DCS: AH-64D Discussion Thread

[phantom0gritz]

This aircraft is going to be awesome.  It is much more complex than any of the current ones in it's operation.  Learning both the front and back seats in how they work is going to be almost essential in order to get proficient.  And once you fly with a real person in the opposite seat you will never want to do otherwise again.  This aircraft keeps both seats busy all the time.

 

[NineGzuz]

I really like the idea of these 'two seater' modules. I don't have the luxury of a proper sim setup right now, but can easily use a mouse and keyboard to operate the gunner/wso/rio seats to get my sim addiction fulfilled while another person online does the flying.

 

It's also a nice way for sim new comers to start playing DCS, since they don't need to invest any money into hardware to get a good sim experience. Plus they'll likely be pairing up with a sim enthusiast in the pilots seats to help them learn.

 

October/November is going to be very fun

Edited January 23, 2021 by NineGzuz

[Steel Jaw]

Longbow is the King of the ground battlescape.

 

Definite purchase.

Edited January 23, 2021 by Mower

[BranchPrediction]

I really, like reeeaaally hope we get the radar.

[Heli Shed]

I have high hopes - long time coming - a very long time - nice ED.   But..........................  it's 2021 - we've been on the hype train before.  Manage your expectations troops.

[S. Low]

Finally. FINALLY. WEEEEEEE

[blunt_waco]

Pre-order tomorrow?

[Bedouin]

9 hours ago, blunt_waco said:

Pre-order tomorrow?

February got 28 days, so still a lot of days, there can be the one  and since no news in Fridays newsletter, I guess the pre-order will come on a later date this month  

[rapid]

Thought I would start reading my old manual in anticipation 

 

[1stBEAST]

uuuuh, memories

[Jockcop]

If you fly without the Wings of the Apache soundtrack playing, are you a even a real Apache pilot?...  

 

21.Fire Birds 1991 - Nicolas Cage - Tommy Lee Jones - Sean Young.mp4 - YouTube

Edited February 1, 2021 by Jockcop

[Expert]

12 minutes ago, Jockcop said:

If you fly without the Wings of the Apache soundtrack playing, are you a even a real Apache pilot?...  

 

21.Fire Birds 1991 - Nicolas Cage - Tommy Lee Jones - Sean Young.mp4 - YouTube

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FyuHA_zAOM

[Sinclair_76]

On 1/21/2021 at 4:21 PM, vigilante87 said:

I've had to more then just read them, lol. It is certainly cool stuff to learn! It will definitely provide a unique experience in DCS!

 

 

I'm with you there. However take the F-18 for example, typically speaking you are controlling two sensors (Radar, FLIR) on your average mission. In the apache that is the most you'd likely control from the CPG station. PLT doesn't control the TADS for target engagements. Controlling the screens you actually have a cursor you can move around if you need to remain hands on controls, and you are able to rapidly change which MFD you have your cursor on. There is a lot of IHADSS symbology that is on all the different modes, so once you get the general layout its not so bad (not including the TADS as a sight).

I get your point though; lots of stuff. I'm stoked to see it coming to DCS! 

Honestly the AH-64D is a ton more intuitive than any platform currently offered on DCS, with maybe the exception of the JF-17, which I know almost nothing about. Sight provides a direction (a vector if you will) and a sensor can provide imagery of the assigned sight. 

[Cosmo81]

i have not changed my avatar since the creation of its account, 2008! this is the best thing in the world. helicopters are so much cooler, always has been. they are mechanically complex machines, just beautiful machines more so than a airplane, just my opinion. i couldnt ask for more really, maybe better ground targets but the D version is more than i can ask for. The moment you put it up for sale i will buy it, i will wait until 2021 is over for this.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Cosmo81

[KungFu]

Showing a bit of my age here 

 

 

[Kev2go]

 

On 2/8/2021 at 9:56 AM, KungFu said:

Showing a bit of my age here 

 

 

 

 

 

ahhh so it finally make sense why ED called the DCS A10C II "tank killer" instead of just retaining the warthog in the title like A10C I.

 

Looks like they wanted to pay homage to an older game.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Kev2go

[Dragon1-1]

Nice. I couldn't help but notice that with the Apache, F-15E and MiG-29, we'll only be missing the Super Hornet from the classic flight sim staples (and even then, we have the old Hornet, which is just fine).  

