Heatblur Q1 2020 update

[Phantom88]

https://i.imgur.com/X99h4Of.jpg
Heatblur F-14 - Q1 Mini-Update
https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=261472

Dear All,
Greetings to you all in 2020. We’ve had an amazing year in 2019 at Heatblur, which saw the launch of the F-14! We still can’t believe it - and all of it has been thanks to all of you, who have supported us throughout development and beyond. Thank you for a wonderful year!
2019 was no doubt a hectic year for the team. Not only with the launch of the F-14 itself, but with the post-launch roadmap, and trying to squeeze in as many improvements over the course of the year as possible. While we’re proud of what we’ve achieved and the state that the F-14 launched in, we had a number of unfortunate and significant misses towards the tail end of the year. These include:


The launch of the Forrestal
The launch of AIM-54 improvements and TWS-A
The launch of crew-position overhauls
Launch of JESTER LANTIRN
…a few other more minor bits and bobs

While there are numerous causes for these features being delayed, the primary reason has been the interwoven and difficult nature of some of these additions.
Both AIM-54 additions and TWS-A were developed together, in one leading edge development branch that was very close to launch last year.
Unfortunately, we suffered a large setback with the new missile API in DCS not working as intended in Multiplayer.
Decoupling all of the features that were to launch combined together proved an insurmountable task, and we hectically backtracked and pushed stripped down builds of the F-14 in the last patches of 2019.
These kinds of issues are frustrating to deal with. We’re now working to decouple the features that are working properly from each other and begin to get the rollout of the above features back on track.
We’ve also involved our partners at Eagle Dynamics with regards to the missile API, but we unfortunately cannot offer any ETA on the AIM-54 changes and associated system issues.
Our current major efforts are focused almost exclusively on the above, and we intend to begin shipping features throughout Q1.
We’ll soon be coming up on the 1 year anniversary of the launch of the F-14; and we intend it to be a year of product improvements that we can stand behind and are proud of.
Beyond that; we do not want to see a second Tomcat anniversary without a completed product.
As an addendum, for the first time in a long time, we decided to take some quality time off from development over the holidays.
We haven’t properly done so in many years; and approaching 2020 in a recharged state will allow us to more effectively deliver on our roadmap.
Stay tuned for more information soon. We’ll also be starting to discuss the F-14A much more thoroughly as we steam through Q1.
Sincerely,
Heatblur F-14 Team
https://forums.eagle.ru/images/statusicon/wol_error.gif This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 2200x665.
https://i.imgur.com/T659fSB.jpg
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(https://i.imgur.com/T659fSB.jpg)

[Phantom88]

Update
https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=285634
" Dear All,
The team is currently focused and very busy with completing some of the biggest features we’ve ever shipped; the F-14A, Forrestal, A-6 and Campaigns.
The F-14A will release with an undetermined list of additional features in the October DCS patch.
The latest changelogs for the F-14 have been anemic due to our insistence and prioritization of new feature branches, and we look forward to showing you more about what kinds of upgrades we’ve done to various aircraft systems along the way!
Since those updates will focus more on new features, we figured we’d just drop a quick, non-exhaustive list of major, priority issues that we’re working on.
We know that several of these are frustrating and common annoyances (especially in Multiplayer!) and since we’ll be speaking almost exclusively about new features, we want to make sure that you all know that these issues are not, nor will they be forgotten.
Some of our priority issues as of today include:



Aim-54 Phoenix API changes and guidance behavior


This is a big one; and requires more support from ED to fully solve. Bear with us a while longer as we continue the conversation with Eagle on making sure this gets done appropriately.


Jester getting stuck in TWS-A
Jester unable to return to RWS
Jester getting stuck in RWS after TWS-Auto
General TWS-Auto issues (desync, track loss, etc., where actual bugs exist)
Adding Radar mode selection options for Jester
Jester IFF improvements
Jester STT Target selection and prioritization
Wind heading/speed calculation issues when dropping bombs under very specific circumstances (investigation in progress!)
TCS slave to radar for human RIO
Missing Mak-79 racks
LAU-138 on outboard station & missing textures on lower station
Right Engine not starting after damage and respawn (this one is incredibly difficult to fix - we will continue investigating!)
Hook animation changes and damage model (as well as associated physics, hook skip bolter, etc.)
Continued damage model refinement (unkillable pilot, more visual changes)
Repair not working correctly for certain items (like collapsed gear)
Ground and Taxi behaviour issues
Hundreds of small(er) issues!

