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Which module to start off?


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Howdy folks,

 

I'm sure this question comes up from time to the but I couldn't find any, so here it is.

 

I've been wanting to get into simming for quite some time and only recently got myself a TrackIR 5 and a simple joystick to give it a go. I'm a bit lost as to which module I should start off with and am hoping for some pointers here.

 

Where would be a good place to start learning the instruments, weapon systems, navigation, etc ? I don't really have a preference; I flew a bit IL2 back when it was first released, F22 and EF2000 WAY back in the day, so modern, mid or ww2 are all on the table.

 

Do any of them have great tutorials perhaps?

 

I would recommend to start from Su-25T not because it is free, but because it is best CAS aircraft and even multipurpose one. You can do missions like disturbing enemy air defense (SEAD), armor hunting, bombing, anti-ship, anti-building and even fairly good close air-patrols (CAP).

 

It gives you great ways to learn navigation, landing, take-offs and even emergency proceeds and emergency landings :)

 

You can have so great variation of weapons with it so you learn all the things to deliver different kind weapons against different kind threats (except radar seeking Air-to-Air (A2A) missiles).

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The sale is still going 6 hours in Steam for -75% for most of the modules.

AFAIK the modules bought from the Steam can be used to activate modules on stand-alone version, but not otherway around.

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i7-8700k, 16GB 2666Mhz DDR4, 1080Ti 11GB, 27" 4K, 65" HDR 4K.

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I would recommend the A-10C. It has very good RWR and very good targeting pod. This combination allows for high survivability even for novice pilot. Also, mud moving is far less demanding on situational awareness than BVR.

 

As soon as you manage to use HOTAS effectively, you will be able to fight without learning the complexity of aircraft systems. All this will come later.

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No anti-ship on the "T".

 

As PiedDroit already answered, there are great features for Anti-Ship missions with the "T".

But nothing like you can expect then with the F-18E Hornet and AGM-84 Harpoon

 

 

 

We really just need to hope we get the updated weapons list as well like Kh-35 that is anti-ship missile with 130km range (vs harpoon 124km) as that would make more missions possible when F-18 is against. Especially if we would get the Su-27S upgraded to SM model that can use it as well.

 

But now Su-25T is the best choice.

i7-8700k, 32GB 2666Mhz DDR4, 2x 2080S SLI 8GB, Oculus Rift S.

i7-8700k, 16GB 2666Mhz DDR4, 1080Ti 11GB, 27" 4K, 65" HDR 4K.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm really starting to regret not buying Black Shark 2 when there were sales. The more videos I watch the more awesome it seems. DCS World 2.0 with higher res textures on the ground will probably make it even better!

 

Oh well, I'll just get it for the full price knowing it's for a good cause :)

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I'm really starting to regret not buying Black Shark 2 when there were sales. The more videos I watch the more awesome it seems. DCS World 2.0 with higher res textures on the ground will probably make it even better!

 

Oh well, I'll just get it for the full price knowing it's for a good cause :)

The next sale can't be more than 2-3 months away, I would guess.
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I'm really starting to regret not buying Black Shark 2 when there were sales. The more videos I watch the more awesome it seems. DCS World 2.0 with higher res textures on the ground will probably make it even better!

 

Oh well, I'll just get it for the full price knowing it's for a good cause :)

there will be a lot of sales in the months to come before we will see a glimpse of DCS 2.0
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For the SU-25T and the Georgian oil war campaign:

 

Just my input, but due to the common MANPADS and AAA, I almost exculsively carry 16 vikhrs and jammer pods. Rockets and bombs and guns are fun but will get you shot down easily, not to mention rockets and bombs wont kill as many vehicles as a full load of vikhrs anyway.

 

The frog burns gas quick, especially with weight and drag from 1000s of kg of ordnance. Adding 2 fuel tanks in order to have the gas to carry the weight doesnt add much to loiter time due to drag, and really slows down your performance.

 

There's a small handful of missions where it's worthwhile to carry an ELINT pod and kh-25MPUs for SEAD.

 

There's lots of techniques for frog flying. At a minimum study the map carefully in the mission planner. Which waypoints are your targets at? Many times the briefing will say destroy targets at WP5 when in reality your targets are at WP4 and WP5 is for egress.

