Cobra847 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 (edited) Dear All, We've been very quiet over the past few months, which has simply been a result of working hard over the summer months and focusing on making strong progress on our upcoming product line. This update will be fairly small as it will mainly focus on the improvements and changes coming to the MiG-21, and auxiliary components of that product. We are almost ready to reveal the aircraft we've been working so hard on over the summer, especially as we begin to hit milestones that were set for the end of summer/beginning of fall period. Before we move into our first subtopic, I'd like to take the time to welcome Stirling Rank to the Leatherneck roster. Hailing from the land down under, he has skillfully avoided Scorpions, Exploding Cacti, Sharks, Crocodiles, Snakes, Arachnids, Jellyfish and other Australians to go on and become a brilliant young character and hard surface artist. We also look forward to expanding the team by another two members towards the tail end of the year. MiG-21bis With DCS 1.5 (and 2.0) just around the corner; we have focused on rolling in all of our improvements of the MiG-21 module into this particular version. This will likely be the first version we do not consider to be a “Beta” – but development of the product does not end here. It is also possible that we will retroactively implement features present in our new aircraft. Here is a general overview of what is changed and fixed in the MiG-21 for the next patch. Some fixes are not listed. Implemented RU Game Localization Replaced multiple existing inputs with toggle inputs. Added 9 New Keyboard Inputs: ASP Target Size, KPP Pitch Set, RSBN/PRGM Channel Select, Radio On/Off, Radio Volume & Chl Selection Fixed various instances of the Radio not working. Fixed the Radar operating without electrical power Increased missile smoke visibility Fixed the “SPRD Appears on F6 View after use” bug Introduced special option for ASP pipper gameplay features. Improved drag chute physics, including chute use in stall/spin recovery (Animation is however still limited) Corrected Rudder Authority (“Rudder overpowering ailerons”) Added UUA Sensor animation Improved Over-G weapon jettison (Dynamic Weight Calculation, per-pylon/weapon limit) Improved regulated Afterburner throttle control Partially fixed visible weapons remaining on destroyed/missing wings Fixed A-A missile lock tone bug Corrected wing thickness & angle Various corrections on all weapon pylons Rebuilt frontal canopy for smooth fuselage transition Re-Drew rivet and panel lines on rear fuselage Added red floodlights in cockpit Dozens of minor 3D/2D issues. Fixed various Cockpit graphics issues. Corrected various ASP calculation issues (Incorrect lead, “CCIP”) Added 8-10 new default liveries. New specular maps Sculpted rear fuselage into a new normal map Added new SPRD Rocket booster model and texture Corrected placement of SPRD Rocket booster on aircraft Further optimized external model and textures Revised gear door textures Corrected AoA vane animation Temporarily removed 'Canopy Icing' checkbox pending visual implementation It is possible that some fixes are not listed at all, or listed only partially. It is also very likely that some fixes may be in progress and not listed here to avoid disappointment, but may be included in the release. Backer Rewards is an item we've been silent on for a while simply because we're struggling with the logistics involved, and also the amount of work to design, order and ship any items. That said, we're ready with our Boxed copies, and hopefully will be completely ready with the replacement rewards very soon. I promise to make this a priority in the upcoming few weeks, so expect to hear from us if you're eligible for one of these rewards. F-14A&B We are making strong progress on the F-14, even though our other upcoming products are prioritized in terms of manpower. Much work has recently been done to reverse engineer required parts of aircraft flight performance, so as to ensure the PFM is accurate. Most of the work being done on the Tomcat is still (just like in the last update) the deep systems and their modeling. We are done with the Electrical, Engine and AICS components, and have moved on to Advanced Flight controls, Navigation and Instrumentation. Interestingly, many of the F-14s' systems are possibly simpler than one of our unannounced aircraft, but there is simply more – and that takes time. Art development is progressing as well, with all exterior and interior components being animated and various model flaws have been corrected. We're currently working on rigging and animating the pilot, texturing, rebuilding the internal gearbays as well as a large amount of UVW Mapping. I know it's a fairly boring F-14 update; but that is generally how development goes. Long stretches of deep technical programming work, while the graphical component is not much more than the pretty layer on the very top of the stack. It is not long until the majority of our now large development team turn our entire attention to the F-14, and in that period of time we will likely see unprecedented (for us) speed of development. On a more visual and fun note; our dedicated F-14 site went up recently, you can find it at: http://www.leatherneck-sim.com/f14/ Terrain & Theatre Development We've recently began ramping up the amount of time we spend on developing our new theatres and terrains for DCS World. Currently we have three separate theaters in development, one of which we have previously announced and will be released together with the F-14. The other two are slated for release either with, or directly after the release of our other two aircraft. All three are very unique and don't really have a lot in common. