Best news for 2020: Focus on CORE of simulation

This was the best news, from my angle, in the Upcoming 2020 development statement:

"Most of the Eagle Dynamics team will be focused on improvements to the DCS World core that includes performance improvements, more realistic lighting, a new cloud and weather system, an outstanding damage modeling, a new airfield air traffic control system, air-to-ground radar and Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensors, improved missile dynamics, more life-like AI, new AI units, and a dynamic campaign system."

My emphases added.

Good work, ED! :thumbup:

Agreed, I'm looking forward to core DCS improvements more than anything else.

Agreed, I'm looking forward to core DCS improvements more than anything else.

Everything on this list is awesome. :)

Everything on this list is awesome. :)

Totally! :thumbup:

This was the best news, from my angle, in the Upcoming 2020 development statement:

 

"Most of the Eagle Dynamics team will be focused on improvements to the DCS World core that includes performance improvements, more realistic lighting, a new cloud and weather system, an outstanding damage modeling, a new airfield air traffic control system, air-to-ground radar and Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensors, improved missile dynamics, more life-like AI, new AI units, and a dynamic campaign system."

 

My emphases added.

 

Good work, ED! :thumbup:

Awesomeness! This stuff is exactly what DCS World needs, instead of more early-release modules that won't get finished for 5 years :)

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Those are just the items from ED, from third parties I expect Magnitude's F-4U and Essex Carrier; from Razbam I expect the MiG-23 and from Polychop I expect the Kiowa :)

Multi core support would allow to implement advanced weather, advanced AI, more graphical effects, bigger maps, more physical calculations, dynamic campaign, more ground forces AND improved performance.

Those are just the items from ED, from third parties I expect Magnitude's F-4U and Essex Carrier; from Razbam I expect the MiG-23 and from Polychop I expect the Kiowa :)

Really looking forward to the Corsair as well. The Kiowa will be a day 1 buy, for sure.

Considering how the Harrier is right now, I wouldn't expect much coming from razbam any time soon. If they do release anything, mind you, I would love some of that Soviet action myself. But I have the Mig-19, I know how they can mess up. And before they fix what's wrong... here's another new EA module... not a good business model, definitely not aimed for QA.

Yeah, its good to read, but honestly alot of it has been talked about for some time as I understand it, and not delivered. Clouds/weather have been talked about for years, same for Vulkan, which I really hope is coming and actually "delivers".

Vulkan?

Vulkan?

yup

This was the best news, from my angle, in the Upcoming 2020 development statement:

 

"Most of the Eagle Dynamics team will be focused on improvements to the DCS World core that includes performance improvements, more realistic lighting, a new cloud and weather system, an outstanding damage modeling, a new airfield air traffic control system, air-to-ground radar and Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensors, improved missile dynamics, more life-like AI, new AI units, and a dynamic campaign system."

 

My emphases added.

 

Good work, ED! :thumbup:

I totally agree :thumbup: The improvements of the DCSW core is more important than new planes (in my opinion at least). The only thing I am missing are more living airfields (moving vehicles, other planes starting, taxiing and landing and moving ground staff). So the new and much improved ATC is more realistic if there is some AI traffic (air and ground). But really exciting time in front uf us :thumbup:

If improved land-based ATC is implemented/sorted by the end of the year, then Supercarrier will have earned it's purchase easily for me. Not gonna hold my breath though. :D

This was the best news, from my angle, in the Upcoming 2020 development statement:

 

"Most of the Eagle Dynamics team will be focused on improvements to the DCS World core that includes performance improvements, more realistic lighting, a new cloud and weather system, an outstanding damage modeling, a new airfield air traffic control system, air-to-ground radar and Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensors, improved missile dynamics, more life-like AI, new AI units, and a dynamic campaign system."

 

My emphases added.

 

Good work, ED! :thumbup:

I just hope that all this doesn't hinder the progress on the already released modules in various states of Early Release, Alpha, Beta and post-release bug status...keep up the hard work ED! :pilotfly:

Multi core support would allow to implement advanced weather, advanced AI, more graphical effects, bigger maps, more physical calculations, dynamic campaign, more ground forces AND improved performance.

They specifically mention adding multi-core support as a part of this somewhere, it might have been an interview with one of the developers, maybe Matt, this was around the time of the 2020 timeframe news.

RE the AI improvements, I hope this means Combined Arms gets a big update.

What I am expecting to see, is transition away from old "group" and "group and its waypoints" thinking, and adapting realistic "units" and "commands".

Example, now if you want to have multiple units easily in control, you place them all to same group. And all will obey and work the same. Then if you want to get that group moving from A to B, you are required to assign waypoints (1, 2, 3, 4 etc) to that group from A and B and between.

That is very simple when you have like a 3x APC group and you need to move from town A to town B by crossing a river by bridge, using two roads etc.

But once you need more complex unit cohesion, it all breaks to pieces. And more groups is given, more heavier load it becomes.

Why a real unit & command structure is required. Copy the military command and unit structure.

You can have a large unit that is made from small units, and each knows their places, tasks etc based their own training and purpose, separate what is whole main unit structure and command. It is like company that is made from platoons, each platoon is made from squads, each squad is made from teams and teams from pairs and pairs from individual soldiers.

Now you issue tasks like "defend this area toward east" to an area, it is like placing a trigger zone on map, drawing a line or circle, placing ROE to it, primary and secondary locations, route to that position etc. And then assign unit to it by commanding them to it. Now all individuals know their tasks in whole larger unit and act properly as trained.

To get lots of units moving, you plan a route between wanted areas, like make a primary route and secondary route. Now the AI will be selecting to use primary first if conditions allows, and secondary if not. And you can simply command u it to use a specific route, or routes in chain. Any time, in any order or give situation.

Like you issue command:

Platoon Charlie, move to hill 332, using route A21 and A27. Set defense position in hill 332 toward West, expected enemy arriving time is 2100 Zulu. ROE: Not to engage enemy if crossing line C45 but open fire if crossing C43. Rally point in forest 44, using route A27 and A26.

The AI task is to understand how to move and how to fight without micromanagement. But if CA module owner takes command, it is easy to issue commands and even micro everything like individual unit position in defense positions if so wanted, setting ROE dynamically and other commands.

It would be like dragging and dropping commands to order and drawing lines on map and directions etc. And AI follows.

Maybe we come back in 12 months and do a: promised vs delivered comparison. Not saying I don't have faith in ED (I've spent enough money on DCS and its products to show said faith), but they do have a habit of taking forever to get stuff done. Fingers crossed that I eat my words next year.

It was stated momths ago the majority of the team was working on the engine, and most of these features have been being teased for the last year.

yup

:D :thumbup:

Would like to know if there are any plans to look at the sub surface environment, and I mean a sub vs sub hunter not DCS: Worms.

DCS is what it is and has been for years.

The same goes for ED.

There’s no reason to either get frustrated or to get one’s hopes up.

What was promised for 2020 had been promised for quite a long time...

Look at the progression of modules introduced first in beta and then in alpha.

Look at modules introduced first as entire aircrafts and then of parts such as the coming comms and the likes.

Look at the price deltas and the state of modules even after many months.

And the masses keep spending their money...

Again...not good or bad but a reality.

Expect only what there is and what has been as far as development and costs go...

Listen to ED for their language is quite clear and after enough time one can know what one can ACTUALLY expect and get.

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Honestly I don't even notice the things that haven't been implemented yet; I'm far too busy appreciating what I have.

Vulkan?

Come on, guys, stop trolling.

Vulkan is a fairly recent API as an alternative to the currently used DirectX API. It is said to be faster and more graphically impressive on most machines.

ED has been working on implementing this API on DCS, something that many think would improve the game's visuals and performance by a lot.

Would like to know if there are any plans to look at the sub surface environment, and I mean a sub vs sub hunter not DCS: Worms.

We're supposed to be getting the Mk 40 and Mk 63 sea mines for the Hornet (both are bottom, influence mines converted from Mk 83s).

We also know that we're getting a German aerial torpedo for the Ju-88 (I'd guess the LT I A1 F5b) as well as a 533mm torpedo for the S-100 - probably a G7a TI.

We also have 2 Kilo class diesel-electric attack submarines. We have the B-871 Alrosa which is a one-boat modification of the Pr. 877 class (modified with a pump-jet/propulsor) and the improved Pr. 636 class. The Alrosa can already be spawned from the mission editor, while the 636 can be viewed from the modelviewer. The Pr. 636 class is basically modelled to perfection and is fully animated - the propeller, the control surfaces (including the retractable bow planes), all masts and antennae, outer torpedo tube doors, even the retractable capstans and torpedo tube reloading adaptor hatch.

There's also 2 torpedo tube launched AShMs that the Kilo class can fire - the 3M-54E and 3M-54E1, both have updated graphics, though they're both missing their capsules (assuming they launch encapsulated), and the 3M-54E is missing it's terminal stage. Unlike new ED weapons they also don't have animated control surfaces.

Unfortunately, the only thing submarines can do right now is follow waypoints and turn lights on (and for the Pr. 877 the light on the sail/fin is mounted on a mast that extends, currently it stays retracted with the actual light floating above it).

As for the underwater modelling, in all seriousness all ED would really need to do at this stage is a semi-accurate depth map and something under the water, it can even be as basic as what KSP has, obviously what SH4 has would be perfect if not a little over the top.

But these core improvements are definitely something to be excited about, I just hope that it finally happens.