DCS 2.5 Update Thread (2020)

I did not know that. Thanks!

…and now I’m hungry for a banana… :grimacing:

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Confusion in Viggen flying by seat of pants and “That Looks About Right”

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i REALLY struggle with the weapons in the viggen. but ripping around at 20 feet at mach one would do enough damage to anything underneath that i wouldnt need them lol

she is fast becoming my go to aircraft for a rip around rather than the sabre…

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The Maverick you just have to get decent lighting and range for a contrast lock. The Rb-05 I just use as a SAM or remotely guided rocket artillery.

So this weekend I wanted to spend some time to work on a campaign. What I encountered, among other things:
-AI Harrier crash trying to take off from Tarawa
-AI Su-33 crash trying to land on Kuznetsov
-AI Helos disappear trying to land on ships
-AI Harpoons self destruct after launch

What a joke…

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Lol. I’m not laughing at you I swear. I’m laughing with you. Goes back to what’s been said earlier. If you just treat DCS like xplane it’s nearly perfect. As soon as you start asking it to do Combat simulator things it gets dicey rather quickly.

Hopefully they take to heart the bug squashing focus.

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I could be snarky and say something about Russian Su-33 pilots and vodka…perhaps opine that the helicopters were figments of your imagination to begin with, but it sounds like you are not having a good day. :slightly_smiling_face:

The Harrier issue? Did I see that somewhere else on this forum? No idea about the Su-33 except to say “Это перерывы военно-морской авиации” (If Google translated it correctly, “Those are the breaks of naval air”)

The helicopters issue is interesting. I have never had an AI problem with that. I assume you are not trying to land an Mi-26 or Chinook on a frigate. If the helicopter is an acceptable size, it should work. That said, there is a reason that the Russians use the Ka-27 and the USN uses the SH-60, pretty much exclusively for shipboard ops.

If it isn’t helo size, I would look at wind–speed and direction. Of course we are talking relative wind so need to figure in the ship’s course speed. Unlike RL, I do not believe that DCS factors in the blocking / air flow disruption effect of a “small boy” ship’s superstructure*, so heading them straight into the wind makes the relative wind calculations easier.

What kind of Harpoons? Air or surface launched? I recently (in the current Open Beta build) shot surface launched Harpoons without a problem.

.* Ever wonder why these fire control radar antennas are facing backwards?

The introduction of Super Carrier caused some naval ops issues for other ships most definitely. Few I’ve noticed on the Tarawa is the meatball is missing, but the datum lights work, and you sometimes get Jello LSO call outs “Your lined up left” (lol no ■■■■). Haven’t tried the helos on ships.

Totally off topic: @Hangar200 have you tried the PP JDAM’ing in the harrier? You can load the targets through the map/computer and the CAS page simulates an ATHS handoff.

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That is probably the most accurate explanation I’ve heard to date.

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I just stick to the Bug. However tempting others are I have all my free time absorbed by what I have already.

I resigned myself to the fact that I won’t ever be fully proficient in any of them…because I never stick to a single type long enough. I got to know the Harrier reasonably well at one point, but then something shiny caught my attention ;). Thankfully I only fly a single type in the real world these days. :dizzy_face:

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Most of my flying atm are warbirds. Relatively simple for jumping into for a quick dogfight without remembering all the steps for a more complicated bird

When it comes to “just a quick romp of BFM” not many fighters are all that complicated. The viper for example, has a dedicated switch on the throttle that tells the jet “fangs out baby, let’s dance!”

Of course a warbird (or 1st gen jet like a MiG-15) is always ready to rock, provided you armed it and it isn’t loaded down with stuff.

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Yeh it does…but not so much fun when you accidentally press it when trying to call “Inbound” on the radio. Not liking my throttle set up.

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I would say you real world pilots get a bit of an exception. Your careers keep you within a single type or likely a narrow range anyway, correct?

Sims would be your best way to have some variety - but you already have the “basic” skills and habits to learn a new aircraft.

For us non-pilots, diving fully into a single aircraft is more likely a more “authentic” experience for the knowledge & learning and would leave us on a more level playing field with you when we hop into other aircraft (if balance is a concern, such as MP).

As I am busier with work my time for proficiency with various planes is falling. The Hornet is my #1 and the Hog is my original (plus a TM WH makes it a lot easier when it’s matched controls) - but I am behind with things like the Harrier, which has changed drastically since I last flew it in detail (pre JDAM).

As @Cib said - Warbirds are relatively simple to get into so they are becoming my break from the Hornet.

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I used to know my way about the Hog and Mirage pretty good. Flew a campaign in each and those taught me to use pretty much all of them. For me, learning a plane is first the C&D challenge. Then training missions, which I think DCS does pretty darn well at mostly, then exercises and instant action until comfortable (IE able to start, kill a bogey and land) then campaign. The latter is where I really learn a machine.

So. Looking forward to the Raven One campaign, and whatever’s going to happen for the Harrier. I wouldn’t mind flying one in the Balalaika either, that’s what I’m currently studying. I’m not module-monogamous.

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Yeah… been there done that :laughing: (or actually not).

Been there, wanted to do it… But didn’t.

For want of a rubber switch.
jets, schurem, not rock festivals!

I’d like to see the FA-18 and F-16 achieve a kind of parity. Throw in the A-10C and you have 3 jets that are “structured” about the same. Learn one and it is easier to learn the other two. Kind of like my Norwegian wife being able to pick up Swedish fast enough to pass the proficiency Test without studying. All 3 by ED probably also may mean something. The Harrier? In RL and DCS it is built by a third party. Do I want to spend the time to learn that new language? :thinking:

I’d say yes :slight_smile: Being another McD product it feels familiar coming from a hornet (like the viper and hog are feeling similar due to the same stick with identical named buttons, even if doing slightly different things). I feel like the harrier is a little bit more straight forward as its capabilities are heavily centered around its CAS mission. Also, a lot of fun to fly as a VTOL, “flying formation” with the Tarawa on her port side before sliding in to land has never became old.

It’ll be even more fun when we get that F-15E :laughing: then we’ll get a striker with a stick we’re familar with from our other McD planes (AV-8B, F/A-18C) with a throttle we’re familar with from the warthog :slight_smile: (in reality it was the hog that got its throttle from the Mudhen).

I really wish this would become the case as well but I doubt it will happen soon given the pace of development on the viper.