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As green as it gets: noob questions


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Hi everyone,

 

if I may, I'd like to use this forum for my ultimate noob questions regarding hardware, software, gameplay, ... whatever comes up.

 

I'm a complete noob to flightsims but I'm so exited from the video's I have seen. I want to give it a try. With all do respect, for noobs like me, the whole idea about DCS is a bit foggy. I do understand the extra's that you have to buy, but here we go *about to fire some questions*

 

1. Can I actually play online (multiplayer) with the free edition of DCS? Or am I a sitting duck when I use the planes or choppers in the free version?

 

2. About hardware: I have set my eyes on a Saitec X55, the stick and the throttle thing. Since I love to fly helicopters, it seems that the thing can also be extended with pedals, which I like. On the other hand, there's also the Thrustmaster A10 thing that looks ok but is more expensive. And it has no pedals that can be connected, as far as I know. So the question is: is it ok to start with the 200 € Saitec system, and afterwards extend it with another 200 € pedal thing?

 

3. The ground troops: although it doesn't cost much, I cannot see the whole picture of being a ground troop, tank or infantry or whatever, while other players are 'in the air' being superior to whatever I do. Is it, regarding gameplay, 'ok' to be on the ground? Or is the air superiority so intense? Furthermore: if playing online, are there any goals set during the fight, like checkpoint that need to be captured, or is it just 'destroy the enemy' (one life respond)?

 

kind regards for answering and forgive this noob for probably asking the most stupid questions on this forum.

 

HF.

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Hi.

 

Welcome to the forums. I'm sure you'll get a lot of responses but I'll get the ball rolling. The only 2 free planes are the Su-25T and the TF-51D which is an unarmed P-51D. The TF-51D you'd likely only use on the aerobatic free flight servers. The Su-25T however is a very capable attack aircraft so once you learn how to fly it, you can be very deadly in the online arena.

 

EDIT: Also, there is no pay-for edition of DCS World vs free edition of DCS World. There is just DCS World which is free to download and play in in either single player or multi-player. The only thing you pay for is additional modules such as Flaming Cliffs 3, A-10C, Ka-50 Blackshark, etc.


Edited by kontiuka
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Hi everyone,

 

if I may, I'd like to use this forum for my ultimate noob questions regarding hardware, software, gameplay, ... whatever comes up.

 

I'm a complete noob to flightsims but I'm so exited from the video's I have seen. I want to give it a try. With all do respect, for noobs like me, the whole idea about DCS is a bit foggy. I do understand the extra's that you have to buy, but here we go *about to fire some questions*

 

1. Can I actually play online (multiplayer) with the free edition of DCS? Or am I a sitting duck when I use the planes or choppers in the free version?

 

2. About hardware: I have set my eyes on a Saitec X55, the stick and the throttle thing. Since I love to fly helicopters, it seems that the thing can also be extended with pedals, which I like. On the other hand, there's also the Thrustmaster A10 thing that looks ok but is more expensive. And it has no pedals that can be connected, as far as I know. So the question is: is it ok to start with the 200 € Saitec system, and afterwards extend it with another 200 € pedal thing?

 

3. The ground troops: although it doesn't cost much, I cannot see the whole picture of being a ground troop, tank or infantry or whatever, while other players are 'in the air' being superior to whatever I do. Is it, regarding gameplay, 'ok' to be on the ground? Or is the air superiority so intense? Furthermore: if playing online, are there any goals set during the fight, like checkpoint that need to be captured, or is it just 'destroy the enemy' (one life respond)?

 

kind regards for answering and forgive this noob for probably asking the most stupid questions on this forum.

 

HF.

 

Welcome my friend !

 

No harm in beeing noob, we all were (and still are sometimes) :)

 

regarding your questions:

 

1 - yes with the base DCS world package you can play online but only using the 2 free modules given there which are the Su-25T "Frogfoot" and non-armed TF-51D Mustang.I would recommend getting for start the Flaming Cliffs module which has many planes and is easier. After that as you progress try other modules.

 

2 - The Saitek if fine actually any good combination of throttle and stick and if possible some pedals will get you right into it. If you cant buy some pedals now be sure to get a joystick with rudder capability (twist handle). Also do try and get a TrackIr or Freetrack system. You will be surprised how much fun it is!!

 

3 - To be honest I have Combined Arms and also is not something I use much. If you like airplanes stick to the air!

 

Keep up the pace and don't give up.

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The other guys answered 1 and 2 pretty well, so I'll say something about 3.

 

CA isn't just about driving a single unit around, although you can. You control the entire ground battle in more of an RTS type of game play. Order group movements. Set artillery strikes. etc.

 

The ability to have a human JTAC(s) is also often overlooked.

 

I cannot see the whole picture of being a ground troop, tank or infantry or whatever, while other players are 'in the air' being superior to whatever I do.

 

If your sitting in a TOR or other air defense unit you are not as inferior as you might think. Limit your radar time. Use shoot and scoot tactics. You can clear the skies of other players if you know what you're doing.

 

Welcome, and Good Luck.

