Zimmerdylan

Yeah...I sure wish they could or would fix the whole semi invincible AI problem. I went round and round with a Mig until it finally ran me out of fuel. I was right down on the deck with this thing.There were times that I wanted to see just how hard I could push it and I was cutting in so tight that 80% of the screen was totally black and I could barely see the Mig in the center of the screen. I sustained these turns for 20 seconds at a time and the d@mn mig was still cutting to my inside. It's crazy. All of that while he was streaming white and black smoke. I am guessing that to give the AI a more complex model would seriously cut into game performance. So I suppose it's a sacrifice I'm willing to live with. But It's pretty disheartening at times.

Finally, after years of resisting the temptation, I made the jump to Trackir. I do not think that I can even begin to come up with words to describe the difference. Well.....yeah, I can. Where's my DCS???? The flight sim that I have been flying for 4 or 5 years now is gone and has been replaced with an intense, fun experience. I have never enjoyed any computer sim or game this much. I am however a little curious about a few things though. There are some differences that I cannot figure out. First, when in any combat situation when I'm gunning something. No matter the AC I'm flying, I am probably at least 50% more accurate. I can't quite grasp the reason for this. I put the star or pip on the target and let fly. It seems (to me anyway) that it would be identical with the mouse. The dot is on my target no matter whether I'm using the mouse or head tracking, but more rounds seem to land on the target with the head tracking. I can easily see this happening, and I'm using fewer rounds to take out targets. I never would have thought that it would make this much of a difference. In air to air it is like night and day. In the P-51 especially, the target lines up much quicker and in the past few days, it seems that I'm using much less ammo to take out other planes. The first time I got up and took out a 109, it took a very quick burst and the plane was on it's way down. I thought the guy was taking evasive action when in fact he was dead. But again, when I use the mouse, the flower lines up on the target but it just doesn't seem or feel accurate. I guess that I'm just stumped because in my mind, when it's lined up, it's lined up but head tracking seems to line everything up much more efficiently. Also, I got all of the adjustments down pretty well and have the software working pretty nicely. I was just wondering if there are folks out there who set up their X, and Y axis completely different from their Yaw, and pitch. Having that much freedom on all of them makes it extremely easy to get completely disoriented from time to time. None the less, DCS just completely changed for me. Such an awesome experience.

I honestly wish that I got more out of CA. I have had it from the beginning and don't know what DCS is like without it but I have been told that it's much better with. I guess that I'm not patient enough to go through and learn all of the particulars. I know guys that spend hours creating mission and the like. I guess that I am glad that I have it but I don't know enough about using it to get the full benefit of it. When 1.5 came out, I didn't notice all that much of a difference from 1.2. This is only because I didn't really use it in 1.2.

A few tips from someone who was once in your shoes. Patience! There is a steep learning curve to many of these planes. Any of the modules that were not part of Flaming Cliffs or Cliffs of Dover , P-51, F86, any of the WWII German planes, the A10C (it's a bear), any of the helis, Migs, and the leatherneck stuff are set up to be as realistic as possible and there is a lot to remember for anyone who has not used a flight sim before. You may find yourself overwhelmed because it's not like a video game. You can't just jump in and fly. These planes have parameters that they have to follow and limitations. To a novice, it's very frustrating and you could get discouraged very easily. Luckily this forum is GREAT at helping newer pilots. But don't have a cow when whatever module you pick up doesn't work the way you think that it should based on video games. As realistic as you may think games like Battlefield and their AC may be, they're nothing to DCS. It's like comparing apples to a vegetable garden. The planes associated with the Flaming Cliffs or Cliffs of Dover are the easiest and probably the best for some beginners based on their patience and desire to really learn flying. The A10C is not a good plane to start with simply because it takes some time to learn all of the systems. Oh...The KA50 can be pretty challenging also for the same reasons as the A10C. The F15, SU27, and 25 and A10A have been simplified and are much easier to get use to. They have simple setups and everything can be done just by touching a few buttons. But as people stated earlier, it's pretty much up to you. If you just want to get in and fly, the Flaming cliffs stuff is better. If you want to take time, practically go through basic training and flight school (metaphor) the other planes are waiting for you. Of the more complicated planes, the F86 and the Mig15 have the simplest systems and dynamics. P-51 is pretty simple but there is the torque and other challenges. The German planes are much more challenging to fly. Good luck, hope to see you in a server soon. Don't shoot me down, or at least wave while your doing it.

Thanks so much!

Anyone know how or if Trackir4 will work with Windows10??

If you purchase the German fighters, they're really picky on landings. Pulling the stick back is essential for landing them. The P51 is a cakewalk to the 109. IMO anyway. I can land and stop the mustang without doing it (I prefer not to for obvious reasons) but it's almost impossible to land the 109 or 190 without it.