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it makes it easier to create more theaters in these particular environments later on, but also dramatically increases current workload. Our goal with theaters is to not only build a great environment to immerse the player in the game world, but to also try and provide an appropriate framework for the aircraft we create. To achieve this framework, we have to spend a lot of time creating AI Aircraft, Ground and Naval units, all of which represent a huge investment of time and effort. Thus, we hope to avoid aircraft that are 'misplaced' in the wrong theater and environment. Naturally, the main campaign for each module will take place in their respective theater. Current Art team focus on the front of Theatre development is the creation of everything from terrain textures (many based on Photogrammetry), environmental models, props & buildings, airfield objects, and 'unique' terrain features (Some terrain features require extra detail, an unrelated example would be Mt. Rushmore). We're also creating custom models and artwork for e.g. trenchlines, defensive installations and unique coastlines. The construction of the overall terrain components such as the coastline, roads, towns, airfields, fields, forests and more takes an incredible amount of time. I'm sure you can imagine how time consuming it can be to mark out each and every field in an e.g. 250x250 km area. Then add in all the forests and towns, and you certainly have your work cut out for you. Thankfully, resources exist to more easily automate some terrain features, such as roads. One of the most time intensive tasks is the creation of airports and airbases. These can be very complex, with many unique buildings and large amounts of interconnected taxiways and runways. Proper integration of AI pathing and other components such as beacons and radio frequencies, together with the documentation for these (charts and other reference) significantly add to the workload. Theatre development has been a learning process for us. We've already grown proficient with working with terrain in DCS world and we look forward to applying our new knowledge to continuously expand the world of DCS, whether it is to complement our own aircraft modules or those in development by other DCS developers. Future Most of the team's focus has currently been on our two upcoming aircraft that are not the F-14. We hope to announce one of these, which is part of a larger project during the month of September, and the other in October. We fully understand that it is frustrating to sit around and wait for an announcement of modules that are already so far into development; but I believe that you will all be very happy and very satisfied with the reveals coming up. We have been extremely busy for a good reason, so prepare to have your jaws collectively drop. (Hopefully, anyways ;) ) As mentioned in a previous update, both of these aircraft (just like the F-14) have required us to develop new in-house technologies and components. We have also continued our work over the past few months to mature our in-house tools for easier analysis and creation of FM and system components. Most of these new technologies do however refer to in-game cockpit systems and avionics. Some have simply been time consuming, while others have been difficult in design, replication and implementation. They include, but are not limited to for example; Ground Mapping and Targeting Radar Complex missiles with Advanced Targeting Parameters Custom shaders for enhanced visual fidelity (e.g. CRT Screen representation) Unique visual features (In-pilot customization, etc.) New audio cues and enhanced fidelity Far more complex avionic and computer systems than in the MiG-21 New and unique PFM features and aerodynamic configurations New or unique methods of propulsion or force distribution We're also investing a lot of time into auxiliary components that require a lot of care and attention to detail. These include Audio, UI Artwork, Documentation, Mission & Campaign building, Training packages, music and Web/PR. Usually these are done in the final stages of development; where the aircraft approaches a feature complete status. The manual for one of our upcoming aircraft currently weighs in at around 350-400 pages; making it one of the thickest DCS manuals to date. Lots of fun, detailed reading for you all – but also nicely illustrates the complexity of our roadmap. That more or less concludes this mini-update. As we announce our new and upcoming products, you'll be bombarded with screenshots, videos, written previews, livestreams, and much more. Stay tuned! We very much look forward to you all enjoying another Leatherneck product soon ! :) Best Regards, Leatherneck Simulations Edited September 2, 2015 by Cobra847 3 Nicholas Dackard Founder & Lead Artist Heatblur Simulations https://www.facebook.com/heatblur/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frisco1522 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 As we announce our new and upcoming products, you'll be bombarded with screenshots, videos, written previews, livestreams, and much more. Stay tuned! Oh boy! Prepare to get bombarded! :notworthy: Frisco1522 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackLion213 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 (edited) Thank you Cobra!! I'm really looking forward to your announcement on the upcoming modules. Best, Nick PS - We've recently began ramping up the amount of time we spend on developing our new theatres and terrains for DCS World. Currently we have three separate theaters in development, one of which we have previously announced and will be released together with the F-14. Our goal with theaters is to not only build a great environment to immerse the player in the game world, but to also try and provide an appropriate framework for the aircraft we create. As we announce our new and upcoming products, you'll be bombarded with screenshots, videos, written previews, livestreams, and much more. Stay tuned! We very much look forward to you all enjoying another Leatherneck product soon ! :) This is seriously exciting stuff! I am also glad to hear