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Hi everyone. I'm very new to DCS, Been flying less than a week. Bought FC3 and I'm deeply enjoying the Flankers. Landed the 33 on the carrier on my third try.

Are there plans for high fidelity versions of the Flankers?

Is the Tomcat as satisfying to fly?

I'm looking into buying my first high fidelity plane and like a lot of people, the Tomcat is my favorite, with the Harrier and Viper close behind.

I'm flying with the Warthog HOTAS, and bought a Rift S. Any tips for setting it up?

Hope to see you guys soon in the (not so friendly) skies.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Welcome. At this time there are no plans for full fidelity FC3 planes.

I'm enjoying the F-14 and if you have an interest in full fidelity combat sims, I'd recommend it. It fits in well with most other DCS units so you can get a lot of mileage out of it in the sim. The backseat AI is OK, but if you find someone else with the module, they can beatseat for you (or vice versa).

I have fun with the Harrier as well, but I haven't used it as much. It's a fairly capable, but short legged, ground attack plane. The F-16 will probably be my favorite eventually, but it's very Early Access right now so I suggest skipping it unless you're OK getting it piece by piece over months.

Hi everyone. I'm very new to DCS, Been flying less than a week. Bought FC3 and I'm deeply enjoying the Flankers. Landed the 33 on the carrier on my third try.

 

Are there plans for high fidelity versions of the Flankers?

 

Is the Tomcat as satisfying to fly?

 

I'm looking into buying my first high fidelity plane and like a lot of people, the Tomcat is my favorite, with the Harrier and Viper close behind.

 

I'm flying with the Warthog HOTAS, and bought a Rift S. Any tips for setting it up?

 

Hope to see you guys soon in the (not so friendly) skies.

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

1. None we know of.

2. Much more satisfying.

3. I feel safe in saying you won't be disappointed.

4. I'll leave that for others since I don't own that hardware.

5. Welcome, and CHECK SIX!

Are there plans for high fidelity versions of the Flankers?

 

No, no modern hi-fi Russian planes because "complicated" reasons. Most modern will be the JF-17 (Chinese/pakistani) which come out "soon" otherwise mig-23MLA maybe out next year.

Is the Tomcat as satisfying to fly?

Tomcat is one of the best modules in the game at the moment. Its mostly feature complete and Heatblur is one of the best 3rd party developers.

I'm looking into buying my first high fidelity plane and like a lot of people, the Tomcat is my favorite, with the Harrier and Viper close behind.

I'd stay away from both the harrier and viper if you are new. The harrier is buggy and development has been glacial. I've owned it for a year at this point with what I consider pretty minor improvments over that time, and putting it nicely, Razbam is famously slow and not really transparent. The Viper just came out, so its very incomplete, but ED has a much quicker/transparent dev cycle compared to razbam.

Early Access in general is not like EA from what you might be used to from other devlopers. Here in DCS world EA typically means at least a year or three or more in development. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

I'm flying with the Warthog HOTAS, and bought a Rift S. Any tips for setting it up?

 

Hope to see you guys soon in the (not so friendly) skies.

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Check out the input output forum for tips on both.

I totally support what Harlikwin said. The Viper is still in very unfinished state, with a lot of things not working and the Harrier is pretty buggy. The Tomcat on the other hand works great, but it is quite a challenge, especially when flying it solo and having to rely on your AI backseater. For beginner the F-5 is usally a great entry in high fidelity modules, as it is rather simple, so a beginner doesn't get overwhelmed. You seem to be able to handle DCS quite well so far, so maybe the Hornet might be a good choice for you. It's a pretty complex aircraft, but it works well to learn it step by step and unlike the F-5 it is a highly capable plane and fits many roles. It also operates from carriers which you have already practiced with the Su-33 :thumbup:

I dunno about the F14, there's gonna be a really steep learning curve. I'd think about a trainer first, learn how to fly before you start getting fancy. I have a fair number of hours recently in the A4, MB339, C101 and F5.

- A4 is free, has a more or less simplified flight model like FC3 aircraft, easy to fly and way way fun. Pretty decent suite of nav equipment, great platform to learn basics of bomb and rocket delivery. Deviously diverse ways of making up-close-personal explosions. Not brutally hard to get on the deck if you want to practice carrier ops. In general, the jet doesn't get away from you, forces you to learn good habits without punishing you too much. And it's free.

