DCS 2.5 OB Released

[Phantom88 3,287]

****DCS World 2.5 Open Beta Released**** 

"DCS 2.5.0
DCS 2.5.0 opens a new page in DCS development. This is a unified version of the game, which allowed us to combine all the maps in one package. This version includes a significantly improved Caucasus map.

DCS World

Ground vehicles group, added to map from template, will not loses their task.

Helicopters AI will able to land to ships with helipads.

Mark panels added by triggers and scripting will not create a message for each panel added obligatory.

Added option to make Mark panel read only.

Removed the visible distant dots of aircraft below the cloud layer.

Added night blackout from September 1939 till May 1945.

After selecting ground commander role player will not able to control ejected pilot.

AGM-65 is limite with tracking of fast aircraft.

F6 weapon camera will indicate the g-load of missile.

SAM AI. Added Engage Air Weapons option to air defence units.

AI aircraft will attack the vehicle columns along their route and will try to cover whole column.

Aircraft AI with runway attack task. Added the random dispersion of release points for even coverage of runway.

S-3B. Corrected fuel weight.

Su-33. The group of Su-33 for carrier take off will be 2, not 4.

Amphibious ground vehicles will be able to sailing on rivers and sea.

Corrected jetstream position of some SAM missiles: Thor, Osa, Strela, Igla, Chaparral, Hawk.

Improved smoke marker effects.

VR updates:

VIVE - controller enumeration fixed , hand transform fixed. 
OpenVR - add initial controllers update.
New option --force_steam_VR - to force VR driver to use steam.
Correct picture for oculus headset picture in Steam VE environment.
Touch controllers - mouse wheel speed variation depends on thumbstick depression.
Aspect Ratio setting will not breaks ingame overlays.
Disable applying of scale GUI option in VR mode.
Maxfps value will not affect in VR mode.

Improved NVG picture.

ES and CN localization update.

ME. Ships groups. Ship skill will not accidentally changed after mouse click.

APC AVV-7 40mm Mk.19 HE ammunition replaced by HEDP.

Added new model of small helipads (FARP) for single helicopter.

Added AI China AWACS KJ-2000.

DCS NTTR

Object 'CONCREET_CAN" destroyed state corrected.

DCS Ka-50

Added separate option slider for the helmet sight-ring displacement.

DCS AJS-37

New feature! auto-generated data cartridge. Choosable in the kneeboard (# 6)
The Auto-generated data cartridge is a cartridge with five pre-programmed waypoints, where the third waypoint will be located on the first expected enemy units. This waypoint will take into account projected target movement and if you follow Time on Target cues, you will intercept your target. This is a work in progress feature.

You can now load a data-cartridge file stored in the saved games-folder without respawning. Details on this will be posted on the forums.

New Export of ELINT-analysis data to Saved games-folder added! It will be located in the %SAVED_GAMES%/DCS_AJS37/ELINTData.info file. The DCS_AJS37-folder must exist for export to work. This is a work in progress feature.

Added new JA-37Di “Akktu Stakki” Livery by Magnus Almgren https://imgur.com/a/FiYYE

Fixed FORMLJUS not illuminating tail with deferred rendering on

Fixed fuselage FORMLJUS (slimelights) not appearing with deferred rendering on

Corrected landing light sprite movement

Landing light distance and attenuation reworked for deferred rendering

Landing light will no longer illuminate the cockpit

Landing light will now follow nosewheel strut rotation.

Wing nav/formation lights will now cast dynamic lighting

Fixed static airfield AJS-37 missing canopy & ejection seat issue.

Adjusted PBR materials for new tonemapper gamma

Fixed missing Bare Metal livery

Fixed missing ordinance icons

Fixed duplicate material name of canopy glass & rocket pod (Thanks Home Fries!)

Replaced default Viggen briefing UI image

Corrected AKAN Gunpod size

Fix to RWR showing ghost signals

Fixes to Time On Target calculation accuracy

Fix to second BK90 MJ1 not releasing

Fix to Glideslope indication issues.

Fix to inaccurate DYK and NAV bombing

Fix to Maverick-sight going off target

Fix to Easter egg triggering erroneously. (or, rather, in common flight parameters)

Fixed Lysbomb not releasing and FÄLLD LAST light not activating

Various Fixes to U22 and U22/A pods

Corrected shader parameters for cockpit

Corrected shader parameters for LoD1/2/3 to fit better with LoD0 Exterior.

Removed all instances std::rand() and replaced with ED’s replay-consistent random object. (does not fix all replay issues yet!)

Fixed Droptank fuel weight not being removed from aircraft

Fix to lift performance in slow speeds/high alpha flight

Corrected shader parameters for all ordinance models.

