Bahger

Can you remind me, what Nose/Tail setting (or any other setting) is used to make the Mk-82 AIR deploy the ballute (high drag)? Thanks.

In addition to my explanation above: At the FAC's waypoint where you want him to go "active", set frequency, FAC function, target and weapon called for in the WP "Advanced" tab.

Thank you rehtnap. I will definitely hit you up for this...er, if you'll excuse the phrase.

So, just to make sure I have it right -- it's been a while since I set this up in a mission --the bomb code can stay at default (I don't remember changing it) but it should correspond with the laser designation. The laser search search code, though, should be different, and correspond with the FAC's (or buddy's) laser search code as programmed in the ME. Right?

I did it in a mission I made in Beta 4; it's very satisfying. From what I recall, set your FAC/AFAC to call for an LGB (obviously) but make the laser code something different than the default code set in the Hog for pilot/GBU lasing. In other words, come up with another, unique 4-digit (not sure if there are any other parameters) code for the FAC. In flight, before you call JTAC, make sure the unique laser code is inputted in both your TGP/Settings page and in the DSMS entry for the LG munition you plan to drop with buddy laser guidance. If everything else pans out, JTAC should talk you through the process pretty seamlessly. Make sure you hit LSS in the TGP screen after you have asked the FAC to start lasing. I always did this within 10 nm of the target.

Well, I have recently discovered that you can turn the User Access Control setting off: Control Panel->User accounts->Turn "User Access Control" On/Off The (small) problem with disabling it is that it upsets my Avira AV suite, which throws up a warning every time I boot up. Alternatively you can use the right click/Properties menu of the DCS A-10 executable to set Windows always to open the program "As Administrator". This places a little Windows shield symbol over the .exe. Using the two above solutions I have never experienced my initial problem again. Speed, it's not only Windows 7, I have Vista 64x. I suppose the purpose of this is to add a layer of security for computers with multiple users. It took me so long to get to the bottom of this, and the symptoms of the problem could so easily have been an A-10 issue rather than a Windows issue, that I would think ED might be wise to tip users off about it, i.e. that, in certain missions -- such as those made by the user, I'm not sure what the parameters are -- a failure notice will occur when exiting a mission when Windows Access Control settings prevent the sim from writing a file to your HD.

Thanks, guys. Now that I have addressed the problem I was having (see above) I am busy recording sound files for the radio messages, which I will substitute for the current text messages. I will then publish a final version of the mission with slightly improved timings and victory conditions.

Y'all are going to have to listen to a USAF Hog pilot with an English accent. But for the OP commander on the ground, I'm going to enlist the voice of my 12 year-old, all-American son, pitch-lowered in Audacity.

OK guys, this is a good find. An Audacity forum mod explained to me -- with helpful screenshot -- how to customise a profile in the Equalizer effect that does everything I want -- i.e. convert a voice recording into a radio comms soundalike -- without having to use further plugins. And in the 1.3 Beta you can save this profile; I have named it "Radio". You then apply Effects/"Leveller" 3x to the file. Result: An easy two-step process for for conversion of voice files into a consistent "radio" output format! Here is the link, just scroll down. Tyrspawn, you make a good point. It's always going to sound a little odd when the automated pilot's voice for scripted dialogue sounds different from the supposedly same pilot's voice in user-made radio message voice files. Haven't a clue how to address this, though.

Thanks everybody! I'm hoping to master this without too much agonising, as I'd rather concentrate on the sim than Audacity but I do want to do voice comms in missions and I don't want them to sound unfiltered as this would be an obvious immersion spoiler. I do not yet fully understand what an Audacity staffer advised on a thread I started about this in their forum: You can start by applying the equalizer tool in the "telephone" setting: drop everything below 300 and above 3000. There may even be a pre-baked filter that does this. Then apply Effect > Leveler about three times at maximum compression. However, I'm a quick study and I'm sure I'll figure it out after an hour or two of fiddling about with the program. Meanwhile I will look for the "Freeverb" plugin as this might be a one-stop solution. Rehtnap, thanks! I might well take you up on this. It would add significantly to the "texture" of a mission if a female voice other than Betty were incorporated, especially from someone like you, who could deliver mil-speak with confidence.

Many thanks for your help, jeffyd, rep inbound (for the second time today, I believe...) As for stoner JTACs, well, I won't be recoding JTAC, it's all scripted. But it would be interesting to make a CSAR mission with a downed female pilot on comms. Can't recruit the wife, she's English too, with an accent that makes Helen Mirren sound lower class.

Now that is great! Do the plugins come with the freeware Audacity download or do they have to be obtained elsewhere?

Thanks jeffyd, rep inbound.

Thank you, I thought it might be .ogg. I will investigate software. The challenge of finding suitable American voices in Los Angeles is recruiting guys who don't sound like The Dude.

