Lock on: modern air combat

[shadow 6]

In my case I am right. I only fly the Hog

So for me that expansion-pack is just a patch that is'nt free. In wich case I ain't buying it (unless Eagle change their mind and add a plane I give a rats ass about...unlikely).

[Taconic 0]

Have you guys seen the videos showing of the new physics for the Su-25 in the Add-On? If not take a look here: http://forum.lockon.ru/viewtopic.php?t=1985

It looks great IMO.

That's how the physics should have been in the first place... It's a shame that they're (apparently) only being applied to a single aircraft.

I could never get into LOMAC because it just felt so half-assed when compared to Il-2. It felt like taking a step back a few generations even though it was a newer product. The overly simplistic damage models were a large part of that.

[Tovarish 0]

In my case I am right. I only fly the Hog

So for me that expansion-pack is just a patch that is'nt free. In wich case I ain't buying it (unless Eagle change their mind and add a plane I give a rats ass about...unlikely).

Meh, they can't please everyone ;). I was a fan of this series from the Flanker 1.0 demo, so the U.S. Aircraft are pretty much a bonus to me (And for Lo-Mac, ED spent much more time creating the F-15 and A-10 avionics than they did refining those of the MiG-29 Su-27 - those refinements are coming in this addon). I'm a bit surprized that now I prefer the MiG over the Su-27, it just feels much more nimble, and having half as much fuel, and an RWR that detects threats long before the radar does just makes it more fun and challenging.

As for the content (or lack of) in this addon, blame Ubi, not ED. Ubi really dropped the ball here, which I think is very strange (just look at all the support they've given IL-2). Ubi is not interested in distributing any more addons for Lo-Mac, so ED can only distribute in Russia and over the net. Thus, it looks to them like the Western market for Lo-Mac is pretty much dead.

That might be changed by:

-community pressure on Ubi (doesn't seem to have worked)

-Keep pestering ED to make that F-18 flyable - show them there's a market in the west.

-If enough people on this side of the Atlantic buy the 1.1 addon, they might see there's a market, and will have revenues to concentrate on what those people want next.

[shadow 6]

ED has already said an F-18 will not be made as an expansion for LOMAC. It will most likely be part of their next standalone product, they said.

Here's another reason why I think they really don't care for the non-russians; they are working on a KA-50 expansion for LOMAC. Everyone knows the Apache is more known and would sell alot more.

[kegetys 2]

Everyone knows the Apache is more known and would sell alot more.  

In Russia? ED only has distributing rights to Russian market for Lomac addons.

[Tovarish 0]

Here's another reason why I think they really don't care for the non-russians; they are working on a KA-50 expansion for LOMAC. Everyone knows the Apache is more known and would sell alot more.

I've given you the reason they "don't care" for non Russians, their publisher here has ditched them, so they don't see much chance of significant sales.

As for the choice of Ka-50 over AH-64, it makes perfect sense really, even if you ignore the marketability issues. First off, how many twin seaters in Lo-Mac? None except for multiplayer-modded aircraft. The Ka-50 is a single seater, whereas the AH-64 is a twin seater, that alone complicates things greatly for them. Secondly, the Ka-50 uses the exact same targeting system as the Su-25T, and many of the same weapons.

[FSPilot 0]

If the physics were like that for all of the aircraft I'd reconsider this new patch, but if they're just for some new model of an already existing plane that I don't fly very often I don't think I'll be putting too much effort into this.

[shadow 6]

The Ka-50 is a single seater, whereas the AH-64 is a twin seater, that alone complicates things greatly for them.

The SU-39 (25T) is getting released before it. Unless I've read wrong, the 39 is a twin-seater (I don't know anything about russian aircrafts so I can't argue if its true or not).

Quote[/b] ]Secondly, the Ka-50 uses the exact same targeting system as the Su-25T, and many of the same weapons.

Sounds like a shortcut to me and not the amount of "changes" I would expect from an expansion-pack.

Compare the features of OFP 1.46 and 1.75.

Now thats a expansion-pack

Quote[/b] ]In Russia? ED only has distributing rights to Russian market for Lomac addons.

IIRC it will be sold online and made compatible with the Euro and US version of LOMAC, so I think it is indeed meant for the rest of the world too.

