more interesting modules but having done a bit of reading it just doesn’t seem to have the same level of developer support that the other modules do and that’s really important in a game like DCS which is always evolving.

Thanks for the input, I think on balance it might be worth buying on sale but doesn’t sound like it has the support to warrant paying full price over a different module. I’ll probably still keep it in mind because the older gear is fantastic and I was after that comparison of a delta wing older fighter vs playing with some of the newer stuff. Ultimately no matter how interesting it is to fly there’s only so much fun you can have taking off and landing. If it’s not getting updated and isnt likely to have content such as campaigns added then it’s probably best I hold off. Maybe one day we’ll have more aircraft from that period to bring the MiG into the spotlight again.