DCS DK2 First Impressions

[budwheizzah]

Since the arrival of the DK2, the VR playlist suddenly got a little shorter, given a lot of demos and games have issues running with the new SDK - DCS would not be one of them. It ran perfectly for me and I was able to enjoy a little flight time.

 

 

Notes to take from this... I had not experienced any combat in the sim yet, rather I was impressed enough with the basic flight model to justify doing a first impressions. See, I've been dying for a good flight sim in VR since I got my DK1 last year and it simply hasn't happened yet: until now. This got me excited enough to go on and give praise to this title!

 

Secondly I mention a controls config issue - which appears to only exist for VR users. I guess I'll have to do a few config sessions off a monitor so I can quickly reconfigure stuff until I find my sweet spot, then run in VR. The way it is now once you go in VR it's almost like leaving inside the real plane. Forget anything including a control key you have to "go back home" (exit to the launcher).

 

Third something I discovered after recording this is there appears to be frame stutter directly caused by Oculus SDK tracking issues, not the software title itself. Folks on the forum are reporting strange frame dropping that shouldn't be there. Mentions I make about performance here MAY well be related to that and not a DCS perf issue.

 

Last but not least... I really do wish this gets branched off as a civilian aviation sim. It's beyond good enough for me and I'd pay the same kinda buck charged for the war machines for the civilian stuff. Just tossing it in there - this software seems more than good for delivering on this.

 

Enjoy everyone! This flight experience is a gem in the DK2!

[kontiuka]

Still checking out your video. Enjoying it. A note though. You can change your controls in flight. You don't have to restart. Just press ESC and select "Adjust Controls" from the menu.

[budwheizzah]

Still checking out your video. Enjoying it. A note though. You can change your controls in flight. You don't have to restart. Just press ESC and select "Adjust Controls" from the menu.

 

Yup like I said above that seems to work on monitors, but in VR when I click the in-game menu, nothing happens. I'm going to have to configure that stuff using a screen, then go back in VR once everything is set.

Glad you're enjoying! The flying really did feel great!

[kontiuka]

Yup like I said above that seems to work on monitors, but in VR when I click the in-game menu, nothing happens. I'm going to have to configure that stuff using a screen, then go back in VR once everything is set.

Glad you're enjoying! The flying really did feel great!

oops, sorry. Guess I should have read your post.

[budwheizzah]

No prob :)

Anyway I should've showed the issue in the interest of letting the devs know. I sort of assumed it probably is already in the "known" list so I omitted to go over that.

[FIN_Centurion1]

Hi budweizzah, first off I just registred at the forums just to write this even tho I have lurked here for a long time.

 

AWESOME, finally someone who understands flight and simulations does a video that answers most of the questions that have occupied a worrysome portion of my conciousness for the last year or so! So huge thanks for that!!!

 

Please, PLEASE, do more videos on DCS. The interactive training modules are really good, I just completed the whole series on the Su-25T. THe also tell you the default mappings right off the bat - so I would really like to see some combat impressions, maybe just trying a low fly with a few trucks to shoot at.

 

There are a ton of modules out there, most bang for the buck so to speak would the FC3 module which gives you a Su-25A (less advanced version of the Su-25T you piloted here), Su-27A Flanker, MiG-29A and C Fulcrum, as well as the A-10A Warthog and F-15C Eagle. Of these, all have great full 6 degrees of freedom cockpits except the MiG29s. If you just have flied a Cessna 172 in real life, and this really is as immersive and realistic as you say - it would probalby be a great experience to hop into an F-15C eagle and just take off afterburners roaring!

 

The reason I ask this of you is because I was starting to lose faith about the Rift as a simulator tool, heard a lot of bad mouthing it (probably based on the lowres DK1). I have set aside the money for the OR consumer version, but was beginning to doubt if I should just spend the money on a 29" Ultrawide monitor instead - > now I have hope for the Rift once more!

 

Even if you dont wanna comment on this, can you answer some of these questions, I would be forever thankful!

 

1) What rig do you have besides the GTX 760?

 

2) Do you get low FPS in DCS:W even when flying with a normal monitor or is it just on the rift?

 

3) How well do you think it would work trying to find targets on the ground using the Rift?

 

4) I imagine flying formation or doing aircombat when you can move your head around would be easier, what do you think?

 

 

 

Again, huge thanks for the video! I was on the fence about buying rudder pedals but you convinced me now, thanks, will go for some saiteks even tho they are not the best.

Anyways

[Hadwell]

My DK2 is shipping, hopefully have it in a couple days, can't wait to try DCS with it :D

 

GTX780 here though.

[Hadwell]

Yeah i have the studdering issue too, i think it's to do with the SDK more than DCS, and I'm quite sure the low FPS is to do with the SDK too, on my monitor i get no less than 60 fps anywhere at 1920x1200, and using the rift it drops down to 20 fps at times... pretty nasty...

[Cibit]

Hi I am not able to watch this video all the way through in one sitting but I really enjoyed your enthusiasm and your monologue. I almost never fly combat missions anymore but I am a rotor head:)

The Virtual aerobatics server is a no combat server with a large selection of planes and the 3 helos currently available to choose from. Provided you have them in the first place.

Also it had me googling oculous rift and I was quite surprised at the relatively low price.

Thanks for posting and I look forward to grabbing the another 10 minutes of your video tomorrow :thumbup:

[CookPassBabtridge]

Just in case anyone is struggling to get this running, this is the process that works for me.

 

1. Make sure your regular monitor is primary, with extended mode selected. I had DK1 legacy off, YMMV.

2. Open DCS World, and navigate to the options.

3. Under "System", you should see an option marked "auto detect oculus rift". Check it and OK it.

4. Exit DCS

5. Open the Oculus config tool

6. Go to tools > Advanced > Pause service

7. Keeping your normal monitor as primary, start DCS from the normal steam library page. DCS will open as usual on the normal monitor (believe me its better this way).

8. Start up a mission however you like, I used the mission editor

9. When you click 'fly', it shoul;d automatically switch to the Rift. Goggle up!

10 . Once in the sim, head tracking and mouse cursor movement SHOULD work. If you feel a bit close to the front panel, lean right in and press '5' on the num pad. This should re-centre your view. Now lean back!

 

Unless you have a beast of a machine, you will probably get bad judder due to low frame rate. DCS really needs 75FPS, so if its not smooth you will need to back off a load of settings. Over at the Oculus forums we have guys with 780ti's and overclocked i7's that still can't get smooth 75FPS, especially around towns, but then thats DCS for you :)

Edited August 31, 2014 by CookPassBabtridge

[KLR Rico]

I watched the video with my Durovis OpenDive (<-ghetto rift, using a phone as the display), and now I *really* can't wait for the rift to come out... I'm seriously tempted to get DK2, but I only get one shot at the purchase (wife, and all), and I don't want to regret it when the consumer version comes out.

 

Great review, thanks for posting!

[TXHogDriver]

DCS+Oculus DK2 and no mouse

 

Anyone seen an instance of your mouse not working while using your DK2 (makes getting my hog off the ground a little hard.. lol)... I have tried multiple setups (that includes the old aero interface disable/enable) with no luck... Mouse will move, but I have no left mouse click ability inside the DK2 view... if I switch back to normal monitor view it works fine...