DCS: Kola Discussion

[zerO_crash]

On 5/8/2024 at 12:39 PM, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

Guys, reminder: try not to compare sims here, I got a warning last year.

It's a delicacy thing. If you mention another sim, but that, in order to make a very specific point, no one will "punish you". If you, however, deliberately focus on trying to make comparisons, esp. without any greater relevance to DCS, then VACation it is. The mods are good people. Don't worry.

Edited May 11 by zerO_crash

[zerO_crash]

1 hour ago, Silver_Dragon said:

That Delta IV 3D model has very Ugly and painful...

The same situation with other "atrezzo" subs on the map...

I looked at it the first day. The models seem incomplete to me, with those hatches being exposed and the submarine reflecting light like it does (mesh with no texture on). It looks like a rough model right now. Interesting enough, the Deltas which are in the elevated dry docks, don't have these issues. Both models are Delta IV as far as I know.

 

For Orbx, if it ain't too much to ask for. Some Oscar IIs are mandatory for this region. Also, Dmitry Donskoy (only Typhoon remaining operational until February 6th, 2023) would be a treat as well.

 

While I expect it for later (lower priority), older Deltas, Sierras, Novembers, Victors, etc... would be perfect for rusting attractions. It would add this unique footprint to the map as well.

 

EDIT:

Looking at the famous Nezamentnaya Cove (NW of Polyarnyy), it's been cleaned out already in 2017. There are a few subs here and there, but it's not what ir used to be...

 

Edited May 8 by zerO_crash

[Raisuli]

17 minutes ago, zerO_crash said:

I looked at it the first day. The models seem incomplete to me, with those hatches being exposed and the submarine reflecting light like it does (mesh with no texture on). It looks like a rough model right now. Interesting enough, the Deltas which are in the elevated dry docks, don't have these issues. Both models are Delta IV as far as I know.

 

For Orbx, if it ain't too much to ask for. Some Oscar IIs are mandatory for this region. Also, Dmitry Donskoy (only Typhoon remaining operational until February 6th, 2023) would be a treat as well.

 

While I expect it for later (lower priority), older Deltas, Sierras, Novembers, Victors, etc... would be perfect for rusting attractions. It would add this unique footprint to the map as well.

 

EDIT:

Looking at the famous Nezamentnaya Cove (NW of Polyarnyy), it's been cleaned out already in 2017. There are a few subs here and there, but it's not what ir used to be...

 

 

 

Couple Malikhits, couple Rubins.  Most people can't tell a Victor from a Sierra from an Akula from an Alpha, other than those things a tiny.  At least one slab-sided beast.  At 5,000 feet and 600 knots while doging SAMS the big missile carriers, Charlie IIs and their ilk, are all the same, then a few simple skins as needed.  I know.  I'm submarinist... 

Fun trivia; Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me featured the Thresher.  Look for 593 boat.

I just don't think this is worth a lot of time, but some variety is always pleasant.  Murmansk is a Soviet/Russian Navy geek's dream come true and it's sometimes hard to remember I'm supposed to crash fly over it, not stop and stare.

I've heard, don't know if it's true, other nations paid Russia to clean up the mess.  Still have those RCs and a whole boat or two in the Kara, but I've heard they might move those as well.  Moving them at this point may or may not be a good idea.  Sometimes it's better to leave the mess alone rather than try to spread it around.  To my uneducated eyeball this looks a little like the Russian version of Trench 94 at Hanford

 

null

[Silver_Dragon]

For actual times Russian Ships on Kola region (not all).

• SSBN
  • Project 955A Borey Class
  • Project 667BDRM Delta IV Class
• SSGN
  • Project 949AM Oscar Class
  • Project 885 Graney Class
• SSN
  • Project 971 Akula Сlass
  • Project 945 Sierra Class
  • Project 671RTM/RTMK Victor Class
• SS
  • Project 877 Kilo Class (ED)
  • Project 636 Kilo improved Class (ED)
  • Project 677 Lada Class
• SSN Special
  • Project 20120 Sargan Class
• Carrier
  •  Project 1143.5 Kutnesov Class (ED)
• BattleCruiser
  • Project 1144 Kirov Class (ED)
• Cruiser
  • Project 1164 Slava Class (ED)
• Destroyer
  • Project 1155 Udaloy Class
  • Project 956 Sobremeny Class
• Frigates
  • Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov class
• Corvettes
  • Project 1124 Grisha Class (ED)
  • Project 1234 Nanuchka Class
• Landing Ship
  • Project 775 Ropucha Class (ED)
  • Project 11711 Ivan Green (ED)
• Landing Craft
  • Project 1176 Ondartra Class
  • BK-16 Raptor Class

[zerO_crash]

12 minutes ago, Raisuli said:

Couple Malikhits, couple Rubins.  Most people can't tell a Victor from a Sierra from an Akula from an Alpha, other than those things a tiny.  At least one slab-sided beast.  At 5,000 feet and 600 knots while doging SAMS the big missile carriers, Charlie IIs and their ilk, are all the same, then a few simple skins as needed.  I know.  I'm submarinist... 

