DCS Free for All Month April 19th - May 18th

[Nefarious]

IL-2 Action from Saturday Night!

[1stpar3]

  NICELY DONE,Sir

[Reschke]

I've only had one time where I had a longer than 5 minute start up in an aircraft and that was one of the first times I was learning to start the BlackShark helo. The rest of them you can generally have up and ready to fly in 3-5 minutes if you choose not to use the "cheater" auto start keys. I especially like the start procedure for the F-5 in the game; its almost like flying a prop plane with a rocket strapped to the backside. You can be rolling with that sucker in less than 2 minutes if you do it right.

[Shuffler]

I've only had one time where I had a longer than 5 minute start up in an aircraft and that was one of the first times I was learning to start the BlackShark helo. The rest of them you can generally have up and ready to fly in 3-5 minutes if you choose not to use the "cheater" auto start keys. I especially like the start procedure for the F-5 in the game; its almost like flying a prop plane with a rocket strapped to the backside. You can be rolling with that sucker in less than 2 minutes if you do it right.

Amazing.... people complain how long it takes to get to a fight... yet will sit for 3-5 minutes just to start a plane. Even worse if under attack.

[Oldman731]

Amazing.... people complain how long it takes to get to a fight... yet will sit for 3-5 minutes just to start a plane. Even worse if under attack.

Heh.  I noticed that, too.

- oldman

[puller]

Amazing.... people complain how long it takes to get to a fight... yet will sit for 3-5 minutes just to start a plane. Even worse if under attack.

I have a feeling he isn't one of those people...

[Bruv119]

For me staring up the FW190a8 (what else    ) was a PITA, when I finally made a successful start, a new update ruined my FOV, and I had to reinstall the whole game again, and do a new setup of the controllers again.

don't be a noob save.  You can manually set your FOV per module in the LUA files, it can also depend on whether the mission host has this enabled or not. 

Each module has it's own config file if you backup them up, you can just slot it back in.

At first like with everything you need to learn it then it's second nature.  Spit, pony and 109k4 cold startup is down to 15 seconds or so now.

LFDM has been maxed out during this trial during euro evenings.  The dogfighting nirvana is soooo close just need a server with more capacity. 

[bozon]

I have been learning the FW190 A8/D9 till the P-47 comes out and eventually the Mosquito FB.VI - which on arrival will make all other modules that I buy redundant.

Auto-start script does not get you airborne in 30 seconds - it runs through all the startup checklist that may take near a minute. After that the plane is still not ready, there are more circuit breakers that you need to switch on for the guns, bombs, gunsight to operate. In some planes you also need to turn on the oxygen otherwise you’ll get blurry at altitude. All these things add up.

Then, you are at some parking station and need to taxi to the runway with quirky WWII ground handling system that are different from plane to plane. Collisions are on so it is dangerous to take off off the taxiway.

The realism is very high, sometimes to a point that it counters realism - if your plane did nit have rudder trim, then you don’t have it. Tough luck if you use a twisty stick, so just suck it up and forget about correcting skid/slip. Or you press the trigger and the gun does not fire? Did you forget a circuit breaker? Master arm? Trigger safety cover? Is you stick mapping messed up? You have to debug this in flight.

Multiplayer has a long way to go in DCS. Hopefully multiplayer will get more attention soon because DCS is obviously a single player game that got a multiplayer expansion. The voice communications are a total mess and rely completely on 3rd party apps/mods. I have yet to successfully speak to a single person online on the servers. They are also very “realistic” so you have no idea where the other players are at and what they are up to (don’t show on the map). Mission objectives are unclear and very difficult to find (no navigation aids).

Personally I have serious issues with visibility. I am completely unable to spot planes at 2 miles away - even if I know the exact screen pixel they are at (turning icons on and off). This is most likely some issue with the graphics setting that I need to solve.

So my conclusion - do I like it?
I have to say yes, very much, but I REALLY need to love the plane that I am flying in order to enjoy all these minute details instead of them being a total nuisance. DCS is more about operating and handling of the plane than actual air combat, or multiplayer for that matter. Aces High is nearly the opposite.

[Bruv119]

have you been into LFDM?

Objectives are in the mission briefing alt + b,  some are even circled on your map.

You get base warnings and headings of bad guys from your ships.  Plus all the info is on their website.

in built voice chat is a new addition, most people prefer SRS which is a 3rd party prog.  Or login to discord. 

I've found the multiplayer in here to be what I imagined AH to be before people got obsessed with base taking and winning the war.   Everyone rushes to the fight and not away from it with a couple of exceptions.   When the mossie comes out come on my discord and we can fly together into the furball.   

Spotting is hard not going to lie.   Depends on a million hardware factors but with time you get better at it.

[puller]

I haunt the 4YA PvP training server...its awesome...there are small icons and you can shoot at ground targets that are used by buying CA or air targets its awesome

[Shuffler]

I haunt the 4YA PvP training server...its awesome...there are small icons and you can shoot at ground targets that are used by buying CA or air targets its awesome

I keep reading about buying..... this is a FREE game......????

[Drano]

I keep reading about buying..... this is a FREE game......????

South Park covered this years ago!

https://youtu.be/2luhwy3KAE0

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

[bozon]

have you been into LFDM?
....

I played on Storm of war (SOW) server. That is usually the most populated when I log in (late Euro evening). There is also “Burning skies”. What is LFDM? I did not see it in the active servers.

[Nefarious]

It is free to play, if you only fly the Su-25 and gunless P-51D.

[Bruv119]

I played on Storm of war (SOW) server. That is usually the most populated when I log in (late Euro evening). There is also “Burning skies”. What is LFDM? I did not see it in the active servers.

Odd that it wasn't in your normandy list but has been the most populated for the last 3 months or so on open beta Euro time.

SoW has only been getting <15 and doesn't run so good IMO, too much in mission and AI.  Big Phil is going for a single player vibe, with MP action and water tight historical bases/units.  LFDM is about PvP fighting mainly.

It would be fantastic if they took a leaf out of HT's book and made an official server with un-capped numbers.  It has reminded me of the LW arena split not being able to get into LFDM when it's full sitting there refreshing hoping for someone to drop out.   

Nef you did read the title of the thread? everything is free for this trial month.  No doubt numbers will drop off when the freeloaders don't pay for it.  Unfortunately it is a paywall that prevents the less inclined WW2 fan to not try it, much like the Subscription is here.