Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Serenity on January 02, 2010, 11:22:49 PM
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So, my girlfriend bought me this game for Christmas and already regrets it! It's a great helicopter sim I originally found out about through links on this board. Anyone else fly this sim?
My thoughts:
GREAT fun. It's real tricky to fly and balance the trimmer with my rudder spiking, but it's do-able. The basics of flight are a lot tougher to get used to as there is a whole new dynamic. It takes me up to 5 minutes to trim it properly for straight and level flight, though I attribute most of that to my stick spiking. The first time you enter combat it becomes obvious why there aren't many single-seat attack helicopters: Combat is VERY overwhelming. If you use Track IR it is probably a LOT easier, though for me I simply do not have enough hands and focus to fly, target with the headseat, and dial in the target on the Shkval screen, so my strategy is to stand off about 4km away from the bad guys, hover (I manually trim the bird rather than using the auto-hover feature which screws up the rest of my flight for some reason...) and just pick off the bad guys with ATGMs. Infantry gets a high speed rambo-style pass just screaming though spray-and-praying the rocket pods. I rarely use the cannon because I always have more ATGMs than I have targets, and the range of the cannon does not allow me the time to perform the tedious aiming procedure without dodging bullets.
If you are a stickler for realism, this game has it. With realistic mode on flight, and avionics, everything is done by the pilot. I fly with realistic mode on, and several times found myself screaming into a target zone forgetting to set my targeting lazer to standby, or turn the master-arming switch on. To give you an idea of how intricate most actions are, my pre-fire checklist for ATGMs alone is 17 steps and a full page of writing long.
Graphics are beautiful. Because there is no damage checklist like in AH, I find myself cutting to an external view after taking fire to look and see what's broken. This sim has made me realize just how fragile helicopters are, when just two or three lucky rounds find an engine, and suddenly you barely have the thrust to fly... fortunately, you can jettison anything on the wing hard points to save weight, so the entire rocket pod falls off, unlike AH where you can only fire the rockets and hang on to the tree...
So, some sample screens. Nothing too crazy as I am only about 5 missions into the first of four campaigns.
Two Helicopters on the way to the fight:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_000.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_006.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_008.jpg)
Flying through clouds on the egress (This became an IFR flight QUICKLY as my planned flight path took me over a mountain range completely obscured by clouds):
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_004.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_005.jpg)
Firing the Cannon:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_002.jpg)
The friendly in the background had lost an engine and made an emergency landing on this peak. I'm guessing the pilot walked away because his door is open... I decided to try to rescue him, and well... the picture speaks for itself.
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_010.jpg)
Damage assessment after clearing the AAA so a pair of Hinds could hose a town:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_012.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_013.jpg)
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How's is the multiplayer? Easy to find a fight? Is there coop?
Is there anyone even on? I look at this everytime I go to the store.
I always put the box back on the shelf though.
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How's is the multiplayer? Easy to find a fight? Is there coop?
Is there anyone even on? I look at this everytime I go to the store.
I always put the box back on the shelf though.
I honestly haven't even tried it yet, though I'll jump on right now and see. Singleplayer is tough enough to get used to, it's gonna take a couple months before you can handle a fight against a skilled human opponent.
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How's is the multiplayer? Easy to find a fight? Is there coop?
Is there anyone even on? I look at this everytime I go to the store.
I always put the box back on the shelf though.
Alright, as of right now, Multiplayer is silent. There are several servers, though no details are listed on them, so that may be a connection issue on my end. However, according to the game manual, multiplayer is designed to be co-op mission based, because the only operational vehicle is the Ka-50. Multiplayer is designed to field flights of four aircraft, linked together via the fully-functional datalink system. So, you're not really looking for a fight so much as you are carrying out missions.
Important notes:
This game does NOT like vista. The first campaign is fine, but the other four specifically say they are designed for high-end XP systems (The game was out just before Windows 7, so no mention of that) but the bold print says those four campaigns will NOT work well with vista.
You can design and build your own campaigns quite easily with built-in editors.
There are both individual missions to be flown, and an instant action mode if you just want carnage.
Invest in a kneeboard. This is one of those games where, if you fly everything realistic, you're going to want to take notes on the pre-flight briefing and maybe even print out the intelligence photos.
