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Digital Combat Simulator

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Digital Combat Simulator
Developer(s)Eagle Dynamics
Publisher(s)The Fighter Collection
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • RU: 17 October 2008
  • EN: 10 December 2008
  • GER: 7 March 2009
  • NA: 2 April 2009
Genre(s)Combat flight simulator
Mode(s)Singleplayer, multiplayer

Digital Combat Simulator, or DCS, is a combat flight simulation game developed primarily by Eagle Dynamics and The Fighter Collection.

Several labels are used when referring to the DCS line of simulation products: DCS World, Modules, and Campaigns. DCS World is a free-to-play game that includes two free aircraft and two free maps. Modules are downloadable content that expand the game with add-on aircraft, maps, and other content. Campaigns are scripted sets of missions. Modules and campaigns are produced by Eagle Dynamics as well as third-parties.[1]

Gameplay

File:DCS World screenshot.png
DCS World modules have detailed cockpits with interactive buttons, switches and displays

DCS World is a study sim in which players learn how to operate aircraft using realistic procedures. Aircraft are meticulously modeled from real-world data,[2] including authentic flight models and subsystems[3] and detailed cockpits with interactive buttons and switches.[4] Digital manuals document the history, systems, and operation of each aircraft in extensive detail.[5] The game has extensive support for joysticks and HOTAS input devices ranging from gamepads[6] to 1:1 replica cockpits.[7]

DCS World supports a wide variety of combat operations including combat air patrol, dogfighting, airstrikes, close air support, SEAD, and airlifts. Dozens of military airplanes and helicopters are available, spanning eras from World War II through the Cold War into the early 21st century.[8][9] Popular modules include the AH-64D, F-16C, F/A-18C, F-14, and A-10C.[10]

A mission editor is included for users to create their own scenarios and campaigns with support for scripting in Lua. Users can host their own servers with user-made missions for PVE and PVP multiplayer. The community has developed tools to create missions using procedural generation[11][12][13] and hosts servers that simulate dynamic battlefields.[14][15][16]

DCS World acts as a unified modular platform, in contrast to previous installments in the series which were standalone products. This allows users of different modules to switch between aircraft and play together within a single game client. The platform also allows third-party developers to publish modules through Eagle Dynamics' storefront. Community mods have also been produced, such as the A-4E,[17] T-45C[18] and UH-60L.[19]

Use as a training aid

Some air forces have used DCS World as a training aid. A professional version called Mission Combat Simulator (MCS) is available for organizational use.[20]

The United States Air Force's 355th Training Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB makes use of DCS as an instrument and weapons-system trainer for the A-10C. The use of virtual reality headsets is preferred for a more immersive experience.[21]

Before the Mirage 2000C was retired in 2022, the Armee de l'Air used DCS for both instrument and tactical training with the M-2000C module, citing insufficient numbers of professional simulators.[22]

Ukrainian pilots have trained using the A-10C II module for DCS World. The training program is a joint military-civilian effort "to prepare a cadre of Ukrainian A-10 pilots for the hoped-for day when the U.S. does supply Ukraine with the planes."[23]


Setting

DCS World has a number of maps available from Eagle Dynamics and third parties:

Development

DCS Series logo (in use since 2011)
DCS World logo (in use since 2015)

DCS World traces its lineage directly from the Flanker and Lock On: Modern Air Combat series of combat flight simulator games. Three standalone titles were released under the DCS name from 2008 through 2011. The first was DCS: Black Shark as a simulation of the Kamov Ka-50.[33] DCS: A-10C Warthog, a standalone simulation of the A-10C, was released in February 2011.[34] An upgrade for Black Shark, DCS: Black Shark 2, was released in November 2011 and allowed for network multiplayer with Warthog.[35]

The open beta of DCS World was launched in May 2012. Warthog and Black Shark 2 were made available as modules.[36] Flaming Cliffs 3 was released later that year, which added aircraft from Lock On as modules of DCS World.[37] The first third-party module, the Bell UH-1H Huey, was also announced in 2012.

DCS World 1.5 was released in October 2015 featuring a new DirectX 11 graphics engine and a unified executable.[38]

In November 2015, DCS World 2.0 was released as an open alpha while 1.5 continued to be supported as a stable release. 2.0 added support for more detailed terrain including the Nevada Test and Training Range map.[39][40] DCS World 2.1 was released in 2017 and added support for deferred shading and physically based rendering,[41] followed by DCS World 2.2 that same year.[42] The next major release, DCS World 2.5, added an improved Caucasus map in 2018.[43] 2.5 replaced 1.5 as the stable release version coinciding with a Steam release.[44]

DCS World 2.7 was released as an open beta in April 2021, with new weather and clouds as well as improved piston engine simulation.[45][46] 2.7 became the stable release in June of that year.[47] DCS World 2.8 was released as an open beta in October 2022, improving atmospheric effects and AI basic fighter maneuvers.[48]

Over the course of development, modules have introduced new features to the simulator including improved flight models[49][50] and damage models,[51] multi-crew aircraft with multiple players or AI acting as crew[52] and enhanced FLIR simulation.[53]

Reception

PC Gamer reviewed the DCS: A-10C Warthog module with a rating of 92/100.[54] IGN praised the care and attention to detail, though remarking a level of inaccessibility: "Yes, there is a 44-page 'Quickstart' guide and yes, there are tutorials – a bevy of lengthy, highly instructive tutorials, actually – but precious little of this is designed for the neophyte or even the marginally experienced jet jock."[55]