 

I fly at 2500m or higher above friendly airspace. I will pull up my target waypoint, and, giving myself plenty of distance, line up the bird so my heading is on the yellow arrow on the HSI (compass), and begin scanning with the shkval.

There gets to a point where the shkval cursor is able to snap onto vehicles. At this time you can radio your wingman to attack your target, but have the comm menu tree prepped. With vikhrs, you want to stay high and slow, and dip down and line up the shot just as your gettting within launch parameters. You can gently pull the nose back up while the missile's in flight to keep some altitude, not aggressively, though. And of course, don't overfly the target.

 

Use the IR jammers and ECM.


Edited by Mike5560
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I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

I firmly believe that a new pilot should learn to walk before he learns to run. One should learn how to fly worth a darn before being sent into combat. He should learn how to understand his machine before he learns how to shoot Amraams 30 miles away from target.

 

The early phases of the Air War over Vietnam proved one thing: the notion of dogfighting was thought to be an obsolete concept in a modern combat environment and BVR engagements were pretty much the biggest part of the training of the newer generation of pilots who hadn't gone through Korea or World War II. This proved to be one of the biggest mistakes the USAF has ever made, and pilots paid a heavy price for it.

 

Nowadays, there is a reason (and a very good one) as to why pilots start from trainers and change from old machines to newer ones throughout their training. Having fancy modern systems on an aircraft is useless if you don't understand why you have them in the first place. This is why it is essential to understand how systems work, how your aircraft works... something that FC3 completely glosses over.

 

Flaming Cliffs did not teach me how hydraulic systems worked, what an inverter or a battery is, how to operate engines without blowing up, what gauges to look for during flight, how to navigate with old instruments... DCS is one of the most complex study sims ever made: FC3 modules will teach you how to shoot missiles and how to do BVR engagements, with the occasional dogfight. That is all well and good if you are not interested in what a study sim brings to the table.

 

What new guys (including me) always say is: "why are there so many switches? I'll never be able to remember them!" Well the best way is not to memorize these switches and procedures: it's to understand why you are mashing these buttons and flipping these switches. In that regard, system management in FC3 is nonexistent.

 

The reason why I got to know so many things about the more complex aircraft like the A-10C is because I started from the ground up: learn WW2 planes, then switch to Korean-era jets, then to Vietnam era jets and then modern era jets. It is the most efficient, most practical way to learn about planes. You learn why systems were created, how they work, what they improved, and why certain design choices are done.

 

This is the difference between a guy that will fly 10 hours and get bored and a guy that will fly 500 and keep coming back for more. I got bored with the FC3 modules after 10 hours. I have more than 600 hours in all other DCS modules combined, and I enjoy them much, much more.

Woah there, last time I checked FC models HSI, ADI, altimeters etc. these are the fundamental basics needed to learn to fly and navigate. FC is a very good learning tool for beginners whether you follow the path of Su25>Su25T>Su27>Su33 or A10A>F15C there is a wealth of learning to be had from basic navigation and aircraft control to carrier landings and aerial refuelling. I think it is not FC which is doing the glossing here. ;)

Fly the F-16 in BMS and the F-15 in DCS FC3: completely different experiences. I think people could be surprised to see how much stuff there is to do in the F-18 once it is released.

 

This is what I mean by "FC3 won't teach you how to fly properly".

 

How are they different, when I fly BMS, FC, MIG-21 I apply myself in the same manner when in combat, there is no excessive workload in BMS a2a than there is in FC F-15, unless for some strange reason you're adjusting your cm pgms or configuring for a bombing run whilst merged with a Flanker. The only difference is you can select bars, spot zoom the radar, have datalink an automated cm system and no iff.

Just wait until F/A-18 comes out to see the workload you say, I suppose you also fall into that category that thinks it is unfair to pitch DCS fighters against FC ones because the later has it easy. Well MiG21 and F-86s are shooting down Flankers in servers so I say to that, nonsense.

 

If you've got more workload in a full fidelity fighter whilst in combat then you've done something terribly wrong.


Edited by Frostie

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I guess I'm a little late to this party, but I'll give you my $.02.

 

You have an inexpensive stick and a TrackIR, so you probably want something that doesn't require a lot of HOTAS input, but with TrackIR you can use the mouse to manipulate the cockpit instead of looking around (and you can map trim to your hat switch).

