ATC stopgap idea: filter based on tuned freq vs distance.

[AegisFX]

ATC is currently being reworked. In the meantime, can the ATC, Tanker, AWACS, and JTAC contact lists be changed to only show the units that are on your tuned frequency? There's no need for us to have to wait while 10 unresponsive airbase and farp radios get far enough away for the one area I want to finally "make rank".

 

It will declutter the comms menu and help set proper expectations for normal vs easy comms.

 

Edit: When you tune to the correct frequency, only units on that frequency should appear.

Edited August 23, 2023 by AegisFX

[SharpeXB]

ATC already sorts by distance. 

[Nealius]

+1 sort by tuned frequency. Sorting by distance is pointless. 

[SharpeXB]

30 minutes ago, Nealius said:

+1 sort by tuned frequency. Sorting by distance is pointless. 

How else would they be sorted? Just showing the one you tuned kinda defeats the point of selecting the right freq. 

[AegisFX]

1 hour ago, SharpeXB said:

How else would they be sorted? Just showing the one you tuned kinda defeats the point of selecting the right freq. 

I think it's a way to declutter your radio list. No need to have to sort thru all these contacts if none of them are going to answer. Especially if the one you actually want/need is too far away. It may not be an issue normally, but it can be a problem if you have enough farps or other things nearby.

Edited August 23, 2023 by AegisFX

[SharpeXB]

20 minutes ago, AegisFX said:

I think it's a way to declutter your radio list. No need to have to sort thru all these contacts if none of them are going to answer. Especially if theo ne you actually want/need is too far away. It may not be an issue normally, but it can be a problem if you have enough farps or other things nearby.

Makes sense. I wonder why there’s a list to begin with.

[opps]

ED have tendency to not bother stopgap solution and only care about "perfect" solution which need years to implement and require another years to mature.

[Nealius]

On 8/23/2023 at 11:13 AM, SharpeXB said:

How else would they be sorted? Just showing the one you tuned kinda defeats the point of selecting the right freq. 

That makes zero logical sense. The only reason we have it sorted by distance is because the base code is from Flanker/LOMAC, where "easy coms" was the only coms that existed in the game.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Nealius

[SharpeXB]

4 minutes ago, Nealius said:

That makes zero logical sense. The only reason we have it sorted by distance is because the base code is from Flanker/LOMAC, where "easy coms" was the only coms that existed in the game.

 

Well there’s the explanation then. I figure it was something ancient like that. Having the game show you the airfield though is kinda giving you a clue you’ve got the right freq. IRL you’d get no clue it was wrong other than getting no response. So maybe having to choose from a list is a bit more real. That’s stretching it a bit sure. Maybe the radio list needs a “next page” function. 

[Northstar98]

Wouldn't it be better if there was no sorting? And instead of going through a list of different aerdromes, tankers etc to talk to it just gives you a list of the things to say to them.

To make it more clear:

Right now we have things like wingman, elements, flight, ATC, AEW&C, tanker, FACs etc. When you open each category it gives you a list of all available ATCs, tankers etc, ranked by distance from player and then from there it gives you the items to say (call inbound, request picture, etc). Instead of doing that, omit the list of towers, tankers etc completely and go straight from the agency type (i.e ATC, tanker etc) to the appropriate list of messages for them (i.e call inbound, request picture etc) subtracting the step where each tower is listed etc.

On 8/23/2023 at 3:13 AM, SharpeXB said:

How else would they be sorted? Just showing the one you tuned kinda defeats the point of selecting the right freq. 

No it absolutely doesn't:

• The primary reason you need to select a frequency in the first place still exists in its totally.
• Selecting a particular frequency deconflicts communications.
• If it's going to show you items that you've tuned to, then doesn't that mean that any kind of sorting through each agency in a given category is redundant? In which case, you can have it work like the other sim, where there's no selection for different airbases/tankers etc, just a list of things to say sorted by the type of agency (i.e tower/ground/approach/departure, intraflight/flight elements/wingman, carrier, tactical (i.e AEW&C/GCI/FACs), tankers). This way who precisely you're talking to isn't exposed - if you have the frequency wrong you'd get no response (this is arguably the most realistic option, given below).

