Neil Gardner

Yes, your right, but my question is when that will be and is it immanent?

This is a good new model in a host of respects, it is technically ve y complete but there is one glaring inadequacy which has already been pointed out, ie, the cockpit textures. I’ve read that this is intended to be addressed in the next update but would someone be so kind as to tell me when it is hoped this will be. Thanks Neil Gardner.

Thanks guys, I've taken it all in and will set about trying again with your advice behind me.

Hi all It’s turning out that I am very bad at positioning aircraft in the right place for the catapult shuttle. Any tips or advice would be welcome. Thanks Neil.

I should add that I’m particularly referring to the new cockpit update to the Mirage.

I understand. But I’m always a little puzzled about the expectations that are had about these things. It is true that in the last 10 years a really remarkable amount of realism is able to be obtained. The me that started simming 15 years ago would be staggered by what is being achieved regularly nowadays. But God knows there must be limitations to the fidelity of a military aircraft simulation that the airforces of the world spend thousands and thousands to train their pilots with. And on that basis I guess I feel that expectations need to be kept in bounds. Even where developers are a little over confident in the claims they make for what they will accomplish, consumers may well be advised to be a bit circumspect about.

I understand. But I’m always a little puzzled about the expectations that are had about these things. It is true that in the last 10 years a really remarkable amount of realism is able to be obtained. The me that started simming 15 years ago would be staggered by what is being achieved regularly nowadays. But God knows there must be limitations to the fidelity of a military aircraft simulation that the airforces of the world spend thousands and thousands to train their pilots with. And on that basis I guess I feel that expectations need to be kept in bounds. Even where developers are a little over confident in the claims they make for what they will accomplish, consumers may well be advised to be a bit circumspect.

Just thought Id add my 4 penny worth. Please, no offence intended but it is occasionally a little irritating to read people asking for complete accuracy as the marker point for a completed model. That will never happen, not least for security reasons. But I think the detractors are answered to a large extent by the way Razbam have continued to update models like the Mirage - which I personally love. Thank you for the love you continue to lavish and for not forgetting what you've already done whilst you develop new models.

Thanks for the reply It doesn't physically stick, but when you are using it to pan around the cockpit it pans to the right and keeps going even when you physically stop applying pressure in that direction as though some internal connector, contact will not release. When it is used with P3Dv4 aircraft it just keeps going around and around: it spins dizzyingly. But no, it doesn't stick physically (or doesn't appear to -- don't know what's going on inside), and in fact when it is being used as a trim switch it seems to work normally???

No, unfortunately it is correctly assigned. It has been working ok for some time except that there was this gradual tendency for the trim, China hat, Hat switch etc, to get briefly stuck on moving to the right. For some time now it hasn’t bothered me because I could stop it and move it back. Then, last night it got completely stuck and couldn’t be corrected.

Hi all My Grey/white China hat, when it is being used in its cockpit viewing mode, has become stuck so that it just keeps panning right and depending on what we are flying it can just go around and around. Strangely it does not seem to have affected its trimming function. It’s one if my best toys this! And it is so well constructed in so many ways that this is a bit surprising and disappointing. Anyway, be grateful for advice. Is is a tough job to change the switch yourself? Is there any good source of instruction out there I can use? Thanks all Neil.

I know Ron. But don't you think it is necessary to make a bit of a stand sometimes - not for eliminating arguments on the net, the bloody thing's most important feature is that it facilitates debate - but for constructive debate. It's not just a moral issue, or an issue about manners and respect - although it is undeniably that as well - its about actually achieving something; getting somewhere. You can vent your spleen till the eschaton but generally all you succeed in doing is putting peoples backs up. They become defensive and often more obstructive. If you try and take a moderate tone, use language that gives a nod of respect, you bring people into constructive discussion with you and you might actually end up finding out what's going on. Its not just with regard to the net, your a UK man so you know that our public debate is ridden with this kind of demonstration of one's 'Umbridge', and you will be aware of just how far it has got us. I wonder what you think? Doesn't it seem to you that people with such a manner whether on the net or anywhere else, are demonstrating a kind of self righteousness, a self importance in which they are saying that they are totally correct, they have nothing to learn about the situation from anyone else. the person they are speaking to is totally wrong, and that is what gives them the right to speak to others in the way they do. Well, in my experience no one, on any side of the argument, is always totally correct, nor is the one you are discussing things with, ever a total fool. I wonder whether, in fact, at the risk of breaking my own rule, the only fool is the man or woman who persists in thinking they are always correct enough to speak to othered as though they are fools. Finally, back to the thread. I'm also glad to hear that the YAK is till being worked on. It is what I've come to expect that long after people have become convinced that some projects have gone dead, they are actually just put to one side for a moment and development continues at a later date. With the greatest of respect Neil.

