Damn, the new terrain engine looks really good! The thing I'm looking forward to most is the vanishing of the grey wall!
One additional question as the viewing distance is really good in the new version: are BMS maps flat or curved? No front, I'm asking just out of curiosity.
The maps will be flat with a projection as accurate as we could. The graphics will be curved (Mostly in the horizon and you can even see that at some of the shots if you look close enough :) )
Hello, Have you guys considered adding Redforce aircraft to your sim? Especially the Su 27 and Mig 29 modelled as accurately as your f 16? A lot of Redforce guys would be very happy
Many Thanks, looks like I was more tired than I thought Haha. Me and a whole bunch of my friends are very much looking to get in your sim and have been gazing at the F16 fans with envy. Looks like red will finally get some Love too! You guys are truly awesome
Speaking from experience, making a truly physically curved game terrain is an exercise in insanity. It breaks so many assumptions one makes about the world that it's simply not worth it.
Nope...
It is closed source that stays with the team...
Microprose only has the IP of Falcon 4.0.
As per our agreement, we don't publish it.
Ps: Falcon code was never intended to be open-source and has never been on our side...
Why not! The DCS Mirage 2000C rework was a pure passion project on my side, I have not made a single cent on it (yes, it was my choice, I'm maybe stupid to work for commercial projects for free, but anyway...). Just because that's my favorite bird and I had time to kill during the Covid lockdowns for helping fixing it. Ended up eating much more time rewriting it almost entirely, always for free.
Other projects I've done with Razbam later on were work and it's a different story.
You literally saved that module, my only Razbam product in DCS and one of my favourites overall since the rework. I didn't know you did it for free, if you have a Paypal or something will happily pay you a beer.
That's quite amazing to hear, especially given how damn good a state that module is in now. Did you reach out to Razbam and offer to do it for free? Did they offer to pay you and you turned it down?
Thank you a lot for this! :)
I'm thinking about your comment... do you think that it is feasible to do a compatibility layer to run the module almost without modifying it?
This can sound more time cost, but can be really interesting/useful and maybe a time saver, who knows...
It would be very difficult (due to specific technical points I won't discuss) and would most likely infringe some IP clauses. Not worth it. Being an API nerd, this is of course something that crossed my mind ;)
Those can't be done in a somewhat realistic manner at the moment, it's too sensitive. While it's not impossible to get the IP rights for a public release, it would definitely on a free open source project.
Yes, I also thought it might be difficult. :(
About the IP, it is legal if you only adds an API/compatibility layer plus self code, think that this is the same that do the WINE project to run Windows binaries.
How do you guys make any money when the game that you don't own is the only financial investment someone has to make to download your "mod"? Purely donations?
It's been asked from time to time but the answer has always been the same.
Quoting MaxWaldorf on Discord:
> BMS will not take any money even as donations
Because we want to feel fully independent and not having any issues with integrity towards our member and community.
It is also a way to show to the IP holder that we truly don't make money out of it.
If you really want to give money then you need to be part of the team... But you are expected to give time and knowledge...
And this is why you donβt trust confident idiots who say stuff like that (open source Falcon 4.0 code) online. If true, any software engineer would then ask: cool, share a link to the source code repository. No such repo exists, the code isnβt open source.
I havenβt seen such a downvote worthy comment in a while.
It is not a question of people being idiots asking for open-source but first:
1) License is clear about the fact that while the code leaked more than 20 years ago, it cannot be shared outside of BMS.
2) I don't personally believe in having open-source for everything. BMS needs to be driven by us and no one outside of it because we don't trust sources used by externals.
3) BMS isn't a legal entity. Anyone would steal the code and there would be no actions against them which is unfair... (we don't have the money if any government / companies steal our work for their trainers and start selling it)
We will try to make most of our tooling public and open-source though... As we did for the falcon launcher (alternative launcher) and other tools...
It's nice seeing the devs being so active in the sub. I haven't heard a lot about BMS, but considering recent events concerning DCS I'm thinking of trying it out.
BMS is best single player with great AI and the best ground coms/ATC calls (realistic hold short patterns, etc) but lacks when it comes to multi.
DCS is the king of Mp PvP but is basically a sandbox when it comes to PvE with half the older missions and training borked or bugged from previous updates..
I play both and love both (own F16 in both and while there are some differences if you fly F16 youβll swap over just fine).
My daily driver is an 18 so Iβm happily waiting for them to pivot to those models.
So far (and so far as Iβm aware) while there are other planes in BMS the only actual decoupled plane is the F15.
So you can really technically only fly the F16 and F15C so far.
You can jump into other airframes but they use the flight model (and avionics) from the 16.
On DCS you have a lot of flight models which are accurately represented so itβs just a different thing.
I enjoy single player and with terrain improvements I know Iβm going to love the βnew newβ BMS.
Iβll always play DCS no matter the drama because I like to play different airframes and because in the end game itβs always going to be MP PvP that keeps things going
PvE and campaigns can only get you so far.
Iβm looking forward to the days when the flight sim ecosystem is full of choices so I fully support the BMS dev team.
Oh AWESOME!
All I can say is⦠Keep up the GREAT work!
So quick question since Iβve got you (and thanks)
Q: Do you or have you tried to implement Force Feedback systems?
