Simulated Aerial Combat Roundtable

[Animl-AW]

The game doesn't function differently in Steam but the free trials and sales work differently. Steam is convenient but not worth giving up that functionality. Short of World War DCS will be around for many years to come. Perhaps AH will too.

Not disagreeing, but another difference is, not all those online players are paying money, depends last purchase.

Lotta noobs are going to start on steam. The dip tells me its not taking on any new players in steam. Like AH, ya have to be there a while to know to dump steam. So its a noob indicator even if some do find it off steam. Like AH, steam numbers dropped first., what followed wasn’t pretty.

The fact DCS players find their fun in AH, if AH were to die the dullness of DCS will become more apparent to them. They aren’t getting their adrenaline fix. Once a community starts passing negative talk epidemic things accelerate.  For every one mentioning leaving 4-5 will soon follow. The negative talk about Rasbam could be very dangerous, at just the wrong time. A game could be fine, once that starts its not.

Why do you think I try to tamp down negative talk and stuff like this thread? If ya care about AH ya wouldn’t be doing this, because its causing harm. Dickwood and Trippy din’t have ine single care about AH, they want it dead, exactly why they are doing this. So it us karma watching them realize their iwn major problems after all this infomercial crap.

[CptTrips]

Don't do DCS on Steam. Limitations with no advantages. I have over 500 Steam games but DCS isn't one of them.

I wouldn't say no advantages.

I had original gone through my Steam because mainly, I like to limit how may companies I hand out my CC to if possible.  Steam already had my CC for years and years.  Whatever risk is there was already a sunk cost.  When I buy through Steam, no one else got my info.  Steam handles the charges.  Sorta like Amazon.  I buy so much stuff off Amazon I shudder to think of all the companies I would have handed out info to without Amazon.  A common CC processor reduces the risk surface area exposed.


Download times used to be significantly better on Steam.  There had been releases where the ED download site was choking on a big release with everyone downloading, when I Steam came right down without a hitch.  ED has gotten better on this front.

Can't do trials through Steam, but I could have kept a second plain install to run trials off of.

But yes, standard version is probably better overall as the dev gets more of the money from my purchases.

[AKIron]

I think you can pay through PayPal. But maybe you don't buy through PayPal.

[CptTrips]

I think you can pay through PayPal. But maybe you don't buy through PayPal.

Good point.  Hadn't used it in years, but that would have been an alternative.

[edge12674]

AH2 major problem was AH3 came too late. Time was wasted on an update of other things that got trashed. Thats where they lost the most. AH3 was too late. Your fix fir DCS may come too late. Its in the same state now. Nothing new, no bug fixes.

You are right about AH3.  My squad lost a lot of members who did not like the AH3 changes.

Just for clarity Animl, the last patch for DCS came out on April 10th, 2024 with a long list of fixes and new features.  Next patch is due May 3rd.

As to what is "new" in DCS here is what is expected to be released in the next 60 days:

May 3: Kola map by Orbx (3rd party developer)
End of May: F-4E Phantom by Heatblur (3rd party developer)
End of May/beginning of June: Kiowa helicopter by Polychop (3rd party developer)
June: Chinook helicopter by Eagle Dynamics.

Unfortunately, DCS and Combat Pilot seem to be the only combat flight sims that are working on new stuff/bug fixes.  This is one of the reasons this thread seems so DCS biased. 

Hopefully there will be more information from Combat Pilot after their attendance at the Flightsim expo this summer.

[GasTeddy]

IL-2 has regular updates and fixes. There are some new projects going on as well.

[edge12674]

IL-2 has regular updates and fixes. There are some new projects going on as well.

Do tell, inquiring minds want to know.

[CptTrips]

IL-2 has regular updates and fixes. There are some new projects going on as well.

From what I gather, the next planned project is Korea. That may or may not be considered part of the BG series, or maybe be it's own franchise.

It will be interesting to see if the hardcore WWII clientele will jump on Korea as a replacement.  Korea is the Forgotten War because it just doesn't resonate emotionally as deeply for people as WWII.  As someone in that community, do you have any insight?  Have you heard people talking about it and their reactions?

They talked about a PTO after Korea, but they seemed to think there'd be some specially tech difficulties with that and performance.

I doubt they have enough bandwidth to give WWII full attention and start a whole new series\platform, so I'd expect their WWII stuff to have to coast a while. 

