News 25/11 – Taking a break

Hey folks!

The last few weeks have been “interesting”. We got the blessing of the AGC trace, but the curse of the jamming effects, all in patch 2.8. Unfortunately, overall, what we have seen was a major let down. It looked immediately apparent how the current jamming implementation is less than mediocre. It has, all of a sudden, exacerbated all the issues and nonsense we have seen through the years, de facto splitting the modules between the ones that aim for realism, versus the ones that do not. Oddly enough, ED’s recent FW modules, F-16 and F/A-18, both fall into the category of the simplistic modules, whereas Heatblur and RAZBAM (greatest comeback ever, well done!) lead the top category.
In my most recent video so far, I discussed how the jamming we have in DCS is nonsensical: everyone can bend its rules, and even the AI does it in a magnitude that makes its perfect awareness a tiny detail. So, what’s the point of having this stuff around at all? As mentioned, this was the last straw: when something you love frustrates you, then better step aside and wait until it is fixed.

What’s next?

The second big reason is that, after almost four years invested solely on the F-14, I’m quite burnt out, and I need to take a couple of weeks away from the Big Cat. So, what now? Well, I plan to have a look GHPC, since I’ve played a couple of hours top. Perhaps see how Star Citizen is going, maybe clear some of the nonsense I’ve read about it.
DCS-wise, two options: the glorious Kamov Ka-50, on which I spent 11 years already, or something diametrically opposite: the AJS-37 Viggen.
The Kamov is great as always: easy to fly, packs quite a punch, but after more than a decade in it, perhaps better looking for something new.
I have asked around about the Viggen, and everyone sounds quite pleased, so… it’s not decided yet, but perhaps the Viggen will be mentioned again on this site, sooner or later.
There is a third reason, but since it is a RL thing, it is none of your business! 😛

Finish What You Start!

The fact that I’m looking for something new does not mean that my manual/book is suddenly abandoned, on the contrary. I am integrating some of the recent content I put together and appeared here, id est the AIM-7 and the Jamming/ECM study, and new videos and articles are coming.
Looking at my latest draft, the only missing parts cover:

• Various: add more details, perhaps record a video about startup. Especially, add more images and sketches, they help a lot when reading rather than watching a video;
• Reconnaissance: this will be updated when the TARPS is introduced;
• Air-to-Ground: complete the pop-up attack profiles for the Tomcat (this will take a while and has the lowest priority);
• Air-to-Air: new timeline (it’d be the fourth discussion on the topic, every time using a different perspective);
• Low-level navigation & planning: done half of it, but it is not a high-priority topic;
• Appendices: complete AWACS descriptors with sketches, refactor brevity codes, add info about SAM and missiles, add more charts.

Unfortunately, some of these points require working in tandem with a good pilot: quite a rare commodity these days…
The Last step will be a general correction of typos, grammar and other issues.
Nevertheless, generally speaking, we are almost there.

Ghosts Ahead!

What about the Phantom II? Well, it has not been released yet. The “E” version does not make me ecstatic, as I prefer the Navy variants, but it is such an iconic aircraft and extremely capable air-to-ground asset, that it is worth looking into it. The plan is still working on it, but I may use a different format, perhaps abandoning the idea of a volume per module to reduce repetitions and simplify the maintenance. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, it is either Kamov or Saab, apparently.