reece146 Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 I wanted to give a shout out to the crew at Eagle Dynamics and their third party partners for such a great suite of software. I'm new to the product, tipped my toes in back in December. Since then I've been totally sucked down the technical, fun rabbit hole with the jets, props, military and civilian aircraft. It's just great! I've even warmed up to helicopters. Ha! This week I built a VM for running DCS server. We used it last night for the first time and it was a great experience. We did some messing around with an Mi8, UH-1 and a Yak-52 and had a blast. Chasing the silhouette a friend's helicopter up a canyon with the sun beating down in your face was almost surreal. It's elevated the DCS experience to another level. I really need to learn the combat systems on the jets. Now we are thinking about custom campaigns and trying to tempt some buddies into the fray. Anyway, just wanted give some thanks for a great product! DCS World is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirrah Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 Ahh, the weekly "Thank you ED!!" support thread. I'll jump in on this one Totally agree with you Reece! There can never be enough of these positive feedback threads! :thumbup: System specs: i7-8700K @stock speed - GTX 1080TI @ stock speed - AsRock Extreme4 Z370 - 32GB DDR4 @3GHz- 500GB SSD - 2TB nvme - 650W PSU HP Reverb G1 v2 - Saitek Pro pedals - TM Warthog HOTAS - TM F/A-18 Grip - TM Cougar HOTAS (NN-Dan mod) & (throttle standalone mod) - VIRPIL VPC Rotor TCS Plus with ALPHA-L grip - Pointctrl & aux banks <-- must have for VR users!! - Andre's SimShaker Jetpad - Fully adjustable DIY playseat - VA+VAICOM ~ That nuke might not have been the best of ideas, Sir... the enemy is furious ~ GUMMBAH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Svsmokey Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 +1 here...as problematic as it can be at times , there is nothing else like it in terms of graphics , systems and flight modelling . I,ve been flying since 1.56 and there are moments that still take my breath away... 9700k @ stock , Aorus Pro Z390 wifi , 32gb 3200 mhz CL16 , 1tb EVO 970 , MSI RX 6800XT Gaming X TRIO , Seasonic Prime 850w Gold , Coolermaster H500m , Noctua NH-D15S , CH Pro throttle and T50CM2/WarBrD base on Foxxmounts , CH pedals , Reverb G2v2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmoccio Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 Since then I've been totally sucked down the technical, fun rabbit hole with the jets, props, military and civilian aircraft. It's just great! I've even warmed up to helicopters. Ha! This week I built a VM for running DCS server. We used it last night for the first time and it was a great experience. We did some messing around with an Mi8, UH-1 and a Yak-52 and had a blast. DCS World is great! Welcome! Always great to have new people in the community. Can I ask you for some details on the VM that you built and how powerful your machine is/how many resources you allocated to the VM? I want to build a server as well and this is a great idea. I wanted to know how much power is needed to run a server and what your experience was performance wise with the VM. Before I build a machine myself it would be great to have some insight! F/A-18C | F-16C | JF-17 | F-14 | FC3 | AV-8B | AJS-37 | F-5E | M-2000C | Mig 15bis | C-101 | F-86 | A-10C | P-51D | Fw 190 A-8 | Christen Eagle II | Bf 109 K-4 | Ryzen 5 2600 | MSI RTX 2070 Super | ASROCK B450m Pro | 16GB G.SKill Ripjaws 3200 DDR4 | 500GB WD Blue Internal SSD | 1TB Samsung Evo 860 SSD | Logitech X56 HOTAS | PSEYE Track IR | Delan Clip | :joystick: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reece146 Posted May 16, 2020 Author Share Posted May 16, 2020 (edited) Welcome! Always great to have new people in the community. Can I ask you for some details on the VM that you built and how powerful your machine is/how many resources you allocated to the VM? I want to build a server as well and this is a great idea. I wanted to know how much power is needed to run a server and what your experience was performance wise with the VM. Before I build a machine myself it would be great to have some insight! Sure, no problem. The host is an old HP 8300 CMT in my home lab. They are cheap on ebay. I've had a lot of good