Klaiber

I'd be up for DCS WW2. Tuesday works for me. I'll be unavailable Wednesday.

Around 5:20 to 5:40, crap gets real. Talk about terrifying. When you see the rounds impact all around you, that's when you're glad it's a simulation. And your bail out at the end (9:55+)... also freaking terrifying.

I've found that Eagle Dynamics to be very trustworthy. Yes, it may take them a long time to deliver on their promise (i.e. if they say 2 weeks, assume 5 months). But... they've always provided exactly what they said they would. And they've actually gone above and beyond to maintain that trust with their customers. I think the best example is what happened with DCS WW2. Originally, DCS WW2 was a project managed by Ilya Shevchenko (Luthier from RRG Studios and Maddox games). He started a kickstarter, and made promises. These promises fell through and the money donated to kickstarter was used and depleted. Nothing illicit. But it's safe to say the project got away from them, and things fell apart. Rather than let the project die, Eagle Dynamics stepped in and promised to finish what RRG started, even though they weren't obligated to do so. DCS Normandy and all of the WW2 aircraft in DCS are the result of that act by ED. For me, this shows a dedication to follow through on promises, even if those promises were made by their partners. https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=126824 As I've mentioned before, DCS in terms of graphics is highly adaptable. You can run it on low-end computers and have it look okay. However, you can also run it on high-end computers with Ultra settings, and have it look amazing. Especially if you're flying 2.0 on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) map. Basically, 1.5 is the old terrain engine on the old Caucasus map. However, 1.5 does have the new rendering engine [Eagle Dynamics Graphics Engine (EDGE) featuring DirectX 11] on top of it. So it looks good. Just not great. Meanwhile, 2.0 is the new terrain engine on the brand new Nevada map, with EDGE and DX11 on top of it. And 2.0 is what the Normandy map will be released on as well. It looks amazing when you crank the graphic settings. When Eagle Dynamics is able to update the Caucasus map (over the next year), they'll port it over to 2.0, elevate the production number to DCS 2.5, and eliminate 1.5. I have a GTX 1080 card. So, this is basically what DCS looks like to me (keeping in mind that this is not my rig and that you have compression from being uploaded to youtube): DCS 1.5 Caucasus: DCS 2.0 Nevada: Regarding the term "high fidelity", I'm not specifically sure what you mean. However, DCS' modules are designed to be as correct as possible. All of them, with the exception of "Flaming Cliffs 3" (which is not as sophisticated as individual aircraft modules) have fully clickable cockpits, authentically functioning systems, and a fidelity to accuracy. This is true with the Flight Models as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Combat_Simulator#Aerodynamic_flight_models If you fly Flaming Cliffs 3 or the free modules, they may not be 100%. However, if you fly the pay modules, you can be assured that there is an attempt to make them as realistic as your computer will allow. Regarding the smoke cloud from that aircraft in Barton's video, it's a graphical bug, probably due to server instability or lag. DCS isn't perfect though. The modules are expensive. The modules are time consuming to learn (especially if they're modern aircraft). And multiplayer can sometimes be fragile (though it's been massively improved over the last 2 years). Additionally, as far as WW2 goes, we're not going to have player-flown bombers. At least not for a very long time. So that's a limitation that people should be aware of. However, as I said above, it's probably going to be the most historically accurate WW2 experience on the market. Not sure if that helps.

Thanks for your thoughts Pfeil. I'm definitely not an expert on these things, but I do have opinions. This is something that I'd happily be proven wrong about, so I look forward to more discussions on this issue.

That's bizarre.

It doesn't get spoken about a lot because I think that the average virtual pilot is unaware that it's an issue. Don't get me wrong, FIF functions very well. But, a lot of FIF is done by hand. We manually review the stats, manually check that there are no rules violation, and then use the honor system and self-monitoring within squadrons in order to ensure fair play. Yes, objectives are often picked at random within the mission. But, their initial placement is not randomized. That's again done by hand. Thus, Butzzell often has to recuse himself from any type of team leadership position. Ideally, ROF (and therefore BoX) would have a death kick, for example. Or at least, have the ability to bar people from jumping on the wrong team or taking the wrong load out. But as far as I know this just isn't possible. And this says nothing about the way objects are tracked in ROF / BoX. In CloD or DCS, for example, an object is completely trackable, from it's initial placement all the way to its destruction. This means that you can track it's fuel, it's supply levels, it's location, how it moves, when it moves, if it moves, etc. And you can trigger statistical events based on those things. That opens up doors for tournament creation. To be fair, perhaps RoF and BoX are more robust than I give them credit for. However, the underlying issue is the same. You don't see very many dead-is-dead events in BoX because they're so difficult to coordinate within the current confines of what's possible.

The same co-worker who loves Nightwish also got me into Faun.

I like them. Never heard of them before, though. They remind me of White Zombie meets Lords of Acid.

