Shifty: Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)

2026-05-21T04:12:23Z

Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)

Shifty: Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)

2026-05-21T04:02:03Z

Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:02, 21 May 2026
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	# Join the VRS server with [https://github.com/ciribob/DCS-SimpleRadioStandalone SRS] running. The SRS server is <code>server.victorromeosierra.com:10220</code>.		# Join the VRS server with [https://github.com/ciribob/DCS-SimpleRadioStandalone SRS] running. The SRS server is <code>server.victorromeosierra.com:10220</code>.
	# Get airborne (you may not appear on the GCI scope while still on the ramp).		# Get airborne (you may not appear on the GCI scope while still on the ramp).
	# Tune to a ~~SkyEye~~ SRS frequency ~~— check the server briefing~~ or ~~ask~~ in ~~<code>#questions</code> on Discord for the~~ current frequencies.		# Tune to a Focus SRS frequency in your aircraft (or in SRS directly). The current Focus frequencies on VRS are:
			#* '''251.00 AM'''
			#* '''133.00 AM'''
			#* '''30.00 FM''' (helicopters)
	# Key your radio and say: <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, radio check"</code>. If you hear back, you're in business.		# Key your radio and say: <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, radio check"</code>. If you hear back, you're in business.
	# Try: <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, picture"</code> for the top threats, or <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, bogey"</code> for the nearest threat to you.		# Try: <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, picture"</code> for the top threats, or <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, bogey"</code> for the nearest threat to you.
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	* [[Player Guide/Air Support\|Air Support]] — F10 map-mark commands, including the AWACS marks (<code>awacs</code>, <code>focus</code>, <code>skyeye</code>, <code>overlord</code>) that spawn in-mission AWACS aircraft.		* [[Player Guide/Air Support\|Air Support]] — F10 map-mark commands, including the AWACS marks (<code>awacs</code>, <code>focus</code>, <code>skyeye</code>, <code>overlord</code>) that spawn in-mission AWACS aircraft.
			* [[FOCUS]] — earlier, longer FOCUS page (tagged XSAF-era) with more verbose examples for each request.
	* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye dharmab/skyeye on GitHub] — source, releases, admin guide.		* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye dharmab/skyeye on GitHub] — source, releases, admin guide.
	* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye/blob/main/docs/PLAYER.md Upstream player guide] — full request reference and examples.		* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye/blob/main/docs/PLAYER.md Upstream player guide] — full request reference and examples.
	* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye/blob/main/docs/PRIVACY.md Privacy statement] — how SkyEye uses voice and gameplay data.		* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye/blob/main/docs/PRIVACY.md Privacy statement] — how SkyEye uses voice and gameplay data.

Shifty: Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)

2026-05-21T04:00:33Z

Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)

New page

« [[Player Guide]]

'''SkyEye''' is an AI-powered Ground Controlled Intercept (GCI) bot that listens on SRS and talks back to you in plain English. It replaces the DCS in-game AWACS with a controller that understands proper [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brevity_code brevity] — PICTURE, BOGEY DOPE, DECLARE, SPIKED, and friends — and can monitor the battlespace for threats and announce them automatically.

On the VRS server the SkyEye GCI's callsign is '''Focus'''. You can also address it as '''Anyface''' — that's the SkyEye-wide alias and is always accepted.

SkyEye is open source and maintained by [https://github.com/dharmab dharmab]. The upstream player guide lives at [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye/blob/main/docs/PLAYER.md github.com/dharmab/skyeye/docs/PLAYER.md].

__TOC__

== Quickstart ==

# Set your in-game name to a callsign in the format <code>Callsign 1 | yourname</code> — a 2–3 syllable English word, 1–3 digits, a pipe (<code>|</code>), then your normal name. Example: <code>Mobius 1 | Reaper</code>.
# Join the VRS server with [https://github.com/ciribob/DCS-SimpleRadioStandalone SRS] running. The SRS server is <code>server.victorromeosierra.com:10220</code>.
# Get airborne (you may not appear on the GCI scope while still on the ramp).
# Tune to a SkyEye SRS frequency — check the server briefing or ask in <code>#questions</code> on Discord for the current frequencies.
# Key your radio and say: <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, radio check"</code>. If you hear back, you're in business.
# Try: <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, picture"</code> for the top threats, or <code>"Focus, Callsign 1, bogey"</code> for the nearest threat to you.