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Sounds awesome, last game I had to write stuff down for was FSX with vatsim. Printed out a bunch of airport charts and standard departure routes and put them in a binder.
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Looks like a helo sim I got in a cheap-o game pack a few years back. Sounds like fun though.
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Found the first two flaws:
1) Your wingman is a robot. On some occasions, he thinks before he does. IE, if you tell him to recce within range of a AAA threat, he will say no. However, as we approached a hot zone, I meant to hit F6 and tell him to recce the forest. Instead I hit F5 "Jettison External Stores". Before I could say **** I get "Copy, jettison external stores." The idiot went in with nothing but cannon. Luckily there were only hostile infantry.
2) When stuff goes wrong, its REALLY hard to fix it with a mouse. I accidentally powered down my engines in flight. I kept control while autorotating, but couldn't find all the buttons in the start-up procedure before I met the ground. Fortunately, I kept control, dropped my gear and landed.
Some more screens from the escort mission in which these two "issues" were discovered (Escorting an Mi-8 on a SAR mission):
Flares! :D
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_011.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_012-1.jpg)
Tried to get a shot with the pods falling, but I was a second late
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_010-1.jpg)
View out the window
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_009.jpg)
Some not-so-action shots:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_006-1.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_004-1.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_003.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_002-1.jpg)
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I just jumped in an instant action to get some action shots for any interested.
Firing some random rockets:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_002-2.jpg)
Killing a tank with a Vikhr ATGM just as some friendly arty impacts the site. (Yes, the shkval cam operates independently of the aircraft, it's not just a screen-filler)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_000-2.jpg)
The ejection system at work:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_004-2.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_005-2.jpg)
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Looks like it would be a blast to play but I have vista so I doubt I will be getting it. Have fun :salute.
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Looks like it would be a blast to play but I have vista so I doubt I will be getting it. Have fun :salute.
It runs okay on Vista, it just doesn't handle really BIG missions well on vista, so if you want to run pure missions or make your own campaign, vista would be fine.
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It runs okay on Vista, it just doesn't handle really BIG missions well on vista, so if you want to run pure missions or make your own campaign, vista would be fine.
What about the co-op section and vista. I mainly play games as long as i can do co-op. I use to like playing by myself but enjoy much more when there is another person I can team up with.
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It's quite obviously based on the LOMAC game engine, which is probably that "cheap-o in a pack" game mentioned earlier.
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Yeah it is made by the same guys who made lomac. I never
got lomac to run multiplayer. It sits collecting dust. I got falcon4.0
to do multiplayer using some other peer to peer program. Falcon
lobby didn't work for me. I love aces high and would continue to play it.
Just waiting for a game with a present day timeline to come out that
is multiplayer. Shark still looks pretty cool.
Are there updates that give you other vehicles?
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Doesn't it use the StarForce copy protection?
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Are the trees real objects now?, I remember having an earlier build, and the trees, while drawn, weren't actually "there" (you could not collide with them)
Steely
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Last I heard Cougar it was using it.
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Ripped from the DCS FAQ........
Q: What copy protection system does the DCS series use??
A: Currently it uses the online activation method of StarForce...................
Pity, I've been looking for a decent Helo sim.
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Are the trees real objects now?, I remember having an earlier build, and the trees, while drawn, weren't actually "there" (you could not collide with them)
Steely
I don't think you can collide with the trees, nor do they provide cover from enemy radar / optics / missiles, which is why I won't bother with the game.
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I don't think you can collide with the trees, nor do they provide cover from enemy radar / optics / missiles, which is why I won't bother with the game.
Um, good luck effectively operating that low in combat, lol. I honestly don't know, because it's a handful enough just flying and fighting at decent altitude.
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Its a challenge. I bought it online shortly after it came out, but it was going to require more time and effort than my marriage would survive to get to a decent level. After two weeks of playing about with it, I could just about take the thing for a spin round the circuit and land again. Any kind of combat with realistic settings was a ways off.
I'd definitely invest in Track IR for this. I don't use it for AH, but doubt I'd get very far with this without it.
As for Starforce, its been pretty in-obtrusive so far.
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I have Black Shark
1) It's freakin' hard. I mean really hard. It's not like AH2 where you can just jump in and play. It has to be compared to something like Falcon 4, and you better read that manual.
2) The graphics actually are very pretty, if you have a machine manly enough to run it at full settings. If you do, it's a joy.
