DCS 1.2.4 Available

[+Dave 2,322]

DCS 1.2.4 Available

 

Today we are happy to make available version 1.2.4 of DCS World and updates to several DCS modules.

 

 

Download installer files here: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.co...roduct&lang=en

 

- or -

 

Use Auto Updater. To force an auto update, from the Start menu, select Eagle Dynamics - DCS World - Update DCS world

 

In addition to many new features and fixes, 1.2.4 adds support to the new DCS: UH-1H Huey module.

 

New Features

 

• AI Fw-190D9 with multiple skins.

• Graphical User Interface. New skin panels.

• Graphical User Interface. New Module Manager.

• Flaming Cliffs 3. New Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) cockpits for the Su-25, Su-27 and A-10A.

• Flaming Cliffs 3. Added vertical adjustments to the Su-25 gunsight for bomb, rocket, and missiles delivery. This includes 10 steps down [RALT - H] and 10 steps up [RSHIFT - H].

• Combined Arms. The radar emission control added. Key . This allows players to operate SAM radars in radar-silent mode.

• Combined Arms. Generic automatic transmission.

• Combined Arms. Axis controls for ground units implemented.

• The Radio Menu F10 option now works in network games.

• New trigger actions: "radio item add for coalition", "radio item remove for coalition", "radio item add for group", and "radio item remove for group".

• New Mission Editor features:

-Initialization Script Added

-Trigger Action: AI TASK renamed to AI SET TASk

-Trigger Action: AI PUSH TASK added

-Trigger Action: Set Flag Value added

-Trigger Action: Set Internal Cargo added

-Group LUA condition and % chance of appearance added

• Numerous SSE changes and new features. http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/Main_Page

 

DCS World

 

• Some issues causing the network instability have been fixed.

• The missiles dynamic launch zone or fighters has been adjusted.

• The T-90 tank added in the Encyclopedia.

• Fixed some Mission Editor and GUI crashes.

• Il-76 damage model has been corrected.

• Tail numbers stencil shimmering for the Il-76 model is fixed.

• The standard Russian Air Force MiG-31 skin is fixed.

• In ME airfield info page now includes airfield ATC frequency.

• Fixed ME issue regarding statics.

• Mission debrief. Accounting of released weapons has been corrected.

• Rearming & Refueling window. The chaff and flare fields can increase countermeasures amount.

• Resource Manager (RM) - Smoke generators being duplicated in RM airbase weapons window has been fixed.

• Resource Manager (RM) - Increased the maximum storage fuel limit to 5,000 tons for each airbase.

• AI A-10 will no longer shoot all Mavericks at a single target.

• Axis assignments will print to input .html file

• ME can't save file into mods folders has been fixed.

• Pilot skins added to the E-3A.

• The S-5 rocket warhead changed from HE to shaped-charge.

• Corrected valid firing azimuth for FSG "Molniya".

• New, more accurate, missile dynamics for the SA-19 Tunguska.

• Airfield marks are disappearing after pressing "Cancel" on "Coalitions" window has been fixed.

• Fixed when AI aircraft and vehicles set invisible = true, then set invisible = false, the ground AI vehicles still could not be detected.

• Fixed situation if player sets options to "pilot can control vehicle" and the mission doesn't have an aircraft, player can't control units.

• Fixed ME error when clicking a certain area in the track playback menu.

• F10 Radio item or add for coalition ALL has been removed.

• Fixed coalition helicopters unable to take off from aircraft carrier if "takeoff from ramp" condition is selected.

• Rearm and refuel menus have been removed. "Rearm & Refuel" command will now open Mission Resources Dialog.

• CG-60 Normandy will now attack Anti-Ship Missiles (ASM).

• Waypoint actions "Weapon hold" has been fixed.

• Helicopters sinking when they takeoff from an aircraft carrier has been fixed.

• Fixed S-300 launches not being shown in the de-brief.

• The COMM option status will now save in the mission.

• Fixed AI not always attacking targets during intercept task.

• Corrected ROE behavior issues.

