Route Tool | Sinai Development Progress | CH-47F Development Progress| F-4 MiG Killers Campaign

[Graphics]

 

02 August 2024

 

Dear Fighter Pilots, Partners and Friends, 

The DCS: CH-47F is nearing early access release with development focus on flight model and flight control system issues, avionics system development, missions and training, and as always testing and bug fixing. We are nearly there and once again please accept our sincere apologies for the delay. Please read the details below. 

The impressive DCS: Sinai map update is also nearing release. The terrain has received a substantial upgrade with 15 new airfields, new nighttime illumination, and new unique objects such as military installations, oil platforms, improved vegetation, and more!

We are excited to present a new F10 map route tool. This tool will allow you to edit, create, and delete waypoints/steerpoints prior to spawning in your aircraft in both single player and multiplayer. Please stay tuned for the next update to try this yourself. 

Finally, the new DCS: F-4 MiG Killers Campaign by Reflected is slated for the next update too! This campaign features 45 missions that are heavily randomised and offer replayability. It also contains advanced AI tactical behaviour based on real-life tactics. Keep your eyes peeled!

Thank you for your passion and support.

Yours sincerely, 

Eagle Dynamics

 

 

CH-47F

Development Progress

Over the last few weeks, we have made significant enhancements to the DCS: CH-47F module, focusing on visual and functional improvements as well as mission updates. Below is a concise summary of the recent progress.

Visual and Functional Enhancements

• Overhead panels visual improvements and fixes
• Improved rotor blade rendering and improvements to their damage model.
• The internal views have been improved by hiding unnecessary panels, adding gunner radio panels, improved radio control heads, and enhanced animations for buttons, levers, and switches. 
• Lighting and Animation: Improved cockpit lighting, added 4th Level of Detail ( LOD), adjusted heater start button connector, and changed mainboard lighting from white to green. Enhanced back-lit text, throttle handle connectors, FLIR maps, Power Distribution Panel (PDP) lamps animation, Multi-Function Display (MFD) rockers animation, and transparency of the stick position indicator glass.
• Night Vision Goggles have been added.
• The Countermeasures and Warning System (CMWS) has been moved from post Early Access release to Early Access release.
• The load and unload cargo system has also seen further refinements and additional functionality.

Mission Updates

• Added numerous instant action missions across multiple maps.
• Additional training missions that cover primary mission procedures.

Flight Model and Flight Control System

• Refined Automatic Flight Control System scheduling for authentic take off behaviour.
• Adjusted flight modelling in conjunction with flight control system for correct forward flight behaviour without Longitudinal Cyclic Trim (LCT) scheduling. Note: at early access release, manual pedal input will be required for coordinated turns. Further refinements to the LCT and Digital Advanced Flight Control System (DAFCS) will come during the early access period.

Multicrew

• Pilot and Copilot Multi Crew have been further refined, particularly with synchronisation of controls and displays.

Please stay tuned as we diligently prepare the DCS: CH-47F for early access launch. 

 

Sinai

Development Report

We're excited to update you on the status of the upcoming DCS: Sinai map update. This update is packed with new features and enhancements. You can look forward to 15 new, highly detailed airfields that include Quwaysina, Borg-el-Arab International, and Sharm El Sheikh. The update also introduces over 100 unique objects and architectural monuments, improved city textures, more realistic seabed textures, and enhanced scenes for helipads. You can also expect night illumination for unique objects, upgraded Giza Pyramids, military installations in Egypt and Israel, and new acacia bushes for southern Israel. Additionally, new oil platforms will be presented.
 

Route Tool

New feature

The new Route Tool will allow you to create your own flight routes for multiplayer. It allows you to edit and to create preset waypoints/steerpoints routes before spawning into the mission. This includes being able to set elevations, MSL or AGL election, and dynamic ETAs.  

You will also be able to save route presets for each terrain. Once a route has been created, you can select it from the PRESET list prior to spawning. This is a general multiplayer route tool for all DCS aircraft, and it’s especially useful for the Flaming Cliffs 2024 aircraft. This tool is not related to upcoming Data Transfer Cartridge (DTC) functionality, which we will update you on at a later date. Stay tuned! 

 

F-4 MiG Killers

Campaign by Reflected

By 1969, the US Navy faced a critical challenge in the skies over North Vietnam. Their kill to loss ratio had plummeted to a dismal 2 to 1. In response, a select group of Naval aviators crafted a groundbreaking graduate-level training program to reclaim aerial dominance.

