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Noob Questions


DarthRoar

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Hey.

So I've decided to become immersed in the world of DCS after seeing how amazing it is. I would like some advice about what I should do and get etc.

 

So I'm going to buy Track IR 5 (pretty much required). For HOTAS I will probably go for the Thrustmaster T-Flight X seeing as it's fairly cheap and seems to have all the features I'll need?

 

For modules, I wanted to get the Mig-15bis because it looks pretty damn good inside and out while being fairly simple. I'd also choose something else like the F86 or maybe even the '21 to move up to.

 

I was also considering the BAe Hawk as, although it doesn't seem to be the best module around, the fact that I intend to become an RAF pilot means that it would be interesting/useful to know how to fly.

 

Should I buy these modules through the DCS website or Steam? I hear that DCS codes can be used with both but are sometimes not working while the Steam ones can only be used on Steam... There's usually a sale around Christmas that should help with the costs I hope?

 

Finally, I think that triple monitor is a possibility? I have a GTX 970 so should be able to run that is possible.

 

Thanks, any insight you experienced simmers could give will be appreciated.

 

- DarthRoar.


Edited by DarthRoar
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Re. license codes, It's the other way around - steam ones can be used in both shops, while ED ones work only in ED shop. Read about this, and other useful stuff here:

 

http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/support/faq/500/

 

ED shop used to have frequent, insane discounts compared to Steam - that's changed and is not the case anymore. I think price-wise, they might be comparable now. Still, modules tend to get released earlier in ED shop (usually couple of weeks at least), which is important factor to consider.

 

Triples are very much possibility, many folks here use such setups (check Hardware section of the forum), but a single 970 will be a bit too underpowered to run on three with all eyecandy maxed out (especially on Nevada!).

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Welcome! :thumbup:

 

For modules, I wanted to get the Mig-15bis because it looks pretty damn good inside and out while being fairly simple. I'd also choose something else like the F86 or maybe even the '21 to move up to.

 

I was also considering the BAe Hawk as, although it doesn't seem to be the best module around, the fact that I intend to become an RAF pilot means that it would be interesting/useful to know how to fly..

I can't comment on Sabre or Mig-15, I don't have them, but I highly recommend Mig-21. It's not an easiest plane to fly and operate, but that makes it more fun. :D

 

Hawk may not be the best module in DCS at the moment, but it's not bad either, I very much enjoy flying it. And the devs are constantly improving it, including the flight model.

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As your first planes if you are looking for simpler ones, FC3 will give you an amazing package to explore the DCS world. After that, I'd say to move onto the A-10C or maybe the 15 or 86 like you said.

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Welcome

 

dcs has a big learning curve.

 

Try first the free su-25t

Fly and learn the manuals

tip on youtube you have very good tutorials about it.

This is the first that i learned.

 

[ame]

[/ame]

 

after that you can fly almost everything with slightly differences pro airplane.

 

I have myself the logitech 3d extreme joystick. Best for the money. Look at the revieuw

 

Succes in the world of DCS :D:thumbup:

New system:I9-9900KS, Kingston 128 GB DDR4 3200Mhz, MSI RTX 4090, Corsair H150 Pro RGB, 2xSamsung 970 EVO 2Tb, 2xsamsung 970 EVO 1 TB, Scandisk m2 500 MB, 2 x Crucial 1 Tb, T16000M HOTAS, HP Reverb Professional 2, Corsair 750 Watt.

 

Old system:I7-4770K(OC 4.5Ghz), Kingston 24 GB DDR3 1600 Mhz,MSI RTX 2080(OC 2070 Mhz), 2 * 500 GB SSD, 3,5 TB HDD, 55' Samsung 3d tv, Trackir 5, Logitech HD Cam, T16000M HOTAS. All DCS modules, maps and campaigns:pilotfly:

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Hey.

So I've decided to become immersed in the world of DCS after seeing how amazing it is. I would like some advice about what I should do and get etc.

 

So I'm going to buy Track IR 5 (pretty much required). For HOTAS I will probably go for the Thrustmaster T-Flight X seeing as it's fairly cheap and seems to have all the features I'll need?

 

For modules, I wanted to get the Mig-15bis because it looks pretty damn good inside and out while being fairly simple. I'd also choose something else like the F86 or maybe even the '21 to move up to.

Welcome to the club :thumbup:

 

Headtracker is an important thing in a flight sim, especially the one like DCS, but you can pretty much do without it. For the first experience, the view keys are enough: there are multiple view functions, different speeds and even pre-defined views! Just try holding Ins on the numpad and tiping any numpad number in a cockpit -- it's quite useful even with a headtracker.

Also, you can save yourself some caps by making home-built FreeTrack: http://www.free-track.net/english/

 

As for the joystick, you can easily fly almost just as good without it, using keyboard keys. For the axis commands in airplanes, it holds the set pitch, but resets the bank each time you release the bank key, which allows for solid control. For the helicopters, both axes are held, but doing anything except some simple maneuvers using keyboard is still very hard (at least, for me).

Thrustmaster HOTAS joystick seemed to me as a very small one, my hands could not fit properly on it's grips -- but it's a very personal matter. Just remember that you can get a feel of the game without any joystick at all. As for me, I go with X-52.