• Fixed Tunguska tracking targets through buildings.

• Fixed server crashes, when one client fires an air-to-air missile and other client joins the game.

• Fixed F-16C Bl52d having old (Flanker) icon style on F10 view.

• Fixed incorrect aspect in record video in size 1280*720.

• ME. Some issues with copying, renaming and removing payloads has been fixed.

• Fixed helicopter AI ROE and threat reaction.

• Corrected air to Air ATGM delivery by AI Ka-50s.

• Fixed the inability to respawn if the aircraft flies into the ground.

• Fixed severe framerate drop when looking at destroyed civilian train.

• Fixed the OK button not working when a campaign is finished.

• Fixed crash when rocket collides with ground (fullscreen only).

• Adjusted framerate impact of smoke from burning aircraft.

• Fixed AWACS not performing stop task.

• Improved Sorbcija ECM pod model.

• Improved the ejection model for the A-10A/C and F-15C.

• Corrected scale of F-15C external fuel tanks.

• New skins for the Su-27 and Su-33.

• Improved sounds for several aircraft including the F-15C and Su-27.

 

DCS: A-10C Warthog

 

• LITENING TGP masking logic has been restored.

• Corrected MFCD start-up screen wrong color.

• Fixed AI wingman failing to engage target at Player SPI if AI is not aware/in range of target.

• Fixed LASTE Wind Edit data entry.

• Fixed Gun Minimum Range Cue Behavior.

• Fixed HUD Air speed indicator will TAS in GS mode.

• HSI course knob will now rotate the course pointer with or without power.

• Turn Rate Indicator has been calibrated.

• Fixed the CDU Wind Indication Direction being reversed.

• Several A-10 callsigns have been corrected.

 

DCS: P-51D Mustang

 

• Escort task added to the P-51D.

• Corrected incorrect fairing door animation.

• Fixed chassis damage after press RAlt+J on the ground.

• Fixed DXrenderer error in dsc.log with serial numbers and pilot textures.

• Fixed demo track 'takeoff-demo.trk'.

• Fixed error when in-game manual is selected.

• Fixed drop tanks of P-51D are not synchronized in Multiplayer.

 

Flaming Cliffs 3

 

• Added kneeboard input to flyable aircraft.

• MiG-29S TWS2 mode is now fixed.

• Added intro image to Su-33 "Sea Dragon" campaign.

• A-10A AOA Indexer now works.

• Corrected some minor issues with new 3D Su-27 model.

• Corrected wingmen maneuvers when turning.

• Fixed wingmen not turning off radar when commanded to do so.

• Fixed Su-27 campaign mission typos.

• Pilots models are now correct.

• Fixed F-15C Fuel Tank Pylon indication on MFD.

• Fixed tanker not filling external F-15C fuel tanks.

• Fixed Su-33 getting stuck near island on the Kuznetsov deck.

• Corrected MiG-29 HUD indications.

 

DCS: Combined Arms

 

• Replaced the old generic gun sight with a new one.

• Adjusted some generic HUD symbology.

• Fixed player controlled MLRS reloading troubles.

• Fixed units not resuming previous movement after player takes control.

• Fixed air defense units with HOLD FIRE ROE not going from ALARM STATE RED to ALARM STATE GREEN when commanded.

• Added option for Automatic Transmission in CA Special Options.

• Adjusted the drag factor of Russian AP tank shells.

• Fixed ability to set the Ready state of AI flights.

• Fixed ground unit control HUD compass missing from the wide displays.

• Fixed Alarm State Green for radars revealing radar targets.

• Adjusted M1A2 side armor.

• "F10" view. AI aircraft can now land based on ground force commander commands.

• Fixed night vision only being available off/on outside of binocular view.

• Fixed the Go To command.

• Fixed Chaparral issue of locking targets.

• Axis controls for ground units implemented.

 

DCS: Black Shark 2

 

• Corrected missing Ka-50 textures in the some missions.

• Fixed Ka-50 wingman calls "engaging enemy air defenses" while evading incoming missile.

