Oh good to know on the S'paign campaign. I went with everyone on same team more coop. Hopefully these get more popular as MP is a bit more stable and all. Still good times....mainly.... KILLED BY A BUS!!!! =)


And the ENO mission with "shooting down civilian airliners is unacceptable" was classic. PID...PID.

SimHQ TS3 back up.

I recorded over 4.5 hours of video which I am working to condense down. Did a little work on it tonight and it's now down to 3.75 hours roughly - which produced approximately 5 minutes of rough cut footage.

What do you use to record Wesley? I've got some videos I've been wanting to make as kind of server / dcs promos and am looking for a good platform that's easy to use. Fraps is at the top of my list (haven't reinstalled it yet mind you) but then I'm open to other ideas as well.

Eno, I like to avoid things like Fraps - anything using the GPU or CPU which needs to be busy with the game.

My setup currently uses an Avermedia C985 HDMI capture card. For general recording, I use the software that came with it ReCentral. I record at 1920x1080 @ 30kbps (Blu-Ray quality) with 256kbps audio in MPEG4/30fps.
This is usually fine. The card has HDMI and 3.5MM audio WITH PASSTHROUGH. Mainly I used HDMI audio but for DCS when TS3 is also active I change profiles to 3.5MM audio and use my headset so you guys don't get the sound from my speakers.

When I am streaming, I use XSplit. I have a commercial license from them ($25 for 3 months) which allows me to make money off my streaming and also to use the Local Record function. Xsplit will record in FLV your streams if you tell it too - but FLV is no good for editing. With the licensed copy you get access to the local record function allowing you to record to HDD with MPEG4. Xsplit's X.264 encoder is very efficient compared to the regular H.264 encoder so it's not big on CPU usage if you have a new generation (2/3/4) Intel i7. This also lets me add in my Webcam to the video. Since the stream can't handle 1080p, Xsplit record with 720p and used the capture card as a source. Should I get a second capture card (I plan to) I can use it as the encoder aswell and remove any CPU usage from the equation.

I am editing with Adobe Premier Elements - which to keep in mind, CANNOT work with Variable-Frame-Rate video, which is what the Avermedia C985 and a lot of cards and programs use. There is an application called Handbrake, which lets you convert it to constant frame rate video. It's a free utility. Having Process Lasso (also free) to balance CPU affinity and keep the recording software off the same cores as the game being recorded makes a HUGE difference in performance - so anyone using FRAPS should definitely look into it!

There's your video production rant for the week. I've been streaming/recording in various forms since about a year after Forza Motorsport 2 for Xbox360 came out (2007, I was 13) - so fire away if you got questions!

Thanks Wesley... I'll keep the above in mind- especially this Process Lasso... very interesting. Maybe I'll find something for the other 4 cores in my 980x to do while I'm busy gaming- not to mention the two that are twidling their thumbs on the server.

I have to admit I got a bit frustrated over the weekend watching missions I'd put sooooooooooooo much freakin time in over the past month crumble over a few really, really dumb problems... but then I realized most of the problems were my own doing. I think the one mission reset itself twice because I said two civilian airliners went down when in fact I think they ran out of fuel... I had some late activations on units that I never late activated... A few skin issues...

Granted I can't take credit for a couple of the stability issues we had- but it's no reason to get all pissy about... so I am back at it again.


Other than folks wanting the aircraft located closer to the AO (I am working on that now...) is there anything I'm missing?

A couple of things I noticed while I was in there:

1) Increases in SA8s resulting in more dependence on SU25Ts- which is what I wanted.

2) Some pretty awesome firefights occurred on the ground- resulting in some frame hits for some (many).

3) I really, really need to limit the amount of AI I have working against one another.

4) Some of the mission concepts I like in theory don't translate well into missions. For example- the Giraffe hunt... I thought it might be neat to go and do a hunt like that... something that might result in guys going and peeling their eyeballs off... returning to base, and then having to go back out and do it again. But what I learned was that I should make that part of the "alternate" mission- something that guys can chip away at if they're on their way home from achieving the bigger mission. Anyway- I'm going to adjust that.