that the Tomcat continues to progress despite all of your work on TWO other modules and theaters. Big win finishing the engines! Seems like the engines would be a big project for the Tomcat. Edited September 2, 2015 by BlackLion213 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey45 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Nice update. Thanks. The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. "Me, the 13th Duke of Wybourne, here on the ED forums at 3 'o' clock in the morning, with my reputation. Are they mad.." https://ko-fi.com/joey45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uboats Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Great news [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] My DCS Mods, Skins, Utilities and Scripts | Windows 10 | i7-4790K | GTX 980Ti Hybrid | 32GB RAM | 3TB SSD | | TM Warthog Stick | CH Pro Throttle + Pro Pedal | TIR5 Pro | TM MFD Cougar | Gun Camera: PrtScn | Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentGun Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Hmmm some systems are more complex than the tomcats... Now I'm really stumped on what it could be :) Link to my Imgur screenshots and motto http://imgur.com/a/Gt7dF One day in DCS... Vipers will fly along side Tomcats... Bugs with Superbugs, Tiffy's with Tornado's, Fulcrums with Flankers and Mirage with Rafales... :)The Future of DCS is a bright one:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoflSeal Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Leatherneck is blueballing us hard with these two aircraft :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleFox Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 So happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smnwrx Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Very cool guys! Big fan of your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxmanTom Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Thanks for the update! Welcome to the new team member indeed, as it seems like you guys are working on a ton of things! Looking forward to the big reveals to come :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grim_Smiles Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Hmmm, with one of the unannounced being possibly more complex than the F-14 systems and having a manual with that many pages, sounds like we are looking at a plane that is newer than the F-14. "Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky; With hideous ruin and combustion down; To bottomless perdition, there to dwell; In adamantine chains and penal fire" (RIG info is outdated, will update at some point) i5 @3.7GHz (OC to 4.1), 16GB DDR3, Nvidia GTX 970 4GB, TrackIR 5 & TrackClip Pro, TM Warthog HOTAS, VKB T-Rudder Mk.IV, Razer Blackshark Headset, Obutto Ozone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiedDroit Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Super news! :thumbup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeye Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Solid update, thanks mate. VR Cockpit (link): Custom Throttletek F/A-18C Throttle w/ Hall Sensors + Otto switches | Slaw Device RX Viper Pedals w/ Damper | VPC T-50 Base + 15cm Black Sahaj Extension + TM Hornet or Warthog Grip | Super Warthog Wheel Stand Pro | Steelcase Leap V2 + JetSeat SE VR Rig: Pimax 5K+ | ASUS ROG Strix 1080Ti | Intel i7-9700K | Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master | Corsair H115i RGB Platinum | 32GB Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB 3200 | Dell U3415W Curved 3440x1440 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vampyre Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Awesome news Cobra. Nice to hear things are still on track.:thumbup: Truly superior pilots are those that use their superior judgment to avoid those situations where they might have to use their superior skills. If you ever find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck! "If at first you don't succeed, Carrier Landings are not for you!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven68 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 (edited) I don't consider it a "mini-update" at all!! There is a lot to take in from what you have posted Cobra. I will say bravo to you and the team and keep pressing on. Thanks for the awesome post!! :thumbup: Edited September 2, 2015 by Raven68 Intel i5-9600K @ 3.7GHz Gigabyte Z370XP SLI Mobo G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin DDR4 GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 2070 8GB 256-Bit GDDR6(Assume the latest driver version) Thermaltake Water 3.0 Certified Liquid Cooling System Windows 10 Professional Oculus Rift-S /TrackIR 5 in case VR dies Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog w/ Thrustmaster T-Flight Rudder Pedals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phant Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 ...We hope to announce one of these, which is part of a larger project during the month of September... So, this means that we need to wait until 30.09 - 01/02.10? :D ;) Bye Phant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundar Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 (edited) Before we move into our first subtopic, I'd like to take the time to welcome Stirling Rank to the Leatherneck roster. Hailing from the land down under, he has skillfully avoided Scorpions, Exploding Cacti, Sharks, Crocodiles, Snakes, Arachnids, Jellyfish and other Australians to go on and become a brilliant young character and hard surface artist. No mention of Dropbears I see, understandable from a tourism perspective I guess - no one wants to scare off tourists to our fine and deadly county, but it does make it appear you are underselling Stirling there by that Dropbear omission :P While this link: http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear is from a reputable source on Dropbears, you will note it's government edited "No