Where is everyone (online)

Vulchers would be no problem if attacking an airfield would be as dangerous as it really was.

Airfield defenses should be doubled at least imho.

Vulchers would be no problem if attacking an airfield would be as dangerous as it really was.

Airfield defenses should be doubled at least imho.

Or just more accurate. They seem to be set for lowest possible AI setting. But maybe that is just my perception. But realy. There are like 2 high ROF guns at least.

They are designed to shoot down jets but they have problems to hit a 109.:huh:

It's the much discussed high oil pressure/sluggish start for the P-51D that is causing problems for people.

 

And thanks for the feedback. I figured providing heading info and alt for each of the multiple objectives might be a bit cluttered and figured a quick glance at the theater map would get you any heading info you need. I did include a map of the objectives, recon photos of targets and descriptions of each. (plus a few hidden audio easter eggs if you accomplish some tasks)

 

As far as Air2Air combat, there is the bullseye in a central location near the city of Terek plus text alerts if an enemy flys near it.

OK thanks for that info...I have very limited MP experience, and should have looked at the map. I never did takeoff because I don't think anyone else was on at that time.

Or just more accurate. They seem to be set for lowest possible AI setting. But maybe that is just my perception. But realy. There are like 2 high ROF guns at least.

 

They are designed to shoot down jets but they have problems to hit a 109.:huh:

There is something very strange about the way AAA guns target the 109. I've watched the AI 109 fly through the fire of 6 Vulcans for 5 minutes and nothing happens.

There are only 2 things that I realy hate about DoW servers.

 

1. Too much flak. I understand that it helps to see and may bring a little bit of immersion, but it is realy almost omni-presnet and sometimes there is so much flak that my PC starts to burn. It also feels to damn accurate for such big guns to track a plane in a dive so accurately... That is on some maps. (i think the one with fleet in Novorosyijsk and the one with 3 lakes are the worst).

 

2. Killer bees edition. I don't even join the server when I see that. I just hate AI in my MP game. They distract from real threats and waste ammunition.

 

I would also say that there is very big issue with the community that seems to think that Vulching is OK...

The number of times I see somebody attack the enemy airfield and strafe planes on the ground is offputing. I once spent 30min on the ground because there were 4 Fw190s overhead just blowing every P-51 on the ground. :doh:

Hate is a strong word. It's unfortunate that certain things get such violent reactions but I realize and accept that it is part & parcel with offering up something for the entire community to "enjoy."

While I agree the AI isn't perfect, it's still a lot more enjoyable than fighting your shadow and some of us enjoy co-op efforts as well were AI can play a valuable part. At this stage in DCS it is rare to find yourself in a dogfight with 10+ aircraft in one furball. I created Killer Bees to simulate scenarios I had read about and I feel it offers much value as gunnery practice and improving SA while the MP participation is still on the light side most times.

Flak is another offering to help things along. Created by Sithspawn and others I believe, It was added to our missions in an attempt to help immersion and offer a way to find aircraft for those who were having a tough time with spotting. Yes it can be deadly accurate at times and heavy in spots but it can be avoided most times with some simple preparation and a minute spent reading the briefings.

Strafing is yet another fun topic. Efforts to allow it or prevent it in the past have met strong criticism. While we all love realism it can become very frustrating if the airfield defenses are weak. Since we, DoW, have not encountered it to a degree to take any drastic measures yet, it is permitted. Alternate airfields is a good option if any happen to be close.

Once again, if there are those that want to join us in offering up their valuable time to create missions, use those mighty typing fingers to create something good for our Mission Monday offering.

In IL-2 this was solved with a second base a bit further.

So you could respawn in the other base if that one is being attacked.

 

But i do agree it's a bit off putting. Guns on ground shouldn't be allowed on planes

Realistic but a very cowardly move.

Bombs and rockets on the other hand..:joystick: :D

Yes a distant alternate base would help with the vulching on any server. The vulchers would then become targets :)

Yesterday, had the day off and the time zone worked out so I could play on the ACG server with you wiley Europeans. Great fun. What an amazing sim this is to dogfight with. Incredible.

