Raisuli

Reaction to threat - None

I'm starting to like the theory DCS is not ED's primary source of revenue. I also go back to that long, rather interesting argument where two 'experts' who have been there and done that couldn't agree on how aircraft are wired and realize imagination is a significant part of any module. If ED wants to make an F-35 then good for them; I might even buy it. None of the other airplanes around here are real, either. Incidentally the real lesson listening to those experts is how amazingly reasonable they both were, and polite, and the thing they did agree on is no two aircraft are quite alike, and between squadrons the only similarity is the name. I do recall watching a pair of VF-21 F-14As go overhead shortly after that squadron got their hands on them. One had glove vanes, the other did not. Consistency is for sissies. I'm not that particular, or I just don't know the subject enough to let it bother me. Evenly-ish matched aircraft are evenly-ish matched. I got shot down by a 109 while in an F-18, climbing away at mach .85 passing 30,000. Little prop job reeled me in and took an up-close shot from dead six. I had no idea the 109 could out-perform a jet like that, but it was a lesson learned. When I checked the tacview I realized he started to evade my SPAAMRAM the instant it came off the rail fifteen miles away, then proceeded to outrun me. Against that kind of skill, and performance, I'm doing BoB in an F-16 and giving the Germans Christian Eagles. As long as they don't have sidearms I have a chance. It is a shame that Germany will be more "Red Flag" and less "Cold War", but that's the plane set we have to work with. Of course this is where demands are made to produce every aircraft that's ever been made in any country between 1946 and 2035 to full fidelity by tomorrow for 'realism'. Realistically an I-16 in the hands of the AI will be able to handle anything I can do in an F-16. An La-7 would be overkill.

When it's ready.

You've just described 850 years of development in one sentence. I'll take the F-4U and P-38, please! Since BoB (as BoB) isn't doable I'll settle for BoB 1945. Just like I'm probably going to do Cold War 2010. Nothing says Germany had to reunify; I can always claim that chunk of concrete with yellow paint on my shelf was something else; Berlin has no shortage of graffiti to chose from. Limiting Germany to 70s and 80s aircraft lacks imagination. I played a round of golf with...little nobody me, a B-24 nose gunner, a guy who taught F-6F flat spin recovery, and a guy who got shot down five times in a P-38 (he was quite honest about being the 90% who distracted the enemy long enough for the 10% to shoot them down. He also figured he had used up all his luck and didn't drive cars). Tried to say as little as possible to get the other three talking; absolutely a highlight. They're all gone now, playing golf where I can't hear the stories anymore I'm sure.

Rotwein gives me a nasty Kopfschmerzen, as does dunkle chocolate, which really makes me wonder if life is worth living; those used to be at the bottom of the food pyramid. WWII is a pipe dream and people around here get too far into the 'next' thing before the current thing hits the shelves, so of course I contributed to that. Being able to set up missions without having to stack 20 of the same aircraft on top of each other would be nice (DTC). Being able to hide waypoints would be even nicer. Sometimes it's hard to sort out the map with all the lines on it. Need a quicker way to select individual aircraft (currently kind of clunky) and hide anything you don't need to see while creating that next package. It's probably my fault for doing too much on one map. Lots of dreams for the mission editor, but low expectations.

This could easily be a me thing, but my controls don't control anything when I get in the aircraft until I <ESC> out, <Adjust Controls>, push a button (any button), and hit OK. Once that's done everything magically works. If nobody else has heard of this it's a me thing. I'm guessing me thing. Probably shouldn't mention it... I built a new machine this year and had to start over with the DCS folder in saved games. Then I had to fix my controls a few times, most recently when I put the new graphics card in, so a lot of hacking.

So was Heisenberg, which could mean there's no conclusive way to know if Frankfurt is there until we actually land, and there's no way to know whether the cat is alive or dead (I'm a cat person, so I'll be sad if it's dead even if my allergies will approve) until we open the box. Worst case Germany is released about the time I leave. I've been waiting for this, and Ugra is a bonus, since...forever. Just need to get some area creep. Can you imagine the reaction if they did a 1944-45 version, akin to the Marianas/WWII Marianas ED is working on? It's a logical progression, but talk about WWII candy...particularly with Normandy v2 Given the WWII aircraft really lean toward late war it's even pretty easy to predict a time frame. All in all great news.

So, dumb question of the day, are we able to generate a library of DTCs and insert as needed? I ask because that would give me the option to decide on launch which role to play in a mission. Different 8-track for barcap, CAS, ground attack, search and destroy, etc. Makes the grand canonical mission doable without having to customize every possible aircraft.

I land in Frankfurt in less than a month, whether it's there or not.

I dare them to release too soon, but advise them to turn off comments if they do. Happiness is appreciating what you have. Give me central Europe, even if there are graphical glitches, even if parking is borked, even if there are trees in the shelters, even if I can't sneak into Prague for a barley soda. I'm still going to be happy, and I'll work with what I have. It takes a long time to set up and code missions, and they'll get it worked out eventually.

