correct as-is Updater.exe is launching the MT version now

SMH · October 21, 2023

The Updater.exe is launching the MT version now.

This means that anyone who manually made a shortcut before for the MT version now has two shortcuts that launch the MT version and no shortcut to launch the ST from. (We now have to do the exact opposite as before and make a shortcut to DCS.exe in the /bin folder for the ST version.)

Also noticed that vehicles still don't kick up dirt in MT, but the dust has been restored. Baby steps, I guess.

If this was intentional you'd think it would have been worth mention in the Changelog. Also, the MT version still calls itself a "PREVIEW" in the lower left of the main screen. Seems a bit odd to force a "preview" on everyone running the OB (this week's newsletter also literally instructed us to run the OB version, so please don't tell me it's my fault for using the OB, everyone knows it's the de facto release version that 99% of multiplayer servers run).

I wasted a bunch of hours on testing between the two before noticing this. It was finally when I saw "GPU Bound" in the frame-rate overlay that I clued in both shortcuts were now launching the same version. Again, some mention of this would have been nice. (Perhaps your internal testers knew but you need to remember, your regular customers don't get spoon fed secrets like they do. You guys seem to get out of touch with what the regular community experience is.)

(I didn't put this under Bug Reports as I'm not sure if it's a bug or intentional. Move if appropriate, thanks.)

Edited October 21, 2023 by SMH

SMH · October 21, 2023

And now that I know how to launch ST version again, it seems the dirt thrown up from vehicle tracks is now gone in that version as well. Clouds of dust, yes, but no more dirt chunks.

I guess that's one way to make their outputs match!

Anyway, the dust was most important because it helps with spotting vehicles on the move from aircraft. But it's a shame to be moving backwards, effects-wise, and losing the dirt effect.

Edited October 21, 2023 by SMH

Art-J · October 21, 2023

I was lucky to notice the updater issue immediately on first launch after seeing the "MT preview" written in main menu despite using old shortcut to start the game. Asked about it in patch notes thread and got confirmation from BN.

I guess they forced it because most of the new advertized functions require MT to work at all and thus all people who run ST would be asking why they can't enable these features. I agree, however, such change in updater launching process should've been mentioned in patch notes.

It's kind of funny to know that Steam guys have the opposite problem and their "launch MT preview" button starts the ST version whether they want it or not.

SMH · October 21, 2023

Yeah. Like I said, I think their employees and internal testers end up out of touch with what the regular community experience is, and that we're not in on everything they've been informed about, so often forget to let us know.

I'm also concerned that almost nobody will now be testing the ST version, so it might develop more issues over time. I've been getting bad frame rate stutters, particularly in the minutes after spawning in, in MT all along. Haven't had a chance to test 2.9 ST yet as I just discovered this, but I assume when I switch back to ST those will clear up. (Will report back after I test.)

Edited October 21, 2023 by SMH

rob10 · October 21, 2023

29 minutes ago, SMH said:

I'm also concerned that almost nobody will now be testing the ST version, so it might develop more issues over time. I've been getting bad frame rate stutters, particularly in the minutes after spawning in, in MT all along. Haven't had a chance to test 2.9 ST yet as I just discovered this, but I assume when I switch back to ST those will clear up. (Will report back after I test.)

Honestly, I'm pretty sure that ED isn't that concerned if ST develops more issues over time as it will be deprecated and gone relatively soon. There is probably getting to be enough divergence between MT and ST that soon they won't have a choice of keeping both (base functionality that will require MT).

NineLine · October 21, 2023

18 minutes ago, rob10 said:

Honestly, I'm pretty sure that ED isn't that concerned if ST develops more issues over time as it will be deprecated and gone relatively soon. There is probably getting to be enough divergence between MT and ST that soon they won't have a choice of keeping both (base functionality that will require MT).

Correct once we get the majority of issues dealt with on the MT version it will become the default anyways. MT is the way forward, it was made default as most of the new graphical options require it, but ST is still available for now.