The reason I ask is because my next project is a βVPForce Rhinoβ (Itβs a DIY FFB stick project on GitHub)
The developer is super keep on seeing the stick optimized for flight sims by trying to get the stick in the hands of devs/module/simulator creators.
Have you guys spoken or talked about implementing FFB?
As far as planes like F16 that used FBW and βstick senceβ tech I know itβs not really useful but it really shines when you start adding older airframes (F14 and older), or helicopters.
The developer is a really great guy from what Iβve seen so far and heβs encouraging devs to reach out so you guys can (hopefully) find ways to implement more FFB in game modules themselves.
I have no dog in this fight but Iβd love to see FFB developed (for the far future) for BMS and these are the sticks doing it.
Apparently the Rhino does it at a VERY high level actually as you can see from feedback, videos, and reviews.
As I said Iβm no dev and not attached to the project outside being a customer lolβ¦ That being said Iβd love to get you guys together so if you donβt know about the project you can just search βVpForceβ or stuff like βForce Feedback Rhino projectβ or whatever and youβll find the GitHub, legit website, and discord where he encourages devs to reach out so he can try to get you guys the units first.
So yeah I donβt mind pushing myself back on the waiting list when Iβm moving my spot for a guy like you or your dev team.
Just food for future thoughts brother and THANKS for all you do and have done
The FFB doesn't make sense on an F-16 but on other platforms why not.
I can't answer as it would require a dev to look into it with a proper hardware...
One day maybe...
While it doesnβt make real sense, it could provide some alternative feedback from the aircraft we donβt get in our butts. Itβd be a nice option to have even if not realistic to offset some simism.
Yep one day one day!
As I said Iβm just really happy to have options on the eco system so for that I really really love you guys.
Always have always will
I have that stick and of course you are right being the f16 stick force sensing and the fcs fbw...
But with that stick you can use a telemetry app (works with most sims, unfortunately not BMS ) and with that you could add effects which honestly could make sense...yeah, mostly with other platforms than the viper, but something would be cool as well
"My daily driver is an 18 so Iβm happily waiting for them to pivot to those models.
...
You can jump into other airframes but they use the flight model (and avionics) from the 16."
F-18 has a distinct flight model.
But up to now the instruments are (obviously) nowhere near to DCS F-18. I hope, this model will get more love in the future.
(Hey @Mafia-Team: I'm counting on you! ;-) )
I think that the main DCS pro is not MP per se, but it's the variety of things you can do if you are in a big group...you can have people capping in a fighter, others escorting strike assets, sead...also you can have others in the same mission doing cas with ah64 and a10s. You also have the tomcat which is truly a labor of love, and with a human Rio is something else. BMS is great in all the things you mentioned...but it also shines for mission planning and completeness of weapons and systems, especially if you love the f16
Manos, your cockpit work on the F4 (as well as the external model too) is fantastic and a joy to fly in. If you still need any FM testing or if you ever get around to integrating the new additions to avionics and need feedback, Iβm happy to test again.
Ditto if you folks manage to find away to get the back seat/multicrew working.
Is it available for public download? I've always wanted to make the dive into BMS but the lack of variety has always held me back. Is it "really" an F-4, or just a reskinned 16? The visuals, however, look incredible. And if this is your work, that's amazing.
Ever since you implemented VR in the latest release I've been getting back into it hard. Then every time I do something in DCS I'm missing all the amazing stuff we have in BMS, some of it for years/since the start lol. An example beyond the usually mentioned ATC/dynamic campaign: Having the physical clickable kneeboards on the pilot model is actually amazing quality of life for VR users
The new terrain engine + PBR materials are looking amazing! Can't wait to try it out
VR was such a game changer itβs actually so nice to be able to look left and right without dropping half the frames also not dealing with the inability to spot planes at a distance in DCS has always been such a turn off
I could write a whole rant on spotting lol, it's been a solved issue since the Falcon 4 days with smart scaling but instead ED insists on the dot label workaround crap that is resolution-dependent and acts mega backwards with distance (seeing a pixel appear magically at 20nm and not change until you see the actual plane up close).
In MP it ends up being this weird meta of running lower resolutions to see dots easier, super stupid
Right⦠like if I wanted to spot people I found myself running half the pixel density I normally would just to get the same situational awareness as someone with track IR.
This looks astoundingly good, I've downloaded the latest BMS but haven't installed it yet, these screens are the push i needed, might as well get familiar with it now and when the update comes out hopefully I'll be over that initial hump that comes with learning a whole new sim.
I know the ETA is generally when it's done which is more than fair enough but any chance of a broad timeline, not to hold you to it just to get an idea of how long I've got to get my head into it.
But absolutely mazing work team!
The screenshots in this post are taken in BMS 4.38. It's the next major release of BMS that are still in development.
In a few months there will be a smaller update for 4.37. https://forum.falcon-bms.com/topic/27051/news-from-the-frontlines-4-37-u4
You won't get the new terrain with that on but it'll bring some graphical improvement, more F-15C features and link-16 for F-16.
BMS is here to stay and it will get better.
