Air Combat Training School (ACTS)

[jazjar]

I honsetly relish the chance to do things strictly as the real world does them, I always get that feeling when flying, "You're doing it WRONG!" You know?

[Tyro-AWG]

Firstly, most of those questions are for Ells really, I basically just 'work' for him. VEAO is his creation and he alone should get the credit. I am a knowledge base, that is all.

From my perspective, the thing that really got me interested and wanting to contribute was the prospect of really being able to inject one thing into the flight sim;

Jeopardy.

Its easy to get stuck into DCS and strafe up a column of T-80s or go 2v2 against a couple of your buddies, and a lot of people enjoy that I'm sure; and so they should - it's great fun!

Some people want to really be able to play it as a team, or a Squadron, and so they decide on their own SOPs etc.

What I would like to be part of is bringing a degree of jeopardy into the sim, whereby your decisions and your lateral thinking, your knowledge of the systems, rules and procedures, will make a difference in the outcome.

In essence it adds a 'puzzle'-like layer to the sim. To take the earlier example, yes you can drop a JDAM, or you can try to find a way to get down and PID a target, there are risks either way (e.g. time taken vs loss of accuracy), but I want you to believe in that situation and exercise your brain thinking about how you're going to solve it.

[GGTharos]

I understand that. I think in the simulation world, a large degree this style of play comes down to self-evaluation according to certain rules/procedures, and being fairly strict with this.

There's no risk though; if your plane is destroyed, you re-spawn. If you bomb the wrong thing, you re-start the mission.

So, all you have left is this self-evaluation.

[Ells228]

I understand that. I think in the simulation world, a large degree this style of play comes down to self-evaluation according to certain rules/procedures, and being fairly strict with this.

There's no risk though; if your plane is destroyed, you re-spawn. If you bomb the wrong thing, you re-start the mission.

So, all you have left is this self-evaluation.

 

I think I need therapy with the amount of self evaluation I've done GG haha

 

 

I think what Jon is saying is do we want to go all out with this and will people read it and go through the training.

 

Some will want to and others will look at the manual and go holy ****

 

For me, I want it as real as possible but without having to read for hours and hours and hours which is why we're making it a lot more interactive than a book or manual.

 

With the risk thing, some squadrons won't let you re-spawn if you're killed. And if you're lucky to punch out you stay on the ground with the emergency broadcast system via Tars until a friendly plane or chopper comes by, then you can respawn.

Also if you have good mission writers (like me hehe) if you bomb the wrong thing it has severe consequences on the mission outcome. For me that adds another level of realism that we can get out of the sim, so I want my squadmates and I to do it properly.

 

But again, each to their own and we're not trying to dictate to squadrons how to be run or plan and fly missions.

 

This is an aid after all :smartass::pilotfly:

[GGTharos]

Let me know if you gather any statistics once this starts, I'd be interested to see stuff starting with initial level of interest to course completion :D

[rattler]

Notice:

 

I wish to correct a misconception that I am a part of DCS/VEAO, I am not. I was part of the FC2 Team.

 

When I speak now it is my own personal opinion and nothing to do with VEAO or it's members.

 

Do I support VEAO as a member of this forum, YES I most certainly do. Ells228 has invested years in this project which is his and his Team.

 

I support them and their effort to bring a Modern Aircraft to DCS and a positive training system for pilots but I do this as a FORUM MEMBER, NOT as a person who has anything to do with VEAO or it's TEAM.

 

Sorry for any misconception on my part.

 

rattler

[Eddie]

(Because seriously, you would not believe how many people will haul stick in a slice-back in their high-performance bird, regardless of whether it is FC2 or DCS - at 25000' while trying to rejoin on you, then flutter around at 250kts, nose held high trying to catch up to you and wonder why they can't ... nor do they seem to know how to fix their problem. 10nm rejoin ensues - and this is just the non-stressful easy stuff).

