How many modules do you actually fly?

[x64WarGopher]

I keep buying modules for DCS, but I keep coming back to two aircraft.  The F-5 and the F-18.  Every once in a while I'll give a module a fair try but I tend to just get bored with it and go back to flying these two jets.

So now I'm curious.  How many modules do you consistently play, and what are they?

[QuiGon]

1 hour ago, x64WarGopher said:

I keep buying modules for DCS, but I keep coming back to two aircraft.  The F-5 and the F-18.  Every once in a while I'll give a module a fair try but I tend to just get bored with it and go back to flying these two jets.

So now I'm curious.  How many modules do you consistently play, and what are they?

I would say I fly pretty much all my DCS aircraft consistently (except the Flaming Cliffs aircraft), although I fly some more and some less, but I'm capable to cold start them all and employ them in combat and use their systems (edit waypoints and such). This applies to the following aircraft in no particular order:
- Bf109
- Fw190D
- Fw190A
- Spitfire
- P-51
- F-86
- UH-1H
- MiG-21bis
- AV-8B
- Mi-8
- Mi-24
- Ka-50
- AH-64
- F-14
- F-16
- F/A-18
- AJS-37
- A-10C
- M2000C
- F-5E
- F1
- A-4 (Mod)

I pretty much only fly multiplayer and what aircraft I fly entirely depends on the situation on the server/mission (aircraft availability, tactical usability). I never start up DCS thinking "I want to fly THIS aircraft now". I just jump on a server and check what's available and makes the most sense to fly in a given situation.

Edited September 24, 2022 by QuiGon

[Hiob]

I own all but the christen eagle and the JF-17, but I‘d say 95% of my flying time is going into 8-10 modules. Which ones depends and shifts from time to time. atm it‘s a lot of Mirage F1, Mosquito, Bronco, Apache… F-16, F-14 and most of all the Hip are modules that I revisit regularly.

[Rudel_chw]

3 hours ago, x64WarGopher said:

How many modules do you consistently play, and what are they?

I fly just a single aircraft at a time, for a lapse of 2-4 months each, currently I’m on the Mirage F1. I also usually fly in parallel a community Mod, since the release of the Skyhawk, currently I’m flying the OV-10 Bronco.

[JOYFUL_CLOVR]

While I predominantly main the f-16 (for now), I do try to fly all my modules just to keep my skills up in them. I've been on an F-15 bender lately.

[Gunfreak]

F16 is my main modern

Spitfire for ww2.

But as I like doing campaigns. 

I've also a decent amount of time in the F86, Viggen, P51.

Others I've played quite a few hours are F14, Apache, Fw190A, 109k, P47. Huey.

 

While some, I've literary just used once like F-5,

[VIKBELL]

All my flying since last year has been Hornet and P-47D.     That is all I have time for.

[Iron Sights]

My strategy is to pick one or two and focus on them for about six weeks and rinse and repeat. I have bought way too many modules. I do enjoy the variety. I’m not really trying to be a guru at any of them, but who knows. I may hit on one and decide I want to just keep flying it. Right now, it just depends.

[Aquorys]

I have only the F-16, Ka-50 and Su-33 (besides the Su-25T and TF-51D that come with the initial installation of the game). The F-16 is what I fly the most by far, and then sometimes the Ka-50 for helicopter missions. I fly the Su-33 every now and then for fun, probably more in singleplayer than online, and only occasionally the Su-25T and the TF-51D. The TF-51D is especially fun to fly every now and then, it's just such a hard contrast compared to the rather modern jets. I also fly other flight simulators though, and I probably fly the Beechcraft King Air and the Airbus A-350 most of the time.

[Svsmokey]

In order of hours logged , Hornet , Albatross , Huey , and for the same reason as above , the TF-51 . FC3 birds are hangar queens . The Albatross will likely soon join them when the MB339 is released .

[One Eyed Ross]

A-4E (mod), F/A-18 and now the OV-10 get most of my stick time, then the AV-8 every once in a while, then the Flaming Cliffs and Frogfoot sometimes...the F-5 and 86 rarely, the P-47 I haven't even had an hour in yet.

[LucShep]

On 9/24/2022 at 1:20 PM, x64WarGopher said:

I keep buying modules for DCS, but I keep coming back to two aircraft.  The F-5 and the F-18.  Every once in a while I'll give a module a fair try but I tend to just get bored with it and go back to flying these two jets.

So now I'm curious.  How many modules do you consistently play, and what are they?

