The Base Game is free?

[Darth_Lopez]

So the base game claims to be free but I'm kinda confused... Like I guess the word FREE as the price for the base game got me. is it limited in selection of the planes or are there quite a few that you can still fly? What's the difference and the added value of the DLC? what's the main draw to the base game? I did gloss over teh features but I still can't imagine there's so much included for free :?

[spike2071]

2 planes and 1 map are free; think of it more as a demo instead of free. There are several player-made mods that you can use with the base game as well (the A-4 in particular).

[Undead Rufus]

The Su-25T and TF-51 included with the base game are a good overview of flight mechanics and the difference between low-fidelity and high-fidelity modules, but you don't get a "fighter jet" experience from either of those.

For that, you gotta shell out $$$$$. Basically, the DLC is the game, and the free stuff is a very bare-bones demo.

I second the A-4 Skyhawk mod recommendation, though. It's really well done.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

you can have hours of fun with the base game.

mods add to the mix but some mods rely on dlc content which can confuse at first but once one realises this mods can vastly expand the game.

like any Sim though it takes time to learn and set up. don't expect to dominate the battlefield and be the hero.

it's free, jump in and try it.

[Havish]

That being said, the Su-25T is still a very fun plane to fly and is one of my favourite low-fidelity planes. You are still able to fly among other players in multiplayer without buying any other module.

[william]

You get the mission editor too, you can place a pretty big selection of vehicles and make them follow paths and create battles, you need dlc if you want to control them after the mission starts.

[Richardus]

Originally posted by Havish:

That being said, the Su-25T is still a very fun plane to fly and is one of my favourite low-fidelity planes. You are still able to fly among other players in multiplayer without buying any other module.

Same here, the 25T does just about everything except for BVR air combat:
- Unguided bombing/rockets
- SEAD
- Precision strikes with TV or Laser guidance
- Anti-tank/CAS operations
- 30mm BRRRRRRT (Not a GAU-8, but everything short of an MBT will definitely feel it)
- Low light/night missions with IR sensor
- Dogfighting with 2x R73 and 2x R60

It's my favorite plane in terms of flexibility, for a free plane it offers a lot of fun and variety

[bignewy]

We have two free aircraft and a free terrain, we have another free terrain on the way.

All of the core assets, mission editor, AI, multiplayer and missions included in the base game are free to use.

It is a massive amount of content in the core of DCS, some who think it are bare bones are under estimating what is included.

thanks

[HoboCop]

Originally posted by bignewy:

We have two free aircraft and a free terrain, we have another free terrain on the way.

All of the core assets, mission editor, AI, multiplayer and missions included in the base game are free to use.

It is a massive amount of content in the core of DCS, some who think it are bare bones are under estimating what is included.

thanks

Definitely agree! Bolt on the new free Goshawk mod and you are in for a treat.

Direct download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/24q5ogvsq0szc7n/vnao_t45_v1.0.zip?dl=0

Forum thread with the release: https://forums.eagle.ru/topic/203816-vnao-t-45-goshawk/page/12/?tab=comments#comment-4640382

Once you have wet your whistle with that, you will be hungry to purchase perhaps the F18 or F14 along with the Super Carrier.

[bignewy]

yep some great free mods out there already, well worth a look. It is possible to have a great immersive time in dcs without spending any money.
If you decide to buy a module buy what you are interested in and master it! :)

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

from a user point of view it can initially *feel* bare bones but there is essentially 100s of hours of "play" in vanilla DCS.

if the su25 bundled with the sim had *some* clicky pit capability I think it would raise the perceived bar but there are mods for that.

if one is on the fence about DCS, IMHO it's worth a good fiddle with even if its initially daunting.

it has problems as does anything of this size and scope but there seems to be a welcome shift towards quality of life improvements to round off those sharp edges.

it's a great game, just install and see!

[HoboCop]

Originally posted by -OrLoK-:

if the su25 bundled with the sim had *some* clicky pit capability I think it would raise the perceived bar but there are mods for that.

I definitely agree with this sentiment. Yes, the TF-51 is "high fidelity" and "clicky", but most people are looking at DCS for the C part - Combat. They do at least need to add in a semi-high fidelity and fully clickable module for free. I know they would think they were "giving the farm away", but they wouldn't be.

If that module was limited in its use because of its era / age of onboard equipment, then this would be enough to not only give newcomers a good taste of combat, with the accessibility of a clicky cockpit, but also would then encourage them to purchase other modules that would open up the simulator further.

Something along the lines of the new Goshawk mod would be fantastic if it came bundled with DCS. I honestly do think it would get more people on board and into the sim.

