Feedback Thread - F-14 Tomcat update, August 9th 2024

[IronMike]

Dear all,

we hope you are enjoying a great and beautiful summer with plenty of vacation at your hands and free time to fly. Below please find attached the latest changelog for the F-14. With this patch we primarily focused on part 2 of the sound overhaul, including numerous fixes, tweaks and adjustments for the overall soundmix and some new, improved sounds for rear aspect conditions. We also made some minor adjustments to the FM based on SME feedback. As always we would kindly like to ask for your feedback and thank you for your continued support! 
 

DCS: F-14 Tomcat by Heatblur Simulations

• NEW: Part 2 of the sound overhaul, including several tweaks to gains and levels for an improved overall sound mix:
  • Improved rear aspect high power exhaust sound.
  • Improved overall mix and distant sound blending.
  • Improved flyby and landing approach audio.
• Increased static directional stability in mid AOA range.
• Fixed bug with some components not detecting throttle was in MIL position or higher.
• Fixed AB deadzone slider special option.
• Fixed and improved afterburner detent sliders.
• Added a new Afghanistan BFM instant action mission by Sedlo (thank you!).
• Implemented new DCS bomb fuzing options for the Mission Editor and rearm window.
• Updated Chinese Localization.

Edited August 9, 2024 by IronMike

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

The improved sound directional tuning is very noticeable. Thank you! 

[IronMike]

Glad you like it!

[Viper33]

Where's the early A or A-6 AI?

Edited August 9, 2024 by Viper33

[Rinz1er]

It seems as though the engines external sounds have lost all of it's low-end bass. Causing the jet to not match the other vehicles in DCS in its sound profile. 

[JupiterJoe]

• Anybody else finding ICS & ARC-182 volumes are no longer adjustable under some circumstances? More alarmingly my ALR-67 volume is at zero and not adjustable.   Other than that, the new engine sounds are great.  Although a significant engine volume increase when we open the canopy would be nice.
• You can hear radio static constantly (on external views it's most noticeable when things are quiet), and squelch is not working.
• The ECS is heard on the carrier bridge/AirBoss view. 
• I'm also getting almost constant contact callouts from my wingman, like he's on a loop (the distance to target remains constant).  I even tried asking him to switch his radar off to shut him up.  No dice.  When he's locked-in he won't respond to other orders.
• Auto-pilot not working consistently with MS Sidewinder FFB2 stick.  ACLS doesn't work with this stick either. 
• Auto-throttle disengaged warning light not illuminating when it should.

 

Saved Track.trk

Edited August 12, 2024 by JupiterJoe

[Despayre]

20 hours ago, IronMike said:

 

• Added a new Afghanistan BFM instant action mission by Sedlo (thank you!).
•  

 

I do not show any missions for the F-14 under Afghanistan... and btw, it would certainly be nice if every new map came with at least *1* flight, even if it's just a free flight with no defined goals. 

Did this not end up in the patch?

Showing: Multithread Preview: 2.9.7.58923

Edited August 10, 2024 by Despayre
Confirmed patch release version.

[Viper33]

Regarding the "new" sounds - I can barely tell a difference other than the canopy open now producing a slightly louder engine tone internally (still not nearly enough) and there still being an overly windy exhaust sound mix in the aft as well as the old looped AB sounds. An improvement but not quite realistic still either.

Edited August 11, 2024 by Viper33

[WarthogOsl]

Anyone else notice sorta step behavior with the engine sound during startup of the first engine?   Like it doesn't continuously spool up, but goes through 4 or 5 discrete steps.  I've had it do that a bunch of times on startup, and at least once on shut down as well.

[Dragonaut]

I've been getting the sound steps as well, and was just about to post a bug report for it, but I was blown away that no one else had reported it. Oddly enough, the first day the A was doing it, but the B was fine, so I figured it was just a file loaded wrong. One integrity check later, and now they both do it.

[draconus]

On 8/10/2024 at 8:47 AM, JupiterJoe said:

• Anybody else finding ICS & ARC-182 volumes are no longer adjustable under some circumstances? More alarmingly my ALR-67 volume is at zero and not adjustable.   Other than that, the new engine sounds are great.  Although a significant engine volume increase when we open the canopy would be nice.
• You can hear radio static constantly (on external views it's most noticeable when things are quiet), and squelch is not working.
• The ECS is heard on the carrier bridge.

• Check if it's only the bindings - try to use mouse instead.
• It might be general DCS feature - radios tuned to wrong freq receive just the noise. Change to other frequency/channel or turn volume down.
• Well there probably is some ECS on the carrier bridge but what does it have to do with F-14? Is it exactly the same sound from F-14 in AirBoss view?

Engine sounds are nice - tested in the cockpit for now but like others say - the difference with canopy opened/closed should be way more pronounced and not go linear with canopy opening.

I think I heard different high alpha sounds too (from wing vapors?) - nice

Thx for adding fuze options.

[JupiterJoe]

53 minutes ago, draconus said:

• Well there probably is some ECS on the carrier bridge but what does it have to do with F-14? Is it exactly the same sound from F-14 in AirBoss view?