luck with these and the SFF version (Docker engines). My whole lab is mostly composed of them and a few raspberry Pis. This particular host is running an i7-3770 @ 3.9 GHz, 32 GB RAM, etc. It's running Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS, KVM/QEMU. This host has a bunch of loads on it. It's a NAS for the rest of the DMZ lab, runs a bunch of Docker containers (folding at home for Covid, some work stuff, jellyfin, others). The VM is Windows 10 Home, 2 cores, 2 sockets, 4 threads, 16 GB RAM. Its virtual disk currently resides on the storage array (RAID 5, 4 x 4TB) but I've got an SSD on it's way. Some disk IO is noticeably slow so I'll move the qcow image to the SSD and run without redundancy on that disk. I've also got a bridged interface to the VM so it has a static IP on the DMZ network and avoids any NAT shenanigans at the VM level. FWIW, the virtualized disk is ~384GB and with way too many liveries and user mods and all but two ED modules installed I still have about 140GB free. Good size for growth I guess. In full 'console mode' the DCS.exe uses ~8GB of RAM. In server mode launched from the command line it uses ~2GB of ram. I intended to run a few servers on the same machine but will likely reduce the RAM allocated to the VM to around 6-8GB or so. I doubt I'll ever need to run multiple servers at the same time. HTH! Edited May 16, 2020 by reece146 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmoccio Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 Sure, no problem. The host is an old HP 8300 CMT in my home lab. They are cheap on ebay. I've had a lot of good luck with these and the SFF version (Docker engines). My whole lab is mostly composed of them and a few raspberry Pis. This particular host is running an i7-3770 @ 3.9 GHz, 32 GB RAM, etc. It's running Ubuntu 18.04.4 LTS, KVM/QEMU. This host has a bunch of loads on it. It's a NAS for the rest of the DMZ lab, runs a bunch of Docker containers (folding at home for Covid, some work stuff, jellyfin, others). The VM is Windows 10 Home, 2 cores, 2 sockets, 4 threads, 16 GB RAM. Its virtual disk currently resides on the storage array (RAID 5, 4 x 4TB) but I've got an SSD on it's way. Some disk IO is noticeably slow so I'll move the qcow image to the SSD and run without redundancy on that disk. I've also got a bridged interface to the VM so it has a static IP on the DMZ network and avoids any NAT shenanigans at the VM level. FWIW, the virtualized disk is ~384GB and with way too many liveries and user mods and all but two ED modules installed I still have about 140GB free. Good size for growth I guess. In full 'console mode' the DCS.exe uses ~8GB of RAM. In server mode launched from the command line it uses ~2GB of ram. I intended to run a few servers on the same machine but will likely reduce the RAM allocated to the VM to around 6-8GB or so. I doubt I'll ever need to run multiple servers at the same time. HTH! Thanks so much for the detailed reply! I have a spare Dell Optiplex sitting around from work. I think it has 8gbs of RAM. Just for hosting a server for DCS do you think it could get the job done? It doesnt seem like the VM you have is too spec'd out and it would be dedicated to this task. F/A-18C | F-16C | JF-17 | F-14 | FC3 | AV-8B | AJS-37 | F-5E | M-2000C | Mig 15bis | C-101 | F-86 | A-10C | P-51D | Fw 190 A-8 | Christen Eagle II | Bf 109 K-4 | Ryzen 5 2600 | MSI RTX 2070 Super | ASROCK B450m Pro | 16GB G.SKill Ripjaws 3200 DDR4 | 500GB WD Blue Internal SSD | 1TB Samsung Evo 860 SSD | Logitech X56 HOTAS | PSEYE Track IR | Delan Clip | :joystick: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reece146 Posted May 16, 2020 Author Share Posted May 16, 2020 You mean install on bare metal? I'd say so if the processor is reasonably fast enough. RAM for these old machines is cheap (comparatively) so if you feel cramped that is an option. It seems like the DCS server component is just a position vector proxy/relay with a mission clearing house built into it. If it isn't rendering 3D in server mode than I don't see why it needs a lot of horsepower. It didn't seem like it was taxing the machine much when we were running. The VM was using around 25-30% of the CPU when it was running (the red stuff in the graph attached). FWIW, in full console mode in that VM I am still able to launch the mission editor without issue - make tweaks, etc. The mission we ran uses SWAPR without issue as well. I need to install SRS next. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derby2P Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 Couldn't agree more - the game is absolutely fantastic, there's always something when playing that gives me that "wow" reaction. I often look back just to see how much things have moved on and remember playing a game on the C64 with my Dad called Solo Flight - and we thought it was the dog's nuts. I've played practically every flight sim/game since. When flying the FA18 I'm often reminded of the many hours I spent playing F/A18 Interceptor on the Amiga - how I loved that game, but it looks so primitive now! I often wonder if Bob Dinnerman plays DCS! I bet he'd have loved the modern computing power we have to day that's taken for granted really. I think the developers do a superb job with the game and I'm quite content with the status quo of early access and am happy to wait for updates with the firm view the developers want this to be the best it can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemon1808 Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 +1 DCS is a wonderful playground for those of us who love military aviation. The product is impressive, very complex and realistic. Because of that and virtual reality, I have somehow fulfilled my childhood dream of being a pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Kazansky Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 +1 to the title DCS devs are driven by passion. You can't buy that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishlad200000 Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 I’m a R/L light aircraft pilot and have to say DCS is as close as it gets! The bonus of having weapons to use is just immense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reece146 Posted May 25, 2020 Author Share Posted May 25, 2020 I'm looking forward to the new lighting model when it hits stable. It looks quite good. That said, current stable is no slouch either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fille_swe Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 Yes, this sim is so immersive. Made my own mission with a semi-busy SC in the Hornet. Did some practice with a JTAC lasing some targets then called on a tanker and topped up the fuel and went in to land on the carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfcandy Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 Worth every penny spent and I have no buyer remorse. Just wish there were more Campaigns for some of the aircraft. Thank You. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornflex Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 Yes, DCS ist awesome! It can be frustrating and rewarding at the same time. I never played a "game" for so long. The more you learn the more fun you get. Once you master the steep learning curve there is so much to explore. I hope we will see dynamic campaigns in the future. i9 13900K, Asus ROG Z690-E Wifi, 32GB DDR5 6400RAM, Asus RTX 4090 TUF, TM Warthog with F-16 Stick, Trackir 5, Windows 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadpool Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 I wanted to give a shout out to the crew at Eagle Dynamics and their third party partners for such a great suite of software. I'm new to the product, tipped my toes in back in December. Since then I've been totally sucked down the technical, fun rabbit hole with the jets, props, military and civilian aircraft. It's just great! I've even warmed up to helicopters. Ha! This week I built a VM for running DCS server. We used it last night for the first time and it was a great experience. We did some messing around with an Mi8, UH-1 and a Yak-52 and had a blast. Chasing the silhouette a friend's helicopter up a canyon with the sun beating down in your face was almost surreal. It's elevated the DCS experience to another level. I really need to learn the combat systems on the jets. Now we are thinking about custom campaigns and trying to tempt some buddies into the fray. Anyway, just wanted give some thanks for a great product! DCS World is great! Sorry to ruin the thread, but with a bit of bitter sarcasm: It would have been more realistic, had you installed the VM without a disc. then waited a couple of months before you