 

First module I would recommend is the Huey. It's a challenge to fly, but the challenge is more in the flying than in the systems management. You can take a minimalist approach to the stick (fire, trim, flares) and use the mouse for any systems management (which isn't much at all). The weaker spring in an inexpensive stick actually works in your favor for a helicopter. I recommend the Huey before the Ka-50; learning how to fly the huey makes you a better stick in any helicopter, and especially the Ka-50 when the autopilot channels aren't working.

 

Next is Flaming Cliffs. Set your hat switch for trim and your mouse for the TDC slew, and map the basics for each aircraft to your stick. Biggest downside here is that without a HOTAS or clickable cockpit you need to remember a lot of key combinations. However, being an IL-2 vet, you shouldn't have too much trouble. As long as you know the basics, you'll be fine.

 

One last OT thing: if you still have your copy of EF2000 lying around, you may want to take a look at EF2000 Reloaded. Nothing quite like flying around the Norwegian fjords with 3DFX emulation and TrackIR! :thumbup:

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I guess I'm a little late to this party, but I'll give you my $.02.

 

You have an inexpensive stick and a TrackIR, so you probably want something that doesn't require a lot of HOTAS input, but with TrackIR you can use the mouse to manipulate the cockpit instead of looking around (and you can map trim to your hat switch).

 

First module I would recommend is the Huey. It's a challenge to fly, but the challenge is more in the flying than in the systems management. You can take a minimalist approach to the stick (fire, trim, flares) and use the mouse for any systems management (which isn't much at all). The weaker spring in an inexpensive stick actually works in your favor for a helicopter. I recommend the Huey before the Ka-50; learning how to fly the huey makes you a better stick in any helicopter, and especially the Ka-50 when the autopilot channels aren't working.

 

Next is Flaming Cliffs. Set your hat switch for trim and your mouse for the TDC slew, and map the basics for each aircraft to your stick. Biggest downside here is that without a HOTAS or clickable cockpit you need to remember a lot of key combinations. However, being an IL-2 vet, you shouldn't have too much trouble. As long as you know the basics, you'll be fine.

 

One last OT thing: if you still have your copy of EF2000 lying around, you may want to take a look at EF2000 Reloaded. Nothing quite like flying around the Norwegian fjords with 3DFX emulation and TrackIR! :thumbup:

Thanks for the tips, Fries. I went out and got the Warthog and Saitek pro combat pedals so that's now sorted. I've been flying a lot of Su-25T, or I've been *trying*. Damn manpads...

Lately I've been thinking about getting the Ka-50, but think I'll go Huey first then.

 

hehehe fun seeing EF2000 again! Think I'll pass, though :D

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If you have the Warthog stick the A-10C is a no brainer - it makes the A-10C about 90% easier to learn and fly having a matching HOTAS.

 

A-10C is also probably the easiest plane to fly it has a lot of feedback if you are going to stall or pulling too hard etc.

 

Although as other have said, there are a lot of systems to manage - but that is also where the value comes in, you will have plenty to get your head around for a long time to come.

Although you don't need to know much about any system to engage targets and just fly. I mean you can just use the HUD for everything.


Edited by TomOnSteam

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Not sure if you've seen this before, but I made a checklist for the SU-25T. The things in the checklist that may help are the quick referral guides to the Weapons Panel, RWR, Fuel Panel, Enemy Threat List and so on. There's also a few pages that detail each weapon that can be carried.

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=144219

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  • 3 weeks later...

Nowadays, there is a reason (and a very good one) as to why pilots start from trainers and change from old machines to newer ones throughout their training. Having fancy modern systems on an aircraft is useless if you don't understand why you have them in the first place. This is why it is essential to understand how systems work, how your aircraft works... something that FC3 completely glosses over.

 

 

I'm also late to the party.

 

I come from a civil background so know next to nothing about the military side.

I also don't own the FC3 module but I do have the SU-27 and F-15.

You make a very good point about starting with trainers. I know how to fly (I hope) but I don't know anything about military tactics, navigation, targeting/tracking, and engagement. Therefore I see FC3 style aircraft as an ab initio trainer of sorts. SU-27/F-15 gave me a simplified insight of what to expect.

I have now moved on to the Mig-21 with some background knowledge that I never would have gained if I hadn't played with these 'simpler' systems beforehand.

 

Each to their own I guess. But I do think FC3 has it's place.

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