Gaming Digital Combat Simulator Thread

[mojoey]

It's not about discovering the fact the campaign engine is based on reading and writing to XML files. It's about realizing what one can do with that fact. :stirpot:

Nah...

'I wonder how many bombs the Eiffel Tower can take...'

 

[Hielor]

No. It should also work with the vanilla DCS:World. You just lack the flyable aircraft and you can't select special player roles, like you can because of DCS:Combined Arms.

Good to know.

It's possible that I'm remembering something wrong, but doesn't one need to have at least one additional module in order to access multiplayer?

Something I read online suggested the same thing; I'll need to look into it more.

Is the multiplayer only "couple people get together and start a mission, then once it's over the server shuts down and restarts"? Or could you theoretically have a dedicated server that people can get on and run missions on their own time without the server operator needing to do anything?

 

[Fabri91]

As of now there is not a dedicated remotely-controllable server program. One of the players has to host.

 

[Urwumpe]

Something I read online suggested the same thing; I'll need to look into it more.

I haven't seen anything like that yet.

 

[Izack]

Multiplayer seems to work fine for me, except for some reason you still need an account for DCS on top of your Steam account (if you have the Steam version, of course).

 

[Fabri91]

Yes, that is needed in order to connect to the master server.

 

[n122vu]

Are there any ports that need to be configured at the router level for best multiplayer performance?

 

[Ripley]

I knew that!
You made me download DCS:World...

 

[Fabri91]

I'll quote this post from the official ED Forums since it might be relevant:

Also today, our official product specifications are as follows:

Minimum system requirements: OS 64-bit Windows Vista, 7 or 8; CPU: Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz; RAM: 4 GB; Free hard disk space: 10 GB; Video: 512 MB RAM card, DirectX 9.0c - compatible; Sound: DirectX 9.0c - compatible; requires internet activation.

Recommended system requirements: OS 64-bit Windows Vista, 7 or 8; CPU: Core i5+; RAM: 8GB; Hard disk space: 10 GB; Video: Shader 3.0 or better; NVIDIA GeForce GTX560 DirectX 9.0c or better; Sound: DirectX 9.0c - compatible; DirectX: 9.0C; requires internet activation.

Of note, we no longer support 32 bit OS systems.

EDIT: Link to the post

 

[Ripley]

Minimum system requirements: OS 64-bit Windows Vista, 7 or 8
...
Of note, we no longer support 32 bit OS systems.

There's something I'm missing here...

I've just downloaded and installed DCS:World, without error messages or warnings of any kind.
Now I'm at the login screen and I'm going to register an account on DCS website.

BUT

I have Win XP SP3 (32 bit)...how come?


Just noticed that the included readme says:
Minimum system requirements: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7;

 

[orb]

There's something I'm missing here...

{...}

I have Win XP SP3 (32 bit)...how come?

That means if you have a problem with the game, they won't give you support (even if the game binary you run is 32-bit).

 

[Fabri91]

I think it's linked to the RAM requirements: with 4GB system memory and approx. 1GB graphics memory necessary, you need a 64 bit system. Now, there's no harm in trying to run it, Ripley, so go for it. I'm not sure on whether dcs is a 32 or 64 bit application (two executables launched depending on the OS?), but I remember having to download an update for the TrackIR software since that added support for 64 bit applications.

 

[Ripley]

I noticed that after downloading these official training lessons "something" was added to my desktop:

http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/video/world/su_25t

Now I have 2 shortcuts, while before I only had DCS multiplayer.

 

[Fabri91]

Two shortcuts should be the norm...DCS World and DCS World Multiplayer.

 

[Hielor]

So I installed it and figured I'd take it for a quick spin before bed. I hopped into the Frogfoot for the "instant action" Dusk Landing, figuring it would let me test my multimon setup and would be easy enough. Well, the multimon wasn't working, so in the course of troubleshooting I eventually ended up in game on a single monitor.

In an airplane where everything's labeled in Russian.

And I have no idea what any of the buttons do.

Okay, well, I find the gear soon enough, but I can't find the throttle--it didn't autodetect my throttle, so I can't slow down yet. Okay, whatever, so I execute a missed approach on the first landing and head up to get some altitude so I can try to figure out the controls.

After a couple of minutes of mashing random keys, I've found the throttle controls...but I've also managed to get the airplane into a nearly-unflyable trim state where I need to hold the joystick almost all the way into one corner just to fly straight and level. I work my way back around to the approach end, set up a stabilized approach, hit G for gear.

Approach is pretty darn good considering I'm holding the stick nearly full forward and nearly full left. Right on centerline, aiming for a touchdown a third of the way down the runway.

Down to flare height and something starts beeping. Right before I start hearing scraping noises, I realize that the airplane hasn't been buffeting the way it had been with the gear out earlier. Oops. Well, I slide to a stop, neatly on the centerline, and the tower controller tells me to taxi to the parking area.

Yeah, I'll get right on that.

I do manage to fix the multimon situation, but it requires me to change some Windows settings around--apparently DCS doesn't handle having any monitor other than the top-leftmost as the primary monitor. So I hop back into the scenario to try again and admire the scenery.

Great landing, with the wheels down this time...but it's not slowing down. I don't know what the wheelbrake key is. So I roll right off the end of the runway, lose my undercarriage in a small lake, and slide to a stop.

The ever-helpful tower controller once again instructs me to taxi to the parking area.

I think I might be hooked.

 

[Fabri91]

Yeah, setting up a new flightsim can be a bit of a nightmarish pain!

Sooo, a brief explanation of the realism you can expect (for the new DCS World pilots here ):
Right now the flyable aircraft are divided in two groups:

1. Full-on study sims with a clickable cockpit and EVERYTHING simulated, which include:
   • A-10C
   • P-51
   • Ka-50
   • Mi-8
   • UH-1H
2. "light" sims which still include an Advanced Flight Model, 6DOF cockpit but no clickable cockpit and much shallower system simulation, which include:
   • Su-25T (included in DCS World, no 6DOF cockpit)
   • Su-25A
   • A-10A

The latter are MUCH less expensive obviously.

(Flaming Cliffs 3 includes the latter three, but requires an installation of the now-ancient Lock-On: Modern Air Combat, of which it was originally an expansion, many many probe-days ago)

 

[Urwumpe]

You forget that the other flyable aircraft of LOMAC are also included in Flaming Cliff III:

• F-15C
• Su-27
• Su-33
• Mig-29A
• Mig-29S

 

[Ripley]

My pc doesn't seem able to run DCS...

I've just tried a "dusk landing" three times (and also rebooting) but it always CTDs before rendering the game.
The training videos displays well enough, although at a very low res.

 

[Fabri91]

Damn

What's your PC configuration?

 

[Ripley]

From my dxdiag:

------------------
System Information
------------------
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_qfe.130704-0421)
Language: Italian (Regional Setting: Italian)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6600 @ 2.40GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 3072MB RAM
Page File: 1447MB used, 4535MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
Chip type: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x9460)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Display Memory: 1024.0 MB
Current Mode: 1680 x 1050 (32 bit) (60Hz)