Noob Noob Noob question. Beta?

[Commandosolo]

I know this sounds like a stupid question but not to me. I don't want to blow up my beloved DCS.

 

 

 

I run the stable version and always have.

 

My friends all run Beta. :mad:

 

 

 

So how do I get on Beta? Do I just install it and then it all works, campaigns, aircraft, etc.? When you launch DCS will it update both beta and stable?

 

 

 

what about my mods and liveries, will I have to install them again or will they transfer over?

 

 

 

this is all very confusing since I just want to play on a few MP servers and they all want beta. grrrrrrr

 

 

can I go back to stable when I am playing single player? will that screw anything up?

 

 

 

It seems to me that a beta version should be for a few people and everyone is on stable, except with this program. Everyone is on beta, except for me :doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh:

[Svsmokey]

You can switch from beta to stable or vice-versa at will . You can also download each separately . All your modules will apply in either case . Check out Skatezilla's GUI updater utility in "Mods" > "DCS Mods" forum .

[DD_Fenrir]

So how do I get on Beta?

 

Option 1:

 

Go here: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/world/beta/

 

Run the downloader. It will install the Beta as a separate parallel installation to your STable Release version.

 

Pros are if anything is released to Beta that breaks it/makes it unplayable (which has happened, albeit infrequently) then you just go to your Stable and have fun whilst your buddies sit on their hands awaiting a hotfix.

 

Downside is you have two versions of DCS on one computer = lots of HD space; okay if you got it but troublesome if you're running on a single SSD...

 

Option 2:

 

Use the command prompt to tell the DCS Updater program to update your current Stable release version to the OpenBeta instead.

 

Info here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=114030

 

Pros are only one install needed, you can switch back and forth as you desire.

 

Cons are you need to know what you are doing or you can royally cock-up your DCS install.

 

 

Do I just install it and then it all works, campaigns, aircraft, etc.? When you launch DCS will it update both beta and stable?

 

If you have a parallel install running the updater only auto-updates the version you are opening at that moment.

 

I cannot comment on the Option 2 as I have never tried it. I would assume that it updated to the latest version of whichever of the branches it was then Identifying as.

 

 

what about my mods and liveries, will I have to install them again or will they transfer over?

 

Option 1 would require you to either a) Copy over all mods, liveries, missions and your controller configs to the Saved Games/DCS OpenBeta folder or B) set up a file sharing system where both installs reference a common folder.

 

can I go back to stable when I am playing single player? will that screw anything up?

 

Well with Option 1, yes of course. Just fire up the "DCS World" desktop icon as opposed to the "DCS World OpenBeta" desktop icons/

 

With Option 2 you would need to switch back using the same method that you converted your Stable Release to OpenBeta with in the first place.

 

It seems to me that a beta version should be for a few people and everyone is on stable, except with this program. Everyone is on beta, except for me

 

I agree - in my mind this is not the best way to go about using the OpenBeta availability.

 

I use it to specifically test supposed bug fixes in the modules I own, play for a few hours in an effort to see if they've broken anything else, and to do some familiarisation works on new releases so I am prepared to give my squad training in the new features when they finally get them ported to the Stable Release.

 

Ultimately it's a catch-22; if you got the HD space then I'd go for Option 1, copying the bits across is no biggie in the greater scheme of things and it will give you flexibility. If not, then you'll be obliged to attempt the CMD line option and the risks that entails.

[Commandosolo]

thank you very much DD, this is great information. Looks like I will just order another 500gb SSD for the beta. That way I know which drive it's on.

[Doum76]

I know this sounds like a stupid question but not to me. I don't want to blow up my beloved DCS.

 

 

 

I run the stable version and always have.

 

My friends all run Beta. :mad:

 

 

 

So how do I get on Beta? Do I just install it and then it all works, campaigns, aircraft, etc.? When you launch DCS will it update both beta and stable?

 

 

 

what about my mods and liveries, will I have to install them again or will they transfer over?

 

 

 

this is all very confusing since I just want to play on a few MP servers and they all want beta. grrrrrrr

 

 

can I go back to stable when I am playing single player? will that screw anything up?

 

 

 

It seems to me that a beta version should be for a few people and everyone is on stable, except with this program. Everyone is on beta, except for me :doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh::doh:

 

 

DD mostly answers it all, i jsut can add a few things, first, the good side of having Beta and Stable, once you've updated Beta and you are ready to update your Stable cuz latest patch are stable, it won't redownload it, it'll copy files from your Beta version to your Stable version, though, can't say if it works only when both versions are on same SSD as it is how i am configured.

 

 

As per liveries and mods, how i work it out, i use OVGME, it allows you to make setups for different versions of DCS but most, you can assign a single folder of mods/liveries and points it to 2 different DCS versions, so my mods are located only once in my OVGME folder and it'll simple point that folder to DCS and DCS Open Beta, quite simple to use.

Edited February 13, 2019 by Doum76