Are they coming back??

[ZQuickSilverZ]

I noticed when FC 2.0 came out that the DCS servers turned into a virtual ghost town. I know that FC 2.0 is the new kid on the block, so its getting alot of attention and I understand that. My question is how many of you are just "taking a break" and plan on coming back to the Helo side of things? Also the people that were playing Blackshark, were you really intrested in flying a helicopter, or did you just get it because no modern military flying sims have come out in a long time and this was the only new product on the market? I guess I am kind of confused. I always thought Helo and Jet pilots were so very different in tactics and technique that you would not see so much jumping around. As a side note IF DCS comes out with Apache and they do the 2 person cockpit thing how many of you are intrested in becoming a gunner? Im pretty intrested myself and have already offered to be a gunner for an aspireing Apache Pilot I know.

[spyda]

i love black shark, im playing fc 2 cause its new life to an old fav and simple to MP if you only have a quick hour to spare but BS is so much better over all in realism.

[Arrowhead]

I'm thinking things will be more lively when the compatability patch is out. :music_whistling:

[Major SNAFU]

I'm sticking with Black Shark. I also come from a Falcon 4 and IL2 (most recently) background and I find BS very much scratching an itch I had almost forgotten after my greatly loved LongBow2.

 

That being said, I will want to try some training multiplayer soon.

 

What is the current popular voice coms package? Teamspeak or what?

[Bucic]

If you know some 24/7 European server I might drop by. I can do only basic stuff though. Flying by ABRIS map (manually only) and shooting + datalink. That's pretty much it.

 

To answer your questions - I bought DCS BS because of its fidelity, not because I like helicopters. Correction. I like helicopters now thanks to Black Shark, for the most part. If I buy FC2 to fly Su-25 one day I won't be missing BS much now that we have DCS environment. I wait for the compatibility patch not because I want the compatibility. I want the new sound engine!

 

Edit:

OWWE Osa

Piloti Virtuali Italiani

*UFS* Regiment

 

These are the only servers I could join because of the reasonable ping (~50). All the rest of the available servers - 150 and more!

Edited April 16, 2010 by Bucic

[ZQuickSilverZ]

Well Bucic kinda proved my point. I think alot of people bought Blackshark for the "fidelity". That won't hold interest for long though if people are not truley intrested in combat helicoper piloting. I guess I see a future where im the only helo pilot in a server full of jets, and thats kinda dissapointing. Hopefully if DCS does Apache it will get alot of helo pilots online since the Apache is a better known helo.

[Feuerfalke]

I'm thinking things will be more lively when the compatability patch is out. :music_whistling:

 

Exactly.

 

IMHO many people are now testing the changes in FC2, but once you really can play BS and FC2 on one server, player-numbers will most likely rise dramatically.

[BKLronin]

I have ever been an Rotorhead except Sundayflying in my home area with fixed wing (X-Plane). I waited so many years for a CombatHeloSim with BS this dream finally came true.

 

Will stay with the Shark faithfully until MI-24, if ever rel. :)

 

The Heli Flightmodel is simply the best I´ve ever had. That has always been the most important in any Flightsim.

[Distiler]

When compatibility patch comes out, I guess players from FC2 or DCS:Ka-50 will see the same server list. Reunion!

Edited April 16, 2010 by Distiler

[topol-m]

"They" are coming back :alien:

[TAIPAN_]

I will be back in black shark soon. It's been the only sim to give me withdaws when I'm not playing it. I would surf the forum at work and read the manual in my lunch break.

 

Jets or helos it doesn't have to be like that. I just love ground attack whether su-25 or ka-50.

 

Blackshark WILL have a place in multiplayer combined servers as the ability to hover and destroy a large series of targets in a few minutes exceeds fixed wing jets as they have to make many passes.

 

Also mission designers should place farps ahead of the airbase and the helo can hug the ground to avoid detection.

 

Good infantry placement will also give the ka-50 a role as infantry is hard to spot or hit with a fast jet.

 

Until the patch is out though I don't see much excitement because the severs are empty. Even having playe controlled jets as team mates will add much fun to black shark when it does come out.

