Feedback Thread - F-14 Tomcat Patch Dec 23rd 2021

[IronMike]

Dear all,

as always we would like to offer you the usual thread and kindly ask for your great feedback. As you noticed - following the major Tomcat patch in October and due to the massive Viggen patch we just released - the currant Tomcat patch is a bit smaller than usual, but with important additions nonetheless, particularly in the realm of further fine tuning the FM. Please be so kind and let us know what you think, both negative and positive alike.

As they year comes close to its end, I would also like to take the opportunity and thank you all again for your tremendous support, your superb feedback and your overly kind patience with us. We wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from the bottom of our hearts! Thank you!

Changelog:

DCS F-14 Tomcat by Heatblur Simulations

• NEW: Added DCS VOIP functionality to AN/ARC-159 and AN/ARC-182.
• Changed ICS default setting to always cold mic on spawn.
• Overhauled all night lighting in F-14A and -B cockpits for DCS linear space gamma sampling.
• Floodlights are now operational again in the F-14B cockpit.
• Forrestal: Adjusted LSO platform view.
• Forrestal: Tie-downs now render proper cavity map.
• Fixed potentially long load times due to tacan initialization.
• Fix typo which accidentally removed one AIM-9L from this F-14A-135-GR predefined payload: AIM-54A-MK60x1, AIM-7Fx1, AIM-9Lx2, XTx2, Mk-82x2.
• Adjusted integrated stab trim for flap and DLC operation.
• Adjusted gear and speedbrake drag.
• Adjusted flap pitching moment.
• Adjusted F110 fuel flow for mid-power settings.
• Adjusted lift while in ground effect.
• Added VF1 Wolfpack NK100-103 skins by Yae Sakura (thank you!).

[Strider21]

When you spawn 2 (or more) F-14s in MP on the Forrestal, Stennis or SC they will take damage to the wings. Track file demonstrating the damage on each of the carriers is attached. This bug limits the ability to use F-14 in multiplayer groups. If anyone has a work around for this bug it would be most appreciated. The bug has been around since Sept or Oct. 

 server-20211223-133518.trk

[IronMike]

1 hour ago, Strider21 said:

When you spawn 2 (or more) F-14s in MP on the Forrestal, Stennis or SC they will take damage to the wings. Track file demonstrating the damage on each of the carriers is attached. This bug limits the ability to use F-14 in multiplayer groups. If anyone has a work around for this bug it would be most appreciated. The bug has been around since Sept or Oct. 

 server-20211223-133518.trk

Thank you, we're aware of it and investigating. We're not sure currently what causes it, as we reduced the wing collision boxes.

[Wolfdog]

I really like the new cockpit lights, shame we cant see them in the day like we use to is it intended that we cant see them in the day? Also merry Christmas and happy new year to every one in the Heatblur team!

[JupiterJoe]

12 hours ago, IronMike said:

Changed ICS default setting to always cold mic on spawn.

In multiplayer I can still speak to my RIO (via Jester menu) with no external power and without switching on the radios.  Am I misunderstanding something?

Edited December 24, 2021 by JupiterJoe

[IronMike]

3 hours ago, JupiterJoe said:

In multiplayer I can still speak to my RIO (via Jester menu) with no external power and without switching on the radios.  Am I misunderstanding something?

 

Jester is independent of these settings.

[Whiskey11]

22 hours ago, IronMike said:

Thank you, we're aware of it and investigating. We're not sure currently what causes it, as we reduced the wing collision boxes.

The wing sweep issue is them spawning wings OUT momentarily before retracting them.  It's been a minute since I spawned in without a player RIO, but it seems to be consistently happening with a player RIO spawning in with the aircraft.  Possibly a return of the RIO wing sweep position bug?

[IronMike]

17 hours ago, Whiskey11 said:

The wing sweep issue is them spawning wings OUT momentarily before retracting them.  It's been a minute since I spawned in without a player RIO, but it seems to be consistently happening with a player RIO spawning in with the aircraft.  Possibly a return of the RIO wing sweep position bug?

It very much sounds like it. Oh well, back to the drawing board I guess... Our apologies for that!

[Panny]

1 hour ago, IronMike said:

It very much sounds like it. Oh well, back to the drawing board I guess... Our apologies for that!

I would just like to throw my 2 cents in and say this happens regardless of RIO or not... That said, it's the spawning aircraft that causes the problem more than anything else

[Sonoda Umi]

AI wingmen F-14, both A and B, won't shoot AIM-54(both A and C as well).

I tried this multiple times and, every time, they won't fire fox 3.

 

Trk file uploaded. Seeing the log you can see that no wingmen shot AIM-54, but AI Bandits took fox 3 shots as usual.

03.trk

Edited December 30, 2021 by Sonoda Umi

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

18 hours ago, Sonoda Umi said:

AI wingmen F-14, both A and B, won't shoot AIM-54

Yes I noticed that as well. I dived into the ME trying to find an advanced waypoint option to get them to use Phoenixes, but to no avail.

