DCS: Black Shark screenshots.

[BrettVisionSLR]

I have to say, having an accurately modeled, fully interactive clickable cockpit coupled with an excellent flight model, and damage model in a combat sim makes for a truly wonderful simulation experience! Especially in such a complex aircraft.

The graphics are very reminiscent of LockOn of course, but they have been updated. Given the low and slow nature of helicopter flight, it makes sense that the biggest change I've seen so far is the high level of tree detail, and much more detailed vechicles and animated people that add a bit to the immersion when at low altitudes. There are some weak points down low too - some textures look great up high, but get quite iffy down low - and I won't even mention the tunnels. . .

Here's some screen shots during our first multiplay session on November 19th:

Pre-flight:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-39-17-57.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-40-18-31.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-1921-57-21-78.jpg

Approaching to land in a field:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-1923-40-35-21.jpg

Climbing across the snow covered mountains:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2000-26-37-31.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2000-26-52-25.jpg

Pretty sweet looking motion blur eh?

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2000-26-56-62.jpg

GOZR just getting wheels up:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-12-23-51.jpg

GOZR and I departing the heliport:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-05-22-37.jpg

Formed up on GOZR enroute to checkout some tanks:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-14-52-21.jpg

[BrettVisionSLR]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-22-52-20.jpg

GOZR and I facing off:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-28-14-60.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-28-19-62.jpg

Apparently I win (actually he just exploded for as yet undetermined reasons):

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-29-02-70.jpg

Approaching to land at the heliport:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-09-44-04.jpg

Trimming Trees:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-35-48-93.jpg
Peek a boo:


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-34-45-42.jpg

It certainly looks like LockOn - but it's actually a fair amount more detailed:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-45-05-23.jpg

Especially when you get down close to the trees - there's LOTS of trees in Black Shark:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2002-47-27-42.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/ecoblacksharkflares.jpg

[BrettVisionSLR]

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp344/GOZR/ScreenShot_003.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/DCS2008-11-2420-31-50-74.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2320-25-03-98.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2320-26-33-42.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2320-26-16-40.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2320-29-59-46.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2320-30-28-45.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2320-30-55-34.jpg



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2320-32-15-01.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/dcs2008-11-2320-32-21-54.jpg

[RyanbATC]

where can I get this? link?

[loki]

http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/

[BrettVisionSLR]

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=33633

I purchased the Russian version direct from DCS. . .after some deliberation. The English version will be out in early 2009.

That said, all I'm really missing is the training and campaigns, it's possible to set up english menus and cockpit tooltips easily, and to set english on the ABRIS MFD (as evident in the screen shots), though as is also evident in my screenies, the cockpit labelling is still Russian - which I for one think is appropriate for the aircraft type.

I'm more of an online flyer so the mission languages isn't much concern to me, but I can understand that the added hassle of switching language, and then not having training or campaigns in english might keep most people from getting the Russian version.


I will also be buying the English version though, if for no other reason than that I think we should support the work of groups like this that are pushing the envelope of the niche world of flight sims.

[RyanbATC]

Thanks, I'll wait for the English version, though good price on that Russian one...wow

I've been looking for a good helo simulator ever since Jane's Longbow/1+2

[Asad Khawer]

Looks awesome! :D I'll be waiting for the English version.

[Teyriblewun]

awesome game, if you're not to cheap jump for the Russian version and then the English version, supports DCS and gives you 2 month preview for 24$

[BrettVisionSLR]

Actually, the downloadable English version has just been released:

http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/index.php?end_pos=1322&scr=shop&lang=en

[RyanbATC]

Holy crap and the Russian ver was only 25 bucks?!?!?!?

[BrettVisionSLR]

Those with the russian version can now get a fully english cockpit here: http://www.lockonfiles.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=5539&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=c1c9ce729b0f9078be4b4ef27d1ebbb7


Here's some more shots:

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp344/GOZR/ScreenShot_086.jpg

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp344/GOZR/ScreenShot_084.jpg


http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp344/GOZR/ScreenShot_079.jpg

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp344/GOZR/ScreenShot_077.jpg

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp344/GOZR/ScreenShot_075.jpg

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp344/GOZR/ScreenShot_074.jpg

[BrettVisionSLR]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_015.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_099-1.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_143.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_144.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_140.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_138.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_151.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_152.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_153.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_154.jpg

[BrettVisionSLR]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_155.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_161.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_162.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_163.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_166.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_174.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_180.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_181.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_182.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_183.jpg

[BrettVisionSLR]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_184.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_187.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_189.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_188.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_202.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_203.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_208.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y215/BrettVisionSLR/Black%20Shark/ScreenShot_211.jpg

[tigisfat]

thanks!! You saved me from wasting some money. Man, if one listens to all the hype behind every product release, they'll end up broke. I used to enjoy being the first to have everything, but there's a lot of garbage these days.

