[Insurgency: Sandstorm update]

Big update to Sandstorm today. Added a "night" mode, new weapons, and a new map.

 

Game is also 50% off until June 20th - $14.99

 

https://steamcommunity.com/games/581320/announcements/detail/2193761957322241193

[Heatblur free trial]

Official forum post: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=4389926#post4389926

 

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Dear all,

 

In cooperation with our third-party partner Heatblur, a free trial event for the AJS-37 Viggen and the F-14A/B Tomcat will take place between the 19th of June and the 25th of June.

 

We hope this will give you an opportunity to give these majestic aircraft a try.

Thank you

 

 

According to one of the Eagle Dynamics staff in Discord, it should also be available on the Steam version.

[Carrier Assault on Krymsk]

A bit of a gamble if I can do 20:00 GMT on a weekday, just depends on how the work is going. But if that works for the rest of the group, by all means start without me, I'll join up when able. 

[Elite Dangerous on sale]

Back on sale this weekend if anyone has been holding out.

 

$8.99 for the base game

$8.99 for the Horizons Season Pass

 

Fleet Carriers were added recently, but very pricey.

 

I believe on-foot game play is getting added "soon".

[Scramble at Batumi]

Excellent, glad it worked.

[Russian SAM Site Discussion SA 10S 300 PS]

Been watching a few videos on SEAD... seems either a terrain masked (extremely) low altitude direct attack or a volley of mixed munitions is the key to success.

 

Depending on where the SAM's are placed in the mission, terrain masking may not be an option

[Open beta updates]

Full change log:

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/news/changelog/openbeta/2.5.6.50726/

 

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DCS World

• Improved DCS startup time
• Fixed crash on AIM-120 seeker
• AI soldiers shoot through walls - fixed
• ME. Su-33. Decrease default fuel to 50%
• Fast mission generator crash in 2.5.6 branch - fixed
• AJS-37 and JF-17 spawned in Senaki hangars with wrong heading - fixed
• S_EVENT_ENGINE_SHUTDOWN not triggered for clients - fixed
• MP. Fixed occasional IC failing even if no user-mods are installed
• MP. More fixes for server list empty if IPv6 is disabled in Windows
• GAI: Column not completely following route - fixed
• HUD intensity corrected for non FC3 aircraft

 

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DCS Supercarrier by ED

• Fix rain reflected light intensity
• Add specular reflections for dynamic lights

 

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DCS F-18C by ED

• Litening pod
  • Add on HUD No-Action Slewing indication (segmented TD box)
• HUD Conflict Between FLIR and TMR/IN RNG/MAV LKD - fixed
• SLAM video not switching on sometimes - fixed
• AIM-120 launch in LTWS or TWS gives RWR launch warning to the target in MP - fixed
• AGM-65F When uncaged slew close to designated point but not close enough - fixed
• TDC scan altitude readout changes as the radar goes through each individual bar - fixed
• Fixed the azimuthal scan indication in MAP mode after a hot start
• Add The sounds for throttle (throttle lims/throttle transition from Idle to Off and back/from mil to AB and back)
• SLAM TOO data from TPOD can be transferred to PP - fixed
• If user uses ground power only no stores information is shown in DDI - fixed

 

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DCS F-16C by ED

• Radar elevation coverage is wrong - fixed
• No HUD steerpoint indications for preset steerpoints - fixed
• TDC range numbers don't change when antenna elevation changes - fixed
• HUD symbology is barely visible in daylight - fixed
• Added french F-16 localization
• TGP TV picture has extremely high brightness - fixed

 

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Flaming Cliffs by ED

• Corrected lights in the cockpits of next aircraft: Yak-52, Su-25, Su-25T, MiG-29, A-10A, F-86F, L-39C, L-39ZA, A-10C, MiG-15bis, P-51D-25NA, P-51D-30NA, TF-51D, UH-1H, F-15C, F-5E
• F-15C cockpit. Warning lights animation corrected
• Added adaptive self-illuminating materials in the cockpit of A-10A, Su-25T, Su-25

 

[DCS Custom Livery Showcase]

Yep, I like that a lot.

[Russian SAM Site Discussion SA 10S 300 PS]

With the proper height and speed, the JSOW has an incredible range that would likely keep you out of danger from the Grumbles. I think the F-18 can carry 8 of them. As far as I know, you do need an 8 digit grid coordinate to program into the munition, though. I'm not sure if it has the ability to work with a TPOD or anything like that for targeting, so I'm not sure if we want to simulate that we know precisely where those radars are placed.

[HOTAS button mapping]

I don't have the game open at the moment, but in the controls screen there is a "Mods" or "Modifiers" button. Open that up and add the pinkie to the list of Modifiers.

 

I have an issue where the game doesn't detect the pinkie as a button press at all, so I have a work around, if that applies to you as well. It's not awesome, but I haven't put any time into figuring out why it doesn't work like it should. Assuming you are on Windows 10, work around:

1. Open Windows Start Menu
2. Settings
3. Devices
4. Under "Related Settings" -> Devices and Printers
5. Right click the controller -> Game controller settings
6. Select controller
7. Properties

Leave that window open and then the game will detect the pinkie switch being pressed.