• Fixed Ka-50 training missions showing in training section, as they are only available through the download link.

 

[+Stary 2,427]

yeah... that AI Dora will be great addition... I can imagine recreating those famous Focke-Wulfs vs Flankers dogfights over Georgia from... "We at ED have no idea what to do with this great piece of software" war, ever heard of that?

 

[+daddyairplanes 10,241]

Dont be so negative Stary. It the European reboot of Iron Eagle 3.....

[JediMaster 451]

Numerous SSE changes? What's SSE? I thought that was the old P4 command set Intel made. No idea what it refers to here.

[+ST0RM 145]

Simulation Support Environment?

[+Dave 2,322]

P-51 D vs FW-190 anyone? That is why the Dora was made. SO you dont have to fly P-51's vs Flankers or FW-190's vs F-15's.

 

Simulator Scripting Engine, this is what makes the mission editor the best ever made in any sim. From random elements to triggers to controlling the battlefield. It amazing what you can do with the editor. The SSE is what can give your missions and campaigns life. Just read below.

 

 

http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/Simulator_Scripting_Engine_Documentation

[+streakeagle 871]

I have faith that DCS can and will become THE combat flight sim for any time frame... if they can make enough money to keep going.

My only problem is whether they will get as far as I would like before I die ;)

When you choose to make a combat flight sim that is both a hardcore study sim and a survey sim, that is a huge can of worms.

Rise of Flight is along those lines, but models a time frame with only the simplest of aircraft systems, and it has still taken many years to expand to its current stable of fairly well-modeled aircraft.

Which is better/easier? Starting with a survey sim, then going back and filling in the details to make each aircraft into a dedicated hardcore study sim or starting with a hardcore sim and slowly expanding the library of flyable hardcore aircraft?

I was enjoying the Third Wire approach -- starting off with a decent number of flyables and slowly improving the game engine while also expanding the planeset, but the money ran dry before it got as far as I would have liked.

The idea of polishing Falcon 4.0 into Falcon Allied Force, then adding an equally well modeled aircraft like the A-10 or F-15E sounded good, too... but again the money ran out.

Flanker -> LOMAC ->FC->DCS:Ka50->FC2->A-10C -> DCS:World -> FC3 has a unique flow from study sim to survey sim to study sim to survey sim... rinse, wash, repeat.

For now, it seems to be working as a business model as long as people are willing to keep paying for updated versions of the same original code (much like Third Wire in that aspect).

 

The Fw190 will enhance P-51 air combat fun, but the UH-1H is what I am anxious to see.

How can this be the first time one of the most popular and prolific helos has been modeled to a hard core level in a combat flight sim?

 

The one fatal flaw I see preventing DCS from taking over all PC flight simming is the small regional map (again like Third Wire) versus the globe of FSX and X-Plane.

I hope they have plans to eventually create a globe that gets populated with their regional maps.

I would rather fly into generic blue or green unmodeled areas on a complete globe than hit imaginary walls.

[+ST0RM 145]

The issues I see with DCS and the modules coming out is that they are being produced by companies that are trying to compete in two very different sims. Devs like RAZBAM, Milviz are building DCS compatible aircraft from their FSX models. This is taking quite a long time to implement the weps functions and consumers keep speculating on how fruitful it will end up being and at what cost per module. Your hardcore group will buy everything the first week, but that is not your target market. They all forget its not a sprint, but a long distance jog, but still try to recover the money fast. The long dev time reminds me of some of the Il-2 add-ons and how long it took to get them in game. If at all.

 

Secondly, I see the UH-1 as simply a test aircraft to see how it interacts with the engine. Like the P-51. It really does not fit into the modern environment with it's rockets and crew served weapons that do not allow for multi-player.

 

My biggest disapointment was CA. It is a cool idea, but did not get the attention to truly make it a standout. No views other than from the weapon station, so driving is iffy and you have to traverse the turret to see anything around you. The guns are great, but as a SAM commander, its more like firing TOW missiles. I get my a$$ shot off by the SA-19 when it is AI controlled, but from a player, you have to guide it like a wire guided missile. I dont like that and see players feeling the same when asked about it being included in MP missions. Plus I see many aircraft drivers staying well outside of threat range and high, so the guns dont come into play much.

