DCS World

1. morbidlynx

   Aug 9, 2013

   10

   An amazingly well done flight sim. Sure, if you're in reality a terrible pilot with bad habits it's going to be really hard to retrainAn amazingly well done flight sim. Sure, if you're in reality a terrible pilot with bad habits it's going to be really hard to retrain yourself from the hand holding of other well known flight sims. Reality check #1, you can't expect to land at full speed. #2 Your 20, 000 pound Su-25 or A10 won't turn on a dime unless you know how to make the beast obey your wishes.#3 this is a very unforgiving and realistic sim. You WILL be shot down a hundred times before you learn to actually evade enemy fire.
   
   Also, you really can't blame the developer for the user being too lazy to actually read the manual provided/available to each aircraft. I mean, if somebody's too lazy to read the mission briefing that describes the campaign progression why would you expect them to read the manual?
   
   In conclusion this game isn't for the lazy or weak willed. It's for those that want the satisfaction of seeing an a10 at the local airshow and knowing you could start that sucker up and off the runway and navigate anywhere you want to go. While using any and all real world equipment in that airframe.… Expand

   • 6 of 9 users found this helpful
2. Ricoo

   Oct 19, 2014

   10

   Very good simulation, very realistic flight models. Very nice bunch of aircraft, planes and helicopters, new ones coming soon. Same for maps,Very good simulation, very realistic flight models. Very nice bunch of aircraft, planes and helicopters, new ones coming soon. Same for maps, some nice ones will soon be released. The devs are working hard to always improve their soft. Kudos to those guys. There is no better realistic military flight simulation out there.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
4. xixi

   Sep 7, 2013

   10

   Simply the best combat flight simulator for modern era aircraft today. The DCS-Series aircraft simulate all systems at high fidelity like goodSimply the best combat flight simulator for modern era aircraft today. The DCS-Series aircraft simulate all systems at high fidelity like good planes for civil simulators like x-plane or MS Flight Simulator. Therefore you really need to spend some time to even learn how to start the engines. So if you want to have an experience as close to reality as you will get (including studying the manual) in your home, then this is the simulator to go.
   You can compare the pricing with good planes for x-plane or MS Flight Simulator. You will find that a thoroughly simulated aircraft is about the same. (e.g. 60$ for the 777Wordliner for x-plane)… Expand

   • 2 of 3 users found this helpful
5. gupta90

   Jan 5, 2014

   9

   DCS World acts as a HUB software and incorporates various aircraft (termed modules). When you obtain this game what you get is a large mapDCS World acts as a HUB software and incorporates various aircraft (termed modules). When you obtain this game what you get is a large map (Parts of Russia and Georgia) and a free aircraft (Su 25T). Other modules (ie Aircraft) must be purchased). As of this review the following aircraft are available:
   
   - Su 25T (Su 25 variant with Shkval targeting, comes free with DCS world)
   - Su 25
   - A10-A Warthog
   - P51 Mustang ***
   - Mi8 ***
   - A10-C Warthog (C variant of the A-10)
   - Ka-50 (Named Black Shark 2 in DCS World)
   -UH 1H Huey ***
   
   The aircraft that have been developed as for DCS World are denoted with three stars and are separate to aircraft that have been ported over to DCS World from the game "Lock on: Flaming Cliffs 3" (FC3). This is not a trivial distinction. From my basic understanding and experience the two differ in the following ways (for convenience DCSW refers to a module made purely for DCS world):
   
   - FC3 aircraft do NOT have clickable DCSW aircraft have fully detailed and modeled every switch, button dial etc is clickable and does what its supposed to do
   
   -FC3 aircraft have simpler procedures. As an example you can take off a Su-25T from a cold start in several minutes. In DCSW aircraft it takes significantly longer due to the longer (and I assume more correct) procedure.
   
   -The DCSW aircraft have good training missions that are consistently of the same quality. They often start with a series of familiarization videos (in real time) followed by flight lessons where you are told and shown what to do. Conversely the FC3 aircraft seem to just have low resolution training videos that briefly tell you how to operate the aircraft (with the exception of the Su-25T)
   
   Eagle Dynamics and their associated partners have done a fantastic job of not only keeping flight sims alive, but taking them to the next level with DCS World.
   
   The free Su 25T module is great. As mentioned previously its not a DCSW module but that is good as it is an easier (though not easy) jet to pilot and blow things up with. Unlike the other FC3 ported aircraft the Su 25T has both the low res videos AND DCSW calibre training missions. The lessons take a bit of patience as you cant skip the dialogue and a basic knowledge of flight sims is handy. Often the narrator will refer to armament and other aspects of flight with acronyms and jargon so it sometimes takes a bit of time or a couple of tries to understand everything.
   
