Getting started in WWII

[Dermax1]

I've been really enjoying my time in the A-10C, F/A-18, and F-16 in DCS. IL2 has been my go to for WWII flying for 20 years now, but I'd like to give it a shot in this game with the clickable cockpits and so on. I gave the Kurfurst a test drive earlier in the year, and with the big sale going on I'd like to pick up some WWII stuff to get my feet wet. So I guess there's two obvious questions - modules and maps.

1) Right now I'm exclusively single player. Between the Anton, Dora, and Kurfurst, which one has the most mission support, the most "feature complete"? Last I read neither has a bundled campaign and I'd assume they'd have similar training and a couple basic missions? Doesn't look like the Dora has a paid campaign. And the ones for Anton and Kurfurst use different maps so...

2) Normandy or the Channel. Anton uses the Channel; Kurfurst uses Normandy. It sounds like Normandy is getting a Syria-esque upgrade someday, although the Channel might in better shape right now? Sometimes it's hard to date when people were discussing the maps.

Any thoughts or recommendations for some one going WWII Asset pack, one module, and one map?

[Hunter Joker]

If You plan to switch one day to MP Normandy at the moment must be Your choice. If You then choose the module by the campaign the 109 is where You gonna going. If You didn't plan to switch to MP for a long period (until next sale) I will suggest to go fo The Channel and the Anton that could give You more different missions to accomplish. And I speak from a point of view that a player that own all the warbirds, the WWII map and campaigns andvwho play MP and SP.
Last but not the least, using Your first buy at 50% and the 50% sale, take all the two aircraft, even without map/campaign it will give You plenty of enjoyment in any case.

Inviato dal mio BLA-L09 utilizzando Tapatalk

[Callsign112]

I have both of the planes and maps your asking about, and can't really recommend one over the other as I enjoy them all.

You already got some pretty good advice, but in terms of the map I think there is a very strong argument to start with Normandy. First of all, Normandy is a bigger map with more options especially if your plan is to go Axis. And even if you don't have immediate plans to get into MP, you have more options with Normandy if you ever decide to check it out. In terms of the current sale price there is not difference in going either way, but I think the already announced expansion coming to the Normandy map ups the value IMO.

In terms of which plane, I don't think you can go wrong with either one, but only you can decide what fits best. Since you have already tried the 109, I would suggest you do the same with the Anton before buying. If you end up not liking DCS for some reason, it doesn't really matter much which way you go, but chances are you will end up getting the other plane in a future sale anyway. 

Welcome and good luck with your decision. Hope you enjoy DCS WWII.

[Beirut]

On 3/28/2022 at 12:44 PM, Dermax1 said:

I've been really enjoying my time in the A-10C, F/A-18, and F-16 in DCS. IL2 has been my go to for WWII flying for 20 years now, but I'd like to give it a shot in this game with the clickable cockpits and so on. I gave the Kurfurst a test drive earlier in the year, and with the big sale going on I'd like to pick up some WWII stuff to get my feet wet. So I guess there's two obvious questions - modules and maps.

1) Right now I'm exclusively single player. Between the Anton, Dora, and Kurfurst, which one has the most mission support, the most "feature complete"? Last I read neither has a bundled campaign and I'd assume they'd have similar training and a couple basic missions? Doesn't look like the Dora has a paid campaign. And the ones for Anton and Kurfurst use different maps so...

2) Normandy or the Channel. Anton uses the Channel; Kurfurst uses Normandy. It sounds like Normandy is getting a Syria-esque upgrade someday, although the Channel might in better shape right now? Sometimes it's hard to date when people were discussing the maps.

Any thoughts or recommendations for some one going WWII Asset pack, one module, and one map?

 

Being a dedicated map slut, I'm all for the Channel map. Normandy has a few good points, as spelled out by my esteemed fellow flyer in the post above, but the Channel map is just pure eye candy. And if you get into choppers, it's downright delicious at low level. It's a gorgeous looking map.

 

And for right or wrong, I enjoy flying the Kurfurst the most. I can't speak to anything other than how it feels in the air, and I really enjoy it.