 

I still can't beat the feeling of flying something that I once thought was too hard for me. Now it just feels "right" when I'm flying.

[Booger]

The patch will only consolidate numbers on servers, but it won't return pilots into the Shark's pit. I think that's pretty obvious.

 

The number will dwindle even more when the A-10 is released. Seriously, if ED were to release the F/A-18 or F-16 after the A-10, how many of you would fly either previous airframes? VERY few would be my guess--we stick with what we love.

 

Soon the only ones flying BS will be the no-nonsense helo fans.

[Major SNAFU]

Well Bucic kinda proved my point. I think alot of people bought Blackshark for the "fidelity". That won't hold interest for long though if people are not truley intrested in combat helicoper piloting. I guess I see a future where im the only helo pilot in a server full of jets, and thats kinda dissapointing. Hopefully if DCS does Apache it will get alot of helo pilots online since the Apache is a better known helo.

 

 

Hmmm. I mostly agree with the Apache comment, but I think that what most vitrual pilots will want is the LongBow. I, for one, miss my RADAR, FLIR, and fire and forget weapons......

 

But I am really enjoying the BS. Very different philosophy in aircraft design and pilot interaction with systems.

 

Don't get me wrong, people will buy for the Apache, but I think even more people would buy if it were the LongBow (AH-64D), which I know from teh forum is not in ED's plans.

 

I will buy it regardless as we have to keep ED in the green so we can have ongoing development of excellent flight sims.

 

 

SNAFU

[Sulman]

I bought FC 2.0 straight away (as much to support ED and for future play) but came back to BS quickly. FC is superb, but I'm not done with BS by a long shot. I still do not consider myself to have got far enough with it, and, to be quite frank, when I don't play it, I miss it.

 

The KA50 gives you a different relationship with the DCS world. It is hard to describe but you definitely look at things differently.

 

One thing I did do is import a couple of missions from BS into FC 2.0, just to try it out from the Toady-T's perspective. I learnt one thing, above all:

 

Cooperative missions are going to be very, very interesting. SU25 is fast enough to draw Sams and survive (the main threat to the 'Shark), the KA50 can easily provide help and targeting info on a target area.

 

I cannot wait to 'work a town' with some MP frog pilots.

[Bucic]

I think you all forget about one thing. The freely available servers (not owned by a virtual squad), without VoIP required are of the old quake-type and hyper-realism of BS encourages people to join dedicated servers to spend some quality time. No pilot that fell in a dedicated group of people will try quaking in BS again.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Bucic

[ZQuickSilverZ]

Booger pretty much said what I felt, he just said it a little more streamline and better. Also Bucic I hate having general VoIP on a server. I don't want to hear everyone on the server chattering nonstop. Some people just dont know how to shut up and bottleneck communications. I prefer having something more private like TS or Vent. Call me anti social but I really don't want to hear how lil Billy beat his level 25 Pokemon or how Butch "got him some" last night. Taipan you say "Jets or helos it doesn't have to be like that" well, yeah for me it really does have to be like that. Reason being is helicopters really should be flown in teams of at least 2. One to shoot and one to watch for threats (kind of a sniper, spotter sort of thing) especially in multiplayer where air attacks are a lot more of a threat. When one goes winchester they switch roles. You can't really do that properly teaming with a jet, even if its a ground pounder, because they have to always be moving forward.

[robmypro]

I prefer having something more private like TS or Vent. Call me anti social but I really don't want to hear how lil Billy beat his level 25 Pokemon or how Butch "got him some" last night.

 

I agree 100%. TeamSpeak or bust.

[coder1024]

I'm starting to get crazy thoughts of buying a 2nd copy of Black Shark just to put it on my Laptop for lunch breaks and free time studying (ABRIS, etc

I believe you don't need a separate copy, you're allowed a certain # of activations. AFAIK, its perfectly legit to buy a copy and install it on your desktop and laptop.

[104th_Crunch]

You can always add the option to mute channels and/or players. If bandwidth can handle it VOIP is a great idea IMO. Yes, once the compatibility patch comes out there will be plenty of action for the Ka-50, although there is something to be said about dedicated A2G servers as well with nice story lines.

