Black Shark 2 Released

[LostOblivion]

At least executables that use the same resources, instead of having 3 copies of most of the textures, models, etc. :-)

[KaspeR32]

Not sure if anyone else has tried this but, I was just able to uninstall the 1.02 patch from BS1 instead of the whole program. So there was no need to re-install version 1.0. Hope this helps someone save some time!

[Geskes]

Just gave it a spin, there is tons of new stuff :P

and sneak preview on the new cbu-103/105, looks nice :)

[Speed]

That's a bummer.

 

No, it's not. Try placing a F-15C, Su-25, Su-27, A-10A, Su-33, etc. in the BS2 mission editor, then see what options there are for the skill level ;)

 

Major hint towards an unannounced project I take it :)

 

Though,

EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

 

I can't believe I'm the only one getting excited over this. Hell, I didn't even like FC2 (not to bash ED- survey sims are NOT my thing).

Edited November 3, 2011 by Speed

[Ranger79]

Just gave it a spin, there is tons of new stuff :P

and sneak preview on the new cbu-103/105, looks nice :)

 

VIDEO PLEASE!!! Someone needs to post to youtube, no BS2 videos yet.

[xifu]

I've Uploaded a video for the people who want to see the BS2 in the new enviroment.

 

I'm just flying around a cities. I love flying the k50 in this enviroment.

 

Great work !!!

 

Edited November 3, 2011 by xifu

[cichlidfan]

The damage model looks nice...:D

[titanium]

I have bought BS2 and I am downloading now but I feel like I need to voice my displeasure.

 

This is not what DCS was supposed to be. The modules where supposed to be pieces that would fit together to form one sim with many aircraft. Thats what was advertised when the dcs brand was announced and when WH came out. What we have now is a mish mash that breaks up the community.

 

Like others have asked, will we have BS3, WH2 when the next "module" come out? How about 2 modules down the road? 3,4,5?

 

When I bought BS the first time I was supposed to be able to play online with people flying other planes in the future. So basicly DCS: BS should not even carry the DCS title anymore because it is not part of it.

 

What I think should have been done when creating the "modules" was to work only on the aircraft themselves and leave graphical and ME upgrades alone. Once in a while release patches that dealt with upgrading graphics and the ME. That way we would have had more planes released by now. Sort of like Rise of Flight.

 

It not about the money for me. Like I said, I purchased BS2 already because I like the Ka-50 and I want to support ED. But, the way they went about it was very bad, IMHO.

 

Right now I feel like the DCS brand has basically been abandoned.

[Blacknemisis]

All I want to know is how is the AI has anyone done any battles yet!:pilotfly:

[Moa]

Thanks ED team and testers for the hard work.

 

Also a big thanks to 159th_Viper, EtherealN, and Nate--IRL-- for your patience in answering all the questions (again and again) and working past all the gripes.

 

One thing I'd like to say is please don't discount Alper22's criticicms. He and his 141st buddys have been working hard to try and mod a full F-16 into this sim and it's just frustration you are hearing. I've felt the same thing and nearly given up modding for this sim too, but have stayed with it. While DCS is far more community moddable than Falcon 4 BMS there are still plenty of improvements that could be done to improve the life of modders (and if you have been paying attention, or ask I'm sure you'll get a big list of *small* things that would make things a *lot* easier for us).

 

I myself decided to get the full BlackShark 2 rather than just an upgrade. I hope some of the testers get a beer or two out of the extra money :)

 

Another thing, without any forewarning of this product it is hard for some to plan purchases. Surely a little bit of marketing ahead of time would help sales (although a hint for the forum denizens: you would have notices the forums were offline for a little period some time ago, this always happens before a big release).

[Moa]

I have bought BS2 and I am downloading now but I feel like I need to voice my displeasure.

 

This is not what DCS was supposed to be. The modules where supposed to be pieces that would fit together to form one sim with many aircraft. Thats what was advertised when the dcs brand was announced and when WH came out. What we have now is a mish mash that breaks up the community.

 

Like others have asked, will we have BS3, WH2 when the next "module" come out? How about 2 modules down the road? 3,4,5?

 

When I bought BS the first time I was supposed to be able to play online with people flying other planes in the future. So basicly DCS: BS should not even carry the DCS title anymore because it is not part of it.

 

What I think should have been done when creating the "modules" was to work only on the aircraft themselves and leave graphical and ME upgrades alone. Once in a while release patches that dealt with upgrading graphics and the ME. That way we would have had more planes released by now. Sort of like Rise of Flight.

 

It not about the money for me. Like I said, I purchased BS2 already because I like the Ka-50 and I want to support ED. But, the way they went about it was very bad, IMHO.

 

Right now I feel like the DCS brand has basically been abandoned.

