Look, I get it. Back in the day, Pretense missions in DCS were legendary. They gave us dynamic, unscheduled battles in a time when the multiplayer world was starving for good content. No waiting for events, no wondering if anything exciting would happen. Pretense missions brought the action to you and they were awesome.

Were. That’s the key word here.

The cold, hard truth is: Pretense is dead. It’s been dead for a long time, and clinging to it now just creates endless frustration for pilots, server admins, and basically anyone who still tries to make it work.

Here’s why:

1. Pretense Was Abandoned Two Years Ago

The original author of Pretense stopped supporting it after getting a little butt-hurt over a spat between Razbam and DCS. (No judgment, emotions run high, but it is what it is.) Since then? Not a single meaningful update. No tweaks, no compatibility fixes, no care given to how DCS has evolved.

Meanwhile, DCS itself hasn't exactly been standing still. In the last two years, we’ve seen 12–14 major patches to DCS_server.exe. And that’s just major ones, not counting the hotfixes, the engine tweaks, the scripting changes behind the scenes. It’s like trying to run Windows 11 programs on a dusty Windows XP machine and wondering why it crashes.

2. DCS_Server.exe and Pretense Just Don't Get Along Anymore

Here's the techie bottom line: Pretense might (sometimes) run on DCS.exe, but it crashes like clockwork when you try to run it properly through DCS_server.exe which is what all dedicated servers are built to use.

Fox3 (and every serious server provider out there) uses DCS_server.exe for stability, management, and, you know, actually letting people stay connected without crashing to desktop every 20 minutes. So when Pretense randomly crashes a server halfway through a mission, it’s a nightmare. Pilots get frustrated, admins waste time rebooting servers, and the experience just sucks for everyone.

3. Fox3's Policy: We Support All Missions (Even Pretense) But Reality Wins

Let’s be super clear: Fox3 supports any mission. Yes, even Pretense, in theory. We don’t block missions because we "don't like them." We block missions when they literally don't work anymore and drag down everyone’s experience.

It’s not about politics. It’s about facts. Running Pretense today on a modern DCS server is like trying to drive a 1971 Ford Pinto across a modern interstate at 90 mph. When your car explodes halfway down the road, you can’t blame the highway.

Same thing with Fox3’s servers, Pretense crashes because Pretense is broken, not because the server is bad.

4. Better Alternatives Exist — Right Now

The good news? You’re not stuck. There are amazing mission frameworks that are actively updated and work beautifully with current DCS:

Foothold: Dynamic, lightweight, and rock solid.
Liberation: One of the best dynamic campaigns in DCS.
TGFB (The Good Fight Battles): Absolutely a blast and stable.
Many others — with real dev support, bug fixes, and regular updates.

Just last night I jumped onto a Foothold mission running over Sinai, zero issues, tons of action, full server. The experience was everything we used to love about Pretense… except it actually worked.

5. A Message to Our Australian Friends (and Everyone Else)

I know some of our Australian friends are disappointed. You guys are passionate about DCS and you loved what Pretense used to be. I totally respect that. But at some point, we have to face facts: Pretense is no longer stable for DCS dedicated servers.

If you want to tinker with it locally and maybe get it limping along on a manual DCS.exe session? Fine. You might even get a few hours of good gameplay out of it. But expecting it to run 24/7 on modern servers without constant crashes? It’s just not happening. And it’s unfair to all the other players who want a stable experience.

6. The Only Way Forward: Fix It — Or Move On

Honestly, Pretense doesn’t have to die forever. Someone could update the scripting. Someone could fork the project, clean up the code, and make it compatible with today’s DCS server builds. If someone steps up, that would be amazing, and we'd happily support it.

But until that happens, trying to "force" Pretense onto a server is just asking for heartbreak.

There’s a ton of fresh, updated missions out there. They're fun, they're reliable, and they let us get back to what matters: flying, fighting, and having a blast with our friends.

Final Thought

Pretense gave us some great memories. But clinging to the past is only holding the community back now.

It’s time to let it go, or rebuild it for the future. Either way, Fox3 is ready to support the missions that let you spend more time flying and less time staring at a crashed server screen.

Fly safe, Luck at Fox3

Ready to Fly!

Why Running Pretense Missions in DCS is a Terrible Idea (And Why It’s Time to Move On)