 

As for the modules, you can first try the default free aircraft. Su-25T is an awesome assault aircraft (although without clickable cockpit, meaning you have to memorize a bit more keys), while TF-51 trainer is unarmed, but has clickable cockpit and same awesome flight model. There are even several campaigns for Su-25T available to play!

 

Also, my aircraft of choice would be A-10C. As an CFS3/IL-2 guy, I don't really understand radar and missile combat good enough yet, but ground assault is quite fine. The only problem is inhuman accuracy of the ground units, but with a small mod I've worked around that.

They are not vulching... they are STRAFING!!! :smartass::thumbup:

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So I'm going to buy Track IR 5 (pretty much required). For HOTAS I will probably go for the Thrustmaster T-Flight X seeing as it's fairly cheap and seems to have all the features I'll need?

 

The Thrustmaster T-Flight X is an extremely low-end entry model, that might be just what you're looking for though. Expect to be a little disappointed with the precision and lack of buttons, but if you're just looking for a cheap stick go for it. The Logitech Extreme 3D pro is another good joystick for the price. Just keep in mind if you start having a lot of fun you might end up wanting an upgrade pretty quickly.

 

Finally, I think that triple monitor is a possibility? I have a GTX 970 so should be able to run that is possible.

 

Triple monitor is supported natively without using Nvidia Surround, I've got 3 monitors running at 1680x1050 and the game lets me pick 5040x1050 as a supported resolution. Only problem is the max FOV is too narrow at that resolution and a file has to be tweaked to fix that.

 

 

Welcome to the club :thumbup:

 

As for the joystick, you can easily fly almost just as good without it, using keyboard keys. For the axis commands in airplanes, it holds the set pitch, but resets the bank each time you release the bank key, which allows for solid control. For the helicopters, both axes are held, but doing anything except some simple maneuvers using keyboard is still very hard (at least, for me).

 

I swear this is one of the best kept secrets of DCS, it has amazing keyboard controls for flight and the mouselook can emulate just about everything you can do with TrackIR. I used to fly the A-10C a lot with purely keyboard controls and it's no problem at all and not a bad way to get used to the avionics. Never tried flying a helicopter with the keyboard though, I'll leave that to braver folks!

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T Flight is not bad for the $ for a start. It has a decent rocker to use for rudder, you can lock down the twist to disable it. It will separate and give you a HOTAS feel but as another said it does not have the precision you will want down the road. So save up for the TMWH! And Plan for some pedals as well.

 

The Mig 21 is an awesome module and a joy to fly. So welcome to the community!

 

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The more you get into it the more apreciation you will have for perhiperals. I started off with nothing too.

 

 

No kidding, I wonder how many Warthogs DCS A10C has sold for TM. I imagine that would be a fairly substantial number.

 

I think Milan at MFG has sold a fair number of Crosswind Pedals as a result of this forum and DCS as well. Not to mention Track IR's for Natural Point.

Don B

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I concur that TrackIR is a "must have." But I emphatically disagree with the idea that you can get along with out a joystick (although female pilots might disagree.) I say that after 50 years as a real life pilot, and former US Navy flyer, so if you grew up with video games and controllers you may feel differently.

 

As a 'study sim', DCS can be intimidating. Despite my background and over 20 years years of flight simming, the A-10C was hugely frustrating because it was so complicated. Concur that for starters the Su-25 might be a better choice, although I'd go with the F-86 or the free A-7E (see below) but that's probably just ethnocentrism.

 

In any case, forget about navigation and weapons initially. Get thoroughly comfortable with start, taxi, takeoff, air work, pattern work, and landings. Then expand your repetoir by learning to navigate. Then learn weapons--first guns, then missiles, then bombs. Then learn air combat maneuvering. If you try to do it all at once you'll be overwhelmed, or at least severly whelmed.

 

Follow your dreams, lad. One day, you'll experience what John Gillespie McGee meant when he wrote the poem High Flight. Speaking of reading, find a copy of Richard Bach's early book, Stranger To The Ground about a fateful night in an F-86D. Also Geoffrey Wellum's First Light, one of the best ever written about learning to fly and Spitfires.

 

A7.jpg


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I swear this is one of the best kept secrets of DCS, it has amazing keyboard controls for flight and the mouselook can emulate just about everything you can do with TrackIR. I used to fly the A-10C a lot with purely keyboard controls and it's no problem at all and not a bad way to get used to the avionics. Never tried flying a helicopter with the keyboard though, I'll leave that to braver folks!

BTW, axis position info is available by pressing CTRL+ENTER. Flying a helicopter is way easier with that on, while flying airplanes is also more predictable.

They are not vulching... they are STRAFING!!! :smartass::thumbup:

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The T-Flight is very good for the money, I used it for a very long time, cant fault it for the Mig15, Sabre, even the KA50. It is so cheap that if you dont really play much it wont be a big loss.

 

I would definitely start with the MIG 15 of Sabre myself if you want planes, they are both very very nice. Probably the Sabre as it can do a bit more AG as well.

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The only problem is inhuman accuracy of the ground units, but with a small mod I've worked around that.

 

 

I'd appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction to learn more about this. I could use that mod while I'm training

 

Thank you,

 

Mike

 

 

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