Incockpit Spectator Mode

You need to be sure there will not be a problem with a players friends jumping into his enemys cockpit to let him know what they are doing eg "He is above you and starting his attack run. Jink right when I tell you. Good! he has lost sight of you"? This is the reason most PvP servers do not allow F2.

I would like this but I think this needs a box to pop up asking for permission so you have to explicitly allow someone to join you. In other combat flight sims with larger game areas we often did squadron missions deep into enemy territory and it was frustrating to be shot down and have to wait 20 minutes while your squad RTB'd and not be able to be with them. If I remember right, think IL2 allowed you to follow them in an F2 type mode but CloD did not. In IL2 if your squad were in blenheims and you were lucky, it was possible to quickly jump into a gun position of a nearby blenheim before he got too far away. At least then you could share in the journey home (no I am not advocating that in DCS, just reminiscing :-) )

it's my private life, don't want someone to see me in cockpit

I've kinda done the reverse I get my guest to sit to the left of me get them to put the rift on and take them out in the Huey using just the small screen inset on the main monitor to fly with, occasionally I just need them to look ahead but mostly fine letting them sight see around. :thumbup:

I'm working up to do this in the Gazelle but it's not quite as laid back as the the Huey. :music_whistling:

Instructor's Tool

Just sayin'

I'm not actually sure about this, since you can download any module on the DCS store easily - for instance, the A-10C can be downloaded directly from its product page: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/modules/dcs_a10c_warthog/

The problem would indeed be activation.

 

The idea of being able to spectate a player in the cockpit is pretty interesting, though, and I also had some difficulties guiding a friend during a startup sequence.

When I suggested this, it was specifically for training purposes, but I suppose it could also be used for pure entertainment. But I would never expect ED to allow somebody without a license for a module to use the module for riding along with a second player, who does have a license for the module.

Anyway, if the server allows it, you can always join as an observer and lock your camera view on to any aircraft. Again, if the server allows it.

AFAIK this doesn't cause any network traffic for the person flying the AC, and probably at the most the same amount of traffic for the server as any person joining and actually flying an AC.

Anyway, I'm sure ED would have no problem of adding an invite dialog to the UI, to allow a virtual pilot to select an observer on the server and invite him to enter an in-cockpit view. It would be something new, but fairly trivial I believe.

With an in-cockpit view, what would really be different than the observer view now, would be seeing the instruments, which you can actually already do, through the canopy, only with an in-cockpit view you would be able to see them much better.

And with an instructor pointer, as in my suggestion, the ride-along instructor would be able to point to switches etc. in the cockpit to help instruct a trainee pilot.

Voice comms would simply be over TeamSpeak, or whatever comms app the persons agree upon; basically, a non-issue, as numerous solutions already exist.

totally awesome

totally awesome

Good bump, great idea from the OP.

+1

+1 very good idea, especially for training purposes

Do this. F14 RIO as spectator so that jester still works. Would be amazing. DCS please implement.

Yes a great idea, I had thought it would be great if without having to buy and extra licence that a friend could sit in the back seat even without the ability to touch anything.

Imagine the potential for more F14 sales and more DCS devotees.

Yes please.

I understand the dilemmas with module copyrights.

Like many have said in many ways here. Allow only to spectate internal cockpit if you your self own the module in question.

Great way to help build a community around DCS.

We need more pilots!

+1

+1

great idea for training, or for lazy people like me that would just like to ride along sometimes.

Great Idea:thumbup:

are we there yet?  Has anything been developed?

In VR - I wish we had this for all aircraft (not just multicrew), with ability to allow / deny joining the cockpit - understandably, requiring a second PC for the spectator so both flying can look where they wish

Something similar to "Your Controls" that MSFS2020 uses

1 hour ago, Dogmanbird said:

requiring a second PC for the spectator so both flying can look where they wish

This would be fantastic, and of course we understand if both will also have to own the module (in other words: the spectator must own the module they are riding shotgun in). 

Also, it would be incredibly helpful if each player in is shown where the other player's cursor (mouse, in VR headlook) is. That way, the players can point out things to each other (I'm thinking instructor/pilot here for all aircraft, not just trainers).

Alas, a more than 7 years old item, with no comment from ED.