New F14B Pilot

Still learning the plane, wondering wheres all the online action at? A few servers showing up but apart from the test/training server game seems dead - yet steam reports 20k+ players? Looking to join highly active clan, prefer long missions, VR pilot, UK active hours 6ish to midnight most nights.

:)

I would guess you are on the stable and not on the open beta...

I would guess you are on the stable and not on the open beta...

Yeh, im version 2.5 - not the beta. Are most playing the beta? Should i install that too?

Yep

Yeah open beta is where 99% of the action is at.

20k+ players sounds like how many individual accounts might be active any given month.

Typically you have the top 5-6 servers with 10-55 players (big range for weekend evenings Vs Monday mornings).

If you're new to the F14 and/or DCS, you'll find a handful of really good servers with a Coop / player v AI style missions. I'd start on areobatic server just to become familiar with how multiplayer works in DCS, practice some flying, formation, air refueling, carrier landings, all without any weapons.

Next move to your coop style, I'll list my favourite, and most popular as well. Some have targets in the Same areas for training (havoc's and Kirk's both deserve mentions here). Kirk's especially for SAMs and is perhaps "level 2” after havoc's, who has neatly grouped some easy/medium/harder areas of bombing targets.

Then you have the "base capture" style and more dynamic type (a good "level3" once you have the basics in weapons delivery down).. the German areobatic server hosting dynamic warfare mission (they still call the server areobatic).

The you have hoggit servers that cover the above, which requires password if you check their community/rules etc.

Those are definitely good starting points (all feature A2A & A2G).

After that, definitely go PvP if that's your goal. I wouldn't jump in before you can take out the easy AI and know your aircraft/weapons reasonably well, or it might be frustrating.

This would also be the time to begin looking for a clan you might wish to join. Some clans do regular YouTube videos, others don't, certainly give a few of those videos a watch, to see if any match your style (all fall somewhere in the have-a-laugh, serious, and silly triangle... And you can often have evenings where different clans open up for a few hours, either to the public or by invite, for fun out for trials etc, again others will accept anyone with a pulse).

Finally, great to have another F14 in the sky with us, and most importantly have fun.

WOW, I need 91GB free to install the open beta??

Nope, go to your installation folder and open a command prompt in the bin folder and type in DCS_updater.exe update @openbeta This will just change your installation to the beta install with the latest patches. You can toggle back if you decide you don't want to use beta by doing the same thing but changing it to @release.

Pretty sure most of this guide is still applicable.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=114030