5) I think the Shilka / SA9 pairings helped a bit but then by the time you're up high enough to stay away from the SA9s, the Shilka isn't going to be painting you... I don't think. Need to figure something else out. Maybe SA8 / 9 pairings.

6) Once again I really enjoyed seeing the teamwork on the server... guys were really helpful and kept the language clean.

Anyway- I'm going to be working on developing some "safe" but solid mission concepts that should allow for extended playability and stability. If you have a neat concept you want to try out just throw it out there. The premiss will need to remain relatively simple and trigger light- Unfortunately we're sort of back to "fly here, find this, kill it and repeat." I can ensure that "this / it" will be located in different spots each time- but all mission editors are somewhat limited in what they can generate.

I do have a concept for an mp mission. Well few actually.

I might attempt to make it single and port it over to see if it can pan out.

Basically call it edge of battle.

PURE cold war gone hot set up along lines of what nato would have to have dealt with in the mid/late 80's IF that nightmare would have occurred. Warsaw doctrine was of course to never have fight on their own land again like in ww2. Nato was to just hold until enough crap from North America showed up and then see what to do.

Nothing strange in that really. But setting up aircraft with period weapons might prove to piss off folks. ANd the issues with ai numbers as of now....triggers.. all of that seems like a bad time to even try. =(


OOOHHHH and pure coop as an integrated SAM/aaa net would be enough to keep anyone busy. But would be fun to handle from both sides as separate missions.



Likely try this once.....

A. I get the UH1
B. issues are resolved in engine
C. I set up my a10c (ya its wrong airframe but restricting weapons to that of period) But also a reason to mess with a10A as well for those that have it.


Flip side...
A fun place for su25a
B. a fun place for ka50
C. a fun place for mi8


Oh and of course FC fighters for some limited stuff.



But a ball buster.


Maybe set it in Nevada LOL.

Let's do a movie,,, that I am the producer of . ah, hem.


"Herky Jerk, Hogs Mission"

I have the script (.miz format :-) ) and the dialog through the preamble and climax and possible failure. It needs a good finish (Eno?).

blindone can do the audio, Wesley can do the video.

I know some guys who can do the stunts.

(c)1995
Wrecking Crew
Smooth Operators Squadron
"We fly so that others may die!"

LOL

I think you basically just re-created "Fulda Gap" by 104ths Moa. lol...

That's the thing- I guess there are so many plots in literature.

Indeed..never played it.

But how many concepts can you really do? COIN is ok but UGH. We have this unstable editor that hates anything complex right now... and ai numbers had best be kept less than 200 for best performance. Which honestly in a tightly scripted scenario is plenty IMO. But opened ended MP missions is WAY WAY to few. 2x as bad if a force on force sort of thing.

Best thing IMO would be a scripted out scenario with tons of random events and placements. But that is pretty much just going to crash out. PLus the ai on the ground side lacks brains to do much. Still....there is a lot that can be done within the confines of limits now. Just that things have taken a half step backwards as of late on editor/mp/ai numbers. I hope it is addressed with next patch. But I am betting most of next patch will be other fixes and mainly about F15, mi8, uh1 fixes. And maybe not even that for the choppers.

But little in the WTF is going on department. Half the time I feel I am holding an empty bag.

I did have some ideas - of course some big missions which we can't do, but I have a couple smaller ones as well. I think the trick here is to try and find anything that causes a problem and eliminate it entirely so we can make smooth missions. Sure we'll be lacking features - but an amazing mission is no fun if it's unplayable. My ideas span both the concept of Firehouse (Coop) and Hollo Pointe (H2H).

1) Buddy A-10s.

The A-10C has everything working and there aren't any major bugs that I am aware of. Of course, during the day anything can be found and killed. SAMs and AAA counter this, but I think they also ruin the hunt in numbers. So, I have been thinking of this one for a while and hopefully you guys can tell me if it's do able and if you'd like it.

