Digital Combat Simulator

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Where and how to get it

The most immediate way of getting DCS world is from Eagle Dynamics' website. It is also available on Steam.

The question, as always, is which one to get. Steam does its usual thing of unifying updating and installing and version management, but has its own DRM (in fact, it has two different layers) and is a bit slower about rolling out the latest and greatest. The standalone version, naturally, has its own DRM (again, just for fun, two different layers) and a fairly old-fashined (command line-based) updating utilities, but you get immediate access to anything that comes out. And the community has built a GUI to take the hassle out of using the update utility. To make matters even more fun, some older modules bought on Steam will provide a product code that can be activated on Eagle Dynamics' website to unlock the same module for the stand-alone version, but modern ones do not.

It is a classic “get it now” vs. “make it convenient” trade-off.

Freebies — what's in the box?

The free, base DCS World package comes with one full-sim aircraft module, the TF‑51D Mustang; one simplified-sim (“FC3-style”) aircraft, the Su‑25T “Frogfoot”; and one piece of terrain, the Caucasus region.

The modules

Main article: DCS Modules

DCS content is divided into “modules.” There are generally four kinds: aircraft, terrain, add-ons, and campaigns. Aircraft modules are pretty much what it says on the tin: a single aircraft, occasionally with a few variants thrown in, and often accompanied by single campaign. Terrains are the world maps in which your mission take place. Add-ons are an odd mix of speciality content for specific purposes — there is no real coherent theme other than that they require some other module to really add anything useful. Campaigns, finally, are just that: a set of missions for a specific aircraft and terrain (having both as a prerequisite in order for the campaign to run).

Most aircraft modules also come with a built-in campaign as well as a collection of training and quick-action missions.

Tools and add-ons

• DCS Updater GUI — a tool that lets you manage multiple installs and up- and downgrade between different versions and codepaths. If you want to go between release and beta version with ease, and do a lot of modding that might warrant a spring-cleaning now and then, this is the tool for you.
• DCS SimpleRadio Standalone — similar to IVC for BMS, this is a voice chat tool that integrates with the aircraft radios in DCS so you can use proper radio channels (including encryption) to talk to different flights, ATC, AWACS and so on. It also includes a manual mode for the simplified FC3 aircraft that do not have any built-in radio channel management.
• Tacview for DCS
• Ov Generic Mod Enabler — a continuation of the all but defunct JSGME mod manager that lets you non-destructively replace game files with modified ones and easily switch mods on and off. It is not specifically aimed at DCS, it is very useful for some of the map and aircraft mods that are popular with the game.