Mission/Campaigns for beginners

[fakeflyer737]

Hey guys, Im very new to F18 (going through the training) and I'd like to try my hand at a mission or two. What would you recommend? Something simple and easy to understand. 

Thanks!

[BuzzU]

You have the missions that came with the plane to start out with.

[fakeflyer737]

1 hour ago, BuzzU said:

You have the missions that came with the plane to start out with.

Ok cool. Thanks. 

[Sedlo]

19 minutes ago, fakeflyer737 said:

Ok cool. Thanks. 

You can go into the User Files section of the website, there are some ones there that could help.  Cage the Bear and Eastern Friendship to start I think would be good ones.

[Slick Twitchy]

I really liked the Rise of the Persian Lion campaigns. The tell you EXACTLY what you need to be doing. Put waypoints at targets (the exception being when they have you create a new waypoint (occasionally-and it's not that hard to learn) and even then they let you opt out, and just use a premade waypoint. I like how they really walk you through stiff. I had to back out of a couple of missions and watch videos of how to do stuff (use HARMs etc.) but it's a good beginner campaign with decent voice acting etc.

Edited June 18, 2023 by Slick Twitchy

[fakeflyer737]

13 hours ago, Slick Twitchy said:

I really liked the Rise of the Persian Lion campaigns. The tell you EXACTLY what you need to be doing. Put waypoints at targets (the exception being when they have you create a new waypoint (occasionally-and it's not that hard to learn) and even then they let you opt out, and just use a premade waypoint. I like how they really walk you through stiff. I had to back out of a couple of missions and watch videos of how to do stuff (use HARMs etc.) but it's a good beginner campaign with decent voice acting etc.

 

Nice! Requires the Persian Gulf map I assume? 

[Slick Twitchy]

Requirements:

DCS: F/A-18C Hornet
DCS: Supercarrier
DCS: Persian Gulf Map

[kaboki]

Im also new to the F18 like OP and found the payware «Rising squall» campain to be very noob friendly. Like how it tells me in briefing what knowledge I need to have to play each mission.

[BuzzU]

3 hours ago, kaboki said:

Im also new to the F18 like OP and found the payware «Rising squall» campain to be very noob friendly. Like how it tells me in briefing what knowledge I need to have to play each mission.

You'll find that in pretty much all campaigns if I understand what you mean.

[rob10]

5 hours ago, BuzzU said:

You'll find that in pretty much all campaigns if I understand what you mean.

I think some detail what skills you need much more than others.  I.e. they explicitly say you need to be able to manually enter co-ordinates to create a waypoint from MGRS grid reference from a JTAC.  Some just indicate in the briefing you will be working with a JTAC.

[kaboki]

12 hours ago, BuzzU said:

You'll find that in pretty much all campaigns if I understand what you mean.

Not as clear as this one, also it takes out the long boring travels where nothing happens and put you right into action. (Great for people that dont have to much time to play). And landing on carrier is not obligatory.. (for those who struggle). And the air refueling is scripted(still cant do it adter 13 years playing this game:p.) Im a noob in the F18 and its the first campain I actually can make progress.

Higly reccomend it for noobs like me:)

Edited June 20, 2023 by kaboki

[BuzzU]

Ok. It does sound noob friendly. I never tried it.

[Raisuli]

On 6/19/2023 at 1:44 PM, BuzzU said:

You'll find that in pretty much all campaigns if I understand what you mean.

Oh, I don't know.  Started a campaign (I have a lot of them) and it began with needing to take a specific departure from Nellis and do real pilot stuff just to get to the range so I can do game pilot stuff.  Started to learn the real pilot stuff, then decided it would be more fun, and a lot more frustrating, to finally break through and actually be able to AAR. 

Still don't know how to read a departure plate, but I can hook up to a tanker now.  KC-135 is still the hardest, so I focus on that.  I can land and take off from the Kuz, too.  Need to figure out what my max weight is for takeoff, though.

Eventually I'll look at another campaign again.  I have a lot invested in them, might be worthwhile to actually do one.

<edit>

Worth a plug to say I would pay for a campaign that does nothing but teach the real pilot stuff so I can do campaigns...

</edit>

Edited June 21, 2023 by Raisuli

[CBStu]

A comment on learning. What I did was change my DCS settings a little so I could 'play in a window'. Then I set the DCS screen size (the 1920x1080 I think) a little smaller on the height number. So while playing DCS I still have the full bar across the bottom. This way when I need help on how to do something I pause DCS, then I can open saved files, or go to the web and watch a youtube tutorial or open Chucks Guide. Setting up a new weapon I may swap back and forth DCS to help 5-10 times doing each step as directed. Also I learned how to ad my own pages to the kneeboard. So I have charts on AA missle ranges, descent angles, etc that I can access on the kneeboard while flying. One other thing I found (or I may have bound it myself) I use the B key to access the mission briefing. It pauses DCS and brings up the briefing so I can scroll through it. Hit B again to resume flying.