Ok, so we don't have a proper WWII map, but we can still fly in 3 WWII birds, but I usually go online and find only around six people on the DoW server at any given point. And as far as I know that's the only North American WWII server going. Where is everyone?

(re: Message #1)

DoW server is most active at about 7PM Eastern Time Zone and again about 11PM, for about an hour each, a bit longer earlier.

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For me seeing and finding the enemy bogie is the issue.

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The only WWII server that works for me is the ACG server in England.

I like flying around on the DoW server out of NJ, USA, but finding other enemy aircraft is near impossible for me unless I am half a mile away or closer. If you run one of the IP numbers, it says Toms River, NJ (you guys still call NY'ers benny's?)

What is ACG doing differently?

I went back to sim flying a more arcade style sim, WWII combat sim where I can spot the bogie far off dot 10 miles away before their icon appears at 6K. I played this sim for 5 years before discovering DCS. And they have bombers with up to two real people in them, not AI. Midnight this morning there were 160 guys playing. Their server is in Texas.

DCS needs to do it better!

Yesterday, had the day off and the time zone worked out so I could play on the ACG server with you wiley Europeans. Great fun. What an amazing sim this is to dogfight with. Incredible.

Yes, I agree. :thumbup:

Yes a distant alternate base would help with the vulching on any server. The vulchers would then become targets :)

The ACG server does this with their current MP mission running. There is the alternative to refuel and rearm the next base over.

I am not going to RTB back to my base of origin if the vulchers are waiting for me to land.

Also, the Korea server has this going on.

Definitely a game killer reason not to fly, if the option is not there.

 

Yesterday I found that I could takeoff in the P51d from a far away airbase ( don't recall the name )

It's Krymsk Jcomm

I was just on the DOW server and the engine of my 109 started up just fine. The frame rates seemed ok but it might be because no one else was on (not sure). I think the briefing could be better by provideing some more detail, info such as alt. and the heading to steer

I flew the 109 on the DoW server last night 2 or 3 hours.

I teach myself to manually start all the DCS aircraft I own because it comes in handy sometimes when the autostart cheat fails to start or is not offered. Or like in the Ka-50 on a RTB and refuel/rearm fails to start again in autostart.

Sometimes if I pick a particular plane slot, the aircraft will not start or runs erratic. I just pick another slot.

The flight manual for the 109 states, and I have found, let the engine warm-up to its ideal temperatures before taking off.

My frame rates are great. I have a good PC, finally quit DSL and got a 100MB/5MB cable connection and I set my Options/System appropriately to get what I want.

I have to learn the mission map trial and error, learning where things are and where the guys hang out. Fly it enough, you can tell who it is just by the way they fly and fight and can get a feel what that guy will probably do next.

I suspect, as others do, that when EDGE comes out (plus the European map) that there will be more players online. As an ACG member we regularly have 80+ online every Sunday evening in our campaigns - but that is in Cliffs Of Dover. I'm sure the group will transition over once the ETO is in place and the multiplayer aspects can support our numbers.

I think it is time zone problem. I can play this game in online at 3am~2pm in my timezone.

So in weekend, my life circle destroying everyday.

I wish I had a million buttons on my hotas so that I would not look down to push a button

on my keyboard and CRASH ! LOL

I have planes just vanish as well online, and they were not shadows.

I guess PING rate has a lot to do with how well things go, so I try to only

join severs that are 90 or under.

The new DCS World page is nice. I downloaded the beta version for the first

time and tried it out, did not really see any difference except when I

tried to do multiplayer, my three screens would stop and only the middle one

would work. Then If I quit the sim, My screens were like very different

and I had to "switch user" even though I am the only one on my pc.

I deleted the beta version today, but at least I gave it a try.

I sure do enjoy this Sim !!!!!!!!!!!

Just food for thought,

It is widely agreed that more aircraft firing guns = more FPS drop. So the more involved/complex missions or populated sessions run the risk of causing performance issues. Aside from that something about the River Raiders mission causes some people to have extra trouble starting the Mustang. (Temps maybe?) I haven't been in a real hurry to change anything since I fly pretty much every day (red & blue) and never have I been unable to start any of the aircraft. I think most of the regular clients on the server would agree.

Some aircraft, all types, all missions, most servers I have tried, just will not start, sometimes. I just pick another plane slot and I am always, so far, good to go.

I almost always do a manual start-up process. If I fail in manual start-up, I do a cheat start-up. If that fails, I change plane slots if they are available.

edit:

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(Said the same thing 4 posts back... )

I suspect, as others do, that when EDGE comes out (plus the European map) that there will be more players online. As an ACG member we regularly have 80+ online every Sunday evening in our campaigns - but that is in Cliffs Of Dover. I'm sure the group will transition over once the ETO is in place and the multiplayer aspects can support our numbers.

I hope so.

I have noticed that whatever is DCS new, in MP, is quite popular for a week or two, then, except for the diehards, it dwindles down to just the few normal guys (my normal!) I see on a server to fly with. I am not too fond of FC3. I have it, but that is just not me. I think most of the DCS guys like FC3 MP and that's where they go back to. Case in point, the recent Mig-15 release. I have been with DCS since when the Warthog first came out of its beta.

I think most of the guys that own the DCS stuff play not in MP, for whatever reason(s).

I just started flying Cliffs Of Dover not even two weeks ago with the ATAG guys. There are more people on especially on the weekends compared to DCS and I can spot enemy aircraft w-a-y out!

I still fly DCS in MP, mostly WWII and Korea, lately, and I will purchase some of the new aircraft offered, when they are available. But I like to fly with a lot of players online, relatively evenly matched.

A MP flight sim I played for 5 years before switching to DCS still has big number of players at USA prime time, more than CLOD, but currently their numbers are not as large as in the past years. So, maybe, the popularity of the combat flight sims are waning for whatever reasons.

WWIIOL DieHard?

Aces High ( http://www.hitechcreations.com )

I did play WWIIOL for a little while.

I hope so.

 

I have noticed that whatever is DCS new, in MP, is quite popular for a week or two, then, except for the diehards, it dwindles down to just the few normal guys (my normal!) I see on a server to fly with. I am not too fond of FC3. I have it, but that is just not me. I think most of the DCS guys like FC3 MP and that's where they go back to. Case in point, the recent Mig-15 release. I have been with DCS since when the Warthog first came out of its beta.

 

I think most of the guys that own the DCS stuff play not in MP, for whatever reason(s).

 

I just started flying Cliffs Of Dover not even two weeks ago with the ATAG guys. There are more people on especially on the weekends compared to DCS and I can spot enemy aircraft w-a-y out!

 

I still fly DCS in MP, mostly WWII and Korea, lately, and I will purchase some of the new aircraft offered, when they are available. But I like to fly with a lot of players online, relatively evenly matched.

 

A MP flight sim I played for 5 years before switching to DCS still has big number of players at USA prime time, more than CLOD, but currently their numbers are not as large as in the past years. So, maybe, the popularity of the combat flight sims are waning for whatever reasons.

Catch the Euro server in the mornings if you can and use their mod which greatly improves spotting, gun smoke bug, and other problems. I wish all the dogfighting servers would allow it and add other airframes (with permission) so it could be run on the Mig/F86 servers as well.

I think that for a great WW2 multiplayer experience the CloD Sunday evenings on ACG are the way to go.

I think that for a great WW2 multiplayer experience the CloD Sunday evenings on ACG are the way to go.

I have not done this, yet. Thanks for the tip.

Aces High about every 4 to 6 months will have a big WWII reenactment of a lot of guys flying both sides in a big multi-mission scenario that lasts a couple hours or more including fighters and bombers. It is just like a big battle where various different aircraft have mission orders to accomplish, squadrons only flying their specific aircraft type, everything based on a universal start time and people have to be at various rendezvous points at various times before the next phase begins. The players' map is like what the 104th Phoenix map is where nobody knows where anybody else is. Used to be, a few years ago, 500 guys could be playing simultaneously. It was pretty cool. I have not participated in awhile.

