First ever DCS: F-4E Phantom II Feedback Thread - May 22nd 2024

[schurem]

Phantastic work lads! I am in awe. A cathedral of code and 3D modelling. Phenomenal! 

[TORC]

Framerates are good in the cockpit! I'm finding this to be the main issue with new modules, as my GPU ages out . The jet really lives up to the name "lead sled" (and this is the one with the slats!!), and it certainly lets you know how it feels about your flying!

The cockpit is excellently modelled again, and the virtual pilot models are great. It's always cool to stand outside the jet in VR and see the pilot (or backseater) moving about believably in their cockpit, and even with all the ironwork catching a glimpse of the pilot looking about just hits you with that "this must have been what it was like" feeling that the best of the modules give you - most often with the little touches like this! Having the helmet sitting on the canopy rail when you get in is another nice touch.

Also sunglasses

 

 

[Textbook]

Thank you Heatblur 

[Tomcatter87]

I took some first hops in the F-4. Just to power this old lady on puts a big grin on my face, I love the crew chief implementation. The look and feel of the Phantom is outstanding, and I really had a hard time choosing between all those beautiful skins for my first flights. The phantom is easy to fly, stable, powerful, but it's really hard to fight with, especially against those UFO AI flight models of MiG-21 and 19. Still I'm willing to get better   Also the new possibilities of Jester and his new phrases are really great.

Some things I noticed that might need some tweaking: Coming from the Tomcat, I find the new Jester menu somehow quirky. The head tracking sometimes has quite some lag, sometimes I have to move my head around a few times to even get a cursor. The second layer of options does not seem to have keybinds, so I don't know how I can set up my Voice Attack to tell the crew chief to turn on external power, for example. It's a bit of a bummer, since Voice Attack was a game changer for me in the Tomcat.

Also, it would be great if the Jester / Crew Chief menu closed after selecting an option. It's kinda annoying to have to press the button long again after selecting something.

[Kovacs]

Amazing job! Thanks Heatblur!

Edited May 23, 2024 by Kovacs

[Tom Kazansky]

A first impression I will never forget.

Awesome simulation of an awesome plane.

Thanks HB for making a 35 year old dream come true.

It feels so good.

[ivo]

Beautiful module among the best if not the best

[Mr_sukebe]

Love it.

Spent a couple of hours setting up my controls, conducted a cold start and went for a cruise around.

Brilliant module, very very charismatic 

[Viking 1-1]

6 hours ago, Q3ark said:

Go in the special options and turn off jester wheel mouse interaction, it’ll work immediately 

Thank you!

Edit: @Tomcatter87: The above will get rid of the lag in the jester wheel while using head tracking

Edited May 23, 2024 by Viking 1-1

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

Good to see sunglasses and helmet shades, but they are only cosmetic, and did nothing to shade the light outside.

Also wish most of the new and awesome features here could be brought back to other HB modules asap. Flying has never been the same, not feeling siting safely on the ground -- everything is floaty and shaky (in a good way). Now I need a FFB stick and a shaking chair.

Once more, thank  you.

Edited May 23, 2024 by VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

I am making this friendly, just an observation. I don't see many, if any, people ranted about the delays in other thread showing up here. Again, just an observation. Thank you.

[Whiskey11]

I'm quite enjoying the F-4E, however I doubt it'll replace the F-14A for me unless the mission doesn't allow for it.  I think the hardest challenge for me has been fighting the jet... specifically just the intercept geometry and the lack of SA on where to really point the nose of the aircraft.  Jester seems to really struggle, even in look up situations, to find enemy aircraft to employ AIM-7s, and the AIM-9 sensitivity to having to be PERFECTLY on the bandit seems unreal.  Overall, I'm enjoying the process.  I REALLY cannot wait for Bullpups to be implemented and working as the Rb-05 is my favorite weapon on the Viggen.  I'm not sure how much LGB work I'll be doing or even SEAD work with the Shrike (G Model + Standard ARM would be awesome though), but I can see myself doing DEAD work for the S&G's of it.  

The new Jester UI is........ not my favorite.  The Tomcat's Jester UI is really awesome and it seemed to track head movements much better.  I REALLY have to deflect my neck to get the menu to work in VR and god forbid you touch the mouse in that process... A LOT of irritation in that arena.  The other irritation is the menu doesn't default to the main menu after you make a selection like the F-14 UI does (or whatever master mode you are in).  I get the F-4E is a lot more basic than the tomcat, but at least tying it in with the gun sight selector, or being able to tell him to go to A2A and then have it default to the radar menu would be awesome.

My BIGGEST complaint is that "Lock enemy ahead" is not bindable, nor is it on the main page of the Jester Menu... it is instead buried in the radar menu, which inconveniently Jester doesn't default to when he is calling out hostiles at 10nmi.  If this could be bindable or at least on the main page of the Jester Menu that'd be awesome.  Or, my above where the menu defaults to whatever page is relevant to the gun sight selector.

Finally, Jester's biggest achilles heel is back... if you suck at A2A refueling... mute him before going to the tanker.  I had him yapping for, I kid you not, 25 solid minutes "you are charging the probe!" "10 feet up" "6 feet back" "ahh in the sweet spot" just non stop.  Even muting him (which now overrides him, thankfully) doesn't clear his queue of things to say and sadly, neither does other coms... he's perfectly content saying "5 degrees left, a bandit!" and then go right back into "you are sinking!" "3 feet forward!" 