Break lock with TMS Down/Short, when Maverick is SOI. By far the best startup checklist, IMO -- is that made by WarriorX. It's not listed in his sig right now so he may be revising a couple of the line items. I suggest you PM him using the above link.

Rather than using text for in-flight radio messages, I'm thinking of recording voice files for this purpose in missions I make (although my English accent is an immersion spoiler, so will need to recruit local Americans)... What audio output format does the sim take? Where do they go (i.e. which subdirectory of the sim)? What PC software do you recommend to make these files, Audacity? Thanks, as always, for the assist.

Thanks, Speed. I had assumed that I could change these too-rigid admin settings somewhere in Windows Vista 64x...but maybe not. Obviously I did not get this problem in MP but neither did it crop up after exiting the DCS stock missions, which presumably, try to write the same file to my HD. I might consult the forums at SharkyExtreme.com, my favorite tech hub for many years now. If those guys don't know how to make my operating system less dictatorial, no one will.

Thanks guys. REL, you nailed it. I think I have now fixed it. My system is unusually rigid about admin permissions and wouldn't let DCS A-10 write a file (probably the mission track) to the HD after exiting the mission. Solution: Start the sim by right-clicking the .exe and using "Run as Administrator".

I think I fixed it. My system is unusually rigid about admin permissions and wouldn't let DCS A-10 write a file (probably the mission track) to the HD after exiting the mission. Solution: Start the sim by right-clicking the .exe and using "Run as Administrator".

Thanks, SFJackBauer (or, given your name, I should say "Roger that"...) If the sim is trying to write a logfile and does not have permission, is there any way to grant permission in Windows that I might be unaware of?

I'm investigating every possible cause of a fail notification (crash) on exit from a mission. I'm wondering if any of my gfx settings in-game might be responsible. It's not as though I have been aggressive in my settings (i.e. I have no blur, water at low, most other vis settings at medium, basically the same as the settings in Matt Wagner's sig) and my PC is very capable (nVidia 285, up to date drivers, Vista 64x, 6GB RAM, 3.4Ghz factory o/c). However, I am insufficiently familiar with the acronyms (VSYNCH, HDAA, etc.) that can be found in the advanced gfx properties tab in Controls. Can anyone enlighten me and advise re. the best settings for stability? Apart from the one persistent exit crash failure (and that's in one mission only, my own...) and occasional crashes when rendering very elaborate explosions from close by, A-10 has been pretty well-mannered for me.

Thanks! But why, oh why, does it crash on exit for me? If you run it again, please let me know if it behaves itself again. At any rate, glad you enjoyed it. I like it. Except for the fail.

Thank you, mtuckner. If you can identify the bug, I'll owe you one. Help me solve it and I'll owe you ten.

Edit: I have traced the bug, improved timings and incorporated voice comms. Please see new thread for final version of the mission. Guys, this is a good, tactical, 2-ship, half-hour CAS/escort mission, air-started, with JTAC. I was inspired by film footage of Hogs flying in support of U.S. infantry in the mountains of Afghanistan and wanted to recreate the seat-of-the-pants mountain flying in the Caucasus region of DCS A-10. The mission is well evolved, enjoyable to fly/fight, thoroughly playtested and has a full briefing, range of events and triggers and radio messages. It's not really a Beta at all except... There is a DCS crash (failure) notice on exiting the mission that has been driving me around the bend. You still get the debrief but the failure disables my TIR, making a restart necessary and eliminates the track file for the mission. I cannot tell you how hard I have worked to eliminate the bug, which only appears to occur in this one mission, and did so in the A-10 Betas as well as in the release. I have tried different Maverick loadouts, disabling Windows Aero, updating my nVidia drivers but now find myself stumped and demoralised. I have a high-end gaming system with an nVidia G285. I think you will enjoy the mission, the flying and fighting are good and it accomplishes what I always seek in mission design in all high-fidelity sims, which is to compel the player to make a few tactical decisions under pressure. You should use your wingman, avail yourself of JTAC and respect the SAM-9 engagement envelope. It's a good CBU deployment mission. At MT + 30 min exactly you will get a message informing you of your success or failure. (And the individual infantry units are each named after my high school classmates, 35 years ago). I'd be really grateful if you could help me out here. It would be good to know if you all experience a similar issue or whether it's specific either to my system or to the way I play the mission, both of which seem unlikely to me. There must me some small mission design gremlin that is causing this; please help me identify him and squash him flat. .Miz attached. Thank you.

I'm asking because after much agonising trial-and-error I have determined that, in one mission at least (one I made in the ME) the IR Mavericks (D and G) cause a crash notification on exiting the 3-D portion of the scenario. I have a high-end gfx card (Nvdia 285) with all drivers up to date. I'm wondering if (i) any of you have experienced this and (ii) (here's why I am not posting this in the Crash sub-forum) if there are any tactical advantages/disadvantages with always equipping the Maverick H in order to avoid this problem.