Feedback Thread - Tomcat Patch 17-04-2025

[IronMike]

Dear all,

while this patch, too, remains a bit smaller, some important fixes are shipped with it. In the meantime we are working in the background to bring you the early A (and ALR-45 RWR) as well as the A-6 AI, and many more improvements. We thank you for your very kind patience.

As always we would kindly like to ask you for your feedback and thank you for your continued input and support! 

Lastly, we would like to remind you: the Heatblur Triumvirate Pack Sale is still ongoing until April 21st. You can grab the pack or the single modules for a reduced price on our store, the ED E-shop and on steam. The Triumvirate Pack also offers a special edition including our beloved t-shirts. If you have not yet, go check it out here:

https://store.heatblur.com/pages/triumvirate

 

Your Heatblur Team

 

DCS: F-14 Tomcat by Heatblur Simulations

• UI: Moved JTAC menu to the bottom of comms menu to avoid hiding the dash 4
• Audio: Fixed major audio "stepping" bug for both -A and -B variant
• Fixed the Afterburner for one engine displaying with major delay when switching cameras.
• Fixed a potential hitch that would occur when nearing an F-14 Tomcat of any type.
• RWR: Fixed the HB F-4E displayed as AI on the RWR. Threat library updated to version RE41
• Missions: Updated Reflected instant action missions
• Added Top Gun 104 "Iceman Tribute" livery by LanceCriminal86 and Mach3DS

Edited April 19 by IronMike

[scommander2]

5 minutes ago, IronMike said:

RWR: Fixed the HB F-4E displayed as AI on the RWR. Threat library updated to version RE41

Is it for F-4E or F-14?  Thanks.

Edited April 17 by scommander2

[IronMike]

16 minutes ago, scommander2 said:

Is it for F-4E or F-14?  Thanks.

The F-4E now properly displays on the F-14 RWR.

[Ghostrider 147]

Many thanks for the bug fixes, can't wait to take the Tomcat out of my hangar again, time for a fun flight!

[scommander2]

1 hour ago, IronMike said:

The F-4E now properly displays on the F-14 RWR.

Thanks for the explanation. 

[IronMike]

30 minutes ago, scommander2 said:

Thanks for the explanation. 

Anytime!

[Dunska]

Quote

• Fixed the Afterburner for one engine displaying with major delay when switching cameras.

Yay!  Small thing, but it bugged me a lot.

[wwWolfcom]

Reported on HB discord, AB visual bug is still exist but little bit in different way.

[scommander2]

1 hour ago, wwWolfcom said:

Reported on HB discord, AB visual bug is still exist but little bit in different way.

Please review the following video:

I had moved my throttle back and forth from engine idle to AB in different movements (slow/fast/very fast).  

Please let me know if any comment for it.

Thanks.

[scommander2]

5 hours ago, IronMike said:

Audio: Fixed major audio "stepping" bug for both -A and -B variant

What would be the scenario or the action to cause the audio "stepping" bug before the fix?  Thanks. 

[JupiterJoe]

Quote

IronMike:  Whilst this patch, too, remains a bit smaller

Well, it's even smaller than that, because the Afterburner delay upon camera switching is still there.

The audio stepping  however is fixed.  Thank you.

8 hours ago, scommander2 said:

What would be the scenario or the action to cause the audio "stepping" bug before the fix?  Thanks. 

Canopy open (or exterior view) and shutting done either engine would result in a 'step' in the audio, rather than a smooth transition/gradual decline.  It appears fixed now, so you can remove that from your list, if it's on there.  Thanks @scommander2 

Edited April 18 by JupiterJoe

[IronMike]

16 hours ago, wwWolfcom said:

Reported on HB discord, AB visual bug is still exist but little bit in different way.

Thank you we have seen the report, we are investigating.

15 hours ago, scommander2 said:

Please review the following video:

I had moved my throttle back and forth from engine idle to AB in different movements (slow/fast/very fast).  

Please let me know if any comment for it.

Thanks.

This is fully correct behavior @scommander2 - no two engines are alike. This is why the AB effects and AB lighting will never be fully in sync. This is intentional.

The bug however is different. On camera switching one of the AB is frozen. It is related to the sounder code for one engine, we already see a potential fix for it (and why the last fix unfortunately did not seem to work though it seemed gone in testing).

