DCS Questions and Answers - January 2025

[DigitalEngine]

Couldn't find an "official thread" announcing this video wags posted on YouTube, so I'm creating one here.

 

Edited January 18 by DigitalEngine

[Avimimus]

It is always very interesting to hear more. I feel like this interview spoke to ED's audience as it has been developing in the past few years, but didn't speak to me as someone whose been in this since the Flanker 2 days... I do hope some of the questions in the next interview upload will cover some of the issues I think about.

P.S. Honestly, the lack of support for some of the earlier Soviet/Russian/Warsaw Pact content is frustrating (e.g. the lack of fuse settings for Soviet cluster bombs, lack of fragmentation simulation impacting the Su-25/Mi-24/Mi-8, the inability of the Ka-50 to carry less than a full load of missiles per hardpoint - when all the other helicopters can now do this, the lack of 4th generation designs even as AI)... there is this extensive and ever increasing gap (in even basic features/maintenance) which seems to be going completely unnoticed by the developers.

[Harley]

Just watched the 2025 and beyond trailer. Looks nice, but am I really understanding that we'll get an F-35 before an F/A-18E?

[MAXsenna]

19 minutes ago, Harley said:

Just watched the 2025 and beyond trailer. Looks nice, but am I really understanding that we'll get an F-35 before an F/A-18E?

Yes. Super Hornet will probably come when the C is done. 

[Cedaway]

11 hours ago, Harley said:

Just watched the 2025 and beyond trailer. Looks nice, but am I really understanding that we'll get an F-35 before an F/A-18E?

Think business model. F-35 will be a big money maker for ED. F/A-18E not so. And now that there is a suspicion that Falcon 5.0 will include a F-35, it's a 'race' for the market shares... It might also explain why they chose not to develop red-air full fidelity (besides the upcoming Mig-29). What concerns me is two-fold:

1) Generally speaking, ED works on several aircraft at any given time (different stages of completions with overlapping teams I presume) but are announced at different stages. Generally one AC module per year, give or take. Now we have in the pipeline the Mig-29A (that was announced long ago) and the new 'banger': the F-15C full fidelity that was revealed at the end of the '2025' video. AND THEN, to add up, they annouce the F-35. They never announced 2 ED full fidelity AC in one go. From here, not knowing nothing (you can quote me on that  ), it looks like a PR crash plan to deviate attention from the Falcon 5.0 rumors.

2) Now that they confirmed there is enough data in the public domain to model an 'enough-realistic' F-35,  again thinking on 'business model', they would/could (I expect to see because it's logical) later focus on Red-Air full fidelity to balance the game. (Because yes, it's a game at the end of the day, simulating aircraft with acceptable compromises, but still with game mechanics). But I wouldn't hold my breath to see this happening before 2027 at best... So, for the F/A-18E... Well, I don't see it fitting into the accountant sheets. 

[bies]

On 1/19/2025 at 1:26 AM, Avimimus said:

P.S. Honestly, the lack of support for some of the earlier Soviet/Russian/Warsaw Pact content is frustrating (e.g. the lack of fuse settings for Soviet cluster bombs, lack of fragmentation simulation impacting the Su-25/Mi-24/Mi-8

Full fidelity MiG-29 may be an impulse to take care about them.

[Harley]

13 hours ago, Cedaway said:

Think business model. F-35 will be a big money maker for ED. F/A-18E not so. And now that there is a suspicion that Falcon 5.0 will include a F-35, it's a 'race' for the market shares... It might also explain why they chose not to develop red-air full fidelity (besides the upcoming Mig-29). What concerns me is two-fold:

1) Generally speaking, ED works on several aircraft at any given time (different stages of completions with overlapping teams I presume) but are announced at different stages. Generally one AC module per year, give or take. Now we have in the pipeline the Mig-29A (that was announced long ago) and the new 'banger': the F-15C full fidelity that was revealed at the end of the '2025' video. AND THEN, to add up, they annouce the F-35. They never announced 2 ED full fidelity AC in one go. From here, not knowing nothing (you can quote me on that  ), it looks like a PR crash plan to deviate attention from the Falcon 5.0 rumors.

2) Now that they confirmed there is enough data in the public domain to model an 'enough-realistic' F-35,  again thinking on 'business model', they would/could (I expect to see because it's logical) later focus on Red-Air full fidelity to balance the game. (Because yes, it's a game at the end of the day, simulating aircraft with acceptable compromises, but still with game mechanics). But I wouldn't hold my breath to see this happening before 2027 at best... So, for the F/A-18E... Well, I don't see it fitting into the accountant sheets. 