   There are a few small problems:
   
   - There needs to be a "restart mission" button if you crash/fail. Quitting to the debriefing menu and clicking "fly again" feels prehistoric and the load times are long.
   
   - The entire piece of software has a cold, sterile feel to it and lacks a bit of personality. However this was not a big deal for me.
   
   - They need to be a bit more up front about the difference between FC3 aircraft and DCSW aircraft. To be fair FC3 aircraft are lower priced but the differences aren't made clear.
   
   - Why is Black Shark 1 not incorporated into DCS World?
   
   If you like combat flight simulation this is it. Some may complain about the pricey nature of the modules but it is 100% worth it to me given the attention to detail and production quality of the different aircraft. I got lucky and bought most of these in a Steam sale (-66% off but I did pay full price for Black Shark 1 and would certainly pay for more upcoming modules (provided the quality remains the same of course).
   
   Playing this "game" was very much like a learning experience. I played each lesson several times and improved my skills through practice. Oh and also there is a game manual for each aircraft. Read it.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
6. Hardcard

   Sep 16, 2014

   9

   I'll review this combat flight sim and also reply to NutCracker's review (below), this guy was pretty clueless.
   
   INTRODUCTION: First ofI'll review this combat flight sim and also reply to NutCracker's review (below), this guy was pretty clueless.
   
   INTRODUCTION:
   
   First of all, DCS World is a WIP modular combat simulator being developed by Eagle Dynamics, it's not an arcade aircraft game like HAWX or Ace Combat, it's a simulator. Players shouldn't expect a plot with characters, voice acting, etc., they should expect a serious simulation platform with a campaign, single missions and a powerful mission editor which allows for the creation of endless custom missions and campaigns. Also, DCS has the best graphics in the current simulator niche, even though some non flyable aircraft models and terrain features are still pretty dated.
   These are remnants of the old "Lock On: Modern Air Combat" from 2003 (DCS evolved from that game). Anyway, in a few months DCS will get a brand new and modern graphics engine called EDGE, which will take care of this.
   DCS consists in a huge operational map which covers the Eastern part of Crimea and Black Sea, Kuban, Caucasus, Georgia, Chechnya and the Northern part of Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
   All Eagle Dynamics did was to populate that map (from the old LOMAC) with better looking terrain and airfields, they also introduced new effects, features, advanced flight models, high poly 3D models for aircrafts, vehicles, etc.
   DCS World is the best modern combat flight simulator to date and will be even better.
   
   To NutCracker:
   1-Controls are arranged in categories.
   2-It's "brakes", not "breaks".
   3-The Su-25T is equipped with parachutes which help stopping the plane.
   4-DCS is a realistic open world sim, thus, it's immersive by nature. If you are thinking about HAWX and Ace Combat as examples of immersion, you don't know what immersion means.
   5-ED periodically launches discounts of up to 70% for all modules (like they did las week).
   6-The two planes are the Su-25T and the TF-51D.
   
   POSITIVE FEATURES:
   -Modular design. (DCS World is the core module and it's free.)
   -Fully flyable Su-25T and non-armed TF-51D Mustang (that's a P-51) for free.
   -Tons of non-flyable planes, ground units, ships, etc.
   -Huge operational map.
   -Campaign, missions and great interactive training for the Su-25T (NutCracker didn't see this)
   -Amazingly powerful and complete mission/campaign editor.
   -Advanced flight model.
   -Realistic navigation, weapon systems and sensors.
   -Realistic armament and payloads.
   -Very high poly models for most planes and vehicles (including the Su-25T and the P-51. There are still some low poly models in the game, but they'll be updated, eventually)
   -Highly customizable controls (the control list is huge, you'll need to spend several minutes just to configure controls)
   -Joystick/HOTAS support (joystick is almost compulsory, you can still fly with keyboard, but I don't recommend it)
   -6DOF 3D hd cockpits
   -TrackIR/FreeTrack/Oculus Rift support
   
   NEGATIVE FEATURES:
   
   -Dated game engine (2003), which is based in DirectX9 and only uses 2 cores at most (1 for sound and 1 for everything else). This is the worst aspect of the game since it causes fps drops in crowded areas (near airfields and cities/villages and when flying in squadrons of several planes), near explosions and, to a lesser extent, when inside 3D cockpits while taxiing, parking, landing and taking off. Other than that, the game will run just fine in any decent rig.
   Fortunately, DCS World's graphics engine will be upgraded in a few months, the new graphics engine is called EDGE and features DirectX11 and multicore support among other things, this means that DCS World is about to become the most beautiful, complete and modern combat flight simulator ever.
   However, this will rise minimum specs, so you'll definitely need a multicore cpu and a decent gpu in order to run it from that point on.
   
