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Kesper North posted:So to be totally clear, the complexity is more enticing than scary, and I'm totally here for the avionics and BVR stuff, but I'm a little nervous about the amount of time that might be required to get up and running. I'm a busy professional type and weekends are at a severe premium. I've heard that 60 hours is about the minimum time to get up and running in DCS and have begun to teach yourself to 'fly'. Does that sound about right? And is it worth getting into DCS if I'm in it for air combat given the recent modpocalypse? Stuff like the F-22 and SU-57 mods are among the first things I want to try out, but I also love the art of dogfighting itself, so I'll for sure be spending time in older planes too. So, if you're going for mods and want to get into it fairly quickly with minimal bindings, grab the Flaming Cliffs 3 pack. The planes there are usually the basis for the mods, for example the F-22 relies on the F-15 module. The F-15 is also a great introduction to modern jet combat. I got pretty decent with the F-15 after just three or four hours, mostly on understanding the various bits of symbology on the HUD and figuring out how radar works. The F/A-18 is generally recommended as the best step afterwards. It's full fidelity, so you can click a bunch of the buttons in the cockpit instead of having to rely on keybinds for a lot of functions. I had a much better time in it after doing the F-15 and getting to grips with modern jet stuff. I'd also highly recommend the Rising Squall campaign - their website points you to manual sections that explain the skills you'll need for each mission, and each mission typically only focuses on one or two specific things, like BVR, CCIP bombing, SEAD, and the missions are also extremely short. You'll find that the jets aren't really all that complicated - the hardest part is usually just turning it on, and that just becomes a rote process. Sometimes things will just kinda gently caress up and you'll need to do a bit of weird troubleshooting, and I guess 60 hours is a decent amount of time for knowing enough to be able to figure out how to fix those weird gently caress ups, but to actually fly around, drop bombs on poo poo and fire missiles on people? You'll be doing that within the first couple hours with relative ease.
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Sep 24, 2021 07:35
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The modern jets are much much more about being a computer janitor for a very boring computer than it is flying or dog fighting anything. They look much more interesting than they are. Also can confirm ADHD is no barrier for anything DCS beyond patience for glitch If you're america centric the best choice is to get the F-14 once you're comfortable imho - much more 'airplane' than any other of the americans ThisIsJohnWayne fucked around with this message at 12:04 on Sep 24, 2021 |
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Sep 24, 2021 12:02
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dealing with jester is way less computer janitorial
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Sep 24, 2021 12:10
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Stringent posted:dealing with jester is way less computer janitorial which is why everything but the mig 21 should be banned
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Sep 24, 2021 12:36
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ThisIsJohnWayne posted:which is why everything but the mig 21 should be banned i really like flying the hornet vOv
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Sep 24, 2021 12:41
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While combat certainly is very computer janitor, taking a Hornet or a Viper at full speed through a canyon is fun as gently caress and definitely "flying."
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Sep 24, 2021 13:19
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It's even better in an A-4 
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Sep 24, 2021 13:37
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It’s best in a hip
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Sep 24, 2021 14:18
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For the joy of flight followed by (missing) as you fire rockets, I'm partial to the F-5. For cool weapons plus still being pretty fun if you fly it like an rear end in a top hat, the F-18 or F-16 are good. I don't have the F-16, but that seems to be the review of it. The F-14 is a very well done module and very neat as an example of an old dog that can still do some neat tricks. E: The F-16 bubble canopy and sheer thrust to weight and speed is appealing over the F-18, but the F-18 can dump energy and slam down onto the deck for landing and a hot pit like the most aggressive war thunder assholes. mlmp08 fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Sep 24, 2021 |
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Sep 24, 2021 14:56
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Yeah I'd definitely recommend either the Hornet *or* Viper because they overlap in functionality a lot -- Hornet gets you carrier ops though, which are incredibly cool. E: But yeah seconding the recommendation to get FC3 first, that gets you a bunch of fun planes including the F-15C which even with its limited functionality still makes a very good case for being the most lethal fighter in the game. You'll have plenty to learn in terms of AoA, radar, BFM and BVR combat and just getting the thing on the ground in one piece before you get into the nitty-gritty of each cockpit's ten million buttons ninjahedgehog fucked around with this message at 16:43 on Sep 24, 2021 |
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Sep 24, 2021 16:41
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SLAM ER makes the hornet king of a2g. FC3 is best beginner move tho.
