Micro Development Update

Internet is serious business.

When people communicate with more civility and consideration for the travails of others and don't hide behind internet forum anonymity to dispense vitriol, insults or jeering criticism, then sir, you shall find me a most agreeable and cordial forum companion.

 

Till that day, I will respond measure for measure to those who initiate the use of toxic, disparaging or deprecating verbiage when dealing with either 1. developers who have fallen behind some perceived level of performance/timescale, or 2. forum users who bring a valid and polite point of order or critique.

 

Good manners cost NOTHING.

 

The faceless names at the other side of these avatars are people, with problems professional and personal just like the rest of us

 

The Heatblur team in particular are THE most in touch with the community here (if one takes the trouble to do even the minimum of searching) and generally have always said when any given forthcoming feature is shaping up for release barring any unforeseen issues and been good enough to both apologise if said feature has experienced pushback and generally try to explain why it was delayed, given a level of professional confidence and NDAs that must be adhered to; or would you like Heatblur to face even further production delays, or god forbid, potential liquidation due to being sued?

I think you are interpreting way too much due to some assumed personal bias.

When people communicate with more civility and consideration for the travails of others and don't hide behind internet forum anonymity to dispense vitriol, insults or jeering criticism, then sir, you shall find me a most agreeable and cordial forum companion.

 

Till that day, I will respond measure for measure to those who initiate the use of toxic, disparaging or deprecating verbiage when dealing with either 1. developers who have fallen behind some perceived level of performance/timescale, or 2. forum users who bring a valid and polite point of order or critique.

 

Good manners cost NOTHING.

 

The faceless names at the other side of these avatars are people, with problems professional and personal just like the rest of us

 

Save that to a word doc you could be copy pasting it for a while knowing these forums :noexpression:

When people communicate with more civility and consideration for the travails of others and don't hide behind internet forum anonymity to dispense vitriol, insults or jeering criticism, then sir, you shall find me a most agreeable and cordial forum companion.

 

Till that day, I will respond measure for measure to those who initiate the use of toxic, disparaging or deprecating verbiage when dealing with either 1. developers who have fallen behind some perceived level of performance/timescale, or 2. forum users who bring a valid and polite point of order or critique.

 

Good manners cost NOTHING.

 

The faceless names at the other side of these avatars are people, with problems professional and personal just like the rest of us

I wish we could still rep posts. :thumbup:

It's an update on the engine gauges of the Tomcat. Currently we have -A model gauges in the -B, which instead are supposed to look like this:

 

 

The hud is also based off of the A model. From what I read

The hud is also based off of the A model. From what I read

The HUD on the F-14B and F-14A are the same. B (Upgrade) got a newer HUD around the year 2000 to bring them closer in line with F-14Ds, but that's out of scope for the aircraft represented by our module.

The hud is also based off of the A model. From what I read

Yes, but that's because the version of the F-14B we have had the same HUD as the F-14A. Don't expect that to change.

EDIT: near_blind beat me to it.

Quote:

"Primary goals for the next several major patches through early to mid summer (now through end of July~) are:

F-14 interior lighting fixes & overhaul (for new lighting system)

Digital engine instruments

Exterior sound overhaul for F-14

Exterior sound overhaul for AJS37

F-14B Campaign"

JESTER LANTIRN (Finally!)

AJS37 PBR Overhaul

Initial F-14A Release (Beta, with some -B-isms remaining!)

Question: Did I miss a message or news? What's going on right now?

Can we at least get an update please? What's the new plan like? When does that come now that should come a month ago?

I just want to say that I can understand that things are not going according to plan at the moment. I just don't understand why one breaks the schedule and then doesn't communicate how things should go on.

Please be so kind as to update the post on page 1 (# 1).

Quote:

"Primary goals for the next several major patches through early to mid summer (now through end of July~) are:

F-14 interior lighting fixes & overhaul (for new lighting system)

Digital engine instruments

Exterior sound overhaul for F-14

Exterior sound overhaul for AJS37

F-14B Campaign"

JESTER LANTIRN (Finally!)

AJS37 PBR Overhaul

Initial F-14A Release (Beta, with some -B-isms remaining!)

 

 

Question: Did I miss a message or news? What's going on right now?

