Damage model

While this doesn't apply to JF-17 only, but does seem more pronounced with JF:

most times you take a hit you get instant pilot killed, would be a bit more engaging if you had a chance of recoverable failure, a chance to drag your ass to the airfield with damaged aircraft or jump to be picked up by SAR helicopter.

There are plenty of real world examples of damaged aircraft making it home.

 

Again, this is not limited to JF. What are your thoughts?

DCS is made from a way that if and AIM-9 hits you, it instantly kills your pilot, same with the R-73, and same with the stinger. But, with the R-60, and IGLAs, that doesn't happens.

You can see that from the DCS core files.

Try flying overhead some IFVs, those cannon will mostly damage your plane but not kill your pilot.

I wonder how hit effects are calculated in DCS, I remember in old Il-2 you could turn on debug hit visualizations which showed fragments and shell/bullet vectors so pilot kills and components damage really happened when fragments hit the component hit box

DCS doesn't simulate fragments and bullets, is basically a "You're on a 2m radius? if so, you're dead". That's why almost everything in DCS is insta-kill.

Hopefully, this will change with the new Damge system that DCS is preparing.

The JF-17 does have over 200 custom failures, everything with their own hit box. It seems really detailed to me, but obviously let down by lack of fragmentation in game.

 

I’ve had a few times I can land after a few bullet hits, but it’s not so common. However each failure has been different, it’s always crazy looking at the log and seeing how many failures are triggered

It also doesn't help that missiles track to the pilot specifically instead of the aircraft in general.

that's what I thought. Almost always it is instant kill so all those interesting situations do not happen.

 

Only aircraft where I had the opportunity to fly with damage was Ka-50 as you're in position to take cannon/machine gun fire rather then missile

DCS doesn't simulate fragments and bullets, is basically a "You're on a 2m radius? if so, you're dead". That's why almost everything in DCS is insta-kill.

Hopefully, this will change with the new Damge system that DCS is preparing.

That is only true for fragmentation damage. Bullets/Grenades and basically all projectiles are individually simulated with a ballistic model and even ricochet if they are AP.

You can see this either by slowing down the simulation enough or watch a TacView, debriefing log etc.

What is not yet modeled is tracing damage of projectiles passing through internal structure. This is being worked on since quite a while, and will come for WWII planes first.

Currently the external area of the 3D model is split into zones and damage is modeled according to hits taken in a specific zone.

Btw. though fragmentation isn't modeled blast damage is, and if you are blasted by close hit from an Igla, Stinger or AAA shell exploding near the plane you will take damage, yet not be killed. A direct hit by a 20mm HE shell is quite devastating, as is a direct hit from any missile. If it explodes near the cockpit, or kicks the aircraft into a 12G spiral you either die or blackout immediately.

DCS doesn't simulate fragments and bullets, is basically a "You're on a 2m radius? if so, you're dead". That's why almost everything in DCS is insta-kill.

Hopefully, this will change with the new Damge system that DCS is preparing.

 

Explosions are just a Area of Effect, so if you are inside X diameter sphere, then you receive damage based the distance to origin of explosion.

 

Individual bullets are simulated, but only by their trajectory, and that is the problem as when damage model doesn't care did you hit a wing or fuselage as it starts eating your "health". There is a basic damage modeling that "Now you lost your tail" or "you lost your right wing", but nothing complex for the systems really.

 

Here is the difference:

 

 

 

And AI was just a sniper, they shot you directly on the origin and so on pilot died immediately when they implemented the new upcoming damage modeling, and were required to start adjusting AI accuracy to be more leading and "generic area" than knowing exactly where to shoot.

 

So in the future when the new damage modeling is completed, we should see a major difference when a unit shoots a 12.7 mm bullets or 20 mm HE shells. As bullet can go through without hitting anything serious, while 20 mm high explosive will make a 15-20 cm diameter hole to your airplane, and 30 mm will almost guarantee a destruction with single hit.

 

It will be far more interesting to start seeing fragments from various sources damaging the systems and require to fly away while performing damage control and emergency procedures.

 

And even more interesting when the ground units receive the new damage modeling, as then it really starts to be funnier to actually attack ground units when you can destroy optics, radios, tracks/wheels, or engine, all kind things without killing crew. Or you kill even individual crew member.

 

The DCS would overall take a huge step forward in combat simulation if we would get a AI modeled with a basic moral and will. So we would see things like AI stops chasing you when they see you are bleeding fuel or your wing is in pieces, so they understand you are not anymore a threat and focus to other targets. As well that when you maintain a advantage in the fight their will will suffer and fear factor raises so they would start to do mistakes in flying etc. Or they would simply try to extend and fly away so you can again focus on other targets.

The same thing for the ground units and most importantly have a radio communications requirement to update their status, commands and such to others. So if you destroy communication possibilities you cut them off and gain a situation where enemy can't command units.

 

These things would make all kind weapons more useful as well targeting communication units across the ground that are relying the radios and so on all information.