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I use an X-55 and it is a very nice HOTAS. It has twist rudder on it so pedals are not required. The far more expensive Thrustmaster Warthog does not feature twist rudder and so requires rudder pedals in order to work. DCS itself will recognize any controller setup as far as I know. You could theoretically have a CH throttle, TM WH stick (you can get it without the throttle) and a set of Saitek pedals. That particular setup isn't very sensible, but DCS would handle it just fine.

 

In regards to playing online, buying a module makes the plane flyable and adds the associated single player content. The planes themselves are always available as AI and to any player in MP who owns them. So while you may only have the free Su-25T, you can still fly you're Su-25T with players who are in Ka-50's and Su-27's.

 

In regards to CA, I bought it for $6 in one of the previous sales and can't say I've used it much. It adds a lot of things for players to do but DCS is ultimately a combat flight sim, the land based gameplay is a bit crude.

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Thank you all so much for the explanation. I think I'll go for the following setup:

 

Saitec X55 stick and the dual throttle.

The Steam version of DCS without any extra modules for now. As I understood, thanks to you, sometimes there are sales so I'll wait for those to buy some modules.

 

I think that I can fly both helo's and jets with the joystick and throttle combination. Later on I'll buy the ITracker stuff and maybe, if needed, some of those pedals.

 

But now, first, I have got to install Windows on my iMac (Parallels) because the game is all about Windows, not osX.

 

I will keep you guys informed. Thanks for the heads up and see you on the battlefield.

 

:megalol:

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Just a quick hint. Don't buy any single rotor helicopter modules until you have a pair of rudder pedals. You will be dissapointed by the twist grip, its not very forgiving on your wrist since precise rudder control is absolutely critical in both the Huey and the Mi8.

Current specs: Windows 10 Home 64bit, i5-9600K @ 3.7 Ghz, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB Samsung EVO 860 M.2 SSD, GAINWARD RTX2060 6GB, Oculus Rift S, MS FFB2 Sidewinder + Warthog Throttle Quadrant, Saitek Pro rudder pedals.

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Just a quick hint. Don't buy any single rotor helicopter modules until you have a pair of rudder pedals. You will be dissapointed by the twist grip, its not very forgiving on your wrist since precise rudder control is absolutely critical in both the Huey and the Mi8.
I seem to get by ok with a twist grip. Although it's not really recommended for the WW2 planes.
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I seem to get by ok with a twist grip. Although it's not really recommended for the WW2 planes.

 

I used to 'get by' with a twist grip. Heh. Never again...:thumbup:

Current specs: Windows 10 Home 64bit, i5-9600K @ 3.7 Ghz, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB Samsung EVO 860 M.2 SSD, GAINWARD RTX2060 6GB, Oculus Rift S, MS FFB2 Sidewinder + Warthog Throttle Quadrant, Saitek Pro rudder pedals.

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I would put the TrackIR very high on the priority list. Right after the joystick it's the most important piece of gear.

 

How elaborate a HOTAS you need depends on the plane. The Su-25 or the simple system modern planes and WWII you can get by with a simple joystick. The A-10C is made very much easier with a good HOTAS.


Edited by SharpeXB

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I would put the TrackIR very high on the priority list. Right after the joystick it's the most important piece of gear.

 

How elaborate a HOTAS you need depends on the plane. The Su-25 or the simple system modern planes and WWII you can get by with a simple joystick. The A-10C is made very much easier with a good HOTAS.

 

 

+1

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Just a quick hint. Don't buy any single rotor helicopter modules until you have a pair of rudder pedals. You will be dissapointed by the twist grip, its not very forgiving on your wrist since precise rudder control is absolutely critical in both the Huey and the Mi8.

 

My solution for that was to map the rudder to my X rotation knob, since it has a detent in the center of travel. Works fine for me, plus I can use my thumb on it without twisting my wrist. VERY good for someone who had carpal tunnel in the past.

 

Oh and yes to facetracknoir. I use it and it performs quite well for me. Make sure you set up some curves in your profile. There should be links on the net to help with that, or I can guide you to the link I used.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]



YouTube ~ Twitch

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I used twist sticks for 25+ years of flight simming and my favorite DCS bird is the Ka-50. I never felt handicapped or merely "getting by." It works just fine. I picked up a pair of CH pedals yesterday, but I don't expect it to improve my flying any in the long term. I bought them for the same reason I bought a TIR5 a couple years back, to make flight sims more enjoyable. TIR didn't magically improve my flying any more than pedals will. I know people who fly online and do fairly well using nothing but an xbox controller. So ignore those who say you need to buy a $400 TM WH + $400 special order pedals + $150 TIR5. Those are nice things to have if you have the money to blow and nothing else to spend it on. They are absolutely not required.

 

With that said, in terms of bang for your buck, a good HOTAS like the X-52 Pro or X-55 should be first, followed by a solid head tracking option (TIR5 is top of the line currently), and then finally pedals. Once you've reached that point, you may want to go back and get a more expensive HOTAS like the WH or the non-twisty CH sticks. But I don't consider the WH an upgrade over the X-55, it's more of a lateral move. Ditto for a CH stick.