My co-worker got me into Nightwish. We were actually supposed to see them last year. Had tickets and everything, but couldn't get into the concert hall (even though we paid to) because the venue oversold the show, and there wasn't enough space inside for all the people who showed up. I wish I was kidding.

Very cool! I like some death metal, specifically the music and the arrangements. But have a hard time with the cookie monster vocals. Amon Amarth are actually coming to my city in a few weeks. I had considered going, just to see them. But I don't really know any of their songs. And as I said, it's not my thing usually. I'm more into stoner and doom and some drone. I was actually just telling Trev and Brit about Om, for example:

I'm also listening to a lot of Chuck Berry (RIP) and Free: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH5wbYP5xkQ

I thought I'd revive this thread. Here are some things I'm currently listening to:

Good video. I think you misspoke at 1:20. You say 1946 was supposed to be the successor to 1946. Personally, my biggest problem with BoS is ROF. Yes, I love ROF. And Butzzell has been able to make ROF sing for Flanders In Flames. But ROF's back-end coding and mission building parameters are anemic. Even by 2009 standards. 1946 was more robust. And unfortunately, 777 basically used ROF's structure and back-end to jump start BoS. 1C needed a profitable game in less than 2 years. CloD was abandoned in October 2012. BoS was released in October 2014. You can't make a sim that fast without basing it on something. But compare BoS' back-end to what's possible with the mission builders in CloD and DCS, and you'll see what I mean. BoS is at a HUGE disadvantaged when compared to other WW2 sims because it's an updated ROF structure in a WW2 shell. There can never be a complex Ghost Skies-like tournament for BoS. It's just not technically possible. And that's a huge disadvantage for BoS, because it means that hardcore squadrons (like JG1) are less likely to commit to BoS for the long haul. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy flying it. It just means that the majority of us will always be waiting for something else. And I don't think they can improve BoS's back-end, which is why they've moved into the same pattern as they did with ROF. From here on out, it'll just be new maps and new aircraft, with minor adjustments to the game and it's functionality. I think the problem is so imbedded in the sim that they'd have to rewrite the entire thing to fix it, which isn't possible. That's my 10 cents though.

DCS 2.0.5 on the Nevada map is beautiful. And the Normandy map will be on 2.0 as well. As Barton said, it's just the Caucasus Map which needs some help. When it's brought up to 2.0 standards, they'll switch over to a combined platform - DCS 2.5 Regarding graphics, DCS is also highly adaptable. The lowest machines can run it, and the highest too. So, you'll often notice a lot of variation regarding picture quality.

Very nice video! Makes me wish the Normandy map was already released.

S! All, The following JG I pilots are being recognized for there actions during Session B4 of Flanders In Flames 2017 (flown on 11 March 2017). Congratulations! . . . Iron Cross 2nd Class Oblt. Hans von (Foker) Eichenwald, Jasta 6 (session #B4, 11 March 2017), for the destruction of 1 enemy aircraft and 1 enemy balloon within one streak. Knights Cross of the Württemberg Military Merit Order Hptm. Manfred Barton, Jasta 4 ([session #B4, 11 March 2017), for bravery and exceptionally meritorious deeds in combat [awe inspiring streak - 27 air victories, 20 ground victories, and 4 wounded in actions over 31 sorties. This is the second highest merit award in JG1 Richthofen.] Bavarian Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph Hptm. Manfred Barton, Jasta 4 ([session #B4, 11 March 2017), for bravery and meritorious leadership in battle [the "Hunt for the Red Eagle"] OffzSt. Noel (Hotlead) Kappel, Jasta 10 ([session #B4, 11 March 2017), for bravery and meritorious leadership in battle [outstanding leadership] Saxon Knight's Cross of the Military Order of St. Henry Oblt. Wilhelm (Wiley) Luftritter, Jasta 4 (session #B4, 11 March 2017), for conspicuous personal bravery on the battlefield or, more frequently in the case of officers of higher rank, for merit in positions of great responsibility [outstanding leadership]. German Army Report Hptm. Baron von Faehig, Jasta 6, for gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service. [7 wounded in actions]. Fw. Wilhelm Madvlk, Jasta 6, for gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service. [good streak - 5 air victories and 3 wounded in actions over 18 sorties ]. Fähnr. Peter (Sipi) Pfeil, Jasta 6, for gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service. [esprit de corps]. OffzSt. Martin Weiss, Jasta 6, for gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service. [esprit de corps]. Oblt. Wilhelm (Wiley) Luftritter, Jasta 4, for gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service. [good streak - 8 air victories and 1 ground victory over 11 sorties]. OffzSt. Noel (Hotlead) Kappel, Jasta 10, for gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service. [the "phantom bomber"].