Fun trivia; Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me featured the Thresher.  Look for 593 boat.

I just don't think this is worth a lot of time, but some variety is always pleasant.  Murmansk is a Soviet/Russian Navy geek's dream come true and it's sometimes hard to remember I'm supposed to crash fly over it, not stop and stare.

I've heard, don't know if it's true, other nations paid Russia to clean up the mess.  Still have those RCs and a whole boat or two in the Kara, but I've heard they might move those as well.  Moving them at this point may or may not be a good idea.  Sometimes it's better to leave the mess alone rather than try to spread it around.  To my uneducated eyeball this looks a little like the Russian version of Trench 94 at Hanford

 

null

Well, we don't need all of those, in a sense, I'm already happy with Alphas and Deltas. Novembers have a pretty recognizable, good old Soviet, sail. Gives the map some '70/'80 touch. But yeah, this would be low priority, no doubt.

 

I heard about the Thresher, "Jive Turkey" had a good presentation of it (YT). Didn't know it was in James Bond though, nice!

 

Yeah, it's mostly combat, but then different types of patrol/familiarization/training mission do take place. That goes for all aircraft alike. One might/might not see it. There are overall more missions favouring medium-/low- altitude operations, than high. Consider land/sea operations. If you count in Combinef Arms, it definitely counts. It's surprising how many people solely run CA, with less interest in aviation. Agan, low priority for sure, but 1 - 3 more sub types make sense in a place like Kola.

 

True story, most of the subsidies were commited around '95 - '05, around the collapse of U.S.S.R. US and Japan (Norway and EU - for shorter time) provided funding for dismantlig mainly nuclear submarines. Reason being that they didn't want U.S.S.R./Russia to dump low-level radioactive wastes (mostly reactor coolant - primary loop) into the sea, which sadly, was a common practice back in the day. Btw. everyone did behave carelessly with radioactive waste back then, consider Camp Century in Greenland, or dumping low-level (even high) radioactive waste. Again, people back then were cool:

 

 

If one knows what this is, what these guys are handling... yeah. (All died pre-maturely).

 

Otherwise the first formalized concern regarding dumping of various "containers" in oceans:

https://www.armscontrol.org/act/1999-07/dismantling-russias-nuclear-subs

 

https://www.gao.gov/assets/emd-82-9.pdf

 

https://youtu.be/EBeyA010HIg?si=OSoTo0-gr_u23gAF

 

[zerO_crash]

2 hours ago, Silver_Dragon said:

For actual times Russian Ships on Kola region (not all).

• SSBN
  • Project 955A Borey Class
  • Project 667BDRM Delta IV Class
• SSGN
  • Project 949AM Oscar Class
  • Project 885 Graney Class
• SSN
  • Project 971 Akula Сlass
  • Project 945 Sierra Class
  • Project 671RTM/RTMK Victor Class
• SS
  • Project 877 Kilo Class (ED)
  • Project 636 Kilo improved Class (ED)
  • Project 677 Lada Class
• SSN Special
  • Project 20120 Sargan Class
• Carrier
  •  Project 1143.5 Kutnesov Class (ED)
• BattleCruiser
  • Project 1144 Kirov Class (ED)
• Cruiser
  • Project 1164 Slava Class (ED)
• Destroyer
  • Project 1155 Udaloy Class
  • Project 956 Sobremeny Class
• Frigates
  • Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov class
• Corvettes
  • Project 1124 Grisha Class (ED)
  • Project 1234 Nanuchka Class
• Landing Ship
  • Project 775 Ropucha Class (ED)
  • Project 11711 Ivan Green (ED)
• Landing Craft
  • Project 1176 Ondartra Class
  • BK-16 Raptor Class

 

One correction - 949AM is a modernized "Oscar II class". That's to differ from "Oscar II" - 949A (same name, pre-modernization, original) and "Oscar I" which was 949 (only two built - test subjects).

 

Both 949A and 949AM are relevant (meaning one of the two could be made).

Edited May 8 by zerO_crash

[Flanker35M]

S!

 

Sure a very early access of the map, but the feel is there. Even found my home near Rovaniemi  Sure the buildings were of wrong type in the area, but locations more or less there. Eagerly waiting what future updates will bring on the table. Seems I am forced to get a bigger m2/NVME...

[YSIAD_RIP]

Like others have helpfully mentioned in other posts, lowering Forest Detail Factor helps keep the FPS respectable. I don't even notice a big difference even as low as 0.55.

• Looks like South Atlantic and Kola share some similar "DNA" so Lowering Forest Detail Factor also helps with the SA Map. 

I have to give credit to EA for providing that slider a few months ago.

  

[Roy35150]

Thx for the Tip,

Forest Detail Factor

This made a fair difference on my rig.