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I used twist sticks for 25+ years of flight simming and my favorite DCS bird is the Ka-50. I never felt handicapped or merely "getting by." It works just fine.
+1. For helicopters I find it just fine and quite acceptable. For WWII stuff, I don't find the twist stick ideal. This is because of the constant rudder that needs to be applied for level flight. Yes, you can trim but that gets out of whack with change of speed or power setting.

 

EDIT: Also, doing attack runs on ground targets in WWII planes can be tricky without rudder pedals as well.


Edited by kontiuka
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey thanks you all for your advice. And now the moment has come. My Saitek Rhino X55 has arrived and I started to play DCS World, taking the training sessions regarding the SU-25T.

 

Just a quick hint for other flight sim noobs: if the throttle does not work, or it jumps from halfway up to full, that means you calibrated it with Windows. Go to your devices and click on 'Reset to default' on the throttle properties page, and the thing will work.

 

And here we go with the questions again:

 

1. Are there any profiles for the X55 and the SU-35T?

2. Should I wait for the next 70% reduction action before buying new planes?

 

Anyways, I will first try to land the SU-25T before I buy anything ;-) And I mean landing it in one piece. On the other hand, I'm already an experienced ejecter ;-)

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I played Black Shark with a twist grip back in the days.

It works, but I can't really recommend it.

with the black shark KA-50 i would tend to agree that you can "get by" with twist throttle but i would strongly disagree with that for both the huey UH1 and the MI8. Both of those aircraft require constant adjustments to the rudder. The KA-50 does not since it is a coaxial heli and due to that it actually stabilizes the rudder for you without you really having to do a thing.Mostly the only time you need to use the rudder on a ka-50 is for turns. Both the UH1 and MI8 require constant rudder adjustment since they have only a single main rotor blade and will therefore spin in a circle if you don't apply rudder. With just a twist rudder in a UH1 or MI8 your hand will get very tired of having to constantly keep the joystick twisted just to maintain forward flight without using the trimmer and setting it to also trim the rudder. I own all 3 of these modules and can easily say twist for anything other than the KA-50 will not be pleasurable flying.

Charlesnett Callsign - "Fisherman"

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You should be quite happy with the Saitek. I have the Warthog and bought it back in 2009 when DCS A-10C came out. I use the Saitek Combat Pro rudder pedals.

 

 

+1 on the TrackIR. Get one and you will never again fly w/o it. :)

 

 

I fly the A-10C, the Huey and also very much like the Combined Arms. Watch for a sale and you can pick up CA for under $10.

 

WC

Visit the Hollo Pointe DCS World server -- an open server with a variety of COOP & H2H missions including Combined Arms. All released missions are available for free download, modification and public hosting, from my Wrecking Crew Projects site.

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Hey thanks you all for your advice. And now the moment has come. My Saitek Rhino X55 has arrived and I started to play DCS World, taking the training sessions regarding the SU-25T.

 

Just a quick hint for other flight sim noobs: if the throttle does not work, or it jumps from halfway up to full, that means you calibrated it with Windows. Go to your devices and click on 'Reset to default' on the throttle properties page, and the thing will work.

 

And here we go with the questions again:

 

1. Are there any profiles for the X55 and the SU-35T?

2. Should I wait for the next 70% reduction action before buying new planes?

 

Anyways, I will first try to land the SU-25T before I buy anything ;-) And I mean landing it in one piece. On the other hand, I'm already an experienced ejecter ;-)

 

1) I'm sure there are profiles floating around the input/output and hardware sections. That said, I recommend making your own. Doing so allows you to create commonality among plane controls where as using others profiles, you're at the mercy of whatever they happen to have.

 

2) Entirely dependent on your budget and how patient you are. ED just had its spring sale, it will likely be 2-3 months before the next one. If you do decide to pick one up at full price, the A-10C, Ka-50 and FC3 can keep you busy for a while. The A-10C and Ka-50 are sufficiently complex to require many hours to master. FC3 planes are all pretty basic like the SU-25T, but there are a lot of them and they all take a little time to figure out. Each has its own campaign too.

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Wow this community is great, so much good advice for a noob. And I have some good news: I managed to land the SU-25T twice. Well, kindof. The first time, the ATC asked me to taxi of the runway but that wasn't possible anymore without working gear. But the second time, it was a rather smooth landing.

 

I think I'm gonna help out other noobs by making an X-55 guide and profile to DCS. Maybe I'll put it on a website somewhere...

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Trying that FaceTrackNoIR at the moment. On my screen, it seems to be working (I can see my face being tracked in the FaceTrackNoIR screen). But in game, it's looking up without any response what so ever.

 

Also, my POV knob doesn't work anymore. Does anyone knows what might be happening here?

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With TrackIR, I changed my Warthog stick POV hat 'back' to Trim. Try setting your POV to the actual Trim key bindings.

 

WC

Visit the Hollo Pointe DCS World server -- an open server with a variety of COOP & H2H missions including Combined Arms. All released missions are available for free download, modification and public hosting, from my Wrecking Crew Projects site.

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