When I look back at how long it took them to make the two patches for LO-MAC and the state the game is in today, they probably are unable to make any significant content for "just an expansion-pack" without a year or two goes by before it is releaseable or even useable.

[hellfish6 7]

When did Ubi drop them? What happened? This is the first I've heard of this...

[S_Z 0]

The SU-39 (25T) is getting released before it. Unless I've read wrong, the 39 is a twin-seater (I don't know anything about russian aircrafts so I can't argue if its true or not).

no, its a single-seater.

About UBI no longer supports Lock-On, well nothing really happend. I guess they didn't think Lock-On was selling good enough to pay ED for an add-on. Its not like they broke a contract or something. ED has the right to do two add-ons for lock-on I believe but its not easy finding a publisher for military flight sims these days. Us non-russians will have to pay for it and download it from thier site. (http://www.lockon.ru/)

[Tovarish 0]

The Ka-50 is a single seater, whereas the AH-64 is a twin seater, that alone complicates things greatly for them.

The SU-39 (25T) is getting released before it. Unless I've read wrong, the 39 is a twin-seater (I don't know anything about russian aircrafts so I can't argue if its true or not).

You're confusing the Su-25T with the Su-25UB or Su-25UTB. The developers of Lo-Mac have stated they do not plan to attempt to make any twin seaters flyable.

Quote[/b] ]

Quote[/b] ]Secondly, the Ka-50 uses the exact same targeting system as the Su-25T, and many of the same weapons.

Sounds like a shortcut to me and not the amount of "changes" I would expect from an expansion-pack.

Compare the features of OFP 1.46 and 1.75.

Now thats a expansion-pack

Did Codemasters stop supporting BIS after the second patch? DId BIS need to implement realistic avionics and flight models in anything? Have they fixed the single gunner limitation or added Join in Progress? ED is now working to satisfy their most viable market - The Russian market. The Ka-50 is a popular choice amongst Russians, some if it's main systems are already implemented, so adding it is a no brainer. Furthermore, how many realistic military chopper sims have come out in the last few years?

Quote[/b] ]

Quote[/b] ]In Russia? ED only has distributing rights to Russian market for Lomac addons.

IIRC it will be sold online and made compatible with the Euro and US version of LOMAC, so I think it is indeed meant for the rest of the world too.

And IMHO, we should consider ourselves lucky. Do you think they are going to get a lot of sales from downloading? How many games do you know of that were successful without them being in stores? Hell, I'd LIKE to buy it, but with dialup, I don't think I can.

Quote[/b] ]

When I look back at how long it took them to make the two patches for LO-MAC and the state the game is in today, they probably are unable to make any significant content for "just an expansion-pack" without a year or two goes by before it is releaseable or even useable.

I highly doubt 1.1 will take more than a month or two.

[shadow 6]

how many realistic military chopper sims have come out in the last few years?

For me having to choose between a KA-50 and nothing is'nt really a choice at all because they are both the same to me.

I don't understand russian, I have no interest in undertsanding russian and I have no technical interest in russian helicopters (partially because they are in a language I don't understand).

So do I feel left out regarding the helicopters? Yes.

Do I fell left out regarding the plane-addon? Most definitely yes.

Am I impressed with the amount of support given from UBI and ED? Hell no.

[Tovarish 0]

I don't understand russian, I have no interest in undertsanding russian and I have no technical interest in russian helicopters (partially because they are in a language I don't understand).

So do I feel left out regarding the helicopters? Yes.

Do I fell left out regarding the plane-addon? Most definitely yes.

...and yet you bought a sim from a Russian developer that has a decade long history of making sims featuring exclusively Russian aircraft - who this time decided to add in two American planes they felt had been long ignored by other developers, and you complain?   You seem to have bought the wrong sim, my man, but then again where would you get your Hog fix?

Quote[/b] ]Am I impressed with the amount of support given from UBI and ED? Hell no.

Given the fact that ED put the time into making the A-10 and F-15C flyable, aircraft that speak a language most of them don't understand, and that their bread-and-butter market has little to no interest in (All Russians really wanted was the addition of some missing avionics submodes and fixes in certain innacuracies - things that were greatly ignored in favour of the Western aircraft), I think you should be impressed. Besides, where else would you be flying your beloved Hog? In Falcon with F-16 avionics? In FS2004, A10 Cuba?  

