CptSparrow1993

Well, I don't have the Tiger yet, but it is on my wishlist (and will probably be my next DCS purchase), and I love it. When speaking of doing an 'upgrad' module that adds a new variant of the Tiger while building off of the current one to reduce the work needed, I'd honestly like to see something that added new capabilities and weapons to carry. So, wuth that in mind, I'd almost prefer a new F-5 addon to give us the F-20 Tigershark, which was a 1980s derivative that reengined the F-5 with a single Hornet engine and added a host of new features and capabilities. Unfortunately, it's probably almost like building a whole new airplane in several areas, and the fact that nobody bought it would probably prevent any DCS devs from going through the effort to bring it into the game. At the very least though, mid-air refueling and an expanded weapons selection to incorporate weapons used by other nations - which included AMRAAMS and Mavericks IIRC, not to mention Russian AAMs - would be very much welcome on my end.

Well, looked up more info on the planes I mentioned, and it seems that what I feared was right - the Viper is going to be an earl-access/beta release. Right now, it seems as though the Hornet and Tomcat are the most complete aircraft out of your options. Looking at things a bit more closely, I'd probably prefer the Hornet for this campaign; it's got a better array of weapons for hunting down and destroying the enemy carrier group. While flying the Tomcat would be cool, it doesn't seem like it has quite the right set of weapons to fill all of the roles in your brief description. And yes, I still vastly prefer a campaign format for the telling of such a story. I have fond memories of flying for the OADF in my early teens, so I'm a bit of a sucker for a well-told fighter combat game story.

Yeah, I'll probably get shot by a whole bunch of people for this one... Honestly though, I do want to learn all the systems eventually, but I just don't have a huge amount of time on my hand ATM with my job and classes. What little time I do have for DCS I'd like to spend flying and blowing things up. I picked up the Hornet a few weeks ago, thinking that it had left early access, but nooooo, it hasn't.:mad: And apparently, game mode is incomplete, as far as I can tell.:( Then I learned that while the Tomcat was in beta release, it also (according to the advertisements) shipped with all the bells and whistles on day one, so I'm assuming there are still some bugs and features getting additional improvements, but supposedly it's pretty much ready to go. So I'm considering getting my Hornet module refunded and picking up the Tomcat instead. So, is the game mode complete for the Tomcat? For an idea of what I consider a 'complete' game mode, I use the one that came with Black Shark 2 as a measuring stick, since it allowed me to get into the air and start shooting targets relatively quickly - it's nice to have right now when I don't have time for cold starts and full fidelity systems usage.

I would very much prefer the second option with a more story driven campaign, personally. When I play campaigns, I usually like to have a storyline to go with them - it's what got me so in love with combat flight games after my first experience with the genre playing Ace Combat 5 when I was a kid. Dynamic campaigns can be fun, but the best campaigns are usually the ones that have a cohesive story to back up the gameplay, with randomized events/opposition to add spice to any replays. I wouldn't care really about the type of aircraft chosen, I intend to buy all three (and I already have the Hornet), but there is something to be said for the Hornet and Tomcat being able to perform carrier operations in addition to everything else if you feel you can make use of that. Personally, I'd like to see this campaign avoid using the Hornet for the time being (it could be worked into a seperate version later on), and instead use the Tomcat or Viper. If the Viper goes through an early access period, though, I'd prefer the Tomcat. Also, something to consider would be giving players the option to start on the ground or in the air for most missions, since an airborne start can get them into the action faster. Feel free to have a few missions where a cold-start and take-off are required though, this adds a bit of flavor to the campaign.

After actually looking up some info on what FC4 actually is (since I had not heard about until now), I have to say that this is something I like. Granted, I can understand that some people won't like it, but I know there are people like me who will, and that's what ED wants. While developing an FC3 level version of an existing module will take time and effort, it will probably not be nearly as time consuming or resource demanding as creating an entirely new aircraft would be. After all, the flight model (which will happily be a PFM) is already there, and so are the avionics systems and the modeling work. With all of that already there, the developers simply need to take the data and streamline it to fit the desired end result, which is, hopefully, far less demanding and time consuming than the research and development work required for an entirely new airframe. There's also the fact that this approach will open up a wider selection of aircraft to players who are just coming into DCS, and flight sims in general. Even better, there will probably be an increased likelihood that after experiencing the simplified aircraft, they will choose to purchase the more in-depth version after gaining the confidence to try and dig deeper into the sim's capabilities. Personally, I really hope to see the Hornet make it into the FC4 module; I intend to buy into the hi-fi Hornet module either way, since I think it's going to be one of my favorite aircraft in the DCS World franchise, but it would be great to see a simplified version I can take out for a spin whenever I don't feel up to managing all the systems of the current module. There's also the fact that the Hornet is the only real multi-role airframe currently available in the game, and I think that makes it an excellent choice for an FC3 module - it gives players a plane that can do almost anything, and therefore provides more bang for the buyers buck since they can do both a2a and a2g effectively with a single plane. EDIT: There's also the fact that such a module will give experienced players a wider variety of aircraft they can fly. After all, it can be hard to learn more than one hi-fi aircraft enough to truly feel comfortable in it all the time, and simplified aircraft allow a player to fly a wide variety of aircraft with different performance values and quirks while avoiding some of the complexity of memorizing all the controls for multiple hi-fi aircraft.

