New player needs help

[boombazookajd]

Hey all! Thanks for taking the time to read this! First, I'd like to get back into flight sims. My experience is pretty limited. I first got into flight sims with Falcon 4.0 and then had some experience with Allied Force. I've also had a couple of the Janes sims. All in all though, I don't have a lot of hours but I'd say that I'm relatively competent. 

 

First, the hardware. Ive got myself a Dell G5 I5000 for my birthday. Is this a powerful enough machine to run DCS for me to get the hang of it. I also used to have an x52 HOTAS, what's a good stick to use now a days? I'd also look into getting trackIR. 

 

Next, is which version of the game is going to give me a good place to learn? I think falling into the F-16 would be pretty familiar for me so I'm certainly looking at that. The P-51 and P-47 sims are also very appealing primarily for the fact that there are no complicated avionics to deal with. 

 

Thank you for all of the help and I hope to fly with you soon! 

 

 

[Exorcet]

Hello,

 

It would be more helpful to post PC specs. Looking up the Dell online it has different configurations, but it looks like you meet the minimum requirements. I don't know what kind of settings you will be able to run though, or if heavy mission might be a problem.

 

X52 should still be a good beginning HOTAS. I haven't looked at the lower end of the price range in a while so I don't know if there are any new competitors there. If you want to fly WWII or helicopters, you might also want to consider rudder pedals (although the X52 has a twist stick rudder if I remember).

 

As for what to learn, pick what interests you. I like the F-16 and I personally think DCS is a bit better at simulating modern combat than WWII era. The F-16 isn't feature complete but it has most of its AA and good bit of AG functionality. The F-18 is similar with more developed features and with a little less AA performance.

 

Don't forget that the Su-25T and TF-51 are free, so mess around with those before you buy anything to check performance and controls.

[boombazookajd]

I always forget this part: G5 comes with an i5-10400F and a GTX 1660 Super, 8g RAM (expandable to 64gb). What features is the F-16 component lacking? I'm also interested in the F-14 and A-10 components besides the F/A-18 but there's plenty of time for that down the road. 

 

I don't have the X-52 anymore, I gave it to a friend of mine a few years back who was better set up for flight sims and was still using one of those older single stick options. I've been out of flight sims for a while but really want to get back into what I've loved since I got Falcon 4.0 as a teenager. 

 

I began looking up flight sticks last night and I'm looking at the T-16000M flight pack. Are pedals not needed for modern aircraft? 

Edited January 5, 2021 by boombazookajd

[Lange_666]

The T-1600M has a stick with a twist axis which (can) act as rudderpedals without the toe breaking ofcourse.

[Exorcet]

4 hours ago, boombazookajd said:

I always forget this part: G5 comes with an i5-10400F and a GTX 1660 Super, 8g RAM (expandable to 64gb). What features is the F-16 component lacking? I'm also interested in the F-14 and A-10 components besides the F/A-18 but there's plenty of time for that down the road. 

 

I don't have the X-52 anymore, I gave it to a friend of mine a few years back who was better set up for flight sims and was still using one of those older single stick options. I've been out of flight sims for a while but really want to get back into what I've loved since I got Falcon 4.0 as a teenager. 

 

I began looking up flight sticks last night and I'm looking at the T-16000M flight pack. Are pedals not needed for modern aircraft? 

 

You might want more RAM, 16 GB, but other than that I think you should be able to run the game. The best way to find out is to download the DCS base game and try it since it's free. And come to think of it I think all modules are free to try right now for a limited time.

 

Download is here: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/world/stable/

 

The F-16 is missing some sub modes for weapons/avionics and a bunch of minor features since it's still in beta. These things will be added but it will take some time. As it is right now I think it's worth having if you're interested in the F-16, but just keep in mind that you won't be able to do everything in the jet for a few more months still.

 

All aircraft use pedals, but the modern (specifically Fly By Wire ones like F-16 and F-18) will automatically use the rudders for you in some situations, making the lack of pedals less detrimental. On the opposite end of the spectrum, WWII aircraft and helicopters require you to be on the pedals basically all of the time.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Exorcet

[boombazookajd]

Well the computer arrived today and I downloaded the base game and used rudimentary K&M controls. Definitely going to get a HOTAS setup. Best Buy has the T-16000 flight pack for $260, so I'm going to order that and wait a week. I'd like to have pedals just so that I am not limited. 

 

I may spring for the F-16 module. I'm at least somewhat familiar with the aircraft and MAY even have the old F4 training book in a box in the attic, though I doubt that. The F/A-18 is also very alluring as it's more complete in its current state but also, the idea of flying off and landing on a carrier sounds challenging enough! 

 

There was a time where all I did after school was try to land that damned bird; I flare and balloon, then drop the throttle and dump it onto the tarmac... I still remember how excited I was the first time I actually got that sound of rubber hitting the runway and and the nose came down and viola! I was actually still in one piece! Then the computer crashed.... 

 

Anyway, the game is running alright on the limited amount I can play it so I think it'll do until I learn enough to actually get out on missions and by that time I'll have recouped enough cash to expand the RAM to 16 at least. 

 

I'll keep to learning all I can and thanks for the help. I hope to be flying with some of you guys soon! 

[=Mac=]

If you like a plane, go for it. Just fall into it, as you said. Me, I love all of them. I have all of them. I only fly Western aircraft because I'm too stu.... uneducated... to learn Russian. I've spent the last year studying the Hornet. FYI, you DON'T have to take off and land on a carrier. The Hornet is one of the easiest aircraft to land at a shore base even in strong crosswinds. I've flown the F-16 only a couple times and, from what I recall, it's easy to land at a shore base, too.

 

If you have the dollars, get Trackir. I don't think I would like to fly K&M for very long now. VR has its great points, too. My buddy was about to commit suicide trying to tank on the KC-130 last year. He got VR and his tanking and parade formations are dead on, now. If you ever consider spending any serious time in a helo, get some good pedals. I have the cheap Saitek one and have needed to repair it 5 or 6 times. But... I NEED them for the Huey and the P-51 or the P-47.

 

I have 5 monitors but fly with only one for DCS and one for Discord, SRS, any Windows stuff I want, etc.

 

Aerobatics Online is a great online server to have fun in. You can't shoot or bomb anything, but it's a great place to get the feel for aircraft. Keep your eyes open, though; there are lots of guys (of all ages) acting like kids in a candy store. Get away from the airports and play in the mountains alone or with a friend.

 

And, be prepared with something to keep your jaw from dropping! DCS is totally awesome visually now. And, shortly, it's going to get even better!

[boombazookajd]

Mac thanks for making me even more excited! I found an X-52 from gamestop (the black version, not the toy looking silver) for $200 and I simply couldn't find anything even close so I went with that. I'll get a set of pedals when necessary. I also grabbed trackIR. I am done spending money for now! 

 

I've used VR once or twice before and it makes me a little nauseous so I don't think I'll be going for that. Maybe i'm just out of my prime now. The stick should be in sometime next week so until then I'll probably do some tutorial watching and keep pretending to be Gen. Patton in War Thunder. 

 

Next up will be to find a training squadron, or just one that is open to a new pilot.