You will join the inaugural class of the Top Gun course starting on March 3, 1969, and master the art of dogfighting in your DCS: F-4E Phantom. The F-4 MiG Killers Campaign will offer 12 meticulously crafted missions based on the real-life syllabus, totalling 45 missions. You'll encounter heavily randomised and re-playable scenarios, advanced AI tactical behaviour, and a study-level simulation of real-life procedures.

Get ready for a rich narrative with thousands of custom voice-overs, detailed briefings complete with chalkboard diagrams, and extensive documentation. Enjoy historically accurate custom skins, true-to-life kneeboard and briefing images, and custom DCS UI backgrounds. Look out for the campaign in the next update.

Thank you again for your passion and support, 

Yours sincerely,

 

[ThorBrasil]

Very cool news. DCS is getting better every year. Thanks for the news.

[Beirut]

Mmmmmm.... Shhhhhnook! 

[hannibal]

My diy minigun joysticks being upgraded with hall sensors.. 

I super look forward to the ramp gunner position with M3M .50 cal later in development of CH47. 

Keep going ED team! 

Edited August 2, 2024 by hannibal

[Volator]

12 minutes ago, Graphics said:

The new Route Tool will allow you to create your own flight routes for multiplayer. It allows you to edit and to create preset waypoints/steerpoints routes before spawning into the mission. This includes being able to set elevations, MSL or AGL election, and dynamic ETAs.  

You will also be able to save route presets for each terrain. Once a route has been created, you can select it from the PRESET list prior to spawning. This is a general multiplayer route tool for all DCS aircraft, and it’s especially useful for the Flaming Cliffs 2024 aircraft. This tool is not related to upcoming Data Transfer Cartridge (DTC) functionality, which we will update you on at a later date. Stay tuned!

This sounds interesting and seems to be a significant step in the direction of mission planning in multiplayer.

[Tusky]

I hope the new Route Tool will allow the input of the actual coordinates and not only the placing of the waypoint manually. From the screenshot, only the latter seems available though...

[twistking]

Route tool is a good addition, however i cannot make sense of this part:

Quote

This tool is not related to upcoming Data Transfer Cartridge (DTC) functionality

For me it seems very obviously related to DTC functionality. Does the quote imply that the DTC will have a more complex flight planning and this route feature is mostly for Flaming Cliffs?

[Gierasimov]

It looks that delay of CH-47F is really well planned. 

Looking that you improve something that wasn't released yet or fix issues even means that the module would have been released in a TOO early access otherwise.

[sirrah]

Very curious about the Sinai update. This map is already quite detailed and I don't understand why it's so underappreciated (or at least, it's my feeling that it's underappreciated).

 

Also, can't wait to get my hands on The Hook 

[falcon_120]

The route planning for multiplayer is amazing news for me. The possibility to plan routes and ETA prior to jumping in a jet seems great and step forward in playability.

Enviado desde mi ELE-L29 mediante Tapatalk

[LuseKofte]

Tha hook took all my attention. But forcing myself to read more I found only good surprises 

good work team. 

[Bozon]

1 hour ago, falcon_120 said:

The route planning for multiplayer is amazing news for me. The possibility to plan routes and ETA prior to jumping in a jet seems great and step forward in playability.

Enviado desde mi ELE-L29 mediante Tapatalk
 

I really needed something like this for the Mosquito in multiplayer servers. Till now I had to write down my planned NOE route on paper and then try to visualize it on F10 or use the ruler to mark the next leg during navigation. Really clumsy and annoying, especially while trying to fly 30 feet above the ground by speed-clock-compass, and occasional visual id on landmarks.

There are mosquito parts scattered all over Normandy, destroyed during clumsy navigation.

[Gunfreak]

13 hours ago, sirrah said:

Very curious about the Sinai update. This map is already quite detailed and I don't understand why it's so underappreciated (or at least, it's my feeling that it's underappreciated).

 

Also, can't wait to get my hands on The Hook 

It has quite a lot of problems. Airfields not working right. Bridges that can br destroyed.

If you look at the Sinai map subsection on this forum. You'll see quite a lot of frustratiated players.

[sirrah]

56 minutes ago, Gunfreak said:

It has quite a lot of problems. Airfields not working right. Bridges that can br destroyed.

