av8orDave

And the last bit here is maybe an example of where this thread gets confusing; your Crystal at full resolution gets a smooth 60 fps in what type of mission? Can you post a trackfile or screenshot showing high, smooth framerates while sitting in a newer module (say AH-64D, CH-47F, etc) at Nellis AFB Nevada surrounded by 30 or 40 other aircraft, or do you mean you are getting a smooth 60 fps alone in free flight over the Caucasus? To be clear, I can get a rock-solid 72 fps in non-resource intensive (older) modules with very few AI assets in play over some maps; or I can cripple things with DCS Retribution, or particularly frustrating on some paid-DCS Third-Party Campaigns, where I used to be able to get smooth framerates.

Yeah, I tried terrain set to medium (along with almost every other options tweak possible) to no avail. There are two issues being discussed, as far as I can tell: 1) Stuttering. This is new as of the last few updates and has nothing to do with anything, settings or otherwise, other than the fact that something was introduced during the last couple updates that prevents running smooth gameplay. I'd describe it as a microstutter. 2) A major decrease in FPS. This, to me, seems to be entirely related to the number of units. I can set the units to a min number and maintain 72 fps with high settings, or I can add a lot of units and cripple the FPS even with low settings. In my experience most of the DCS options hit the GPU... I personally am not GPU limited, so reducing the settings has no effect on the FPS when a high unit count is in play. This 100% sums up where we are. A major frustration of mine is when people post that they are seeing a major FPS decrease when using missions with a large number of AI units where they used to have smooth framerates, and someone chimes in and says "my FPS is fine, post your settings, a track file, your DCS log, tell us what your system spec is, and give us a blood sample from your first born child" but when you ask them to post evidence that their FPS is "fine" in a very complex mission with high unit counts, it is radio silence. Very frustrating.

Do you mean that you think the new threading model will make missions with high unit counts a thing of the past because it will kill performance, or that it will make low unit counts a thing of the past by improving performance? I ask because my impression was that spreading the processing load across more threads would help performance. If the opposite happens, I honestly have no clue how the endless march toward better graphics, higher fidelity flight models, better AI, and eventually a dynamic campaign results in a playable game/simulation from a performance aspect.

You bet, but it 100% isn’t related to settings in my case, purely to AI unit count. Ryzen 9 7950X, RTX 4090, 64GB DDR5, using Quest 3; settings as follows: cockpit displays 1024 DLSS quality sharpening .5 textures high terrain textures high vis range medium shadows medium water medium clouds standard civ traffic off terrain object shadows I’ve tried default, flat, and off, no difference forest vis 100 clutter / grass 0 forest details 1 scenery details .5 preload radius all the way up Chimney smoke 0 LOD factor .5 Anisotropic 2 Global illum on Vsync off Pixel density 2 (quest pd set in meta app to default) Now that I’ve punched all that in, exactly what value did that add? Does someone NOT having issues care to post evidence that they are using a mission with a reasonably high unit count and getting acceptable framerates and without microstutters?

Regarding unit counts: Yesterday I loaded a Retribution mission with the option for all friendly forces that aren’t tasked not spawning. This results in you and your wingman being the only two aircraft on the airbase. My FPS were a solid 72 (7950X, 4090, 64G DDR5, Quest 3). I ran the same mission with all aircraft spawning, even those that are untasked. This results in you spawning onto an airfield surrounded by about 30 other helos. My FPS, same mission, were barely holding at 30 - 40 fps. To me it is obvious that something changed with the last update that is preventing DCS from handling any meaningful amount of units. How on earth would an eventual dynamic campaign work?

Maybe so, but given that it launched in a pretty bare-bones state (it’s basically unable to taxi, for example), it might be a nice gesture to show the plan.

I'm quite sure the OP is looking for something like this. If not, then I think something like this would be helpful.

This is the correct answer. I've used a number of VR headsets on multiple systems, and the sad reality is that you have to level-set your expectations when it relates to VR, even with a top-end system. Compared to TrackIR, the visual experience won't be on-par... you'll have to make graphical tradeoffs, primarily on texture settings and other visual details. The benefit is the "immersion" you get in VR. You're no longer flying in your living room starting at a flatscreen monitor with a hat and infrared clip on your head. You're now sitting in the cockpit, at least as far as your visual senses are concerned. If you don't think you want to live with lower graphics settings, and don't want to spend at least some time tweaking and adjusting trying to get just the right experience, don't torture yourself with VR. Once you try it, you can't un-see it.

I almost posted the same thing today. No idea how to operate them. Also couldn’t find anything in the manual.

