wickedpenguin

Anyone? :(

Hi all. I'm just diving into the mission editor for the first time. I'm making a training mission of sorts, with three vehicle groups as targets. Here's my question: Once a unit has been killed, is there a way to respawn it? I've currently got the vehicle groups inside a 8km wide trigger zone. When the vehicle groups die, I set Flag 1 to True. Once the player helicopter departs the zone, I have a trigger that checks if Flag 1 is set to True, pops up a text message saying that the targets have respawned, and clears Flag 1. That keeps the enemy units - including AAA and SAMs - from respawning until the player has cleared the area. However, how do I actually get the enemy to respawn? I've tried the Activate Group function, but it doesn't seem to work. Forum searches for "respawn", "reset", and other such terms have come up nil. Thanks for the help!

Is there even a modern equivalent to an Flak 88? It seems as if all of the mobile vehicles and emplacements in-game - M163 Vulcan, ZSU-23 Shilka, ZSU-23 emplacements - use direct impact ammunition. I'd venture the closest to a flak weapon you'll find currently in DCS:BS is the Oliver Hazard Perry FFG's 76mm gun. But, you'll likely never see it in action, since they'll need to exhaust their Standard missiles first. If you survive long enough, maybe that 76mm will treat you to a fireworks show.

DCS:BS' artillery works just fine. Heck, just run the default Instant Action mission and you can see the MLRS launchers firing off. There's also an online mission someone made where you start off on an airfield that's being shelled from a across a small bay. You're firing up your helo while mobile howitzer rounds are landing all around you. I've never felt more like a sitting duck in my life! I got severely damaged twice before I was finally able to get off the ground, but once I got airborne I gave those mobile gun systems a Vikhr each out of spite. Actually, if someone can tell me what that mission is, I'd appreciate it. I've been trying to find it for ages. I stumbled across it on a random map vote I did once.

I've got a Saitek X45, but don't use the Saitek profiler (always acts kind of wonky with my setup). I've also got a Logitech G15 keyboard that allows you to map Macros to a set of 18 "G" keys on the left side of main keyboard. My button and key setup is as follows: X-45 Stick Hat switch 1: POV Camera view (no TrackIR for me... :( ) Hat switch 2: HMS toggle (down) / Select cannon (up) / Select inboard pylons (left) / Select outboard pylons (right) Btn 1: Fire cannon Btn 2: Lock target Btn 3: Flares Btn 4: Release weapons (missiles/rockets/bombs) Btn 7 (pinky button): Auto Hover Btn 8: Uncage Shkval X-45 Throttle Btn POV1 (mini hat switch): Slew Shkval Btn 5: Trim Btn 6: Trim reset Joy Slider2 (rotary): View zoom (very handy for looking at your Shkval) Btn 19/20/21/22 (4-way switch): Head-on airborne target / Ground moving target / Auto turn-on target / Airborne target Rudder rocker: rudder G15 Keyboard G7/G8/G10/G11: Autopilot buttons (BANK / HDG / PITCH / ALT) G9: Master Arm G12: Laser Standby G13: Datalink - Vehicle target G14: Datalink - AAA target G15: Datalink - Other target G16: Datalink - Select Wingman #2 G17: Datalink - Select All Wingmen G18: Datalink - Memory / Transmit

New update online! Check the first post. I made some revisions to the flow of the checklist and streamlined some of the language.

LOL. Just look at my sig. We're birds of a (rather unsightly) feather. :) I always take that into account when using the cannon at near its maximum range. I'll normally do three or four round bursts with time in between to allow the heli and cannon to realign themselves. I've noticed a Vikhr launch gives a little recoil as well, though I can't recall if the rockets do that too.

The other day I was zipping along approaching a FARP, trimmed for level flight. I extended the gear and, as it extended, noticed the helo's nose dip from the increased drag under the belly. Very impressive.

You do realize I was joking, right? :P

I just finished reading Apache. That was a literary religious experience if I ever had one. One thing I took out of it is that flying a combat helicopter is 95% situational awareness, scouting, and teamwork, and 5% actually shooting things. You don't get into a fight unless you've got a good idea what you're up against, who you're working with, and who's got your back. That, and that combat pilots are more creative than most artists. BTW, when is someone going to make a mod where we strap pair of Spetsnaz or Russian Naval Infantry to our Black Shark's wings? :)

Oooh, very cool and handy. Thanks for this!

Thanks Lava. That's great! :) BTW, I just updated the checklist to v1.01 with some suggested changes and some tweaks of my own. The link is in the first post.

Glad you like it, and thanks for the input! :) I'll adjust those two things you mentioned.

1.02 Update 9/28/2009: I made some heavy flow revisions to the checklist after spending some time testing it. Essentially, I modified the button-push flow for better logic. As an example, in the older version, I'd have you start the APU, then jump right to the Engine generator and EEG switches, then jump back left to the Engine Fuel Cutoff and Rotor brake. Now it goes 1) APU start, 2) Fuel Cutoff/Rotor brake, and 3) then right to the Engine generators/EEGs. It works more smoothly. 1.01 Update 9/24/2009: I just revised the file with recommended changes and some minor corrections. Let me know if there's anything else. :) After a little experimentation, I've come up with a single-page, no-frills lightning fast startup checklist for the Black Shark. I guess you could call it the moral antithesis to the many full-fledged checklists floating around. :) I use those checklists as well and they've been extremely helpful in exploring all of the Black Shark's functionality. However, there are times where I just want to get in the helo and go wheels up as soon as possible. That's why I came up with this checklist, for those times where I don't want to be testing warning lamps and testing fire extinguishing systems while my squadmates are racing off to battle. In those situations, I just wanted to fire up what was necessary to get into the fight. In practice, I've found this checklist much faster that the LWin-Home function. It's also quite satisfying and reinforces your knowledge of the cockpit equipment since you're flipping the switches and setting things up yourself. Consider it a compromise between the "full" checklists out there, and the LWin+Home function. And I've yet to have any issue with it in flight or combat. So, there you have it. Let me know if there's anything vital I've missed (I created this using only my memory and the DCS:BS manual) so that I can add it in. The file is attached as a PDF below. BlackShark_LightningChecklist_v1.02.pdf