Can we at least get an update please? What's the new plan like? When does that come now that should come a month ago?

I just want to say that I can understand that things are not going according to plan at the moment. I just don't understand why one breaks the schedule and then doesn't communicate how things should go on.

Please be so kind as to update the post on page 1 (# 1).

IronMike said to expect the -A during the September update because they've been preoccupied with bug fixes etc.

Quote:

I just don't understand why one breaks the schedule and then doesn't communicate how things should go on.

Please be so kind as to update the post on page 1 (# 1).

Because you have to be Here, on Discord, On Facebook, and on Reddit in order to get all the information because most information is simply replies to peoples questions, not an organized anything.

This is sadly an industry wide standard.

edit: Oh and on Youtube, you have to sit through hours of meandering production value free video content too!

We did communicate the delay several times, however likeley not centralized enough. We get asked the same stuff in many threads over again, so sometimes we feel we're satisfying your need to know by answering them as they come. (And sometimes we can do an official pinned update, and still get asked the same questions in 10 different threads, plus in PMs, etc.) But I think it is fair to say that we try to communicate with you guys in almost every thread and answer almost every question that is being asked out there. Sometimes not immediately, but please understand communicating on so many platforms with such a widespread of topics takes a lot of time, too. So, while I agree with Rustbelt, that decentrilized communication is industry standard, I would carefully interject that the reason for this is split among devs and communities, who simply favor a very decentralized approach or sometimes fail to consult more centralized information, prior to posing questions. Or some simply expect to be informed within their sub-community on that sub-platform on this forum and so on. (For example, we will get asked at least twice a week if we will ever do a D with at least 1 new thread about it every month, no matter how transparent we are about it, or how often we answered this question.) This I mention simply to give you an insight into how stretched thin we can become, given the several "nests" the community made for itself. Which btw is a very, very positive thing imo, I wouldn't call it "sad" at all. It favors community growth and diversity, hence we absolutely love to interact with you guys on as many platforms as we can, but please don't crucify us, if it isn't always immediate. Thank you.

Here is a brief update, while trying to be careful on estimates:

- The A is in its last stretch and pending art work implementation, which is almost done, and testing. So we hope for a September release, but please do not crucify us, if it will be October. We are firmly aiming at September, but testing can simply change that schedule, if issues come up that demand more development time.

- The light overhauls have been done, we plan on no more work on lighting, unless some change in DCS would demand it.

- Sound overhauls are under way, I cannot give an estimate on that just yet though, I would carefully say October is more realistic.

- The campaign is also taking shape, I need to still finish the writing on the dialogues and record that, plus test it. I am also aiming for September for that, but at the moment I feel it can become October as well.

- Jester Lantirn is pending recording of Jester call outs and testing, which will likely push it to October, however I will be more careful here due to its complexity, so anything till the end of the year is possible, while we aim to bring it out earlier.

- The PBR overhaul for the AJS-37 is being worked on in the background, but I cannot give an estimate on it yet.

- The new cadence in patches takes unfortunately 2 weeks out of the dev schedule, means, what isn't done 2 weeks before the patch, has to wait one month to get the next chance. This is not ideal, because sometimes those 2 weeks would be exactly what would be needed on top, but otoh it provides a more stable approach towards patch releases, more testing time, etc, and thus more quality in the end. Such trade offs are unfortunately a reality in any department and something we have to deal with.

- Please understand that we do not push dates deliberately or arbitrarily. Bug fixes, unforeseen problems, etc. keep shifting our focus around and we need to juggle time and resources to keep up.

I am in general not a huge fan of giving estimates. Simply because history has taught us that whenever we try to give an estimate, we fall on our face again, as usually we cannot keep it. Not by negligence, as I said, but by circumstances. I do however understand that it is not nice for you guys to be kept completely in the dark and that it is also high noon for us to fulfill our promises. So for those of you who are disappointed by new delays, I hope it is a condolence to know that we do have you in mind, constantly, and the we are doing our best to work off the list as we speak.

Thank you for your kind patience and understanding, as always. We have been nothing but blessed with your incredible support so far, and although we might have to delay more often than we please, rest assured that we'll deliver everything we promised in full.

Thanks for the reply Ironmike, and even more so for the continued patience you present in all of your posts.