== Picking a callsign ==

SkyEye recognises your callsign best when it follows the format above. A few rules of thumb:

* Use a '''2–3 syllable English word''' followed by '''1–3 digits''', then <code>|</code>, then your name.
* Each digit is worth 2–3 letters in error correction — '''do not skip the numbers'''.
* Numbers are pronounced individually: <code>Spare 15</code> is said "Spare One Five", not "Spare Fifteen".
* Content inside <code>[]</code> is ignored — <code>[VRS] Mobius 1</code> reads as <code>Mobius 1</code>.
* Callsigns are normalised — <code>WARDOG 14</code>, <code>Wardog 14</code>, <code>wardog14</code>, and <code>Wardog 1 4</code> are all the same.

Avoid:

* Names that sound like brevity words: alpha, radio, comm, bogey, picture, declare, snaplock, spiked, bullseye (e.g. "Spade" can be misheard as "SPIKE").
* Names that sound like numbers — "Knight" ≈ "Nine", "Fort" ≈ "Four".
* Hard-to-distinguish pairs — "Spare"/"Spear", "Jester"/"Gesture", "Witch"/"Which".
* Obscure or made-up words — "Razgriz", "Beskar" — the bot will try, but is less accurate.
* Very short callsigns (2–3 characters). A single misheard letter is uncorrectable.

If you fly with a regular wingman, both of you using '''strict callsigns''' — a word plus '''exactly two digits''' — lets SkyEye combine calls for the whole flight into one transmission. For example, <code>Marauder One flight, threat bullseye 070/20...</code> instead of naming every aircraft individually.

== How to talk to SkyEye ==

The request format is:

Focus YOUR_CALLSIGN (...) REQUEST_TYPE (...) (ARGS...) (...)

The <code>(...)</code> bits are filler — SkyEye ignores extra chatter around the keywords. "Focus, Mobius One, good morning. Alpha check bullseye" parses the same as "Focus, Mobius One, alpha check".

A few things to remember when speaking numbers:

* '''Compass bearings''' — say all three digits individually. "Zero Six Five", not "Six Five" or "Sixty-Five".
* '''All other numbers''' — say them normally. "Seventeen", not "One Seven".
* '''Do not use ICAO pronunciation.''' Say "Three", "Five", "Nine", '''not''' "Tree", "Fife", "Niner".
* '''Bullseye coordinates''' — leave a slight pause between range and altitude. If the bot struggles, insert "at" or "altitude": "Bullseye Zero Six Five, Ninety-Nine, at Twelve Thousand".

General tips:

* Think about what you want to say before you key the mic.
* Speak at a measured, conversational pace — too fast or too slow degrades recognition.
* If you misspeak, release PTT and start over rather than trying to correct yourself mid-transmission.
* Avoid chatter on SkyEye frequencies — it delays responses for everyone.

== Requests you can make ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Keyword !! What it does
|-
| <code>RADIO</code> / <code>COMM</code> || '''Radio check.''' Focus replies if it heard you, and tells you if you're not visible on scope.
|-
| <code>ALPHA</code> || '''Alpha check.''' Focus reports your current position in bullseye format. Useful for coarse INS verification in non-GPS aircraft.
|-
| <code>VECTOR</code> || '''Vector to a point.''' Defaults to bullseye; you can also ask for a vector to tanker (nearest compatible) or to a [[#Named locations|named location]] like Home Plate.
|-
| <code>BOGEY</code> || '''Bogey dope.''' Bearing, range, altitude, aspect to the nearest air-to-air threat. Optional filter: airplanes or helicopters.
|-
| <code>DECLARE</code> || '''IFF a contact you can see on your scope.''' Provide bullseye or BR, optionally altitude and track. Focus replies hostile / friendly / furball / clean.
|-
| <code>PICTURE</code> || '''Top three threats to the coalition.''' Long response (~20–30 s of channel time) — use sparingly.
|-
| <code>SNAPLOCK</code> || '''Fast IFF during a BVR timeline.''' Provide BRA (bearing, range, altitude) of a contact on your radar — Focus confirms what's there.
|-
| <code>SPIKED</code> / <code>STROBE</code> || '''Find the source of a radar spike.''' Provide bearing only; Focus looks in a 30° cone and reports the nearest likely source.
|}