The FC3 aircraft offer more barriers due to their lack of clicky cockpit. Most people do not want to have to remember what key does what or spend a fortune on hotas equipment just to get a proper taste of the sim. Offering something with less barriers to entry with the base "game" would ultimately gain them more paying customers.

Yes, the mod is free and people can download it, but again, it is a barrier to entry. Plus the fact that most new comers / people wishing to try DCS will not even know about any mods, let alone how to download and install it with confidence.

[Delta Dagger]

Originally posted by HoboCop:

Originally posted by -OrLoK-:

if the su25 bundled with the sim had *some* clicky pit capability I think it would raise the perceived bar but there are mods for that.

I definitely agree with this sentiment. Yes, the TF-51 is "high fidelity" and "clicky", but most people are looking at DCS for the C part - Combat. They do at least need to add in a semi-high fidelity and fully clickable module for free. I know they would think they were "giving the farm away", but they wouldn't be.

If that module was limited in its use because of its era / age of onboard equipment, then this would be enough to not only give newcomers a good taste of combat, with the accessibility of a clicky cockpit, but also would then encourage them to purchase other modules that would open up the simulator further.

Something along the lines of the new Goshawk mod would be fantastic if it came bundled with DCS. I honestly do think it would get more people on board and into the sim.

The FC3 aircraft offer more barriers due to their lack of clicky cockpit. Most people do not want to have to remember what key does what or spend a fortune on hotas equipment just to get a proper taste of the sim. Offering something with less barriers to entry with the base "game" would ultimately gain them more paying customers.

Yes, the mod is free and people can download it, but again, it is a barrier to entry. Plus the fact that most new comers / people wishing to try DCS will not even know about any mods, let alone how to download and install it with confidence.

This is a really good post and well worth consideration.

It would be worth the effort of ED hashing out something with VNAO and provide proper support. Having something like the Goshawk available by default in game would be an outstanding introduction. It lets you dabble in ground attack, carrier operations, is quite tame and easy to pick up, won't overwhelm a layperson, and even provide the experience of two people in one aircraft.

[bignewy]

Originally posted by MiG-21bis Fishbed-L:

It would be worth the effort of ED hashing out something with VNAO and provide proper support. Having something like the Goshawk available by default in game would be an outstanding introduction. It lets you dabble in ground attack, carrier operations, is quite tame and easy to pick up, won't overwhelm a layperson, and even provide the experience of two people in one aircraft.

Third parties are welcome to contact us if they wish to go official, or for any other considerations.

Thanks

[Delta Dagger]

Originally posted by bignewy:

Originally posted by MiG-21bis Fishbed-L:

It would be worth the effort of ED hashing out something with VNAO and provide proper support. Having something like the Goshawk available by default in game would be an outstanding introduction. It lets you dabble in ground attack, carrier operations, is quite tame and easy to pick up, won't overwhelm a layperson, and even provide the experience of two people in one aircraft.

Third parties are welcome to contact us if they wish to go official, or for any other considerations.

Thanks

But, does going official have to entail it being a purchasable product as opposed to part of the base? That's what I'd like to know.

If it became another module to buy for $60, then it'll just get relegated to the status of "yet another trainer" with the L-39s and C-101s.

If that's the case, it's best to stay as a mod.

[HoboCop]

Originally posted by MiG-21bis Fishbed-L:

Originally posted by bignewy:

Third parties are welcome to contact us if they wish to go official, or for any other considerations.

Thanks

But, does going official have to entail it being a purchasable product as opposed to part of the base? That's what I'd like to know.

If it became another module to buy for $60, then it'll just get relegated to the status of "yet another trainer" with the L-39s and C-101s.

If that's the case, it's best to stay as a mod.

Yes! The point is to make it part of the base DCS. I am absolutely adamant that doing something along the lines of this, with an aircraft like the Goshawk would lift the barrier of entry to DCS massively and thus give them a larger customer base going forward.

When I very first tried DCS, I did so with FC3 aircraft a long long time ago. I wasn't a fan and didn't get the point to it. I came from an old schol era of Janes F-15 and DiD F22 ADF. Something about the base DCS and the FC3 just din't grab me and it felt half baked. It didn't grab me.

I then got into DCS properly with the release of the F/A-18, and then DCS made sense.

I have now moved to standalone and have a lot of modules and have spent a fortune on Hotas, VR and a GPU pretty much solely for this experience.

The Goshawk would do wonders for "onboarding" new customers if it came with DCS, without the complexity of having to install it manually.