Fixed default radio frequencies.

Fixed an issue where an AI aircraft could not be assigned to common frequency ranges.

Adjusted missions for 2.5 Caucasus.

Fixed Canopy Glass in cockpit being practically invisible.

Fixed doubled up canard vortices and right wing will now generate vortices.

Adjusted ‘Mozdok Attack’,‘Moscow Takedown’ and ‘Attack the Camp’ Single missions for new Caucasus (thanks Grimes & Graywo1f!)

Darkened HUD Glass & adjusted indicator material for better HUD visibility

Added new F7 Skaraborg’s flygflottilj livery for Caucasus Mini-Campaign

Campaigns
Adapted paid campaigns to new Caucasus:

F-15C The Georgian War Сampaign

A-10C The Enemy Within Campaign

A-10C Tactical Training Qualification Campaign

A-10C Basic Flight Training Campaign

A-10C Advanced Aircraft Training Qualification Campaign

UH-1H Argo Campaign

The Border Campaign

A-10C Operation Piercing Fury Campaign

The Museum Relic Campaign

P-51D High Stakes Campaign

Black Shark 2 Republic Campaign

Su-27 The Ultimate Argument Campaign

A-10C Stone Shield Campaign

Mi-8MTV2 Oilfield Campaign. In additional added two new missions for single and multiplayer.

NOTE: for all those campaigns implemented the new keyless copy protection.


This update will be available only for Open Beta so far.

[Phantom88 3,287]

**Statement From Wags** 

"DCS World 2.5 Open Beta is now available via an update from the 1.5 Open Beta. 

Please use the Updater to install.

Thanks and enjoy!

DCS World 2.5 Open Beta Released!

The Open Beta version of Digital Combat Simulator World (DCS World) 2.5 is a free-to-play digital battlefield game. The “release” version will be available shortly after Open Beta testing is complete. The Open Beta is an optional version of DCS World that we use to first test new content and technologies before moving them to our release version.

Our dream is to offer the most authentic and realistic simulation of military aircraft, tanks and ships possible. This free download includes a vast mission area of the Caucasus region and Black Sea that encompasses much of Georgia. It also includes a flyable Russian Sukhoi Su-25T ground attack aircraft and the famous WWII North American TF-51D fighter. An additional 25 aircraft are available for purchase.

The download comes with one of the most powerful mission planners ever designed, full network play and more than 156 AI weapons systems, 105 ground vehicles and trains, 50 air defense systems, 19 ships and 84 AI aircraft permitting you to plan and play highly sophisticated missions. DCS World is massively extensible through additional DCS modules as well as user-made add-ons and mods which you can purchase and download from our site.

DCS is a true "sandbox" simulation that is also designed to cover multiple time periods of interest such as WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Gulf War and others. Current regions to battle include the Caucasus, Nevada Test and Training Range, and Normandy 1944. New maps in development include the Persian Gulf, Syria, Afghanistan, and others.

DCS World is fundamentally a deep, authentic and realistic simulation game designed also to offer a more relaxed gameplay to suit the user and his particular level of experience and training. The ambition is to hand hold users from novice pilot all the way to the most advanced and sophisticated operator of such complex weapons systems as the A-10C Warthog or the F/A-18C Hornet. The only next step is the real thing!

Key features of DCS World 2.5:

• The most realistic Free-to-Play digital battlefield.
• One-of-a-kind, internally developed graphics engine that looks amazing from one foot to 80,000 feet. 
• Includes a beautiful, free, and highly detailed map of the Caucasus region that includes Russia and Georgia.
• Includes millions of buildings, millions of km of usable roads and railways, more than 50 million trees, and 20 fully-equipped airbases.
• Includes 156 free and fully operational weapons systems, 105 ground vehicles, 19 ships and 84 AI-controlled aircraft.
• Fly the TF-51 Mustang and Su-25T attack jet for free!
• Play all DCS World modules from one DCS World version.
• State-of-the-art graphics with amazing lighting, shadows, and performance.
• New breathtaking effects for explosions, clouds, fog, fire, and smoke. 
• Hundreds of land, air- and seaborne AI vehicles. The world is your sandbox.
• Create your own missions and campaigns for unlimited gameplay!
• Mission generator included that allows rapid mission creation.
• Enjoy multiplayer with friends, and even fly together in the same aircraft!
• Purchase and fly the most iconic airplanes and helicopters from WWII up to the modern day.
• Mouse interactive cockpits for most aircraft and the most accurate flight models, cockpit systems and sounds available.
• Purchase and fly the most authentic simulations of the A-10C Warthog, UH-1H Huey, F-86F Sabre, Spitfire, and many others now.
• Exciting new aircraft coming to DCS World like the F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18C Hornet, F-4E Phantom II, Mi-24P Hind, P-47D Thunderbolt, and many more!
• Purchase additional high-quality maps such as Normandy 1944, the Nevada Test and Training Range, and the Persian Gulf. 
• Play hundreds of missions and campaigns with new campaigns continually created.
• Both hardcore realistic and casual gameplay modes and options available.