[Eries]

I noticed when FC 2.0 came out that the DCS servers turned into a virtual ghost town. I know that FC 2.0 is the new kid on the block, so its getting alot of attention and I understand that. My question is how many of you are just "taking a break" and plan on coming back to the Helo side of things? Also the people that were playing Blackshark, were you really intrested in flying a helicopter, or did you just get it because no modern military flying sims have come out in a long time and this was the only new product on the market? I guess I am kind of confused. I always thought Helo and Jet pilots were so very different in tactics and technique that you would not see so much jumping around. As a side note IF DCS comes out with Apache and they do the 2 person cockpit thing how many of you are intrested in becoming a gunner? Im pretty intrested myself and have already offered to be a gunner for an aspireing Apache Pilot I know.

 

 

I see the basically the same DCS servers and encounter the usual mix of unknown and known users , same as I saw since day one of the release of DCS.

It's not like there was a huge amount of servers with flocks of folks in them....its never been that way. The usual dedicated servers and players are still dedicated now.

Actually last weekend there were alot of servers online , more than I 've ever seen and I thought that was quite hopeful and I was pleased with the apparent resurgance of interest.

But predominately what I see mostly is a bunch of folks talking about DCS , talking about flying DCS , talking about thier interest in DCS, talking about issues in DCS , talk , talk , talk..............then continually being no shows when it comes to actually flying or participating. Its the usual " All talk and no action" problem.

If half the folks blabbering away would actually fly , then it'd be quite an active community. Im not sure FC 2.0 has been the actual distraction.....

 

Eries

[Sherlock]

I love helos. I was a fixed wing nut my whole life, starting with Flight Simulator 2 on the Apple in the early 80s.

 

What changed? I got my pilot's license! For some reason, once I could fly real planes, it was kinda "meh" with the flight simulators.

 

But I am still fascinated with helicopters. Would love to add a rotary license in real life, but very, very expensive.

 

So yeah, I'm sticking with Black Shark- bought Lock On years ago, but haven't played it in ages and probably won't.

[104th_Crunch]

I see the basically the same DCS servers and encounter the usual mix of unknown and known users , same as I saw since day one of the release of DCS.

It's not like there was a huge amount of servers with flocks of folks in them....its never been that way. The usual dedicated servers and players are still dedicated now.

Actually last weekend there were alot of servers online , more than I 've ever seen and I thought that was quite hopeful and I was pleased with the apparent resurgance of interest.

But predominately what I see mostly is a bunch of folks talking about DCS , talking about flying DCS , talking about thier interest in DCS, talking about issues in DCS , talk , talk , talk..............then continually being no shows when it comes to actually flying or participating. Its the usual " All talk and no action" problem.

If half the folks blabbering away would actually fly , then it'd be quite an active community. Im not sure FC 2.0 has been the actual distraction.....

 

Eries

 

:music_whistling::megalol:

[Booger]

I prefer having something more private like TS or Vent. Call me anti social but I really don't want to hear how lil Billy beat his level 25 Pokemon or how Butch "got him some" last night.

 

This is why I love TS to be honest with the ability of sub-channels with channel broadcasting.

 

You can stick your 'flights' in sub channels (you and your wingman in one subchannel, others in their own)--you two can communicate all day long really with no worry about bothering anyone, yet there is still the "open" channel to talk with other elements. Just use a little radio discipline with the open channel & you have the ideal comms setup.

 

I honestly don't know if Vent has the same capability.

[SFJackBauer]

Reason being is helicopters really should be flown in teams of at least 2. One to shoot and one to watch for threats (kind of a sniper, spotter sort of thing) especially in multiplayer where air attacks are a lot more of a threat. When one goes winchester they switch roles. You can't really do that properly teaming with a jet, even if its a ground pounder, because they have to always be moving forward.

 

I tend to disagree. Every fighter, attack aircraft or helo is made to be flown in pairs at least. I've flown my fair share of flights (in FC2 and other sims...) as a wingman or lead of somebody, and I get much more satisfaction flying as a pair than alone. Even when I get zero kills and my partner gets all :D

[ZQuickSilverZ]

Im a little confused SFJackBauer. What is it your disagreeing with?