Black Shark 2 Upgrade/Patch is out!

[Touch Off 10]

Over at Eagle Dynamics they've just released the long awaited upgrade for DCS Black Shark bringing with it graphics updates and improved AI among other things.

Great simulator and well worth a look!

ED Forums

[dmarkwick 261]

Trees still not collidable though, which, a small detail it may be, is pretty important to a low-level heli sim. Shame, that one feature would have caused me to upgrade. As it is, I don't play BS as much as all that, not enough to cough up for an upgrade certainly.

[dm 9]

This thread is useless without video/screenshots

[hellfire257 3]

Not impressed with the prospect of having to pay for patches if I want to keep MP compat with other "modules" when they are released. It was insinuated that they would be free and ED allowed that rumour to grow.

They also slipped in the required internet connection for LAN shite from A-10C without mentioning it.

The jury is still out on this one for me.

[Beagle 684]

Not impressed with the prospect of having to pay for patches if I want to keep MP compat with other "modules" when they are released. It was insinuated that they would be free and ED allowed that rumour to grow.

They also slipped in the required internet connection for LAN shite from A-10C without mentioning it.

The jury is still out on this one for me.

This makes DCS:BS incopatible with FC2 too. ED is sellign the same game over and over again and after already owning 5 copys of basicalls the same game I'm finally really pissed. FC2 was once considered free 1.13 patch...ED released it as a "new" game.

[nodunit 397]

If it adds new content then it stands to be more of an expansion..the reasoning and work of mouth leading up to it doesn't sound good but it is what it is..it's not like they are say charging you for a grass module.

Edited November 3, 2011 by NodUnit

[hellfire257 3]

Agreed, but £12 doesn't really speak good value for money to me.

I got the BAF DLC for less than that and IMO that added a lot more than BS2 does.

[nodunit 397]

Having never played BS (thanks to DRM concerns) I can't say from experience what more it adds to the game neither can we really see just what all has been added/changed without some more images/footage of these things in action. That said I'm not sure it's quite fair to compare the prices of the two games since they are aimed at entirerly different genre's.

The notes are oddly unclear...for one it says mission area expanded so does that mean new missions/campaign? Also new units..does this mean pilotable or only AI controlled. Wish they were a bit more specific but I imagine it's the prior.

Edited November 3, 2011 by NodUnit

[Beagle 684]

If it adds new content then it stands to be more of an expansion..the reasoning and work of mouth leading up to it doesn't sound good but it is what it is..it's not like they are say charging you for a grass module.

The problem is that once when DCS was announced nobody considered that we have to buy all modules new when ever a new module comes out...ED failed with this kind of "Series" simply.

And BS2 will not be compatible with FC2.

Lets see...what do I have here on the shelf.

LockOn

LockOn: Gold (FC1)

DCS: Black Shark

LockOn: Platinum (FC2)

DCS: A10

...and now ED wants me to buy BlackShark again?

[[asa]oden 0]

MoneyGrabber

[nodunit 397]

Depends on what it adds I suppose, whenever I think of expansions the Command & Conquer series always comes to mind..

Tiberian Dawn

Tiberian Dawn Covert Operations

Red Alert

Red Alert Counterstrike

Red Alert Aftermath

Red alert 2

Red alert 2 yuri's revenge

Tiberium wars etc etc

Just the nature of the expansion pack, you aren't buying the game but the next chapter, if it adds enough to make a difference then sure it's worth it, again I've never played BS though so I can't say for sure what it adds to the original, a few things like shadows seems a bit odd as a major expansion feature though I gotta say..

By that logic however are you not buying the same game when you purchase OFP and the Arma's? They add new things sure but at the core they are the same game are they not?

Edited November 3, 2011 by NodUnit

[Beagle 684]

Depends on what it adds I suppose, whenever I think of expansions the Command & Conquer series always comes to mind..

Tiberian Dawn

Tiberian Dawn Covert Operations

Red Alert

Red Alert Counterstrike

Red Alert Aftermath

Red alert 2

Red alert 2 yuri's revenge

Tiberium wars etc etc

Just the nature of the expansion pack, you aren't buying the game but the next chapter, if it adds enough to make a difference then sure it's worth it, again I've never played BS though so I can't say for sure what it adds to the original, a few things like shadows seems a bit odd as a major expansion feature though I gotta say..

By that logic however are you not buying the same game when you purchase OFP and the Arma's? They add new things sure but at the core they are the same game are they not?