[shadow 6]

...and yet you bought a sim from a Russian developer that has a decade long history of making sims featuring exclusively Russian aircraft - who this time decided to add in two American planes they felt had been long ignored by other developers, and you complain?   You seem to have bought the wrong sim, my man,...

Really?

Because I expect a game that is released to the whole world and is meant for the whole world to include Western aircrafts?

What does that have to do with the language difficulties of the developer? It does'nt seem to prevent any other non-english company to make games with english oriented products in it...

Quote[/b] ]I think you should be impressed.

I'm impressed when you get the same amount and type of aircrafts for both sides in the same game. Not 1 AG and 1 AA vs 1 AG, 2 AG/AA and 1 AA.

But thats just me

[Tovarish 0]

Quote[/b] ]

...and yet you bought a sim from a Russian developer that has a decade long history of making sims featuring exclusively Russian aircraft - who this time decided to add in two American planes they felt had been long ignored by other developers, and you complain? You seem to have bought the wrong sim, my man,...

Really?

Because I expect a game that is released to the whole world and is meant for the whole world to include Western aircrafts?

Uhhh, Flanker 1.0 and Flanker 2.0 both had success in the west and they only had Russian aircraft. Flanker 1.0 Just had the Su-27, Flanker 2.0 had the 27, the 33, and a MiG-29K.

Quote[/b] ]

Quote[/b] ]I think you should be impressed.

I'm impressed when you get the same amount and type of aircrafts for both sides in the same game. Not 1 AG and 1 AA vs 1 AG, 2 AG/AA and 1 AA.

But thats just me

How many realistic modern sims in the past 5 years or so have come close to accomplishing the number of highly modelled flyables Lo-Mac has? Let's see, the only one comparable is Falcon....and that has - an F-16 with highly modelled avionics, an A-10 with highly modelled F-16 avionics, an F-15 with highly modeled F-16 avionics, a MiG-29 with highly modelled F-16 avionics.... get the point? ANd let's not forget Falcon as released was all but unplayable...it took the source code being leaked and years of work by a highly talented and dedicated community to get it where it is today.

You simply ask too much, don't hold your breath for a sim with the variety and realism of Lo-Mac anytime soon.

[shadow 6]

All I really would have wanted is they could have removed say the SU-33 and add a US multi-role aircraft to compete against the MIG-29. And before you tell me the German MIG-29 is west; NO, I count all 3 MIGs as one plane.

[Tovarish 0]

All I really would have wanted is they could have removed say the SU-33 and add a US multi-role aircraft to compete against the MIG-29. And before you tell me the German MIG-29 is west; NO, I count all 3 MIGs as one plane.

If you bothered to fly them you'd notice quite a difference  

Hey, I wanted A US multirole too, preferably carrier capable , and it's a shame it's not happening, but considering the roots of this sim, and that their western publisher has abandoned the project, I don't see it as ED's fault that it's not happening.

You want the Su-33 removed? Why? Carrier ops are great, and it was flyable from Flanker 2.0 anyways, it hardly got worked on for this sim! Save the MiG-29, barely any of the Russian flyables got touched at all! As far as aircraft modeling, the bulk of the work done for this sim in the series was for the A-10 and the F-15C.

Anyways, off this topic, I'm working on a campaign for the MiG-29 (starting with the A and later transitioning to the S), and I've got the first mission fine tuned to the point where I think I can release it as a demo for anyone who cares:

Quote[/b] ]

SITUATION REPORT:

After the election of a nationalist government in The Ukraine six months ago, relations with Russia have quickly worsened. The Crimean Republican Party, which considers Nikita Kruschev's 1954 'gift' of the Crimean peninsula to The Ukraine as being void after the breakup of the USSR, has been outlawed as a terrorist organisation and its members have been ruthlessly prosecuted. This repression has spread towards anyone advocating close ties with Russia, as such persons are accused of being members of the CRP. Since many of those being targetted are ethnic Russians, many Russian citizens have been calling for military intervention.

