How does this compare to something like DCS?

[Jonboy]

Question

[richardscholes50]

Not in the same league as dcs

[Moth]

apples vs oranges

[darknight]

DCS very accurate proper like HOTAS full sim, this is just a game, fun, still buggy, but worked on and fun, so yea apples n oranges

[SaxonRaider]

As a long time DCS simmer, this has a few more ships, the systems are controllable, but as this is an RTS, you can launch aircraft whenever during a mission, you have control of the ships, react to threats with subs/ destroyers etc, whereas in DCS you need to plan all that in mission editor beforehand and do not have direct control of naval units.. So, quite different in that regard. However the ship models are graphically better in DCS, which may be mostly down to shader usage rather than textures.

[Depaskala]

The cockpits are less detailed.

[Thewood]

Its not a flight simulator as a start.

[BBsquid]

Not even close. This game as a couple of pegs above an arcade game like World of Warships.
It's more accurate, but it lacks the depth, detail, and realism of something like Harpoon/Harpoon 2, or Command

[gigglelamer]

flight sim vs. real time strategy

[Splash2]

I wanted to know this as well. Thank you for asking the question.

Originally posted by SaxonRaider:

As a long time DCS simmer, this has a few more ships, the systems are controllable, but as this is an RTS, you can launch aircraft whenever during a mission, you have control of the ships, react to threats with subs/ destroyers etc, whereas in DCS you need to plan all that in mission editor beforehand and do not have direct control of naval units.. So, quite different in that regard. However the ship models are graphically better in DCS, which may be mostly down to shader usage rather than textures.

So in DCS, you set everything up in mission editor and then it just plays like a movie? (Sorry if it sounds ridiculous to have asked this, but I have zero knowledge of DCS and would like to get into it someday).

[SaxonRaider]

Originally posted by Splash2:

I wanted to know this as well. Thank you for asking the question.
...
So in DCS, you set everything up in mission editor and then it just plays like a movie? (Sorry if it sounds ridiculous to have asked this, but I have zero knowledge of DCS and would like to get into it someday).

Sort of yes. You can add your own scripting to randomise it more but yes. This is similar in some ways to Sea Power as you also add units and give them waypoints before mission start, so the enemy ships as they are not controlled by you will play as a movie as you say. Of course theres randomness and it wont be exact same all the time, but mostly.

The big difference is mainly, in DCS has your pilot has no control of the ships, and you cannot be the ship captain on any ship, however the AI will follow the waypoints you give them in the mission editor, and will automatically defend themselves or carry out offensive actions you give them, as its primarily for Aircraft Simulation, so for example, giving order to your flight of aircraft is possible, but as a pilot you dont have the authority to give orders to ships. However there is a Supercarrier module that is far more detailed than you get in Sea Power. You can take up position and direct flights in to land and first person view walk around in briefing rooms on the carrier etc. Its very good.

DCS is free, so you could just download it and try the mission editor, its pretty intuitive and easy to use, and very fun.
2 different games though.

[Splash2]

Originally posted by SaxonRaider:

Originally posted by Splash2:

I wanted to know this as well. Thank you for asking the question.
...
So in DCS, you set everything up in mission editor and then it just plays like a movie? (Sorry if it sounds ridiculous to have asked this, but I have zero knowledge of DCS and would like to get into it someday).

Sort of yes. You can add your own scripting to randomise it more but yes. This is similar in some ways to Sea Power as you also add units and give them waypoints before mission start, so the enemy ships as they are not controlled by you will play as a movie as you say. Of course theres randomness and it wont be exact same all the time, but mostly.

The big difference is mainly, in DCS has your pilot has no control of the ships, and you cannot be the ship captain on any ship, however the AI will follow the waypoints you give them in the mission editor, and will automatically defend themselves or carry out offensive actions you give them, as its primarily for Aircraft Simulation, so for example, giving order to your flight of aircraft is possible, but as a pilot you dont have the authority to give orders to ships. However there is a Supercarrier module that is far more detailed than you get in Sea Power. You can take up position and direct flights in to land and first person view walk around in briefing rooms on the carrier etc. Its very good.

DCS is free, so you could just download it and try the mission editor, its pretty intuitive and easy to use, and very fun.
2 different games though.

Thank you for your answer.

I really want to try out DCS, but I'm scared that if I get hooked to it, I might end up emptying my pockets since each DLC costs as much (or more than) a separate game, LOL.

Also, I've stopped flight simming long ago and since DCS is mainly a flight sim, I assume that one would need to invest in a control stick as well (notwithstanding the fact that I have a potato computer).

[Stix_09]

Originally posted by Depaskala:

The cockpits are less detailed.

haha

yes DCS is a totally dif type of simulator game, it also requires imo much more expensive hardware setup (best imo with good stick , pedals head tracking or VR gear) to have fun with it. But u can try it out for free and check for yourself.

DCS is also not an Early Access game. Comparing these games is like a motorcycle to CAR. Both can be fun but very dif experience.

[Jonboy]

Yes tempted to pick this one up. How would the campaign editor compare to something like Arma's. Same detail , complexity or more simple?

[tacit rainbow]

As a 12 yrs DCS player, I was thinking about it. The answer is: it's more like Flaming cliffs 1/2. This game has some baseline navy similation, but it's in the very early stage of the early access. Early DCS version were anything but a pro-level simulator, and perhaps after a few years Sea power will become much closer to full-fidelity sims like Command (DCS counterpart from the world of strategies)

[tacit rainbow]

Also please do not exaggerate DCS and Command fidelity. E.g. Command ships can turn w/o propulsion and P-700 Granit is truely an arkadish joke, even worse then in SP. DCS has started to make real radars only lately and has arcadish missile kinematics and sencors