 

All in all, I think DCS is a great sim. High learning curve but it works right out of the box. MP sells games and they have taken it to another level. Now as long as they dont saturate the market with DLC purely to do-so and start adding maps and match era aircraft, it will be successful. Just my $.02

 

-Jeff

[+Stary 2,427]

Simulator Scripting Engine, this is what makes the mission editor the best ever made in any sim.

Speaking of best ever made mission editor in a simulator, does Bohemia Interactive rings any bells..?

 

I'm not negative, it's just the road map is hardly existent and at this pace the engine will already obsolete before we'll have a plausible set of ED or 3rd party addons to create some historic scenarios without using Doras as stand-ins for Gustavs, Mustangs for Skyraiders or F-15 for Zippers... all over nice yet 20 years old Crimea environment.

 

My point is, cant those 3rd party grous sort of unite and do stuff like, say one does F-4 and Mig-17s, the others work on set of WW2 planes etc, now it's all-for-everyone, so some groups do the very same planes simultaneously (which WILL result in pretty flame wars after release, I assure you)

[+streakeagle 871]

I think the "multiple 3rd parties doing the same plane thing" is already fixing itself, and not necessarily in a good way.

The F-15E is one of the most complex systems you could try to model and a poor choice for learning how to do things the DCS way.

Will 3rd parties even be able to produce modules comparable to the existing Ka-50, P-51D, and A-10C?

If they can't do so in a reasonable amount of time and make a profit, they won't be releasing any DCS modules at all.

All I can do is sit back an wait to see the results of both ED and the 3rd parties.

The UH-1H will give me a taste of 3rd party capabilities.

Hopefully, the MiG-21bis follows soon as well.

But I am not holding my breath waiting for 3rd parties to deliver everything or even anything they originally announced.

I hope I am wrong, but I expect most will pull out of doing DCS modules before releasing even one module.

I am counting on ED to produce their official modules in a reasonable amount of time and more importantly to the same level of accuracy as DCS:A-10C.

I just hope they finish something I like and want before I am too old to learn/enjoy hardcore flight sims.

[+Stary 2,427]

Will 3rd parties even be able to produce modules comparable to the existing Ka-50, P-51D, and A-10C?

Frankly? I don't think so.

 

Side note: Do we really need that level of fidelity from 3rd parties? I'm pretty sure freeware much less complicated addons will come first, somewhere near FC2 survey level

[JediMaster 451]

Personally, I would've been thrilled had the 3rd parties ceded the "DCS" market to ED and stuck to making Flaming Cliffs-level aircraft. I know some of them are in fact doing that, such as the F-22 for one, but far too many seem to be jumping in head first to DCS and I think it will be a big problem for some of them with complex avionics. I'm not a DCS snob, I enjoy FC for what it offers, I don't demand every plane I fly to need 200 hrs of classroom instruction to fly effectively.

 

The UH-1 I don't think will have that problem because its avionics were never complex, just the FM, it just has the same issue as the P-51D in being a platform looking for a mission and not the other way around. On the other side of the coin, the F-15E is going to fill a need in DCS, I know it will sell well. I'm presuming it will be the first true multirole plane for DCS World, but one of the others could easily beat it out of the gate...but that's what DCS World needs. We have great ground attack planes like the A-10 and Su-25, and great AA planes like Flankers, Eagles, and Fulcrums...but no swing role birds. F-15E, F/A-18, anything like that will sell like wildfire.

 

The 190D is a great move, although I wish it was flyable. However, a WWII Flaming Cliffs featuring half a dozen flyable WWII birds at a lower fidelity than the P-51 would sell great IMO. Maybe P-47D, Bf109G, FW190A, F4U, Spitfire, and Typhoon? Or a similar distribution.

 

Combined Arms I see as the foundation for something to come. I agree in its current state it's a bit limited, especially in SP.

