Moa

No 'wiggle room'. You can re-skin a cockpit by changing the bitmap ('texture') for that aircraft. Doesn't change the instruments, so is cosmetic only. The only other current way around is to do an overlay - as I mentioned. There is no DCS:Hornet planned (at least not in public). So your choices are: 1) Do nothing. 2) VNAO mod. Visuals great. Cockpit not accurate. Good simulated combat. 3) FSX (eg. SuperBug). Cockpit good. Simulated 'combat' is rubbish. 4) X-plane. Mod it yourself. Combat better than FSX but still not good, or 5) seven-G (freeware). Cockpit good. Limited combat. A work in progress. Of these the VNAO mod is the least-bad IMHO if you actually want to do carrier and combat ops, although clearly not perfect (if that matters, then number 1 is your best option).

Cockpits are not moddable in FC2 (or DCS at the moment). The VNAO F/A-18F uses the MiG-29G cockpit as that is the only true multi-role aircraft in the game at the moment that also uses Western measurement units (feet and knots). It does allow you to perform A2A and A2G with some guided munitions (eg. TV guided bombs, Maverick K, but no HARM). I'm considering making either a 3D F-16 or F-18 cockpit and placing it onscreen using a DirectX 'overlay' to get around this limitation (you'll lose fps unless you have a second video card, but its the best I can think of at the moment while development for cockpits is closed in DCS). I won't start this work until next year as I have a bunch of other stuff I want to finish first (online stats and dynamic campaign). Yes this is not ideal, but it is the best we can do for the moment (and I personally don't mind having an inaccurate F-18 rather than no F-18, for me it's the flight & engine models that matter and these are reasonably accurate).

Is the kick action scriptable? When a notification is posted that a player did a taxiway takeoff it'd be nice if a script kicked the player. ServMan might have clues on how to do this.

Thanks for the link Mustang. I've got a HD 5970 so I hope the new driver makes a difference to LockOn. I reverted to using 10.3 since later versions broke the TrackIR 5 software on WinXP 32 (NaturalPoint are aware of the problem but haven't fixed it in the four months since it became an issue). The TrackIR 4 software worked but FC2 didn't want to know about it. Fingers crossed 10.7 is good. @Sel94: I'd be surprised if the new driver didn't work for you, Win7 is now better supported than XP. Edit: Update, Catalyst 10.7 is still broken for TrackIR 5 on Windows XP SP3 (32-bit). It's starting to annoy me and I wish I'd got the GTX 480 now (where's Crunch to say, "told you so"). Extra Edit - Workaround!: Put the TrackIR 5 software into "Compatibility Mode" for "Windows 2000" and it now runs fine. w00t!

Not true. Cat launches are simulated in VNAO. Unfortunately without the steam and rush of FSX cat launches. But once you clear the bow of the Carl Vinson in the VNAO you get a speed boost. Enough to get you airborne. Tomcat's with all-Phoenix load out require a bit of a run-up to get airborne (use the port-side cats and start their run-up just ahead of the number 5 wire). I'm not sure whether EFA models the engines of the aircraft properly (doesn't for Harrier, but I'm working on the engine model of the Mk 107 Pegasus now). That makes take-offs extra tricky. VNAO has as good engine models as you will get for LockOn's Simple Flight Model (SFM) for the F-18F and F-14D.

VNAO mod is much better for F/A-18 and F-14D flight models, meshes, and skins than EFA. But you are right, EFA is more freely available. I run both on the stallturn server (EFA test mission during the week, VNAO on weekend).

Post a link in the VNAO forums asking for it: http://www.virtualnavairops.com/forum/forum.php I know it is not generally publicly available as some of the mod authors don't wish for their stuff to be released, but VNAO is seeking to remove those limitations. Also, I strongly recommend you make a backup of your 1.2.1 patched LockOn installation before installing the VNAO mod (or any major mod in fact). With a little work you can have the vanilla LockOn and the VNAO mod installed and available on the same machine (not simultaneously, of course), mostly that is to do with making proper desktop shortcuts available. You will also need the excellent ModMan 7.3 if you don't already have it (search these forums).

If by 'egocentric' means they're confident and back themselves, then yes, they are egocentric. If by 'egocentric' you mean selfish, petulant, reckless, disrespecting of authority, and arrogant as they are portrayed in film and TV then no, they are not egocentric. Every military pilot I've met (and I was one) is nothing like they are portrayed by the US entertainment industry (incidentally, they're not particularly good looking either - but they *are* awesome at what they do).

Hi Bob, I think you must have a graphics setting of "Active Planar" shadows. If you choose "All Planar" or "Full" that should change it. I haven't looked recently myself (too busy coding stats), so could you please confirm this is true. This is described on page 15, "Graphics Settings" of the (English) Flaming Cliffs 2 GUI Manual.

Taiwan. Lots of countries in the area, carrier ops, the works.

Yeah, personally I vastly prefer co-op to direct competitive as well. Some competition is good but when all pilots are out for themselves is not as much fun.

fangav, check the link I gave (here, explicitly; http://stallturn.com/scores/) select a pilot name. Choose the Summary tab and it shows the total flight time for the current month and career (over all months) for various statistics including flight time. It is divided by fighter aircraft and attack aircraft and the version I'm working on will have rotary aircraft. @Panzertard: thanks man. I know servman does stats, which is cool as I may laverage your work a little if I need a boost to match the debrief and network logs.

