Damage failure cause reports

[Bucic]

DCS is currently modeling precise damage effects* with cascading failures of complex systems, plus wear of e.g. engine assemblies. It's a shame majority of it goes unnoticed even by semi-experienced DCS players, not to mention the more casual players. We get to see e.g. a landing gear not extending and that's it. How interesting it would be if we got DCS to spit out what it already models and knows (even in a plain text), like:

 

(let's say a missile explodes near player's A/C)

timestamp damage

timestamp hyd sys 1 leakage X kg/s | cause:damage

timestamp hyd sys 2 leakage Y kg/s | cause:damage

(player uses backup system to extend gear, backup is one-time only, provided just by hyd accumulator)

timestamp hyd sys backpup pressure drop Z MPa/s

(gear extends; player tries playing with the gear again - doesn't work)

(player gets this report and knows what has happened)

 

You get the drift. It could be even more basic, without the leakage, pressure drop rates etc. Hell, even without causes it would be a significant addition to DCS!

 

 

*without properly matched visual effects yet

 

Related (look for Yo-Yo's posts):

DCS WWII: Europe 1944 Project Discussion » Damage Model update?

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1335905&highlight=dust#post1335905

 

I must say that DM itself in DCS must be reworked. But saying about DM we must divide its both aspects - visual effects and internal functioning. Regarding its internal functioning I can say that it is much more complicated in comparison of any sim existing now and being in WIP status. You can get hundreds types of systems malfuction cascading and causing subsequent damages and sometimes you must do his best to save the plane. In reality bullet hits and even those holes appearing on the wings affect to lift and drag but not so exagerrated as in Il-2, for example. FM itself works correctly with half of elevator loss, so this control gets side roll effect or it's possible to land the plane with 1/3 of the wing lost (if the handling is right - otherwise it can be fatal)

The second aspect is visual effects regarding the actual damages and, yes, you are right - it needs to be deeply reworked because long white trails of electricity leaking from Dora's wing look weird. :) It's a task #1 for the nearest future. Not only for WWII planes but for all flyable and most of important AI.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Bucic