immersion

[Randolf]

Random system failures are interesting. At one point your mission might be to destroy enemy tank convoy, but due to a random twist of fate, that might suddenly change into getting back home safely. They make missions less straightforward.

I agree that the DCS world seems a little bit sterile. Better and more detailed graphics is the most effective way to make the world more interesting, but it takes lots of work and makes the game eat even more system resources. It's quite hungry already, mind you. Still, the thing I really want to see is more, hell of a lot of more smoke. The common issue with all current war games is that smoke disappears way too quicky, isn't dynamic and isn't thick enough. Having good smoke would greatly boost immersion.

[PlainSight]

online is unstable and stutters a lot, crashes, etc so i don't do it as often as i'd like.

 

on the point of sterile environment, i don't think some prettier campaign profile pictures will do it. i think you should address what lies in the word itself, "environment".

 

while the world can look quite pretty, it sometimes is very disappointing to see how weakly the hills and mountains are done. sometimes almost 90 degree angles and pyramids.

 

other things to consider:realistic humans and wildlife. better coastlines.

 

I was thinking more about game elements. Like Freespace 2, for example. Menus, story, campaigns, not just the "bare" plane study sim. But i guess DCS will always lack these elements and will focus solely on realism.

[Fenrir]

I really couldn't agree more with the OP.

 

Remembering the mission briefings from Jane's USNF and other sims from the 90s made realize just how bare this feature is on FC2. More immersion in a future DCS title would be nice. If it is a Super Hornet game, I'd like to see flight deck crew doing their own thing instead of a ghost flight deck.

 

In Super VGA Harrier, they actually let you walk around the carrier (in a point and click fashion) and check for new missions, enter the com room and actually monitor missions that are already going on. Even visit the tower and watch other flights land and takeoff. I doubt you'll see that kind of immersion in a modern sim but it would be awesome to see.

[Longjap]

Ahhhhh, so true! This is my biggest wish for the next DCS or, the next patch. Haha. Seriously though, putting in the Easter Egg of an drivable jeep which only can be accessed by ejecting the hog is like teasing my necrophilic uncle with concrete graveyard..

 

No need for fancy cutscenes, in depth story, hollywoodstyle entertainment, just the possibility to get out, walk up to the debriefing, having more detailed information to learn from, have a chat with some other pixels, stiff bodied expressionless faces at the squadrons bar, and besides getting to the jeep in freaking normal fassion, a'it? ;) And vice verca of course.

 

@Randolf

Right, this would be my runner up. Better smoke (especially longer trails, higher up in the sky plus more diverse), and better explosion effects.

[mattag08]

Great ideas in the first post. I agree whole-heartedly. Anything to make DCS have more immersion, re-playability, and hold my interest would be awesome.

[jspec3]

+1 for me too, totally agree with the original poster.

[Haukka81]

Personally I feel that a lot of what people claim to be missing comes from their lack of immersion in the online aspect of the sim. Playing with and against the computer just isn't the same as flying with an intelligent, sensible human being.

 

Although, and this is a big one. I do feel that the sim is lacking in a few departments. Mainly a resource management system that tracks along side a server, and persistent changes to vehicles and structures within the sim environment. Some may think that this would only make sense for a dynamic campaign, and this would be true IF the data was stored with the map. However if the data was to be stored in a separate file, say within a squadron's server, which would reflect the status of a squadron member's aircraft, then I feel that more people would take greater care of their aircraft. After all, nobody wants to be denied mission status because they brought back an aircraft missing half a wing which is going to take another week and a half to fix (Yeah, I know I am running the maintenance crew ragged here, but the planes gotta fly). I also feel that it could add another interesting factor to the experience.

 

Say, if the day before, your standby attitude indicator broke, but you deemed it unimportant, and didn't want to get your aircraft grounded, so you didn't report it. Well on today's flight, you lose your main gyros in IMC conditions..

 

Also, me thinks Haukka81 needs to fly with a squadron.

 

 

I fly, finnish group "simumiehet" but now we fly falcon bms, why.. because more living world.. and if we get radar site down it won't be there in next mission etc..

 

But this is just me =)

 

 

-haukka81

Edited March 10, 2012 by Haukka81

[Cedaway]

Totally agree with the starting postulate. Please ED, bring some life in the sim. Bring a soul to our career.

Thanks

[[FD]Ripper]

Agreed 100%.

[Blacknemisis]

I think the real problem is the ME is pretty hard to learn. ED has some really great missions way better than BMS but the problem is if you fly it 3 times the 4th it gets boring fast. I think the ideas are great but like everyone else says a story with video and great briefing and debriefing would bring this sim to a whole new level. And with CA on its way I think many of us will forget about such things for awhile until CA gets boring lol.

[cichlidfan]

I think the real problem is the ME is pretty hard to learn.

 

True, but a capable ME is going to be complicated almost by definition. As for difficult, have a look at the ME for Rise of Flight sometime.

[mmaruda]

You know what would be awesome? Those old-style briefings from '90s sims!

 

Just check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApcmFsaq2Io

 

It may be 2d and low-res, but even the midi music is great. The immersion level goes through the roof with this. :D