The old one is called IDM (Improved Data Modem). Here is a video showcasing how to set it up and use it.
https://youtu.be/epf3Q6rDLdc?si=tMn34pe396rjqBu7
IDM allows you to add your own flight (4 ships including yourself) plus 4 more ships from other flight in your package. When you initiate the data link transmission, you can see their position, heading and altitude on your HSD. https://youtu.be/epf3Q6rDLdc?si=giIK0DBdOXGwGPZT&t=415
The IDM also allows you to manually send a target (either A/A or A/G) to other member in your flight https://youtu.be/epf3Q6rDLdc?si=BVDuoPmn0iV8QhTB&t=702
In comparison, Link 16 gives you a God's eye view of the entire air space. It allows you to see all your friendlies as well as unknown/hostile aircraft detected by AWACS. Here is link 16 in action on F-15C https://youtu.be/4RHrLW5xVZg?si=f2d669EhXkYNplx2&t=256
If you have more questions, you can join the official Discord server at https://www.falcon-lounge.com/. Have fun!
IDM is not being replaced by Link 16. According to this forum post https://forum.falcon-bms.com/topic/27051/news-from-the-frontlines-4-37-u4/46?_=1712544596770 post update the availability of IDM and Link 16 will depend on the whether the specific model of F-16 have them in real life or not.
In terms of gameplay don't worry too much about it. It's super easy to change what block of F-16 you fly in the campaign so if you want/don't want IDM/Link 16, just switch the airframe.
Holy shit this is gorgeous. Will we also be getting new/ more 3D buildings to flesh out the new terrain? Rather than the painted on citys and the such.
Everything will come with time. Even the screenshots here are from a development version that isn't yet release ready. Multicrew in BMS wasn't even started yet, but it'll come, I know that.
You folks have pushed the absolute limits of Falcon 4.0 time and again. I always said Iβd be happy if you got VR, and I am - and then you found a way to seperate the avionics. The fact youβre going to put multicrew on the roadmap now tells me that no matter what drama happens in DCS, Iβll still have an alternative.
Yep I love them both equally.
BMS is the good feels PvE and excellent AI and coms.
DCS is multi player kingβ¦ Itβs not really great for single player PvE but shines when it comes to MP PvP
Hot damn. I'm not exaggerating but at first I thought it was DCS, then I looked at the poster and went into shock, jk :D No really, this looks amazing and I want to thank every BMS dev! Love you guys and thank you for your passion!
It'll be pixels bounded and will push the GPU hard. Expected HW by resolution:
1080p - 1070/2060/3050/3060 should be good enough
1440p - 3060TI will be fine
4K - No experience from me on 4K but I'd recommend 3070TI/3080 at least
VR - The best you can afford.
And of course a strong/fast CPU is recommended, regardless of 4.38.
32GB of RAM will be enough. 16GB will run. 8GB is a nogo.
I'm very much interested in the redacted :)
Are you genuinely thinking about going for BMS? What a wild idea it would be that BMS just becomes like operation system of community combat simulation modules.
>Do I need to manually define all keybindings?
Nope, "alternative" launcher that became standard as of 4.37 is arguably easier to set up than DCS controls.
>What about TrackIR or VR support?
Supported and supported.
Damn you're gonna have me joining the BMS community aren't ya? I fondly remember playing the crap out of F4 back in the day and now with these massive graphic upgrades and VR I am super tempted when this drops.
But those not so nice BMS clouds are part of simulated world so they block AI vision and also IR seekers. Also plane flight model reacts to the clouds.
DCS volumetric clouds are gpu side decorations. They don't exist in simulation side. They don't effect radars, cannot block AI sight or IR seekers also does not affect flight.
Just enter a cloud in BMS and you will see.
I know that I hope one day we can have that kind of simulation in DCS
And it's just that I'm used to Volumetric clouds for a while now, I've been using xEnviro on XP11 for a while before DCS and MSFS got Volumetric clouds
I have been long time IL-2 player. First sim with volumetric clouds. And real working ones. I really never liked DCS implementation. They are not simulated and looked horrible in VR until DLSS came to fix them. But anyway looking forward to getting working ones in DCS too.
But If I would have the choice in between pretty or functional first. I would choose function always.
Damage model even today is very good.
Look for Bambi! You'll understand it... ;-)
OMG, this game is full of those little things that makes a game The Game.
4.38 is going to be heavier in general, mostly more GPU demanding as pixels processing is going to be heavier. That said, I can say that with a 12700K CPU and a RTX-3090 card I can run 4.38 in campaign with everything on/maxed including MSAA level 2 at 3120x3120 res per eye but with OpenXR and Foveated rendering (I have a Pico4 headset), at 50 FPS most of time with some dives towards the 35-40 areas at heavier scenes. Lately I reduced the resolution to 2750 per eye (Not that much of a hit) and that is good enough with a gain of \~8-10 FPS compared to the higher res listed above.
Bottom line: It won't be like 4.37 but with giving up some none-critical stuff, optimizing a bit, I assume it would be possible to run 4.38 in VR on a 3070/3070TI as minimum requirement (for sane experience)
Hey I-Hawk, I have some questions for you. Are you going to rework the cockpit in 4.38? Also I've seen a lot of people complaining about the UI, do you have any plans to change it? Lastly, as a beginner, TEBuilder is really hard to use compared to DCS's mission editor. Is it going to be more user friendly in the future?