Yes, it's very addictive. I call it "DCS module aquisition syndrome".  You have to exercise some restraint.
With that said, and although disapointment may happen with some modules (tastes and standards differ), others turn to be a very good surprise (but you need to give them time).

I strongly suspect that your feeling of "completeness" with very few modules is rather common across the user base (we all have favorites, haven't we?).  

I own plenty modules but the F-14(B) Tomcat is the one that gets the most attention from me, by far. It always feels "more special" to me every single time I get back to it, after spending time with other modules. I also enjoy the F-5E and A-10C very much too, for different reasons.
And for some reason that I can't really explain, I still spend more time in the Nevada map than others I own (Syria, Persian Gulf), along with the good old Caucasus map.

Edited September 28, 2022 by LucShep

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Right now I fly the F-14, Mirage F1 and F-16. I own pretty much all modules and for a lot of them it comes down to supporting the developers, so that they can keep affording to make more: some modules I only have between 2 and 5 hours in for example.
I'll switch to helicopters again once the Mi-24 and AH-64 are a bit more mature - and I still count on a S-70 (any variant) at some point in DCS

[tomcat_driver]

F-16, Apache and F-14.

[Cyb0rg]

No time to fly anymore more

[VirusAM]

I own almost every module.
I am flying the tomcat and the Hornet the most.
I am not using too much the Viper, but I like it and know it quite well.
I am not an helicopter driver (i lack the basics) but I am trying to learn the apache (only how to fly it for now...not combat).

[Dangerzone]

I own most of the modern day modules (no WW2 modules).

While I fly a variety - I mainly find myself going back to 3 far more often than the rest...

FA18 (I just can't get away from Carrier Ops - love them!!!)

Huey (Just a sheer pleasant helicopter to fly and throw around)

AH-64 (What can I say  )

One thing I wish DCS had that I'll never get back is a real logbook. One that tracked Multiplayer hours as well. Who knows how much hours I've racked up in the modules but it would have been very nice to have been able to find out. Since 90% of my time is MP - I don't have that ability.

[MiG21bisFishbedL]

Most of them, but the ones I put the most time into are the Mi-24, Mirage F.1, and MiG-21bis.

[Lace]

I have most of the modules.  My go-to aircraft and the one I am most combat-effective in is definitely the Viper, but I can have a decent stab at killing stuff with the Harrier, Hornet, Mirage (both now), MiG-21, F-5, F-86 and A-10.  I'll occasionally take a Spitfire or Mossie out for a spin, but rarely fight them and don't really 'do' WWII DCS.  The Tomcat and Viggen are parked right at the back of the hanger gathering dust, next to the Apache (too complex, not enough time), L-39, CE2 & KA-50.  My most used helicopters are the Mi-8 and Gazelle.  I like an aerobatic session in the Yak too.

So for FF modules, the Viper gets 75% of my flying time, 2 or 3 others 20%, and probably half a dozen hardly ever get flown.

I never fly the FC3 aircraft as they are too much of a faff in VR what with the lack of cockpit clickyness.

I think the Mudhen and Phantom will get some attention as and when they are released.  Likewise Tonka and Typhoon.  A-7 will probably be my go-to carrier aircraft though when that one is finally with us.  And if we ever get the Kiowa, that will be my helo.  Although I have a sneaking suspicion that the Phantom will fall into the same category as the Tomcat for me.  Nice to take out for a quick spin now and then, but not sure if I'm really willing to put in the hours to master it.

[Peter5on]

Just found out that i spent 585$ on DCS and i don't even play the game most of the time i just visit this forum and waiting for some news about Dynamic Campaign, Vulcan and other stuff. Last module i bought was 2 years ago...

[NahkaSukka]

I have many modules but i mostly fly just F/A-18. Sometimes i fly Huey. I bought AH-64 and F-16 but i really don't have time, energy or interest to learn them. Just bought F-16, learned how to start it up but then i just somehow lost interest to learn all the systems which are very different from Hornet and went back to good old Hornet which i have been flying for years. Few times in MP i have chosen the A-10C but always end up returning to F-18 because it just gets the job done better as it has HARMs and can defend itself properly, it's a lot faster etc, but has smaller payload.  I even spent like ~600€ on collective to fly Huey and Apache, but i rarely fly helos. Usually i just fly Hornet for 1-2 hours once a week, sometimes more if i have a wingman.