 

I think your problem is of "expectation". ED would like to be able to release these things as patches but the reality is that software development is so hard and they got so many new features in this *upgrade* that the development costs simply cannot be swallowed. How do I know this? besides being a software developer during the day I've also released a few mods for LockOn (and have a nice moving map for Flaming Cliffs 2 just about to go into beta testing with the 104th, before its public release; but this mod took much longer and was much harder than I first envisioned - it's usually like that with software and I'm sure ED also face the same thing when doing their enhancements too).

 

Personally, I'm glad that ED are giving me the choice whether to enjoy Black Shark as it is (still perfectly functional) or pay a small amount and get an optional upgrade that vastly improves the experience.

 

The glass is half full bro. Enjoy the fact you have some disposable income and disposable time (how many Somalis or Bengalis can afford to get these toys?). If you keep things in perspective you will feel lucky at having a choice to get this upgrade or not (and benefit from all the labour of the small ED team and associates) - I certainly do.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Moa
corrected "it's" to "its", I hope this makes sobek happy :)

[graywo1fg]

I have bought BS2 and I am downloading now but I feel like I need to voice my displeasure.

 

This is not what DCS was supposed to be. The modules where supposed to be pieces that would fit together to form one sim with many aircraft. Thats what was advertised when the dcs brand was announced and when WH came out. What we have now is a mish mash that breaks up the community.

 

Like others have asked, will we have BS3, WH2 when the next "module" come out? How about 2 modules down the road? 3,4,5?

 

When I bought BS the first time I was supposed to be able to play online with people flying other planes in the future. So basicly DCS: BS should not even carry the DCS title anymore because it is not part of it.

 

What I think should have been done when creating the "modules" was to work only on the aircraft themselves and leave graphical and ME upgrades alone. Once in a while release patches that dealt with upgrading graphics and the ME. That way we would have had more planes released by now. Sort of like Rise of Flight.

 

It not about the money for me. Like I said, I purchased BS2 already because I like the Ka-50 and I want to support ED. But, the way they went about it was very bad, IMHO.

 

Right now I feel like the DCS brand has basically been abandoned.

 

My thoughts exactly. Sigh* maybe replace the word modules with DLC for the future and thats what we'll have. :doh:

[MemphisBelle]

I am going to purchase it as well, no question.

Only question I got is, whether it´ll be necessary to always purchase a new "upgrade" on the previous Module once the next one will be released...In example, what is with the next 2 Modules. Can we expect to purchase BS3 and 4 and later Warthog2 then to keep online compatibility?

 

Dont get me wrong I´d purchse all of them, only just to support ED (there actually 2 Developers I´d do so, ED and BIS), I am just curious about that.

 

@Wags, you surprises me pretty much, as you always do...:D

[Fuby]

I am going to purchase it as well, no question.

Only question I got is, whether it´ll be necessary to always purchase a new "upgrade" on the previous Module once the next one will be released...In example, what is with the next 2 Modules. Can we expect to purchase BS3 and 4 and later Warthog2 then to keep online compatibility?

 

Dont get me wrong I´d purchase all of them, only just to support ED (there actually 2 Developers I´d do so, ED and BIS), I am just curious about that.

 

@Wags, you surprises me pretty much, as you always do...:D

 

They said they would make BS compatable with A10.. they never said for FREE..:) Always "read" between the lines..

 

Black Shark one works fine with Flaming cliffs 2 and I will leave mine there for now..

 

My A10c can collect dust till later date..graphics don't seem that much better.

can always blow off the dust and play it then..

 

I would assume someone is programing these things and needs to keep the lights on.. I would also assume this shows how DCS feels it should be done, with money from their current fanbase..as small as it already is..

 

I just hope it does not detract from the fanbase and alienate those currently supporting these games. I personally will wait on the sale in the future and when it comes to steam. I can hold my breath that long.. there are other games to play. This is no surprise in todays gaming community.

[cichlidfan]

I forgot to ask. Is it OK to download the "full install BS2" even though I'm going through the upgrade path in terms of purchases? Will it ask for my BS1 key and then BS2upgrade key when installing? Should I stop downloading BS2full files?

 

If I have a BS1 purchase on file with DCS and buy BS2 upgrade will it give me a BS2full key? I would very much not like to store BS1+BS2upgrade files if I can just have a unified installer.

 

The upgrade key only works for the upgrade, not for the full version.

 

If you got the upgrade, regardless of where your BS1 key is, you still only get a key for the upgrade.

[104th_Crunch]

Thanks ED and testers for this release.

 

Guys, I think the only way we would get a compatibility patch for free is if A10C had no improvements over Blackshark. Instead A10C is improved over Blackshark and thus BS required lots of work to get it to A10C standards. I myself would rather BS2 to look like A10C and pay for the work, then having A10C look BS and a free patch. This way things can continue to be improved.

 

I still hope that maybe something more elegant is found for future releases. Maybe include the compatibility for past releases when the new module is released. It will take more time, but then maybe charge more for the module. This is not Battlefield, this is a niche market and if a new module cost $100 I would pay for it. How many of us would bitch about the price of this patch if ED had to close it doors tomorrow?!

