Redfor Dilemma: A Discussion

[Creampie]

This post is intended primarily for the multiplayer audience, both PVP and PVE. Even the single-player guys who like more than just NATO equipment. The is no intent to ruffle feathers, or go against any sort of grain. But this is a problem and it should be talked about.

PLEASE excuse me, this post is a little all over the place, but sort of just trying to paint my picture.

There is no floor plan, or any sort of roadmap for the modules in DCS. Modules are quite sporadic, and you can never really assume what is next in line. Which sort of causes a bit of a tough spot to be in for a multiplayer server. There are many players who naturally would prefer NATO with NATO versus their counterparts from the east. The problem with that is, you end up with all the modules we love on one team and essentially far less capable aircraft in the other, at least in a non-restricted environment.  Granted mission makers can move things around a bit and try to “balance” them out as best as they can, that is not the point.

The only real FF fixed-wing modules in a “red vs blue” environment that are FF are the JF-17 and the newly released 9.12 Fulcrum. Which is no contender in that realm. It seems most people who enjoy the Fulcrum outside the PVE stuff are just defaulting back to the FC3 version. I understand it is a work in progress and has some potential to become at least a little better. But when it is deemed a good counterpart to the upcoming FF F-15C, that is sort of like saying the BF109 is a good counterpart to the MiG21.

 

It's always the same old take anytime a “red” module is brought up, be it, political, documentation, licensing, ROI etc.

Politically, I understand to a very small degree. Considering current world events, there may be some challenges.

The information aspect of this I certainly don’t understand. Modules that do have the possibility of being made, especially considering the information being used for the F-35; 30MKK, SU24, Mi28, J-10A/B and in a lot of respects the C variant, just to name a few that have a vast amount of information publicly available.

Which leads to another realm of discussion: the F-35, the Eurofighter, the Meteor, etc. These are all still pretty classified pieces of equipment. But somehow, YouTube &the public forum “information” is significant.

ROI, I think, bothers me the most out of all the reasoning. I don’t understand how, in the video made by Wags and many other places, they mentioned that the ROI for red modules is a factor in straying away from them.  The current fixed wing lineup in FF modules (at least fighters/multirole) are the JF-17, a pretty unknown and very underappreciated plane, and the 9.12 Fulcrum, which, as I said before, offers no parity in the current modules or the future modules. While it was very hyped it just really falls short of filling these gaps and made the hype die down quite a bit for it. So, with that being said, I just don’t understand where this ROI is being pulled from. The less iconic JF? The 9.12 that people are just using the better FC3 version of? The shark or hind that most people own at least one of? How is an ROI retermined on something FF wise, you just do not sell.. 

 

There are some things I may be wrong about in this post and that is OK! I just really want to see current opinions on filling these gaps and offering more than just a NATO V NATO scenario.