If you look at the Sinai map subsection on this forum. You'll see quite a lot of frustratiated players.

Yeah I've seen that and sure, parts of the map seem to be early WIP, but there's also a lot of nice small details, especially at the airfields and personally I'm surprised on overall decent performance over the huge city of Cairo, even on my old rig.

Admittedly, I mainly fly helo modules, so not much blowing up bridges on my side.

[Roy35150]

Great news all round,

Thx Devs.

[T.Power]

4 hours ago, Gunfreak said:

It has quite a lot of problems. Airfields not working right. Bridges that can br destroyed.

If you look at the Sinai map subsection on this forum. You'll see quite a lot of frustratiated players.

Very frustrating watching poorly placed trees stop large planes form taxiing to runway.

[T.Power]

1 hour ago, Punkmonkey22 said:

Interesting you say that about Syria when most players agree it's the standard for how a map should look. Afghan is low polygon mountains and blurry sat images at low altitude, whereas Syria is smooth mountains and clear ground textures at low altitude

I fly helos, the parts of Afghanistan that are done are head and shoulders above Syria, I'm not focused on what's unfinished.

[Punkmonkey22]

40 minutes ago, T.Power said:

I fly helos, the parts of Afghanistan that are done are head and shoulders above Syria, I'm not focused on what's unfinished.

I can't find any bits that are "done" to fight over unless I only attack airbases, which gets repetitive. 

[Gunfreak]

2 hours ago, T.Power said:

I fly helos, the parts of Afghanistan that are done are head and shoulders above Syria, I'm not focused on what's unfinished.

I have to be very very careful when flying helos in Afghanistan. 1 minute in any wrong direction and you'll end up surrounded by low texture and terrible geometry. Most of the terrain along the Helmand river looks terrible.

While on Syria i can fly any helo almost anywhere for more than an hour and not encounter a single part of the terrain that looks off or wrong  

[Tango3B]

Very cool newsletter. Especially the new Route Tool will be quite handy for certain FC4 modules on MP servers. This is quite an important addition to DCS, actually. Reflected´s F-4 campaign will also be glorious and you even convinced me to finally pre-order the CH-47F. Concerning the Sinai update...well, I believe it when I finally have it on my SSD. Anyway, great newsletter. Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Edited August 3, 2024 by Tango3B

[T.Power]

2 hours ago, Gunfreak said:

I have to be very very careful when flying helos in Afghanistan. 1 minute in any wrong direction and you'll end up surrounded by low texture and terrible geometry. Most of the terrain along the Helmand river looks terrible.

While on Syria i can fly any helo almost anywhere for more than an hour and not encounter a single part of the terrain that looks off or wrong  

Head NNW into the hills from Chagcharan there are plenty of opportunities for insurgency missions, I've included a Taliban heat map for inspiration.  Jon Anders also has many Kiowa videos on YT showing long routes with no breaks in quality.  I highly recommend flying at sunrise or sunset to fully appreciate the new depth map that gives life to fields even at a few hundred feet.  And explore the hills, for some reason ED chose to do a lot of work in some of those areas.  Routes NNW out of Kandahar airport at low level taken over the western most hillock are fantastic, head straight through Kandahar and head west out of the city there's plenty done there too.  Tarinkot to Deh Rawud is pretty much done all the way , Qala i Naw has some amazing work done around the area, which is much further north than I expected to find any work done.  And for everyone pointing out all the flaws which you are more than welcome to do, are not mentioning the insane amount of detail and ground clutter in urban areas which are going to make life way more difficult and realistic for Helos.  The glass of milk can be half full, or it can be half empty, please try not to consider the milk sour.

[fargo007]

This dynamic route tool along with dynamic slots introduced last update are truly superb quality of life features for DCS. 

 

ED, you guys are nailing the user experience stuff. Please do keep up the good work. 

[falcon_120]

This dynamic route tool along with dynamic slots introduced last update are truly superb quality of life features for DCS. 
 
ED, you guys are nailing the user experience stuff. Please do keep up the good work. 

The dynamic route tool is not ready on the current version...

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[fargo007]

20 minutes ago, falcon_120 said:

The dynamic route tool is not ready on the current version...

Enviado desde mi ELE-L29 mediante Tapatalk
 

Yes, I'm aware of that. According to the announcement it arrives in the next update. The dynamic slots are active since the last update.