- MB339 is another free module, here the flight model is a bit more realistic, also really fun to fly. Deficient in comms and navs, just a well-mannered, good little trainer

- F5 is a complete module where everything works. A lot more complicated to operate, difficult to fly, very difficult to fly well. It's not well mannered at all! Realistic flight model, it'll force you into good habits. Primitive but period correct navs and comms, simple weapons delivery, another good platform to learn attack role, also a good place to start learning ACM. And it is really fun to fly once you get the hang of it.

- C101. Wow, this has gotta be the most professionally rendered, least buggy, most realistic module in the DCS universe. Complete suite of navs and comms, if you want to learn the way real pilots learn, this is your module. Realistic flight model, by design the jet is forgiving but you have to fly the thing. Plenty of weapons if you want to blow stuff up. Back seat for your instructor.

The C101 is or at least was on sale, it's worth full price but on sale it's an absolute steal. I would really highly recommend it before you start wrestling with the F14. If you don't want to spend the money, check out the MB339 first for basic airmanship (startup, taxi, pattern work, navigation using visual reference), move up to the A4 for attack and carrier ops, THEN go for an advanced module like the F14 (which is VERY tricky to fly) or the F18 (which is like flying an iPhone, with a ton of apps you gotta learn) or the F16 (which will probably have more stuff by then)

C101 trainee: "Wonder how come it is my engine is on fire."

Instructor: "Cuz you weren't paying attention to your TIT. Cut it to idle, pitch for 200KIAS, set ignition to constant, give it some gas."

F14 trainee: "How come it is my wings keep falling off."

Jester: "I'm outa here."

Snarky comment on ED forums: "Cuz you're flying like a monkey. Pay attention to corner speed."

F14 trainee: "What's corner speed?"

Are there plans for high fidelity versions of the Flankers?

No they are not. And it's likely they won't be in the near future: ED can not develop modern russian fighters due to its contracts; if we'll have a hi-fi su-27 or mig-29 it will be from a 3rd party developer; none of them seems to be interested by now.

Is the Tomcat as satisfying to fly?

I do not have the tomcat but I suppose so. But be careful: the best way to enjoy the tomcat is to fly it with a second person, be him in the role of RIO or pilot. To play alone with the AI RIO (the so called "jester") is quite cumbersome since you have to deal with a superimposed menu obstructing your view. Note that if you want to fly with another human, even him must own the module, so you have to buy two copies.

I'm looking into buying my first high fidelity plane and like a lot of people, the Tomcat is my favorite, with the Harrier and Viper close behind.

You already know my opinion about the Tomcat. The Harrier is very very early access, with a lot of systems missing and a quite slow developing process (RAZBAM, its developer, is a small group of people). Maybe it will be ready one day, but for now I suggest to wait. The Viper is out since a month or so, and it is even more early access and with systems missing than the Harrier; differently from the other two modules above, the Viper is developed directly from ED so I'm sure it will be ready one day, but it won't be enjoyable since a year and a half from now to be optimistic, so I do not recommend it yet.

I'm flying with the Warthog HOTAS, and bought a Rift S. Any tips for setting it up?

Set pixel density 1.2 and MSAA 2x. This is the best balance between visual quality and performance in VR despite the VGA you own, be it a medium-low level 1070 or a top level 2080ti.

If you want a suggestion for a first hi-fi module, I'd say:

- A-10C: one of the oldest ED modules but still the most complete, very complex to operate but also very rewarding when you learn it. It's out since a lot of time so you can find a lot of missions and campaigs for it. It is one of the modules with less bugs (every hi-fi module here has some bugs). It's waiting for a new graphic and textures overhaul for free, so you'll have a big update in the near future. It's only air to ground, no radar and no bvr, and maybe it's not so posh and dandy like some fast movers, but IMHO it is still the best module overall. Get ready to study a lot if you choose it (650+ pages of manual!)

