This week has been busy with DCS World announcements, updates, patches, and more. Combine that together with the latest DCS World weekend update and we’ve got ourselves a bit of around-up on the way. There’s a new map announcement, some teasers about some other anticipated maps, open beta updates, the reveal of a new F-15E variant, and more.
DCS: Top End of Australia
The rapid fire announcements of scenery projects for DCS World has not ended. A new developer, Check Six Simulations, has been announced as working on DCS: Top End Australia. This is a reportedly 1,400 x 800km sized map featuring Australia’s Western and Northern Territories.
I know there have been discussions in the community surrounding this map announcement and some questioning on its utility. I think an editorial is better off tackling these issues but for now I suggest contemplating the potential uses. With both RAAF Darwin and RAAF Tindal, two significant RAAF bases, and both the growing investment in defense not just by Australia but also by the United States and the rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region in recent times, this map seems like it would offer more potential hypothetical scenarios than it initially appears to have.
The other interesting item to note is what can be found when doing a Google search for Check Six Simulations. Although there is no official developer site, a job posted on UpWork.com, appears tied to the group and they are explicitly looking for an aircraft modeler. These kinds of plans may take years to be fulfilled, however, it seems likely that this won’t be the last time we hear about these developers.
Other maps not announced
Following the recent announcements of DCS: Kola, DCS: Sinai, and DCS: Top End Australia, I’ve seen many comments here and beyond asking about other maps. There’s vocal interest in maps that cover areas like Korea (with the 1950’s Korean war era MiG Alley referenced a few times). Similarly, there’s great interest in a Vietnam map as there has been ever since modules like the DCS: UH-1 Huey were announced many years ago and with renewed emphasis with versions of the F-4 Phantom and F-100 Super Sabre now in the pipeline.
We have heard some responses from Eagle Dynamics on these topics which I will share directly.
And then there’s this one.
Other comments seem to suggest that both Korea and Vietnam maps are either being considered, are being developed, or are otherwise on Eagle Dynamics own internal roadmap. With the recent announcements being exclusively third party in origin, we actually known very little about Eagle Dynamics current internal content plan.
Open beta updates
There are a bunch of updates that have come to DCS World in the last week with the release of the latest open beta.
DCS: F-16C was a focus for Eagle Dynamics and a recent video update from Matt Wagner specifically talks about the new features that have just been added to the aircraft. The most notable for me is the now configurable auto-lase function for the F-16C while dropping laser guided munitions.
There’s also a bunch of updates for DCS WWII aircraft with the most notable being a full review of the cooling systems. I’ll let DCS World Weekend News speak to the specifics:
For World War II aircraft, all cooling component systems have been reviewed and updated. We’ve added a new boiling physics system that is based on temperature and pressure. This results in “natural” boiling of these pressurised, closed-loop systems. Battle damage boiling can now be caused by drastic pressure drops from punctures. You can see this as steam effects coming from airframe bullet holes. All warbirds except the Spitfire and Bf 109K-4 have this update. We kindly await your feedback and plan to update all the other warbirds soon.
DCS World Weekend news update
Sounds really good to me.
F-15E/I and MiG-23 images
RAZBAM haven’t been silent this week either as we’ve seen some small developer updates on two projects that they have in the works.
First, a rather cryptic visual update on the DCS: MiG-23MLA modeling efforts. Here we see the very close details of this project with a couple of marks on some panels and fuselage points. Translations of the red text read: WARNING! do not allow any antifreeze to drip onto TP-23. The blue text translates to: Coolant pump RPSN-3233.
Meanwhile, Tim Taylor, a modeler for RAZBAM, tweeted this image of the F-15 Strike Eagle cockpit which looks more and more complete. But it also reveals something that they have teased for a little while now. It looks like we’re getting two Strike Eagles.
The latest images from RAZBAM’s Ron Zambrano have shown off what I had at first assumed to be just a livery for the F-15E with Israeli Air Force markings. That happens plenty of times with DCS using a specification for one airplane and putting on other air force markings which ignoring some of the unique features.
Here it looks like RAZBAM have expanded the scope a bit by also tackling the Israeli F-15I Ra’am variant as well. In that same tweet thread, we have Ron confirming that it’s not just a livery. Combine that with the darkened cockpit above and we now know that we’re getting a variant of the F-15E.
There are minor equipment differences, differences to engines, and of course visual changes too including the cockpit scheme. It’s an interesting development as RAZBAM continues to push their F-15 Strike Eagle project closer to completion.
Mirage F1 flight model weirdness
If you’ve noticed some changes to the Mirage F1 since the last open beta, you’re not alone. A whole thread on the DCS World forums has been discussing changes to the stability and speed of the aircraft post patch.
Vibora, a developer with Aerges, confirmed that there was a bug introduced in the open beta. The bug itself has already been fixed, however, it will likely need to wait for the next open beta to solve.
There is a bug in the current OB that prevents yaw dampening to activate regardless of the yaw/anti-slip or pitch dampers switches position. We have it fixed internally and it will be corrected in the next update.
Vibora
We apologise for the inconvenience.
Kola campaign teaser
A short video from Baltic Dragon is also out this week and its teasing the already announced Kola map campaign. This is the project that Baltic Dragon together with Reflected are creating for both F/A-18 and F-16C that will tell an interwoven narrative set on the recently announced map.
The teaser uses the Caucasus map as a stand-in so there are no teases of the map itself. The campaign, however, will undoubtedly be a gripping simulator experience. Check it out.
Stormbirds 
I admit the Australia map leaves me cold. I’m sure it will have its good points, but it seems like an odd choice to be sure. If I was given a Top 10 of places I’d like to see, this wouldn’t even be close. Maybe in the Top… 100. I hate the idea that I’d pass on a map, I love new maps, but this seems… why?
On the other hand I want that F15E.
LikeLike
I actually think it’s an inspired choice but it’s value may not be immediately obvious.
See my just published editorial on the matter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I should say too that it’s a bit of a risk. It requires more of a hypothetical scenario than the other two.
LikeLike
Huh? Australia makes no sense. What are we supposed to fly there? F/A-18 is probably the only option. And against what? Ugh. It’s going to be just either pure fiction scnarios, or yet another stupid desert training map.
LikeLike
Welcome to the world of NATO-prioritized ED. If it doesn’t have an F-18 campaign and wasn’t a decisive NATO victory, you can be sure you’ll never see it in DCS. If anything we’ll get another desert map soon so people can put their Israeli camos on their golem aircraft.
LikeLike
Let’s keep the political side of this to a minimum.
I think you’re right that the Hornet is a motivator. I’m going to hazard a guess that it’s proven to be their most popular module and that it together with Supercarrier has done very well for them.
LikeLike
I’m encouraging everyone to take a second look at this before passing judgement.
The yearly big multinational exercises at RAAF Tindal and the hypothetical of a Asia Pacific conflict give this area emphasis that’s growing. Lots of hypothetical possibilities.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bless you, sir. I felt almost alone until I read this comment!
LikeLike
It’s a Simulator, not a Re-creator.
Look at all the other maps and then tell me about all the historically based missions and server scenarios. There are very few…yet most folks seem to be able to have fun, even though >90% of it’s make-believe situations.
LikeLike
Seems like filler for the global scenery they hinted at in the dynamic campaign q&a a while ago.
A lot of 3rd parties will have to make a lot of maps to eventually span the globe and make a dynamic world war a reality.
LikeLike
More Maps = More Diversity = More Choice = More Better
Is it a puzzling location? Only if you have no sense of history and no idea of the present level of concern over this area of the world.
And hey, it’s a Capitalism experiment at it’s finest: if it flops, it’ll serve as a decisive warning to other “questionable” geographic choices.
LikeLike
Does anyone else wish they’d throw in Anti-sub aircraft since they’re throwing in SE-Asia and the Barents? I feel like it’d be a blast to fly a P-3, S-3, or a TU-142!
LikeLike