8 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

So maybe having to choose from a list is a bit more real.

How do you figure that?

IRL I would have to be suffering a large brain fart to mispronounce Tblisi as Vaziani or Soganlug and yet that's fairly easy to do using the current system, especially as items change rank with distance.

Not only that, but just because a particular aerdrome is closer, doesn't necessarily mean I want to talk to it.

Likewise, it probably shouldn't tell you who you're talking to until you get a response (though this could absolutely be a difficulty option setting), so omitting the list of agencies of a particular type and going straight from ATC -> request inbound etc. Is probably better.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Northstar98
grammar

[SharpeXB]

4 hours ago, Northstar98 said:

How do you figure that?

Just rationalizing to myself why it seems ok. Like you said above, the system could really just eliminate the whole top level menu and take you straight to the airfield, tanker etc. I suppose the only reason the current system exists is a holdover from FC although easy comms and FC3 are still a part of DCS. 
As long as we’re wishing for something better, how about just voice recognition in the way you can talk to everything from your car to a toaster theses days. Forget using key presses altogether. 

[HILOK]

On 8/23/2023 at 3:22 AM, AegisFX said:

ATC is currently being reworked. In the meantime, can the ATC, Tanker, AWACS, and JTAC contact lists be changed to only show the units that are on your tuned frequencies? There's no need for us to have to wait while 10 unresponsive airbase and farp radios get far enough away for the one area I want to finally "make rank".

It will declutter the comms menu and help set proper expectations for normal vs easy comms.

Edit: When you tune to the correct frequencies, only units on that frequencies should appear.

very good idea +1 

(there can be more than one frq tuned at the same time)

[MAXsenna]

very good idea +1 
(there can be more than one frq tuned at the same time)

It is, even while you and I are laughing our asses off as we're using VAICOM and don't have this issue at all, (except for some scenarios where there are tankers with identical call signs on the same frequency. We need more tanker callsigns).
For those that don't already know, VAICOM is now free and VoiceAttack is like 10 bucks. And if you don't have VoiceAttack already, you're doing yourself a disservice.
Some might feel it's "cheating" you do stuff in the cockpit, but I use it for a lot more, like bringing up the message history, mission briefing etc. (Together with Taz1004's no pause mod obviously!)

Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[HILOK]

22 hours ago, MAXsenna said:

It is, even while you and I are laughing our asses off as we're using VAICOM and don't have this issue at all, (except for some scenarios where there are tankers with identical call signs on the same frequency. We need more tanker callsigns).
For those that don't already know, VAICOM is now free and VoiceAttack is like 10 bucks. And if you don't have VoiceAttack already, you're doing yourself a disservice.
Some might feel it's "cheating" you do stuff in the cockpit, but I use it for a lot more, like bringing up the message history, mission briefing etc. (Together with Taz1004's no pause mod obviously!)

totally agree  
still, OP's suggestion would make it much easier to learn radio comms in DCS for newbies, and also help for troubleshooting with VAICOM sometimes 

[MAXsenna]

totally agree  
still, OP's suggestion would make it much easier to learn radio comms in DCS for newbies, and also help for troubleshooting with VAICOM sometimes 

Oh, I totally agree!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[draconus]

On 8/24/2023 at 11:30 AM, Northstar98 said:

omitting the list of agencies of a particular type and going straight from ATC -> request inbound

Yep, this is most realistic. Setting radio and tuning to proper frequency is on you. The sim should not stop you from transmiting "request landing" to a tanker or "bogey dope" to some wrong frequency which no one listens to. We should just select the type and message although it can get complicated when callsigns are used on some shared frequency.

The list has to stay for FC3 and easy comms option.