We need two airbases with A-10Cs and ideally an even number of players. The mission will be set in the late evening or night. Due to logistics errors, the two airbases haven't been properly equipped. The first airbase received only WP rockets, flare pods, TGPs, ECM pods and Aim-9s. The second airbase got overstocked on weapons - GBUs, CBUs, dumb bombs, Mk5 HEAT and M151 HE rockets, mavericks (maybe - likely not....). The idea is that one group of A-10s has the weapons and the others have the targeting and marking equipment. Players work together in pairs or 3s (depends on numbers) to destroy the targets making use of SPI broadcast, buddy lazing, the MSG system and visual talk on. The idea is that you can't just take up weapons and go - it would be damn near impossible to complete solo. Large numbers of hidden AAA (shilkas preferably) and occasional IR Sams would interrupt the hunt. There should be so few sams that flights dare fly low - making the surprise, should it come - likely deadly. Limited weapon quantities.

2) An endless horde. Sure large numbers all at once cause isses - so why not have infinitely respawning units approach from a wide range of directions, say 180 degrees. Spawn areas covered by invincible long range SAMS. A10s and Su25s can fly in multitudes of sortis, carrying light loads as nobody has to worry about missing the action. I haven't had an issue with group respawns for ground units - although it crashes to respawn air ones. This is more of an arcade type mission for the weeknights. You can quickly jump in, take off, kill whatever and be done. There is no mission objective really. JTAC can be included, both AI and player. Small groups of player ground units could be controlled - just trying to survive. Helos optional.

3) Air War (h2h). A-10s and Su25s on both sides. Small contingents of ground forces. Eliminate the enemy's forces to win. Forces the ground attack aircraft to also engage A2A. Clearing the skies of enemies is more important then attacking units on the ground. Another weeknight mission. Ground units could respawn to avoid mission coming to an end. Helos optional.

Still love the big missions, but simple still has it's perks. I've noticed that AI aircraft of any type, but especially helicopters are taxing. T72s and newer launching ATGMs is also.

Eno - what about making a staging mission between the others? Have some A-10s simply run fuel tanks and cargo pods etc. between airfields - setting up for the next mission. Pretty short flight. GC can move units forward. Maybe a surprise attack or two - very light, just to make a jump scare. Would be a necessary step in reality, stable without much combat. This would also make having missions with the flights close to the front lines seem more plausible.




ON ANOTHER NOIE:

In my opinion, if we had something like DCS: F/A-18C, then medium/long flights wouldn't be so bad (or so long) and missions could focus on strike missions rather then CAS. With that, the simplified missions could be a behind-enemy-lines or urgent front line strike, with a known target. Get in their, encounter some issues (unknown AAA/SAM threats, intercept) and either get shot down or RTB. The A10, even lightly loaded is slow. The Su25 is better in that regard, but some people are inclined to western and/or clickable cockpit aircraft, including myself. Of course, I'd gladly see that delayed if in return the game was made more stable so when it came out it would in a sense be a game changer.

Crew:
Yes, a movie! The best parts of the current mission are always film worthy, recalling Gordo's clips from Eastbound and Down.

Judging by the suggestions it may be time to dust off some of Crew's old classics...

Eno: Just had a crash on Wart Weasel (Sent you my log). Had Rider, Wheel and myself CTD after JimD came in with his awesome A-10A and let rip with the 19 Round LAU launcher on one of the targets I had marked for him. So it looks like the 19 shot launcher with HE rounds may be causing issues?

Some screens of Wheel and Rider during Wart Weasel.

I'm seeing some new lighter loadouts on guys... nice!

And to Gordo... got your email and noted the cause. I'll pass it on but if you guys have the crash.log and crash.dmp (I think it's called)... that would be a big help. They're date and time stamped in the logs folder.


Also to top that all of... basically it sounds like slots of all other types EXCEPT the A-10A were kicked? Presumably JTAC and A-10Cs at that point anyway?

(Submitted)

Mission Building 101:
DCS Flags & Groups

Eno,

Yeah mate the 2 x A-10C's and the JTAC all crashed out and the A-10A wasn't effected.

I've noticed from the JTAC slot people aren't bringing heavy A-10's to the fight (which makes sense if they want some "speed" to evade threats)

Sounds like I need to get my A10C up to speed.

mmm bring back the highway

I put all the classics back onto Hollo Pointe.

You admin types can load missions of choice again.


The S'paign campaign went pretty well. But it was fought back and forth between Zestafoni and Tbilisi; still want to shake out the Streets Of Kutaisi and Kobuleti Maru one of these days -- need more Red pilots.

WC