BS adds nothing new. It's basically just the compatibility patch for A10. BI brought more new adds for free than ED does in its payware patches. It started back in 2007 when the FC1 1.13 patch was made into FC2.0

Think of it...soon after DCS:F16 (or what ever) you will have to buy DCS:A-10 2.0 and DCS:Black Shark 3.0 to have them compatible again. They already did it with FC2.0 and now with BS2.0.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Beagle

[max power 21]

I like BIS's philosophy of asking you to pay for content expansions but giving you patch improvements. It might be different for ED because they have so much complexity in one system. The helicopter alone must be a game and a half. Still, that's no consolation to the people who are paying for an update. If they have a new campaign or whatever I think it's more worth it than if you are paying for an exe and shader update.

[Tonci87 163]

There is a new campaign, but I still don´t think it is worth the price

[Beagle 684]

There is a new campaign, but I still don´t think it is worth the price

You don't buy ED games for the campaing...the most campaigns do not even work. IN fact ED campaigne always sucked...even Falcon4.0 autogenerated campaign was better.

The best campaign in Sims was with Enemy Engaged Series so far.

[nodunit 397]

Mmm I see, well I certainly don't blame you for for being upset at their decision.

That said I agree Max, BI's methods make it difficult to wear the fanboy banner with shame.

[hellfire257 3]

I used to like ED but now I'm starting to think again.

First it was FC 1.13 turning into FC2.

Then it was A-10C's release being buggier than the beta versions I'd played.

Then it was the internet for LAN crap sneaked into the RC of A10 without anyone being told.

Now this, and the addition of the aforementioned LAN & internet bullshit into BS2, again without mentioning it.

The fact that one of the moderators on their forum is such a condescending $%^ doesn't help my opinions either. It's just been disappointment after disappointment for me, and I don't think I want to support them any more.

[Tonci87 163]

I bet they think that theycan get away with it because there are no alternatives

[Beagle 684]

I bet they think that theycan get away with it because there are no alternatives

There are alternatives. Flaming Cliffs 2 and the compatible DCS:Blackshark are still running pretty well.

For the online crowd the "update" is indeed only grass Layer and overdone HDR bloom...and new bugs.

I think I will have a Look at Cliffs of Dover too...give it a one or two patches and it will be playable too.

Here is a discussion excerpt from ED Forums that summarized why the BS2 sucks...With BS2 any support for BS1 stops.

Cowboy10uk

Please don't take this as a complaint, it is just a question, But am I right in assuming that now you have released BS2, that unless we pay for that upgrade, those of us who are flying BS 1.02 will NOT see a patch to fix these issues.

I'm not asking about a10 compatability or even an upgrade to the graphics, but simply asking will I be able to get my original BS bugs fixed as requested.

Cowboy10uk

__________________

Nate--IRL--

ED Testers Team

Yes, that seems to be the case.

Nate

Edited November 3, 2011 by Beagle

[Tonci87 163]

nice...

there have been so many bugs in 1.02 that wont get fixed unless you don't pay for BS2

[Beagle 684]

nice...

there have been so many bugs in 1.02 that wont get fixed unless you don't pay for BS2

ED has labeled it "payware update" officially today ;) and when I asked about what will happen after next DCS:module the answer was..."It means he can't comment"

In other words, this "payware upgrade" game will go on until the river is dry.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Beagle

[bangtail 0]

Yup, ED is off my list tbh. I bought BS '2.0' thinking it was a totally revamped and upgraded product only to find out it is essentially a patch for a product I already paid for.

It was my own fault for not doing the requisite amount of research but you can't keep charging people for the same game over and over again and this seems to be the direction they have chosen.

[Beagle 684]

Yup, ED is off my list tbh. I bought BS '2.0' thinking it was a totally revamped and upgraded product only to find out it is essentially a patch for a product I already paid for.

It was my own fault for not doing the requisite amount of research but you can't keep charging people for the same game over and over again and this seems to be the direction they have chosen.

Well if you own DCS:A-10 you did indeed already payed for it (59€ boxed) there is nothing really new in BS2. I wil call this the "russian software business model" from now on.

The best part is that in the russian part of the ED forum this "business plan" was well know and announced for weeks.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Beagle

[jblackrupert 14]

The flight sim scene is full of so much greed it's not even funny but it's still only second to the Train sims.

[bangtail 0]

Well if you own DCS:A-10 you did indeed already payed for it (59€ boxed) there is nothing really new in BS2. I wil call this the "russian software business model" from now on.

The best part is that in the russian part of the ED forum this "business plan" was well know and announced for weeks.

Yah, I do own A-10 and I generally like ED's games but paying for things I already own is much the same as DLC for me, I'm not interested.

Release the game, charge me a fair price and I'm happy. Release an expansion 6 months or more after release and I am still happy.

These days it's 'release the game', 'release DLC 24 hours after the game' and then 'bronze edition, silver edition, platinum edition and 2.0 etc'.

It's all about getting people's money now with no consideration for anything else and it's sad to see ED go down that road.