Minimum system requirements:
OS 64-bit Windows 7/8/10; DirectX11; CPU: Core i3 at 2.8 GHz; RAM: 8 GB; Free hard disk space: 60 GB; Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 / ATI R9 280X DirectX11); requires internet activation.

Recommended system requirements:
OS 64-bit Windows 7/8/10; DirectX11; CPU: Core i5+ at 3+ GHz; RAM: 16 GB; Free hard disk space: 60 GB on Solid State Drive (SSD); Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 / ATI R9 Fury DirectX11 or better; Joystick; requires internet activation."

[Silver_Dragon 411]

DCS World 2.5 official video

 

[RichieFly 729]

Very exciting.

I'm just looking through web sites now while I wait for the install to complete.

I have the base 2.5 installed, but then messed up and chose to install all my modules before even flying once. Dumb.

[Silver_Dragon 411]

remember clear the options.lua on saved games, to enable the new option system.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=200340

 

 

[RichieFly 729]

2 minutes ago, Silver_Dragon said:

remember clear the options.lua on saved games, to enable the new option system.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=200340

 

 

Thanks for that reminder.

I just watched the above video and I am excited for DCS as I've ever been. Great days.

[Murmur 3,941]

Nice. That's how a civil flight sim should look... Puts all of them to shame.

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

I think that the only obvious thing that it's got on P3d and XP11 is the trees. They look a lot more realistic. The rest is pretty close in quality, And considering it's not a whole world simulator, one can understand how it might run smoother. But enough of this. It is a beautiful flight sim and a whole lot more immersive than DCS V1.

[GHarrall 494]

Seems really good so far! 

[RichieFly 729]

Just finished a tour around the Caucuses in the Mi-8.

What a difference! Looks really nice and the aircraft models are something else too.

I noticed the increased terrain elevation resolution changes right away: a creek looks like a creek. 

Performance was very similar.

Anyway, back to it...

Oh, and btw. It's rather huge. With all 3 maps and most of the modules, it's 100Gb.

Edited January 31, 2018 by RichieFly
One more thing...

[Murmur 3,941]

10 hours ago, jabloomf1230 said:

I think that the only obvious thing that it's got on P3d and XP11 is the trees. They look a lot more realistic. The rest is pretty close in quality

IMO DCS did a better job compared to other flight sims, especially with regard to the simulation of lighting:

.) atmosphering scattering

.) sunglare, glare on water, glare on glass, etc.

.) clouds visuals and lighting

.) water visuals and lighting

.) sunsets/sunrises

.) eye adaptation (i.e. changing exposure when looking at the sun)

All of these are either missing, fudged or not as good in the other 4 mainstream flight sims, compared to DCS.

 

[bonchie 2,305]

On 1/30/2018 at 7:32 PM, jabloomf1230 said:

I think that the only obvious thing that it's got on P3d and XP11 is the trees. They look a lot more realistic. The rest is pretty close in quality, And considering it's not a whole world simulator, one can understand how it might run smoother. But enough of this. It is a beautiful flight sim and a whole lot more immersive than DCS V1.

It does everything better than both. The atmospherics, reflections, and lighting are much better. The resolution of cities and textures is also much better. The performance for such detail is loads better. Cities actually look like hand crafted cities and have a very 3D quality to them (somewhat like XP11 but better). It's head and shoulders above anything P3D's is capable of.

But it's not world wide, so there's that.

 

[charlie130 196]

On 2/10/2018 at 2:43 AM, bonchie said:

It does everything better than both. The atmospherics, reflections, and lighting are much better. The resolution of cities and textures is also much better. The performance for such detail is loads better. Cities actually look like hand crafted cities and have a very 3D quality to them (somewhat like XP11 but better). It's head and shoulders above anything P3D's is capable of.

But it's not world wide, so there's that.

 

+1

2.5 Caucuses is a superb map and has very smooth rendition.

I recently installed all the war bits and pieces to P3dv4, (FSX@WAR, CCP,VRS TACPACK and Superbug) these produced a noticable reduction n smoothness. Obviously all those explosions and units with subroutines are stretching P3dv4 to it's limit? While I have an entire planet rendered with Orbx and the VRS Superbug is magnificent, DCS appear to have addressed the problems of multiple units on a map!

Here's a quick look see.