Human Wingman

[williehayesjr]

Are there any DCS World F/A-18 missions with the human player as wingman? It would seem as though a beginning player should start off as a wingman and not a lead. Thanks in advance.

[kengou]

Unfortunately that doesn’t really work well in DCS. Flight lead AI is very lacking.

[Mr. Big.Biggs]

Tried the whole wingman thing in MP server yesterday. Was trying to fly the wing of our awacs after fighting back a few reds. Damn thing broke hard right into me, like it was going evasive.

I’m continuing to make friends in multi player! Oh boy.....

[AegisFX]

It is something ED has claimed to be working on. It's not something they have recently mentioned though.

[williehayesjr]

I guess I may have to try MP.

 

I have always been reluctant to use MP because of my time. I have since retired and I may seriously reconsider it.

[donkeyrider]

I have always been reluctant to use MP because of my time. I have since retired and I may seriously reconsider it.

 

Multi-player is a lot of fun - immersion is much higher. Flying with another human is going to beat AI any day, regardless of how good it is.

[JUICE-AWG]

Get a Human Wingman/Lead on a MP Server and find your own airspace and enjoy!

[sk000tch]

I will 2nd/3rd whatever the notion of finding someone online, you can hook up with someone in game or discord, Reddit, here. It might be easier out of game.

 

Personally, I enjoy well done campaigns or missions, especially if short on time, but there is absolutely nothing that compares to section tactics with real people for pure fun in all of DCS. My best friend of going on 10 years, shit stick and rudder pilot yet somehow managed 15 years active + ANG in eagles. We fly together often and it’s an absolute blast to bait tomcats to intercept a solo hornet only for emcon wingman on the deck to hit silent for a single sweep, bug em both and send a couple zero warning AMRAAMs from rear quarter. Another friend without a ppl is just learning the A-10, and when he learned how to mark and/or laze listening to him acclimate to the brevity and laugh as GBUs fell on his target was awesome. Both are a blast. My point is it just doesn’t matter whether you’re an expert or just learning, 99% of people are cool.

 

MP is a little intimidating at first, you need some software and setup, probably a few things to learn. But it’s the same sim, same plane (minus a few FPS and a little lag), and the rewards are so vast. There are certain fundamental skills a fighter pilot needs- gotta control the plane, understand formations and their strengths/weaknesses, be able to manage task saturation, employ ordinance and understand what your avionics are telling you, carrier ops, even BFM - a popular topic around here - are all just building blocks. Brining that all together to fight in an airplane effectively, as a team, is the one thing that DCS does that no other sim I’ve played can (I am new to desktop sims in fairness). Human GCI are another thing, it is such a massive difference compared to the sterile and repetitive pop-up BRA calls. BVR is SP is awfully boring, 2vX with human GCI is a blast. Even refueling is fun as a team (blame the lag).

 

Maybe try hoggit, lots of faqs and such on how to get started, I think there is a learning server there too for people that aren’t comfortable yet with the main GAW/PGAW servers (which are pve fwiw, just more going on).

[MeerCaT]

...immersion is much higher....

 

Some of my favourites:

• Landings on taxiways
  
• Take-offs in the opposite direction of the active runway flow
  
• Smoke bomb trails drawn along runways/carrier
  
• 1-10 second lags (screen freeze) at crucial moments while air-to-air refueling and carrier landings. :crash:
  

But seriously, despite the inevitable imperfections of a simulated playground, I can very much recommend taking the effort to slowly ease yourself into the multiplayer experience.

[donkeyrider]

Some of my favourites:

• Landings on taxiways
  
• Take-offs in the opposite direction of the active runway flow
  
• Smoke bomb trails drawn along runways/carrier
  
• 1-10 second lags (screen freeze) at crucial moments while air-to-air refueling and carrier landings. :crash:
  

But seriously, despite the inevitable imperfections of a simulated playground, I can very much recommend taking the effort to slowly ease yourself into the multiplayer experience.

 

ha ha ha. So true. But it is fun seeing this stuff.

[sk000tch]

Some of my favourites:

• Landings on taxiways
  
• Take-offs in the opposite direction of the active runway flow
  
• Smoke bomb trails drawn along runways/carrier
  
• 1-10 second lags (screen freeze) at crucial moments while air-to-air refueling and carrier landings. :crash:
  

But seriously, despite the inevitable imperfections of a simulated playground, I can very much recommend taking the effort to slowly ease yourself into the multiplayer experience.

 

I have in fact done the first two several times in real life, usually on purpose.

 

I have never dropped a smoke bomb on a runway... I’ve dropped pumpkins on a grass landing strip (well, off to the side at least), while many mostly/fully naked people cheered. Many shenanigans take place, less now than the old days but plenty of fun to be had still. And while the naked pumpkin thing was during a gig hauling skydivers to build twin time, I’ve heard some pretty absurd happenings during combat sorties as well.

 

Cant say I’ve ever lagged but I’ve fell behind many an airplane...

 

I get what you are saying though. That’s party why I suggested finding someone to show the ropes in discord or the newbie the hoggit does. MP can be frustrating, the fun:frustration ratio sometimes is frustrating. But when you have a really solid group working together, or just a fun wingman, it’s an experience SP really can’t match.

 

Lag sucks, but if big servers are lagging MP missions are very find as well.

[williehayesjr]

sk000tch, thank you. Your argument is so convincing, I will contact hoggit, this weekend, for suggestions on how to get set up. Again, thanks so much.

[Akula]

You can set up a mission for it... It's not exactly what you want but it's a workaround.