 

If that does work, you can create a shortcut to cut out some of those clicks. Set the shortcut "location" to:

control /name Microsoft.DevicesAndPrinters

 

[HOTAS button mapping]

Here is my button mapping layout for the F/A-18C on the Logitech X52.

 

I don't take credit for the image itself, I just overlaid my controls onto one I found on the web.

 

The left column is the standard button, the right column is when holding the pinkie switch modifier + that button. "Fire B" and "Fire C" didn't have the extra column, so I just put the modifier action below the normal one. The hats from top to bottom are Up, Down, Left, Right.

 

Edit: Not diagrammed, but wheel brake is the modifier+trigger

 

[Scramble at Batumi]

Seems at some point in the mission, a UH-60 lands on the Stennis and stays parked on the landing runway. Unless the mission didn't get restarted at all today, it was there last night when I was practicing landing and was there again tonight.

[Discord]

Hey all.

 

We've got a Sparta Discord server up and running for anyone to use.

 

Many of the text channels have feeds from the "Official" servers to get information like announcements, server outages, update change logs, stuff like that.

 

It's still new and we're still figuring out the best way to manage things there, so your feedback is welcome.

 

This in no way is intended to replace the forums or TeamSpeak and we will continue to host those services as well.

 

Server invite link: https://discord.gg/ueatxph

 

If your name in Discord is different than your name here, let us know so we can assign you the appropriate roles.

[Showing 3 MFDs on left screen]

Finally got around to it. Made the lua file a bit easier to customize, happy to walk anyone through how to get their screens setup. It's uploaded to the DCS channel in TeamSpeak.

 

[TPOD bug]

Yep, I would assume that is the one. That update combined with the ground radar should make ground attacks even easier.

[TPOD bug]

Quite a few people seem to be having issues with the TPOD on the open beta version of DCS. The two I encountered were:

1. Stowing to -180 degrees when doing a cage/uncage (should return to bore sight)
2. Not being able to undesignate

 

I found a thread on the Eagle Dynamics with quite a lot of people having those issues (and a few others). I wasn't able to reproduce the issue tonight to test any of these, but the forums suggest these work arounds:

1. "Official answer": Enable "VVSLV" mode to unstow the pod, then you can disable if you don't want that mode
2. Put the pod into "Standby" mode on and then back to "On"
3. Switch master arm mode to "A/A" then back to "A/G"

 

 

The official response:

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It is going to make much more sense when the update to this function comes out, for now, please use the workaround offered by cofcorpse. Thanks.

                         * cofcorpse gave the VVSLV suggestion above

 

 

[KSP DM2]

SpaceX YouTube stream is already live.

 

 

 

 

[Scramble at Batumi]

I'm going to have a lot of catching up to do with the F-18. I didn't get a chance to play this weekend like I had hoped.

 

I was looking over the DLC's before the sales ends, are there any others that are recommended? I figured I'd probably get Flaming Cliffs 3 since you get quite a few aircraft with it. Also wasn't sure how much value the Supercarrier added vs the one that comes with the Hornet.

[DCS World]

In the launch video they said they accurately modeled the flight characteristics and temperament of the real life F-14, so I could certainly see us in some eject scenarios 

[DCS World]

15 hours ago, Zeno~SPARTA~ said:

I almost bought the F14 Tomcat, my idea was that someone could fly in the WSO seat, but I found out that both players have to buy the module, so Thats a non starter.

 

 

I'll buy the F-14, but you have to call me "Goose".

[DCS World]

I think I got all the bombs and the TV figured out.

 

The ones we have in the training mission, as far as I can tell, can't really use the help of the TV. If you're coordinated enough to steer the plane and aim the TV's designator at the same time while in a dive run, it might help you aim, but won't guide the bombs in any way.

 

In the training mission for TV guided, it has you use the KAB-500kr and Kh-29T, which do work well, but they're both very large and can only be mounted on the inner most pylon (limit 2 per plane).

 

I didn't test all the munition types, but I did have pretty good success with the Kh-25ML (Missile type), which can go on the 2nd and 3rd inner most pylons of each wing for a max of 4 per plane.

 

I'll pick up the F-18 tomorrow, but I'll need to get a new joystick. I'm finding dead spots in mine that are nearly catastrophic at low speed... almost certain to be deadly with afterburners. Any recommendations?

[DCS World]

You've talked me into it.

 

I'm downloading DCS World now... Do I also need the F-18 to get started?

[Happy Birthday Adder]

Happy birthday!

[Quarantine office upgrade]

7 hours ago, Forrester~SPARTA~ said:

btw that keyboard looks very familiar, i switched from my G19 to this one a couple of months ago….

 

Logitech has a few that look pretty similar. This one is the G610 (Cherry MX Red switches). I also had a G19 and G15 previous to this, haha. Finally realized I was never using the G keys or the screen.

 

I have a Rosewill keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches at work that I think I actually like better than the 610. However, I tend to type fairly heavy, so I bottom the keys out and its very noisy.

[Happy Birthday Rizzla]

Happy birthday Rizz!