[rkk01]

Another for Channel…

(Love flying strikes out of Manston using the Mossie…)

As for Anton vs Dora vs Kurfürst… tough choice

Anton is probably the easiest to learn, but is horribly matched when it comes to the Allied fighters - despite all the debate on here, I struggle to believe the Anton was as poor in RL

Dora is lovely to fly, but as you observe, not well supported within the sim

Kurfurst - I don’t have as many hours on

 

Out of all the WW2 aircraft, I’d go Mosquito + Channel

[Dermax1]

Thanks to you all!

Based on the recommendations here, I used a trial to give the Anton a test run. Although I generally prefer the Bf-109 in other games, by the late war it really does seem like they just kept bolting things to the cockpit. The FW is very... clean looking. Start up is easy, although engine warm up is a long time to hold the wheel breaks... just dawned on me writing this - I should see if they can put wheel chocks on there. 

Since I went with the Anton, I decided to pair it with the Channel - mostly because that's what's required for Reflected's campaign. The working plan is to spend the next few months getting accustomed to the DCS version of the warbirds and look to expand in the Summer or Fall sale. Thanks again!

[Art-J]

Keep in mind Anton is the least competitive German fighter in DCS and generally a bit of a dog, which, combined with simplified flight modelling of AI enemies makes it really difficult to enjoy this plane in combat. But if don't mind some masochistic and frustrating challenges, go for it ;).

No chocks implemented for Anton, sadly. Generally only a handful of DCS modules support these.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Art-J

[peachmonkey]

2 hours ago, Dermax1 said:

Thanks to you all!

Based on the recommendations here, I used a trial to give the Anton a test run. Although I generally prefer the Bf-109 in other games, by the late war it really does seem like they just kept bolting things to the cockpit. The FW is very... clean looking. Start up is easy, although engine warm up is a long time to hold the wheel breaks... just dawned on me writing this - I should see if they can put wheel chocks on there. 

Since I went with the Anton, I decided to pair it with the Channel - mostly because that's what's required for Reflected's campaign. The working plan is to spend the next few months getting accustomed to the DCS version of the warbirds and look to expand in the Summer or Fall sale. Thanks again!

Good choice. It's my favorite go-to plane.

- D9 is great too, but is fragile, i.e. a single hit in the engine jacket and you're losing coolant/pressure. It's a great plane for dog fights and that's pretty much it.

- BF109 - i tried to like this plane, but with it's being very tail heavy if you don't have a force feedback joystick (without center) with all other joysticks you'll end up flying with the stick continuously  pushed forward and trim on nose-heavy to the max. Per devs its flight model is correct and apparently with Brunner and other ffb joysticks without spring-return-to-center it's fine, but with my VKB it's a <profanity>show.

- A8 is awesome:

a) it's an excellent ground pounder

b) it's the only wwii with a bomb load (500kg J bomb) that has a delayed fusing available, so you can perform very precise bombing strikes without fear of blowing yourself up in the process. All other bombs on other birds are impact-blow. Supposedly the delayed fusing is coming.. coming.. coming.. coming.. and still coming since 2 years ago.

c) you can still take on fighters but with this plane being a total underdog you are left with the boom/zoom tactics, which actually kind of make you adhere to the real rules of engagement as it was during the war. I see it only as a plus, it builds discipline.

d) it's extremely survivable. Built like a tank. You can take on a flight of B29's and pretty much decimate the whole flight and still come home. Good luck trying it with any other bird. Even P47 is no match for its armor and survivability.

e) damage model on it is tits, both visually and systems wise. Coming home with a blown generator and zero instruments is hotness. Coming home on 9 working cylinders out of 14 is that "build like a tank" I was talking about.

f) take offs / landings are very demanding. And therefore interesting.

[Callsign112]

4 hours ago, Dermax1 said:

Thanks to you all!

Based on the recommendations here, I used a trial to give the Anton a test run. Although I generally prefer the Bf-109 in other games, by the late war it really does seem like they just kept bolting things to the cockpit. The FW is very... clean looking. Start up is easy, although engine warm up is a long time to hold the wheel breaks... just dawned on me writing this - I should see if they can put wheel chocks on there. 