 

Also, bye bye Ka-50 pilots on FC2 servers. I am sure we are not going to want to fly this in FC2 much when it will be so much better with A10C. I hope now for FC3, or even better, a DCS Fighter. Look forward to the future.

[Biggus]

I was on the fence about buying BS. I've had A-10C for a few months and love it, and having BS working in the same environment has pretty much sealed the deal for me.

 

I seriously can't believe how much bitching has gone on here. If you've spent the money on a system that can run this, it's petty to have a whinge at $20 for a patch. Hell, it's a bargain at five times the price. It's no wonder there are so few companies developing flight sims, we must be the most petty and childish market in the software world.

 

The fact that such great support is available for a game published in 2008 is remarkable. Keep it up, guys. I'm very much looking forward to the compatibility patch.

[leafer]

Man, because the link to download is categorized as game site, I can't get BS2. Is there a way to get around this at work?

[MemphisBelle]

As I said, don´t get me wrong. The purchase price for the modules is more than just simply fair...it´s nearly below the limit where it actually has to be for such a deep simulation. That´s why I said I would (although this is wrong, cause I will) pay for all of the ED products, because these are things I have been waiting for all my life.

 

I dont have a Problem with a few more bugs to pay for an upgrade, my concern was more about the question whether the "upgrades" themself will be come a "normal release" procedure in the future?!

 

I could pretty much imagine, that future Modules will be pretty more advanced against the DCS A-10C as she was/is against Black Shark1. So I actually expect ED to release upgrades to keep compatibility...that´s what I actually am courious about.

[cichlidfan]

EDIT: Nevermind!

Is there a 64 bit executable? Are key settings unchanged from bs1? Downloading now.....

[Griffin]

Wow I can't wait to fly this new beauty! So many new exciting features that I'm definately ready to pay for it!

I still hope that maybe something more elegant is found for future releases.

+1

 

I've had doubts for long that this current module system won't last. It will become extremely complex to make compatibility patches for every single module. It's going to be a DCS: Nightmare for ED in the future. I'm really afraid that this system will become too heavy and they will stop making previous modules compatible and thus break the DCS world where all the DCS standard aircraft can fly in the same environment and create a complex and realistic battlefield simulation. It has to be something like the other simulation series to be actually modular. Right now the game is built around a single aircraft when all the aircraft should be built around a single simulation platform (hope that made sense).

[213]

I was on the fence about buying BS. I've had A-10C for a few months and love it, and having BS working in the same environment has pretty much sealed the deal for me.

 

I seriously can't believe how much bitching has gone on here. If you've spent the money on a system that can run this, it's petty to have a whinge at $20 for a patch. Hell, it's a bargain at five times the price. It's no wonder there are so few companies developing flight sims, we must be the most petty and childish market in the software world.

 

The fact that such great support is available for a game published in 2008 is remarkable. Keep it up, guys. I'm very much looking forward to the compatibility patch.

 

no offense, but the arguments from principle with consideration over the longevity of this practice more than addresses your arguments, if not outright refutes it.

[scheffchen]

To the devs: Very nice suprise and great work by the way =)

 

Just to add my two cents: The upgrade is 20$, I mean come on 20 bucks. That´s nothing for the engine upgrade and all the other features which give endless hours of fun.

So if they would lift my dcs a 10 to direct x13 in couple of years I would be very very happy, just to pay for an upgrade instead for a new version. But even the full version is just 40$ which is a bargain in my eyes. It really is.

Check out EA with FIFA: Every year a complete new version with minimal gfx upgrade.

Then again remember the amount of people buying a high fidelity sim versus the number of players buying a first person shooter.

Devs work hard with love for their work (as we can see with the all the little details modeled) and they need money for living. They are the good guys so they deserve our money :-)

Ah and check out the price of steel beast pro (100$). So nothing to be concerned about here. =)

 

Cheers

boris

[WynnTTr]

no offense, but the arguments from principle with consideration over the longevity of this practice more than addresses your arguments, if not outright refutes it.

 

How does it refute it? This practice has been going on for some years now in other game genres - you see DLC in other games yet?

 

Also even if they do charge $20 per upgrade - let's see:

 

If they release a DCS module ($60) every 2 years with an upgrade for the previous module ($20) that's $80 every 2 years. You can't spend $80 every 2 years? If you saved a dollar a week you'll cover it easily. Even if they do it annually (see Activision and the milking of the CoD franchise), that's around about $1.50 per week.

 

Hmm... petty much?

 

Arguments of principle - if they were crusading for world peace, the elimination of poverty or just helping the dog down the street get a skateboard then that would be an argument of principle and charging for a commercial product would deserve the kind of outcry we're seeing.

 

But news flash! They're a commercial company trying to sell a product and make a buck not cater to your whims for free products. If you want free, do it yourself or get friends to.