rox

I take after imperial shuttles.

Nice to see that those three polygons that are supposed to look like a Black Hawk are getting a more realistic sound

That's pretty insane. These satellite valleys make Caucasus look like windshield bug splatter. The way these rock features on mountain tops and faces are so well modelled and drop shadows is amazing. Did they use some kind of software that detects satellite photo detail beyond just map elevation data and turned that detail into normal maps or how tf was that achieved?

Thanks Tom, can't wait to land into all of that kit.

Since I have no idea about AI impact on server performance, is this overkill or ok? There are around 40 AI vehicles and infantry here, plus a bunch of static objects. If that's too much, I can turn most of these unarmed vehicles into static objects and cut down on the infantry. If the server eats this for breakfast then I might also want to add an outpost (smaller than this, and a bit more dangerous) in the mountains north of the dam.

Thanks, and don't worry! *adds 20 US and Russian carrier fleets next to each other*

Something that was mentioned when we were doing heli action yesterday is that we would need a proper area with mostly soft targets that helis stand a chance against. Some kind of insurgent compound with no SAMs, MANPADS, vehicles with ATGMs or 23 mil AA guns (not sure if there's a difference in accuracy of manually aimed and radar assisted AA guns in DCS), but with trucks, cars, the odd IFV, APC or tank, some buildings and insurgent infantry. Since I know Tom is often busy, I can easily fix something like that up in the mission editor if I'm sent the mission file (I assume/hope it's not huge). I'd just place the units somewhere reasonable from the FARP and not touch anything else.

He forgot some other gems joys such as the engine compressor stalling or flaming out just after you finally manage to almost lock something, or if you dare to turn too much with someone on your 6. The landings which are as easy as landing the Mi-24 at 340kph. The quantum dynamics-inspired weapon selection panel. The 37 G roll-rate. The gear lowering mechanism dying if you forget to set the lever to neutral. The gun that fits two rounds of ammo. The radar that works for only 40 minutes (or was it 20?) because that's the time it takes for the pilot to drink all the alcohol coolant, because the last thing you want in the Mig-21 is to be sober.

Some of you may know that I hiked quite a bit in Georgia on a few occasions, most won't know that I spent four weeks in the mountains last summer and will do so again this summer. Here's a comparison of some picturesque mountain views in real life against their DCS counterparts. Some are somewhat impressive, others.....nnnnot so much. Most of these are from the region Svaneti, around Mestia and Usghuli (Mestia is where the Enguri river leads if you follow it upstream of the dam through the valley). Some are from Kazbegi, which is on the main road to Russia just north of Tbilisi. Let's start with Mestia, the largest town/village in Svaneti. Hotel view DCS version. This is the most underwhelming one, it gets a bit better . At some point after half a bottle of wine I actually thought the chimneys were modelled Svan towers that you see in the photo. Here's Mestia from Chkhuti ridge. The green dot on the tip of the ridge is my tent with god shining his light down on it, wondering which idiot pitched a tent in the most suicidal spot on the mountain. DCS version, my tent is disappointingly not modelled. North of Mestia is one of Georgia's most legendary mountains and difficult and deadly climbs, the 4,700m twin peaks of Mount Ushba. Here a closeup through a break in the clouds Here obscured but surroundings visible And DCS. The geography here is surprisingly accurate, including the glacier valley below, Mazeri peak (4000m) to the left, and there are even traces of Gulba, an eye-catching sub-peak of Ushba that almost looks like it's guarding her with its foreboding cliffs. These trees certainly don't exist Nearby Ushba, this outrageous valley that terminates in the Mestia glacier The mountains do kind of all line up, they just look like poo. Imagine if you could actually fly through the above in DCS. Moving on to the UNESCO village of Usghuli from a nearby small mountain And DCS a little bit lower on the same mountain Shkhara Glacier from the nearby smaller mountain of Karetta. Shkhara is Georgia's tallest mountain, and the third tallest in the Caucasus Meh. DCS needs glaciers. And realistic seasonal melting patterns and long-term glacier retreat. Can't fly comfortably with this game-breaking absence of realism. The slopes of Tetnuldi (4500) from the same spot We're moving on to Kazbegi, where Kazbek, a prominent dormant stratovolcano towers over everything on this side of Georgia (and Russia). This is where the famous Trinity Church is that features on every other photo of Georgia ever. The town is also called Kazbegi although its official name is Stepantsminda. Not good, not terrible, no church, hardly even its mountain. Stepantsminda is underwhelming, but considering what it looks like in real life, it's probably for the best. Stepantsminda looking the other way, towards Mt. Kuro which towers closely over it with its 4000m. There are no forests, part of a slope far to the south/right is forested, but that's kilometers away. Looking down all the way to Stepantsminda from the slopes of Mount Ortsveri 20 kilometers away and 2200m higher. Not bad geographically. You can see a wisp of the Gergeti glacier to the left on the photo above, obviously not featured in DCS. That's it for now. Might have more in August. I'm taking requests! I tried to get the Enguri dam but you never actually get to see it from the road up the valley.

Certainly stronger than probably all the desktops I've ever owned combined I'm just afraid it'll melt though.

So I may or may not have spent a shameful amount of money on a small black box that can run DCS 95% maxed out.

It certainly gives a new angle to Russia being hard to approve even 80's Soviet aircraft types that countries around it use.

Yeah no idea how it works either. I remember they had to get an OK from Russia for each aircraft of Russia's they'd develop as a module.