DCS: MiG-23MLA status update from RAZBAM

2–3 minutes

Things appear to be kicking into a higher gear in 2024 for RAZBAM’s DCS: MiG-23MLA project. Brought to us by the same team team that previously did the MiG-19, the MiG-23 has become highly anticipated in some circles and so any news on the project is welcome. Today we got a good snapshot of where the project is. Let’s have a look!

The latest state of the MiG-23MLA

Like many DCS World modules, development can take years and often follow long winding pathways to get to early access status. The DCS: MiG-23 has been on something of its own odyssey but it looks like development is now well underway and things are headed in some good directions right now.

Posted earlier today to their Discord server, RAZBAM have shared the following news:

Here below is the latest update from our devs working on the mighty MiG 23MLA 23-12A.

-The external model is 90% complete. Work on the final elements of the visual damage model and the liveries remains.

-The internal model (cockpit) is around 70% complete, with about 95% of the required animations and textures for the coding process already made.
The cockpit is currently using simple textures while the more detailed and realistic ones are a work in progress that will be shown once the work is in a more advanced state.

-The module manual draft is in an advanced state and will be finished soon. We´ll see if it can be shared with the community eventually once it is more complete to help in the wait.

-Aircraft systems modeling and cockpit interactivity is in full swing for some time now. Initial testing of the aircraft in game has already started.

Thank you for your support

From us all at Razbam

RAZBAM Discord

All of this sounds very enthusiastic and even encouraging that the module is now in the sim and having its systems and cockpit interactivity implemented. I’d hazard to make any guesses on what this means for an early access state and the earlier enthusiasm I had for 2024 maybe being the year of the MiG-23 (in reference to 2023 being the year of the F-15E) was probably premature. Still, this is encouraging and certainly putting the module in more of a limelight than it had previously been.

It should add an interesting element to the mix of Cold War era aircraft that have been building up in DCS World.

17 responses to “DCS: MiG-23MLA status update from RAZBAM”

  1. oesau Avatar
    oesau

    I’m looking forward to this aircraft – I loved the MiG-21 (of course its from a different dev team) as it’s a simple aircraft to learn and operate.

    I’ve gotten soooo over release date guessing with DCS modules, you just never know when it will come but its good to know that there is a strong pipeline of new modules being worked on.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      Yeah very hard for anyone to guess on dates. The same groups MiG-19 is quite a good module too. I need to return to that one sometime.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. CanadaOne Avatar
        CanadaOne

        I can guess – Q3 2027. 🙂

        I’m pretty sure there are DCS planes that took longer to make than it took to build the Burj Khalifa. That’s really something when you think about it.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        If you have a big enough army of people you can build anything 🙂

        Like

    2. Jer Stryker Avatar
      Jer Stryker

      All I know for sure is that it will be released long before I’ve learned all the other modules I have! Like the F-100, I’m looking forward to this one as a museum experience and a piece of craftsmanship to be admired.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      1. beggyg Avatar
        beggyg

        Yeah, I’m still getting a proper feel for the F-1. My Strike Eagle and Apache have barely been touched. I don’t regret getting them, as I do enjoy the occasional flyout but boy, this ‘hobby’ feels like an (enjoyable) full time job sometimes!

        Like

      2. Dimitri Avatar
        Dimitri

        First full fidelity redfor with “BVR” capability.

        Excited for it. Unfortunately the plane itself was too little too late and outmatched by almost every contemporary.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        In flight sim land that can actually be quite fun. I’ve been watching a video or two recently where the YouTuber was flying an F1 EE against MiG-29s and other more modern types and doing alright in it despite being behind the curve.

