DCS Features Wish List

[empeck]

I wonder how difficult would be to make an application for terrain design. Making new terrain in 3dsMAX is difficult and time consuming, and it require at least intermediate knowledge how to use 3d program. Dedicated tool would be nice...

[Lucas_From_Hell]

I don't know if they used 3D Max, but the Nevada terrain is awesome, and there's that Afghanistan WIP.

[MBot]

But then the standard would probably drop, and no one would like it.

 

Maybe if we talked about add-ons to FC 2.0, then things would be different. But call it a DCS title, and I'd demand DCS precision :).

 

True, that is why I would suggest such simple aircraft like the Littlebird and Bronco for 3rd party developers.

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Maybe. But just a question, is ED even considering to make this a MSFS with guns?

[empeck]

Without global map, it's pointless.

[MBot]

Maybe. But just a question, is ED even considering to make this a MSFS with guns?

 

I don't know what their current intention is, but this was the word a year ago:

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=31052

 

(but pay notice to the words "note that all the above is subject to change")

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Good point there.

 

I think we should wait until we get most Lock On aircraft into DCS, so we get a complete and precise combat over the Caucasus, before asking for another theater with another countries and aircraft.

[Warbird_242]

Yeah, but if you only want to model jungle, there would be no airfields for the fighter boys to take-off, and probably most helicopters would be unable to operate as tell.

 

If ED was to model South-America, they would HAVE to model a pretty large area. Being Brazillian myself, and having lived in most regions there, I know that it isn't even close of being jungle all the way.

 

For example, it would need AT LEAST one Brazillian Air Force airbase (this would have to be either BAPV (located on Porto Velho, Rondônia. In Google Maps, search for "Aeroporto de Porto Velho-Belmont". For the military sector, check the northern parking area), as it's home for one EMB-314 unit, and now for the Mi-35 as well, and has structures to house one R-99 AWACS, or/and BACG ("Aeroporto de Campo Grande" at Google Maps, houses 1 EMB-314 squadron, one transport and one SAR squadron). These are on the western border of Brazil, but if we are to do COIN, I don't think it's viable at all for ED. Just check on the map the distance between both cities. They only have border with Bolivia and Paraguay, and these are barely target-free when we talk about COIN.

 

There's Boa Vista, house of one A-29 squadron as well, but its border is only with Venezuela, and that's no place to do "COINing" either.

 

So, taking things all round, I still think we should ask for a more viable option instead of South America :).

 

yes sorry I was completely stereotyping there but what I meant was, personally, I'd be happy with a mass of jungle, some clearings, a couple of villages and some rivers and hills

[Lucas_From_Hell]

No problem, I was just clarifying it :)

 

But if we were to have only jungle with clearings and a village here or there, there would be a problem with the targets.

 

I mean, what would we shoot at, after all (yes, I know; I'm essentially an insanely "trigger-happy" pilot, and proud to be one :D)? We would probably have only some infantry with rifles, machine-guns and maybe a RPG once in a while.

 

Despiste the lack of target variety, there's also the problem that light helicopters that can operate without restrictions in such areas (without an airbase around) are very vunerable to such weapons, and to conduct an effective campaign, attack aircraft would have to step in, so it would be a bit useless to have jungle and a tiny helicopter where you need a good airbase to house fighter, transport and attack aviation.

 

PS: Just remembered of something here that could expand the capabilities of the attack aviation at least (fighters would still be out): the A-29 (EMB-314) can operate from highways (trying to find a picture of it, can't find any :(). Still, you would need to model an area close enough to a highway that offers the required conditions for the aircraft to take-off and land.

[Warbird_242]

well the way i see it, your light helicopter, whatever it may be, can be used for counter narcotics, ie chasing other planes, shooting vehicles then there's troop insertion ( and admittedly one of the conditions of doing this well would be no shooting at all), counter rebel operations ( which can involve what you said ) and also I don't know if you've read Phoenix squadron by roland smith but I picture scenarios like that - small overseas territories being reinforced by light attack helis to operate strike missions, and if it comes to invasion then armed recon, war fighting generally like shooting APCs etc

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Chasing low-performance planes carrying narcotics is actually done by the EMB-314.

 

I don't believe any light helicopter would be up to the task, as most planes would be able to escape by just opening the throttle, and the helicopter offers little threat to the aircraft, anyway. Things are different when you're being followed by a pair of aircraft with guns loaded, specially if the pilot knows that, in case he doesn't follow the instructions, the Air Force might receive authorization to shoot the aircraft down.