Yes. Most VNAO missions have an E2C launch before the Tomcat CAP and F-18 strikers launch. At the moment VNAO are experimenting with BlackSharks as Forward Air Controllers marking targets with smoke for when the JDAM armed F-18s come over. Using the little-dog's excellent EFA mod I tried adding in AV-8B Harriers but there is a bug in LockOn where their fuel consumption is not determined by their LUA aircraft configuration file. That means they barely have enough fuel to launch from an airbase and get 15 nm before running out of gas (I've posted about this in another thread). Shame as it would have been nice to have the Av-8B also buzzing around (the A-10A cockpit isn't too bad a representation of capabilities). The VNAO mod isn't perfect but it is the closest thing in LockOn to modern US carrier ops (the Soviet carrier ops are already covered by the Su-33 and Admiral Kuznetsov).

I've made an Angle-of-Attack indicator control for LEAVU2 but I haven't 'skinned' it with a texture yet. It also has indicators for all the controls (speedbrake, hook, gear, flaps, canopy, wheelbrake) useful for doing carrier takeoffs and landings (which I use when doing US-style landings with the F/A-18F and F-14D in the VNAO FC2 mod). However the interface I made it is even less beautiful than the A-10 and desperately needs some love graphically. Would making a skin for this be anything you are interested in? You can reply here (which would let everyone know that such a thing would be coming) or PM me (if you want to decline, which is no problem since there is no pressure if this doesn't interest you).

NRG-Vampire, I'm working hard (virtually every night) on a scoreboard that uses data collected on a game server (in particular, the 104th). The hard part is making it robust and simple enough that anyone can run it (the FC1 system I made used Java 'enterprise' technologies which required a little more skill to install). We used to have such things for FC1 and we're trying to make them a reality for FC2. The task is much harder due to the data output missing critical stuff, like callsigns in the debrief.log for example, which means you have to cross-match with the network log that has these things but a different system for timestamps, blah blah. In short, *accurately* parsing FC2 logs is a lot tougher than with FC1 (which had other flaws). So, persistent scores are coming, and this scoring system will be shared with the communiity (not just the 104th). I'm sure many people will not like it though since career teamkills and crashed landings, crashes from running out of fuel etc are recorded for eternity :) Actually, despite spending months on the software (far longer than I'd hoped since it is very tricky once you get into the details if you don't want to modify LockOn itself [which I'm trying to avoid]) I have to agree with Viper, I don't think scores are that important except to gauge your personal progress - scores as an inter-pilot ranking system has imperfections.

Newer Intel chips (eg. i3, i5) have lower CPU frequencies to keep the power use (eg. battery life) and thermal output under control for the number of cores they have. For most users and uses (web browsing and spreadsheets) this is more than sufficient - but not for us. At the moment AMD are generally the better performing CPUs at a given price point. So always make sure you compare both AMD and Intel CPUs when making a purchasing decision (same goes for graphics cards - whatever was true 3 months ago may not be true today so you can't hold 'religion' about what vendor/chipsets you use).

Here's a thread with the IP addresses of servers: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=34063 For example, here is the IP address of the 104th (64.182.113.193) and Teamspeak details: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=588187&postcount=6 The same thread should allow you to access some of your favourite servers (51st, 3Sqn) etc by IP.

stallturn has IP address: 203.97.221.19 At the moment it is running the EFA mod so you need that to pass the integrity check. It'll also have a large ping for people in Europe. I suggest other server hosts also post their IP addresses in this 'time of crisis' until the main server gets back on its feet (I'll contact some of the 104th admins to get them to post the server IP address).

Thanks Crunch, will do next time.

Thanks for pointing that out (the VNAO forums have been re-organized very recently so it is accidental that you are unable to see that picture). Here's the same picture on mediafire: http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=a5494keho4gqzd2&thumb=6

Yes, the VNAO FC2 mod will work with LockOn Platinum (which is essentially LockOn 1 + Flaming Cliffs 2). Here's a screenshot from last weekend's mission. The screenshot doesn't do justice to 59th_Jack's amazing skins, and the flight model tweaks made by VNAO's Wraith [known on these ED forums as jalebru, so thank him when you see him]:

stallturn is in Wellington, New Zealand. Runs the (required) VNAO mod at the moment (see the post http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=944829#post944829) for more info and has ten people online at 1300 Saturday NZST. You are welcome to join but need to join the VNAO Ventrillo server to get the game password. Hopefully this password will not be required in the future (once the superb FC2 VNAO mod is more widely distributed). The 104th server has people online in the New Zealand evening. Check the 104th forums for the Modman mod required to pass the integrity checks (restores your installation to use default config for the most part). On the (NZ) weekends just about all servers are active, since the timezone difference is less critical and the bulk of the players in the US and Europe can play later (where they overlap with us).

There is an excellent map of Georgia made by igormk and made available for sale by the Fighter Collection, as well as an electronic download: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=55011 Do you want the airbase maps themselves? I don't know whether a new set of these has been done.

ConquerorjR, we know the solution to you technical question but no one will help you since you are not supporting the product by purchasing it. I hope you find a way soon to purchase the product (whether it is save enough to get it, or find someone with a credit card that can get it for you). GGTharos has been kind by not banning you permanently. By buying the product you allow Eagle Dynamics (ED) to make more of the games you enjoy. It is not as if Eagle Dynamics make colossal profits (hardly anyone does with flight sims) so every purchase counts, and LockOn is very reasonably priced. Please also do not tell anyone else how to pirate the product - as you would contribute to the demise of ED and the LockOn/DCS product line.

Your PCI-e slot is on your motherboard. You might need power connectors for cards that run on the PCI-e.