[samgau]

i own MOSQUITO BIF109, that i rarely fly maybe once per year. it prop planes and get bored really quickly

i have a10, f14 f16 f18 that i fly regually , depending on my target and deployement zone (i do have that supercarrier module for carrier ops)

i have ah-64 , mi-24p and huay . when i want to do rotary stuff

i normaly fly planes but every month or two i swith rotary for a week

my problem is maps. i buy maps but rarely fly in them because of missing campagne or mission to fly in. south atantic, persian gulf , channel , nevada syria and caucasus map.
my dcs is about to pop into the 600Gb range.

 now that there what 4 new maps annonce . i probably wont buy them unless there a really cools dynamic mission that is available for it 

[trevoC]

I own almost all the modules. I "fly" all of them, but I believe the spirit of the OP's question is a little different so I'll assume that and answer less technically.

I usually end my sessions with a half dozen very quick (sometimes minutes) free flight of whatever I feel like checking out which is usually something I haven't flown in a while. This is how I cycle through flying all the aircraft.

That being said, I only really fly 1 or 2 airframes at a time depending how you look at it.

I like to pick an airframe like the Huey which I just finished up and do a deep dive on its systems and how to use them to get proficient in using them quickly and piloting the airframe.

This will include doing all the training missions if included.

Then I move to the campaigns. In the Huey instance, I completed three (UN, MAD and Paradise Lost < (PL WOW BTW)).

I've been playing DCS since the first LOMAC and have never played MP. I'd like to jump in the Huey on enigma but I'm unsure where to start (communicating via SRS and objectives etc..) so I'll probably just move on.

While I'm flying the Huey or Aircraft 1 campaigns, I start learning the systems of a second airframe, usually through that airframes Training Missions, or youtube if none exist. I started the BS2 which I thought was my next airframe so as to stick with Helos, but then moved to the F-86 as I wanted to stick with a campaign by reflected as Paradise Lost was so awesome. I've more recently just finished all the Huey campaigns I have and moved to the FC3 F-15. I bough FC3 when it was released and never once played any of the content so I figured why not jump into the F-15 in anticipation of the release of the F-15. With BS3 on the way, maybe I should have stuck with BS2.

I'm about to start the F-15 Bear trap campaign and will pick another airframe as my learning platform once I do. I play 1 or 2 campaign missions and end the night with a training mission followed up with some youtube videos that surround the context of that training.

Most of my modules get no use in the Aircraft 1 and 2 scenario above but I'm a sucker for DCS Content. If a new module is released, I'll buy it day 2. Day 1 usually consists of me saying to myself "Why buy this now, I may not even fly it for years (outside of free flight)), just wait for the sale." Day 2 usually consists of me thinking about nothing but that new aircraft at work and watching youtube videos of other people flying it and having more fun than they've ever had in their life doing anything else at which point I say "who am I kidding, I won't last a week" and click purchase now while counting down the hours to go home and download it. (This happened most recently with South Atlantic map... come on, its not finished or efficient, there are no campaigns and people don't like it.... Day 2: Buy Now)

Especially with the release of so many modules so quickly from DCS (ok, quickly is relative to how long it takes to really be proficient with an existing system), I doubt I'll ever play all the modules, but I'm a sucker for DCS content.

The only thing I know for sure is that DCS has a lot of my past, current and future earnings. Also, if a war breaks out in my Country (Canada), and I happen to find a Russian Ka-50 lying around (uh-huh), I will have enough confidence to jump in and start her up to join the war effort while in reality probably exterminating myself and the airframe very quickly.

So depending on how you look at it the answer to the OP's question is All or 2 or 1

Happy flying.

Edited October 22, 2022 by trevoC

[trevoC]

For some additional information, how many aircraft have made the Aircraft 1 slot with finished campaigns? (over a period of > not sure exactly but I've been simming for 30 years and I believe the first ED product (was it even ED back then?) was LOMAC for me))

Flaming Cliffs 1 & 2 and LOMAC something or another (can't remember exact titles without looking them up) If I remember correctly it was the su-25 and the A-10's I was flying.

Su-25T
A-10C
P-51
P-47
Huey
and now FC3 F-15

 

How many aircraft have made slot 2 (learning all the systems and completing training missions) but never got to slot 1?

F-18
F-86
BS2 Ka-50
Mosquito
Spitfire

 

Whats going to fill the Aircraft 2 slot after the FC3 F-15

Hopefully the full fidelity F-15 or
BS2 then BS3 or
F-86

Edited October 22, 2022 by trevoC
additional context

[shastasm]

My four stables are the A-10CII, F-16, F-18, and Apache.  I own a bunch more, but these are my favorites.

A-10 is probably ranks #1, but F-16 gives you a sense of speed like no other module.