It will be interesting to watch what the hardcore will do.  Most will probably just hunker down and keep playing the same WWII IL2 for years without updates or expansion.  I don't think Korea will be a big draw for many.  Their WWII birds will be second class citizens there getting slapped around by jets.  If they wanted jets, they'd already be in DCS.

DCS does not yet have a viable WWII offering.  Combat Pilot is still too far away.

I don't think many will come to AH.  I suspect subscription and 3 sides won't be overly attractive to them.  I think they would see AH (compared to IL2 GB) as a slight step down in fidelity and graphics.  I doubt many players like to step down in fidelity or graphics.  They either want to move to something comparable or move up the ladder.  So my guess many will just age in place and run around the same circles for a couple of years without new dev while their numbers dwindle away.  Until CP comes around or DCS decides to put some effort into WWII.  Sunk cost.  They have already paid for IL2 and own it.  With no subscription they don't have to keep paying unless something is truly an improvement, I suspect they will just stay with the Devil they know (and complain about no new WWII dev ).

[AKIron]

Skip to 12:45 to watch him hover. Amazing. He has never flown a real aircraft.

[GasTeddy]

Do tell, inquiring minds want to know.

CptTrips already did, I just want to add Karjala (that's how it's written in Finnish). When it is ready, I need a floats so can land directly to our summer hose.

[CptTrips]

You are right about AH3.  My squad lost a lot of members who did not like the AH3 changes.

Just for clarity Animl, the last patch for DCS came out on April 10th, 2024 with a long list of fixes and new features.  Next patch is due May 3rd.

As to what is "new" in DCS here is what is expected to be released in the next 60 days:

May 3: Kola map by Orbx (3rd party developer)
End of May: F-4E Phantom by Heatblur (3rd party developer)
End of May/beginning of June: Kiowa helicopter by Polychop (3rd party developer)
June: Chinook helicopter by Eagle Dynamics.

Unfortunately, DCS and Combat Pilot seem to be the only combat flight sims that are working on new stuff/bug fixes.  This is one of the reasons this thread seems so DCS biased. 

Hopefully there will be more information from Combat Pilot after their attendance at the Flightsim expo this summer.

I think there is a chance at the Corsair\F6F and Essex class carrier\WWII Marianas by EoY.  I'd give it 50\50 chance.

I feel like the shock of Williams leaving IL2 and starting a potentially new competitor in the Genre, given his successful track record, has lit some fire under some of the other devs.  Nothing like a little disruption and competition to breath new life into a market. 

[Animl-AW]

You are right about AH3.  My squad lost a lot of members who did not like the AH3 changes.

Just for clarity Animl, the last patch for DCS came out on April 10th, 2024 with a long list of fixes and new features.  Next patch is due May 3rd.

As to what is "new" in DCS here is what is expected to be released in the next 60 days:

May 3: Kola map by Orbx (3rd party developer)
End of May: F-4E Phantom by Heatblur (3rd party developer)
End of May/beginning of June: Kiowa helicopter by Polychop (3rd party developer)
June: Chinook helicopter by Eagle Dynamics.

Unfortunately, DCS and Combat Pilot seem to be the only combat flight sims that are working on new stuff/bug fixes.  This is one of the reasons this thread seems so DCS biased. 

Hopefully there will be more information from Combat Pilot after their attendance at the Flightsim expo this summer.

I agree with the latter. However, with all good intensions he’s got a issue with PTO only. Ys still have time before its close to turn-key. And zi haven’t seen his payment model. If its like DCS or IL or WT it may have s slow start. Speaking of future, people would go into it with burnt fingers. That system does not have longevity. Thats part of ED problem now. The clock ran out on the math. WT ppl aren’t happy with it either.

Time will tell. But right now, its clear s cpl prime sims are coughing blood.

[AKIron]

Eagle Dynamics goes back to '91 and their sales have never been better. Silly to think they are shutting down any time soon. This is good news for all of us who like flight combat sims.

[Animl-AW]

AW had Korea if I remember right. Except for the F-86 and Mig-29, it didn’t fair well.

If jets were what these prop guys are about the ME 262 would get more use. This is a knife fight, more intimate, jets are nowhere near intimate its flash fighting.

[AKIron]

A guns only fight in an F-16 vs a Mig-29 is very much a "knife fight".

An F-86 vs a Mig-15 even closer.