Some questions

[telepathiclove]

I've had a look around but was hoping someone might help me with questions:

 

1) Is there a collection of movies anywhere? I am hoping for new ones, not ones that were made in 2007. I'm also hoping for higher quality than youtube movies. YouTube movies are so small and low res and blurry. A lot of games release big HD quality movies, almost full screen, so I am hoping to see some like that. Surely it's not still too early? Surely the graphics are mostly done and all that is left is fine tuning the game at this point?

 

2) How come people say that performance wise, it will be similar to Flaming Cliffs, and yet in the FAQ it says, "Twice the ground detail of previous TFC/Eagle Dynamics simulations"? Is the programming just a bit tighter this time around? Or will the game be a bit more demanding than the likes of Flaming Cliffs? (I'm hoping it is... because my PC is about 10 times more powerful than it was when I played Lock On).

 

3) Will there be an open beta? How many none paid external testers are in Beta at the moment? Several? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?

 

4) The FAQ mentions it is a sim and also suitable for casual players. How casual? Will it be able to be set up in such a way that someone who never plays sims can just jump in the chopper and fly around blowing stuff up? Like Comanche 4 for example.

 

5) I'm a little concerned about the close up ground textures. After looking at the recent screenshots on the main website, the sky, the choppers and planes, and all the vehicles, all look really very high quality. Also some of the areal views of the landscape looks REALLY great and I am really happy about that. But when you get down low to the ground, a lot of the ground textures are very blurry when quite close up. That's forgiveable in a jet sim because you spend such little time down that low, but in a chopper sim, couldn't those low altitude grass textures be tidied up a bit? Perhaps there are some more recent screenshots that might change my mind?

NOTE: I know why it can't all look perfect, but I personally would rather lower some of the details on the vehicles and increase the quality of the ground textures. Currently it looks maybe a bit imbalanced seeing as the vehicles are super detailed and look almost photo realistic with a billion polygons, but some of the up close ground textures look a bit finger painted.

 

6) Will people be able to make missions and campaigns and then share them with other people on the internet?

 

7) Will there be wingmen/women and will we be able to give them orders? If so, will we also be able to plot their course while in flight?

 

8.) Will there be medals and promotions? If so, will they have any effect on gameplay at all?

 

9.) Are there any other features that sound cool that anyone can tell me about? The FAQ is very tight lipped, and information is sparse. Can anyone hype me up? :P

 

Thanks =)

[-sulan-]

1) Yes on the main site, I think you need a user account there also to download them though.

 

6) Yes

 

7) You can order your wingmen around like in Lockon.. It'd be very cool if you could use the data link to plot courses for them I thinks :)

 

9.) You can do some scripting in the mission editor with "triggers and events" which allows for some very cool and dynamic missions and campaigns to be created I thinks :)

[EvilBivol-1]

1) Is there a collection of movies anywhere?

There is the official site:

http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/index.php?end_pos=133&scr=products&lang=en

 

There is also the JaBoG32 collection of movies here:

http://www.virtual-jabog32.de/index.php?section=downloads&subcat=28&lang=en

 

2) How come people say that performance wise, it will be similar to Flaming Cliffs, and yet in the FAQ it says, "Twice the ground detail of previous TFC/Eagle Dynamics simulations"? Is the programming just a bit tighter this time around? Or will the game be a bit more demanding than the likes of Flaming Cliffs? (I'm hoping it is... because my PC is about 10 times more powerful than it was when I played Lock On).

It's hard to estimate exact requirement while the program is in beta. In general, you can expect it to require more horsepower than FC. So far, we have made unofficial recommendations that your machine carry at least 2 GB of RAM and a 256MB video card. These are not minimum requirements (it will run on less), but recommended minimum requirements, i.e. what you should have to be able to run the game well at low-medium settings. More precise and official requirements will be released when the code is finalized and optimized.

3) Will there be an open beta? How many none paid external testers are in Beta at the moment? Several? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?

There is no open beta. There are dozens of testers.

4) The FAQ mentions it is a sim and also suitable for casual players. How casual? Will it be able to be set up in such a way that someone who never plays sims can just jump in the chopper and fly around blowing stuff up? Like Comanche 4 for example.

To the point of providing a magic radar, easy FM and quick weapons fire (lock and fire away, basically arcade mode). Other options to ease the learning curve are available as well, including invulnerability, unlimited weapons, cockpit tooltips, etc.