Great video Barton! I'm sorry that it ended that way. But take comfort by the fact that you're in good company. It's a very historical way to go. Honestly, your streaks have been amazing to watch. And I think I speak for everyone in JG1 (and perhaps beyond) when I say that they're really inspiring. They're also really educational (from a tactics and coordination perspective). Watching you pick targets and set up shots and monitor the escape window is great stuff! Also, congrats to J99* von Bu for some great tail-gunner work.

All, For everyone attempting to register a new account on the forum, we're currently experiencing validation issues. Specifically, the validation emails are not being sent. Thus, no new forum members can get posting access to the public areas. We're currently working to fix this issue, and hope to have a resolution shortly. In the meantime, if you are attempting to register on the boards, and are unable to validate your account, please contact the board admins. You can do clicking the Report button in the lower right of this post. The board admins (Klaiber, Britchot and Spies) will be able to see the report, and will respond to you. Within the Enter your report field of your report, please make sure to include the following: Forum Name (so we know who you are) Email Address (so we can contact you directly) Description of problem (i.e. I didn't get the validation email) Additional information (if necessary) Thanks! And our apologies for the hassle. -Klaiber

All, For everyone attempting to register a new account on the forum, we're currently experiencing validation issues. Specifically, the validation emails are not being sent. Thus, no new forum members can get posting access to the public areas. We're currently working to fix this issue, and hope to have a resolution shortly. In the meantime, if you are attempting to register on the boards, and are unable to validate your account, please contact the board admins. You can do clicking the Report button in the lower right of this post. The board admins (Klaiber, Britchot and Spies) will be able to see the report, and will respond to you. Within the Enter your report field of your report, please make sure to include the following: Forum Name (so we know who you are) Email Address (so we can contact you directly) Description of problem (i.e. I didn't get the validation email) Additional information (if necessary) Thanks! And our apologies for the hassle. -Klaiber

Hi all, The ribbon has been resized to 50% of it's former size. This should make it easier for people to manipulate in paint or photoshop, etc..

Congratulations to the Red Team! The Red Team has emerged victorious within the FIF 2017 "Winter Campaign", narrowly gaining victory in both Phase A (21 January 2017 - 11 February 2017) and Phase B (18 February 2017 - 11 March 2017). Please help me also congratulate the Blue Team on an outstanding job! The "Spring Campaign" is right around the corner, so the Red Team had better be ready! To celebrate the conclusion of the Winter Campaign, here is the campaign ribbon, newly updated, showing red in honor of the Red Team. The "w" stands for "Winter Campaign": (My wife says it looks like a McDonald's logo. So much for the Fruit Salad. Chicken nuggets, anyone?) In the coming weeks, Jasta 5 will be hosting the Bloody April VII Campaign! I highly encourage everyone to sign up! It promises to be a lot of fun! Once Bloody April has ended, we'll start preparing for the FIF 2017 "Spring Campaign". Expect more information to be posted in the coming weeks. As always, thank you to every pilot who flew! Without your continued support, this tournament would not be able to function! The scores for Session B4 are shown below. . . . FIF 2017 "Winter Campaign" - B4 Results (Saturday, 11 March 2017): Blue (Entente) Objectives Completed: 14 Central Factory Destroyed Artillery Correction (Arty Spotting) Completed Reconnaissance of front lines (Trench Map) Completed Central Train Destroyed Reconnaissance of hidden Central HQ (Recon) Completed Central Bridge Destroyed Central Aerodrome Destroyed Central HQ Destroyed Prisoner Rescued Reserve Unit Destroyed HQ reconnaissance Secondary Objective Completed Moving Central Ship Destroyed Wreath drop Completed Front Line Unit Destroyed Red (Central) Objectives Completed: 15 Espionage mission (Espion) Completed Artillery Correction (Arty Spotting) Completed Reconnaissance of hidden Entente HQ (Recon) Completed Entente Aerodrome Destroyed Moving Entente Ship Destroyed Entente Factory Destroyed Entente Bridge Destroyed Entente HQ Destroyed Strategic Recon Completed Espionage Target Destroyed Reserve Unit Destroyed Front Line Unit Destroyed Moving Entente Train Destroyed Wreath drop Completed HQ reconnaissance Secondary Objective Completed Total "Phase B" Objectives Completed (PHASE B FINAL): Blue Team = 14 + 15 + 9 + 14 = 52 = 0 PHASE POINT Red Team = 13 + 14 + 16 + 15 = 58 = 1 PHASE POINT Total "Phase A" Objectives Completed (PHASE A FINAL): Blue Team = 13 + 15 + 16 + 13 = 57 = 0 PHASE POINT Red Team = 16 + 13 + 16 + 15 = 60 = 1 PHASE POINT . . . Server Stat Information: http://fif.jg1.org/mission/4135/ . . . Server Screenshots:

Great stuff Hotlead!

Hey Wilcke, Great to hear from you! I still swear by my CH stuff. Did you land up getting a different HOTAS?

Not a problem.

Hi Lothar, You're all set for the Blue Team.