DCS Newsletter discussion 23rd & 25th of June 2023 - The F-15E is finally here and Summer sale has started!

[BIGNEWY]

Dear Fighter Pilots, Partners and Friends,

We are delighted to announce the Early Access release of the much anticipated DCS: F-15E by RAZBAM. If you haven’t already seen the video, check it out here: DCS: F-15E | LAUNCH.

The F-15E, also affectionately known as the “Mud Hen”, was developed in the mid-80s as a true swing-role fighter-bomber capable of performing all air-to-air and air-to-ground missions at low or high altitude, day or night, and in any weather. The F-15E is the USAF's premier strike fighter in use today with over 220 aircraft deployed.

The 750-gallon Conformal Fuel Tanks give the F-15E an un-refuelled combat radius of 790 miles (1270 km). In the air-to-ground role, the F-15E can carry just about every weapon in the USAF inventory.  Air-to-air, can be armed with the latest generation AIM-9X Sidewinders and/or the formidable AIM-120C Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and is additionally equipped with a 20mm cannon carrying 500 rounds. 

The APG-70 radar boasts a synthetic mapping function that creates detailed target pictures based solely on radar imaging. A self-contained, networked electronic warfare suite provides an enviable level of self-protection.

The Weapons Systems Operator (WSO - back seater) is at the heart of the aircraft’s capabilities, maximizing the effectiveness of the F-15E. The DCS: F-15E features multi-crew capability and can be flown in DCS as a single pilot/WSO from either front or backseat. Despite both cockpits offering mostly-mirrored systems and capabilities, the WSO's job guarantees excellent role optimisation with a focus on the management of this potent integrated weapons and avionics suite. This results in enhanced situational awareness, aircraft survivability and platform performance with lower workloads and higher target engagement numbers.

The Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) gives the F-15E phenomenal accuracy in day/night, low altitude, and all-weather conditions, and enables it to attack ground targets with a variety of precision-guided and unguided weapons.

Bringing this all together and placing battlespace information at the hands of the crew, the F-15E is a weapon revered the world over.

Download it here: DCS: F-15E by RAZBAM.

Thank you for your passion and support.

Yours sincerely,

Eagle Dynamics

[exhausted]

Last week you said you apologized for the update being light. Last week was good, but this week is light even with the F-15E release.  

Edited to add my congrats to all who eagerly awaiting the F-15E. It's a great event to have this module added. I'm sure it will dominate the buzz.

Edited June 23, 2023 by exhausted

[Rudel_chw]

3 minutes ago, exhausted said:

Last week you said you apologized for the update being light. Last week was good, but this week is light even with the F-15E release.  

 

You want big updates every week?  .. be realistic  

[BIGNEWY]

7 minutes ago, exhausted said:

Last week you said you apologized for the update being light. Last week was good, but this week is light even with the F-15E release.  

thank you for sharing your thoughts. 

however not liking the news isnt something you really need to share here. Its obvious we are going to share the launch of this wonderful module in todays newsletter, its a big thing for all the teams and people have been waiting for a long time. 

Please dont derail the thread, be happy its here, and people are enjoying the F-15E

thanks

[schurem]

Mudhen, whoooo!!

[scommander2]

@BIGNEWY I am wondering that will ED release the stable version soon for F-15E and Sinai map?  Thanks.

[BIGNEWY]

17 minutes ago, scommander2 said:

@BIGNEWY I am wondering that will ED release the stable version soon for F-15E and Sinai map?  Thanks.

It will depend on data gathering from this recent open beta patch and if we need to patch more to fix crash issues or not. No timescale currently but hopefully not to long. 

[BIGNEWY]

Dear Fighter Pilots, Partners and Friends,

We hope that you manage to take advantage of this year's Summer Sale which started on the 25th of June. All our most popular aircraft, terrains, and campaigns are on sale with up to 50% discount. Please do not miss the opportunity to grab something special for your collection. Watch the video!

Of particular interest check out the DCS: AH-64D which is on sale with a 50% discount for the first time. DCS: Supercarrier is also available with 50% savings. 

In addition we are delighted to announce that all Heatblur products are available with 40% off. A first! It’s going to be a hot, hot summer.

Thank you for your passion and support. Enjoy!

Yours sincerely,

Eagle Dynamics
https://bit.ly/3XrAgic

[TonyRS]

Thank you Eagle Dynamics for your 2023 Summer Sale  Consequently, now enjoying two more aircraft.

(Ooops! Sorry, judging by the post icon and colour I may well have posted this in the wrong place )

Edited June 25, 2023 by TonyRS

[BIGNEWY]

1 hour ago, TonyRS said:

Thank you Eagle Dynamics for your 2023 Summer Sale  Consequently, now enjoying two more aircraft.