Maybe I’m just an old codger but I just don’t see why people feel the need to be so confrontational. Even if you have a problem with DCS, and I don’t know of any platforms that doesn't have problems that might need taking up, there are ways of putting your point of view forward that don’t involve using language that seems to imply the people your questioning are incompetent, dishonest or both. It seems to be the bane of our social media world and apart from being offensive, it is so counter productive. Have any of you become any more enlightened or informed about what you are asking about for having taken a confrontational tone? I would doubt it. Please, talk to each other as you would want others to speak to you. Thank you everyone. Neil.

This is to all at DCS wherever they are in the world I agree very much with the sentiments that have been expressed in this thread. I've followed the progression of this sim sinc the first days of Lock On when I bought a CD from my local computer games emporium. I was thrilled when it became DCS and quickly followed through various promises of a step-up in quality and sophistication with the wonderful Black Shark. The new work of development upon the KA and the frankly sublime A10C - which still represents a landmark in depth of systems modelling - is typical of DCS' dedication to the continual development of their work and the reason why they must now represent some of the best, most exciting study sims in desktop flight simulation. But I wanted to say something more. I am a sufferer from depression. It has cost me my career as I have been retired on grounds of ill health. Those of you who have experienced this will know what I mean when I speak of long days in which nothing seems to help to lift your mood. And yet, time and again, I have turned to my desk at the end of the day, loaded DCS and whether because of its beauty, power of immersion or sheer excitment of accurately simulated military flight, it has helped to alleviate the weight that has been keeping me down. On the road back to good mental health you must be prepared to take time, and probably apply for help to doctors, tablets, counsellors and possibly psychiatrists, but DCS for someone like me also plays its part. Whether it is the effect of stimulating images affecting a power of distraction from things like obsessive and upsetting thinking, I dont know. I dont understand much about the processes of biology or brain chemistry involved. But I am convinced that continual expose to images of exciting places and scenerios, the shere quality of graphical representation and immersion in the sense of flying fast militray jets, takes me out of myself, and over many weeks it does help to alter my patterns of thinking. I am a great devotee of meditation and mindfulness as well. But the graphical transportation of over-tired minds made weary through compulsive, anxious concentration on a particularly disturbing thoughts, to different and fantasical worlds, have also been - in my case at least - a massive help. So guys, thank you for what you do. Your work elicits an appreciation that often goes way beyond fun. It has also helped me with my quality of life. Please keep it going. Cheers Neil.

Amen brother.

Hi guys. I have been away from the forums for a few weeks so forgive me if someone else has already come up with the point I am about to make. Ive been flying and experimenting, getting cross about stutters and trying to fix them. I found that the biggest problems seemed to come when there was an update or often when I would add another of my models to the active simulator. I would have wonderful high frames and smooth performance and then suddenly find the frames drop by as many as 30 and stutters setting in. The remedy for a while seemed to be to have to steadily uninstall modules until the performance returned and though generally I didn't have to go as far as to uninstall sceneries, once or twice I did find myself having to root the lot out and starting again. Eventually performance returned to good levels. I also used the trick of going into 'Saved Games', deleting contents of FXo and Metashaders folders. That also worked occasionally but not always. What I found in the end was that it seemed that very often whenever there was an update or a new add-on, or one of my old add-ons were made active, the 'Set Priority' and 'Set Affinity' would be reset in the task manager such that now only one out of my 20 cores were being utilised and priority was set to 'Normal'. Going back into Task Manager and 'Details', down to DCS and right click, I had to click all or even half the core boxes in affinity on and set priority to 'high'. Thence am I back to good performance. I hope this helps others. If this is the permanent answer (and it is so far), then it is a nuisance to have to do this every time there is a change such as described but it is not that hard to do. Hope it helps Neil

Hello all Ive been having a really strange problem. Im not entirely sure but it seems to me that despite everything being set on 'simulation' my flight models on everything I use feels as though it is on 'easy'. I have wings shot off and I am on fire and trailing smoke but still have control. I would have expected to have gone into a spin and ploughed into the ground. Not sure if I've missed something. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks Neil.