LOL.....OK Dr. Rumack!!!!!!!!:megalol:

Wow!!! I just left that server for the same exact reason. Was doing some air to ground. Nothing taxing at all. Wasn't driving the plane hard by any means and out of nowhere...BAM.....engine just seized. Was looking for the guy who shot me :lol:. Must be something that's set up on the server. I rarely overheat the P-51 and haven't seized an engine in quite a while. What a coincidence that I just left the server and found this thread. :music_whistling:

OK....Sorry, didn't understand. You mean because of the SST software??????

Since flying DCS I have badgered several different people who are pilots to come to take a flight and give me feedback. I had a gentleman who was a Huey pilot during Vietnam here once and he said that this is why most pilots cannot get the hang of flight sims readily. I would think that this has to be true.:pilotfly:

It's not that it doesn't work. The hardware works fine on all of the Saitek stuff. If you have it already set up or already have profiles that have been downloaded or created, everything is good. It's that the software has issues for many people wishing to program certain profile features and such.

I have contacted Saitek about this. Very frustrating that I cannot puul up the profile editor correctly. All that I can tell you is that they have a message posted on their software download page that they're working to get the Windows10 software up and running. This was as of 2 or 3 days ago.

Could you please explain to a non Trackir user what the benefit of this feature is? I dislike it very much and have read nothing but complaints about it from everyone who uses DCS. I have seen whole threads on how distracting and annoying it is. If there is a benefit to it, I would really like to understand it so that I can reap this benefit. Thx

Awesome!!! Thx a mil guys!

When I try to use multiplayer chat, I can pull up the dialogue by hitting the Tab button as I always have, but I have no ability to type or chat at all. Is something different? Did they add something? Thx: Mark:(

Yeah....I get ya on that. I was just looking into the profile setup for exactly what you wanted it for. I want the A10 to be as efficient as possible. I have plenty of buttons and sliders on the X52 for all other AC (maybe not the Mi8 ) Just the A10 can get overwhelming in tight situations if you don't have it set up well. I'll have to check into these guy's setups that you mentioned if I can. And yes....profiler seems counter intuitive to me also. But I believe that this is only because there is no good instruction on it. I found the A10 counter everything the first day I tried it. But there was tons of great info on it on both YouTube, and these forums and it soon became much easier to deal with. :smartass:

Trust me, I took the time to read everything. I didn't rush through it at all. Not being hard headed, it's just not very detailed. It goes from: file:///C:/Program%20Files/SmartTechnology/Manuals/SST_Manual_EN.html Which in and of itself is not very detailed. To: file:///C:/Program%20Files/SmartTechnology/Manuals/advanced_EN.html And nothing in between. And there was this: This blew my mind. Between the "music" and the insanity, I just sat there with my jaw in my lap...lol. I like the X52. Works great for me. The instructions for SST software is just not well thought out in my opinion. And yes.....all of this stuff is opinion. I'll get it figured out. I usually do. I was just seeing if anyone here had some input or experience. I appreciate the feedback guys.

Checking out 1.5 It had been a little while since I flew any modules in DCS. The upcoming 2.0 and the anticipation of Edge kind of kept me away. I guess I am kind of like a kid waiting for a new toy. Don't want to play with the old one any more because I know that the new one is coming soon. And in fact....I can feel it in my bones. Also in anticipation, I went out and got better hardware, a 27" monitor, ordered Trackir, and am looking to upgrade my video card. SO I am on my way to becoming a serious simmer. My wife is about to kill me $o I am sure that this is a sign that I am getting into deep waters. Anyway! I started into 1.5 with the simplest plane for me, the F86, and then went to the P51, Huey, Mi8, CA, and have not bothered to dive into the other stuff I have. I must say that thus far I am very pleased, blown away is more appropriate. The F86 improved by leaps and bounds! It has a few minor weird things (flaps and hydraulics are a little quirky) but it's not a real problem and I know it's probably being addressed. The Mustang is just great, as are the two rotocraft. I have a few questions though. Maybe some of you have had similar experiences so I want to toss em out there. I posted about the non full screen issue already and was offered a temporary solution until they get it fixed. I know that I can just hit Alt + Enter to get the full screen mode, however. When I do and the screen goes full, my darn mouse is still calibrated for the non full screen. So the cursor is off by whatever the ratio of full to non full is. It's kind of funny to try and get out of the sim using the mouse because I have to fiddle with it until it highlights the EXIT tab to get me out. But!!! When I go back into the sim, it usually goes into full screen. I know this will get fixed soon but was just wondering if the mouse issue was something others are experiencing. When I use my mouse to operate switches and buttons in the cockpit, the aid label that pops up after a few seconds for whatever control I am operating activates and it sticks around no matter what I do until I hit another switch. Again....I'm just wondering if this is something that anyone else is experiencing. As I scrolled through the Bugs and Problems section, I could relate to a number of other buggy things that we all deal with while they get this thing up to snuff. :pilotfly:All in all though, I have to say that these guys have done a stellar job and I am very thankful for their efforts. I will be very glad to continue to support ED and all of their affiliated vendors. I also flew on line for the first time this morning and cannot say enough about it. It has some bugs but who cares! Its great! I was wondering though. The servers have better graphics than my single player. Is there any reason for this. I thought that you pretty much saw everything the same off or on the internet due to your personal settings. Also, is there a way to take that little envelope off of the screen. I tried to check where the messages were located but couldn't find it. I have to say one more time how I appreciate what all of you guys at ED and your vendors are doing. You have truly created the best flight sim out there today. I don't bother with any of my other sims any more. They just don't hold a candle to DCS. THANX GUYS!!!!!:music_whistling::music_whistling::music_whistling: Oh....I'll just tack this question on to save from creating another thread, even though it really doesn't belong here. Why is it that when I log on to the forums, I get auto logged off if I post kind of a lengthy thread or reply? When I respond to someone or post anything that takes more than a few minutes to type up, I get logged out and have to tog back in to post. It is happening right now, even though I see at the top of the page it has my name as logged in already. Is there a way to prevent this?

