DCS 2.5 Update Thread (2018)

The “regular” AGM-88A-C we know and love since 3 decades only has an INS. This allows it to be shot at the general location of a known silent threat, or keep going in the right direction after an emitting threat has shut down, but as far as I know this is not sufficient to reliably hit a target. It is mostly a problem of the missile not knowing the target position with the necessary precision and the inherent limitations of INS. 743 HARM spent during Allied Force for only a dozen or so kills.

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Of course, it is passive homing so the lock isn’t detected as such - got confused there. I recalled passages from Viper Pilot where the Iraqi SAMs turned off on HARM launches but that was actually via them listening to the Allied frequencies and reacting to magnum calls. The weasel pilots would call magnums even after they had no missiles left as that would keep the sites suppressed. They seemed to mostly get hard kills with CBUs from memory - ARMs were mostly a suppression weapon with low Pk at least at the time, I think.

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You can. Alert State should determine whether or not a radar emits. The alert level can be set via trigger or script.

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There are a few features in the MOOSE scripting framework which you can use to simulate this behaviour.

I’ve got a script somewhere which can (roughly) simulate an IADS network, bringing SAM radars up and down dynamically when units stray into their WEZ. It’s rough, but enough to keep things interesting.

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You could use activate and deactivate with timers with simple triggers too

Considering how often in PC games the AI know if you’re just looking at them I am a big fan of passive targeting that is truly passive. I recall a few FPS games where AI could reliably be counted on turning around and shooting at you a fixed number of seconds after you saw them, even if you were motionless behind cover. It was like there was code that read “5 seconds after entering PLAYER FOV, turn and fire.”

It seems in the name of balancing developers often cheat AI awareness to make it “challenging”. The point they miss is actual effective tactics are NOT balanced, they are meant to make things a real-life cheat!

Shooting the enemy down without him knowing you were ever there may not seem to be chivalrous or fair play or whatever but it’s the preferred tactic for literally every air force. Far too many AI are aware of IR missile launches to be even close to reality.
MWS are not infallible (on the planes that have them) and can’t differentiate friendly and enemy missiles, and even if they could a launch by one plane should result in every single plane in range popping flares and maneuvering hard, not just the one targeted.

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I had to dig around a bit more as I was sure I had recently read a bit about the SAM tactics :slightly_smiling_face:

This is from “Linebacker” by K.J. Eschmann (sorry, just a photo of my Kindle but should do for the purpose). Earlier era, of course.

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Very cool. The last two sentences essentially tell why we (US doctrine) distinguishes between SEAD and DEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses; DEAD is not pronounced “dead” but rather “Dee-Add”). If you want to be able to operate freely over a specific area in enemy airspace any time you want, then DEAD is you need to do. Otherwise, getting a strike in over of enemy air defenses during a specific time frame, SEAD may be sufficient.

That said, DEAD cost more than SEAD…and eventually they will run out of spare radar vans. :slightly_smiling_face:

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DCS World Newsletter - 30 November 2018

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Lasting only three more days to December 2nd, 2018, get up to 50% off on most DCS World products.

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DCS Warbirds Update
Earlier this year we showed off a greatly updated cockpit for the DCS: P-51D Mustang that will be released next month. In addition to a beautiful, new cockpit, we’re also updating the external model to include both P-51D-25 and P-51D-30 versions! This includes improvements to both the 3D model and textures.

Along with the Mustang, we’ve also completing work on a fantastic new cockpit for the Bf 109 K-4 and a Fw 190 D-9 that takes advantage of both deferred shading and physically based rendering.

In parallel, the P-47D, Fw 190 A-8, and Mosquito are all making great progress in both the external model, cockpit, flight model and systems.

More screenshots

A big element also getting a lot of attention has been the new damage model we discussed in an earlier newsletter. We’ve been using the Spitfire as the test bed and the progress has been steady and good. Once we’re happy with the results, we’ll first incorporate the new damage model system into the other warbirds.

Next month, we’ll make available a wonderful P-51D Mustang campaign by Reflected Simulations.