 

Some videos demonstrating the procedure can be find at YouTube (audio either in Portuguese or Spanish):

 

Note the "Landing Gear" warning, as the intercepted aircraft lowered the speed trying to make it difficult to the fighters.

 

This one was made by T-27 in Peru. Audio is half in English, half in Spanish. Aircraft was shot down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8iRLyNlKOs

 

This one was just routine to verify flight-data:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PtGxAzmLQo

 

This one is interesting: an F-5EM doing an intercept. According to the video uploader, there was a mistake by the flight controllers and F-5EM training nearby were diverted to intercept. Pay attention to the landing gear and the angle of attack of the Tiger :):

[Warbird_242]

yes okay stop pulling apart my argument haha :P But I'm sure they use helis to intercept light aircraft - saw it in 'Combat Aircraft Weekly', not neccesarily in counter narco ops though. And anyway my point was that light helicopters are a lot more versatile and also a lot more fun to fly

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Alright, I'll stop it :D

 

But I have to say, using a light helicopter to intercept an aircraft sounds a bit unpractical still. Any extra info on it, I'm curious now.

 

Light helicopters are fun to fly, indeed. But as EtherealN pointed out, many wouldn't be very happy with it and would keep bitching and asking "why the hell is ED wasting time modelling these stuff instead of doing a fighter/attack helicopter?!", and then this forums would turn in a battlefield and etc.

 

I think we should wait for the reaction to A-10C to see how people will deal with the wishlist. Everyone is now asking for choppers because they didn't know flying one could be so much fun. But with this some sort of forgot they don't have a clue about how flying a fighter/attack aircraft modeled to such details is.

 

Just an opinion, anyway...

[Warbird_242]

after 20 minutes scouring the floor of my room I have to conclude that I have lost the article :) But IIRC it was one of the meditteranean nations, like greece or italy who were using possibly super pumas or other similar medium transport helicopter as a low/slow interceptor, the idea being fly up next to the target and blow it up with the door mounted guns. It sounds a little implausible, I'll admit, but I'm absoulutely certain I saw it.

 

 

 

 

EDIT: found a similar thing http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/25/dc.airspace.alert/

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Interesting, yet crazy :P

 

In this case, well, Coast Guard intercepting a student that got lost... It's way easier. When there's some guy with second intentions, then things get more complicated.

 

And a Super Puma's performance isn't quite the same as a Little Bird or something like that, so it's a bit hard to compare.

 

But a Ka-50 with Vikhrs would do a nice interceptor for slow aircraft :P

[HiJack]

DCS: Apache

[Warbird_242]

Interesting, yet crazy :P

 

In this case, well, Coast Guard intercepting a student that got lost... It's way easier. When there's some guy with second intentions, then things get more complicated.

 

And a Super Puma's performance isn't quite the same as a Little Bird or something like that, so it's a bit hard to compare.

 

But a Ka-50 with Vikhrs would do a nice interceptor for slow aircraft :P

 

yes I have to say that the article did not mention problems with manouvering - presumably the mounted MG makes everything easier

[liotczik]

I'm not that much worried about sale figures of an eventual DCS: Littlebird. Certainly it's not the Apache, but still somehow iconic aircraft. The final duel in Blue Thuder was against OH-6, many duels in Airwolf series were alike, just to mention the most well known helicopter titles. The popularity of the type was even more boosted after "Black Hawk Down" movie and FPP game, I believe ArmA 1 & 2 and some other FPP games also let the player to control AH/MH-6.

 

http://www.mocpages.com/user_thumbnails/frater@paradise.net.nz/www.brickshelf.com_gallery_lukefrater_littlebird_littlebird1.jpg_SPLASH.jpg :D

 

True, it's not the best attack/transport/medevac and whatever on the market, but what's interesting, that it can perform all the roles. And that multirole (or mission diversity) can be entertaining, because simple repetitive "seek'n'destroy" iterations have more or less limited lifetime, in terms of being interesting.

 

After some n numer of missions, you know all the moves of AI, all the methods to employ weapons and all the tricks to fool the enemy. Flights start becoming automatic routine rather than thrill of new and unknown. You no longer fight - you execute. For multirole a/c you basically get few more or less different (but still) sims in one. I wouldn't call that wasting developer's resources.