For full examples of each request, see the [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye/blob/main/docs/PLAYER.md upstream player guide].

=== Named locations ===

For VECTOR-TO requests, VRS has a small set of named locations you can use instead of coordinates. As of this writing the list covers blue-coalition start bases on Syria:

* '''Home Plate''' (also "Incirlik" / "Incirlik Air Base")
* '''Adana''' (also "Adana Sakirpasa")
* '''Akrotiri''' (also "RAF Akrotiri")

Example: "Focus, Eagle One One, vector to Home Plate".

The carrier group is deliberately not in the list — its position moves, and a static lat/lon would lie. The reserved names Bullseye and Tanker are always available as well.

== Things SkyEye says on its own ==

Some calls come from Focus without you asking:

* '''SUNRISE''' — broadcast when the controller comes online. Mid-mission SUNRISE usually means the bot crashed and restarted.
* '''PICTURE''' — the server may be configured to broadcast a PICTURE on a timer. Requesting one resets the timer.
* '''THREAT''' — broadcast when a hostile aircraft is near or approaching a friendly. BRAA format if it's relevant to one aircraft, bullseye if it's relevant to several. Helicopter THREATs only go to other rotary-wing aircraft.
* '''MERGED''' — broadcast when a fixed-wing hostile closes within 3 NM of you. Fixed-wing only; one MERGED per 30 seconds.
* '''FADED''' — broadcast when a hostile within weapons range disappears from the scope for at least 30 seconds. '''This is not a kill confirmation''' — DCS sometimes marks live aircraft as dead.

To receive THREAT and MERGED calls, your aircraft '''must''' be tuned to a SkyEye SRS frequency '''and''' your SRS name must match your DCS in-game name.

== Troubleshooting ==

'''Focus doesn't respond at all.''' Check that you said "Focus" (or "Anyface") at the start of your transmission — this is the most common mistake. Ask another player for a radio check to confirm you're audible.

'''Focus responds but says it can't see you.'''

* Confirm your in-game name matches the callsign you're giving.
* If you joined right after mission start, return to spectators, re-slot, or fully reconnect — joining too early can leave you invisible to Tacview.
* If you've been stationary for several minutes, move slightly. Tacview throttles position updates for non-moving objects.
* If your aircraft took even minor damage, re-slot — the game can mark it as destroyed even when it's flyable.

== Mindset ==

Focus is good at counting contacts and computing angles. It is '''not''' good at understanding tactics or strategy — that's still on you. Treat it as one source among many alongside your own radar, RWR, eyeballs, and human flight-mates. And remember: DCS sometimes marks live aircraft as dead, so a "FADED" or "clean" call is never a guarantee.

== See also ==

* [[Player Guide/Air Support|Air Support]] — F10 map-mark commands, including the AWACS marks (<code>awacs</code>, <code>focus</code>, <code>skyeye</code>, <code>overlord</code>) that spawn in-mission AWACS aircraft.
* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye dharmab/skyeye on GitHub] — source, releases, admin guide.
* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye/blob/main/docs/PLAYER.md Upstream player guide] — full request reference and examples.
* [https://github.com/dharmab/skyeye/blob/main/docs/PRIVACY.md Privacy statement] — how SkyEye uses voice and gameplay data.

Player Guide/SkyEye - Revision history

Shifty: Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)

Shifty: Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)

Shifty: Player Guide import 2026-05-17 (VRSWiki repo, content/pages/)