You can observe how that looks here (the bug, ofc, not the fix): https://discord.com/channels/1071433028045377637/1362528498920718388

Edited April 18 by IronMike

[scommander2]

3 minutes ago, IronMike said:

You can observe how that looks here (the bug, ofc, not the fix): https://discord.com/channels/1071433028045377637/1362528498920718388

Thanks!!

[Q3ark]

16 hours ago, scommander2 said:

What would be the scenario or the action to cause the audio "stepping" bug before the fix?  Thanks. 

You could hear it if you shut down the engines with the canopy open or shut down in an exterior view.

[IronMike]

Dear all,

shame on me, I forgot to add one of the most important items for this patch: 

- Added Top Gun 104 "Iceman Tribute" livery by LanceCriminal86 and Mach3DS

In memory of the late and great Val Kilmer. May he rest in peace. 

[Tom Kazansky]

33 minutes ago, IronMike said:

Dear all,

shame on me, I forgot to add one of the most important items for this patch: 

- Added Top Gun 104 "Iceman Tribute" livery by LanceCriminal86 and Mach3DS

In memory of the late and great Val Kilmer. May he rest in peace. 

[Ignition]

Please stop adding Liveries.

31 GB of space wasted on the F-14 and F-4, 2 aircraft I don't fly. If people want a livery the could add it for themself.

Thanks.

[Ghostrider 147]

2 hours ago, Ignition said:

Please stop adding Liveries.

31 GB of space wasted on the F-14 and F-4, 2 aircraft I don't fly. If people want a livery the could add it for themself.

Thanks.

SSD drives are pretty cheap these days you know  

I see little harm in a livery being added to honor someone pretty iconic to the F-14 community

[Ignition]

2 hours ago, Ghostrider 147 said:

SSD drives are pretty cheap these days you know  

I see little harm in a livery being added to honor someone pretty iconic to the F-14 community

I can install a whole game in 32 GB instead of having that unused space by 2 aircraft I don't use.

It's ok to do a tribute, make it optional though, not obligatory for all the DCS players.

[bernyssen]

hace 31 minutos, Ignition dijo:

I can install a whole game in 32 GB instead of having that unused space by 2 aircraft I don't use.

It's ok to do a tribute, make it optional though, not obligatory for all the DCS players.

If you use any module so infrequently that you would rather just have the storage space back, you can uninstall it from the DCS launcher:

null

[Ignition]

13 minutes ago, bernyssen said:

If you use any module so infrequently that you would rather just have the storage space back, you can uninstall it from the DCS launcher:

null

No, you can't uninstall Liveries.
They are inside the CoreMods folder.

All DCS players have the liveries of ALL the DCS modules.

[Q3ark]

10 hours ago, Ignition said:

No, you can't uninstall Liveries.
They are inside the CoreMods folder.

All DCS players have the liveries of ALL the DCS modules.

You can go in there and delete them manually. 

[Ignition]

6 hours ago, Q3ark said:

You can go in there and delete them manually. 

It's only momentary since every patch will download everything again, even a hotfix. I've already done that before.

The only way to solve this if the developer just makes a few liveries and ED changes the way the CoreMods folder works. People can still download and install all they want in their installation without the need to install this for every player.

Edited April 21 by Ignition

[Q3ark]

11 minutes ago, Ignition said:

It's only momentary since every patch will download everything again, even a hotfix. I've already done that before.

The only way to solve this if the developer just makes a few liveries and ED changes the way the CoreMods folder works. People can still download and install all they want in their installation without the need to install this for every player.

You can create a batch file which you can run after every update to automatically delete any livery folders you don’t want, it takes a little setting up but once you’ve created it it’s a simple matter of running the file after each DCS update, it’s not like the updates are regular any more either. 
 

Here’s a link to a tutorial on creating batch files that’ll get you started if you want to do it. 
 

https://www.wikihow.com/Delete-a-File-in-Microsoft-Windows-Using-Batch-Files

 

Edited April 21 by Q3ark
Spelling

[captain_dalan]

On 4/17/2025 at 9:43 PM, IronMike said:

 

• Fixed the Afterburner for one engine displaying with major delay when switching cameras.

 

On 4/18/2025 at 1:22 AM, Dunska said:

Yay!  Small thing, but it bugged me a lot.

Hey guys, can you double check this? Cause on my machine the bug is still there. Switching from F1 to F2, in the video below, causes the right after burner in the F-14A to always light up with delay. Both engines in ZONE 5. Latest version of DCS.