I feel that the quality of Heatblur's modules speaks volumes, which is probably why people are so curious about whatever you guys are working on or even potentially working on.

It is my sincere pleasure as always. You guys are the reason why we do, what we do. So it doesn't take much patience at all, really, it is always just a delight to talk to you guys, to discuss, to argue even... all of it makes us richer and lets us improve our work and the all around fun we can have in this wonderful hobby of ours. Thank you for that, and please never stop being curious and poking us. :)

S!

This is the time where you make FAQ sticky, update it from time to time and just paste links for people to read, rather than waste time each time someone asks the same thing over and over again. Let me start it for you:

HB Tomcat FAQ

Q: I found bomb hanging from the aircraft in the air.

A: MAK79 bomb rack is missing but it works. The model is in the development.

Q: Would you make a D?

A: Currently not possible due to lack of information on some systems but we'd love to - maybe in the future.

Q: What exact year are A and B airframes modeled?

A: Think more as time periods rather than exact year as the aircraft even from the same year and squad can differ very much. That would put A between late 80s to mid 90s and B - between early 90s to early 2000s.

Q: Will the Forrestal be free?

A: Yes.

Q: Will the A-6 AI be free?

A: Yes.

Q: Will the A be free?

A: Yes but only for current and future F-14 module owners.

Q: Will you make A-6 flyable module?

A: We would like to but it's to soon to decide yet.

Q: Will you make Tornado flyable module?

A: No new modules will be discussed until current projects are finished.

Q: When ...? Q: Any time frame/ETA for ...?

A: Due to dynamic matters of software engineering (ex. bugs, enforseen troubles, dependance on ED code) and life (ex. COVID-19, illness, staff changes) the priorities and plans change frequently. Please, be patient - we will deliver. Thank you for your understanding.

Good idea, Draconus, I'll do that.

(btw, some will still ask away haha, and sometimes answering the question is preferable for me over posting a link, because I can reply more specifically to the needs of a single person or smaller group of ppl)

Thanks a lot for the brief update IronMike! It's those insights that keeps us happy (besides flying your modules of course) :)

But I think it is fair to say that we try to communicate with you guys in almost every thread and answer almost every question that is being asked out there.

You guys are indeed at the very top of DCS devs in regards to communication :thumbup:

There's still room for improvement though, especially on the Viggen side of things ;)

(For example, we will get asked at least twice a week if we will ever do a D with at least 1 new thread about it every month, no matter how transparent we are about it, or how often we answered this question.)

It's odd how so many people are unable to do even the tiniest bit of research, isn't it? :noexpression:

Good idea, Draconus, I'll do that.

 

 

(btw, some will still ask away haha, and sometimes answering the question is preferable for me over posting a link, because I can reply more specifically to the needs of a single person or smaller group of ppl)

True but at least the rest of us can post just one passive aggressive link to the FAQ and hopefully spare you some work :P

Thanks for the update!

 

I am in general not a huge fan of giving estimates. Simply because history has taught us that whenever we try to give an estimate, we fall on our face again, as usually we cannot keep it. Not by negligence, as I said, but by circumstances. I do however understand that it is not nice for you guys to be kept completely in the dark and that it is also high noon for us to fulfill our promises. So for those of you who are disappointed by new delays, I hope it is a condolence to know that we do have you in mind, constantly, and the we are doing our best to work off the list as we speak.

 

:thumbup:

I have fully understood and I'm content for reading those words.

Good idea, Draconus, I'll do that.

 

 

(btw, some will still ask away haha, and sometimes answering the question is preferable for me over posting a link, because I can reply more specifically to the needs of a single person or smaller group of ppl)

Thanks for update status,aim-54c and A's texture will be update too?As you know,AIM-54 have a coolant connectors,but can't see it while in game.

AIM-54 texture looks rough.

Thanks for update status,aim-54c and A's texture will be update too?As you know,AIM-54 have a coolant connectors,but can't see it while in game.

 

AIM-54 texture looks rough.

AIM-54C has coolant connectors.... AIM-54C+ does not. We do not have an AIM-54C+(and most likely wont- that was for the F-14D IIRC but was backward compatible with the A and B?) F-14D can only use C+ because it does not have the coolant supply? Help me out here- is that pallet controlled only?