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Sep 24, 2021 16:44
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The Hornet is also super loving easy to cold start. Turn in the battery, crank the left engine, slam all the electronics to on, crank the right engine, close the canopy, you're pretty much good to go.
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Sep 24, 2021 16:46
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F-16 is even easier tbh: main power on, JFS to START 2, throttle to idle. Done, everything else is just setting up electronics. But yeah the Hornet is the best and most complete full-fidelity module to start out with imo. It can do a bit of everything, from dogfighting to rocket strafing to PGMs to long-range SEAD, and carrier ops are great fun. I also really like the F-14, but I think it really only shines with two players. And the F-5 is a joy to fly, but as a day fighter with dumb bombs (or external laser-guided) you're kinda limited to a few types of missions.
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Sep 24, 2021 16:53
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Hornets a2a radar is annoying though since they modelled alot of stuff handwaved away from other modules or not featured in then. PRF settings etc
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Sep 24, 2021 16:56
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Reject fixed-wing, embrace rotary (DCS Apache when) But really though, I'm going to nth the Hornet as an excellent first pick for full module: can do everything and boat ops rule
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Sep 24, 2021 18:31
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Mr Luxury Yacht posted:The Hornet is also super loving easy to cold start. Turn in the battery, crank the left engine, slam all the electronics to on, crank the right engine, close the canopy, you're pretty much good to go. I memorized the startup for the A10, but past that I just started using Win+Home because I rotate between like 5 different modules, plus MFS2020 now, so I something had to give.
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Sep 24, 2021 18:43
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F-5 is the most fun plane to fly in on strike missions, unload like 76 rockets on a target, and do absolutely no damage. Also fun is dropping 9 500lbs bombs for no effect on a single APC. Then swing around and knock it out with guns
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Sep 24, 2021 19:26
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F-5 is a lot of fun in co-op multiplayer because you can load up with GBUs and get someone with a TGP to lase for you. Also one time I was flying the F-5 sneaking through the mountains at about 100 feet AGL, radar off, saw a contrail high above, punched in max afterburner and pointed straight at it, locked and fired both sidewinders while in a vertical climb, stalled into a hammerhead turn and booted it back to the deck, and a few seconds later got a popup telling me I had killed some sky god in his F-15. gently caress yeah
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Sep 24, 2021 20:46
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Insert name here posted:Reject fixed-wing, embrace rotary (DCS Apache when) Also, the only true answer is 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪Viggen🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪 I am very unhappy with you, thread.
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Sep 25, 2021 00:16
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Personally i'm really disappointed that heatblur is making the Eurofighter instead of a Gripen. And I'm really hoping for a Draken someday too. They're all so pointy 
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Sep 25, 2021 00:23
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I figured getting the F15/16/18 mafia to concede to the true best module was fruitless so I tried something more Usaboo with -14  If you just reveal it's Viggen from the start the mafia gets too angry
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Sep 25, 2021 00:46
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Tomcat owns.
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Sep 25, 2021 00:47
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The best F-5 kills on F-15s are when the F-15 is Vahakyla.
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Sep 25, 2021 00:54
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Tippis posted:Soon™  "
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Sep 25, 2021 00:55
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Mr Luxury Yacht posted:The Hornet is also super loving easy to cold start. Turn in the battery, crank the left engine, slam all the electronics to on, crank the right engine, close the canopy, you're pretty much good to go. You’ve got annoying poo poo like HMD alignment now too, and you missed turning on the OBOGS so enjoy your hypoxia
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Sep 25, 2021 10:50
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hmd alignment takes like ten seconds and the benefits are insane
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Sep 25, 2021 11:31
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Yeah but there are a bunch of menus nested in menus in the MFDs, and a few fiddly bindings to figure out, plus a little extra hassle if your headtracking is wonky. I'm not trying to say it's the worst most awful thing in the world, but it's an extra fiddly little hurdle that has only recently been added that can cause new people to stumble.
