DCS Earth ?

[jymp]

I read rumors ??... of a DCS Earth being developed, is it true ??, heck... I'd be happy as said a Pacific "Southwestern US" module set in the 80's with NAS Miramar/North Island/Edwards etc., then a Atlantic Fleet module, NAS Oceana/Norfolk area, be great for realistic training with carriers off both coasts.

[Art-J]

I wouldn't say rumors - it's been hinted for years officially by ED staff (Q&A videos, interviews, newsletters) as something they'd like to make happen at some point in the future.

Make no mistake though - it's a great challenge and we're still years off from getting it.

[Silver_Dragon]

I read rumors ??... of a DCS Earth being developed, is it true ??, heck... I'd be happy as said a Pacific "Southwestern US" module set in the 80's with NAS Miramar/North Island/Edwards etc., then a Atlantic Fleet module, NAS Oceana/Norfolk area, be great for realistic training with carriers off both coasts.

DCS "Whole world" has under ED official develop. No release dates yet.

Enviado desde mi CPH2197 mediante Tapatalk

[crazysundog]

The current engine only allows the maps to generate on a flat plane.

I believe the first baby step is to have the core engine map a globe, and then have existing maps updated to fit on the globe. (existing maps likely had to convert 3D global data to fit on a 2D plane for use in DCS)

Once the new terrain engine generates a globe, there is an abundance of 3D global data available for creators, and probably much less work to bring that data into the terrain engine.

As everything DCS, I'm sure it will be an iterative process and will take some time.

[draconus]

16 hours ago, crazysundog said:

I believe the first baby step is to have the core engine map a globe, and then have existing maps updated to fit on the globe. (existing maps likely had to convert 3D global data to fit on a 2D plane for use in DCS)

I gather from the interviews that they are not going to convert existing maps. The global map was supposed to be spherical and disconnected from current terrains.

[crazysundog]

8 hours ago, draconus said:

I gather from the interviews that they are not going to convert existing maps. The global map was supposed to be spherical and disconnected from current terrains.

Well, by the time the 'world map' comes out, I'm sure the current terrains will probably be graphically outdated, so you could be right there.

Converting existing maps was just my assumption; much like terrains are done in MS FS9 - FSX - 2020 - 2024.

I'm not expecting to see the DCS World map this decade. (at least in multiplayer)

Edited May 16 by crazysundog

[SteelPig]

8 hours ago, draconus said:

I gather from the interviews that they are not going to convert existing maps. The global map was supposed to be spherical and disconnected from current terrains.

Depends on what Interview/Q&A you listen to. In some they say so, in others they say they looking into it. 
So at the end: We know pretty much nothing about this. 

[WRAITH]

On 5/17/2025 at 12:41 AM, SteelPig said:

Depends on what Interview/Q&A you listen to. In some they say so, in others they say they looking into it. 
So at the end: We know pretty much nothing about this. 

  that's the disappointing part of this sim

THE VAGUENESS OF IT ALL...

 

It has been incomplete for years compared to today's sims in general, a global earth is needed.

There is always the other sim

[Rudel_chw]

20 minutes ago, WRAITH said:

There is always the other sim

 

you mean the one where you can't shoot at anything? I prefer a Sim where you can actually engage in military combat, even if it is within limited terrains.

[cfrag]

Am I the only one who believes that the entire earth is a supremely bad idea? It would be a nice novelty for, say 5 minutes where you visit the place where you were born, perhaps drop a bomb on your elementary school - and then?

"Entire Earth" means a homogenous data source - all map data is sourced from some large DB. So say goodbye to historic era maps (say, Normandy, Germany CW). Also say goodbye to all missions that you have created to date, as the entire earth map data is guaranteed to conflict with your mission. Take DCS Caucasus, for example, then overlay a real map. Notice how almost nothing lines up, and all your carefully aligned units must be re-positioned and given new orders. Oh, and many airfields no longer exist. 

I've taken the other (non-boom) flight sim that does use a global earth map to fly from Batumi to Kobuleti. Yeah, Kobuleti airfield, as in DCS no longer exists. Many landmarks will be different. Ok, so the maps now are more recent. That's IMHO good for any engagement that takes place around now plus/minus ten years. Anything else - not so much.

So, lose any historic map, lose all your missions for the benefit of gaining access to some locations. Location IMHO doesn't make or break DCS. Missions do, the content that mission authors place inside a map. Without a good mission to drive engagement, even the most interesting map turns boring within an hour. You can only land so many times in Lukla before that novelty runs out. Oh, and visiting Merrill Meigs in Chicago is out - it's gone. As is Hong Kong's Kai Tak. 

So, yay! to the idea, and technical accomplishment. And nay!! to the (expectable) result - at least how it's available today from other vendors. Of course, I'll be happy to be proven wrong. Until I see different, I think we might be better served with a hand-tuned static map that may not have as much detail, but that has (paradoxically) better (more precise) detail/resolution. A quality over quantity thang.

 

Edited 23 hours ago by cfrag

[wilbur81]

23 minutes ago, cfrag said:

Am I the only one who believes that the entire earth is a supremely bad idea? 

 

No, I'm with you as well. In a realistic combat sim, I'm interested in realistic (historical or future-likely) scenarios. But most importantly for me is this: The map structures need to be susceptible to damage and alteration.  MSFSim looks pretty from above, but for a combat sim, the environment is unalterable. I have near-zero interest in a whole-earth-DCS-map.

Edited 22 hours ago by wilbur81

[draconus]

Many probably expect current DCS terrain quality level on a global map. That's not possible. What a whole Earth map gives us though is a possibility to create missions on a bigger scale without local map constraints. Probably not a rotor head dream.