3) Don't bother without TrackIR if you like a good view system. The view system is not AH2 smooth.
4) Multiplayer... pretty lacking. That's what happens when you're catering to a tiny fan base. It's there, but you have to know where to look to find people that are worth playing with.
I'm mixed on it. It's good, but not good enough for me to invest the time to get everything out of it that it has to offer.
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The big complaint with starforce wasn't it being intrusive, but that it has been reported to kill certain cd/dvd rom drives. Also you have to run a third party piece of software to remove it. There were also complaints about it granting itself tier 0 access.
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If we could create a AH2 blackshark player base then perhaps we could do some coop missions together. I still need to get Falcon 4.0
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If we could create a AH2 blackshark player base then perhaps we could do some coop missions together. I still need to get Falcon 4.0
I have DCSBS and am just a couple weeks away from getting a system that can run it. If you guys do make a team on Black Shark, count me in.
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If we could create a AH2 blackshark player base then perhaps we could do some coop missions together. I still need to get Falcon 4.0
Get FreeFalcon - they have done an amazing work on the old Falcon 4.0:
http://www.freefalcon.com/ (http://www.freefalcon.com/)
Its, well, free :)
Install FreeFalcon 5.0 with hotfix 1. Do not install v. 5.3 - it's still to buggy.
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I have DCSBS and am just a couple weeks away from getting a system that can run it. If you guys do make a team on Black Shark, count me in.
Sounds good Mar - finally some decent framerates in AH, eh? :)
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I still need to get Falcon 4.0
F4AF is pretty cheap now. Just make sure you play on full-realism from the get go. You can also hit me up and I can give you a crash course in everything. There's a ton of tips I picked up from the MultiViper crowd that aren't in the manual.
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Indy, I decided to break out F4AF after a long break. My question is this: In the campaign mode, I can't get the option to use laser guided bombs. Only guided missiles and dumb bombs. Is there some sort of setting that needs to be changed for those to be available?
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Indy, I decided to break out F4AF after a long break. My question is this: In the campaign mode, I can't get the option to use laser guided bombs. Only guided missiles and dumb bombs. Is there some sort of setting that needs to be changed for those to be available?
I've never even heard of that problem. What campaign are you running? How far are you in? Is the option just not there? If so, what model -16 are you running? Is the option there, but red like the nuclear weapon? That means your side doesn't have any in stock, gotta wait.
What are you trying to blow up anyways? There's typically better options than a F-16 for most targets. B-52 with 16xCALCM, -15E with 2 bruisers, 8 cbu, drop tanks, and a2a weapons.. for boat sinking I typically use a Tornado with whatever that euro cruise missile is (storm shadow or something).
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Wait a minute. Time out. Back the aeroplane up. There are nukes in F4AF?
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Wait a minute. Time out. Back the aeroplane up. There are nukes in F4AF?
Yes, but it's useless. All it really does is cause the campaign to crash. The animations for it aren't even accurate, correct, or modeled. The effect is basically just a large radius explosion. Take a standard 2000 JDAM, multiply the dmg & radius several hundred times, and you get the F4AF nuke.
If you want to experiment with it, create a Tactical Engagement in 2010 NK. Drop down a few dozen tank and infantry columns. Add some SAMs if you're feeling saucy. Create your package and load it with the nuclear bomb. Burn 400 to 29.9 (contrails start @ 30), fly to where you know the dots you just created are, roll in, and bomb them. Accuracy not required. There's also some nuclear free fall bombs for red side bombers if you know how to switch over and fly as the OPFOR.
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Freaking awesome. Good information to know.
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More pretty pictures! These are from my longest and highest mission yet, at a little over one hour and a cruising altitude of 3800 meters. This was also my first four-ship attack.
All four birds on the tarmac:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_000-3.jpg)
Ships three and four to the right:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_002-3.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_003-1.jpg)
Entering the mountains:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_008-2.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_010-2.jpg)
A pair of Su-30s softening up the target for us:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_013-1.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_014.jpg)
Hauling arse toward the egress point as I realize how much fuel I have burned:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_019.jpg)
Screaming low around the mountains because I cannot afford the fuel to go over them:
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/DCS%20Blackshark/ScreenShot_020.jpg)
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http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=55848
As of now, DCS:Black Shark is sold on steam. That version does not have starforce!