Your opinions on the included training material?

[RedTiger]

I saw this thread at SimHQ:

 

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2638555/The_Good_and_the_Bad.html#Post2638555

 

The part I'm most interested is the bit about the training materials. I do not recall any discussion about the ease of using these materials since BS was released.

 

So, what do you think? To be honest, I can agree with some of their points. The manual is a wealth of information, but its more of a dictionary or encyclopedia for reference than a "how to" manual. Perhaps this was what ED intended? The manuals for the real thing are often just references to supplement the classroom and hands-on training that teaches you the "how-to".

 

Maybe we need a Ka-50 for Dummies? :)

 

I find this stuff interesting. How people learn new material is a subject near and dear to my heart. There's always room for improvement on making things more intuitive.

Edited December 29, 2008 by RedTiger

[Spartan1-1]

The Dev notes videos were a true asset to me when learning the systems. Seeing it done is more conducive to remembering than reading steps off of a pdf.

[Kula66]

Agreed ... the manual is more a 'What the switches do' rather than a 'When to use them' guide.The producers notes are excellent, but I could do with some more centered on basic helicopter flying. My training tracks are all Russian, so no use to me ... but I'm happy that with plenty of trial and error, I've got the basics!

[RvETito]

There will be an extended hardcopy version of the manual with much more details concerning wide variety of procedures/systems.

[Chillspider]

:book:I think the training missions were helpful :helpsmilie:maybe a little fast and the book:book: has enough to get ya going but what helped me out the most was the Videos that Wags made the producers Note series on the various systems and how to fly the KA-50. He explained them very well and i picked up on it a little quicker than using the manual or training missions.

[RedTiger]

Interesting how the producer's notes were of the most help, isn't it? I wonder what exactly about them seemed better than the training tracks included with the game. The conversational style? I have noticed that some of the training track voice overs are taken directly from the text of the manual.

 

There will be an extended hardcopy version of the manual with much more details concerning wide variety of procedures/systems.

 

This should be interesting.

[Ferski]

Mixed reactions. Great and bad. Great because it has loads of info and bad because it doesnt explain the "how to´s" very accurate and some concepts and terms are totally unknow for me and the manual call them as known. I´m in a second reading of the manual and this time i am cathing better all the concepts.

I will not own the game until europe box release so i suppose concepts and procedures will be easier learned while trying in game.

When i started learning how to program (php, javascript etc) i usually had two books for each language , one book was about functions and what they do (a reference manual), the other was about how to implement functions and other programming procedures with examples and when to use "what" to obtain a concrete result.

So IMO the flight manual explain the "what" but not the "when, how and why".

Cant speak yet about training missions until i own the game, and the developers notes sure they are very helpful but i am a passive english speaker so my english writing is very limited, my speaking even worst and i dont understand a shit if there aren´t subtitles, though my reading comprension is very high.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Ferski

[Frederf]

I understand that the same quality education that a real Ka-50 would receive is not practical to expect out of a simulation. Most people wouldn't want to follow it anyway.

 

The manual is OK as a reference, what switches do what, certain procedures, that kinda thing.

 

The training missions are pretty spotty on what they cover. I guess they tend to cover some of the bigger "sticking points" that most people need help with.

 

I think something akin to checklists or text lessons, slowly building on knowledge much like the Falcon 4.0 manual, breaking the real life tasks a pilot would need to preform and teaching them one by one.

[CyBerkut]

The following should not be taken as a complaint. I like the thorough information that we have been provided, and the simulation is obviously VERY well done. I can say that I would find training on "How to..." helpful. I'm even talking about at such a level as the instructor's voice telling you "Now push the such and such button" and then it waits for you to do it before proceeding. (Hey, what can I say... The last combat flight sim that I was able to put a lot of hours into was back in Falcon 3.0 [Yes, that was a 3...]) I had / have The original Falcon 4.0 w/ Binder, but was never able to put much time into it. :(

 

I realize I'm not the typical inhabitant of these forums, but with this being such a realistic combat heli sim, I imagine there are plenty of other people who could benefit from the 'Back Shark For Dummies' approach. :)

[xell]

I think the producers note was the best help getting the understanding. The manual isn't anything you read from cover to cover cause you forget everything you need. The reference material is something you need once you learn how to fly, but the problem to learn to fly is your own.

 

I put in the wish list a manual in parity with Tornado (who hasn't read the weapons deployment guides to the death?) and Falcon4 training material.

 

Someone said the manual would be to big to include all this, but i disagree. Much of the material should be reorganized and some stuff placed in better chaptes. Some chapters concearning some dials i feel contains information about how to use them, some don't so you really at lost.

 

And i also think the keysstrooks should be grouped into Navigation, Weapons instead of the cryptic INS, ABRIS... when first read the keycard i was lost. I needed to learn flying by the producers notes. Revisiting the manual, revisiting the keycard. It felt many times as a moment 22.

 

Now when feeling much more competent in flying i feel the manual is sufficient. But, not as a newbie.

 

The manual is my only beef with this excellent game and when i work with this stuff real life i might be very perceptive with poor written manuals. But i also dream of the fun stuff you learned when reading about the tornados and falcons.

 

I will defintily buy the printed manual if it does contain this usable stuff about how to fight and survive in the digital battlefield.

 

.. and no i do not write manuals in english (obviously!!)) :)

Edited December 30, 2008 by xell