Oh I see now. I just didn't want anyone to think that their rig is inadequate unnecessarily and go buying expensive upgrades. I've done that myself many times and it is an expensive mistake. Thanks for the pointers. I will try that if I get the same again.

There we go, happened again. In my last mail I said that the stutters were back. So, I steadily and carefully uninstalled everything until, at last things were smooth again. I have now reinstalled, again slowly and carefully and singularly. I suspect that most people chasing problems with hardware are 'barking up the wrong tree'. I have about as powerful a home PC that you can get (there are always more powerful machines somewhere but I'm speaking about what is true for the most part), and I've had really infuriating stutters. This is for the most part a software matter.

Please stop worrying about your hardware configuration it really isn't anything to do with that. At least I really don't think so. after my last re-install and everything was back to smooth, I only loaded about half my modules. I've now loaded the other half and BUM!! stutters are back. I'm going to eliminate one at a time but it seems like it might be one of the models that is the problem.

Hello all. I have to say that I think much of these worries about hardware are misplaced. Of course there are occasions when someone's hardware, being old or below the minimum requirement, will be the root of problems like stuttering, but I never believed that was the problem for me nor do I think it is the problem for many of you. I think that there is a problem with updating. Three times now, when using the stable version and not Beta (though I am sure much of what I am saying is pertinent there as well), I have experienced stutters which have been totally removed with a reinstall from scratch. Its a pain to have to do this but the point here is that it suggests very strongly that the issue is a software one. It seems to me that over a certain period and with certain updates, some type of corruption creeps in which can be subsequently illuminated by a reinstall. Mine is once again smooth as silk, but I wouldn't mind betting Ill have stutters again perhaps within a fortnight. My CPU is an i9 and my card is a GTX1080Ti and I always felt that it could not be inadequate resources that was the problem with many of the set ups that I have seen in other peoples hardware.. Nor could it be the software's inbuilt inability to mesh effectively with hardware. Its been too smooth on other occasions to think that. No, whatever problems there are I am sure now have to do with updates and corruptions creeping in during the updating process.

I hope your right. That’s what I’m hoping for as well. My DCS when it performs well performs beautifully, just need it to be consistently

Your absolutely right, it is nothing to do with poor systems. I have a new £3500 system with an i9 and a GTX1080Ti and for months now I have tried Beta, non-Beta and on both there are times when it is smooth as silk and then there is an update and we are back to square one. I have kept in touch with the various debates on the forums and at one point it seemed to have something to do with Wi Fi, but any success gained there was not permanent. I've tried various other things that I wont bore you with. A couple of times I have uninstalled the lot and reinstalled and everything is smooth as silk again, but he situation is only temporary, usually another update and aaaaaagh!. God help us. Neil

Let’s not starti stating systems requirements, this problem, which is experienced by people with the most powerful hardware, is nothing to do with inadequate systems. This is a fault in the software. For myself I had no problems until about three months ago. Since then it has come and gone as the most monumental pain in the butt. In my case, and in many iof yours, you are talking about a considerable amount of financial outlay. It has been for me my best performing flight simulator but something happened all those weeks back and ever since ...well, you know the rest. I have tried communicating with the developers. I don’t have to know tha there is a fix, but it would be nice to know that they are working on the matter and what avenue of ideas they are looking down. Unfortunately they don’t seem to want to speak to me any more.

Ok all. First the disclaimer. Not everyone will be able to do this for various reasons but if possible bring the refresh rate on your monitors down to 30, and then go into settings and click V sync. It does not removed the problem entirely but it makes the stutter much, much less and now things are at least playable. If your settings are realistic with regard to your own hardware you should be able to get a relatively steady 30FPS. For those of you who are like me and used to get a steady result of between 60-80, its not a return to that kind of fluidity an response rate. But it makes things relatively playable. Late edit: results are not universally great. I tried my F18 over Persian Gulf and although the pauses were not as frequent or prolonged as had been, they were nevertheless still there and conspicuous enough to be bloody annoying again.