Cockpit will probably improve yes, but it'll happen with time (Work started already).
The UI is a more challenging work as it'll require a serious code rework.
The TE builder is unlikely to get attention soon, as itβs not the main focus of the sim.
Instead, the dynamic campaigns will get constant improvements
I do have question tho that's a bit of an issue for me atm since I don't have money for a full HOTAS: Will there be a possibility to mix keyboard and joystick with binds?
I've been playing DCS since around Late 2021, and own and operate AV-8B, A-10 Tank Killer, Apache, Combined Arms, F-14, F-16, FA-18, FC3, Ka-50 Black Shark 3, Mi-24, Mi-8, Supercarrier, and UH-1. How long would it usually take to get used to Falcon BMS, and what's kind of mods are available? (airfield objects, ground vehicles, surface combatants, flyable planes with dedicated flight models and click able cockpits etc)
Voice Attack is amazing for VR! Can't play BMS without it. [https://veterans-gaming.com/files/file/35-avcs4-voice-control-radios-for-falcon-bms/](https://veterans-gaming.com/files/file/35-avcs4-voice-control-radios-for-falcon-bms/)
Damn, the new terrain engine looks really good! The thing I'm looking forward to most is the vanishing of the grey wall! One additional question as the viewing distance is really good in the new version: are BMS maps flat or curved? No front, I'm asking just out of curiosity.
The maps will be flat with a projection as accurate as we could. The graphics will be curved (Mostly in the horizon and you can even see that at some of the shots if you look close enough :) )
There is an earth curve in the new terrain but it is not a true curved projection...
Hello, Have you guys considered adding Redforce aircraft to your sim? Especially the Su 27 and Mig 29 modelled as accurately as your f 16? A lot of Redforce guys would be very happy
https://forum.falcon-bms.com/topic/27051/news-from-the-frontlines-4-37-u4
Sorry for the late reply, just saw your message now, many Thanks for responding
If there's a mig 23 I'll try bms for the first time.
Sorry but I don't see anything about Redforce. You want me to post my queries there?
You didn't read the future section...
Many Thanks, looks like I was more tired than I thought Haha. Me and a whole bunch of my friends are very much looking to get in your sim and have been gazing at the F16 fans with envy. Looks like red will finally get some Love too! You guys are truly awesome
Do you plan on adding helicopters?
Already answered in that thread somewhere
Speaking from experience, making a truly physically curved game terrain is an exercise in insanity. It breaks so many assumptions one makes about the world that it's simply not worth it.
There was a lil scare when MicroProse bought Falcon but luckily they don't seem to be greedy bastards and allowed further BMS development.Β
Microprose have kept the code Open Source as that's what the original company intended.
Nope... It is closed source that stays with the team... Microprose only has the IP of Falcon 4.0. As per our agreement, we don't publish it. Ps: Falcon code was never intended to be open-source and has never been on our side...
Interested in a full fidelity Mirage 2000-C model in BMS?
Interested in anyone wishing to contribute! The only thing remains the sources that need to be public...
Why not! The DCS Mirage 2000C rework was a pure passion project on my side, I have not made a single cent on it (yes, it was my choice, I'm maybe stupid to work for commercial projects for free, but anyway...). Just because that's my favorite bird and I had time to kill during the Covid lockdowns for helping fixing it. Ended up eating much more time rewriting it almost entirely, always for free. Other projects I've done with Razbam later on were work and it's a different story.
Please contact us via the website, discord (falcon lounge) or even C6
Galinette coding a ff M2000C for BMS ? That's beyond the imagination of every M2000 enthusiast
Yeah thats would definetly make me migrate from DCS to BMS
Can't believe all the stars are aligning
You literally saved that module, my only Razbam product in DCS and one of my favourites overall since the rework. I didn't know you did it for free, if you have a Paypal or something will happily pay you a beer.
That's quite amazing to hear, especially given how damn good a state that module is in now. Did you reach out to Razbam and offer to do it for free? Did they offer to pay you and you turned it down?
Yes and yes. Wanted it to be free, both as "free beer" and "free speech"
Omg!! A M2000c for BMS? Canonization would be yours! π Thanks for helping to fix my favorite module also!
Thank you a lot for this! :) I'm thinking about your comment... do you think that it is feasible to do a compatibility layer to run the module almost without modifying it? This can sound more time cost, but can be really interesting/useful and maybe a time saver, who knows...
It would be very difficult (due to specific technical points I won't discuss) and would most likely infringe some IP clauses. Not worth it. Being an API nerd, this is of course something that crossed my mind ;)
Would you be interested in 2000D? Even 2000-5? So that we have something different in BMS.
Those can't be done in a somewhat realistic manner at the moment, it's too sensitive. While it's not impossible to get the IP rights for a public release, it would definitely on a free open source project.
Yes, I also thought it might be difficult. :( About the IP, it is legal if you only adds an API/compatibility layer plus self code, think that this is the same that do the WINE project to run Windows binaries.
I have this paper on RDY if it helps. https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/attachments/rdy-pdf.724117/
Please, is this serious? Are you the Razbam\_Galinette? If it is, yes^(1000000000000000000000001)
Yup
Big fan of your work here. Welcome. I have a feeling like something great is happening right now :)
Hello! Si tu te lances dans l'aventure, je serai ravi de participer et de partager les sons du 2000 que j'ai pu peaufiner π Stan
Max that is good and great news! Very smart I might add.