        Like

  2. Danny van Delft Avatar
    Danny van Delft

    2024 is all about the F-4E and F4U Corsair for me. I doubt we’ll see the MiG-29 this year, but that would be another must buy.
    RAZBAM has the habit of releasing their modules too incomplete. The Strike Eagle is still waiting for the backseat AI for instance. Hearblur are the masters. The Tomcat still reigns Supreme, and the Phantom will raise that bar to new heights. And with the Navy Phantom, The Eurofighter, The Intruder, and the F-14B(u) or D coming, there’s plenty to be busy with. I’ll grab RAZBAM stuff when it’s more complete and on sale.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      Though they have been known to be wrong, the 2024 and beyond trailer did say Eagle Dynamic’s MiG-29 is coming in 2024. I assume they have some confidence in that.

      RAZBAM have not, after some checking, actually said that MiG-23 is this year. It was a tongue in cheek kind of comment. But it does seem that they’ve made significant progress. Will be watching to see how fast it progresses.

      Heatblur’s F-4 definitely seems to be a lock for this year. Looking forward to it!

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  3. SimulusPrime Avatar
    SimulusPrime

    The MiG-23, and the MiG-29A as well, will be nice assets in DCS for sure.

    One has to wonder why it takes so long to create these modules. The F4U has been “in the making” for 8 years. According to a Youtube video I saw (Enigma I think), this is equal to two times the time span the US was involved in WWII. I can think of only three reasons for this.

    1. People are forced to reinvent the wheel(s) over and over for every single module.
    2. Lack of competence in modelling in general, except perhaps graphical 3D modelling.
    3. No hurry, since the sim has no theatre or opponents for the F4U in any case.

    Either way, this is a ED/DCS problem. Perhaps they don’t see it as a problem at all. ED themselves are good at getting new stuff out all the time (for the sim in general as well as modules and assets), and the third party modules are just a bonus for them. They won’t push anything, or do anything, except setting a standard for the end product. The “F4U issue” surely is ridiculous though. Why even mention it over 8 years ago?

    In the mean time the rest of the sim worlds is evolving too, which is good for us. The MiG-29 alone will keep lots of people busy for a long time 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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  4. Stewmanji Avatar
    Stewmanji

    2024: Year of the full AV-8B Harrier manual.

    Please RAZBAM…please…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. beggyg Avatar
      beggyg

      😀 Absolutely. I’m still not sure of a few things in the Harrier, even with Chuck’s guide. I find the Maverick system feels a bit flaky. I said feels, because others seem to get it working fine but when I try, I have all sorts of problems getting locks, handovers etc. Actually, when I think about it, I have problems with the Mavs in the F-16 as well. Sigh – I’ve said it before, I might have to do a full mod removal/check/replace half/check/replace quarter/check/ad infinitum thing at some time. When I get time. I’ve reduced my mods quite a bit but I still have way to many to expect a beta system to not have problems.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        I’ve also struggled with the Mavericks. The laser designated versions are a bit easier for me to manage but the optical ones I have followed countless tutorials and never managed to make them work. My goto in the Harrier is not the Mavericks but instead the APKWS. Doesn’t have the hitting power but functionally they are designated in the same way that the laser guided bombs are. So you learn one procedure and are pretty much good to go on two types of weapons.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. oesau Avatar
        oesau

        Same here with he Mavs on the harrier – I don’t fly it as much as I used to so I always put it down to my lack of remembering the sequence….

        Liked by 3 people

      3. beggyg Avatar
        beggyg

        Ah, thank you. I’m glad to hear it’s not just me. Absolutely on the APKWS rockets! They are a lot of fun and you get a handful of them (I can’t remember how many off hand but it’s more than 1, 2 or 3 per pylon :D). I’m sure there’s a way to get the Mavs working that can be repeated, as I said, I’ve seen it done on YouTube more than once. But when I repeat the process, it doesn’t seem to be consistent. Maybe there is a bug. I know there was/were bug(s) for years but they were supposedly fixed over a year ago.

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    2. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      Baltic Dragon, who has been doing the manuals (and many other things), did hint at some work on that. Hopefully sooner than later! https://stormbirds.blog/2024/01/15/baltic-dragon-provides-snapshot-of-upcoming-dcs-campaigns-in-progress/

      Liked by 2 people

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