I'm thinking I'm going to take a break from DCS. I've spent thousands of dollars with ED on modules, and I'm beyond frustrated. Any mission with a decent number of units brings my pretty powerful system to a crawl (Ryzen 9 7950X, RTX 4090, 64GB DDR5). I'll keep checking the forums and hopefully be back to playing when the performance improves.

Hate to disappoint, but there is no longer an "open beta" and "stable" version. There is only one. Do you have the FCR mounted to the AH-64 in the loadout editor?

Just an opinion, but one that has been formed by 15 years of messing around with DCS, along the way using multiple computer systems, upgraded components, and endless tweaking of setups for multiple VR headsets: You can "tweak" and "adjust settings" until you are blue in the face. You can waste hours, days, weeks, months seeking smooth, high-FPS performance. The bottom line is that with some updates, they break the performance of the game, and you're beholden to ED diagnosing the issue and pushing an update to get real results. Many of the tweaks you're seeing are 100% dependant on the specific system being used, software interactions, hardware interactions, and on and on. Many are even just the placebo effect. The current update took performance backward in a big way. The solution is reducing the number of units in a given mission to very few; exactly how many might depend a bit on your system. The point is that no amount of diagnostic tools, tweaking, etc, is going to make the current version work "smoothly". We're waiting for ED to make a fix. Yes, it's a frustrating reality, but it is what it is.

In fairness, the OPs statement and need to publicly announce that he won't be buying the module comes across as a bit arrogant. He could find literally dozens of reviews of the flight model on youtube, reddit, the ED forums, etc, but these reviews, a couple of which are from actual Kiowa aircrew, aren't up to his standard?

Yeah, I totally agree with this. Additionally, in going to monthly updates, we now have to wait until ED sees fit to push out anything that could fix the problem. In my opinion, making changes that break the game in a meaningful way for a large group of users, then expecting that they wait until mid-September for a fix is unreasonable and borders on ridiculous. It is only a video game, I get it, but my guess is that across the aircraft modules, terrains, and campaigns that I own, I'm pushing $1,500 USD spent on software alone, not to mention the state of the art supercomputer I have to have to run the game, the peripherals, etc. Sorry, but it is definitely a major frustration.

Just a thought, but I’m pretty sure artillery is carried utilizing a two-point hook method. The change log specifically says single-point sling loading works.

Was it all tested in the same mission, i.e. with the same weather conditions? DCS helos seem to be very sensitive to any little bit of wind. You can take off with very little pedal input in no wind, but might need a whole foot-full of pedal in a slight breeze. Just a thought.

As the title implies, central position trimming mode doesn’t seem to function properly. It works the same as instant trim. When you press the trim button, the trim immediately takes effect rather than waiting until the stick / pedals are returned to center to take effect.

I think the folder name might be CH-47FBL1... looks like you're missing the "F" in "FBL1". Awesome, I was hoping for this. Thank you!

Take a look in the manual that comes with the module. You'll need to open the folder/docs directory where the module is installed, as the link in this thread is to an old manual (you'd think ED would update the manual posted on their site). Yes, the autopilot ("Bob") works quite well. You engage him, then the cyclic stick controls speed with fore / aft movement of the stick, heading with side to side movement of the stick, and altitude with movement of the collective. I've been very happy with how it works.

Ok, so complaint #1,472,356 about DCS; I downloaded the early access manual on the official ED website yesterday; the post from @BIGNEWY in this very forum links to it. Not a single instruction about how to use "Bob" in that manual. I see @jonsky7 post above showing a screenshot of the Bob instructions and believe, legitimately for about 10 min, that I'm losing my mind. I search the early access guide I downloaded for it. Nothing. I finally realize I need to go in to the folder in the "mods" section of the program directory, and find an updated manual. Ugh. The nice part: Bob does, indeed, work really well right now. I'd love to see the same approach to controlling the AI in the Apache and the Kiowa.

Some very basic things are way problematic with this release, even for an early access state, and it makes me believe something is seriously amiss at Eagle Dynamics.

Gotta admit; it is pretty dang frustrating. Campaigns and modules that we've paid good money for are now barely functional. I'm fully in favor of returning to the Open Beta / Release format if ED is going to use the current setup as a test format where we're supposed to accept ridiculous steps backwards in performance while they figure their stuff out. Ugh.

Looks like Mig Killers didn't make the update? Any idea when it might be released?

Gotta think it is planned as part of the update.

This seems to be the trick. If I’m in track when I undesignate, it redesignates back to the same spot. Thx for the help.