   -Limited number of flyable planes and helicopters (even though the list of flyable aircrafts is growing every 6 months or so, DCS is still limited to around 16 flyable aircrafts at the moment. Of course, you must purchase the required modules in order to fly most of those). Eagle Dynamics is clearly adopting a modular development plan, in which they add new highly detailed/highly simulated planes and helicopters to DCS World in the form of separate purchasable modules.
   
   PURCHASABLE MODULE FEATURES:
   
   -Multiplayer filled with custom mission and free flight servers (just create your own mission in the editor and host a game online, you can totally do that).
   -Up to around 16 high poly flyable planes/helicopters (F-15C,MiG-29A/G/S,Su-27,Su-33,F-86F,
   A-10A/C,Su-25/T,P-51D,FW-190D9,Ka-50,UH-1H,Mi-8MTV2)
   -Hardcore simulation of most purchasable planes/helicopters (you control every single button in the cockpit)
   -Control of ground units such as tanks and sams if you purchase the Combined Arms module.
   
   DCS is the best modern combat flight sim in all aspects, and it will only improve as it gets developed.… Expand

   • 4 of 5 users found this helpful
7. Pielstick

   Jun 16, 2019

   7

   Hands down the best flight and systems modelling you can get in a desktop flight simulator right now. DCS World simulates these aircraft inHands down the best flight and systems modelling you can get in a desktop flight simulator right now. DCS World simulates these aircraft in significantly more detail and to a higher degree of fidelity than anything that has gone before. You will need to spend many hours studying the manuals, watching Youtube tutorials and practicing yourself before you become proficient.
   
   So why the 7 score?
   
   No dynamic campaign. You're limited to missions created with the mission builder. Even if there was a dynamic campaign I think the maps are too small to do these aircraft justice. For a flight simulation which touts the hyper realism of the aircraft, it's strange that the maps are geographically so small as to make realistic missions impossible.
   
   The aircraft themselves (sold as "modules" which you can add into the base simulation) are excellent, but are a real hodge podge of mis-matching eras and don't complement each other particularly well. For example we have a fantastic F-86 Sabre and Mig-15 but there's no Korean map to play them in. We have a wonderful Saab Viggen but it doesn't belong on any of the available maps (Caucuses, Nevada, Persian Gulf and WW2 Normandy). We've recently got a Mig-19 but there's no other contemporary or supporting modules for it. We also recently got an I-16 but there's no map or other aircraft which are contemporary to it. This extends into the AI plane set too - it's full of combat aircraft of the 1990s, but nothing earlier or later. I really would like to see some more coordination between things so when a new module is released I can fly it against contemporary aircraft and weapons systems.
   
   Speaking of which, given the level of realism this sim strives to attain, don't count on flying anything which has been built in the last 20 years or so... they simply can't get access to the necessary information to model it properly.
   
   There's still a lot of niggling problems which have been around for a while - wonky air to air missile performance and the much complained about rendering issues where you will only "see" another aircraft when it is much closer than you would have been able to see it in real life.
   
   Also a rather long history of trigger happy moderators on the official forum. Then again, it's a flight sim.... overly zealous moderators go with the territory.
   
   Oh, and the more recent versions of DCS World really need to be run from an SSD otherwise you're likely to get stuttering and micro pauses every few seconds as the map data is loaded from the hard drive.
   
   I can't help but feel DCS World sits on the cusp of greatness, but for the time being at least, just falls short until the developer can address the problems I've outlined above.… Expand

   • 2 of 3 users found this helpful
8. vandidant

   Mar 25, 2015

   0

   Do not buy this. It does not work; the profile picture outline turns green and back to blue while nothing happens to the screen. It's 18GB ofDo not buy this. It does not work; the profile picture outline turns green and back to blue while nothing happens to the screen. It's 18GB of nothingness. The Russian developer of this, Eagle Dynamics, said the only way to make it work is to download the non-steam version. Yeah. Sell me a boat and tell me to swim when it leaks, why don't you?… Expand

   • 2 of 13 users found this helpful

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