With the launch of the -A and thus taking a giant leap towards feature complete status, we will turn our attention to improving existing systems as we continue to refine and complete the aircraft.
Stay tuned as we begin discussing the sweeping changes to the F-14 coming in October next week!
Thanks as always for your support, we’re cognizant of our gaps and where we must work harder, and we hope we will reward your patience through the continued release of quality work.
Sincerely,
HB"

[Phantom88]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yvtXJSZeFY

[Phantom88]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocSoAT2RaH8

[Mach3DS]

From HB:

https://i.imgur.com/emF9okp.jpg

DCS: F-14 Development Update

Dear All,

We’re super excited here at Heatblur: we’re about to finally launch the F-14A, arguably the biggest feature update to the F-14 since launch day, and a massive chunk of work in flight and systems modeling.
Together with several other new features, we’re starting to solidify our goals in pulling the F-14 across the finish line by the 2 year release anniversary!

The F-14A will go live on November 18th, together with a complete sound overhaul, full campaign for the -B Tomcat, and plenty of other new features, improvements and QoL changes.

Sincere apologies to all of you hoping to fly the -A tomorrow! Due to October’s patch schedule, we decided to introduce additional changes and features in this major update, but in doing so, we did introduce just enough serious issues to miss the cutoff for the 4th. We’re working hard with our SMEs, testing team and everyone involved to ensure a smooth first launch of the F-14A-135-GR. The 18th patch is an interim patch, and one which Eagle Dynamics has graciously worked into their roadmap in order to accommodate our rollout. Thank you to our partners at ED for the assistance and working to pen this release in, especially outside of their planned schedule.

Let’s jump in-depth and elaborate on what we’re actually including in this major update and what to expect on November 18th.
We’ve been very focused on the execution and completion of major features still missing from the Tomcat, and this update will be the first in a series of major updates that will bring us to a full release status next year.
If our initial launch was a version 0.8; this is very much a 0.85, with 0.9, 0.95 and 1.0 to follow through March 2021. A lot of development threads are finally converging, and that means an exciting time ahead.

F-14A Tomcat

http://media.heatblur.se/Nozzles_B.gif

The F-14 has been a huge undertaking for the team and a challenging experience. That’s the tldr; and simultaneously, the understatement of the year. :semi-twins:

In case you missed our previous post about the F-14A’s TF-30 engine, you can read it here (https://forums.eagle.ru/forum/english/licensed-third-party-projects/heatblur-simulations/dcs-f-14a-b/270380-q1e-development-update).
It’s well worth a read to understand the complexity behind the -A, even on a basic FM and simulation level.

Since that time, the TF-30’s performance and compressor stall models have been undergoing constant improvement and tuning based on pilot SME feedback.
This process is on-going, and will continue through the next few months. The pace of SME feedback and change turnaround has started to increase as we near nailing the feel, response and performance of the TF-30, and we expect this tuning to be done by the end of the year.

This engine tuning has been conducted in parallel with more airframe performance and handling tuning now that our primary SME (who exclusively flew the F-14A) has had enough stick time in our F-14A to be able to give us more precise feedback at a fine level of detail. We keep repeating this; but our SMEs are an invaluable part of our development process, and we are continually in awe of their commitment and passion in helping us.
In addition to model tuning, several new features have been added to assist in flying the F-14A specifically:


Optional Afterburner Gate Keybinds will allow pilots to keep their throttles right at the MIL stop to help avoid compressor stalls - this will hopefully alleviate some of the “feel” lost virtually!
TF-30 Mid Compression Bypass Circuit Breaker will allow pilots to disable the TF30’s MCB circuit, which may give extra thrust in some conditions, but at the cost of stability. The real life viability of this tactic is in question, however we’re providing it as-is and in accordance with technical specifications. Use with care!
External engine fire and compressor stall animations (synced over network) - All progressive fire, damage and other effects are now properly synchronized across the network and you can see your wingmen struggling with their engine issues as they happen.
Fire Shutoff Handles + Fire Suppression System - shut down an engine fire before it becomes a problem (this will not always be successful!) This system is a one-time use system, not once-per-engine!



