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November 2025 - Q&A Special
🕑 Added 2025-11-27 18:32:14 +0000 UTCHi folks!
Work continues on the "quick guide" for the MiG-29 Fulcrum. Currently wrapping up the taxi & takeoff section, which will be followed by the visual approach & landing tutorial.
I felt like I wanted to mix things up a bit this month, so I thought I would answer some of the commonly asked questions some community members have sent me over the last few weeks.
Q1: Why is everything taking you so much time, nowadays?
A1: That's both a very simple and a bit of a complicated question. Truth be told, I'm not as fast as I used to be. I have been doing this part-time for more than a decade, and there comes a point where sheer will isn't enough to keep on truckin'... fatigue eventually grinds you down. My real-life job also requires me to travel overseas a bit more than usual, so spending time away from home naturally eats away at what available time I have to work on that. I'm not planning on quitting making guides any time soon, but I can no longer keep the same tempo a younger caffeine-fueled Chuck once did.
Q2: Corsair guide, when?
A2: For this aircraft, I feel the WWII Pacific Asset package should be at the very least released before even attempting to work on that. Shooting down FW190s over the Pacific Ocean will not look particularly good or immersive, don't you think? I think a proper WWII Pacific Theater would add a lot in making tutorials more coherent.
Q3: Kiowa Warrior guide, when?
A3: I have decided to return this project to my ever-increasing backlog. After careful consideration, I realized that spending 6 to 9 months on this guide would require me to put on hold the Chinook and Fulcrum guides... which I definitely don't want to do right now. I'm at this point where the projects I want to work on need to feel somewhat different compared to what I've done before... and the OH-58 definitely brings back Apache guide vibes that I'm not sure I'm quite ready to handle again.
Q4: Can you comment on the current state of DCS and combat flight simulation?
A4: As a rule, I don't comment on development studios... and I am also not privy to any strategic insider information behind-the-scenes (at least as far as flight sim publishers like Eagle Dynamics are concerned). I get my flight sim news the same way everyone else does... by forum posts, reddit rants and youtube videos. However, I've been around for a while and I think the community has noticed that the last few years have seen development pace outstrip some developers' ability to properly finish their projects. Documentation often remains stuck in limbo, perpetually unfinished, and many modules have become increasingly more difficult to study and teach. The CH-47 is probably the worst offender in that regard; the number of missing systems and features is driving me absolutely nuts. I have no idea what lead to this state of affairs, but this has become a significant issue that is bleeding well into other aspects of DCS. I cannot figure out the clear direction DCS wants to take, nor a cohesive strategy behind it. The Dynamic Campaign certainly seems to be a big part of the puzzle, meaning that a robust logistics system needs to be put in place and to function in a way that feels compelling gameplay-wise. This is where modules like the C-130J bring tons of interesting considerations into the equation. Interestingly, the Hercules just released today... maybe the flight sim gods heard my plea? I think a drastic new approach is absolutely needed if the hobby is to endure (or at least stay relevant) for the years to come, and so far nothing we have heard from the powers that be has given me hope that this is to be remedied in the short-to-medium-term future. Wait and see, I guess...
Q5: What currently drives your decisions in regards to projects and priorities?
A5: I have somewhat become a bit more temperamental in my choices of projects. I cannot keep up with the amount of new modules. I currently go for what feels "fun" and "new". The C-130, CH-47 and MiG-29 certainly tick all those boxes. In terms of priorities, I'm very much "winging it" as I go along. Is that the best approach? Most certainly not, but that's the only one I have right now.
Stay tuned!
Chuck
Comments
Chuck's Guides
Thanks for the kind words!
Nial Ball
You're a legend, Chuck. I spent some time designing web sites back in the days of first and second generation design, so I know a bit about how repetitive things can get. I take my hat off to you for sticking with it for a decade, and long may you continue. I hope you find inspiration in the new generation of modules - thanks for the work you put in 👍
Loopan
Thanks a lot Chuck for your amazing work! The most important message I got from this Q&A was that you don't plan to quit anytime soon! ;) I don't want to imagine to own a module without a Chucks-Guide! Stay healthy. Greetings from switzerland Loopan aka Thomi ;)