- F-5 or Mig-21: if you prefer something more vintage, without inertial systems, gps, hud, datalink, guided bombs and missiles and such, one of these can be a good choice. Both a/a and a/g, old style dogfight, quicker to learn but not so easy to operate efficiently. You are a sitting duck against years 2000 fighters such as f-18 or f-16, but you can have an idea of what a hi-fi module is, and they are amazing to fly.

- Uh-1h: a helicopter, why not? DCS is by far the best helicopter simulation available for a home PC. Every rotary module is ok (except the gazelle, for a lot of reasons), but I suggest the uh-1h since it's easier to learn and does not have augmentation systems or autopilot, so you really learn how to fly a chopper. A pair of rudder pedals is higly recommended.

- A warbird: a good first hi-fi module since warbirds are based on old technology and so there are not a lot of computerized systems to study, you can learn the basis of dogfight but you also have to manage the engine with all its aspects, so you have an idea of what a hi-fi module is.

I dunno about the F14, there's gonna be a really steep learning curve. I'd think about a trainer first, learn how to fly before you start getting fancy. I have a fair number of hours recently in the A4, MB339, C101 and F5.

- A4 is free, has a more or less simplified flight model like FC3 aircraft, easy to fly and way way fun. Pretty decent suite of nav equipment, great platform to learn basics of bomb and rocket delivery. Deviously diverse ways of making up-close-personal explosions. Not brutally hard to get on the deck if you want to practice carrier ops. In general, the jet doesn't get away from you, forces you to learn good habits without punishing you too much. And it's free.

- MB339 is another free module, here the flight model is a bit more realistic, also really fun to fly. Deficient in comms and navs, just a well-mannered, good little trainer

- F5 is a complete module where everything works. A lot more complicated to operate, difficult to fly, very difficult to fly well. It's not well mannered at all! Realistic flight model, it'll force you into good habits. Primitive but period correct navs and comms, simple weapons delivery, another good platform to learn attack role, also a good place to start learning ACM. And it is really fun to fly once you get the hang of it.

- C101. Wow, this has gotta be the most professionally rendered, least buggy, most realistic module in the DCS universe. Complete suite of navs and comms, if you want to learn the way real pilots learn, this is your module. Realistic flight model, by design the jet is forgiving but you have to fly the thing. Plenty of weapons if you want to blow stuff up. Back seat for your instructor.

 

The C101 is or at least was on sale, it's worth full price but on sale it's an absolute steal. I would really highly recommend it before you start wrestling with the F14. If you don't want to spend the money, check out the MB339 first for basic airmanship (startup, taxi, pattern work, navigation using visual reference), move up to the A4 for attack and carrier ops, THEN go for an advanced module like the F14 (which is VERY tricky to fly) or the F18 (which is like flying an iPhone, with a ton of apps you gotta learn) or the F16 (which will probably have more stuff by then)

 

C101 trainee: "Wonder how come it is my engine is on fire."

Instructor: "Cuz you weren't paying attention to your TIT. Cut it to idle, pitch for 200KIAS, set ignition to constant, give it some gas."

 

F14 trainee: "How come it is my wings keep falling off."

Jester: "I'm outa here."

Snarky comment on ED forums: "Cuz you're flying like a monkey. Pay attention to corner speed."

F14 trainee: "What's corner speed?"

Good suggestions here too. Forgot about the good "free modules" A4 is definitely fun, haven't tried the MB339. There is also a mig23UB but IIRC its FC3 level. Probably a few others too.

I also agree on the C101, its kind of a hidden gem. I don't fly it much since I mainly fly online these days where its non-competivie but enjoy it alot when I do.

 

Are there plans for high fidelity versions of the Flankers?

 

Does anyone remember when DCS was "Lock On: Modern Air Combat"?

But do you remember when it was "Flanker 1.5"?

Flat shaded polygon graphics, 2D cockpit, 2 dimensional terrain?

Oh it was FANTASTIC. Approximately the same level of fidelity as todays "LoFi" modules, flight model notwithstanding.

But I've been waiting ever since then for them to do a HiFi Flanker, the Flanker is hands down my favorite fighter jet of all time, its sad that it probably not going to happen :(

But then the ability to create a HiFi module depends on a great many things, and we are exceptionally lucky to have so many great modules available.

