Pacific Theatre of Operations | CH-47F Development Progress | Lunar Sale Final Hours

[Graphics]

 

 

07 February 2025

Dear Fighter Pilots, Partners and Friends, 

We are making steady progress on our upcoming Pacific Theatre of Operations for DCS. We are also working hard on a historic and immersive asset pack that will provide a wealth of legendary AI aircraft, ground, and naval assets that defined a pivotal chapter in WWII history. Read the details below.

Check out our latest progress on the DCS: CH-47F module and make sure you stay tuned as we continue to enhance the most authentic heavy-lift helicopter experience possible with new flight modes, new liveries, and more!

Don’t miss this last opportunity to grow your online experience during our DCS Lunar Sale, ending on the 10th of February 2025 at 15:00 GMT! 

Thank you for your passion and support.

Yours sincerely, 

Eagle Dynamics

 

Pacific Theatre of Operations
Announcement

With the creation of the free modern-day Mariana Island map, we announced our intention to create a World War II scenario that covers the momentous Mariana Islands events of Summer 1944. In addition to an almost complete recreation of the map based on our latest map tools and years of historical research, we have also been creating AI air, land and sea units from the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese armed forces for this period and location. This is in parallel with player-controlled aircraft such as the DCS: F6F Hellcat.

As part of Operation Forager, these scenarios will provide the most important mission types of the era including the air-to-air, air-to-ground, and anti-ship spread over the battles for Saipan, Guam, Tinian, and The Battle of the Philippine Sea.

Mariana Islands 1944 Map & WWII Pacific Pack

Although we were able to use some of the elevation mesh from the modern-day version of the Marianas map, the vast majority was redone to account for the correct buildings, airfields, agriculture, roads and rails, ports and urban areas. We also retextured the entire map surface to improve quality and accuracy. Based on our experience with the modern-day version, we are carefully ensuring good performance too.

Detailing the vast number of units for this theatre has extended the development period and hence the release of the Hellcat too. In parallel, we’ve been creating a large PTO assets pack including the SBD-5 Dauntless dive bomber, A6M5 Zero, Nakajima B6N Jill torpedo bomber and D4Y Judy dive bomber for the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Naval operations will naturally form a critical aspect of Operation Forager and we’ve been developing many vessels spread over different types. For the USN we have the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier, Iowa-class battleship, Cleveland-class light cruiser, and Fletcher-class destroyer, and for the IJN we have the Shokaku aircraft carrier, Yugumo-class destroyer, Kongo battleship, and Mogami cruiser currently.

As the ground battles between the US Marine Corps and the Imperial Japanese Army raged furiously across Saipan, Guam, and Tinian, we’ll be including multiple tanks, amphibious vehicles, artillery, anti-aircraft, guns, and infantry.

We are planning more aircraft such as the SB2C Helldiver, TBF Avenger, and Catalina for the USN and the D3A Val and B5N Kate for the Japanese. All these and a substantial number of other assets and AI units will be available in the DCS: WWII Pacific Pack. Please be aware that owners of the existing WWII Assets Pack will benefit from a 30% discount.

 

CH-47F
Development Progress

We are refining both flight systems and overall immersion for the DCS: CH-47F. Below are some of the key developments currently in the works:

Low Speed Regime Modes for DAFCS
We are introducing refined low-speed control logic for the Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS), including Transitional Rate Command, and Position Hold. These features aim to enhance control authority and stability when operating in tight confines or during hover transitions.

More Accurate Damage Model
Ongoing improvements to the damage model will better reflect real-world vulnerabilities and structural limitations of the CH-47F, adding an extra layer of realism to combat and challenging operational scenarios.

CDU & MFD Enhancements
Continuous upgrades to the Cockpit Display Unit (CDU) and Multi-Function Displays (MFD) will provide more accurate data presentation and system interactions. A proper Standby Flight Display (SFD) is also slated for a future update.

Advanced Rope Physics
We’re working on a new rope physics model that offers improved behaviour, supporting multiple ropes simultaneously. This will significantly enhance sling loading operations and troop insertion/extraction scenarios.

New Skins
You may also expect a variety of new liveries in an upcoming DCS update.

 

Lunar Sale
Final Hours

Last chance to expand your DCS experience with something you have dreamt of getting for a great price. Pick up something fantastic now with up to 50% discount in the DCS Lunar Sale 2025. Head to our E-Shop or Steam to secure these limited-time offers before they expire. Hurry! The sale ends on the 10th of February, 2025 at 15:00 GMT. 

Many thanks for your passion and support, 

Yours sincerely,

[YoYo]

Great news! Finally something about WWII .

[Beirut]

Glorious! 

[YoYo]

More pictures + 2 with bigger resolution.

Edited February 7 by YoYo

[michelip]

Wonderful news about the WW2 Pacific Theatre. A much-needed addition to the Channel & Normandy maps. 

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

Can we get bigger images of those embedded in the OP? The Marianas screenshot seems great, but i wouldn't know because i can barely see it!