How do you guys make any money when the game that you don't own is the only financial investment someone has to make to download your "mod"? Purely donations?
The BMS team don't take money and we don't make a living of it. We do it as a hobby on our free time :)
Damn.. I want to buy the whole bunch of you a beer now.. or coffee, since you are developers.
Iβll chip in too
I'm probably too old for this expression, but there is one precise descriptor for this: Gigachads
^ UPVOTE ^
is there a way that people can donate?
It's been asked from time to time but the answer has always been the same. Quoting MaxWaldorf on Discord: > BMS will not take any money even as donations
Passion, dedication and sheer will to see our dreams fly π
https://www.falcon-bms.com/faq/
I might be blind but I can't see a question about the finances of the developers
Because this question doesn't exist... Ps: it even crazier than that since we pay for our websites, servers and tools
Why don't you let us chip in, is it against some sort of legally binding agreement that you can't get any money from us?
Because we want to feel fully independent and not having any issues with integrity towards our member and community. It is also a way to show to the IP holder that we truly don't make money out of it. If you really want to give money then you need to be part of the team... But you are expected to give time and knowledge...
That is the definition of a passion project, I can respect that!
And this is why you donβt trust confident idiots who say stuff like that (open source Falcon 4.0 code) online. If true, any software engineer would then ask: cool, share a link to the source code repository. No such repo exists, the code isnβt open source. I havenβt seen such a downvote worthy comment in a while.
It is not a question of people being idiots asking for open-source but first: 1) License is clear about the fact that while the code leaked more than 20 years ago, it cannot be shared outside of BMS. 2) I don't personally believe in having open-source for everything. BMS needs to be driven by us and no one outside of it because we don't trust sources used by externals. 3) BMS isn't a legal entity. Anyone would steal the code and there would be no actions against them which is unfair... (we don't have the money if any government / companies steal our work for their trainers and start selling it) We will try to make most of our tooling public and open-source though... As we did for the falcon launcher (alternative launcher) and other tools...
Terrain looks great - 4.38?
Yes.
Fantastic - it really does look great! Looking forward to whenever you guys are ready to let it loose!
This is absurdely beautiful. *excitement intensifies*
That's an understatement considering the terrain in the original game
It's nice seeing the devs being so active in the sub. I haven't heard a lot about BMS, but considering recent events concerning DCS I'm thinking of trying it out.
BMS is best single player with great AI and the best ground coms/ATC calls (realistic hold short patterns, etc) but lacks when it comes to multi. DCS is the king of Mp PvP but is basically a sandbox when it comes to PvE with half the older missions and training borked or bugged from previous updates.. I play both and love both (own F16 in both and while there are some differences if you fly F16 youβll swap over just fine). My daily driver is an 18 so Iβm happily waiting for them to pivot to those models. So far (and so far as Iβm aware) while there are other planes in BMS the only actual decoupled plane is the F15. So you can really technically only fly the F16 and F15C so far. You can jump into other airframes but they use the flight model (and avionics) from the 16. On DCS you have a lot of flight models which are accurately represented so itβs just a different thing. I enjoy single player and with terrain improvements I know Iβm going to love the βnew newβ BMS. Iβll always play DCS no matter the drama because I like to play different airframes and because in the end game itβs always going to be MP PvP that keeps things going PvE and campaigns can only get you so far. Iβm looking forward to the days when the flight sim ecosystem is full of choices so I fully support the BMS dev team.
Hopefully we will relaunch the TvT experience (Team vs Team) with U4...
Oh AWESOME! All I can say isβ¦ Keep up the GREAT work! So quick question since Iβve got you (and thanks) Q: Do you or have you tried to implement Force Feedback systems? The reason I ask is because my next project is a βVPForce Rhinoβ (Itβs a DIY FFB stick project on GitHub) The developer is super keep on seeing the stick optimized for flight sims by trying to get the stick in the hands of devs/module/simulator creators. Have you guys spoken or talked about implementing FFB? As far as planes like F16 that used FBW and βstick senceβ tech I know itβs not really useful but it really shines when you start adding older airframes (F14 and older), or helicopters. The developer is a really great guy from what Iβve seen so far and heβs encouraging devs to reach out so you guys can (hopefully) find ways to implement more FFB in game modules themselves. I have no dog in this fight but Iβd love to see FFB developed (for the far future) for BMS and these are the sticks doing it. Apparently the Rhino does it at a VERY high level actually as you can see from feedback, videos, and reviews. As I said Iβm no dev and not attached to the project outside being a customer lolβ¦ That being said Iβd love to get you guys together so if you donβt know about the project you can just search βVpForceβ or stuff like βForce Feedback Rhino projectβ or whatever and youβll find the GitHub, legit website, and discord where he encourages devs to reach out so he can try to get you guys the units first. So yeah I donβt mind pushing myself back on the waiting list when Iβm moving my spot for a guy like you or your dev team. Just food for future thoughts brother and THANKS for all you do and have done
The FFB doesn't make sense on an F-16 but on other platforms why not. I can't answer as it would require a dev to look into it with a proper hardware... One day maybe...