Since I went with the Anton, I decided to pair it with the Channel - mostly because that's what's required for Reflected's campaign. The working plan is to spend the next few months getting accustomed to the DCS version of the warbirds and look to expand in the Summer or Fall sale. Thanks again!

Ditto on that. I think you made a really good choice. The one thing I will say about the Anton, it is an easy flyer and seems to absorb the shots better than the 109. My two favorite are still the Mustang/109 though.

Welcome and enjoy the Channel map, your going to love the scenery.

[Beirut]

11 minutes ago, Callsign112 said:

 

My two favorite are still the Mustang/109 though.

 

 

Same for me. The Mustang is easily my #1. Smooth as silk and stable.

 

I fly the P-47 least of all. I find it very "floaty", like a sheet of paper in the wind. I'm always fighting with it and it's just not enjoyable. But maybe that's just me.

[peachmonkey]

25 minutes ago, Beirut said:

 

Same for me. The Mustang is easily my #1. Smooth as silk and stable.

 

I fly the P-47 least of all. I find it very "floaty", like a sheet of paper in the wind. I'm always fighting with it and it's just not enjoyable. But maybe that's just me.

p47 are very good for taking out large amounts of targets when fully loaded... and on the way back you can CAP in it, but you need to know how and where to fight with it. It's a very versatile fighter bomber, and its outside sound is simply music to my ears..   Had we have a working replay system I'd waste 50% of my time just by looking at its fly-by's.. 

[Beirut]

9 minutes ago, peachmonkey said:

p47 are very good for taking out large amounts of targets when fully loaded... and on the way back you can CAP in it, but you need to know how and where to fight with it. It's a very versatile fighter bomber, and its outside sound is simply music to my ears..   Had we have a working replay system I'd waste 50% of my time just by looking at its fly-by's.. 

 

I know some people love the plane, and more power to them. I have a buddy, and all he wants to do is fly the P-47 in the Pacific. No other plane and no other place. That's his bag.

 

The DCS P-47 is gorgeous, I just don't enjoy flying it. I find it bouncy and floaty and honestly quite annoying. It just bobs around like a cork in the ocean. Maybe I need some curves on the joystick or something, but I find it thoroughly unenjoyable. Which is a shame because it's such a beautiful cockpit.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Beirut

[peachmonkey]

7 minutes ago, Beirut said:

 

I know some people love the plane, and more power to them. I have a buddy, and all he wants to do is fly the P-47 in the Pacific. No other plane and no other place. That's his bag.

 

The DCS P-47 is gorgeous, I just don't enjoy flying it. I find it bouncy and floaty and honestly quite annoying. It just bobs around like a cork in the ocean. Maybe I need some curves on the joystick or something, but I find it thoroughly unenjoyable. Which is a shame because it's such a beautiful cockpit.

 

your description is spot on, but that's exactly why I like it. I feel the inertia of this 8 ton monster. Or I think it's inertia.. and it's quite responsive despite having such a serious 'bobbing'.. P47 simply soothes me. Flying it at dusk times calms my nerves...

[Beirut]

43 minutes ago, peachmonkey said:

your description is spot on, but that's exactly why I like it. I feel the inertia of this 8 ton monster. Or I think it's inertia.. and it's quite responsive despite having such a serious 'bobbing'.. P47 simply soothes me. Flying it at dusk times calms my nerves...

 

Beautiful!  

 

I'm not sure what soothes me at dusk. Maybe some bourbon and my Harrier. 

[Callsign112]

3 hours ago, Beirut said:

 

Same for me. The Mustang is easily my #1. Smooth as silk and stable.

 

I fly the P-47 least of all. I find it very "floaty", like a sheet of paper in the wind. I'm always fighting with it and it's just not enjoyable. But maybe that's just me.

TBH, I haven't even gotten to the P-47 yet. Its probably about #3, 4 in the list for me. Took it out a couple times, but that's it. The model is absolutely gorgeous though, and I am looking forward to finding the time to get back in it.

[Gunfreak]

P47 is awesome if you like to fight your own plane. Needs massive amount of rudder work when flying on the limit.

 

And the Anton works fine against the AI P47 on veteran.

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Gunfreak