AIM-54C has coolant connectors.... AIM-54C+ does not. We do not have an AIM-54C+(and most likely wont- that was for the F-14D IIRC but was backward compatible with the A and B?) F-14D can only use C+ because it does not have the coolant supply? Help me out here- is that pallet controlled only?

Depending on pylon,14D using LAU-132 which don't have coolant assembly and not use in our F-14.

We did communicate the delay several times, however likeley not centralized enough. We get asked the same stuff in many threads over again, so sometimes we feel we're satisfying your need to know by answering them as they come. (And sometimes we can do an official pinned update, and still get asked the same questions in 10 different threads, plus in PMs, etc.) But I think it is fair to say that we try to communicate with you guys in almost every thread and answer almost every question that is being asked out there. Sometimes not immediately, but please understand communicating on so many platforms with such a widespread of topics takes a lot of time, too. So, while I agree with Rustbelt, that decentrilized communication is industry standard, I would carefully interject that the reason for this is split among devs and communities, who simply favor a very decentralized approach or sometimes fail to consult more centralized information, prior to posing questions. Or some simply expect to be informed within their sub-community on that sub-platform on this forum and so on. (For example, we will get asked at least twice a week if we will ever do a D with at least 1 new thread about it every month, no matter how transparent we are about it, or how often we answered this question.) This I mention simply to give you an insight into how stretched thin we can become, given the several "nests" the community made for itself. Which btw is a very, very positive thing imo, I wouldn't call it "sad" at all. It favors community growth and diversity, hence we absolutely love to interact with you guys on as many platforms as we can, but please don't crucify us, if it isn't always immediate. Thank you.

 

 

 

Here is a brief update, while trying to be careful on estimates:

 

- The A is in its last stretch and pending art work implementation, which is almost done, and testing. So we hope for a September release, but please do not crucify us, if it will be October. We are firmly aiming at September, but testing can simply change that schedule, if issues come up that demand more development time.

 

- The light overhauls have been done, we plan on no more work on lighting, unless some change in DCS would demand it.

 

- Sound overhauls are under way, I cannot give an estimate on that just yet though, I would carefully say October is more realistic.

 

- The campaign is also taking shape, I need to still finish the writing on the dialogues and record that, plus test it. I am also aiming for September for that, but at the moment I feel it can become October as well.

 

- Jester Lantirn is pending recording of Jester call outs and testing, which will likely push it to October, however I will be more careful here due to its complexity, so anything till the end of the year is possible, while we aim to bring it out earlier.

 

- The PBR overhaul for the AJS-37 is being worked on in the background, but I cannot give an estimate on it yet.

 

- The new cadence in patches takes unfortunately 2 weeks out of the dev schedule, means, what isn't done 2 weeks before the patch, has to wait one month to get the next chance. This is not ideal, because sometimes those 2 weeks would be exactly what would be needed on top, but otoh it provides a more stable approach towards patch releases, more testing time, etc, and thus more quality in the end. Such trade offs are unfortunately a reality in any department and something we have to deal with.

 

- Please understand that we do not push dates deliberately or arbitrarily. Bug fixes, unforeseen problems, etc. keep shifting our focus around and we need to juggle time and resources to keep up.

 

 

I am in general not a huge fan of giving estimates. Simply because history has taught us that whenever we try to give an estimate, we fall on our face again, as usually we cannot keep it. Not by negligence, as I said, but by circumstances. I do however understand that it is not nice for you guys to be kept completely in the dark and that it is also high noon for us to fulfill our promises. So for those of you who are disappointed by new delays, I hope it is a condolence to know that we do have you in mind, constantly, and the we are doing our best to work off the list as we speak.

 

Thank you for your kind patience and understanding, as always. We have been nothing but blessed with your incredible support so far, and although we might have to delay more often than we please, rest assured that we'll deliver everything we promised in full.

So.... It's possible to have -A and Jester Lantirn on the 30Th?:music_whistling::music_whistling:

So.... It's possible to have -A and Jester Lantirn on the 30Th?:music_whistling::music_whistling:

Definitely no Lantirn in the next patch yet, sorry about that.

Definitely no Lantirn in the next patch yet, sorry about that.

And the - A?

And the - A?

Finguers crossed for that one