I would love to see same in DCS WWII.

There are only 2 things that I realy hate about DoW servers.

 

1. Too much flak. I understand that it helps to see and may bring a little bit of immersion, but it is realy almost omni-presnet and sometimes there is so much flak that my PC starts to burn. It also feels to damn accurate for such big guns to track a plane in a dive so accurately... That is on some maps. (i think the one with fleet in Novorosyijsk and the one with 3 lakes are the worst).

 

2. Killer bees edition. I don't even join the server when I see that. I just hate AI in my MP game. They distract from real threats and waste ammunition.

 

I would also say that there is very big issue with the community that seems to think that Vulching is OK...

The number of times I see somebody attack the enemy airfield and strafe planes on the ground is offputing. I once spent 30min on the ground because there were 4 Fw190s overhead just blowing every P-51 on the ground. :doh:

Why don't you use the time you spend on the forums to learn how to use the mission builder?

Critique is fine, but if it comes from somebody who doesn't know the tools we currently have to use plus no suggestion how to improve it, is a pointless rage.

Currently we got 1 US, 2 EU and 1 Russian server.

Each of em running different missions. I'm sure that some of em provides the gameplay you are locking for.

ACG for example is not using the Flak script and AI despawns if the teams are balanced out with at least 4 players on each side.

These 4 servers are enough for hosting matches for atleast 120 (actually more) players.

More than enough slots for great dogfights on each server.

Why don't you use the time you spend on the forums to learn how to use the mission builder?

Critique is fine, but if it comes from somebody who doesn't know the tools we currently have to use plus no suggestion how to improve it, is a pointless rage.

 

Currently we got 1 US, 2 EU and 1 Russian server.

Each of em running different missions. I'm sure that some of em provides the gameplay you are locking for.

ACG for example is not using the Flak script and AI despawns if the teams are balanced out with at least 4 players on each side.

 

These 4 servers are enough for hosting matches for atleast 120 (actually more) players.

More than enough slots for great dogfights on each server.

I don't know why are you upset.

EDIT: WAIT! I wrote that about DoW server... not ACG:huh:

None of the things that I have said is in any way that is not clear what I wanted from the experience. I just shared what I feel. I didn't demand, I didn't tell you what to do... just gave you feedback. Here, let me type you how I would see a fix to those problems:

1.I don't like the flak thickness

2.I don't like the AI in MP

3.I don't like Vulching

All 3 can be changed by:

1. Adding less flak zones to the mission

2. Not put AI into the mission (except for bombers they are fine)

3. Admining the server so when somebody strafes people on the ground gets a warn and if he does it again then a kick. If he comes back do the same a ban for a week.

My aim was not to upset you. Just give feedback. I am sorry that it made you mad :(

I don't know why are you upset.

 

EDIT: WAIT! I wrote that about DoW server... not ACG:huh:

 

None of the things that I have said is in any way that is not clear what I wanted from the experience. I just shared what I feel. I didn't demand, I didn't tell you what to do... just gave you feedback. Here, let me type you how I would see a fix to those problems:

 

1.I don't like the flak thickness

2.I don't like the AI in MP

3.I don't like Vulching

 

All 3 can be changed by:

1. Adding less flak zones to the mission

2. Not put AI into the mission (except for bombers they are fine)

3. Admining the server so when somebody strafes people on the ground gets a warn and if he does it again then a kick. If he comes back do the same a ban for a week.

 

My aim was not to upset you. Just give feedback. I am sorry that it made you mad :(

I wasn't upset, i just gave my personal opinion on your post and i consider DoW and ACG both part of the flight sim community. We just have different aproches on mission building but in the end we are indeed using the same tools.

On ACG we don't use the flak script since we don't need it for spotting on our small maps. How DoW handels it makes sense for their maps and the thickness is a possible solution for voulching.

AI are two sides of a coin. But if enough players are on ai stops spawning.

The kind of admin work you want is not always possible. It requires that the server has always one admin watching out for this plus checking if a given accusation is true.

However. All what is needed for awesome late war dogfights is avalible.

So go ahead and fight ;)