Wags interview 27th November 2023

[Chewmann]

F/A-18D

Just my $0.02, I would take the F/A-18D using the current C status right now.  I have been shouting this from the roof tops for a little while now.  It will add multi-player functionality to the VERY popular hornet and add a few new features/mission sets (e.g.  recce with the ATARS).

If only I had a magic wand!

[Buzz313th]

  On 11/30/2023 at 10:12 AM, AddyRazz said:

I wouldnt have a problem with a subscription, maybe you could be entitled to discounts etc or longer times for trials, maybe access to constantly developed dynamic campaign. 

 

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Yeah, sure..  I wouldn't have a problem either.  

Just to be clear, the subscription idea was only for a "Streaming Version" of a Spherical DCS World.  Only players that wanted to be a part of something like that would opt in to the subscription to access the "Dynamic World"  You would still be able to play DCS with all your modules for free, you just wouldn't be able to log in to the ED server infrastructure that hosted the "Dynamaic World".  

Such an offering from any company would cost significantly to maintain, not to mention take "Years" to develop.

Just "Spitballing" here.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Buzz313th

[MadKreator]

I would be happy to pay for the Dynamic Campaign system as a module. As long as it does it better than Liberation or Retribution. Don’t get me wrong I like those two, I play them a lot. But they are constrained to having someone pre-make the actual missions. What happens after you hit go, is more dynamic, but what I’d really hope to see is the mission generation also be very dynamic (which I’d assume is the intended goal)… like a mix of Briefing Room and Liberation on steroids. Options for quick generated campaigns based on only a few sets of variables, to huge in-depth campaigns where you could have many options to tweak, if you choose. Then be automatically generated and possibly even procedural generation as the mission goes on (which I think the logistics side of it  kind of covers).  A part I would like to see too is having briefings and updates written as you go. Again taking a queue from Briefing Room.. You generate a mission thats never the same twice but it also generates  a briefing/ story behind what you’re doing. To me, little touches like that add to the “immersion” , just like stories written  behind paid campaigns. Hoping for a sense of purpose to go along with it as well. More than just “ Okay here’s a map with some arbitrary targets scattered about. Go bomb something you find  and lets just see what happens next”.

[Buzz313th]

  On 11/30/2023 at 4:45 PM, MadKreator said:

I would be happy to pay for the Dynamic Campaign system as a module. As long as it does it better than Liberation or Retribution. Don’t get me wrong I like those two, I play them a lot. But they are constrained to having someone pre-make the actual missions. What happens after you hit go, is more dynamic, but what I’d really hope to see is the mission generation also be very dynamic (which I’d assume is the intended goal)… like a mix of Briefing Room and Liberation on steroids. Options for quick generated campaigns based on only a few sets of variables, to huge in-depth campaigns where you could have many options to tweak, if you choose. Then be automatically generated and possibly even procedural generation as the mission goes on (which I think the logistics side of it  kind of covers).  A part I would like to see too is having briefings and updates written as you go. Again taking a queue from Briefing Room.. You generate a mission thats never the same twice but it also generates  a briefing/ story behind what you’re doing. To me, little touches like that add to the “immersion” , just like stories written  behind paid campaigns. Hoping for a sense of purpose to go along with it as well. More than just “ Okay here’s a map with some arbitrary targets scattered about. Go bomb something you find  and lets just see what happens next”.

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Agreed and I would be happy to pay for it as well....

From ED's business perspective, a dynamic campaign could take away sales from OG campaigns, but that goes along with progress.

[MadKreator]

  On 11/30/2023 at 4:51 PM, Buzz313th said:

Agreed and I would be happy to pay for it as well....

From ED's business perspective, a dynamic campaign could take away sales from OG campaigns, but that goes along with progress.

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I could see that being an issue. Maybe part of the DC design takes into account campaign makers too. A way for them to use it as a tool to generate a set of missions and for them to fine tune and spend more time creating great stories behind them and less time in the mission editor. I don’t see ED’s Dynamic Campaign having the ability to generate cut scenes and things like that after certain victories. Or automatically generate voice lines as the story progresses etc. Of course I’m wild guessing here. Maybe it will have some sort of AI engine integrated at some point that could do that  I 100% see your point on that, though. But I do feel like ED would consider mission/ campaign designers and not just completely give them the boot. It would make more sense, financially to allow them to supplement their work and make even better campaigns. Who knows, really? Certainly not me I’m just excited for it.