Id always recommend the A10C for starters, its quite forgiving but introduces you to almost everything that DCS has to offer. And its very cool in its own right. But to be honest, pick anything that isnt deep in early access and you'll have a ball.

If you have to choose between these three modules you listed, it is actually not even questionable which you should get if you want to get the most for your money now. Tomcat all the way. The others are not even close in terms of feature completeness. And it is an amazing feeling to fly the kitten!

What Harlikwin said.

Nailed it.

Ok, so I got the Rift S and took a quick flight in the Su-33 and SU-27. Holy Crap is that amazing!

I'm going to have to do A LOT of key binding to make this work in VR...

How do you initiate contact with tower/carrier/tanker etc without using the "" key on the keyboard?

Where on the Warthog HOTAS do you guys like to set your VR buttons? Can you bind passthrough in case I need keyboard presses?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Ok, so I got the Rift S and took a quick flight in the Su-33 and SU-27. Holy Crap is that amazing!

 

I'm going to have to do A LOT of key binding to make this work in VR...

 

How do you initiate contact with tower/carrier/tanker etc without using the "" key on the keyboard?

 

Where on the Warthog HOTAS do you guys like to set your VR buttons? Can you bind passthrough in case I need keyboard presses?

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

May i suggest VoiceAttack and Vaicom Pro ? In combination they allow voice commands for all AI functions AND allow you to dispense with the immersion-breaking windows altogether . You can also use voice commands for control bindings ie: "gear down" . $22 for both when i got mine .

Hi everyone. I'm very new to DCS, Been flying less than a week. Bought FC3 and I'm deeply enjoying the Flankers. Landed the 33 on the carrier on my third try.

 

Are there plans for high fidelity versions of the Flankers?

 

Is the Tomcat as satisfying to fly?

 

I'm looking into buying my first high fidelity plane and like a lot of people, the Tomcat is my favorite, with the Harrier and Viper close behind.

 

I'm flying with the Warthog HOTAS, and bought a Rift S. Any tips for setting it up?

 

Hope to see you guys soon in the (not so friendly) skies.

You'll be very much satisfied with the Tomcat, especially with that Rift S. Hope you've got rudder pedals as well. If not, go check out https://mfg-sim.com - they're on discount until the end of November and absoultely great. And you might get an extension for your TMWH while you're at it. That is, if you can afford all that

The Harrier still is WIP and the Viper very much so as well while the 'cat is relatively feature-complete.

Regarding the configuration, you better try finding out by yourself. Look up (in the tutorials and especially on YouTube) what you need and bind that to your HOTAS while being in a mission and see if you're getting comfortable with that or change it if necessary. The TMWH is pre-mapped quite well though for many modules, including the Tomcat.

One thing great about the Tomcat is that you don't have to learn that much about the systems as a pilot, you just have to master flying that thing. So you won't have to get into all those MFD pages, subsystems etc to have a great experience in the first place.

Thanks everyone. I was doing some vr carrier landing practice, bolted right off the deck because "someone" forgot to put the tailhook down lol.

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What Harlikwin said.

 

Nailed it.

Harlikwin made some of the main points indeed.

I'd echo Delta and QuiGon that early on the trainers and older aircraft can be a good pick too, much quicker to master due to fewer electronic systems etc. The learning aspect is huge with DCS and you should never ignore it. DCS is a platform where many pilots might start with the charismatic well known aircraft but then gravitate to the more quirky and exotic ones, eg. vintage aircraft from behind the Iron Curtain :D And it's quite unlikely you'll end up owning just one or two modules, curiosity is a big thing and there will be more sales down the road... If you look at what's out there and what's coming the selection is actually pretty fantastic, so start doing your research ;)

In my case, I started out with the Ka-50 when there wasn't much else, DCS with that heli was a little bit too complex and too much. Took a 7 year break and things moved forward during that time. Picked up the SA-342 Gazelle in a sale and it was a blast to fly... L-39 or Mig-15 should be even easier to get into.

If you browse the forum you'll find numerous similar threads, will give you plenty of idea. F-14 of course is just lovely if you're already a bit deeper into things and don't mind a complex, but vintage system, and have a buddy to fly with to get the best out of it. Regarded one of the best modules out there for sure. RAZBAM is developing the Strike Eagle, but probably a few years before there's any point in getting excited about it.