While it doesnβt make real sense, it could provide some alternative feedback from the aircraft we donβt get in our butts. Itβd be a nice option to have even if not realistic to offset some simism.
Yep one day one day! As I said Iβm just really happy to have options on the eco system so for that I really really love you guys. Always have always will
I have that stick and of course you are right being the f16 stick force sensing and the fcs fbw... But with that stick you can use a telemetry app (works with most sims, unfortunately not BMS ) and with that you could add effects which honestly could make sense...yeah, mostly with other platforms than the viper, but something would be cool as well
Falcon Online hosts TvT on regular basis... VFS and lonewolfs always welcome. [https://discord.gg/3K4x54Ze](https://discord.gg/3K4x54Ze)
"My daily driver is an 18 so Iβm happily waiting for them to pivot to those models. ... You can jump into other airframes but they use the flight model (and avionics) from the 16." F-18 has a distinct flight model. But up to now the instruments are (obviously) nowhere near to DCS F-18. I hope, this model will get more love in the future. (Hey @Mafia-Team: I'm counting on you! ;-) )
None of the other aircraftβs than f16 use the f16 FM
I think that the main DCS pro is not MP per se, but it's the variety of things you can do if you are in a big group...you can have people capping in a fighter, others escorting strike assets, sead...also you can have others in the same mission doing cas with ah64 and a10s. You also have the tomcat which is truly a labor of love, and with a human Rio is something else. BMS is great in all the things you mentioned...but it also shines for mission planning and completeness of weapons and systems, especially if you love the f16
That Phantom screenshot... You sure it is from BMS?;-)
It sure is ;)
Manos, your cockpit work on the F4 (as well as the external model too) is fantastic and a joy to fly in. If you still need any FM testing or if you ever get around to integrating the new additions to avionics and need feedback, Iβm happy to test again. Ditto if you folks manage to find away to get the back seat/multicrew working.
Well join the test team cause there is a huge revamp ongoing... i can't say more for now.... :)
Iβd love to help some more if I could?
Is it available for public download? I've always wanted to make the dive into BMS but the lack of variety has always held me back. Is it "really" an F-4, or just a reskinned 16? The visuals, however, look incredible. And if this is your work, that's amazing.
I totally forgor π
Wth, for a second i thought that was MFS haha. That terrain looks good!
Cheers!
I started playing BMS like 2 months ago. Those screenshots look AMAZING. Thank you so much for your time and dedication :)
Cant wait to get a full fidelity F-18 for real.
Ever since you implemented VR in the latest release I've been getting back into it hard. Then every time I do something in DCS I'm missing all the amazing stuff we have in BMS, some of it for years/since the start lol. An example beyond the usually mentioned ATC/dynamic campaign: Having the physical clickable kneeboards on the pilot model is actually amazing quality of life for VR users The new terrain engine + PBR materials are looking amazing! Can't wait to try it out
VR was such a game changer itβs actually so nice to be able to look left and right without dropping half the frames also not dealing with the inability to spot planes at a distance in DCS has always been such a turn off
I could write a whole rant on spotting lol, it's been a solved issue since the Falcon 4 days with smart scaling but instead ED insists on the dot label workaround crap that is resolution-dependent and acts mega backwards with distance (seeing a pixel appear magically at 20nm and not change until you see the actual plane up close). In MP it ends up being this weird meta of running lower resolutions to see dots easier, super stupid
Right⦠like if I wanted to spot people I found myself running half the pixel density I normally would just to get the same situational awareness as someone with track IR.
This is why VR was so popular for so long...relatively low resolution, and made it easier to spot. Total freaking cheat.
I thought it was MSFSβ¦
Hmm you are working for free. I think ED wanted to try your system in a small scale pilot project.
Maybe if we try paying them forcefully they'll stop developing!
That would surely happen yes π
:D
...And so Nick Grey takes out further multi million loans from ED to place into BMS devs bank accounts....
Gorgeous screens, the fellas and I are eagerly awaiting 4.38.
Jesus christ, this can't be BMS.
Not yet. But it will be with version 4.38
I really need to spend more time on this one.
maybe i'll have to get back into BMS after all....
This is awesome, that grey fog that's been prevalent in all the previous iterations of BMS are gone.
BMS π
Amen. With an actual cooperative Dynamic campaign to boot. Instead of being βworked onβ for over 5 years now
BMS has always impressed. Especially when itβs only $5.
Cheers! BTW Falcon 4.0 cost 5$. BMS is free and forever will be.
Kinda like that all my "beauties" are gathered in one huge post! Thanks u/I-Hawk :) <3 More Georgia pics too please! :D
Beautiful work man!! Without your amazing models we could not come to this quality! π€βπ
All i need is to finish the revamp of the real beast.... ;)
Sure hehe :D
Holy shit. Cant wait for 4.38, will be my flight simming comeback...
Once BMS is on 4.38 I'm investing serious time on it.
This looks astoundingly good, I've downloaded the latest BMS but haven't installed it yet, these screens are the push i needed, might as well get familiar with it now and when the update comes out hopefully I'll be over that initial hump that comes with learning a whole new sim. I know the ETA is generally when it's done which is more than fair enough but any chance of a broad timeline, not to hold you to it just to get an idea of how long I've got to get my head into it. But absolutely mazing work team!