[Gunfreak]

How does this fit with what Magnitude 3 is doing.

They talked about AI zero long ago and also showed Japanese ground units 

[Paganus]

Great news!

Love it.

[primus_TR]

WW2 carrier ops in the Pacific will fill a massive gap that existed since the IL2 Pacific Fighters. Can't wait. Amazing news. 

[MAXsenna]

Great newsletter!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Northstar98]

Really pleased with what I've read in this newsletter. It seems that finally, for the first time ever it seems, we're getting a theatre with a coherent and comprehensive set of modules (though lacking IJN) and assets, on an appropriate map.

The assets themselves look incredible and if we actually get everything stated here, then I'd say it would be worth the money, provided we also get functionality that is currently missing. The other thing that currently still seems to be missing are the guns for the Enterprise.

 

The great thing about doing it this way is that it provides maximum flexibility over what we've had previously - before our asset, module and map selection only allowed for completely fictional scenarios and made it impossible to make anything historical (even alternate history with a historical-ish Order Of Battle was pretty much off the table). This allows us to not only do the former, but also the latter.

[Esac_mirmidon]

Good news, the Assests Pack for Pacific theater are very welcomed (and the discount). 

I hope the pack will be released COMPLETE, because the former WWII Assests Pack is, after many years, incomplete for most of the AI planes promised.

[352ndOscar]

Where did the jungle go????

 

[MAXsenna]

1 minute ago, 352ndOscar said:

Where did the jungle go????

 

Wasn't welcome. They needed food. 

[Cunctator]

4 minutes ago, 352ndOscar said:

Where did the jungle go????

 

The japanese had extensive sugarcane plantations and supporting industry on their part of the Marianas.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Nice to hear about the CH-47 updates. Hopefully the ability to turn off pedal trim will also be included - and of course proper visors for the pilots  

[Fitzcarraldo]

41 minutes ago, Northstar98 said:

Really pleased with what I've read in this newsletter. It seems that finally, for the first time ever it seems, we're getting a theatre with a coherent and comprehensive set of modules (though lacking IJN) and assets, on an appropriate map.

The assets themselves look incredible and if we actually get everything stated here, then I'd say it would be worth the money, provided we also get functionality that is currently missing. The other thing that currently still seems to be missing are the guns for the Enterprise.

 

The great thing about doing it this way is that it provides maximum flexibility over what we've had previously - before our asset, module and map selection only allowed for completely fictional scenarios and made it impossible to make anything historical (even alternate history with a historical-ish Order Of Battle was pretty much off the table). This allows us to not only do the former, but also the latter.

I'm also hoping that this will be a decent set of units. I'm only missing support ships. Tenders, cargo ships, utilities etc.
When you look at gun cam footage from PTO you'll see a lot of smaller ships getting strafed. It makes sense when you consider that most logistics was ship-based. I think more support vessels are needed, even if they make less spectacular headlines than a battleship...

[Minsky]

39 minutes ago, Cunctator said:

The japanese had extensive sugarcane plantations and supporting industry on their part of the Marianas.

You're overthinking it:

[Fitzcarraldo]

8 minutes ago, Minsky said:

You're overthinking it:

I don't think the trees were the performance hog people think they were. I only struggled over Guam proper. I suspect the general scene complexity there is the culprit.
Caucasus runs super fast and it also has a lot of trees (but not much more)...

Edited February 7 by Fitzcarraldo

[Falco.]

Frankly this announcement leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth, doing a Pacific theater without a flyable Zero is like doing the Battle of Britain without the 109E, you know what we do with a Zero AI...

Nothing, they don't want to understand that WWII pilots before this are passionate about history and they don't think in terms of single airplanes but in terms of historical context, we're back to the usual, on the American side there's the Hellcat and presumably the Corsair if they decide to release it, on the Japanese side......nothing...., but we can always use a 190A8 with the skin of a Zero as already seen in the past....

[saburo_cz]

1 hour ago, 352ndOscar said:

Where did the jungle go????

 

Should not be there...

 

from Base Facilities Summary

[Dragon1-1]

Really looking forward to the Iowa. Would that be possible to include that particular ship in the core assets? It might not be fully correct for modern era, but it is the same ship that would later escort tankers during the Tanker War. Of course, ideally we'd get a modern Iowa based on the WWII model later on.

There are problems in life that can't be solved by liberal application of 16" shells, but it's a short list.

Edited February 7 by Dragon1-1

[Rikus]

Support to this in future updates please:

https://forum.dcs.world/topic/368815-nvidia-dlss-preset-j/#comment-5600937

Edited February 7 by Rikus

[ggrewe]

Wow! Just made my week-end, best news in a long time

Impressed with the expanded list of AI assets, but hope they stick to it, as Esac_mirmidon says, but don't mind if they release in batches, as long as they complete the list over time.

Can't wait!

Hawkeye60 also working on a WWII Pacific's assets pack separately.

Coming soon at 100% discount

[MADLOU1]

Now DCS is REALLY COOKING with the Pacific stuff!!!!!