 

Even on this message board are signs, that there are people, who at least equally enjoy booting speedboats, as sinking battlecruisers and I've read somewhere, that OH-58 armed with Hellfires were extremely efficient at eliminating small and fast boats owned by various hostile elements operating in the Persian Gulf. Another thing is recon and targeting capability of small helos, that would further expand current DCS focus on a2g combat. Also don't forget about multiplayer, where it would be interesting to form hunter-killer teams, like OH-6/AH-1 known from the Vietnam war.

 

As for the Gazelle and Lynx, I'm pretty sure that most of the French and British pilots (if not all of them), that currently enjoy flying the Ka-50, would love to try something, that is 'closer to their hearts' :)

 

While I've discovered the joy of rotary-wing flight long before Black Shark, and want even more of it, I also strongly support idea to introduce light attack fixed-wing aircraft. It's a whole new to sims, different from what we had and never, even lightly, explored branch of aviation. Just think of it, how many sim pilots would claim their favourite (or one of the favourites) aircraft being Ka-50, before the release of Black Shark?

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Sorry to ask it, but what does Blue Thunder and Airwolf stand for?

 

Anyway, aside this, I think we should first get one plane of each branch before asking for light copters and all this stuff. We have, for now: 1 helicopter, 1 attack aircraft coming. We just don't have the A2A for now, but that can change. The thing I'd die for is a multi-role FIGHTER (yeah, capital and bold, 'coz it's badass :D!). I know focus on A2G is nice and everything, but no one actually knows how air to air is when we talk about a high-fidelity simulator. People are high with helicopters because they just found out how it's fun to fly an attack helicopter precisely modelled. Now everyone is asking for more helicopters and everything else. I'm pretty sure this will change a bit after DCS: A-10C, and we'll start to get opinions based in experience in all the three branches after DCS: (Insert Multi-Role Fighter name here)*, where everyone will know the pros, cons and etc. of flying a chopper, an attack plane and a fighter.

 

Multi-role fighters are nice, IMO, because, well, they can do everything an attack aircraft can do. Maybe not that well, but it still can bomb, strafe, rocket, and it can also keep another fighter away from the attack aircraft pilot so it won't spoil his fun.

 

It would open room for a true joint operation, where you'd need to coordinate all elements to assure the mission will go without incident.

 

Just an opinion, anyway.

 

*Yes, I'm totally aware of all the contract and military issues around it.

[liotczik]

I second to that also. I'm long time F-16 enthusiast, partially thanks to Falcon 4.0 and its offspring, partially because it's a truly multirole and partially because of it's, in many ways unique, design. And after my contry acquired some of them, I'm really obsessed :D Another favourite is F/A-18, another multirole and carrier capable, to add even more spice :) I'm myself really curious, how would that be, to try realistic Falcon, but in another skin, so to speak ;) So familiar, yet so different.

 

Right now I wait in patience for the A-10C and FC2, but l can't help but think ahead, like every pilot should do during flight ;)

 

Blue Thunder and Airwolf are codenames of super-helicopters, which were the main stars of a movie and TV series, respectively. The first (being my long time favourite) was a modified Gazelle, the second was made from Bell 222. There are detailed articles about them everywhere on the Internet (like Wikipedia and imdb.com), also Google picture search shows various photos and sketches of the two.

[159th_Viper]

....The thing I'd die for is a multi-role FIGHTER....

 

Stand-By......Personal Prediction after A-10C:

 

DCS: Hornet :gun_smilie: :yay:

 

:D

[Eddie]

Stand-By......Personal Prediction after A-10C:

 

DCS: Hornet :gun_smilie: :yay:

 

:D

 

Don't say things like that Viper! Still trying to recover from the news of the HOTAS Warthog and recent A-10C screens. Any more and I'll probably have a stroke.

[liotczik]

And by a pure coincidence, I just happen to be in possession of a highly classified images of it:

http://www.bmmedia.no/henningb/images/f18hornet.jpg

http://www.bmmedia.no/henningb/images/f18hornet2.jpg

:D:D:D

[LJFHutch]

And by a pure coincidence, I just happen to be in possession of a highly classified images of it:

http://www.bmmedia.no/henningb/images/f18hornet.jpg

http://www.bmmedia.no/henningb/images/f18hornet2.jpg

:D:D:D

 

Oh no! I can just see it now: "DCS: Lego Hornet" :megalol:

[Eddie]

Hey, we've had Lego:Star Wars and Lego:Indiana Jones so why not I say. It could be rather entertaining.