Whatever the outcome, the Falcon 4.0 team has the satisfaction of knowing that they created a modern jet campaign magnum opus, that has yet to be equaled, as far as its vision, playability, and longevity. Even itâs packaging has never been topped IMHO.
Great article damson. Thanks for linking. 
Well, I may not wax so poetic about F4.
The original F4 was a buggy almost unplayable mess with a binder that was usually damaged from shipping and prone to loosing pages. Did it eventually evolve into something special, yes, but it took a lot of work from a lot of people outside of Microprose to get it there.
Very good point.
True. And Janeâs F/A-18 was unplayable until first patch, and remember DCSâs mess of the Viper release⊠â â â â happens, but look at us now.
ExactlyâŠ
Personally I think that we have never had it so good. Not just the software, look at the hardware that is available - when it comes to HOTAS systems, rudder pedals, helo collectives, UFCâs, panels, sim-pits, VR we are spoiled for choice. Heck we can even get MFDs that work as MFDs. And itâs all plug-n-play 
Sure, they arenât exactly cheap and Iâm lucky that I am in a position that I can (kinda) afford it, but 20 years ago, if I could have bought half the hardware or sims that I can get today I would have sold a kidney to get it.
Not really the same concept as using a lod has no temporal consequences on the simulation outcome.
Using statistics instead of letting a tank battle play out in the sim has lasting consequences that the player can observe by going to the location after the battle. So given unrestricted access to compute resources, not using a bubble leads to a more realistic simulation. But of course there is no such thing as unrestricted resources.
This is interesting point.i think we could have almost infinite computing power for the simulation, at least in server based games: use GPU for the calculations. Now the DCS AI/physics is done by single core, how about having 16384 cores at your disposal (core count of RTX 4090).
With Cuda/OpenCL the GPU cores can be utilized for general purpose computing. Of course this would have to be dedicated server to not have the burden of rendering the graphics.
the âbestâ part, and answer to Enigmaâs question âwhy there are no DCs nowadaysâ is here 
@KevinKlemmmick : Iâm actually now working as a Technical Director for Electronic Arts, doing Sims projects (that âThe Simsâ, not flight sims). Gravity Bear is a small company we created to do Facebook games, and I worked there for about 2 years.
Agreed. Donât have the space to get too detailed but I did it with a statistical method once upon a time [1] (very simple one): LOD seemed a more familiar term to many, or perhaps morphing from one state/representation (more efficient process) to a fully realized one. Donât do work the user canât see or experience but when they can the result should be believable.
To me âbubbleâ means a you have defined transitions,
[1] was fascinating making it all work back then. Never got to finish it due to lack of people and time resources
A CUDA core is not the same as a CPU core, they have very different strengths and weaknesses and not all problems are well suited for GPGPU.
I have some experience in algorithm development on Cuda, so the GPU weaknesses are also familiar to me. I am not saying it will be 16 thousand times faster than on single CPU core, but it might be hundreds of times faster even with modest utilization. And I have the gut feeling that AI and interaction with 3D world would parallelize quite nicely.
They brought in a famous RTS Game developer and gave him a blank check to write the dynamic campaign engine, which 20+ years later has yet to be matched, so money well spent.
True. But why hasnât it been matched? Because nobody could or because nobody could afford it?
I never said it wasnât a good decision, but it was an expensive one.
I read in either that interview, or another, Klemmick opining about the at-the-time new DCS staged campaign system. He thought in some ways that could be better than a DC if properly implemented. I think this whole âbubbleâ thing is a reflection of some guilt or discomfort on the part of the wizard behind the curtain. I know itâs a game. I know that North Korea isnât going to send 40 MiG 21s and 20 MiG 23âs to protect a single SA-2 site. But the player in me doesnât care. Logical flaws in the wizardry are entirely irrelevant to the player in me who just wants to THINK I am making my way in a world that has far too much going on to care how and whether I actually do make my way. The âWelcome Back!â that I have heard 500 times now still warms my heart.
That is to me the smoke-and-mirrors; how itâs âcodedâ isnât as important as how the results âsell itâ
A DC is nice for sure but Iâd rather they just supply the tools to let âusâ roll our own. Maybe they will?
Man Iâd forgotten about that.
6 January 2023
Dear Fighter Pilots, Partners and Friends, 
We hope that you enjoyed the New Year and holiday festivities and are looking forward to great things in 2023. We look forward to helping make this a year for all to remember in a good way. The DCS 2022 Winter Sale is still on-going with fantastic 50% savings on our most popular aircraft, maps, and campaigns. Donât miss this chance to grab DCS: F-16C Viper and DCS: F/A-18C Hornet at half price! Hurry, the offer ends on the 8th of January at 23:59 GMT.