It looks like a bunch of fun, but I wouldn't pay money to play it.:)

[JimMack]

thanks!! You saved me from wasting some money. Man, if one listens to all the hype behind every product release, they'll end up broke. I used to enjoy being the first to have everything, but there's a lot of garbage these days.

It looks like a bunch of fun, but I wouldn't pay money to play it.:)

An interesting opinion, why do you not wish to pay money for an accurate simulation of a helicoper?

[BrettVisionSLR]

thanks!! You saved me from wasting some money. Man, if one listens to all the hype behind every product release, they'll end up broke. I used to enjoy being the first to have everything, but there's a lot of garbage these days.

It looks like a bunch of fun, but I wouldn't pay money to play it.:)

Seriously? Based on pictures how can you possibly come to that conclusion? Not enough eye candy? Is Crysis your idea of 50 well spent dollars? Perhaps an addon for FSX that only looks a bit like the real craft but is stuck in the simplified world of FSX?

So tell me, what DO you pay for? Surely something truly miraculous.

In my 25 years of flight simming, and 15 years of real world flying, I have to think you are joking. As a person who has owned or flown nearly every sim, in every genre, and purchased thousands of dollars of MSFS addons, or mods to Falcon 4.0, or new planes for X-Plane - only to never fly 99% of them again since they were little more than eyecandy with nothing to back it up. . .or they were limited in accuracy by the sim engine they are installed in. In my case, I have never flown anything with near the fidelity and complexity that this sim offers at a pricepoint anywhere near this. You would have to go to a military training sim to get into the same realm. I paid 24.99, and most FSX mods are more cash than that, and have only a fraction of the detail, functionality, and capability that I see in Black Shark – not to mention he rather weak physics, and systems implementation inherent within MSFS. The english version at 49.99 is the standard price point for the US market - be it the simple minded FPS stuff that is nothing but fancy visuals that you "beat" in a week, or a highly accurate flight sim that took a small team years to produce, and will no doubt challenge those who fly it - perhaps forever.

Honestly, I have 100% comfort in my assessment that it's the best bang for the buck offered in the flight sim genre. . .and has raised the bar at ANY price point.

I couldn’t own only one flight sim, but of the hundreds of disks I own, only a few get play, and BlackShark is going to be getting a lot of play. Just getting the thing started was a joy – learning to handle the multiple modes of autopilot, the realistic, and fairly unique trim system, basic flight, learning (let alone master) the ABRIS, PVI-800, Datalink, weapons systems and the rest of extremely high fidelity aspects of this sim is an ongoing challenge and an experience that probably best compares with getting a type rating! Sure that sort of challenge isn’t for everyone. . .and I am the first to enjoy flying a classic taildragger, or racing a glider in Condor. . .if it’s a top quality sim, then I’ll fly it. . .but that’s just me.

[munnst]

What's the games pilot survivability like.
One of the downfalls I've found with modern combat sims (as apposed ww1 or 2) is finding it very difficult to survive a 'game'. I apreciate real warfare is not meant to be easy or the sim should not be an arcade game but it can be quite frustrating having a 45 minute flight to target and then being incinerated by aa fire.

[tigisfat]

An interesting opinion, why do you not wish to pay money for an accurate simulation of a helicoper?


to be honest guys, (both of you) I just thought that it looked ancient. It looks like a modified version of FS9. There are plenty of cool looking high res objects around, but they're littered throughout a cheesy lo-res landscape. I'm not even an eye candy guy, I just want overall realism.

Guys, the rest of the gaming world has moved light years beyond us flight simmers in looks AND depth. No matter how great it simulates running APUs and external power, it still looks like nintellivision or the original nintendo when I've just finished playing fallout 3 at TWICE the FPS. So what if it performs like a real helicopter? The realism for me is just not there because there's nothing to build immersiveness.

And please guys, I'm just explaining myself. I don't want to dog this game, I'm sure many will enjoy it, I'm just not going to be one of them. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's seen screenshots and passed on buying it.

[Soundwhiz]

Run, don't walk, and buy this game. I bought it for myself as a xmas present. The avionics, computers and the mechanical blows me the &"#% away.