Oh, I'm not rushing to Amazon to look for a pre-order yet or anything. :D It's just the first time I've seen the Apache spelled out as "DCS:Apache". I know it's not final that it'll be the follow-up to the A-10. However, being in the middle of reading Ed Macy's book Apache, I'm a little excited for all things Apache at the moment.

I'd just like to note: I really like the sound of the name Digital Combat Simulator: Apache. To me it just speaks of good things to come! :)

Hi there, Callsign.Vega. All valid points. It's strange to fly a helicopter simulator where the vegetation is completely transparent and collision-free. However, between smooth framerates and collidable trees, I'll take the framerates. I just wish they'd find a way to make it so at least you couldn't target through them. If there's a forest between me and that SAM battery, I'd think the chances of that missile threading its way through the trees was just about nil. Like you, I also wish the outside world had higher fidelity and more "life" to it. More vehicles on the roads, higher resolution textures, smoke rising from factory smokestaacks, etc. would be nice. But... I'd still take the framerates over the eye candy again. And, on the subject of A.I., when I open fire on a stationary convoy, I'd prefer it if they acted like real people and hauled ass to get out of harm's way. Right now they just sit there waiting for me to kill them. Great for my score. Not so good for my suspension of disbelief. Out of curiosity, what helos do you train on and fly? I'm located in Pensacola, FL, just southwest of you. We get some of your Fort Rucker birds here from time to time.

I'm not sure about the Russian AF, but here in the states the US Navy uses different callsigns depending on the mission profile. I work with Whiting Naval Air Station a lot. When their training aircraft stay local, they usually use their squadron's nickname. So, we'll see callsigns like Blackbird 261 (BB261), Red Knight 155 (RN155), Spiral 166 (SP166), or Eight Ball 101 (EB101). However, when they go cross country they'll normally - but not always - use their full squadron identifier. For instance, EB101 would be VV8E101. The "VV" signifies it's a Navy aircraft, "8E" is the squadron, and "101" is the aircraft's number. I don't know if there's a service-wide rule about callsign vs. alpha-numeric squadron identifier. It just seems that sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. I've noticed that the fighter-type aircraft - F/A-18s, F-15s, etc. - typically use a squadron nickname while others - like the P-3 Orions - use alpha-numerics. Now, when an aircraft is assigned a specific mission plan, then it gets a specific callsign for that mission. Our local USAF AC-130s and MC-130s may go by Spooky and Talon callsigns, respectively, when they operate on local training flights. But once they go operational, they get something completely different. The point of that, I imagine, is so that the enemy can't intercept transmissions and determine aircraft types by callsigns. If I was an insurgent on the ground and heard someone calling in "SPOOKY61" to my position, I'd haul ass before someone "brought the rain" down!

Excellent read and a great starter. I wish I'd read it before I'd gotten into the sim - it would saved a lot of headaches. I really needed the section on the flare dispenser. I will say there seem to be some errors in the article. For instance, in talking about the rudder, he says: "When at a hover or at low speeds, the rudder at the back is simply going along with the pedal inputs. What’s making the helicopter rotate about is one rotor spinning either faster or slower than the other." From what I understand, when you press a rudder pedal you're actually adjusting the pitch of the rotors, not adjusting the speed they spin. I've seen it when I'm sitting on the ground powered off. Hit the rudder, and the pitch changes, giving one set of blades more bite than the other and allowing the helo to rotate. That's kind of a big deal, since - at high speed - kicking in hard right rudder pitches the lower rotor up, forces it to create more lift, and can potentially drive it up into your upper rotor.

Of all the things I wish this helicopter had, a fully working FLIR is top on the list. It would make targeting so much easier. Of course, I know the real machine doesn't have it so I don't want it in this sim. The developers are just emulating reality. However, you guys at Kamov, what the hell were you thinking? On that topic... a cool Apache anti-insurgent FLIR video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjQLX05WE2I

That was utterly freaking painful to watch. That's a lesson, kids: don't fly under the influence.

I'm just wondering if there's still no way to natively do fullscreen Camera + Shkval in Vista. I'm aware of - and have tried - the .LUA editing methods, but running windowed mode murders my framerates to the point of unplayability. Has the new patch fixed this issue? If not, is it something that can even be fixed? I've read in different places that there were engine issues relating to Vista.

MiG-29? F-15E? Pfffffft! I want a TRUE multirole aircraft. DCS: An-2 Colt Cropdusting... Paradropping... Polish VIP transport... Firefighting waterbomber... regional airliner... Aerial ambulance... Can your precious Sukhois and MiGs stop a forest fire, drop a few paratroopers behind enemy lines, carry General Zyskowska to his next meeting, spray the kolkhoz's crops, and then carry little Ivan to get his kidney transplant - all in a day's work? All this and be able to land and takeoff in the length of an IL-76's wingspan? No? Didn't think so. :)

Anyone have a link to real Kamov crash? I'm morbidly curious.

I'm pretty convinced as well. I don't think they're so much following me as stalking me, waiting for me to slip up so he can shoot me down and take my vodka. And my woman. In that order.