I also noticed, while tanking, that if you disconnect for any reason (and there are many, sadly), you have to cycle the AAR door or the tanker will say "Transfer Complete, disconnect" the next time you connect up, forcing you to go through the radio menu again to recontact the tanker.  Not sure if that's intended, but seems odd...

To Summarize:
1.)  Loving the challenge of getting this brick to fight
2.) Jester UI needs some work... head tracking issues, lack of defaulting to certain modes tied to the gun sight selector, not defaulting to the main menu after a selection...
3.) Jester's non-stop gift of gab at the tanker is back and equally frustrating
4.) AAR disconnect/reconnect causing "Transfer Complete" if you don't cycle the AAR door closed and open again.
5.) We NEED a bindable "lock enemy ahead" and it should be put on the main jester menu, imo.

Overall, enjoying the aircraft!  Hoping to get the A2A work down so I can switch over to the A2G stuff!

Edited May 23, 2024 by Whiskey11

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

19 minutes ago, Whiskey11 said:

My BIGGEST complaint is that "Lock enemy ahead" is not bindable

Yes it is: that’s what the new Jester context button is for. You can single click, double click or long click that button and it will do different things - it’s all explained in the manual.

[Whiskey11]

6 minutes ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

Yes it is: that’s what the new Jester context button is for. You can single click, double click or long click that button and it will do different things - it’s all explained in the manual.

Appreciate it, I apparently missed that in reading through the manual after it was released.  I'll have to try it and see if it works.  Still would be nice to have a direct bind not tied to three possible outcomes if you accidentally double tap it, single tap it, or hold it.

[VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants]

Manual (is it OT?) the links do not work. Some refer sub-section numbers which do not exist, as there is not section numbers in the manual. I am reading V3 now.  Thank you.

Edited May 23, 2024 by VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants

[felixx75]

I have the problem that my virtual stick in the cockpit of the Phantom only reacts with a delay to inputs from my physical stick. As if there was an input lag. What could be the problem?

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

39 minutes ago, Whiskey11 said:

I apparently missed that

What I am going to say next doesn't apply to you directly (despite the quote) but counts more as a general observation:

There are always people who complain that content creators get early access to modules, but those content creators are the ones who create guides for us to watch while we wait for release so that we at least know what to expect and have some basic advance knowledge.
If you are in the HB Discord you even received notifications when a new video/guide was released.

A lot of the comments/questions I see here on the forum are all things that have been answered/explained in said guide videos by our valuable content creators... 

[westr]

12 hours ago, unlikely_spider said:

Anyone else have issues with the stick having a mind of its own? On the pitch axis only, the stick will move on its own and resist my input.

I don't see any double bindings for pitch. I have no mods, simple flight model is off, force feedback is off. Happens only with the F-4.

Edit - I'm dead in the water now I can't find any conflicts - VR controllers are off, etc. Not playable for me at the moment.

 

Try turning off all the stick blending etc in the special settings menu and work your way from there and see if you can identify a problem, also I had a conflict with the trimming not working and I resolved this by disabling the Force feedback setting in the MISC menu. 

Edited May 23, 2024 by westr

[Lee Dove]

16 hours ago, david_joe said:

Whether multi-player or single player,
Trim, missing features.
Trim button operates, but has no effect

Strange, trim is working for me. Did you assign it in controls?

[BigNose]

What an absolute piece of Art, well done to the entire Heatblur Team!

Also I want to throw in that both trim (in all axis) and the Jester menus are working flawlessly on my end, mainly tested in Singleplayer so far. A quick free flight in Multiplayer (single-seat with Jester) didn't seem to change things though.

[Elf1606688794]

3 hours ago, Raven (Elysian Angel) said:

Yes it is: that’s what the new Jester context button is for. You can single click, double click or long click that button and it will do different things - it’s all explained in the manual.

Not everyone has had time to read a 1000 page manual yet.

[D4n]

Why is there no AGM-12 Bullpup tutorial to be found anywhere? How am I supposed to use this magnificient weapon?

 

Nevermind, found one...

 

Edited May 23, 2024 by D4n

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

46 minutes ago, Elf1606688794 said:

Not everyone has had time to read a 1000 page manual yet.

Indeed: I haven't either. I just looked at the important bits for what I'm going to do first and take it one step at a time.

[Freakmeister51]

Only a couple of observations so far, the home screen wallpaper for the aircraft. It’s a picture that could be any aircraft at all. Also, the startup training mission, the cockpit is quite dark and the internal cockpit lighting isn’t very effective. I have also noticed that the master caution cannot be cancelled by pressing the button. I have only tried the first two training missions and they are more in depth than any training mission I have ever flown. Could there be a jester assisted start-up  like the F-14? Apart from that no complaints at all.

i echo pretty much everyone on this forum, thank you heatblur.

Edited May 23, 2024 by Freakmeister51

[Glide]

So, who doesn't love chasing SU-25T's around in this beauty?  I am loving this flight model.