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FC3 complexity vs old Jane’s simulations?


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I’m considering trying to get into FC3 but am trying to gauge how much time it will take me to learn as my job is all consuming. Back in the 90s I was heavily into the Jane’s games, F-15, F/A-18 etc. For those who have played both, how does FC3 compare in complexity to those- similar or is it still substantially more involved?

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FC3's complexity is as follows (I'll use the F15 as an example, but it's pretty much the same for all the other birds):

 

For cold start any of its planes you press one button to turn the electrics on, then two buttons to turn on both engines.

 

Once in the air, turn on radar with one button again. Radar can be set to different ranges (two buttons for + and -), it can change elevation (two buttons for up and down) and to track single or multiple targets (one button to switch between these modes). Finally, radar can switch between modes for tracking incoming aircraft or moving away, or leave it on auto (one button switches between all of these).

 

You can change between long distance and short distance combat modes (4 buttons, but really only use two: one for "long range" and one for "vertical scan short range"). One button to change missiles, one button for guns. Then you can engage flaps (one button), airbrake (one button), raise/lower gear (one button). You also have chaff/flares (I set them to the same button) and jammer (another one button).

That's pretty much it :pilotfly:


Edited by Katmandu
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I’m loving your “one button” commentary ;)

 

Yes, FC3 has simplified systems. You don’t have to warm the radar up or leave it in standby, you just turn it on and off.

 

Makes very little difference to combat whether you’re turning it from standby to transmit, or from off to on.

 

IRL there is one knob that changes radar range. I’m not seeing how it would be more realistic to use the right and left mouse buttons to rotate that knob than 2 keystrokes ?

 

You could argue that there are modes on the F-15 radar that are missing, but the main modes - flood, TWS, RWS, STT & CAC modes that the real aircraft have available are there, as well as the 3 PRF modes that exist IRL. Su-27 pilots have to manage mode, PRF, scan range, elevation and gimbal orientation. Again, I’m not seeing why the ‘one key’ thing is relevant once you have your HOTAS mapped ?

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Cheers.

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Hey, it was not a dig at FC3, quite the opposite. The OP stated that he does not want mind boggling complexity and my "one button commentary" was aimed at showing that there is little mind boggling in terms of control scheme. FC3 is fantastic and has great depth in terms of flight dynamics and tactics of course.

 

I wish there was an FC3 version of every DCS plane - including M2000, Harrier, F/A-18 and the Tomcat :)

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I guess FC3 is in a way on a somewhat simpler level (e.g. cockpit interaction wise) compared to those Origin Skunkworks sims mentioned (i.e. F-15 and F/A-18 ), but it's rather more complex than the other jet "sims" released under the Janes' label (like US Navy Fighters, ATF, USAF, etc.).


Edited by Dudikoff

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Hey, it was not a dig at FC3, quite the opposite. The OP stated that he does not want mind boggling complexity and my "one button commentary" was aimed at showing that there is little mind boggling in terms of control scheme. FC3 is fantastic and has great depth in terms of flight dynamics and tactics of course.

 

I wish there was an FC3 version of every DCS plane - including M2000, Harrier, F/A-18 and the Tomcat :)

 

 

:)

Cheers.

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I’m considering trying to get into FC3 but am trying to gauge how much time it will take me to learn as my job is all consuming. Back in the 90s I was heavily into the Jane’s games, F-15, F/A-18 etc. For those who have played both, how does FC3 compare in complexity to

those- similar or is it still substantially more involved?

 

I kind of skipped the Jane's games, but I did play a lot of Falcon 3.0 back in the day. :)

 

I completely hear you regarding time consumption of this hobby. I wish I had the time to 100% learn all the modules that I have... But the good thing is that also with DCS full-fidelity modules, 100% understanding of everything is not actually required to have some fun. The other good thing is that not all aircraft are equally complex.

 

I think that for a "beginner", I would recommend the Albatros or the MiG-15 over FC3 to be honest. There is no radar to deal with and the speeds are much slower. Or if you prefer western planes / units, perhaps the Sabre. And for me, the clickable cockpit actually helps, because I don't have to remember a certain keystroke, I can just look around in the cockpit and click on something next to the correct label. :D


Edited by Zius

Modules: Bf 109, C-101, CE-II, F-5, Gazelle, Huey, Ka-50, Mi-8, MiG-15, MiG-19, MiG-21, Albatros, Viggen, Mirage 2000, Hornet, Yak-52, FC3

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I played ATF and other Jane's sim in the late 90s. FC3 systems are a bit more deep than those, but not that much.

 

I will recommend you to bind the same actions to the same HOTAS buttons for every plane, since most of them have the same systems.

 

I got FC3 in the current steam sale and I'm not regretting it. It is nice to step back and fly "less complicated" birds after a pair of A10C missions...

 

And then you will miss the complexity and possibilities of the full modules and you will go back to them...

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

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  • 2 weeks later...

As has been said, the FC3 aircraft compare closer to the lower avionics simulation depth of Jane‘s bundle sims like USAF & IAF from the 90s, mainly because of FC3’s lack of clickable cockpits.

In comparison, you will recall Jane’s F-15 and F-18 to go deeper, avionics-wise, mainly because of the clickable displays, systems pages, air/ground/sea radar modes, weapon choices, etc. of those true multi-rolers.

Be advised, that on the one hand, FC3 offers no such multi-role but exclusively specialized aircraft. And on the other hand, FC3’s mainly advanced or professional flight models by far surpass any aerodynamic simulation that was available back in the Nineties.

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The Sukhois and Mig29 are both multirole, more so the Mig. Precision A2G is not a prerequisite for 'multirole'. F15 is not, though, unless you're referring to the E.

Де вороги, знайдуться козаки їх перемогти.

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You could argue that there are modes on the F-15 radar that are missing, but the main modes - flood, TWS, RWS, STT & CAC modes that the real aircraft have available are there, as well as the 3 PRF modes that exist IRL. Su-27 pilots have to manage mode, PRF, scan range, elevation and gimbal orientation. Again, I’m not seeing why the ‘one key’ thing is relevant once you have your HOTAS mapped ?

 

While I agree in general about the most important stuff being there, its still broken. The PRF for example, interleave should not be reducing the detection range like it does, which subsequently feeds into the next problem. PRF is supposed to be auto adjusted according to selected scan range, with 160 on high and 10 on med and interleave for everything in between. There isn't even a manual control for PRF in the actual F-15, so in sim its just an extra button to press that should't even exist. After that the landing light have always been broken in the FC3 jets (independent of deferred shading bug), where there is zero illumination until you are basically on the ground land in formation with any full DCS module at night and see that there is basically no light coming from the FC3 jet on approach. Worse is that this has been an issue since FC2.

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