Could someone please direct me to any videos or tutorials on how to set up profiles on the X52 using the Mad Catz software. There are one or two on YouTube but they're not detailed at all and have nothing to do with DCS. I have gone through the manual and it's just as confusing as sitting there and trying to figure it out by myself. I'm amazed that a company that makes such a complicated piece of hardware offers so little in the way of instruction. :( Thanks guys!

I have been messing with this thing non stop since last night and have had only moderate success with it. It stutters and shutters all over the place no matter what I set it to. It works but then it doesn't. It picks up glare off of everything in the room. Since I put the headtracker.dll file into DCS, it won't shut down properly. Keeps giving me the old "DCS has stopped working" deal. Even got the BSOD at some point. I'm kind of thinking that it's not really all that compatible with Windows10. Not worth the effort at this point. I'll just go out and get Trackir this week. Thx for all the great input guys!!! I'm glad that people are using the free software with good results. Just out of curiosity, has anyone been running FreeTrack in Windows10??

Yeah!!!! So I finally got the FreeTrack to actually work. It does everything that it is suppose to do but there are a few issues however. I can pull the program up, make whatever adjustments need to be made, and get it working ok but as soon as I open any other program, the window completely disappears as though the program has closed. When I click on the icon to open it back up, it says that the program is already running, but there is no way to shut it down or pull it up to use it. That's my first issue. Second problem is a common issue. I have to ad a file to the DCS bin files but I'm not exactly sure what file that needs to be added. I believe that it is Headtracker.dll. I have not made it that far yet because I'm still trying to figure out how to keep the program on the desktop. A good thing is that it runs very nicely when I'm working with it. I am still most certainly going to purchase Trackir but this thing has got me obsessing over how and if it works. I just want to get it up and going to see if I can. I am very computer literate but I never get into the guts of it to where I change registry or move dll files around.:music_whistling:

I have to humbly agree with everyone on this. The Sabre has come a long way and right now, it's very nice. Other than the fact that I have to fiddle with the trim an awefull lot on high altitude cruises (but I have read that this is characteristic of these AC). The plane is perfectly balanced for me. The shadows in the canopy aren't nearly as dark and hard to deal with as others have commented on IMO. And it's head and shoulders above all that dust, or whatever you want to call it that it had before the update. Rudder is much nicer than it use to be for me also. Awesome job Belsimtek!!!!! And thx for putting up with all of my bi$&^%ng and whining! I promise, I'll be more patient in the future.

Thanks. That's a much better deal than what I read before. LOL.

I looked into both Free Track and TrackNoir. I actually loaded Free Track on to my computer and it did not work at all. I looked at the latest update to it and it was back in 2008 or something like that. It does not work on my Windows 10 system at all. There is a statement on their web site saying that they'll be updating it but it was also posted a while ago. I already have all of the hardware assembled. It didn't take but a few minutes to put it together thanks to my 5 year old son's toy box. He's got all kinds of LED stuff in there that already has the battery pack made up and everything. I found a 3 LED toy that works perfectly with no modification whatsoever other than removing the electronic stuff from the toy. But it doesn't matter because the software won't even open on my computer. The Track Noir seemed like it was a lot of effort just to get it up and going. You had to download the initial software and then download and install updates, fixes, and a new thing to deal with Windows10. And.....both had some legal issues with the TrackIR makers with software compatibility. So I just sort of figure that it's much easier just to fork over the $$ and get TrackIR. I was up on Ebay looking and found that IR4 is much less money than IR5. But when I went to the site looking at the drivers, I noticed that the updates applied to both 4, and 5 so I will probably just go with TrackIR 4. I'm not a career simmer. I do this to relax and thus far, my relaxation fixation has cost me a lot of money. :joystick: