First post (last post?)

Ok, so I wandered across a GR video over a year ago and was instantly hooked. The plan was Simple, order a setup from virpil. By the time that arrived the Index would be available. Only after I received those two items would I order a desktop. I figured by then, pricing on the I9 and 2080ti would start to normalize and maybe ED would get the VR support implementation upgraded.

Then I would order modules and go flying.

Well I gotta be honest. I have spent the last 9 months stalking the board and I have come to the assessment that you need to be fluent in pc programming to be able to get any functionality out of this, hence I have not order a PC nor any modules. Maybe the best option is to sell the goods, cut my losses and find another hobby?

So I am interested in your thoughts. Can this ever be a plug and play deal out of the box (so to speak) or is it going to be a constant upgrade, patch, delete, reinstall proposition?

With that, if I choose to move forward, can someone recommend a motherboard to go with an I9, 2080ti, 32 megs ram and m.2 drives? I understand the basics of most of the items but motherboard terminology and branding is completely alien.

Thanks in advance and cudos to Cap. One of the best advertising arms for DCS and seems like a great guy.

Regards,

Mr. Big “Biggs”

It's not clear to me what problem you're facing. It sounds like it might be that you're unsure about how to go about building a PC? DCS has been pretty much plug and play for me. I originally flew on a high end laptop, avoiding the need to know anything about PC building. DCS worked fine. I eventually built my own PC for the first time to push performance higher. I had to do a little research, but it wasn't all that bad.

 

 

One caveat, you mentioned VR, I have no VR experience with DCS.

I run AMD Ryzen so my input on specific motherboard models would be useless, but you can’t go wrong with an MSI or ASUS board. Look up the boards using your required CPU socket on Newegg and check out the reviews. Building a computer is not difficult, but it does require a bit of research and learning. There and more than enough YouTube videos to get you where you need to be as long as you are willing to take the time.

 

As far as DCS is concerned, I’m not sure where this computer programming thing comes from? I have numerous modules and fly VR. The extent of my troubles have been with having to uninstall and reinstall 2 modules due to corrupted controls, manipulating my graphics settings to get desired performance, and my VR headset software being a pain in the ass once or twice (rift-s). For the vast majority of things, it is indeed plug and play. But you may have to search the forums and troubleshoot from time to time. Well worth it for the experience, in my opinion.

why dont you just hire someone who is computer literate to set it all up for you and then you can have your get-up-and-go experience

Look for an Asus, Gigabyte, MSI or similar 'gaming' motherboard. That sort of thing will see you right. Ideally, check that your RAM chips are compatible with the board. Most combos work fine but sometimes there are issues.

 

There's no PC programming required for DCS and patching is super easy.

 

Building your first PC can be nerve wracking but it's actually fairly easy. Check out Youtube for PC building guides and you'll be ok.

 

You don't need to find another hobby. You've got great times ahead of you if you go for it.

If by stalking the board you mean that it appears being able to get enjoyment out of DCS you are going to have to study hard and get to understand a load of complex systems and reel off acronyms in your sleep then don't worry!

 

Of course if you want to go head to head with the very best in a modern fighter jet in multiplayer then maybe the above is true. In my case there is a wealth of fun to be had with a very basic knowledge and plenty of relatively simple (but hard to master) aircraft.

 

Plus DCS in VR is pretty awesome with a decent headset & PC.

 

It is inevitable in forums that a lot of the chat will be by enthusiasts who have a level of expertise that make it sound like another world but in my view for a complete novice like me there is plenty of fun to be had.

Asus Maximus is kind of max of what a motherboard can offer for gaming and powerful and overclockable PC

Great input so far thanks! Over the years since my first Comador 64 I have learned the ins and outs of hardware. Built a few machines back in the early 2000’s but have been out of anything pc related but for my laptop and the “web” for years.

I guess where I’m going from the plug and play standpoint is the many posts I see that say “oh silly, everyone knows you need to delete the (x) folder then change a Lua. ???? To whatever, are you thick??” Kinda like the one post above giving grief for wanting top notch equipment but wanting it plug and play. (I reread post and believe I misinterpreted so my apologies!!)

It looks like a great way to spend my golden years but Im no programer. I want to buy the most current stuff I can so I can prolong the inevitable upgrade cycle but I have no idea where folder (x) is, nor can I simply change the lua. File like any “normal person “.

Just want to get into the learn to fly part, not become an It guy or become It dependent.

Thanks for the input so far!!

Edited October 18, 2019 by Mr. Big.”Biggs”

Kinda like the one post above giving grief for wanting top notch equipment but wanting it plug and play.

Yeah please ignore that. For some reason flight sims seem to attract a minority of nerds with high IQ but super low EQ. Most of us are normal (ish!).

but I have no idea where folder (x) is, nor can I simply change the lua. File like any “normal person “.

Just want to get into the learn to fly part, not become an It guy or become It dependent.

None of that is necessary at all. You may, once you are familar with the game, want to do some customisation involving editing the text based config files (LUAs). That can come later, or never. If it comes later then it's actually very easy to do. We can talk you through that when the time comes.

Hi Biggs,

If I can do it, YOU can do it :-)

 

I recommend joining a few DCS-related Discord groups in addition to this great forum. Sometimes it is very nice to be able to speak to others in real-time when getting things set up, be it new hardware or even just a new module.

When it comes to tech challenges, we are all in the same boat... err aircraft I mean.

Message me if you wish to join my Discord. Noobs are welcome too. I'll give you a hand anytime.

Once your PC is built DCS is as complex as you want it to be. I don't play with any of the .lua files as I have no idea what I am doing with them. I don't think I am missing much as a result. I have had to programme the Thrustmaster Warthog so that the positions work in every position - when I'm not flying the A-10, but this is simple in the Thrustmaster software - literally a case of selecting the button and assigning a key press to it.

 

There are plenty of helpful people out there, generally more so than the ones that want to make you feel stupid :)

Howdy,

The issue really is failure to commit on my end quite frankly. Getting up in years and trying to find a new hobby that matches The speed of my old body. Already did the Rc plane gig, muscle car resto and several home flipps. Getting too damn old.

The Reapers videos really had me sold. I have a history with aircraft and this seemed like a way to relive some of the “good ole days” Without another chunk of lead in my ass.

Started acquiring components. Decided VR was the way I wanted to experience your world.

Spent a lot of time reading the forum in the interim and it just started to sound like more and more of a hassle so I decided to reach out.

Sounds like from the feedback I have received is that it has issues but not at the programmers level so I think I’ll give it w whirl.

Ps. Its responses like “ cant help ya unless ya post your dcs log and dxdiag that really give me pause. Wtf is that??????

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

I guess where I’m going from the plug and play standpoint is the many posts I see that say “oh silly, everyone knows you need to delete the (x) folder then change a Lua. ????

 

 

To whatever, are you thick??” Kinda like the one post above giving grief for wanting top notch equipment but wanting it plug and play. (I reread post and believe I misinterpreted so my apologies!!)

It looks like a great way to spend my golden years but Im no programer. I want to buy the most current stuff I can so I can prolong the inevitable upgrade cycle but I have no idea where folder (x) is, nor can I simply change the lua. File like any “normal person “.

Just want to get into the learn to fly part, not become an It guy or become It dependent.

 

You don't need to become a programmer, you don't need to delete any folder, you don't need to change any lua file.

I haven't deleted any folder yet and i only went into some lua file to fix my framerate setting (which can be done in a few different ways besides editing a lua file, in my latest install there is nothing changed). It works out of the box (which you can tweak a bit if you want but most tweakers spend hours and hours tweaking to gain not only 1%... but hey...everybody his own hobby...:pilotfly:)

 

So you don't need to do anything but install DCS, set up your controllers and gamesettings and then you are ready to go flying (don't know about VR stuff, i don't own that).

It's best to start off small and get DCS going, setup an aircraft, download and checkout some control profiles and try a few combinations.

 

Save some dollars building your own high end PC for flight sim's..? This will take some effort on slowly learning a few things. Many can be learned on YouTube and check referenced with the guy's on this forum. BitMaster and others on the forums right here helped me here get my PC sorted as an example.

 

Or go buy a high end pc and spend a little more.

 

I still have the rift CV1 so I don't know what the others are like to setup. The rift is basically plug and play. Download install the rift software, Tick VR in DCS tab (PD to 1.5 Pixel Density That's what I use for the rift ) and it will launch in VR, then go to the VR option menu in DCS and bind a view centering button etc.

 

Don't expect to not be learning something about hardware, software and aviation. Just learn bit by bit.

 

Just like with aviation, always something to learn. Take your time and have fun, don't get frustrated, post the problems your having, many helpful people willing to help here.

Edited October 22, 2019 by David OC

YouTube is your friend.

Spent a lot of time reading the forum in the interim and it just started to sound like more and more of a hassle so I decided to reach out.

Sounds like from the feedback I have received is that it has issues but not at the programmers level so I think I’ll give it w whirl.

 

Like any complex software, DCS has its issues and dependencies. Some are very easy to avoid, others may bite one in the behind.

 

But all things considered, it should be fairly straightforward to get going. If you run into any particular problem, this forum is full of people who like to help out.

 

In some cases, the easiest way for us to figure things out is really to look at log files, but when that happens, we can explain to you how to find them, and how to get them to us.

 

But sitting in these virtual pits, flying nap of the earth in complete darkness on night vision goggles, inbound to a heavily defended primary target, or enjoying the sights on a beautiful day, or flying around with some friends - it's absolutely worth a bit of hassle to get DCS going and to tune it a bit to personal preference. :thumbup:

 

Plus, as was said before, there are many communities who take on beginners and talk them through the first steps and help out with any questions.

and don't fear the unknown, the problem that comes when you need it least, on a saturday afternoon just when all shops are closed already and no spare part will come till monday, those days will come but you get over them :helpsmilie:

 

I cleaned my DIY loop today and with the last move I did I broke 1 of my my 1080ti's fan blades off, usually that would be no problem cause it's a Hybrid cooled card, water and/or air...but my pump is also going nuts and to top it all off, my ti's PCB or it's cooling block is bent, aka not aligning with the GPU die anymore...so what used to be 49-50°C under heavy load is now 70+°C...AAHHHH. New Pump, new reservoir, new tubing ( again ), new fluid-mix 5L and to fix the GPU temp I also need a 3rd party GPU block to replace the shitty Asus Poseidon piece of junk cooler that they put on. 300€ round about I guess. Things happen, some wear & tear and some stupidiy from myself and you got the mess. STAY CALM and RELAX :D

 

I knew that day will come, something will break eventually and you have to bite the bitter apple.

 

Apropos Apple, my Apple's laptop left fan is squeaking too :noexpression:

 

No worries, I'll get it all sorted..once I have the mood, time and cash...until then it will be locked 60fps to keep the temp in the 50's, the pump squirks..so I turn up the speakers and my laptop's fan goes silent after 10 minutes too...all good :music_whistling:

 

Ahhh sigh, need a glass of red wine :smilewink:

It's not so scary as landing on a boat! :D

 

Well I gotta be honest. I have spent the last 9 months stalking the board and I have come to the assessment that you need to be fluent in pc programming to be able to get any functionality out of this, hence I have not order a PC nor any modules. Maybe the best option is to sell the goods, cut my losses and find another hobby?

 

 

So I am interested in your thoughts. Can this ever be a plug and play deal out of the box (so to speak) or is it going to be a constant upgrade, patch, delete, reinstall proposition?

 

 

 

With that, if I choose to move forward, can someone recommend a motherboard to go with an I9, 2080ti, 32 megs ram and m.2 drives? I understand the basics of most of the items but motherboard terminology and branding is completely alien.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am trying to process your post to find actual questions and I broke it down to these.

 

 

 

1. Do you need to be an IT guy to operate a gaming pc?
   Short answer: No, long answer: no, there are tutorials to about anything on youtube nowadays. Problems aren't as big as you can read on the forum, there are helpful communities out there on discord also. My only tweaks to DCS were installing the VR performance mod by kegetys, using instructions from this forum. Believe me when I say that the things you need to do to install it are FAR FAR easier than flying the damn F18 and remembering all the things. Also, if you have children, they will most probably be able to help.
   
2. Should you sell the Index and hotas and "cut your losses"?
   Hell no. The index is versatile headset and can be used for so much more than DCS... You say you have mil background? See ONWARD for example. Great VR game. Or Beat Saber. Or Skyrim VR. Or Doom VFR. Or recently announced Grand Theft Auto V vr mod. I hope you ordered a complete bundle (controllers / basestations / hmd). Headset won't work without basestations and controllers allow you to play more than DCS :D
   
3. Patch / delete etc. - game autoupdates itself. If you install mods, you need to make sure they are gone for the update and reinstalled after. Unless you're running a server, you probably won't be installing mods at start. So yeah, plug and pray ;-) experience is very much possible. I wouldn't worry about that. And installing / deinstalling vr performance mod can be automated via a third party software called OGvME with a bit of work, which is also described in mod topic on these forums.
   
4. Motherboard for an i9? Gigabyte z390 top-end offerings (elite and up).
   Asus actually cheaped out on power phases, and gigabyte's stellar in that regard. I myself have the Gigabyte Aorus Elite, get that or slightly more priced ultra or master. They differ in terms of additional features, but you cannot go wrong with these. If you want more info, there was a
   (guy who knows his stuff around hardware) explaining the entire lineup for z390 along with the "best VRM for dollar" if you're inclined to listen about why the power section of motherboard X is better than Y. Also don't worry it's alien, because it changes with each generation/chipset.
   

Thanks all!! Components ordered and arriving daily!

Hope to see you in the skies soon!

Thanks all!! Components ordered and arriving daily!

Hope to see you in the skies soon!

 

Nice! If you are good with hardware you will probably have more trouble installing windows than putting the PC together. Hit me up if you need any advice tuning, OC, calibrating controllers, etc. It will be a lot at first but once you get past the initial barrier to entry, you are good. The underlying principles and tech haven't really changed since the 80's. The transistors are just smaller and more numerous and you don't have to be a PC tech to overclock anymore.

 

All I know is a little R and can barely compile "hello world" in C++, don't worry about it you'll be fine. DCS is a complex piece of software but there's a tutorial, forum thread, or some kind of documentation for most everything. Just don't try to learn everything yourself by trial and error, it will take too long and you'll get frustrated. People here are usually very willing to share their experience or at least point you in the right direction.