I can get what @chipwich and others are saying as switching my release install to the open beta branch is likely going to break my Lua mission scripts, as it did when 1.5.5 first came out. It is relatively easy, however, to switch back and forth using the following DCS Updater commands (from the bin directory of your DCS install):
DCS_updater.exe update @openbeta
and
DCS_updater.exe update @release
I am not sure how much of a download will be required or how much hard drive space it will cost to be able to switch back (or if switching back will require another download) but the above method avoids having to have 3 installs of DCS … to a point (ie: Assuming that you do not need to quickly switch back to release branch again).
Now for all the drama about why it is coming out in 1.5.6 in the open beta branch … well drama is drama I guess , This is an open alpha/beta module with it’s own set of bugs to work through so I am not sure what anyone was thinking when they assumed it would be coming to 1.5.5 or that 1.5.6 was ready for release itself. Myself, I just assumed it would be available in one of the modules and I would have to spend some time tomorrow working out which one it was in .
If you have space, copy/paste DCS World, rename DCS World Open Beta, Switch to Open Beta Branch, add a dcs_variant.txt file to the mainfolder (/DCS World/dcs_variant.txt.)
inside, just type openbeta
Launch once, to create folder in saved games (/Saved Games/DCS.openbeta)
Copy input folder etc from DCS to DCS.openbeta folder.s
Copy e:\Games\DCS World to e:\Games\DCS World OpenBeta (where E:\Games\DCS World is the path where you installed DCS Release);
Create a file in e:\Games\DCS World OpenBeta named dcs_variant.txt;
Add the following line to that file: openbeta
Launch Game and exit;
Copy the Input folder from your release Saved Games folder to the OpenBeta saved games folder (The path for these escape me at the moment but maybe c:\Users<username>\Saved Games?);
Perhaps we should hold up for a second on the “Drama is drama” meme. This is frustrating and I have always struggled to see it any other way. The frustration comes from the word “released.” For three weeks now we have been talking about and getting excited for the 'release" of the Viggen module. At no point has it been a topic of discussion that it will be in a release beta version that we will need to configure to enjoy. That has only become news to me today, the day before “release.”
here is the e-shop page for the Viggen pre-order -
There is no mention that I can see of needing to reconfigure or opt-in to a beta to enjoy the module.
Here is the last line of @EinsteinEP first look at the Viggen piece here on our favorite website -
“Leatherneck Simulations’ AJS Viggen module for DCS World is planned to be released on January 27 for $59.99. It is currently available in the DCS E-Shop for $47.99.” Again just stating that it’s to be “released.”
I assumed that because I didn’t see anywhere that it wasn’t being released into 1.5.5. What else would I assume when they say it’s being released?
This is my frustration in a nutshell - There is big difference in my mind between a released product and paying to opt in to an open beta. Many people, including me, do not want to reconfigure our install or install a separate version of the game. Is this a deal breaker for me with DCS or Leatherneck? Of course not, but it isn’t nothing. It’s definitely frustrating.
I am definitely going to purchase it. I don’t know if I will reconfigure my game to fly it this weekend. This splits the community even further from the two versions of the game we already deal with. Now it will be - hey flying Cauacasus, or Nevada, or Viggen? Oh I have to switch - frustrating.
This is often forgotten…
If you dive into software under development, as pre-release, alpha, beta or whatever you want to call them, you need to understand that stuff may not work.
It’s the nature of the beast. If that ain’t your thing; wait.
That said, the pre-release version I tried is not feature complete, but nearly so. And I have not experienced any show stopping bugs. A very stable module with several extraordinary features. LNS is about to start testing on a large scale tomorrow. They will then finish missing features and fix bugs. I have no doubt that the DCS AJS 37 Viggen will be a classic.
LOL. Well, I for one don’t have the open beta installed (nor the closed beta). I have two installs - the regular retail and the whateveryacallit that is Nevada. I’m content to wait until stuff gets squared away and inserted into the non-beta install. I can’t wait for the day 1.5 and 2.0 are pulled together.
But it is drama for the sake of drama. Today I can’t get a Viggen. Tomorrow I can get a Viggen. That’s a release in my book.
The process to switch from release to open-beta has been covered addendum here, and takes a right click, 32 characters and the enter key. This has been a well defined process since DCS 1.2, and one that has been completely par for the course for modules for the last year.
The spitfire did this, the Mirage did this, the Gazelle did this, the Tiger did this. Heck and certain points there have been three separate patches for the Mirage co-existing simultaneously. At no point did this level of controversy bubble up.
I am not in any way saying people are wrong to not want to switch, that’s their choice, they can do them. But to act like this is worthy of controversy is outrageously stupid.
You see that’s the thing, it has been done like this for ages and still people expect a full blown bug free release in stable, which makes no frickin sense at all. For some reason people expected it not to this time.
So these points are fair, and I am quite sure that my rant is overblown. But the splitting of the versions further while the marketing hype glosses over them always makes me tilt at windmills.
Thank you for keeping disagreements civil guys. That is what makes this place special.
Re WW2 - I’m glad there is going to be a place for that in DCS World, but I’m a self admitted button pushing goober…so I might not spend a bunch of time with the WWII modules. I haven’t bought any to date…but if a compelling campaign comes along, I’ll surely be tempted.
Anytime we publish a new module, we must create and release a new DCS World version to support it. In this case, it will be version 1.5.6. This is hardly anything new and we almost always first release any new DCS World version as an Open Beta first in case any blocking bugs sneaked in.
Ha! I vicariously enjoy your relentless Aardvark quips, mentally substituting “Phantom” wherever I see any reference to F111. I’m sure that @komemiute substitutes “Intruder”, so in effect you are carrying the banner for all of us - the ignored, befuddled, and misunderstood.
Concerning the Viggen, I should have prefaced my remarks with a statement that I pre-ordered as soon as it was available, and the only one missing out is chipwich. Just trying to simplify my life a bit. Managing missions, campaigns, skins, cockpits, terrains, utilities, controller configs, etc for two installs (1.5.x and 2.0.x), even with JSGME, is going to be my hard deck. It won’t kill me to wait a few more weeks, so as not to have to manage a third install.
, This is an open alpha/beta module with it’s own set of bugs to work through so I am not sure what anyone was thinking when they assumed it would be coming to 1.5.5 or that 1.5.6 was ready for release itself. Myself, I just assumed it would be available in one of the modules and I would have to spend some time tomorrow working out which one it was in 