My motion platform experiences after a couple of hours (DOF Reality MS2).

[witwas]

I just wanted to give my humble opinion about my first steps into motion platforms, as useful information for people who are looking into this side of the hobby (which is a ‘niche’ in a ‘niche’).

I was not really considering getting into motion simming but got the change to take over a complete home build cockpit for a very reasonable price only 20 minutes away from my home. I already have a reasonable complete rig but needed a new seat and a new yoke for my GA flying so I bought the entire thing.

 

Setup was easier than I expected, with the rig there was also a licence for sim racing studio (who also have plugins for a lot of flying games like DCS ,FS2020, x-plane…. , I plugged the usb cable in opened the software, started DCS and it worked! At first it seemed that the rig was moving randomly and not reacting to the game’s input but after thinkering a bit with the software everything more or les worked as it should.

I used it together with the gametrix seat and programmed the seat to start working after motion ended. For example, in a turn the seat moves to its physical boundary and if you roll the plane more the G-force reaction of the seat kicks in. So you have ‘reaction’ in every angle of a turn. For pitch more or less the same.

 

With this kind of configuration you can feel when your plane does something unwilling (for example if you are busy looking at one of the MFD’s and forgot your AP). I would not say it feels like the real thing (never flown a jet but flown GA aircraft and did a couple of glider seasons) therefore it is too violent in steps (you feel that it is more or less build for sim racing where you need brisk strong reactions), but if you allow your mind to get tricked into it, it is a very decent substitute. It gives you more sense of the position of the plane in the sky which in turn helps for better flying and landing. Cool gimmicks are carrier launch and braking where you get pushed around like the real thing.  

 

Pro’s:

-        It tricks your brain more or less into motion so in that regard it promises what it is advertised for. But only in VR, in pancake mode it is annoying.

-        It fits in a convenient pit, so you don’t have to reorganize everything.  

-        It doesn’t make any noise at all.

-        Very easy setup.

 

Contra’s:

-        It’s expensive in regard to bang for bucks, if you are limited in money invest it in a good pc and especially in a good VR headset which in my opinion saved the entire hobby.

-        You need a car racing kind of seat so you don’t fall of when it moves violently, its cost extra and is not always comfortable for long sessions.       

Edited January 11, 2021 by witwas

[HunchyTheHuncher]

Thank you sharing your impressions. As you mentioned it's "a niche within a niche" and information relating to motion platforms and flights sims is very scarce. 

 

I am interested to know if your flight controls (HOTAS, rudder pedals, etc) are attached to seat mover or is it the seat only? If the latter is true, does it not it feel weird and completely unrealistic to be moving around while your controls are static? 

 

Also, the product page for the MS2 states that the motion range is 16 degrees. Do you use the full 16 degrees of range or less? 

 

I heard there was an issue of balance with MS2 i.e. the weight applied to the device has to be perfectly balanced. Is this the case your experience? 

[witwas]

Hi Hunchy,

 

Thanks fo reading my post. For me personally it's not a deal breaker that my controls are not moving (it doesn't even feel like that, it even helps in tricking your brain because your hands are not moving and your body is, so your brain tells you watch out something is moving). 

 

In all the gametrix seat gives you more feedback but the seatmover is more fun. Have been bush flying this weekend in FS2020 with the cub, this is where the seat comes to life.

 

I use the entire range of the motion without any balancing problems, i even lifted the back of the seat 1cm because it feels more comfortable without any problem.  

 

In My opinion a seat mover together with a G-seat kind of system is the way to go for immersion, the over the top moving systems only create discomfort (they are probably very cool to play but for long sessions its not the way to go).

[HunchyTheHuncher]

Hi Witwas

 

Thanks for answering my questions. Good to know that the stationary controls and moving seat combination works for you. Your set up seems to strike a balance between comfort and immersion. I agree that being thrown around in a powerful motion rig would not be comfortable for longer sessions! 

 

Would it be possible for you to provide some pics of your rig? I am interested to see how much clearance is required between the seat and the controls to allow the full 16 degree movement range (assuming that you have a throttle mounted on the side and a stick mounted on the other side or centre). 

[witwas]

This is my 15 year old 'pit', it was a tripple monitor setup but VR brought it back to one . Distance between the two sides is 52 cm ans it fits perfectly. one side is on wheels and opens up so it is easy to get in.

 

Currently my GA option with yoke is installed but in a couple of minutes my joystick can be center mounted with 10cm extension.

 

 

[HunchyTheHuncher]

Thank you for the picture, nice rig! 

 

It looks like the distance between the seat and side panels is very small. I am surprised the seat has space to tilt the full 16 degrees on each side. Please could you tell me the distance between the outer edge of the seat and side panels. 

[witwas]

The distance is roughly 2cm's. But i don't think it goes 16°  in bank sideways, it doesn't feel like that. Maybe i got a setting wrong but it feels like it can handle more angle in pitch then in bank.

[HunchyTheHuncher]

Great thanks for confirming! 

[KWard]

The same company, DOF Reality, makes some larger (and more expensive) platforms that mount the controls as well as the seat, so that your controls move with you. I'm thinking of saving up for one and hunting for reviews.

[ironsavior]

How does it work with VR and inside out tracking? Is it compensating for the platform movement?