The attention to detail in the cockpit alone is so damned amazing that you'd think they have access to classified informtion. I think there are two dummy switches at the most. It's amazing when you're accustomed to FS cockpits laden with dummy switches and have everything around you have consequences if you push them. As for the eye candy. Am I the only one blown away by the shots in this thread?

I have a bunch of Russian choppers for FS, but I realize now that without the guns it's like swapping sex techniques with a eunuch.

[RyanbATC]

Can you fly that Hind in your screenshot?

[Soundwhiz]

It's not a survey sim, so you can only fly the Ka-50, but who knows if they might add a Hind addon in the future?

I wanted to write something amusing with 'hind sight' in it, but a piece of Ferrero Rocher nut crisp got stuck between two of my teeth.

[BrettVisionSLR]

I have a bunch of Russian choppers for FS, but I realize now that without the guns it's like swapping sex techniques with a eunuch.

Hehe. . .I flew a few of my favorite FSX rotorcraft a few nights ago and even ignoring the lack of weapons, the lack of fully functioning panels, the lack of realistic systems failures, etc, the thing I really couldn't ignore was how bad the flight physics are in FSX rotorcraft. A flight sim isn't a flight sim if the FLIGHT part of the equation is weak! Don't get me wrong, I love FSX for what it's good at. . .but I also recognize the weakpoints too, especially when something so many times better is out there.

I also happen to think that many things in BlackShark look better than what I've seen before - but some things are very rough too. In the end, it looks good enough, but where it REALLY shines is in the "Flight Sim" department.

[BrettVisionSLR]

Can you fly that Hind in your screenshot?

Nothing but the Ka50 is flyable right now, but word in the DCS forums is that they will be adding aircraft over time, as they complete them. Originally it was going to be an addon to LockOn. . .which would have meant that all the LockOn Flyables would be available still, but with the more simplified physics, and far less detail than the BlackShark is. For whatever reason, they determined this wasn't the best way to procede, and instead will re-incorporate many aircraft, but at the same level of detail and fidelity as is found in the Ka50. I've heard that the A-10 and AH-64 are expected first.

[RyanbATC]

Nothing but the Ka50 is flyable right now, but word in the DCS forums is that they will be adding aircraft over time, as they complete them. Originally it was going to be an addon to LockOn. . .which would have meant that all the LockOn Flyables would be available still, but with the more simplified physics, and far less detail than the BlackShark is. For whatever reason, they determined this wasn't the best way to procede, and instead will re-incorporate many aircraft, but at the same level of detail and fidelity as is found in the Ka50. I've heard that the A-10 and AH-64 are expected first.

Well if they make an Apache sim I'd be the first in line. The last great sims I played were Jane's Longbow and Longbow 2

[BrettVisionSLR]

Well if they make an Apache sim I'd be the first in line. The last great sims I played were Jane's Longbow and Longbow 2

Yeah - you might understand then that I keep mentioning on coms to the other guys things like "see if I was in the Longbow I could stay masked below the ridgeline and still lase targets" or "if I was in a Longbow we the IHADDS would give me a helmet mounted sight AND night vision at the same time" etc!

Of course for a single seat, daytime attack chopper, the Ka50 is pretty sweet - despite being a bit old and in truth, the sims just don't compare at all - Longbow was very simplified compared to BlackShark - great fun, and still one of my favorites, but quite simplified. Hopefully when the AH-64 comes out we will be able to swap seats and have AI take our spot, OR have two human players in the aircraft in multiplay. . .time will tell.

[BrettVisionSLR]

Just a little update. . .I'm running a dual boot of XP and Windows 7 beta, and Black Shark seems MAJOR performance gains in this OS!!

Take a look: http://www.gozr.net/iocl/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=33&p=374#p374

In summary, even at 3.0GHz in windows 7 I was seing much better performance than in XP when at 4.0GHz!!

[Flying Officer Jevans]

Awesome screenshots!

Bet it wouldn't run like that on my computer.:rolleyes:

So you're running Windows 7 Beta? What's it like? ( I can't face the download!)

[BrettVisionSLR]

Awesome screenshots!

Bet it wouldn't run like that on my computer.:rolleyes:

So you're running Windows 7 Beta? What's it like? ( I can't face the download!)


Well, I've been running 7 for two days now. I have not extensively used Vista since I never saw a real gain for my usage so I stuck with XP Pro.