Emboldened by a new military alliance with Georgia, good relations with the USA, and recent Russian defeats in Chechnya, The Ukraine has recently reverted to a stance of brinkmanship reminiscent of the early to mid 90's, demanding a full withdrawl of Russian forces in the Crimean. Currently, the Russian zone of control extends Southwards from Saki to the shore, and as far east as the city of Simferopol

The response from Moscow has been a threat to retake the Crimean Peninsula if The Ukraine acts to remove the Russian military from the region or if government sponsored hostility towards ethnic Russians is not put to an end.

To complicate matters, NATO has threatened to intervene if Russia attempts to annex the Crimean Peninsula.

All military assets in the region are on high alert...

MISSION:

This evening, a pro-Russian protest in the city of Feodosija has been brutally put down by the Ukranian military, and a group of desperate survivors has radioed our base asking for asylum. They are on the road to Simferopol and are being chased by  a small group of armoured vehicles

We can no longer sit idly, we must prevent a further massacre. The refugees should be nearing Staryj Krym. As we have no available strike aircraft that can reach them in time, this task falls to you. Time is short, so use full military power. You are to prevent the destruction of the refugee convoy. Look for the convoy and the APC's chasing it near your fourth waypoint. Destroy the APC's, but take care not to bomb any civilian vehicles! Two of the new "Humpback" MiG-29's from the 1038th Guards Regiment at Saki will provide air cover - Do not get drawn into air combat unecessarily!

We do not have an A-50 up since Moscow has been negotiating with Kiev and the Ukranians have demanded our aircraft in the region stay grounded. Fortunately, our intelligence reports that the Ukranian EWR is unoperational, so this operation should take them by surprize.

Good luck!

Download Campaign File Here

If anyone tries it let me know what you think. This is a difficult mission for several reasons:

1 - Need to get to target quickly

2 - Must manage your fuel wisely while maintaining top speed - and your wingman's too

3 - Nightime and small targets, must avoid hitting civilian traffic

4 - Ukranian CAP

5 - <Classified>

6 - <Classified>

Sometimes though,when the MiG-29S's covering you perform exceptionally well, the mission can be a milk run.

*edit* fixed broken link

[SKULLS_Viper 0]

Don't know if this link has been posted before, but Lock On has launched a new website for the add-on "LockOn: Flaming Cliffs"

http://lockon.ru/index.php?lang=en&end_pos=148&scr=home

[Tovarish 0]

looks nice but it's doubtful that I'll be getting it, dialup and all. The one thing I wish they'd release as a patch is this:

Quote[/b] ]Aircraft AI behavior was changed. Now AI planes with ground task will not be hunts for any SAM, having thrown the primary targets.

As it stands, it's a pain in the ass to create ground attack missions with SAMs...As soon as AI aircraft gets spiked, they go after the SAM site and forget all about their target. The only way to get around it is to use IR guided SAMs only, but those are somewhat limited in their performance.

[S_Z 0]

I will definitely get this add-on. I got an 8Mb connection so downloading it won’t be a problem. Looking forward to trying the advanced FM of the su-25 and the upgraded more authentic radar modes of the other Russian planes.

[shadow 6]

'bout time some new screenshots show up in this topic.

Did some air-fucking ,as Ex-Ronin likes to call it , a couple of weeks ago.  

I'm now no longer a refuiling-virgin   YaaaY

Also flew some last night with Ronin, Starvinmarvin and BRSSEB. BRSSEB have only flown this sims once before that so I think he did great. Here we are in a Echelon Left formation while Ronin (F15) is far ahead engaging bandits.

Any idea why my screenshots appear blurry?

They have been resized from 1280x1024, but they are blurry in that resolution too.

[cozza 24]

how have I missed buying this game. I love air combat games. I'm just a dopey gamer. I need to find my money, and a new joystick

[shadow 6]

how have I missed buying this game. I love air combat games. I'm just a dopey gamer. I need to find my money, and a new joystick

Hope you have a expensive cpu too because this game is very cpu-hungry.

I highly recomend getting a joystick with as many tophats as possible and the TrackIR for an amazing feel of freedom and situational awareness.

The game should be found in the bargain bin now.

[cozza 24]

Quote[/b] ]Hope you have a expensive cpu too because this game is very cpu-hungry.

that ends thats. Flashpoint has enough trouble running on my comp with all the setting down low

[Homefry 0]

Ah, Lo-mac... my favorite flight sim. And what I find really amazing is the flight demo teams that fly, awesome stuff.