[Silver_Dragon]

ED has already posted information about the dynamic campaign, and how it could work. I think some are assuming things that not even ED plans... much less a paid module.

  Quote

 

Eagle Dynamics Dynamic Campaigns Engine (EDDCE)
2022 saw the completion of all major engineering components of the EDDCE. In 2023 we continue development and testing and making improvements to these components as well as adding new features where needed. We are also enhancing the mechanics in the campaign editor to avoid issues that may arise when the EDDCE is used for different maps. The next big tasks include transferring mission data between player and AI pilots and creating a specific graphic user interface. 

Please see our previous Newsletter for greater detail on the subject.

 

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  Quote

 

Dynamic Campaign 

Development Progress

The EDDCE Dynamic Campaign Engine will be a part of the DCS Core, allowing the creation of special campaigns where air, sea and land units do not have pre-created tasks, but are rather controlled by the strategic AI. Each side initiates the campaign on the basis of start conditions of the conflict, this includes offensive or defensive position, asset resource list (including HQs, factories, warehouses etc), and specific objectives which are created from the onset for each individual campaign design. When a campaign starts, the strategic AI initiates the tasking process (ATO Air Tasking Orders, Ground tasking and Naval Tasking etc) for each unit in the side’s asset list and order of battle. This process of tasking and decision making is ongoing for the duration of the campaign and is a function of assets remaining and reinforcement and resupply cycles. It is important to remember that the player can take control of any AI unit and participate in its mission task and/or take indirect control over the strategic AI decisions, in addition to direct control over specific tasking orders.

After having completed the global structure of the Dynamic Campaign Engine in 2021, 2022 saw substantial fine-tuning of the system’s individual components. For example, our general scheme of ATOs was built starting from defensive combat air patrol operations along borders, through all subsequent stages, including SEAD suppression of enemy air defenses, air superiority, CAS close air support, interdiction and deep strike. Ground equipment and operations also received a lot of attention. In addition to the actual movement of units to perform their assigned mission, a mechanism was created for correctly tasking vehicles in a group based fashion depending on their tactical situation: attack, defense, or transit. 

To increase the number of units in the campaign without over-tasking the CPU, only units that are ‘visible’ to the player or that ‘see’ the player (eyesight and sensor range based) are fully calculated. For the remaining units, lighter algorithms are used which are based on pre-calculated data sets. It is good to note that when preparing such data, separate mechanisms are used in EDDCE to easily process all upcoming equipment and weapons which will be added to DCS. To ensure that unit calculations do not negatively affect gameplay, seamless transitions between the lighter and the fully-fledged calculation models have been implemented. This will allow the player to see all the units in their correct place, performing their tasks while moving across the entire map. When interacting with the player, all units use the normal DCS algorithms. 

Another important task that received attention this year is the ‘front-line’ system. A new model of multiple front-lines has been implemented that allows for a more illustrative picture of breakthrough and encircling maneuvers. During 2022, the main engine elements were tuned, allowing campaign management to be more automated, based on the dynamic situations as they evolve in the campaign. Please do follow our news for more information on this exciting core element of DCS.

 

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[MadKreator]

  On 11/30/2023 at 5:26 PM, Silver_Dragon said:

ED has already posted information about the dynamic campaign, and how it could work. I think some are assuming things that not even ED plans... much less a paid module.

 

 

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Yes I’ve read them all over the last couple years. Just trailed off a bit  The point was, IF they decided it would be best as a paid module or upgrade, I personally wouldn’t be opposed to it. If its a free core update then all the better

[draconus]

  On 11/30/2023 at 4:51 PM, Buzz313th said:

OG campaigns

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What is it?

[Buzz313th]

  On 11/30/2023 at 7:54 PM, draconus said:

What is it?

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Sorry, OG for "Original" or "Old School"

Cheers

Edited November 30, 2023 by Buzz313th

[draconus]

DC maybe can help a bit or change nothing at all for DLC campaigns. They are here to stay. I don't get the excitement for DC anyway.