 

You mean that's NOT how you do a rejoin??? :lol:

[GGTharos]

"Obviously" not :D

 

You mean that's NOT how you do a rejoin??? :lol:

[SUBS17]

Better that than the finger tip formation collision lol.:lol:

[Ells228]

Oh the amount of times I've lost my wingtip due to that haha

[Ells228]

Let me know if you gather any statistics once this starts, I'd be interested to see stuff starting with initial level of interest to course completion :D

 

Yeah of course buddy

[SUBS17]

Another thing interesting here is the trainning packages there are 2 in development:

VEAO- RAF

Iris- USAF

 

Done the right way if in MP people can view the logbook and see the qualifications gained from such courses it would earn more respect if its done the right way for both courses and because its viewable in mp will encourage other pilots to purchase/download it and complete it. Its probably also possible in the future to do something similar for other countrys to have their Air Forces represented and their own version of the trainning course using trainning aircraft from their country.:pilotfly:

 

With FSX when you complete a mission you get a tick in the box for that mission and thats what DCS World needs. Same goes for Arma2 and other sims by completing a mission you get a tick in the box and also after completing a particular campaign you would want it accessible(or unlocked) following it being completed so if a pilot forgets a certain part and wants to do revision it would be open for him to do so.:thumbup:

 

Trainning Server

 

You could also have a trainning server for MP trainning where some IPs who like to teach noobs can hang out and same with some Squadrons. Its a lot less boring if there are other Squadrons/flights on the same server doing trainning flights and following the normal procedures for circuits etc. The server could have 2 seaters as a selection both pilot and IP and then you could have a particular mission selectable separate for each flight within that server. So there could be 20 players on that server and each IP/Pilot can fly within that server but using their own mission(this could be done without a mission and just use a flight planner but having a selection of missions available based on the course is possible).:joystick:

[Ells228]

Well I'm hoping we can align both programmes.

After Iris announced the US programme it was an easy decision for us to focus purely on the RAF.

 

We are looking at a custom server option as well.

[MudRat02]

I honsetly relish the chance to do things strictly as the real world does them, I always get that feeling when flying, "You're doing it WRONG!" You know?

 

The opportunity to do things "strictly as the real world does them" in terms of military aviation won't ever be possible in consumer sims, but from the looks of things their syllabus will add enough authenticity for the context. The amount of preparation, visualising and post-flight debriefing (critiquing) that goes into a "basic" general flying sortie in the military is pretty serious (I once worked out that just for basic flying phase well before wings, we'd put in around 1500 hours prep work and study for the ~60 hours flying we actually did!), let alone rolling it all into one and fighting! So you still won't be doing things "right", but it will be enough ;)

[SUBS17]

Get used to the U lol. I've seen plenty of Us in BFT Campaign

 

 

An appropriate song for this approach.

 

 

:thumbup:

[Python]

I would love an training module, RAF especially, give me a tutor, tucano and a hawk to progress through and il probably wet myself with excitement ;) obviously once we are all fully trained virtual fighter pilots we'l nead DCS: Eurofighter Typhoon ;) or as close as you can get atleast...

[rattler]

I would love an training module, RAF especially, give me a tutor, tucano and a hawk to progress through and il probably wet myself with excitement ;) obviously once we are all fully trained virtual fighter pilots we'l nead DCS: Eurofighter Typhoon ;) or as close as you can get atleast...

 

I believe you are correct. You will transition to the Euro-Fighter.:D

[Python]

We can only hope ;)

[Ells228]

Well the plan is to base ACTS around the Hawk and then you'll do a conversion to the Typhoon when it's out.

 

We'll skip the Tutor and Tocano as we don't have those in sim, but the lessons will essentially be the same in the Hawk.

[Python]

Well the hawk is the fun bit anyway, I only asked as i read something about the tucano in DCS and it stuck in my head. We deffinately need some welsh valleys for the hawk though ;)

[Spuds]

Good idea!

 

Nice idea Ells, I fly corporate jets for a living with a passion for military airplanes. I like the building block approach, it could be fun for even a guy like me. Only advice I can based on past experience with other Virtual units, just make it fun!

[Ells228]

Thanks Spuds

[Colonel T]

This ACTS busiess is one excellent project and one that will bring a much needed component to highfidelity programs like DCS World.

[WilloUK]

Sounds good Ells.

Id be up for ATCS,

[jay43]

I would like this to reading through all the posts it sounds uber good

 

Its naive to think just because its a game you can fly, but for full immersion and realism may as well learn to fly the right way.