Virtual Reality Update
We see VR as an amazing tool to enjoy DCS World and the future of PC gaming for many. To make DCS World even better, we’ve been working on some great VR improvements that include:

  • Optimized VR performance.
  • Touch control that allows direct finger interaction with cockpit controls.
  • Touch control to allow the right and left Touch controllers to act as stick and throttle when positioned correctly in the virtual cockpit and holding down the middle-finger button.

These will provide a much more immersive VR experience, particularly for those flying warbirds and other aircraft that do not require HOTAS controls.

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Goooood news!!!
Especially about VR. Glad ED feels the same way as I do! :vr:

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Really looking forward to VR optimization. Since I already have a Warthog, I’m wondering if the touch control VR updates are for me, but nice to see some dev go there as well.

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Lol my 23 month old daughter wiggles her butt just like that if she’s looking forward to munching down what I’m serving!

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Is it just me or is the ability to safe and load control profiles deactivated?

Tried from both the in mission Adjust Controls (Esc to Mission Paused window)

and the main screen Options menu - Controls.

Perhaps something that will be reinstitute in a later build. Just wondering. I think I can do the same with the Windows file manager. :slightly_smiling_face:

You need the .diff.lua files for your controller, identified by a large hex string iirc.

changelog? plx?

image

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3711229&postcount=36

Open Beta update change log is out.

DCS MiG-15bis

  • Fixed an external textures z-fighting.

https://youtu.be/sXHRR5zAdz0

Ahem. Here’s the rest of it:

Added support of new campaign - Combined Arms: Frontlines Georgia.

DCS World

  • The AI Su-34 will no longer self-destruct when dropping a KAB-500S.
  • Fixed an MP issue where static objects with number greater than 501 would not be visible to clients.
  • Added coalition management of countries in the Mission Editor via arrows keyboard keys.
  • Debriefing. Target for some SAMs and ASM HY-2 were displayed as null (0) or nothing in the debriefing.
  • When scripting the Mission Editor function StaticObject.destroy() is run on cargo objects, the cargo was not removed from the perspective of clients.
  • Corrected Su-24 level of detail such that it does not disappear.

DCS F/A-18C Hornet

  • Added radio command to AI wingmen to “Go to Tanker”.
  • Corrected nose bounce and blackout when launching from the aircraft carrier with a heavy payload.
  • Updated AGM-65E/F. While the AGM-65E is now complete, the AGM-65F is still a work in progress. Known AGM-65F issues include TDC slew roughness, missile speed, and seeker lock distance against ships.
  • Radar fixes:
  • Radar will no longer move to the other side of the display when when the radar is commanded gimbal limits
  • Fix the antenna position if the HMD is turned on and the operator looks at the HUD
  • Radar no longer gets stuck in an 8-degree scan and that cannot be exited after locking a target and breaking lock
  • Rmax and Seeker Cue can no longer appear outside the tactical radar area.
  • JHMCS:
  • HACQ/LHAQ mode - radar FOV circle will be drawn while looking through HUD
  • HACQ/LHAQ mode - radar lock while looking through HUD is fixed
  • Fixed radar antenna position lock when HMD is turned on and looking through HUD
  • Up-look reticles was added

DCS AJS37 Viggen by Heatblur Simulations

  • Fix to pop-up point not switching over.
  • Fixed sun halo on canopy glass.
  • Added scratches to canopy glass.
  • Fixed oval shaped afterburner.
  • Greatly improved radar where more objects is visible and differentiates better between different terrain types. ← AG radar 2.0
  • Auto generated attack missions should now default to a ingress/egress angle 45 degree off instead of straight when no suitable terrain-masked ingress/egress is found.
  • Fix to TERRNAV not fixing.

DCS FC3

  • MiG-29. Adjusted the APUS compensator that will works independence by landing gear. (you wot mate?!)

DCS MiG-15bis

  • Cockpit 3D model bugfix.
  • Fixed an external textures z-fighting.

DCS F-5E

  • Corrected mission F-5E Mission - AWACS.miz

DCS Spitfire IX

  • One of ordinary Spitfire model LODs has clipped wings -fixed.

Campaigns
F-15C Aggressors BFM Campaign. Added new missions against the Su-27.


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now when is the motherlovin’ update itself gonna hit?

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Be sure to post when it’s out aavew going upstairs every 5 mins :grinning:

Nope. not out yet.