I have upgraded Hollo Pointe North to make use of the latest version of SRS, version 1.7.1.1 which will now appear in DCS as a module with its own settings section in the settings menu. This version also features an auto-updater - if you havenāt used one of the previous version with it, the auto updater has worked excellently multiple times for both server and client making the setup and installation of SRS even easier. Another new advancement is that SRS can now be started automatically when joining into a SRS enabled DCS server with the autoconnect prompt, which HPN has. No more alt-tab when you forget to start SRS!
DCS Built-In VOIP
We have begun testing DCSās new built in VOIP with success finally! It appears to work quite well, but the network configuration is sensitive and a bad configuration can lead to clients crashing. Fortunately, the server itself does not. Further tests will happen over the next day or so following a recommendation from ED staff in response to a bug report I submitted, potentially needing a restart of DCS.
New Missions
I have some early information on new missions for HP & HPN (that you could see buried in Discord anyway) coming Iād guess sometime in 2020.
@Franze has a new Persian Gulf mission in the works which may soon see some initial testing on HPN. The mission will feature a resource system, meaning attrition of ground units, and their control in Combined Arms comes more into play. Recent AI improvements, especially with Helicopters in regards to multiplayer have helped bring this along. There are still discrepancies between running a mission on SP and MP via Dedicated Server that make design of dynamic environments with the AI a challenge.
@WreckingCrew is working through initial planning for a Persian Gulf sequel to Erl Sis for HP, which has always been popular. Crewās current work is trying to recreate the same mission feel on entirely different terrain - to get the same balance of simplicity & complexity that has worked in Erl Sis so well. This involves planning locations for takeoff and targets, flight distances etc. Myself and Franze take partial blame for delay on this, as what we would consider innovative strategies to win make for a very complex need of anti-exploit mission design.
Server Hardware
HPN will soon see a hardware upgrade which will help with reliability of performance and allow me to try out more things non-DCS. Iām waiting for more information on Intelās 10th generation presently. With that in mind, I would be happy to investigate adding an IL2 server to the roster if itās both feasible from a software perspective alongside current uses and there is community interest.
Looking forward to the PG missions! Iām happy to say that, over the past few months, Iāve sort of became a resident at HP north. We need some more EU timeslot pilots, though! Iām usually on my own
I do wonder if we could get some tiny updates to the mission that are related to the F-16. First, could we get pre-programmed radio channels? I couldnāt find presets for the local ATC or the AWACS, always setting that up manually. Secondly, could we get an additional boom tanker that flies a bit faster than the current one? It seems the current is flying at a speed so A-10ās can get gas from it, but I find it a tad to slow to tank comfortably from a pointy-nose such as the 16 or the 15. Maybe between the ferry base and the front lines, thatād be fun. Lastly, could you put multiple F-16 clients in the same group? We tried to get the datalink working, and although we can get the intra-coalition part to work with help from our friendly E-3, we couldnāt get the intraflight datalink functions to work, we read online somewhere that those only function if theyāre in the same group in the editor.
Many thanks! Iād be happy to lend a hand with this or anything else upon request!
I havenāt learned how the F-16 datalink is working yet, but I would hope itās not that restrictive in the future. I thought it was supposed to (eventually) have the SADL link like the Warthog and youād hopefully be able to program your ownship and group ID NET codes like on the Hogās TAD. Perhaps programming comes later.
We can also begin testing Franzeās new Divine Falcon mission. Technically itās a beta within a beta so I hope you watched Inception.
probably not. but for now we canāt change these codesā¦
and we canāt get on each otherās net when changing anything/everything else. So hopefully this will be implemented some day soon. Itās fantastic already as it is, once you talked enough with your bud to find out which green dot is him.
Weāre actually having a bit of an upset regarding radio frequencies, mostly in trying to determine how to handle allocation of UHF, VHF, and FM vs AM. Unfortunately, a lot of modules in DCS go their own way with radio functions, like the only helicopter capable of contacting a JTAC is the Gazelle, despite the other three having the right equipment for it. Previously we had assigned frequencies in the UHF military band as that was the most open, but the problem we see with that is some aircraft only have one UHF radio, so itās a problem when you have a flight frequency thatās UHF but also have a need to listen to AWACS. Using VHF for flight frequency assignment seems greatā¦ Then you realize VHF radios get very different! The F-16ās for example can also do FM 30-88MHz, but not the Viggen. The A-10C doesnāt have options for presets.
For the F-16 in particular, I think at launch it didnāt have frequency preset settings and I was slow to put them in. I put it aside due to the mentioned frequency management/allocation thing, which still has yet to be solved, but in the interim I can throw in presets on both VHF and UHF for the critical frequencies and relevant airfields.
The refueler problem is a bit more complicated because weāve used up all three of the tanker callsigns and the radio menu doesnāt indicate if youāre talking to Arco 2-1 over Arco 1-1; I had hoped to do something like a ārequest speed and altitude changeā to allow tankers to handle all refueling needs but that got pushed by the wayside. In the interim I can still add an additional tanker but it would have to recycle a callsign; I can stick it on a more northern route as suggested.
I was under the impression that multiple clients in the same group brought some other issues with it, so Iām reluctant to modify those slots for something that may be fixed/changed/altered in the future. However, I can still try bumping up the slots to two ship slots and see how it goes. Doesnāt do much for more than two people but that should be adequate until ED expands the functionality.
Thanks for the detailed response, @Franze! Iād be happy with anything. If the tanker or multi-client F-16 group donāt get to make it in, then that is fine. I appreciate the amount of effort youāve put into offensive posture so far.
Iāve made the changes to the F-16s so there should be a two ship for almost every slot, plus preset frequencies for most/all of the mission frequencies. Iāve also added an additional Arco tanker under TACAN 8Y and 299MHz AM. Let me know how it works!
Iād imagine the times the A-10s will use the tanker to be incredibly rare, but I just like to have the option available for the few times it is needed.