Yes and it's even louder is AirBoss view than it is in your own cockpit.  The F-14 is the only carrier capable module I have, so can't check if it's the same for other modules.  I suspect there's a conflict somewhere because I have heard the AirBoss view ambient audio playing in my F-14 cockpit. 

Edited August 12, 2024 by JupiterJoe

[draconus]

13 minutes ago, JupiterJoe said:

Yes and it's even louder is AirBoss view than it is in your own cockpit.  The F-14 is the only carrier capable module I have, so can't check if it's the same for other modules.  I suspect there's a conflict somewhere because I have heard the AirBoss view ambient audio playing in my F-14 cockpit.

SC bug.

[fat creason]

14 hours ago, Dragonaut said:

I've been getting the sound steps as well, and was just about to post a bug report for it, but I was blown away that no one else had reported it. Oddly enough, the first day the A was doing it, but the B was fine, so I figured it was just a file loaded wrong. One integrity check later, and now they both do it.

This is a known issue I wasn't able to sort out before the patch shipped. Looking into it...

[Ramstein]

On 8/9/2024 at 11:47 PM, JupiterJoe said:

• Anybody else finding ICS & ARC-182 volumes are no longer adjustable under some circumstances? More alarmingly my ALR-67 volume is at zero and not adjustable.   Other than that, the new engine sounds are great.  Although a significant engine volume increase when we open the canopy would be nice.
• You can hear radio static constantly (on external views it's most noticeable when things are quiet), and squelch is not working.
• The ECS is heard on the carrier bridge/AirBoss view. 
• I'm also getting almost constant contact callouts from my wingman, like he's on a loop (the distance to target remains constant).  I even tried asking him to switch his radar off to shut him up.  No dice.  When he's locked-in he won't respond to other orders.
• Auto-pilot not working consistently with MS Sidewinder FFB2 stick.  ACLS doesn't work with this stick either. 
• Auto-throttle disengaged warning light not illuminating when it should.

 

Saved Track.trk 38.27 MB · 6 downloads

 

with many and this with a George, Jester, etc,, I get disappointed by my copilot being very slow to respond to everything.. but that's me I guess, other seem more satisfied than me..

[draconus]

On 8/10/2024 at 8:47 AM, JupiterJoe said:

I'm also getting almost constant contact callouts from my wingman, like he's on a loop (the distance to target remains constant).  I even tried asking him to switch his radar off to shut him up.  No dice.  When he's locked-in he won't respond to other orders.

Probably not F-14 related. Found similar report:

Edited August 13, 2024 by draconus

[Despayre]

On 8/10/2024 at 9:09 AM, Despayre said:

I do not show any missions for the F-14 under Afghanistan... and btw, it would certainly be nice if every new map came with at least *1* flight, even if it's just a free flight with no defined goals. 

Did this not end up in the patch?

Showing: Multithread Preview: 2.9.7.58923

 

Anyone else? *tap*tap*tap*... is thing on?! Hello?

Edited August 13, 2024 by Despayre

[draconus]

3 hours ago, Despayre said:

Anyone else? *tap*tap*tap*... is thing on?! Hello?

[RustBelt]

10 hours ago, Despayre said:

Anyone else? *tap*tap*tap*... is thing on?! Hello?

 

"Didn't end up in the patch" is so common here it's usually just assumed until proven otherwise. 

[Despayre]

11 hours ago, RustBelt said:

"Didn't end up in the patch" is so common here it's usually just assumed until proven otherwise. 

I would have assumed that too, if IronMike hadn't also posted it at the very beginning of this thread, but ok, thanks.

[Nealius]

On 8/11/2024 at 1:09 AM, Despayre said:

I do not show any missions for the F-14 under Afghanistan

They're still en route from the Indian Ocean. 

[JupiterJoe]

• When applying brakes independently the starboard main gear wheel won't lock-up.  It makes the sound of tyres-screeching, but continues to rotate.  The port side wheel behaves as it should.  This is with/without anti-skid.
• Stick only in full forward position (to aid ingress IRL), after repair.  Normal cold start has the stick slightly forward of centre, but not fully forward.

Edited August 17, 2024 by JupiterJoe

[vovochen]

Dear IronMike,

I'm so sorry to bring this up, but shouldnt the phoenix, with the current thrust from the game files, accelerate at about 60 knots, if neglecting air resistance ?
and isnt air resistance pretty neglectable at 55000 feet ?

So how come it only accelerates about half as much ?

I dont not mean to anno you, Dear Mike, my heart just still is in disbelief that the given, real-world range of the Phoenix is about double that of the 120C, but within DCS the Phoenix (even at 55000 feet!) does go 250 knots faster than an aim-120C and thats it. It is not able to Hit even Mach 4, is it ?

Broken Heart, and blood dripping on the floor every game day still. 

Cheers!

Edited August 16, 2024 by vovochen

[draconus]

10 hours ago, vovochen said:

It is not able to Hit even Mach 4, is it ?

Yes it is. But it's still big, fat, heavy missile, and no, the air drag is far from negligible. Here's M4.38 for you:

[RustBelt]

Ask any astronaut how “negligible” air resistance is at 50,000” where the heat shield is still GLOWING.