As we’ve continued along our journey in building the most common and certainly the most iconic variant of the Tomcat around; we’ve continually re-evaluated what our goals are with shipping the -A and what we want to achieve. Based on this process, we’ve ended up at expanding our original scope, and we’ll be shipping the following F-14A variants in the coming months:


F-14A-95-GR: Early F-14A for IRIAF. These jets will have certain limitations and modifications, such as the lack of TCS and fuel pylons.
F-14A-135-GR (Early): This will be an earlier representation of the F-14A, equipped with the ALR-45 RWR and will also come with a number of minor variations such as early gun vents, alternate de-fog systems, and other minor differences between late and early ALR-45 equipped F-14A’s.
F-14A-135-GR (Late): This version represents a later, ALR-67 equipped F-14A.

November 18th will see the release of ALR-67 equipped F-14A-135-GR. While this represents a closer analogue to the current F-14B, it also allows us to roll out the F-14A in a controlled, stepwise process. The ALR-45 equipped F-14A will not be far behind, which will not only introduce more significant changes in cockpit avionics, but also implement the full overhaul of RWR and EM spectrum emissions upgrades planned for both the ALR-67 and ALR-45. See more details on that here. Investment into core technologies such as robust RWR simulation pays dividends in future products, and getting it just right the first time around is critical to modularity and reusability.

With these three distinct eras of the F-14A, we hope to accurately represent a wide cross-section of the F-14A’s operational life. Some of these additions, changes and limitations will be implemented through mission editor or special options menus. We hope to provide a substantial level of customizability to account for many of the differences found, on even a jet to jet basis. Some of these include, across the three variants:


Removal of fuel pylons
Bullet fairing for TCS
ALQ instead of TCS (IRIAF 95-GR)
Early Gun vent / plate
Fuselage RIO step strengthener panel (optional)
Alternate front windscreen defogger array
Early duck-tail
ALQ-/ECM bulges
MBU-7/p Mask
MS22001 Mask
HGU-55 Pilots (in lieu of HGU-33)

We genuinely hope you’ll enjoy flying the F-14A come the 18th, and we greatly look forward to your feedback, stories and impressions!

Sound Overhaul

We’ve performed a full overhaul of the F-14’s exterior soundset, both for the F-14B and in preparation for the F-14A. Hopefully you’ve all seen (and enjoyed!) the video above. Primarily, we’ve focused on both making the sound much more authentic, but alleviating some of the common and severe issues caused by mismatched sound samples and gain levels. We’ve also expanded the interior soundscape, especially for the F-14A through the addition of new compressor stall sounds, afterburner zone thumps and additional sound cues for throttle positioning.

In summary, these are some of the main changes and improvements we’ve made:


Added new rear aspect exhaust sounds for both low and high power levels, with transition zones in between
New intake sounds, based on real F-14B and F-14A sound samples, refined and positioned correctly for each engine. Additional new intake sounds are now blended in at high power settings
New afterburner sounds at medium and long distances, for appropriate thunderous crackle and roar
New fly-by oriented sounds, especially in the front quadrant.
New engine fan blade rattle sound (slow windmilling speeds) - you’ll now hear the engines windmilling and clattering if wind conditions are appropriate.
AB Zone lighting thumps (internal) - especially audible for each zone in the F-14A.
New compressor stall sounds, both externally and internally. Especially important for the F-14A!
Tuned all engine sounds throughout RPM ranges, especially startup and shutdown.
Adjusted all sdef files to improve directional sound and audible distances. This should solve issues such as the aircraft being heard from much too far away, especially at low RPMs.
Complete overhaul of audio driver logic - across all RPM ranges, speeds, and more.

Enjoy this startup video to get a better idea of the soundscape of an F-14B starting up on the ramp!


F-14B Campaign: Operation Reforger – The Iron HeelThis update will introduce one of our two main campaigns shipping with the F-14; namely the F-14B campaign set in the Caucasus theatre!
We’ve been hopefully tiding you over through single player content in the form of missions and over 50 instant action scenarios, and it’s now going to be time to put your skills to the test.

The F-14B campaign consists of 10 missions, including:


10 fully-voiced missions testing the player’s skills, from Carrier Quals, to CAP, Air-to-Air refueling, MiGCAP and fighter sweep, intercepts, navigation, endurance flights, emergency handling and the hunt for an invisible enemy.
Carrier based operations from USS Stennis (replaced by the USS Forrestal in the next major patch)
A story following a close “what could have happened scenario” - fully voice acted
Realistic warfare that is focused on containing conflict escalation.
A supercarrier compatible version that will be published shortly after its initial release.
A Co-Op version, playable together as pilot-rio or as a two-ship!

