What to buy?

[Blackjack_UK]

On 2/3/2022 at 2:31 PM, Fairey Gannet said:

You can, trust me. If I would, say, introduced myself as Hawker Hunter, Supermarine Attacker or good old Spit, you could think, "Ah yes, tasteful bast...", and in post-Greek fashion we connect truth and beauty on cognitive level. See, that would be a horrible deception, as I also would be Gannet - a cry of children. Mothers covering eyes. Icecream falling on sidewalk. Irish passing the bar. "The horror! The horror!"

Back to the topic, regarding HOTAS this time - I myself used T.One for a long time, and it is viable to fly planes like Viggen, Mirage of Jeff with it. You will be light on buttons, but there are ways around it. I am thinking about moving up to T1600 now, but I fly over 3 years now - I think I got my value out of this piece. If you can go for T1600 from the start, by all means, go for it, it good value to quality ratio. I started personally with T-One, because I was reluctant to spend large amount of money up-front. Now I have some experience, so I know what I would like to improve, what functions I use and where I find my HOTAS lacking. Instead of buying more expensive one, I opted to buy cheap rudder pedals, that turned out to be better choice for me. I would say both are good starting kits, though if you want to fly helos, I would strongly suggest buying rudder pedals. They can be even steering wheel ones, if you will buy an adapter - driving helo with twisting grip is not very fun.

Mr Gannet speaks the truth.

And, on topic, I actually used a Saitek X35/X36 for a while. It was...OK and a lot cheaper than Thrustmaster. But I also had to accept that I was going to throw it away every couple of years when it stopped working (as it regularly did).

I actually found the twist for rudder OK when flying choppers, not so much on fixed wing. Pedals are definitely better, and even cheap Thrustmaster ones (it's relative) give you toe brakes which are very useful.

I would also support what others have said - a lot depends on what you actually want to do with the sim as to how many buttons you actually need and what will work best for you. If you're looking at WW2 stuff you could argue that a very basic stick and throttle plus pedals would be most realistic as HOTAS wasn't a concept back then.

Either way, enjoy!

[Loopan]

On 2/3/2022 at 11:11 PM, Schmafuzius said:

WOW I didnt know that... are they in the User Files Section on the DCS page? 

And I can strongly reccomend the youtube channel from "Iain Christie"! he makes awesome tutorials for the free modules A-4e-C and the A-29B on the free maps available.

Edited February 5, 2022 by Loopan

[JetCat]

The best and most beautyful modules with the best cockpits are F-18 Hornet, HeatBlur F-14, and F-16 Viper. If you like helicopters the Mi-24 and the Apache are the best modules.

[Callsign112]

You received some very good advice here, but I think what @One Eyed Ross said will go a long way in getting you pointed in the right direction.

Obviously the free trials are very useful in helping find the module/s that best match your tastes. And if you want to really make the most out of them, Do a little reading on the modules you intend to trial before hand. You can download all of the user manuals to gain a little insight on what your getting into with each module before starting the free trial.

But as already mentioned, don't overlook the learning opportunity to be had with the free Su25T and TF-51D. There is a lot there, and both are very enjoyable to learn and fly.

The only thing I would add in terms of advice is that being a sandbox where you can create your own scenarios, plan on getting to know the mission editor as it will add significantly to your enjoyment, and I can't recommend enough all the tech packs/maps. You could buy a single heli/plane/jet, take several weeks to learn all there is to know about the module, then spend the next several months enjoying it as you sharpen your skills. The tech packs/maps help extend the life  of the modules you buy by adding to the number of scenarios you can use them in. For a small one-time fee, especially when on sale, all of the tech packs and maps really add to the options you have in terms of what you can do with the modules you buy.

The PG map is a good first choice because it is very different from the other free maps and is a decent size. You could use it to create anything from WWII N. Africa campaigns to modern day desert storm/naval ops.

Good luck with your decision and enjoy.