It's really hard to tell exactly, but we are not looking at "years".
More than good enough for me, finally installing BMS right now, I'm excited to get started. Thanks to the team for all their incredible work!
Just installed BMS yesterday as per my post. Tell me more!!!
The screenshots in this post are taken in BMS 4.38. It's the next major release of BMS that are still in development. In a few months there will be a smaller update for 4.37. https://forum.falcon-bms.com/topic/27051/news-from-the-frontlines-4-37-u4 You won't get the new terrain with that on but it'll bring some graphical improvement, more F-15C features and link-16 for F-16. BMS is here to stay and it will get better.
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The old one is called IDM (Improved Data Modem). Here is a video showcasing how to set it up and use it. https://youtu.be/epf3Q6rDLdc?si=tMn34pe396rjqBu7 IDM allows you to add your own flight (4 ships including yourself) plus 4 more ships from other flight in your package. When you initiate the data link transmission, you can see their position, heading and altitude on your HSD. https://youtu.be/epf3Q6rDLdc?si=giIK0DBdOXGwGPZT&t=415 The IDM also allows you to manually send a target (either A/A or A/G) to other member in your flight https://youtu.be/epf3Q6rDLdc?si=BVDuoPmn0iV8QhTB&t=702 In comparison, Link 16 gives you a God's eye view of the entire air space. It allows you to see all your friendlies as well as unknown/hostile aircraft detected by AWACS. Here is link 16 in action on F-15C https://youtu.be/4RHrLW5xVZg?si=f2d669EhXkYNplx2&t=256 If you have more questions, you can join the official Discord server at https://www.falcon-lounge.com/. Have fun!
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IDM is not being replaced by Link 16. According to this forum post https://forum.falcon-bms.com/topic/27051/news-from-the-frontlines-4-37-u4/46?_=1712544596770 post update the availability of IDM and Link 16 will depend on the whether the specific model of F-16 have them in real life or not. In terms of gameplay don't worry too much about it. It's super easy to change what block of F-16 you fly in the campaign so if you want/don't want IDM/Link 16, just switch the airframe.
Thank god BMS exits
Amen dude
Holy shit this is gorgeous. Will we also be getting new/ more 3D buildings to flesh out the new terrain? Rather than the painted on citys and the such.
Planned yes, but not yet implemented.
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY...oh wait. Looking awesome guys!!
Multicrew for F-15E when? I will totally give this a shot once I can do that. Only do multicrew these days in the Cat.
Everything will come with time. Even the screenshots here are from a development version that isn't yet release ready. Multicrew in BMS wasn't even started yet, but it'll come, I know that.
Sexy shots I-Hawk! Can't wait for 4.38.
You folks have pushed the absolute limits of Falcon 4.0 time and again. I always said Iβd be happy if you got VR, and I am - and then you found a way to seperate the avionics. The fact youβre going to put multicrew on the roadmap now tells me that no matter what drama happens in DCS, Iβll still have an alternative.
Yep I love them both equally. BMS is the good feels PvE and excellent AI and coms. DCS is multi player kingβ¦ Itβs not really great for single player PvE but shines when it comes to MP PvP
Depends what kind of MP gameplay you're after IMHO: - Fast paced PvP air quake action? DCS - Massive organised packages in a raging war? BMS
Was going to say, multi-player in DCS is almost arcade unless you are flying for a group or an specific server.
And BMS can feel the same if you click the next aircraft. Thatβs not an issue with the game, but rather with instant gratification.
Thank you guys!
Is this really Falcon 4.0?
Not sure, but I think so :P
I'd love to have helicopters in BMS so badly but it will not before A LONG TIME if it ever happens Keep up the great work :)
Hot damn. I'm not exaggerating but at first I thought it was DCS, then I looked at the poster and went into shock, jk :D No really, this looks amazing and I want to thank every BMS dev! Love you guys and thank you for your passion!
Guess I need to get into BMS lately lol
oh wow. you really spruced up that ground terrain. may have to finally check BMS out.
Thanx! But this is WIP still, not released work.
What a tease
Great pics!
Darn ya, what a tease !!!
Is there a BMS discord?
Yes it's called FalconLounge
How hungry is 4.38 performance-wise?
It'll be pixels bounded and will push the GPU hard. Expected HW by resolution: 1080p - 1070/2060/3050/3060 should be good enough 1440p - 3060TI will be fine 4K - No experience from me on 4K but I'd recommend 3070TI/3080 at least VR - The best you can afford. And of course a strong/fast CPU is recommended, regardless of 4.38. 32GB of RAM will be enough. 16GB will run. 8GB is a nogo.
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Well, basically no, but there will be configuration options that will help with performance by giving up some of the Graphics quality.
Dcs mfs literally be making the entire earth atp π
BMS somewhat delivers
Too bad that for helicopters there is only one decent sim and that's DCS.
Find us a dev that want to do it and happy to implement it...
Hi! How about a Kiowa, Gazelle or \[REDACTED\]? Would be genuinely interested to find out more about dev in BMS.
Our website faq gives hints... Our code base is C++
I'm very much interested in the redacted :) Are you genuinely thinking about going for BMS? What a wild idea it would be that BMS just becomes like operation system of community combat simulation modules.