Greetz from Eire...

[YoYo]

28 minutes ago, Roy35150 said:

Thx for the Tip,

Forest Detail Factor

This made a fair difference on my rig.

Greetz from Eire...

Unfortunately, this affects other maps and causes some defects related to tree building (however on Kola its hardly visible). At the moment, unfortunately, due to poorly made vegetation, it is near impossible to fly low over Kola without this (this applies especially to VR but also to people with weaker PC in 2D or very high resolution over 4K) and it requires optimization work. This is a temporary solution and I hope they will improve it, not like with SA maps... 

[YSIAD_RIP]

I did a 5 minute "Hack" on the Kola map to make it "Winter"..  

Slightly surprised with how different 3 higher gamma settings for surface, objects and trees made the map look. Happy to wait for the professional artists at Orbx to do their real texture magic in June.  

1. The file I changed was Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\terrains\Kola\shadingOptions.lua   
   • (See reference below for my values. You can change them to anything)
2. I also used a Color Grading of Blue Tint in the DCS OPTIONS >> SYSTEM Menu to give a colder look. 

surface =
{
	['gamma'] = 6; -- 1.0080000162125
};
objects =
{
	['gamma'] = 4; -- 1
};
trees =
{
	['gamma'] = 8; -- 0.95200002193451
};

 

Edited May 9 by YSIAD_RIP
Typo

[Hotdognz]

When you take a closer look at the high detail AFB's in the Russian area they looks like they were put together by an armature let alone a well know company like ORBX, for a $55 EA map I at least expected much more from this and once again I cant believe even ED let this out in this state, I would really like to know ED's thoughts on the state of this map around all the major airbases and why they look so badly put together, Sinia and even SA the airbases were in a much better state when first released, at least there was some cohesion on how a airbase should look, even in EA we should expect better then this.

Take a look at the pics of a major Russian base in the high detail area.

Buildings with gates that have no roads through them
Big buildings plonked on gras with no access to them via paths or roads.
Gas bowsers and fuel cells placed in stupid places with no access and with grass growing though them
Garage parking (could be fire service) with incomplete concrete areas
Mixed up concrete textures on taxi ways

The list goes on, also the fact that most of the good stuff up by Murmansk cant even be destroyed, tyry dropping bombs on the dry water docks....its like what's the point, it supposed to be a combat simulator.

If I could get a refund I sure would.

[YoYo]

Good examples, yes, its why we called it EA (ea is convenient for developers, not for users), however background texture below those places should be for sure from the beginning, also possibility to destroying objects, like dry docks, ports, ships etc. Use bug section to show those examples (or add to existing topic).

[bfr]

3 hours ago, YoYo said:

Good examples, yes, its why we called it EA (ea is convenient for developers, not for users), however background texture below those places should be for sure from the beginning, also possibility to destroying objects, like dry docks, ports, ships etc. Use bug section to show those examples (or add to existing topic).

I wonder if the ships included on the map burning but not then sinking once destroyed is tied in with the reports i've seen from some other users that the water in some harbours is only a few feet deep? Although that assumes that the damage modelling/animation for ship objects takes such things into account.

[YoYo]

It could be a reason too, good idea, although usually the bays are not very deep (here we know that they are too shallow).

Edited May 10 by YoYo

[Romka51]

null

[freehand]

27 minutes ago, Romka51 said:

null

Hi a little off topic but you create the skin for your M8 ? looks very nice.

[Romka51]

4 минуты назад, freehand сказал:

Hi a little off topic but you create the skin for your M8 ? looks very nice.

Hello! Yes, I'm trying 

Edited May 10 by Romka51

[bfr]

2 hours ago, YoYo said:

It could be a reason too, good idea, although usually the bays are not very deep (here we know that they are too shallow).

 

Yeah, haven't checked them personally but I'm sure someone said it was something daft like 16ft.

[YoYo]

At Polyarny (submarine stock) its even 11

[YoYo]

Also, the bug section is here: 

complaining about the same things over and over here will do nothing except frustrate other people. Regards.

[zerO_crash]

Forget the kid, obviously the maturity progress is still ongoing.

 

In any case; here is a map of Kola, showing just the extent of the barren plains known as tundra. Below, are photos showing what it looks like. While Orbx will need to work on the color of the ground textures (especially in fall/spring), as well as introducing rocks and the likes, it will still remain for a much part barren:

 

 

 

(Those cliffs are along the northern coast - Musta Tunturi region.)

Edited May 11 by zerO_crash

[BIGNEWY]

I have removed some off topic post. please stay on topic here. 

thank you 

[Hotdognz]

Barren or not the ground texture colours should at least be based on what the real life colours should be, not the bright green that is used in this area.

Sent from my CPH2333 using Tapatalk

[zerO_crash]

Some parts are green and less tundra-rocky. Depends where. Otherwise - "WIP".