The year is 1990. Russia is struggling during a time of severe grain shortage and economic crisis, Gorbachev’s policies of “glasnost” and “perestrojka” seem to be failing, while support for the president is wavering. When elections go wrong and leave Russia’s leader weaker than ever before, more and more Soviet succession states in the East Bloc are accepting Western help to overcome their economic woes, in return for a reduced influence of Soviet power. This leads to members of the Central Committee and the Politburo pointing their focus towards Gennady Yanayev, so far Gorbachev’s Vice president, but with very opposing views to him: he advocates a strong centralized government to deal with the crisis, which eventually will see him replacing Gorbachev as the new president by May 1st, 1990.

His first objective after obtaining power is to immediately secure the Soviet succession particularly in the former Soviet Satellite states, also endangering the German Unification process: unless all four occupying forces give their consent, Germany cannot re-unify. Yanayev refuses to let East Germany go and in fact he orders Russian troops from the center of the Soviet Union (Odessa and Transcaucasus military districts) to Western Europe and borders with the recently fallen Iron curtain. When tensions rise and an East German protest marching on the Headquarters of Western Group Forces (WGF - Soviet military in East Germany) is put down by brutal force, leaving several hundred dead, West Germany strikes Russian positions in East Germany, notifying their closest allies, Great Britain and the US.


Yaw Stringhttp://media.heatblur.se/Sec3.gif

Not much to say. We love this. Hope you will too! Coming for both F-14A and -B.


Other Changes & Full Preliminary ChangelogWhile the major features above are the core focus for this F-14 patch and development update, we’ve also made significant improvements, QoL changes and other fixes across the product as a whole.
The online manual is currently being revised to include the F-14A in the variants listed above as we ship them, and each update will go live with each variant of the aircraft.

In the past couple of weeks, we’ve also continued to interface with Eagle Dynamics on missile guidance and the associated API issues. ED has implemented a number of fixes which should hopefully lead to the solution required for the -54 to work appropriately. We are currently in the process of evaluating these DCS side changes but we believe there’s strong potential of including these AIM-54 guidance updates in the patch on the 18th!

Check out the full preliminary changelog for the 18th below:


NEW Added 10 mission F-14B Campaign (“Operation Reforger - The Iron Heel”)
NEW Added -A Model Tomcat (Late USN, ALR-67 Equipped Variant). New Systems and Changes include:
TF30 engine model, including:

Mid Compression Bypass Circuit
Mach Lever
Expanded compressor stall model
Hydromechanical fuel control
New thrust model
New engine spool dynamics
New afterburner model
Updated nozzle logic
New audio


Reshaped engine nacelles and added new nozzles
New Liveries for late F-14A-135-GR
NEW: Complete external sound overhaul (TF30 & F110). We’ve entirely overhauled the F-14’s exterior soundset, including the following changes:

New rear aspect exhaust sounds
New intake sounds
New afterburner sounds
New fly-by sounds
New engine fan blade rattle sound (slow windmilling speeds)
AB Zone lighting thump (internal)
Fixed stall warning tone + new audio sample (internal)
New compressor stall sounds
Tuned engine start and idle sounds
Adjusted all sdef files to improve directional sound and audible distance
Complete overhaul of audio driver logic on code side
Various other common sound fixes:

Sounds now load quicker
Tomcat is no longer unbearably loud at idle and at distance
Reduced total number of sound samples being played in external view



NEW Added simulated yaw string (A and B models)
NEW Fire Suppression System + keybinds
NEW Mid Compression Bypass Circuit Breaker keybind (F-14A only)
NEW Afterburner Gate option + keybind
NEW Jester Features:

JOKER callout
BINGO fuel callout


Fixed fuel shutoff handles not shutting down engines
Fixed engine stall/over temperature warning light logic
Added F-14A versions of Caucasus, PG and Syria Quickstart missions
Adjusted F-14B fuselage nacelle area for more roundness and visual fidelity
Adjusted afterburners to not show black streaks
Engine windmill speed now affected by relative wind direction
Adjusted F110 AB thrust below mach 0.7
Fixed crashes caused by visual effects during compressor stalls
Adjusted engine fire and compressor stall visual effects.
Engine fire and compressor stall effects now synced over the network
Adjusted pitch damping and pitch with power effects per SME comments
Adjusted inlet aerodynamic performance per SME comments
Adjusted subsonic airframe drag per SME comments
Fixed TF-30 oil overheating
Misc potential crash fixes in engine code
Updated F-14B Syria Take-Off Instant Action mission
Painted air brake pistons white
Allow AIM-7MH to loft, except when fired in ACM or boresight modes
Add CVN-75 to the data link capable carriers
Flood antenna identifies as missile lock instead of STT to targets now, for consistency with other DCS modules
Enable sparrow flood antenna if STT is lost while sparrow is in flight
Update RWR threat library version
Fix RWR symbols for HQ-7
Fix ARC-159 (pilot radio) keybinds for OFF/MAIN/BOTH/ADF
Fixed VF-11 Red Rippers (1997)/description.lua to remove problematic Spec Map
Adjust AIM-54 chaff resistance after latest ED changes
Add bindable input for pilot hydraulic hand pump
Use the DCS global gameplay option for hiding control stick
Fix typo in options dialog (butons->buttons)
Converted Bone Strike, Colorado River Time Trial, Debridging the River Ingur, Heatblurring the Lines, Kish Kat Attack, Protect the Viksburg, Rioni River Run, Seine River Endurance Run to F-14A compatible versions
Adjusted AIM-54 countermeasure resistance to revert to old ED System
Fixed TID STT strobe angle error when not flying level
Potentially fixed a case where TWS AIM-54 could erroneously track a target not receiving recent radar returns
Prevent RIO from using Pilot Controls from backseat.
Fixed steering tee not displayed in weapon off mode.
Fixed detached wing not disappearing in LoD1+
Fixed Pilots not disappearing (due to various causes) in LoD1+
Shifted pilot stick neutral position slightly aft
Adjusted flap jamming logic per SME feedback

https://i.imgur.com/Yx5wnqf.jpg

Next UpdatesContinuing past the 18th of November, we will continue to focus our efforts on implementing SME feedback across the F-14A launch and beyond, while concurrently executing on the next major features on our roadmap to 1.0. We’ve repeated these ad nauseum, so we’ll spare you the entire bulleted list; but things like JESTER Lantirn, Forrestal and A-6 remain top priorities, and we greatly look forward to sharing more.

That said, however, we’ll be focusing on the following items for the next major patch later this winter:


Forrestal Class initial release
USN F-14A-135-GR (early) with ALR-45
IRIAF F-14A-95-GR with ALR-45, no TCS, no tanks
Refinement of F-14A based on release feedback
In-cockpit VR pilots

In summary, we’ll continue the F-14A rollout with the expanded variants listed above through shipping the ALR-45 equipped F-14A, and capping things off with the early IRIAF F-14A for RedFor in a final update.
We’ll continue to ship medium-tier improvements such as the sound overhaul and yaw string in parallel to the major milestone features.




As always, thanks for your support - enjoy the F-14A and please share your thoughts with us once you’ve stalled out a few times! We can’t wait to hear what you think!

Overall, we look forward to ending this year on a high note, with a clear path to full release come early 2021 and the journey towards excellent product sustainment and the next generation of Heatblur titles, based on all of our combined experience and robust technological foundation.

Sincerely,
HB

https://i.imgur.com/n6IYT6T.jpeg

[Phantom88]

Thanks for the update Rick....This is going to be a Looooooonnnnnggggggg 2 weeks!!!:mixed-smiley-027:

[Mach3DS]

I know!!!!! The resident Tomcat -A pilot over on the DCS Forums (who's a SME for HB) has said they they got it modeled so well that he's having nightmares again about flying it. Said it's bring flashbacks to him both while flying and when not flying! So this is THE simulation benchmark. IMHO. I don't think any other single module, for any platform as the detail or accuracy as this one does. Can't wait to fly it.

[Phantom88]

I know!!!!! The resident Tomcat -A pilot over on the DCS Forums (who's a SME for HB) has said they they got it modeled so well that he's having nightmares again about flying it. Said it's bring flashbacks to him both while flying and when not flying! So this is THE simulation benchmark. IMHO. I don't think any other single module, for any platform as the detail or accuracy as this one does. Can't wait to fly it.

WOW!! That should tell us something!!! Thx for this neat info!!

[StormILM]

Yeah, if they got the engine coding correct, you're going to here a LOT of whining from people who suffer repeated compressor stalls and flameouts from excessive yaw and/or mismanaging the throttles. They will especially lose their minds trying to approach and trap! :biggrin-new:

[Mach3DS]

I can't wait. Especially for the whiners that will say it's too hard to fly blah blah blah. Welcome to reality kids. Storm according to Victory, he says the engines are spot on.

[Phantom88]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTWSu4Uxsd4&t=3s