(Ooops! Sorry, judging by the post icon and colour I may well have posted this in the wrong place )

 

No worries, moved, and thanks for supporting us!

[draconus]

On 6/23/2023 at 5:10 PM, exhausted said:

Last week you said you apologized for the update being light. Last week was good, but this week is light even with the F-15E release. 

This week we have 2 newsletters FTW

 

@BIGNEWY Posted May 26:

Quote

We will share the release date with you all once we are 100% sure of it.

But you promised...

[BIGNEWY]

8 minutes ago, draconus said:

This week we have 2 newsletters FTW

 

@BIGNEWY Posted May 26:

But you promised...

It is released now, sorry if there was no warning, but things moved fast once the patch and final checks confirmed it was being released. 

I hope you are enjoying. 

thanks

[draconus]

1 minute ago, BIGNEWY said:

I hope you are enjoying.

Oh, yes I do

[St4rgun]

I hope that with releasing of Sinai map, the F-15E and starting the Summer Sale the ongoing hype will settle a bit and the team can shift focus on ironing out the bugs of the core at last (MT freezing for seconds, auto-over-exposure, the last introduced long loading times, etc.). As they mentioned MT is recommended for F-15E anyway, so it's not really feasible to go back to the ST version in the long run.

Personally I would be more happy if they stop deploying any new maps or modules for at least a quarter, while giving the long awaited core features (just as a reminder in January 2021 ED mentioned that Vulkan is expected in Q3 2021, so it's due long time ago...). We're patient, but half the year is already passed. We've less time for the DCS core to really shine in 2023.

[Rudel_chw]

2 hours ago, St4rgun said:

I hope that with releasing of Sinai map, the F-15E and starting the Summer Sale the ongoing hype will settle a bit and the team can shift focus on ironing out the bugs of the core at last

Both the Sinai and the F15E are the work of third parties, why do you believe they are taking resources away from improving the DCS core?

[draconus]

2 hours ago, St4rgun said:

I hope that with releasing of Sinai map, the F-15E and starting the Summer Sale the ongoing hype will settle a bit and the team can shift focus on ironing out the bugs of the core at last (MT freezing for seconds, auto-over-exposure, the last introduced long loading times, etc.). As they mentioned MT is recommended for F-15E anyway, so it's not really feasible to go back to the ST version in the long run.

Personally I would be more happy if they stop deploying any new maps or modules for at least a quarter, while giving the long awaited core features (just as a reminder in January 2021 ED mentioned that Vulkan is expected in Q3 2021, so it's due long time ago...). We're patient, but half the year is already passed. We've less time for the DCS core to really shine in 2023.

It's common misconception - ED has different teams for the core, modules and maps. The work on the core and bug squashing is ongoing independently from the released modules or maps, especially when they are 3rd parties, as Rudel said. Yes, they do overlap a bit sometimes, but there's no possibility to stop development of the whole teams - that makes no sense.

Yeah, there is no going back to ST, ED just needs more time before abandoning the ST support. The Vulkan and many other things are WIP and they will show and release the work done when they are ready. Reminding the given date and time taken is just the reason they don't do it anymore. I advice you to play more, wait less.

Btw: auto-exposure is not a bug, it's a feature. You may not like it (we need yet more posts from you to decide) but it was introduced long time ago and it's not a good place to bring it again.

[Silver_Dragon]

3 hours ago, St4rgun said:

I hope that with releasing of Sinai map, the F-15E and starting the Summer Sale the ongoing hype will settle a bit and the team can shift focus on ironing out the bugs of the core at last (MT freezing for seconds, auto-over-exposure, the last introduced long loading times, etc.). As they mentioned MT is recommended for F-15E anyway, so it's not really feasible to go back to the ST version in the long run.

Personally I would be more happy if they stop deploying any new maps or modules for at least a quarter, while giving the long awaited core features (just as a reminder in January 2021 ED mentioned that Vulkan is expected in Q3 2021, so it's due long time ago...). We're patient, but half the year is already passed. We've less time for the DCS core to really shine in 2023.

It seems that several points need to be recalled:

Who has made the sinai map and the F-15E, have been the OnReTech and RAZBAM 3rd parties respectively. ED had nothing to do with it, but it seems that the mantra doesn't want to go away. The 3rd parties have their projects (Modules, maps and assistance packs), and have nothing to do with ED's plans, besides, they have no access to DCS World projects, files and core data, only to the module and map building tools (SDK and TDK). ED simply, through the QA staff, tests the 3rd party modules to give the OK for release, nothing else.