Hi! I'm a pretty new member of the DCS community, having finally decided to buy into the game during the summer sale on Steam. I intend to buy the Black Shark and FC3 modules, but I've been debating about whether or not I want to pick up the A-10C module, or the Mirage M-2000C instead. So, I figured I'd ask the community for some opinions, and hopefully get some help answering my dilemma! The draw of the A-10C module is that there are a few ready-made DLC campaigns for it that get high reviews, I know it has a game mode for when I just want to have a bit of meaningless fun, and it provides several upgrades to the mission editor (something I like, since I hope to one day create some campaigns of my own). On the other hand, the Mirage appeals to me because of it's multi-role capability, which allows me to play a2a and a2g with a single aircraft. I don't know if it has a game mode though - can somebody tell me? I'd like to have one so that I can just jump into a mission and have some mindless fun every now and then. Overall, I'd like to know which module you guys would suggest for someone who is just getting into the DCS franchise, and flight sims in general.

Nice to hear some opinions, guys! Thanks! I also love the F/A-18, and I fully intend to buy the Hornet pack once I save up the money for it. Probably one of the few aircraft, aside from the Black Shark and upcoming Tomcat, that I really want to take on the task of learning to the full extent. I think the complexity varies a bit from plane to plane, but the quick-start function is a very useful way to simplify the learning curve for an aircraft, I will agree. And being able to use keyboard bindings can certainly make things easier on a player, but it would be nice to see a way to fly an aircraft with the avionics simplified for less skilled players. I do know about the game mode for the Ka-50, and I think the A-10C has one as well, but those are the only ones I know of, sinc the other aircraft modules do not advertise sucha feature. As far as I'm aware, the other hi-fi aircraft not made by ED (such as the Viggen or Mirage) do not have any such feature, and that is something I'd like to see corrected. Of course, I have never played these other modules, so feel free to correct me if I am wrong. In addition, I am not sure what you mean by other sim options. I know that there are other sims out there, of course there are. Falcon BMS is another seemingly popular choice, but it's a seriously hardcore study sim and has a very limited selection of flyable aircraft. The Il-2 games are popular as well and apparently have options to make the game less intense/easier to play, but they focus on the WW2 era, and not the modern era like DCS does. I have not heard of any other combat sims that focus on the modern era that are still supported by an official company during my research - as far as I'm aware, DCS is one of (if not the only) such games in town, and as a result I'd like to see the game expanded to accommodate a wider selection of player types and skill levels.

Personally, I’m just getting into DCS World after having avoided it for many years. I first discovered it when I found DCS: Black Shark 1 while searching for flight sims I wanted to try as a youngster, but I didn’t buy it, and I’m glad I didn’t do so at the time - I certainly didn’t have the patience to play any flight sim properly in my days as a teenager. Now, however, I’ve picked up DCS World and intend to purchase the Flaming Cliffs, A-10C and Black Shark 2 modules during the summer sale on Steam. However, I’ve quickly come to realize that the DCS series is, for the most part, all about them ‘study sims’, which is arguably it’s greatest strength as a franchise. And yet, this also becomes it’s one of it’s greatest weaknesses as well. Why? Let me explain a bit, hopefully before the poo flinging starts. :D I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with DCS focusing on high-fidelity aircraft models that allow pilots to operate their virtual aircraft exactly like a real-life pilot would, far from it. That kind of fidelity and attention to detail is great and really inspiring, and there is obviously a real sense of accomplishment when you master an aircraft. The problem, is that that kind of mastery takes time and effort, two things which some people don’t have or aren’t interested in, and that’s fine too. There’s also the fact that the human mind can only retain so much information, and it often requires constant practice to do so effectively. Since each aircraft takes a large amount of time to master (or even just learn how to use it relatively effectively), many prospective players may only buy one or two modules and leave it at that, since they won’t have the time or patience for more. Not only that, but there is definitely a market out there for simmers who just want to pick up a combat sim and spend a weekend blowing things up and generally just having fun during their small bit of downtime, but DCS can’t really cater to them and thus they avoid it altogether. Considering that DCS is an excellent game, and one of the only modern combat flight sims focused on the modern era currently still supported, that doesn’t sound like something I want to hear. Flaming Cliffs is probably one of the first modules a new player should buy, and for several reasons. For one, the aircraft contained within are easy to use, and can be good for new player to earn their wings with. Not only that, but FC3 is one of the most cost-effective packs when it comes to acquiring aircraft. While a single, high-fidelity airplane like the Mirage 2000C can cost anywhere from $50 to now even $80 for the Hornet, FC3 gives a player five different aircraft to play with for the same price as a single high-fidelity model. And not only that, but the aircraft provided are easier to use, something that encourages the player to fly a larger number of aircraft, which could, in turn, encourage them to buy more modules and thereby increase the profits of ED and its associates. Making more low-fidelity aircraft for the game would be a sound business decision - more modules would be sold, and a wider player base would be created as more casual simmers are drawn into the fold, possibly to move on and become study simmers once they find the time and motivation. Another thing I’d like to see, desperately so, is for aircraft developers to build in and/or retrofit ‘easy modes’ into high fidelity aircraft modules - kind of like what ED did with the Ka-50. This would make each aircraft released available and attractive to both study-simmers and Sunday simmers, increasing profits and thereby driving the creation of more content for the game as a whole. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there? To make a long story short, I’d really like to see the developers add a number of brand new low-fidelity aircraft to the franchise, alongside ‘easy-mode’ setups for all of the current and future high-fidelity aircraft modules. That way the game becomes more accessible for those who want a less intensive/in-depth simulation, and making much easier for many of us to pick up and enjoy a wider selection of aircraft modules. :thumbup: