ATIS, Squawk codes, Arrival/Departure/Clearance handoffs

[ASH-CAN]

Hello DCS world,

I'm sure this has already been a topic before and I know ED is probably being pulled in so many different direction that only Stretch Armstrong can cope but I wanted to make sure this topic doesn't fall by the wayside and add my vote (if it matters). I love DCS and my strongest thanks and gratitude to ED for binging this experience to the gaming world. I'm to old to have any realistic ambitions to becoming a real fighter pilot which is why I'm grateful for DCS being a really good study sim. I enjoy learning about aircraft systems and subsystems, going through real procedures that we can find in the actual NATOPS manuals. Although, I wish the radio communications as a whole were improved to add a deeper emersion into the sim. 

Usually a pilots gets their altimeter setting before he/she ever leave the parking spot by listening to ATIS. Also being able to choose a runway that you want to use when conditions allow and ATC would give better taxi instructions like "Hold short RWY 28L at Whiskey and contact TWR for departure". Sometimes I have to be across the RWY hold short line before TWR acknowledges me. Also getting and using squawk codes is an essential part of a pilots daily life. 

I'm not a gaming programmer and I have a lot of respect for those that can do it. I'm sure it's no small task to revamp the core of the game to improve and add additional comm features. but as a wish list item I think its defiantly worth keeping at the forefront of your development plan. There's a great deal of folks that play other sims just to have that particular emersion experience. 

With respects, thank you for listening.

ASH-CAN

[SharpeXB]

Welcome to DCS

 

Reworking the ATC is in fact on the to-do list. Not sure of any ETA though. Some or most of the scripted campaigns have these sorts of custom radio comms going on in them. 
I could be wrong but I don’t think military aircraft use “squawk” transponder codes. 

[Northstar98]

30 minutes ago, SharpeXB said:

 I could be wrong but I don’t think military aircraft use “squawk” transponder codes. 

They do indeed use Mode 3/A codes with ATC (including Marshal on carriers).

[SharpeXB]

4 hours ago, Northstar98 said:

They do indeed use Mode 3/A codes with ATC (including Marshal on carriers).

Interesting, the Super Carrier doesn’t seem to use this. 

[Northstar98]

6 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Interesting, the Super Carrier doesn’t seem to use this. 

Yes, though I imagine that's due to a more or less total lack of IFF simulation - the only IFF that's present is Mode 4 but even there it only depends upon aircraft type.

As for the AI, they're always able to positively identify everything at all times.

[cfrag]

Many military aircraft can and do use civ transponder codes to increase safety. In an engagement, of course, these would be swItched off according to the current emissions protocol — transponders are there for aircraft to be detected more easily, after all.

[MiG21bisFishbedL]

Squawk codes would be much more useful if we had a player controlled ATC of some variety.

[ASH-CAN]

True, ATC would be nice but I think in the mean time it would be good to have ATIS and squawk code and the rest of it. I worked for over a decade as an airport operations specialist at an airfield that had both Civilian and Military operations. I'm very accustom to moving around airfields, getting on and off TWY's and RWY's. etc. Military aircraft do indeed get assigned squawk codes. But I think a great example of what I'm talking about for a deeper experience  is the youtube audio called "Night Mission Vietnam: Manual 77" Cant listen to that without getting sucked in.