deaths reported" amendment - of course the genuine reason being that there are no survivors to report said Dropbear related deaths! :) On non-Dropbear related news (mostly from fear of attracting attention and hence retaliation from the Dropbears), some great info in there! Really love the work your team has shown in the F-14 development and of course the beautiful Mig-21bis. Also nice to see that you haven't announced the F4U and Viggen yet and will allow continued speculation on the subject! :P Of course I will add, with an Australian now on your team that means you have someone skilled at handling deadly animals - which makes me think of something deadly like a snake... a Viper perhaps?! #randomobtusespeculation Edited September 2, 2015 by Grundar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharpeXB Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Wow, that's exciting news about the new theaters. It's what DCS really needs to bring the aircraft to life. Can't wait to find out what they are! i9-13900K @ 6.2GHz oc | ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO | 64GB DDR5 5600MHz | iCUE H150i Liquid CPU Cooler | 24GB GeForce RTX 4090 | Windows 11 Home | 2TB Samsung 980 PRO NVMe | Corsair RM1000x | LG 48GQ900-B 4K OLED Monitor | CH Fighterstick | Ch Pro Throttle | CH Pro Pedals | TrackIR 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerd1000 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 No mention of Dropbears I see, understandable from a tourism perspective I guess - no one wants to scare off tourists to our fine and deadly county, but it does make it appear you are underselling Stirling there by that Dropbear omission :P While this link: http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear is from a reputable source on Dropbears, you will note it's government edited "No deaths reported" amendment - of course the genuine reason being that there are no survivors to report said Dropbear related deaths! :) On non-Dropbear related news (mostly from fear of attracting attention and hence retaliation from the Dropbears), some great info in there! Really love the work your team has shown in the F-14 development and of course the beautiful Mig-21bis. Also nice to see that you haven't announced the F4U and Viggen yet and will allow continued speculation on the subject! :P Of course I will add, with an Australian now on your team that means you have someone skilled at handling deadly animals - which makes me think of something deadly like a snake... a Viper perhaps?! #randomobtusespeculation The museum's site doesn't tell the full story. The reason for the absence of drop bear reports in general is a consequence of the drop bear's urine, which smells like Bundaberg Rum, and its habit of peeing on its victims. As a result, everyone who gets attacked and survives is assumed to have fallen over in the bush while drunk :P. To everyone else out there, don't be too afraid to visit my homeland. There aren't anywhere near as many venomous snakes as some people make out. Mostly because they all got poisoned by the spiders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assafm25 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Thx fir the great update Cant wait to know about the next 2 product and i check the site and the forum for every 30 min :smartass: I know that i not going to miss any of LM sim prudact and will buy and support with them all. Thx again :) [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] IAF Bell205 IAF Anafa ----------------------- DCS World Modules: A-10C, FC3, MiG-21BiS, F-86, P-51, KA-50, UH-1H Huey, Mi-8, M2000K, Gazal, Bf109, Mig-15, Hawk and NTTR ----------------------- My System - ASUS Maximus HERO iiiv, CoolMaster 120 Sadion Plus, I7 -6700K @4.0, G.Skill ddr4 16GB ram, Gigabyte GTX 1070 G1 , PSU Seasonic X-650W, OCZ 150 500Gb ssd drive X2, Seagate 7200 1T X2. ------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esonub Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Ohhh boy oh boy ... u just made m hair color getting white ... :D ... all this tension ... cant wait :) | DCS World Nub's Cockpit Channel | https://www.youtube.com/NubsCockpit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flycat Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 kkk, blahblah, pewpewpew well, thank you cobra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frisco1522 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I am also glad to hear that the Tomcat continues to progress despite all of your work on TWO other modules and theaters. Big win finishing the engines! Seems like the engines would be a big project for the Tomcat. Amen. Those engines are definitely complex, and with having to do 2 different kinds for basically 1 new plane is a first for any DCS module. *To the tune of Speedracer* Go Leather-neck! Go Leather-neck! Go Leatherneck Goooooooooo! :pilotfly: Frisco1522 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flycat Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 many of the F-14s' systems are possibly simpler than one of our unannounced aircraft, but there is simply more – and that takes time. welp, that's interesting, shall we start a new turn of guessing game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KesMonkey Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Hmmm. Cobra's Black Sheep avatar. The Marine Corps squadron VMA-214 are known as The Black Sheep. They currently operate the Harrier II. New and unique PFM features and aerodynamic configurations New or unique methods of propulsion or force distribution Far more complex avionic and computer systems than in the MiG-21 Don't the Marine Corps' Harrier's have the APG-65 radar system? Isn't one of the APG-65's modes Real Beam Ground Mapping? Ground Mapping and Targeting Radar Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I've almost convinced myself. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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