Overall, I love it. . .it's more snappy than XP, it has far more intelligent memory handling, it does a wonderful job of working with multicore CPUs, as evident by the major performance gains that I see in BlackShark when running it vs XP. I'm about to run some testing in FSX as soon as I get my addons installed here, but so far it looks like it runs similar to my install in XP did - which was very well in FSX terms.

It seems that it took the best of windows Vista (smarter memory handling, better multicore CPU performance) but made it less clunky and more efficient elsewhere like XP. In the end, it seems clearly better than both previous OS versions in my limited testing.

Those that have used Vista will no doubt see many similarities with respect to the interface. Of course things have changed visually too, but I usually just turn off all the desktop eye-candy since I want application performance. The Win 7 start bar is taller than the XP bar, which annoys me. . .and I couldn't manage to copy my TrackIR profiles from my XP install to the Win 7 install because no matter how I tried to allow full user control of the files, Win7 wouldn't have it. . no permission. I had to boot into XP, and then move the profiles to the TrackIR folder installed in Win7. . .but that is because the dual boot that I did, and the fact that the file owners in the registry were different.

For people who cant run Vista from a hardware perspective, Windows 7 might work for them because it's less of a challenge for the hardware to run, for those that do run Vista, 7 will be great for the same reason, plus it still does the good things that Vista did. How much better than Vista it is in flight sims I don't know since I haven't done real benchmarking in Vista, but the jump from XP to 7 is a great performance boost in Black Shark unlike I could have gotten with any hardware upgrade.

[Edit] I have run IL-2 and FSX benchmarks now, and in both cases saw slight performance decreases, in IL-2 they were VERY slight, and in FSX it was around 10% not really big enough to result in end user settings changes, and an amount that could be made up for a driver release (or not).

[Flying Officer Jevans]

I started downloading. Might take quite a while!

[bilbosmeggins]

God, how I wish that I had a spare 49.99 right now. This sim looks about as good as it can get. How are frame rates holding up? Because those screenies are stunning!!

[Dutchman]

Wow!
Awesome!

[KiddieCake]

I've purchased it but it is kind of laggy here, maybe when i get a better vid card sometime it will be more playable, from what ive played it its amazing though, very realistic!

[peejayh]

I may be a year or so behind you BrettVision, but I have just seen the pictures you've put up. Very nice. May soon be digging deep into the piggybank for this one.

[GabethePilot]

Seriously? Based on pictures how can you possibly come to that conclusion? Not enough eye candy? Is Crysis your idea of 50 well spent dollars? Perhaps an addon for FSX that only looks a bit like the real craft but is stuck in the simplified world of FSX?

So tell me, what DO you pay for? Surely something truly miraculous.

In my 25 years of flight simming, and 15 years of real world flying, I have to think you are joking. As a person who has owned or flown nearly every sim, in every genre, and purchased thousands of dollars of MSFS addons, or mods to Falcon 4.0, or new planes for X-Plane - only to never fly 99% of them again since they were little more than eyecandy with nothing to back it up. . .or they were limited in accuracy by the sim engine they are installed in. In my case, I have never flown anything with near the fidelity and complexity that this sim offers at a pricepoint anywhere near this. You would have to go to a military training sim to get into the same realm. I paid 24.99, and most FSX mods are more cash than that, and have only a fraction of the detail, functionality, and capability that I see in Black Shark – not to mention he rather weak physics, and systems implementation inherent within MSFS. The english version at 49.99 is the standard price point for the US market - be it the simple minded FPS stuff that is nothing but fancy visuals that you "beat" in a week, or a highly accurate flight sim that took a small team years to produce, and will no doubt challenge those who fly it - perhaps forever.

Honestly, I have 100% comfort in my assessment that it's the best bang for the buck offered in the flight sim genre. . .and has raised the bar at ANY price point.

I couldn’t own only one flight sim, but of the hundreds of disks I own, only a few get play, and BlackShark is going to be getting a lot of play. Just getting the thing started was a joy – learning to handle the multiple modes of autopilot, the realistic, and fairly unique trim system, basic flight, learning (let alone master) the ABRIS, PVI-800, Datalink, weapons systems and the rest of extremely high fidelity aspects of this sim is an ongoing challenge and an experience that probably best compares with getting a type rating! Sure that sort of challenge isn’t for everyone. . .and I am the first to enjoy flying a classic taildragger, or racing a glider in Condor. . .if it’s a top quality sim, then I’ll fly it. . .but that’s just me.

Nice mini review.....thnx.

I think you've sold it to me....