Warthog and MFG are pretty standard h/w for active pilots. Have those myself and would recommend the MFGs as well - about the cheapest premium pedals you'll find and they work great, quality is good, delivery reliable and configurability fantastic.

 

Id always recommend the A10C for starters, its quite forgiving but introduces you to almost everything that DCS has to offer. And its very cool in its own right. But to be honest, pick anything that isnt deep in early access and you'll have a ball.

Not a bad idea, cause he have the stick and throttle. Regarding joystick, F16 uses the same stick. F18 is easy to setup with the Warthog HOTAS.

Theese 3 aircraft uses much of the same weaponry, so when one aircraft is learned, number 2 and 3 is much easier.

Harlikwin made some of the main points indeed.

 

I'd echo Delta and QuiGon that early on the trainers and older aircraft can be a good pick too, much quicker to master due to fewer electronic systems etc. The learning aspect is huge with DCS and you should never ignore it. DCS is a platform where many pilots might start with the charismatic well known aircraft but then gravitate to the more quirky and exotic ones, eg. vintage aircraft from behind the Iron Curtain :D And it's quite unlikely you'll end up owning just one or two modules, curiosity is a big thing and there will be more sales down the road... If you look at what's out there and what's coming the selection is actually pretty fantastic, so start doing your research ;).

The trainers are good to learn stuff, and good deal as they are usually on sale too.

We weren't quite ready to announce a project we've been working on, but now we are. Check out DCS Academy.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=254647

Group of experienced people have set up a flight school that basically models a training program starting with introductory flight lessons all the way up to Top Gun style air-to-ground and air-to-air training. There's a Navy track for people interested in carrier quals.

We start you out in a trainer. C-101 is ideal and helps you get the most out of the program, although if you don't want to make that investment, you can get through Phase 1 with community mods, starting with the MB-339 and moving on to the A-4 when the time is right.

You can get the basics nailed down at a level of detail few virtual pilots attain, and you'll be well prepared to move on to a full fidelity module, taking the progression one bite at a time.

Advantage is, you learn it right the first time. Plus, by the time you're done, you'll be well qualified to join a squad and participate in cooperative multiplayer if that's your interest.

The program is noob friendly, long as you're self motivated and willing to practice.

To get your feet wet on full fidelity module, get F-5E. Learn to fly and fight with it. Then progress to higher capability hi-fi modules. In FC3, and this is my opinion, concentrate on Mig-29A/G. Of all the FC3 modules, it has most demanding flight model, especially on landing. Spend time flying in formation. Set AI as #1 aircraft in flight , with you(player) being wingman. Without formation flying skills, you won't conquer in-flight refueling in any module.

Inflight refueling, especially in Harrier is the most demanding, frustrating, difficult , damndest task you will face. Until your formation skills are in place, in-flight will not happen.

For helicopters. Start with UH-1H. Then progress to KA-50, and conquer Gazelle last.

Freeby mods use standard flight model. So I don't see them as training tools, even though they are fun to use. Sadly, on my rig, MB-339 causes DCS to malfunction, and I am unable to comment on it. A-4EC is fun free mod to fly. DCS should absorb it, fairy, and implement professional flight model, full systems, avionics and weapons of A-4M.

Does anyone remember when DCS was "Lock On: Modern Air Combat"?

 

But do you remember when it was "Flanker 1.5"?

 

Flat shaded polygon graphics, 2D cockpit, 2 dimensional terrain?

 

Oh it was FANTASTIC. Approximately the same level of fidelity as todays "LoFi" modules, flight model notwithstanding.

 

 

But I've been waiting ever since then for them to do a HiFi Flanker, the Flanker is hands down my favorite fighter jet of all time, its sad that it probably not going to happen :(

 

But then the ability to create a HiFi module depends on a great many things, and we are exceptionally lucky to have so many great modules available.

 

Id always recommend the A10C for starters, its quite forgiving but introduces you to almost everything that DCS has to offer. And its very cool in its own right. But to be honest, pick anything that isnt deep in early access and you'll have a ball.

I remember Flanker.