This year will see our substantial work on the DCS Core being deployed in the near future. In addition to performance enhancements we hope to make DCS an even more realistic and entertaining place to fly. Notable tasks include DLSS/NIS, multi-threading, Vulkan API, Earth Map, updated weather, improved FLIR maps, Dynamic Campaign, updated Air Traffic Control (ATC), more and improved human animations for pilots and infantry, deck and ground crew, expanded multiple light sources, progress on voice chat, new visual special effects, new bomb fuzes, Mach shock cones, aircraft and ground AI Improvements, and the General Flight Model.
Please read the details below and note that these are the items that we will be working on in 2023 and not necessarily planned to be released in 2023. Make sure to watch the 2023 AND BEYOND video. Enjoy!
Thank you for your passion and support.
Yours sincerely,
Eagle Dynamics
2023 and Beyond
Watch the video
We believe that 2023 will be a truly exciting year for all, with the introduction of eagerly awaited modules like the DCS: F-4E by Heatblur, DCS: F-15E by RAZBAM, DCS: OH-58D Kiowa Warrior by Polychop, DCS: F4U-1D Corsair by Magnitude 3, DCS: C-130J by the Airplane Simulation Company, new Mirage F1 versions by Aerges, DCS: Normandy 2.0 map by Ugra Media, the DCS: Sinai Map by OnReTech, and more! Please donât miss to watch our 2023 AND BEYOND VIDEO!
Please remember that the Christmas and New Years Sale contains half price deals on our most popular aircraft including exclusive 50% discounts on the DCS: Mosquito FB IV, DCS: Mi-24P Hind, DCS: F-16C Viper, DCS: F/A-18C Hornet, and DCS: Supercarrier. This offer ends on the 8th of January 2023 at 23:59 GMT. Thank you!
DCS Core
Improvements
Multithreading
Multithreading has been one of our primary efforts to improve DCS performance, and it is currently in closed beta testing. Initially two threads (graphical and logical) will be implemented, and once the technology is stable and mature, we plan to expand this number. Large and complex missions, both single player and server based as well as the upcoming dynamic campaigns, will see the most significant performance enhancements.
Our render graph was written from scratch along with many other subsystems. We now benefit from parallel rendering that schedules inter-dependent rendering tasks in a correct and optimal order (e.g., mirror reflections first, then mirrors while running other independent draw calls in parallel), frame graph, graphic scenes, scene renderer, and scene manager. We unified all other graphic subsystems that permit node embedding in the render graph. This allows us to rapidly experiment with new graphic pipelines and enhance efficiency. The introduction of our render graph will improve DCS efficiency and deliver optimal performance with modern graphics APIs such as Vulkan.
Vulkan API
Implementation of the Vulkan API continues in parallel with the multithreading effort. Our Vulkan renderer is integrated with the new render graph, and it benefits from multithreading by using render graph mechanics of background loading of textures and geometry, rendering objects in parallel, terrain streaming, etc. As a result, many rendering tasks submitted to the graphics card will no longer need to wait for each other and hence be processed simultaneously.
In our endeavor to unify DirectX and Vulkan renderers, we have developed a mod state where both backends produce identical results. We now have two fully compatible implementations that run under the same API. This means that all our applied graphics modules (the code that renders our skies, clouds, models, effects, etc.) will work the same way on both renderers. To achieve this, we ensured that all our shaders could be converted into Vulkan format in addition to implementing a shader converter available from within DCS permitting to compile any shader on the fly. It is interesting to note that the shader conversion has taken an inordinately large amount of time.
The main achievement in 2022 is that DCS now works under Vulkan producing the same visuals as under DirectX. This result is fully âtransparentâ for our graphics programmers, allowing them to write the same code for both platforms without the need to have separate code paths for Vulkan and DirectX11 and beyond.
The next step is to provide our graphics programmers with the new Vulkan features compared to DirectX 11. These include new types of shaders (as per Shader Model 6 and further), ray tracing, some advanced rendering techniques, such as GPU driven rendering, and similar.
DLSS
Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) 2.0 is coming to DCS this year. DLSS is a family of real-time deep learning image enhancement and upscaling technologies for RTX 20, 30 and 40 series Nvidia graphics cards. The goal of this technology is to allow most of the graphics pipeline to run at a lower resolution for increased performance, and then infer a higher resolution image from this that contains the same level of detail as if the image had been rendered at this higher resolution. This allows for higher graphical settings and/or frame rates for a given output resolution, depending on user preference.
In addition to DLSS, Nvidia Image Scaling (NIS) will also be available. NIS is a scaling and sharpening tool with an algorithm that uses a 6-tap filter with 4 directional scaling and adaptive sharpening filters to boost performance. This is best used for non-RTX Nvidia graphics cards that do not support DLSS.
Following the completion of DLSS/NIS, we will investigate Fidelity FX Super Resolution (FSR) for AMD GPUs.
Spherical Earth Map
2022 saw great progress creating the tools and technologies to support a precise spherical Earth map for DCS. Because this map will be based on current day, it will operate independently of the current and future regional maps that allow historic maps such as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and other scenarios. Spherical Earth efforts will continue in 2023.