Another issue that seems to be repeated ad infinitum.... "Move personnel from modules to core functionality".... Those of us who have worked in the industry know very well that a 3d modeler, a sound track creator, a texturizer, an animator, a module coder, cannot do anything with the core of a program, first because he will not have access to those files, second because he will be in teams dedicated to his specialties and third because he requires an exclusive professional qualification in building engines, 3D engines and associated core functionality and fourth, he works on the tools of creation of modules and maps (TDK and SDK).

About deadlines, I need remember ED never got a "date promise write on stone", only years and beyond plans, always posted on the january newsletter, and subject to change.

Edited June 28, 2023 by Silver_Dragon

[St4rgun]

Ok guys, calm down. I'm sorry if my kind words hurted anyone, it was not intended.

Of course it's obvious that the core development team has *nothing* to do with the modules, right? Ok. So then what is the reason that since the introduction of MT already elapsed more than 3 months and we still have the same freeze-for-seconds-with-blackout "feature" in VR? It's not existing in the ST version, but the otherwise perfectly fine running game makes this bug which was never experienced before and it is really problematic. It's so severe that honestly I tought that maybe a hotfix will be deployed, but actually nothing happened. Fortunately this freezing became sparse, but it's always there in all of my flights more than once and in critical situations.

About the auto-exposure: i *like* auto-exposure a lot, but I *hate* auto-OVER-exposure of the outside when seen from the cockpit. The auto-exposure works perfectly when seen in F2 view, but ruins the visuals when experienced inside a "darker, more closed" cockpit, like the Mi-8. The winter and the desert maps are the worst, but just check out the Mi-8 free-flight instant acion on Caucasus to see "wonders". This is clearly a bug, which @BIGNEWY already reacted to , but said that this problem is: 1. not prioritized and 2. would take precious human resources to eliminate.

Don't get me wrong, the general visual clarity is superrb and the performance of DCS in MT VR is very good for me, it just seems that the visible progress in the previous months slowed somehow. I'd like to avoid the situation of the new clouds, where after years the heavy aliasing in VR is still happening even on ultra settings with no perceivable changes months after months.

Anyway, we have half a year to have what ED will be able to finish until the end of the year. If it will need more time, then... we'll wait more. Peace.

[BIGNEWY]

11 minutes ago, St4rgun said:

Anyway, we have half a year to have what ED will be able to finish until the end of the year. If it will need more time, then... we'll wait more. Peace.

I think you may misunderstand as we have not set any timelines for our projects, our 2023 and beyond video and newsletter at the start of the year was showing what we are working on this year but not given completion dates, the work on some projects may continue into 2024.  

More than 50% of our team work on the core of DCS, its complex and it takes a lot of time. So please understand we may not meet your expectation of what you think is expectable for project timelines or bugs, the teams are constantly at work as you can see from our changelogs, and we will share news when we are ready to. 

thanks 

[draconus]

29 minutes ago, St4rgun said:

So then what is the reason that since the introduction of MT already elapsed more than 3 months and we still have the same freeze-for-seconds-with-blackout "feature" in VR? It's not existing in the ST version...

I use MT VR and don't have blackout freezes so maybe it's not that obvious and severe as you think. Why do you use MT preview when you know ST is fine then?

[BIGNEWY]

33 minutes ago, draconus said:

I use MT VR and don't have blackout freezes so maybe it's not that obvious and severe as you think. Why do you use MT preview when you know ST is fine then?

Yeah not seeing any issue personally in VR with MT, frames have never been higher for me. 

But if people are seeing issues they should post dcs logs and dxdiags with tracks if applicable in the bugs section so we can take a look for clues. 

[St4rgun]

1 hour ago, draconus said:

I use MT VR and don't have blackout freezes so maybe it's not that obvious and severe as you think. Why do you use MT preview when you know ST is fine then?

I use the MT preview as its general performance is better than the ST version. Plus if I don't use it I'll not notice this blackout bug. Actually I'd try to always help the devs to give as usable information as possible to eliminate these bugs.

As you can se, not you, nor @BIGNEWY noticed this issue, so this is some weird stuff where I should make more *work* in it to dig deeper. As you can see in my signature my hw is more than adequate and not exotic.

[BIGNEWY]

Just now, St4rgun said:

I use the MT preview as its general performance is better than the ST version. Plus if I don't use it I'll not notice this blackout bug. Actually I'd try to always help the devs to give as usable information as possible to eliminate these bugs.

As you can se, not you, nor @BIGNEWY noticed this issue, so this is some weird stuff where I should make more *work* in it to dig deeper. As you can see in my signature my hw is more than adequate and not exotic.

best make a new thread, I see also you are making other tweaks outside of DCS settings, this does complicate finding a reason for your issue, in my experience it is usually some obscure setting somewhere in the gpu settings or windows that is the reason, hopefully in your thread we can try to find it. 

thanks