[+Stary 2,427]

Have to agree with you JM

 

yeah, WW2 pack might be interesting, and yes, I don't need DCS fidelity addons, I need any addons

[+streakeagle 871]

I see little to no value in FC level flight models.

SF2 has far superior flight modeling to Lomac/FC.

If DCS merely expanded the FC planeset rather than having higher fidelity aircraft modeling, I would play it as much as I did LOMAC/FC/FC2... once in a while.

I already have a wide range of sims at a survey level with only a few at the hard core level... and none of those cover aircraft I want to learn to the hard core level.

DCS only has my attention because of the announced hard core aircraft: MiG-21bis and the promise to deliver more aircraft from that generation and older.

Additionally, the F-104, F-86, MiG-15, and UH-1H are the projects I am interested in.

But aside from the UH-1, those aircraft fly and fight better in SF2 better than they ever would at an FC3 level of modeling.

So I am willing to wait quite a while if the finished products are at the level of accuracy of the A-10C module.

Pending the release of the UH-1 and MiG-21bis, most of my DCS time is spent in the P-51D.

 

While I would prefer historically accurate terrain and even better yet, the complete globe, all I really need is a sandbox capable of modeling the missions I want to fly. The existing terrain is adequate for this purpose.

Edited April 25, 2013 by streakeagle

[JediMaster 451]

I'm pretty sure the A-10's FM was a LOT easier to make than its cockpit systems. It takes all of a couple of hours to learn to fly it, but you can't say that about learning to fight in it.

 

I don't disagree the AFMs are nicer, I'm talking about systems modeling. For WWII birds there really isn't any systems modeling, but there's no way I can ever get a good WWII sim buying one plane at a time @$40+. You can sell additional planes like that maybe once you have a core set, but there needs to be a foundation. To buy the P-51...then later buy a FW190...then later buy a Spit...then later buy a 109...then later buy a P-47...each at $40+? Spending $200 over a few YEARS to get a WWII sim with 5 planes? Advanced modeling is well and good, but that cost to entry is too high.

 

I wish the plan would be FC-level for a large number of planes with certain "stars" done to DCS level. That way we flesh out the theaters with a great set of planes in far less time and cost.

[+Stary 2,427]

I see little to no value in FC level flight models.

SF2 has far superior flight modeling to Lomac/FC

That's true, but FC level avionics are less survey than SF2 so I'd be up for such level addons

[+streakeagle 871]

1.2.4 is out. Already have DCS:UH-1H downloaded. About 1/3 the way through the 1.2.4 auto-update, but it has slowed down a tad. I wish the auto-updater could tie into torrents.

Correction, 2/3 done... must be moving in spurts. When it moves, it jumps.

It really jumps... applying update now, but won't have time to try it yet.

Have to fix dinner and take my son out to play.

Oops... must have only finished "file check", auto-updater is at 11.8 out of 1359.9 MB and crawling very slow.

Others say the torrent to download the whole install is faster, but I think I will let the auto-updater do the job.

Edited April 30, 2013 by streakeagle

[+streakeagle 871]

The auto updater has downloaded 120 MB... torrent has gotten 3 GB... now do I have to completely uninstall to use the torrent? I don't want to uninstall and certainly don't want to waste/disturb module activations. But I also don't want to wait a week for the auto-updater.

[JediMaster 451]

It took me around 7 hrs to DL the patch.

[+streakeagle 871]

The patch was fully downloaded in the morning when I got up, I installed it, installed UH-1H, and activated UH-1H.

I didn't have time to try it (still don't have time yet), but had to start a mission to activate it.

So, I took off and hovered a few seconds. Just using the default mappings to my BU0836X stick and Warthog throttle, I could lift off and hover with a bit of wobbling.

I don't know if one of the throttle axis was providing tail rotor or what, but I could use the cyclic to damp most oscillations and hang pretty steady without using rudder pedals at all.

As soon as I get the time, I will get my stick/throttle/pedals all mapped and enjoy this awesome helo ride :)