[captain_dalan]

On 12/30/2021 at 5:16 PM, Sonoda Umi said:

AI wingmen F-14, both A and B, won't shoot AIM-54(both A and C as well).

I tried this multiple times and, every time, they won't fire fox 3.

 

Trk file uploaded. Seeing the log you can see that no wingmen shot AIM-54, but AI Bandits took fox 3 shots as usual.

03.trk 221.94 kB · 3 downloads

 

They never did. Unfortunately the AI for the HB F-14 has been borked since the start. There used to be a workaround for your wingmen, i think it started working from this autumn, if you ordered them to engage from 50+ nautical miles, they would actually employ AIM-54's, but order them from shorter ranges and have them as independents and they will ignore the Phoenixes. ED has been notified, but so far there have been no changes. 

[Koriel]

Using the in-game voice the ICS Cold switch doesn't always work properly. At times we could hear ech other on cold, other times the ICS was muted.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

6 hours ago, captain_dalan said:

if you ordered them to engage from 50+ nautical miles, they would actually employ AIM-54's

I tested this today: I sent my F-14A wingmen with 4x Sidewinder and 4x Phoenix after 2x MiG-29s just over 100nm away. They happily engaged reheat, climbed and flew towards the bandits completely ignoring their Phoenixes: they only used the Sidewinders.

You're also right in saying this issue has been around for a bit.

[Sonoda Umi]

10 hours ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

I tested this today: I sent my F-14A wingmen with 4x Sidewinder and 4x Phoenix after 2x MiG-29s just over 100nm away. They happily engaged reheat, climbed and flew towards the bandits completely ignoring their Phoenixes: they only used the Sidewinders.

You're also right in saying this issue has been around for a bit.

Same.

[NeedzWD40]

Until the AIM-54s are fixed for the AI, you can reuse the old AIM-54Cs; you can customize from a loadout template in this mission:

These work just fine for the AI and they will use them from a proper distance far out. The only issue is the glove stations hover as the module doesn't recognize the old missiles for the glove pylons.

[Hornet 64]

Needz WD40 a month ago I installed your old aim 54 C and they worked great with AI.  After the last update they no longer work for me, could you check and let me know if there are any problems.  THANK YOU

Edited January 2, 2022 by Hornet 64

[captain_dalan]

On 1/1/2022 at 9:24 PM, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

I tested this today: I sent my F-14A wingmen with 4x Sidewinder and 4x Phoenix after 2x MiG-29s just over 100nm away. They happily engaged reheat, climbed and flew towards the bandits completely ignoring their Phoenixes: they only used the Sidewinders.

You're also right in saying this issue has been around for a bit.

Aye, checked that myself this afternoon as well. No joy. While the above mentioned procedure did work this autumn, the AI will no longer use the Phoenix, neither in my own test missions nor in the instant actions that involve BVR.  

This was recorder back in august:

 

[Bremspropeller]

I just wanted to drop by and tell the devs how much I love flying the Cat around the boat now.

[NeedzWD40]

On 1/2/2022 at 3:13 PM, Hornet 64 said:

Needz WD40 a month ago I installed your old aim 54 C and they worked great with AI.  After the last update they no longer work for me, could you check and let me know if there are any problems.  THANK YOU

 

The range has been reduced and the AI will use them at about 35nmi from a target now; this is apparently a weapon-level change because the old Flanker F-14 does the same with the exact same weapon. Curiously enough, the R-33 launched by the MiG-31 is being treated similar. I still see no (or little) use of the modern AIM-54 types, so the old AIM-54C is still what I'd suggest putting on AI F-14s.

[Hornet 64]

A month ago I had the old Aims 54C installed and AI was hitting a target at over 60 miles.  After the last update it doesn't work anymore.  What can I do?

[RaisedByWolves]

22 minutes ago, Hornet 64 said:

A month ago I had the old Aims 54C installed and AI was hitting a target at over 60 miles.  After the last update it doesn't work anymore.  What can I do?

You can do what all of us have to do.  Wait for it to be corrected in the next patch, friend

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

I changed the loadout of my wingmen to 4x4x0 for now

[IronMike]

Thank you all for the input! The problem with the new AIM54s is, iirc, that the AI still does not treat them as actives accordingly, we made ED aware of this. We hope to have a push to fix a barage of AI issues soon this year. Thank you all for your kind patience in the meantime.

Our current 3 top priority fixes for the Tomcat are:

- Autopilot overhaul.
- Multiplayer spawn issues on carriers.
- Adjusting the AIM54 flyout overperformance to the new API changes.

Edited January 13, 2022 by IronMike

[IronMike]

1 hour ago, Gypsy 1-1 said:

And what about the beforementioned newly discovered peculiarities and differences of the AIM54C and its superior performance? 

This is all what the above mentioned by me refers to for now. That super performance came from some first changes in the API, and is getting adjusted as we speak, which will bring it back to normal performance. As to the rest - we will have to see when the time comes.