[Hotdognz]

  On 11/28/2023 at 8:22 PM, Buzz313th said:

15. Chinook Logistics will come after aircraft completion, cargo system and dynamic campaign.

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This is a big one for me and what I thought would be next Ed module, who will buy it if it cant do simple logistics when its released, waiting for completion could be what 3-7 years based on what's still in EA (looking at you Yak 52 6+ years and counting) 

[ESA_maligno]

Does anyone know if they will ever interview the owners of ED? It's good that we see Wags and that he tells us things..., but what about the entire Russian team, has it disappeared? Sometimes I think we forget about them

[St4rgun]

IMHO all the development of different subsytems, modules and effects require a strong foundation to build on. This is mainly the required PERFORMANCE of the EDGE engine.

If the engine got enough power to have headroom then we'll have the opportunity to spend more CPU cycles on better AI and GPU on nicer visuals.

The first step on this road was multithreading, which is a really huge plus in its current state. The second big step was the introduction of new upscaling and AA technologies. Very nice indeed.

But the final part of the puzzle is still missing: Vulkan. I don't understand why it's so underrated for most of the users... Only 2 people even mentioned it in this thread, that it has been somewhat postponed to "2024 and beyond", whatever this means. As we're still waiting the Q&A to arrive I deliberately not asked for Vulkan status yet, despite the originally "mentioned" date of Q3 2021 (which is btw 2 years overdue right now). Honestly I was somehow convinced that it can be deployed anytime soon, but the radio silence about it was suspicious.

Don't get me wrong, the performance in the current EDGE is really nice in VR, but I think Vulkan would add a huge leap even to that level.

[MadKreator]

  On 12/1/2023 at 7:28 PM, St4rgun said:

Vulkan. I don't understand why it's so underrated for most of the users...

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Maybe not underrated, maybe just misunderstood. Me? I don’t understand the engineering aspect of it. I get the jist of what it does( from a very basic, naive standpoint), but someone like me doesn’t know the real benefits it will bring, or more importantly, what doors it will/could open. Looking forward to any improvements, regardless. If Vulkan needs to come first, then happy to have it. Doing things right is more important than the order things come. IMO

Edited December 1, 2023 by MadKreator

[t_hedlund]

Great Interview, I like how they kind of bounced around and talked a little about everything.

At 1:08, they discuss controller and Wags mentions that you should be able to plug in your controller and DCS should auto recognize it, if the manufacture has sent them the kit. Does this imply that it will bind the correct button for the gear, flaps, etc... or is it just the axis? I have a few different controllers and I have never notice it auto filling in the binds. 

Thanks  

[Oesau]

  On 12/2/2023 at 3:22 AM, t_hedlund said:

Great Interview, I like how they kind of bounced around and talked a little about everything.

At 1:08, they discuss controller and Wags mentions that you should be able to plug in your controller and DCS should auto recognize it, if the manufacture has sent them the kit. Does this imply that it will bind the correct button for the gear, flaps, etc... or is it just the axis? I have a few different controllers and I have never notice it auto filling in the binds. 

Thanks  

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I’ve seen auto mapping for example with WinWing Orion 2 for the Hornet, also for my thrustmaster F/A-18 stick (even with the Virpil Warbird base) but its across all modules 

[VanekK30]

  On 11/29/2023 at 3:25 PM, okopanja said:

Someone asked Wags about sukhois, and answer was that there may be a red FF in the line. 29 has be not directly confirmed.

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I don’t know English, but judging by the subtitles at 28:13 he said “One of these days there will be announcements about red modules”?)

[Silver_Dragon]

  On 11/30/2023 at 8:28 PM, Buzz313th said:

Sorry, OG for "Original" or "Old School"

Cheers

 

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Old school campaigns will no disapear with a Dinamic Campaign, has diferents product and diferent niches, on fact the sfere world will bost to the campaign creators with more options.

[Silver_Dragon]

  On 12/1/2023 at 6:58 PM, ESA_maligno said:

Does anyone know if they will ever interview the owners of ED? It's good that we see Wags and that he tells us things..., but what about the entire Russian team, has it disappeared? Sometimes I think we forget about them

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Wags and Nick Grey has the owners of ED... the russian team interviews disapear with the teams leave Russia and Bielorussia and close the phisical studios on 2022, and actualy dont get interviews online. Nick Grey has some years without no get a interview online, the same with others ED members.