[Rick50]

A very very long time ago... in a forum far far away... they used to talk of a "virtual battlefield" in which different modules could all fly in the same map, at the same time.  In those days, your program had one aircraft with a moderate FC-3 level of complexity and a bunch of AI's... or you had ALL the aircraft with no complexity and almost no realism but a fair amount of fun (looking at those EA titles from the late 90's and early 2000's). 

 

And then the market for sims dwindled as other types of gaming entertainment exploded in popularity. That "virtual battlefield" idea seemed... unlikely.

 

And yet here we are, now with most of the aircraft from old sims, but all able to fly in the same map, online, with better visuals and more realism than we ever had any right to dream of... 

 

ED and it's 3rd party partners have the cool jets of 80's through today, and a few from WW2. Others have covered WW-1, WW-2, and the civilian world. Soon, maybe 3 years from now, it might be time to start making more maps, and start on the Cold War era!  Germany, Corsairs over Korea, fly everything over Vietnam, the Nordic region (I want to fly in the Fjords of Norway in my Eurofighter!), fly Mirage III's against Mig's in the Middle East. I guess I'm greedy that way!

[CrashMcGhee]

Of all sims on the market, I do think DCS has the best RW flight model, so this should be interesting. Please make a comprehensive gunner AI though, I'm sure we'll see a features list when it goes to preorder, but it's going to be a deal breaker for me if we have to hop seats or fly multi crew. MC as an option is great, as a requirement to fully operate a module is not. 

[Lurker]

17 hours ago, CrashMcGhee said:

Of all sims on the market, I do think DCS has the best RW flight model, so this should be interesting. Please make a comprehensive gunner AI though, I'm sure we'll see a features list when it goes to preorder, but it's going to be a deal breaker for me if we have to hop seats or fly multi crew. MC as an option is great, as a requirement to fully operate a module is not. 

 

The AH64D is going to make the Hornet look like a walk in the park, where system modeling is concerned. Unless they add an option to offload a large part of this on the AI co-pilot, it's going to be a non-starter for many. (Myself included) I avoid modules which require significant interaction with the cockpit or a very large number of bound keys. It is simply too much work in VR. I don't want to use Voice Attack, and removing my hands from the HOTAS to blindly grope for keys and the mouse while trying not to crash is tiresome. 

I will be getting a trackball at some point, so I can use the mouse with my left hand while not moving it away too much from my throttle, but I will still avoid modules where it's a lot of work to simply get your weapons to bear. 

[Bedouin]

28 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

The AH64D is going to make the Hornet look like a walk in the park, where system modeling is concerned. Unless they add an option to offload a large part of this on the AI co-pilot, it's going to be a non-starter for many. (Myself included) I avoid modules which require significant interaction with the cockpit or a very large number of bound keys. It is simply too much work in VR. I don't want to use Voice Attack, and removing my hands from the HOTAS to blindly grope for keys and the mouse while trying not to crash is tiresome. 

I will be getting a trackball at some point, so I can use the mouse with my left hand while not moving it away too much from my throttle, but I will still avoid modules where it's a lot of work to simply get your weapons to bear. 

 

Thats why i am not using VR, and have a semi-psysical simpit, and will during the summer arrange the button-boxes and other devices so the are easy to using with the Apache

[Dragon1-1]

I'm just gonna wait for the Valkyrie collective for AH-64, print it and and use that. Failing that, I'll try to make do with my HOTAS and those keys I can easily find.

 

In general, for a proper helo experience, you need a proper collective lever. A desktop throttle will always be a medicore substitute at best.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

On 2/18/2021 at 11:59 AM, Lurker said:

I will be getting a trackball at some point, so I can use the mouse with my left hand while not moving it away too much from my throttle

Personally, I use the Kensington Orbit trackball, because it has a scroll ring: using that ring adds to immersion since it mimics turning a knob in the cockpit :wink:

[cordite]

On 2/18/2021 at 8:53 AM, Dragon1-1 said:

I'm just gonna wait for the Valkyrie collective for AH-64, print it and and use that. ...

That one will probably only be available pre-made.

[Dragon1-1]

Why would it be? Things released on the site so far are all free.

 

I meant Valhalla not Valkyrie, BTW, Valkyrie was the guy who made TM-alike pendular rudder.