SimHQ praised the Ka-50 module, noting the attention to technical details such as the recoil of the main gun affecting flight dynamics, along with smaller details such as the windscreen wiper having several modes. Also noted was the difficulty of flying the helicopter.[56] The Ka-50 simulation earned SimHQ's Simulation Product of the Year award for 2008.[57]

PC Pilot reviewed the third-party F-14 Tomcat module with a score of 97/100. The review concluded that "[DCS: F-14 Tomcat] is truly one of the greatest simulation modules ever created for a PC flight simulator." The complexity and depth of the multi-crew cockpit and systems was described as exceptional.[58]

HeliSimmer.com's article on the work-in-progress AH-64D module's early access version praised the 3D modeling and soundscape while noting the incomplete systems and critiquing the flight model's accuracy compared to a real helicopter. Despite these shortcomings, it was said to be "the best representation of an AH-64D since Jane's Longbow 2."[59]

References

  1. ^ "Digital Combat Simulator World". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  2. ^ "DCS: F-14 Tomcat". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01. A highly-detailed external model that has been built using laser scanning and photogrammetry taken of real, museum F-14 Tomcats.
  3. ^ "DCS: F-16C Viper". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01. Professional Flight Model (PFM) and authentic fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) [. . .] Detailed simulation of the Viper's many sub-systems like engines, fuel, electrical, hydraulic, radios, lighting, emergency, and many, many more.
  4. ^ "DCS: F/A-18C Hornet". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01. A highly realistic and exhaustively researched cockpit that is mouse interactive with 6 degrees of freedom. Interact with the cockpit by pressing buttons and moving switches.
  5. ^ "Documentation". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  6. ^ "List of Console Gamepad Controller Layouts for DCS: World Modules". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  7. ^ "OpenHornet". OpenHornet. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  8. ^ "Planes". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  9. ^ "Helicopters". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  10. ^ "Modules (sorted by popularity)". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  11. ^ "DCS: Liberation". Mudspike. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  12. ^ "BriefingRoom for DCS World by Agar". itch.io. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  13. ^ "RotorOps: DCS Mission Generator". RotorOps. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  14. ^ "Enigma's Dynamic Cold War Campaign PVP/PVE Server". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  15. ^ "Through The Inferno". Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  16. ^ "Georgia At War". DCS World Wiki - Hoggitworld.com. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  17. ^ "Community A-4E-C". GitHub.
  18. ^ "VNAO T-45 Goshawk". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  19. ^ "UH-60L". GitHub.
  20. ^ "ED Mission Systems SA SMLB Store". SMLB Store. SMLB Group. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  21. ^ Trevithick, Joseph (14 May 2021). "A-10 Warthog Pilots Are Using The Digital Combat Simulator Video Game To Train In VR". The Drive. Recurrent Ventures. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  22. ^ "L'armée de l'air s'engage dans DCS World". Avionic-Online (in French). Cthulhus. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Inside Ukraine's Secret Effort to Train Pilots for U.S. Jets". Time. 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  24. ^ "DCS: NEVADA Test and Training Range Map". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  25. ^ "DCS: Persian Gulf Map". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  26. ^ "DCS: Sinai Map". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  27. ^ "DCS: Syria Map by Ugra Media". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Eagle Dynamics. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  28. ^ "DCS 2.7.11.21408.1 Open Beta". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  29. ^ "DCS: Marianas". Digital Combat Simulator. Eagle Dynamics SA. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  30. ^ "DCS: South Atlantic Map". Digital Combat Simulator. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  31. ^ "DCS: The Channel Map". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  32. ^ "DCS: Normandy 1944 Map". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  33. ^ "Announcing Digital Combat Simulator: Black Shark". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  34. ^ ""DCS: A-10C Warthog" Released!". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  35. ^ "DCS Black Shark 2 Press Release". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  36. ^ "A-10C Warthog and Black Shark 2 modules for DCS: World". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  37. ^ "Announcing Lock On: Flaming Cliffs 3". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  38. ^ "DCS World 1.5 Changelog and Updates". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  39. ^ "DCS 2 changelogs and updates". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  40. ^ "DCS World 1.5/2.0 FAQ". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  41. ^ "DCS 2 changelogs and updates". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  42. ^ "DCS World 2.2 and P-51D Charnwood Campaign". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  43. ^ "DCS World Changelog and Updates of Open Beta". ED Forums. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  44. ^ "DCS World 2.5 "Release" Version Available Now". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  45. ^ "DCS 2.7 and Sale!". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  46. ^ "DCS 2.7.0.4625 Open Beta". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  47. ^ "2.7 In Stable". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  48. ^ "DCS 2.8.0". Digital Combat Simulator. 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  49. ^ "General Flight Model". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  50. ^ "DCS: A-10C II Flight Improvements" (PDF). 2020. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  51. ^ "Damage Model Development Report". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  52. ^ "DCS: F-14 Tomcat". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  53. ^ "FLIR development progress". www.digitalcombatsimulator.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  54. ^ Mahood, Andy (7 April 2011). "DCS: A-10C WARTHOG REVIEW". PC Gamer. Future US, Inc. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  55. ^ Goble, Gord (5 May 2012). "DCS: A-10C Warthog Review". IGN. Ziff Davis, LLC. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  56. ^ "E for All 2007 Report on Day 1 Page 3". SimHQ. 2007-10-19. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  57. ^ "2008: Double Aught and Almost Naught". SimHQ. 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  58. ^ Frishmuth, Chris. "DCS: F-14 TOMCAT". Key.Aero. Key Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  59. ^ Hudson, Joe (2022-09-20). "A real pilot's impressions of the AH-64D Apache for DCS". HeliSimmer.com. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
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