[ESA_maligno]

  On 12/2/2023 at 11:12 AM, Silver_Dragon said:

Wags and Nick Grey has the owners of ED... the russian team interviews disapear with the teams leave Russia and Bielorussia and close the phisical studios on 2022, and actualy dont get interviews online. Nick Grey has some years without no get a interview online, the same with others ED members.

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Okay, 2022... , that explains everything, "relocation of the company and owners" in anticipation of...

[NIGHTHAWK1]

My opinions, just to add to the discussion:

I would be willing to pay a subscription, yearly or monthly, but only IF IF IF we would get faster and better results.  It is frustrating for me to wait so long for updates to existing MODs.  I'm getting old and can't wait 10 more years for some of the supposed updates.  I want the dynamic campaign.  World map would be nice -- but most preferred is to complete the EA/WIP projects.

I think DCS/ED should do a very thorough customer survey, not just those that comment here on the forums (that is in reality a biased survey sample).  Establish a valid sample size and see what their total population really would like to see.

Vulkan - I saw what that did for another sim and I think it would be a major and worthwhile improvement

Lastly - I have been playing sims for a long time - In reality DCS is amazing compared to the past.   Yes I might complain at times but I still spend many hours every day flying and learning and practicing.  Keeps my old brain sharp.

THANK YOU TO ALL INVOLVED IN DCS!!!!!!

[j9murphy]

  On 12/1/2023 at 9:32 PM, MadKreator said:

Maybe not underrated, maybe just misunderstood. Me? I don’t understand the engineering aspect of it. I get the jist of what it does( from a very basic, naive standpoint), but someone like me doesn’t know the real benefits it will bring, or more importantly, what doors it will/could open. Looking forward to any improvements, regardless. If Vulkan needs to come first, then happy to have it. Doing things right is more important than the order things come. IMO

Vulcan will enable the developers to manage graphics calls more efficiently. It's multicore friendly and separates object creation from object usage meaning you can create objects on a different thread and use them without additional overhead. This gives you a lot more ability to tune the app. However, tuning will be a long process. My guess and it's only a guess.. the first release of Vulcan in dcs will not provide huge performance benefits. It will probably make frame more consistent but you're not going see a huge performance jump immediately. Over time though, because we are now on Vulcan the devs will have a much better basis for tuning and we will therefore get improvement (over time), or not if they decide to use the new headroom for new features:)

[draconus]

  On 12/2/2023 at 3:22 AM, t_hedlund said:

I have a few different controllers and I have never notice it auto filling in the binds. 

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Unless you have some very rare device DCS always auto fill some controls (device profiles are in the modules' files) when you have them plugged in for the first time. It's not perfect though as it can mess it all up and is the source of users' controller problems (double binds of axes and alike).

[Avimimus]

  On 11/30/2023 at 10:54 AM, AddyRazz said:

Nothing really, I just wouldn't have a problem with one.

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I would. The problem is that, if the service discontinues, it leads to the content you bought being unavailable... the ambiguities of DRM are already bad enough.

I would be open to a subscription service to allow some people to receive assets a year in advance though, just so long as they are integrated eventually into the base game (without subscription)... but functionally that is similar to the early access model that already exists ...just with an ability to pay monthly rather than buying into EA.

[Silver_Dragon]

  On 12/2/2023 at 12:56 PM, ESA_maligno said:

Okay, 2022... , that explains everything, "relocation of the company and owners" in anticipation of...

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No, there is simply a mistake about "the owners."

• DCS World was founded by Nick Grey as ED CEO (UK) and Igor Tishin (Russia) as ED Director on 1991
• On 2017 ED move your main offices to Lausanne, Swizzerland from Moscow.
• On 2018 Igor Tishin phassed out by cancer and Nick Grey (UK) maintain as ED CEO, Matt Wagner (USA) as Senior Producer and Kate Perederko (Rusia) as ED COO.
• On 2022, ED closed your main studies on Russia and Bielorussia and add them to the online personal working worldwide on many countries.