installed the disc, but then limited the network interface to 10kbit/sec. Then waited a couple of month to change it to 1MBit/sec, but with CPU throttled to one core now. I think that would come close to the average state. Especially of the F-16. But not to be too negative: I know that a lot of people are hard working making things better! Keep up the spirit! This is an amazing ecosystem to preserve and enlargen! Lincoln said: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Do not expect a reply to any questions, 30.06.2021 - Silenced by Nineline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revs Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 what is the advantage of running server on VM? I was able to run a dedicated server(no render) on the different win/username and play on my normal win/username as a client on the same pc. Ryzen 1700 @ 3.8GHz / 32GB( 4x8 ) @ 3.2GHz / 1TB ADATA NVMe System Drive / 232GB NVMe Samsung 960 / ASUS dual RTX 2080ti / Reverb / Rift CV1 / T-16000M FCS flight pack A10C/M2000C/F5E/SA342/Mi8/UH1H/KA50/AJS-37/FA-18C/AV-8B/F-14/Mig29/CA/SU-27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aluminum Donkey Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 DCS is a work of art man. An unfinished one, but many a masterpiece is eternally a work-in-progress :) I never really got much into the nitty-gritty of the whole military simulation for some reason. I like the modules, and I like flying around blowin' stuff up. I've rarely tried any campaigns. It's just that DCS World is such a phenomenal, if incomplete, piece of fine art :) AD Kit: B550 Aorus Elite AX V2, Ryzen 7 5800X w/ Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE, 2 x 16GB Kingston Fury DDR4 @3600MHz C16, Gigabyte RTX 3070 Windforce 8GB, EVGA SuperNova 750 G2 PSU, HP Omen 32" 2560x1440, Thrustmaster Cougar HOTAS fitted with Leo Bodnar's BU0836A controller. --Flying is the art of throwing yourself at the ground, and having all the rules and regulations get in the way! If man was meant to fly, he would have been born with a lot more money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aluminum Donkey Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 Worth every penny spent and I have no buyer remorse. Just wish there were more Campaigns for some of the aircraft. Thank You. Creating a good campaign is an enormous amount of effort. That's why we don't have a huge number of user-created campaigns available, despite DCS itself (the free version) containing everything you need to create full-featured, rich and involving campaigns. It's lots and lots of work :) AD Kit: B550 Aorus Elite AX V2, Ryzen 7 5800X w/ Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE, 2 x 16GB Kingston Fury DDR4 @3600MHz C16, Gigabyte RTX 3070 Windforce 8GB, EVGA SuperNova 750 G2 PSU, HP Omen 32" 2560x1440, Thrustmaster Cougar HOTAS fitted with Leo Bodnar's BU0836A controller. --Flying is the art of throwing yourself at the ground, and having all the rules and regulations get in the way! If man was meant to fly, he would have been born with a lot more money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazAce Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 DCS.. the creme de la creme of combat flight sim DCS just absolutely rocks on many many layers! And I think we're all so lucky to have something as incredible as this to enjoy & to keep on enjoying into the future. :thumbup: :: 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900K :: Asus ROG Strix Z790-A mobo :: Asus Tuff Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 Ti :: NZXT Kraken Elite 280 RGB AIO white cooler :: G Skill Trident Z Royals DDR4 4x16GB = 64GB :: WD Black SN 850X NVMe SSD 2TB M.2 (C Drive) :: Samsung 860 Pro 2TB SATA (D Drive) :: Corsair Crystal 680X White Case :: Asus XG349C 34" Curve G-Sync 180Hz 3440x1440 Mon :: Corsair 850W PSU :: Virpil Constellation Alpha-R Stick with VPC WarBRD Base :: Virpil MongoosT-50CM3 Throttle :: 3 x CubeSim ext mini screens with TM Cougar MFD Bezels :: Asus ROG Pugio 503 Gaming Mouse & Razer BlackWidow mech kb :: TrackIR 5 Pro & Cap Clip :: Win 11 64 Bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rescue Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 +1 Good job ED. Stay healthy and safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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