I plan to be in Frankfurt in about a month, so hopefully it will appear by then.

I've found the VVI in the F-4 to be as twitchy as a Jack Russel terrier after it got into a bag of espresso beans. That might be accurate; I have no basis for an opinion on realism. When I do level turns I do use the beast, but as mentioned above pick your speed and use bank to maintain altitude. When you think you've chased the VVI past saintly patience look at the altimeter and realize you've only drifted a little, which is probably more than allowed in the real world. I also have no idea how much tolerance 'level' permits. Speed is a big deal, even for flying straight and level. When hand flying (ie no auto) 'level' is almost impossible if speed isn't fairly steady. Trimmed up perfectly a couple extra knots either way and the VVI starts barking, so I'll get my trim where I want it and maintain 'level' with the throttle. Still able to suck-start a nuclear reactor flying throttle for pitch on landings, though. Probably the spooling lag. Most of my flying issues are located somewhere between the P and the VI.

A memory like mine should come with a warning label

New favorite map! Ok, I can't hop over to Prague for a beer, but I guess I'll settle for brats and beer at Zum Gilden Stern in Nuremberg. That will keep me fueled up for a while! missionPlanningMode = 1;

Oh, duh (about the endless rotation, should have realized that). And that distance is (relatively) short. Makes sense. Thanks!

That was my problem! You used a different card than the OP. On that one Foxtrot was under PQR on the top, so in that case we would authenticate Alpha Delta? Sounds like the second letter is always shifted by one, because the letter under Charlie will always be Delta. Bravo <x>, <y> Charlie, Yankee <>, <> Out of Luck? That significantly diminishes the value of the cipher. Thanks for the additional clarification, that helped immensely!

I ran into that, sort of. It broke down and left (into me) before putting two 23mm rounds through my avionics and fuel cells, which was downright rude. Not a courteous guest at all. When I was right on the pilot's windows, because my flight lead is "Shadow" and I'm up for close formation as well, it was pretty much straight and level Need to re-run (to do better than a 50 point draw) and I'll be sure to fall farther back; I was told to fall back into offensive position but really I just opened up the formation a little. Gotta remember what the game we're playing is, and it's not "ohhh...look at the pretty airplane!" <edit> That worked much better; fell back to the aft end during the threats, then to idle and put the boards out for a second once that ended...need some distance to get a FWDoD off anyway, so that's a reasonable maneuver. The rounds weren't very close and I never lost visual until it went in the clouds and lead put a FWDoD on it. The hardest part was that crosswind landing, then I taxied half way to Helsinki. Stopped at a drive through to get some salted herring while I was there. Shut down with 1700 pounds of fuel because I'm an idiot. </edit>

I never got the yardstick, just the endless spinning from a TACAN with nothing to do. Haven't given up on it; maybe that settled and I failed to notice chasing after a lead aircraft being driven by an AI that just got back from Tallinn on the ferry with bags of booze... Mode 3 IFF is civilian squawk as far as I know.

FLIR is also your friend, but don't tell anyone. Fortunately I don't speak Suomi so I didn't hear the instructions to use CCD. The road really pops in FLIR, though, and is much easier to follow. Once you get the hang of it either way works. I had to break out for a while and learn how to AP my way around a point on the ground (with about 250 IAS) to find the targets and conserve gas in the process. First time I tried it I spend DAYS looking for her contacts!

The explanation made less sense than the original card! Then again, I'm not the brightest bulb on the string...

Or a clean script limit? I cheat by exporting displays, change the default location of my knee board (got tired of it showing up in the neighbor's living room, but now I use an iPad), and even go so far as to alter default CM programs, which should be banned by international treaty if it isn't already.

Well, that would be the answer then! Warned you it was a dumb question; I thought the 15 was part of the engine war. Thanks!

So, pardon my dumb question, but why not use the GE engines? Isn't that what the current F-16 uses? While I realize there's no physical parts in common it's modeled so there are software development reasons for commonality. Besides, in the immortal words of Hoser, if it says Pratt & Whitney on the engines it better say Martin Baker on the seats!

You going to make me look that up? 2019.05.27 was the order date; doesn't mean I ordered same day, but probably reasonably close. Since they indicate development is kicking into gear on the -35 (which is 2.1875 times a -16 and will probably take a little more than twice as long to develop) I'll keep my predictions for release as is

HA! We're in the Tik-Tok age now. I was thinking more like lunchtime tomorrow. More than that and the langen Messer come out. Vituperation, holding my breath 'till I turn (Navy) blue, all that erudite behavior. I figure EA in '27 or '28, but we'll see EA lists and a few teasers by the end of this year. Either way this is a problem that hasn't happened yet so I'm interested but not particularly worked up. Honestly the central Europe map has me quite a bit more excited, but again we're talking long term so I'll continue doing what I'm doing (Arctic Thunder; my very first campaign! So exciting!) until something actually changes in the development sphere.