That is a very logical statement. It's hard to remember that the F18C is still in "early development" with the depth already modeled. It's my chosen airframe, because it does most things decently, and is one of 2 or 3 available so far for carrier ops. I'd like to see more naval aviation involved in this, and perhaps the f-35 will give us that. Maybe also an S-3/awacs, A-6, many others could also be made, but understanding what you've said, it makes the most sense.

[Philippcl04]

Someone knows where we can post questione for the next q+a video?

[MAXsenna]

6 hours ago, Philippcl04 said:

Someone knows where we can post questione for the next q+a video?

You're one year or so too late I think.  

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

14 hours ago, Philippcl04 said:

Someone knows where we can post questione for the next q+a video?

Yes, go back in time to August 2023: there’s a thread about it.

Edited January 24 by Raven (Elysian Angel)

[Corsac]

I watched the followup Q&A video from @Wags and I am very excited about the potentially upcoming SuperHornet as well as the dynamic campaigns update. I still had a few question about them so I thought about asking them here just in case

• I'm still a bit puzzled about why there would be more information on F-35A AN/APG-81 AESA radar than the F/A-18 E/F/G AN/APG-79 one. I didn't look for them and I know that there are more export customers for the F-35 than the F/A-18 E/F/G but still I'm not sure how much of that is really relevant
• What are the expected keypoints of dynamic campaigns for MP servers, especially with stuff like ECW and Grayflag implementing (semi-)dynamic campaigns with heavy scripting?
• With dynamic campaigns, will there be an emphasis on support roles like reconnaissance with pods like the existing F-14TARPS, and maybe aiframes like RF-4 or RF-5 (derived from current ones) and maybe Reccelight (for the EF-18) or ATARS (for F/A-18D) and SHARP (for F/A-18E/F)
• Same thing with EW with aiframes like the Prowler or maybe even a Growler. I know this is likely very hard to do properly (because it's heavily classified) but having a DCS-core implemented would be really nice for dynamic campaigns

[Andrei]

On 3/2/2025 at 7:51 PM, Corsac said:

I'm still a bit puzzled about why there would be more information on F-35A AN/APG-81 AESA radar than the F/A-18 E/F/G AN/APG-79 one. I didn't look for them and I know that there are more export customers for the F-35 than the F/A-18 E/F/G but still I'm not sure how much of that is really relevant

I am wondering about that myself. Given that F-35 will have AESA, it means that underlying technology will be there already.

I doubt that there are fundamental differences in pilot-vehicle interface in terms of how radar interface works in Super Hornet. Yes, there will likely be some subtle changes regarding antenna steering, however that is something that can likely be deduced. The characteristics are of course secret, but they are so for most of the 4th gen aircraft radars anyway. So we do not have a fully accurate representation in either F-16 or F/A-18 or we won't have that with F-15C either.

Even when you look at the Block III demonstrator which features wide area displays, it's quite visible that the basic radar symbology remains from the prior Hornet versions. Which makes sense - easier learning curve for crews.

[Avimimus]

On 3/2/2025 at 5:51 PM, Corsac said:

• I'm still a bit puzzled about why there would be more information on F-35A AN/APG-81 AESA radar than the F/A-18 E/F/G AN/APG-79 one. I didn't look for them and I know that there are more export customers for the F-35 than the F/A-18 E/F/G but still I'm not sure how much of that is really relevant

I suspect it is this - two export customers vs. nineteen export customers (some of whom build components for the fighter). That said, one would think that the AN/APG-81 would still be just as classified (or more classified).

[Archangel44]

I’m looking forward to the FF F-15C.

I wouldn’t think it would be too much work to get the switches and key bindings in place since it’s already a flying aircraft.

Hopefully, fingers crossed, it will be ready by Summer.

[draconus]

2 hours ago, Archangel44 said:

I wouldn’t think it would be too much work to get the switches and key bindings in place since it’s already a flying aircraft.

If you think it's just the keys and clicks slapped on the FC3 Eagle then you're wrong. And most definitely not this summer, maybe '26, more probably '27.

[Archangel44]

Gee.

nothing like an honest critic.

YER WRONG!

thanks dude.

 

 

Edited March 6 by Archangel44