Weather
Building upon the weather enhancements that were introduced with DCS 2.7, we have been further developing weather to include moving clouds and towering cumulus clouds and more sophisticated atmospheric phenomena. New fog and dust storms are being developed that are integral parts of the volumetric cloud system. The old DCS fog is a separate system that is calculated for a flat earth. It does not consider shadows from the terrain and clouds, so it has limitations. The new fog will be computed for a spherical earth and takes shadows into account. We also plan to optimize the volumetric clouds and increase their basic quality. A separate and complex project currently in development is the dynamic cloud generator which will then need to be integrated with the dynamic weather systems of low/high pressure systems and new/evolving cloud types.
A later task, once the foundation is complete, will be to provide AI line of sight blocking in addition to light direction/scattering visibility limitations for AI.
FLIR
2022 saw significant improvements to how Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) is modeled in DCS World. In addition to writing the technology needed to create the characteristics of the camera, a great deal of work is being invested into the enhanced thermal signatures of mobile units, map objects, environmental heating, and cooling, as well as specific visual effects and artifacts. We will also be adding initial thermal signature conditions for ground units in the Mission Editor.
Eagle Dynamics Dynamic Campaigns Engine (EDDCE)
2022 saw the completion of all major engineering components of the EDDCE. In 2023 we continue development and testing and making improvements to these components as well as adding new features where needed. We are also enhancing the mechanics in the campaign editor to avoid issues that may arise when the EDDCE is used for different maps. The next big tasks include transferring mission data between player and AI pilots and creating a specific graphic user interface.
Please see our previous Newsletter for greater detail on the subject.
Air Traffic Control (ATC)
2022 has focused on the continued development of the Supercarrier ATC system. Following its completion, the next focus will be to bring those advancements to airfields. This is certainly no simple task and will require three unique ATC systems for: western modern day, eastern modern day, and World War II.
A complete redesign of the modern day, western ATC system is underway. In parallel, modern day western radio communications for Flight, Other Flights, AWACS, and Tanker are also being revised.
Human Animations
Starting with new AH-64D pilots in 2022, this work will continue into 2023 to include new infantry and more pilots with more life-like models and animations. Priority pilot models first include the F/A-18C and F-16C pilots.
Deck Crew and Ground Crew
Starting with the Supercarrier deck crew, we continued to develop this feature in 2023. We are now continuing this effort to include startup and taxi to catapult deck crew logic and animations. Following the completion of deck crew, we then plan to use this technology to create airfield ground crew and interactions.
Multiple Light Sources
DCS 2.8 saw great advancements in world lighting, but our efforts continue. The next big lighting advancement will be the introduction of multiple, global light sources, and no longer only the sun and moon. This will allow more realistic night scenes that account for airfield flood lights, city lights, and more. You can see these initial efforts on the Persian Gulf map.
Voice Chat
First introduced in 2019, the free Voice Chat integrated into DCS allows Voice Over IP communications based on chat rooms and how you have your aircraft radios configured. 2022 was focused on improving radio communications and stable connections, even over a VPN. In 2023 we continue to develop this feature with realistic radio sounds, effects and plug-and-play audio device compatibility.
Visual Special Effects
Some of the more notable visual effect tasks include munitions with airburst fuzes, napalm, and Mach shock cone based on airspeed and weather around the aircraft.
Virtual Reality
VR is very important for all and we have heard your concerns regarding performance and we continue to optimize VR performance for DCS. The primary areas of VR performance improvement are multithreading and the Vulkan API, particularly for larger missions. We are also reviewing all world Level of Details (LODs).
Unit AI Improvements
In 2022 we saw great improvements to the Beyond Visual Range (BVR) and Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM) AI for our jet aircraft. Moving forward, we now intend to improve multi-ship BVR and Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM) tactics and appropriate AI tactics for World War II aircraft.
For ground units, our primary AI tasks include improved pathing and implementing suppression effects for more than just infantry units.
General Flight Model (GFM) for AI Aircraft
Whilst the updated BFM AI can make a significant difference in how the AI flies, the General Flight Model (GFM) will provide improved flight dynamics for AI aircraft that better constrain the aircraft to true-to-life performance.
GFM is a significant improvement to the Standard Flight Model (SFM) that is based on drag and thrust characteristic trajectories. The SFM can provide a good Center of Gravity trajectory model, but it relies on reliable source data to tune the overall performance that includes the entire flight envelope, sustained and instantaneous turn rate, energy gain, etc.
GFM adds additional short-period aircraft movement by adding our base solid body, contact models and aerodynamic moments. This results in more realistic control displacements during maneuvers that provide more human-like appearances. With GFM, the AI will also encounter wake turbulence.
Thank you again for your passion and support, we look forward to serving you in the exciting year of 2023. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Yours sincerely,