5) I'm a little concerned about the close up ground textures. After looking at the recent screenshots on the main website, the sky, the choppers and planes, and all the vehicles, all look really very high quality. Also some of the areal views of the landscape looks REALLY great and I am really happy about that. But when you get down low to the ground, a lot of the ground textures are very blurry when quite close up. That's forgiveable in a jet sim because you spend such little time down that low, but in a chopper sim, couldn't those low altitude grass textures be tidied up a bit? Perhaps there are some more recent screenshots that might change my mind?

NOTE: I know why it can't all look perfect, but I personally would rather lower some of the details on the vehicles and increase the quality of the ground textures. Currently it looks maybe a bit imbalanced seeing as the vehicles are super detailed and look almost photo realistic with a billion polygons, but some of the up close ground textures look a bit finger painted.

You probably have not heard about ED's cooperation with sim-mod.com. They are doing incredible work on ground textures, 3D models, skins, etc. However, their work is not yet featured on the official screenshots, because it has not yet been fully integrated into the engine. However, the last two Producer's Notes and the SimHQ videos had featured them, as well as some unofficial screenshots:

http://sim-mod.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=25

Will people be able to make missions and campaigns and then share them with other people on the internet?

Yes

7) Will there be wingmen/women and will we be able to give them orders? If so, will we also be able to plot their course while in flight?

ED does plan on featuring women that you will be able to command and plot waypoints for in the second module, unofficially dubbed DCS: Roxanne. In the first release however (Black Shark), you will be limited to wingmen that you can indeed issue various commands to, including coordinates to fly to, attack, etc.

8.) Will there be medals and promotions? If so, will they have any effect on gameplay at all?

Yes and no, respectively.

9.) Are there any other features that sound cool that anyone can tell me about? The FAQ is very tight lipped, and information is sparse. Can anyone hype me up? :P

Take a couple of days to browse the forum, especially the Question & Answer sticky thread. If you have any more question then, please post them in the Q&A thread and we will try to answer them as well as we can.

[therion_prime]

ED does plan on featuring women that you will be able to command .....

 

:thumbup: :lol:

[telepathiclove]

Sorry for the late reply, I've had internet problems.

 

I just wanted to say thanks for the replies, especially EvilBivol-1, there was a lot of information in there to get me excited. The game sounds really promising, I can't wait to play it! My friend and I grew up playing flight sims, and we've been waiting for a good chopper sim. So we can't wait to buy it as soon as it's ready.

 

Good luck.

 

 

p.s. LOL at the women thing! I only wish I could control the women in my life with commands.. When she goes shopping for junk I could do a CTRL-R for her to return to base ;P

 

---------------------------------------edit--------------------------------------

 

WOW, now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!!

http://sim-mod.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=365&sid=b19d1828c754f233f645756dbd2d629d

 

Those graphics are really starting to look a lot better! The grass texture makes a big difference, much improved. Thanks a lot for the links, that really has me excited now!! Keep up the good work.

[159th_Viper]

 

9.) Are there any other features that sound cool that anyone can tell me about? The FAQ is very tight lipped, and information is sparse. Can anyone hype me up? :P

 

If that 30mm ain't enough to Float your Boat...............man I look forward to spreading some AP luv.........then I recall that there has been a vague mention of a coupla 'Easter Eggs' floating about - a Radio Station - Customizable - is one of them that has been confirmed (Radio Majkop IIRC).

 

Another Nifty feature is Animated Infantry - to be seen in GA's movie 'Edge' (humble apologies if I've got the wrong title).

 

Hell - just take the time to watch the Vid's, especially the Producers Notes. And BeachAV8R has also begun work on an Intro of sorts and his experience of getting to grips with the Guppy, arhh.....eh...pardon me, the Shark.

 

Trust me - there's a lot to get Hyped up over :D

[Avimimus]

1) Does DCS:Roxanne replace DCS:Monique? If so will there still be modeling of the effects of high-heels on the flight pedals (ie. slipping)?

[Allo]

My friend and I grew up playing flight sims, and we've been waiting for a good chopper sim. So we can't wait to buy it as soon as it's ready.

Get in line buddy. :D

I hope there are enough copies on release day.:prop:

[joey45]

1....still be modeling of the effects of high-heels on the flight pedals (ie. slipping)?

 

complete with hairy legs and a mirror to shave with..:megalol: :thumbup: