DCS: Normandy 2.0 and La-7 updates

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A few DCS World news items coming at us as we head into the weekend. The first is news that DCS: Normandy 2.0 is about to exit early access as third party map developer Ugra Media report that their early access plans are nearly complete. The map is picking up various improvements and winter textures. There’s also a small update from Octopus G, working on the DCS: La-7, with news on that project. Let’s check it out!

Normandy winter arrives

Ugra Media’s DCS: Normandy 2.0 map is about to exit early access as promised features, notably the winter version of the scenery, are slated to arrive in the next update. The map has undergone several other updates including the addition of new airfields, added points of interest and upgraded existing airports.

New airfields being added:

  • Alderney
  • Guernsey
  • Jersey
  • Headcorn
  • Holmsley South
  • Northolt Saint-Pol-Bryas
  • Bembridge

Improvements to the overall look of Kenley, Ford and High Halden are also part of the update.

New points of interest include Royal Albert Hall, Dover Castle, Grand Opera, Wembley Stadium, Notre-Dame de Rouen, and even the Moulin Rouge. There are also added radar stations, stadiums and other general improvements.

The current 20% early access discount will arrive when these improvements arrive in the next DCS World update.

More on this project on the DCS World Weekend news!

Octopus G updates on DCS: La-7

Meanwhile we have a small update coming in from developer Octopus G who has been busy finalizing the DCS: La-7. The aircraft already looks quite complete and the flight model has been approved by Eagle Dynamics, however, work is ongoing.

Since the FM approval, a lot of work has been done — including the implementation of life-support and emergency systems, configuration of failures and wear, bug fixing, documentation writing, and creation of the necessary content.

As the well-known saying goes, the remaining 10% of the work takes 90% of the time.

That last part of the quote is so often true with so many projects and its clear that DCS: La-7 is having the same experience. Check out Octopus G on Facebook for more!

9 responses to “DCS: Normandy 2.0 and La-7 updates”

  1. PaperPilot Avatar
    PaperPilot

    I think a major problem with DCS WWII is is that we either have a map and too little planes, but here we have a plane and no Eastern Front map. I think that an early Eastern Front map like Moscow or Leningrad needs to be done for the I-16 and a Balaton or Poland map needs to be done for the La-7. I know its a lot to ask, but I think that is how it is going to get the appeal of potential buyers. They need a map to go with it.

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    1. Euan Emblin Avatar
      Euan Emblin

      DCS is a sandbox and that’s what the ED want it to be

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      1. PaperPilot Avatar
        PaperPilot

        Thats a good point, but I think there needs to be a late WWII Eastern Front map for DCS, like for Poland 1944 or Hungary 1944-45. I know having one plane isn’t a really good argument though.

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      2. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        Do you think that map would sell? What about the other modules that you’d need to populate that experience?

        Liked by 1 person

      3. PaperPilot Avatar
        PaperPilot

        Good point.

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      4. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        It’s an open question. There’s no right answer for most of us because we don’t have the sales data, however, I always ask myself these things when trying to understand a developer doing a project.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. JImbo Avatar
      JImbo

      We have two “Eastern Front” maps.

      Caucus and Kola.

      The problem is that the Yak-7 (like many planes) isn’t in the right era.

      It’s a late 1944 and later plane. Too late for the Caucus and Kola.

      Earlier planes would have fit, but as it’s a game driven by third party developers, they develop what they like…not what always “fits.”

      Interestingly, by 1945 we could see the LA-7 vs the FW-190D, the P-47D and the P-51D, the Mosquito, etc together…. but by then we’d be using the Germany map near Berlin and most of the Luftwaffe would be grounded for lack of fuel.

      Such is life.

      I think they’d have been better off making the LA-5 which the LA-7 was developed from since it was in service much earlier in the war and would have been usable on those other maps as in reality. I guess you can “nudge” it in there and pretend it’s an LA-5 just like we see the BF-109G “pretending” to be an E in a Battle of Britain scenario, but it’s all down to what the developer feels like making, not how it fits into a coherent “game.”

      It really is a sandbox.

      The problem with an Eastern Front map is that it has to be earlier in the war (when there still was an “Eastern Front” that wasn’t in Germany) which puts it before the LA-7 came into service in late 1944-1945.

      It also would bring up that there’s nothing Soviet outside of an outdated I-16 or “lend lease” P-47/P-51/Spitfire/Mosquito to use against the Bf-109G and FW-190D on the German side. Then again, without any Soviet planes it’s exactly the same lineup as the Western Front.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. PaperPilot Avatar
        PaperPilot

        You bring a lot of good points to the table. I think DCS needs aircraft like the Bf-109 G-6 (as that was the most numerous variant – 12,000+ built) for the Normandy map, as it would serve as a main adversary to the Spitfire Mk.XI, as would the Fw-190 A-6.

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      2. Jim Russell Avatar
        Jim Russell

        I guess that’s one way to put it. Another would be…. what planes would be flying around the Yak-7 and where? Not only what map, but what would Russian bombers be doing? The Russians rarely used “fighter bombers” like the USA did. Where are the thousands of Il-2s? The Pe-2s? For that matter the player-flown A-20s (which could be used on almost any map in game by someone historically)

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