Many of you have voiced concerns about the growing storage requirements of DCS terrain modules. Rest assured that we are hard at work on solutions to tackle this challenge. As our terrains evolve in size, fidelity, and detail, we will ensure that improved storage efficiency remains a top priority.
We are exploring new terrain-optimization methods to reduce the size of our terrain modules while preserving the high visual standards you expect from DCS maps. One of the most promising advances is in texture compression, which is already helping us reduce storage needs with little to no impact on image quality.
Our internal testing is already showing up to 25%-30% disk space savings on DCS: Afghanistan, and we’re encouraged that these numbers will improve further as the technology matures. Of course, the exact savings will depend on how each map was originally constructed and the tools used during its development.
The biggest winners will be our latest, larger terrains that feature high-detail textures. For example: Maps like DCS: Afghanistan, DCS: Iraq and DCS Syria will see considerable improvements thanks to their scale and the methods used to create them. On the other hand, maps like DCS: Marianas and DCS: The Channel already use different rendering approaches, so their install sizes are already on the smaller side.
Older terrains, like DCS: Caucasus, are unlikely to see much change because they were built with smaller textures and lower density from the start. The good news is that their storage footprint is already quite modest.
We plan to introduce these optimizations in future terrain module updates once the technology is finalized and we’re happy with the results. In addition to reducing install sizes, we’re also working on broader improvements to terrain quality and capabilities as part of our ongoing commitment to advancing DCS terrain technology.
