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What exactly is FC3?


imacken

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I personally have relied on YouTube tutorials for most of my training. The amount of content out there is great.

 

That said, if you're already into the A-10C, I think you're right to park FC3 for now. Maybe it's something to do if you want a change of pace.

 

I don't play FC3 modules any more as I want nothing less than an immersive experience with full systems and flight modeling. I get the impression that the FC3 modules are predominantly used by people who want to be competitive in multiplayer.

 

Great analysis. I have FC3 and never fly it. I concur with your post.

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I know that sounds like a stupid question, but as a relative newcomer to DCS, I am confused by FC3.

For the past couple of weeks, I have being using the A10C module, happily doing the training missions, learning the cockpit layout, making references to the manual as I go along, etc. and I can see how that all fits together nicely with training, missions and campaigns.

I purchased FC3 largely to have ago at the F15C.

When I go into the Training section for FC3, there are only SU27 options, and if I go into Missions, there is a file dialogue with nothing much showing. I clicked on the only option, which then showed 3 folders - EN, Quick Start and Single. The last 2 were empty, and EN contained several subfolders. I eventually saw something like FC3-F15C-00, so I loaded that.

I was faced with a cockpit half in sunshine and half in (almost) darkness! Almost impossible to see a lot of the controls.

My question is, what is FC3 all about? How do I become familiar with the aircraft, e.g. F15C like the A10C or KA50?

I just don't see the structure for this at all! If the F15C separate module was purchased, would that have training sections, etc.?

 

 

Apart from it being easier, Flaming CLiffs was included from a a time before DCS came about. before DCS

 

 

ED as a company had a game Called Lock on Modern air combat. expansion pack was called Flaming Cliffs

 

Eventually updated over time Flaming Cliffs 2, And then Flaming Cliffs 3. WHen DCS first came out with the A10C being one of the first modules, these other aircraft were old, But updated to Flaming cliffs 3, to incorporate then the Newer physics, as well as 3D graphics effects of the DCS engine, which in itself is a more evolved one used from LOCKON.

 

Now FC3 is still technically a simulator, just Not a Study SIm level. The core aspects like Flight model, weapons avionics, are still aiming at a realistic representation, but lacks the full fidelity ( Clickable functioning cockpits) of standalone Modules like the A10 among others.


Edited by Kev2go

 

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I know this is an older thread, but I have to address the training missions in FC3. Maybe they added training missions since you bought FC3, but if so you should have got the update.

 

I bought FC3 just a couple of days ago. Although I wish I had bought other modules now that I understand what's going on.

 

Here's what I have for training missions.

 

A-10........10

F-15..........5

SU-27.......14

SU-33.........1

SU-25.........5

Buzz

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Why is the cliff on fire? Someone should put it out.

 

I'm fairly certain that the translation from Russian would actually be closer to "Inferno", "flaming cliffs" was a direct translation, and no one ever thought it would be a good idea to come up with a better name.

 

Lock on:Inferno, sounds a lot better to me.

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I know this is an older thread, but I have to address the training missions in FC3. Maybe they added training missions since you bought FC3, but if so you should have got the update.

 

I bought FC3 just a couple of days ago. Although I wish I had bought other modules now that I understand what's going on.

 

Here's what I have for training missions.

 

A-10........10

F-15..........5

SU-27.......14

SU-33.........1

SU-25.........5

Where do you see that? Can you post a screen shot. I only have 14 SU-27!

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FC3 is for those who are more interested in actual modern air combat than just learning the aircraft systems :)

 

To say it has a small learning curve... is an extreme simplification. Yes it's simple to learn if you only want to shoot down civilian airliners! But once the targets start shooting back... that's when the true complexity of combat starts to materialize.

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Where do you see that? Can you post a screen shot. I only have 14 SU-27!

 

OK, so I tried running one of the SU-27 training missions (which I hadn't tried to do for some time), but DCS kept crashing out. All of the FC3 SU-27 training missions caused the same issue. So, I deauthorised my FC3, redownloaded and upon activation, it used up another of my 10, despite the fact that I had deauthorised! Is that normal?

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Some more weird things here. After reinstallation of FC3, all the Training missions were gone! In their place was an 'Install (EN)' button. Hitting that, 2 or 3Gb of stuff was downloaded and installed. Now I see what the poster above was talking about, i.e. Training missions for all the aircraft. Wrong! Most of them are just videos. The only actual Training Missions are the 14 SU-27 ones I mentioned before.

What concerns me, is that obviously there has been some kind of change since I first installed FC3 only a few weeks ago. Why does DCS not automatically update any installed modules?

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AFAIK, all of the FC3 training 'mission' are videos. There is nothing wrong, that is the way it is.

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Yeah, they're pretty bad. Hard to even understand them. I'm sorry I bought FC3. I should have spent the money on the A-10C. Now I have to spend the money twice to get what I want.

 

Oh well, that will teach me to not check things out better before spending.


Edited by BuzzU

Buzz

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AFAIK, all of the FC3 training 'mission' are videos. There is nothing wrong, that is the way it is.

Sorry, but that is simply wrong! There are 14 SU-27 missions in the Caucasus, most of which I have used.

Sounds like you may have an install issue.

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Do you have the same list of training missions that I posted above?

Yes, the ones with Caucusus against them are actual training missions, the others are just videos.

Look in the FC3/Missions/EN and you'll see what I mean. Either that, or just load up one of them!

There are only the 14 SU-27 training missions that I mentioned earlier.

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So, what you mean is the SU-27 missions are the only ones you can interact with. The others you can only watch.

 

As was said the others are from Lock On, and I think that's a cop out. They should offer good training missions for all the planes. Flying and operating all the systems are challenging enough for new guys without having good training missions.

 

Youtube does offer lots of training for the F-15 and that's your best bet. Outside of joining a squad that trains. Which is really the way to go.

Buzz

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So, what you mean is the SU-27 missions are the only ones you can interact with. The others you can only watch.

 

As was said the others are from Lock On, and I think that's a cop out. They should offer good training missions for all the planes. Flying and operating all the systems are challenging enough for new guys without having good training missions.

 

Youtube does offer lots of training for the F-15 and that's your best bet. Outside of joining a squad that trains. Which is really the way to go.

I think you're missing my point. For other modules A10-C, Spitfire, Ka-50 etc. there is within each module a comprehensive series of training missions which in my opinion are invaluable for those people trying to learn all the aspects of those aircrafts. Within these, you have to interact, and do the required action to to progress.

FC3 has 14 training missions for the SU-27 only, which seems odd to me, in the sense that there are other aircraft in that series. Training videos and YouTube are useful, but not at all in the same way.

Redoing the various training missions on startup, navigation, take off, landing, each weapon system, etc. in conjunction with reading the manual for the A10-C was invaluable to me in the learning process.

I guess FC3 is cheaper, older and more basic, so maybe it doesn't justify more comprehensive training missions. I don't know.

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I guess FC3 is cheaper, older and more basic, so maybe it doesn't justify more comprehensive training missions. I don't know.

 

Essentially, that is the issue. How much time do you think it will take to recreate all of those training missions? IIRC, ED did indicate that they would be revisiting those missions, at some point in the future. However, I suspect that item is fairly low on the priority list.

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