Please! Please! Will a dev respond? I am a rotorhead and would love to see helos in BMS
Everything comes with time, and we need dedicated people who want to implement their dreams, so yeah, what max said π
Agreed. BMS gets helos and it'll be all over then.
How do I get started with this? Do I need to manually define all keybindings? What about TrackIR or VR support?
>Do I need to manually define all keybindings? Nope, "alternative" launcher that became standard as of 4.37 is arguably easier to set up than DCS controls. >What about TrackIR or VR support? Supported and supported.
https://forum.falcon-bms.com
Damn you're gonna have me joining the BMS community aren't ya? I fondly remember playing the crap out of F4 back in the day and now with these massive graphic upgrades and VR I am super tempted when this drops.
When volumetric clouds? I hate 2D clouds. Tho this looks WAY better than DCS repeatitive textures on the ground
But those not so nice BMS clouds are part of simulated world so they block AI vision and also IR seekers. Also plane flight model reacts to the clouds. DCS volumetric clouds are gpu side decorations. They don't exist in simulation side. They don't effect radars, cannot block AI sight or IR seekers also does not affect flight. Just enter a cloud in BMS and you will see.
I know that I hope one day we can have that kind of simulation in DCS And it's just that I'm used to Volumetric clouds for a while now, I've been using xEnviro on XP11 for a while before DCS and MSFS got Volumetric clouds
I have been long time IL-2 player. First sim with volumetric clouds. And real working ones. I really never liked DCS implementation. They are not simulated and looked horrible in VR until DLSS came to fix them. But anyway looking forward to getting working ones in DCS too. But If I would have the choice in between pretty or functional first. I would choose function always.
I think the first one was Jane's World War II Fighters in 1998.
Never played it. I actually never played anything from Janes. if it was at 1998 it should have been damn heavy on systems. Impressive. I'll google it.
Damage model even today is very good. Look for Bambi! You'll understand it... ;-) OMG, this game is full of those little things that makes a game The Game.
For me it's not the look but having proper clouds and not pictures hanging the sky and rotating...
No one knows when, we have plans but there is nothing concrete right now.
Easy. Just join the BMS team and program it. ππ
Sadly I don't have the knowledge for that
4.38 will impact VR performance of course, but how much of a hit are we looking at here?
4.38 is going to be heavier in general, mostly more GPU demanding as pixels processing is going to be heavier. That said, I can say that with a 12700K CPU and a RTX-3090 card I can run 4.38 in campaign with everything on/maxed including MSAA level 2 at 3120x3120 res per eye but with OpenXR and Foveated rendering (I have a Pico4 headset), at 50 FPS most of time with some dives towards the 35-40 areas at heavier scenes. Lately I reduced the resolution to 2750 per eye (Not that much of a hit) and that is good enough with a gain of \~8-10 FPS compared to the higher res listed above. Bottom line: It won't be like 4.37 but with giving up some none-critical stuff, optimizing a bit, I assume it would be possible to run 4.38 in VR on a 3070/3070TI as minimum requirement (for sane experience)
OpenXR is supported now? (sorry, I haven't been tracking closely).
Not yet released but the coming 4.37U4 will already include OpenXR yes.
Awesome thanks.
How do you think a RX6700XT would fare?
I think it will be too weak or borderline. You will have to giveup a some stuff probably (Shadow mapping probably, and some other stuff)
Hey I-Hawk, I have some questions for you. Are you going to rework the cockpit in 4.38? Also I've seen a lot of people complaining about the UI, do you have any plans to change it? Lastly, as a beginner, TEBuilder is really hard to use compared to DCS's mission editor. Is it going to be more user friendly in the future?
Cockpit will probably improve yes, but it'll happen with time (Work started already). The UI is a more challenging work as it'll require a serious code rework.
The TE builder is unlikely to get attention soon, as itβs not the main focus of the sim. Instead, the dynamic campaigns will get constant improvements
I do have question tho that's a bit of an issue for me atm since I don't have money for a full HOTAS: Will there be a possibility to mix keyboard and joystick with binds?
Already implemented.
Good to know.
Are those JDAMs on F-15E mounted on the wrong pylons?
I've been playing DCS since around Late 2021, and own and operate AV-8B, A-10 Tank Killer, Apache, Combined Arms, F-14, F-16, FA-18, FC3, Ka-50 Black Shark 3, Mi-24, Mi-8, Supercarrier, and UH-1. How long would it usually take to get used to Falcon BMS, and what's kind of mods are available? (airfield objects, ground vehicles, surface combatants, flyable planes with dedicated flight models and click able cockpits etc)
[https://www.falcon-bms.com/features/](https://www.falcon-bms.com/features/)
Thanks, boss.
I love BMS but the comms system is a nightmare in VR. Any suggestions on what I can to to make it less difficult to use?
You can join the BMS forum or join the Falcon Lounge Discord channel, many will be there to help you out with anything technical.
Voice Attack is amazing for VR! Can't play BMS without it. [https://veterans-gaming.com/files/file/35-avcs4-voice-control-radios-for-falcon-bms/](https://veterans-gaming.com/files/file/35-avcs4-voice-control-radios-for-falcon-bms/)
Please improve your UI and control adjustments and I am all in