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Sep 25, 2021 14:34
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Vahakyla posted:Tomcat owns.  That said, my favorite all-time missions in DCS have been a mass infantry heli insertion with twelve-plus Hueys, and a low-level-hell mission in F-5s dropping snakeeyes on a power plant in a valley ringed with glorious overkill amounts of AAA and a low overcast. Also Early Access release day for the AV-8B where every server was people pitching harriers off the ends and sides of LHDs for hours on end.
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Sep 25, 2021 15:54
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Tomcat module owns but I have to say I really enjoyed flying the Mi-24 demo. I'll probably pick it up when it's on sale.
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Sep 25, 2021 15:59
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Popete posted:Tomcat module owns but I have to say I really enjoyed flying the Mi-24 demo. I'll probably pick it up when it's on sale. See you in 3 years.
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Sep 26, 2021 01:54
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What do people like for head tracking these days? I don't mind spending, but trackir 5 seems hard to find or maybe unobtanium?
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Oct 2, 2021 03:45
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Kesper North posted:What do people like for head tracking these days? I don't mind spending, but trackir 5 seems hard to find or maybe unobtanium? TrackIR is still the gold standard I think. OpenTrack is also an option that works well from what I've heard. I personally used a Tobii eyetracker for a while and it was...ok. It's decent if you absolutely can't or won't wear something on your head but TrackIR simply works a lot better. Buy directly from the manufacturer if you can't find it elsewhere. http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/trackir5/ I highly recommend getting one of these 3rd party wireless IR emitters. I have one that I just velcro to my headset so I can flip the power switch, slap it on my headset, turn on the trackir software and away I go. It works great. https://grassmonkeysimulations.com/shop-2/ Main page says restock on the 7th. my kinda ape fucked around with this message at 04:08 on Oct 2, 2021 |
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Oct 2, 2021 04:03
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VR
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Oct 2, 2021 05:26
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Oct 2, 2021 06:14
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Why even play DCS otherwise?
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Oct 2, 2021 13:49
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Now that I have a fast graphics card I tried DCS in VR again, and I'm still not a huge fan because I can't read any of the MFDs. In the F/A-18 I can read the HUD, and I can see the position of the needle in planes with steam gauges for the most part, but forget about reading the OSBs or the small text on the sensor pages. This is with a borrowed Oculus Quest 1, so it's not the absolute highest resolution headset but it's far from the worst too. Maybe a Reverb or something would be better. I will say that I went and buzzed around in the P-51 and landing it was surprisingly natural. Normally I have to think about it a little bit, but in this case with the added depth perception I have the automatic sense of where the runway is and my sink rate and it basically just felt like landing a plane IRL. That's neat.
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Oct 2, 2021 16:57
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The depth perception is especially helpful with helicopters (hovering is so much easier). VR can be a pain in the rear end for the reasons you mentioned (and then some), but when you're in an aircraft where you don't have to zoom in or squint at screens, it just feels so nice.
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Oct 2, 2021 18:31
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I set my SS to 1.7-2.0 and I can read things fine. This is with an old rift.
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Oct 2, 2021 23:43
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There's some variance in what people mean by "read". If you know what to expect for warning lights or MFD button text, the required resolution is quite low. Reverb gets you most of the way to reading unfamiliar text while sitting back. I've got two buttons on my throttle to do mild zoom and extreme zoom, which would probably make life easier on a Rift or whatever.
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Oct 3, 2021 00:37
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Quest 1 just isn’t quite there with its resolution. With Reverb G2, and no supersampling, I can read Tomcat Gauges and Hornet MFDs just fine. It’s a pretty big jump from my old Odyssey+.
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Oct 3, 2021 03:16
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