Friend at work wants to fly with me but cannot use a HOTAS?

[rapid]

Hi Guys,

Just want to know if this is possible.

A friend at work would like to try flying with me only issue is he cannot use a Hotas and cannot understand all the keyboard commands required when flying the A-10c.

I said I will ask on the forum for him if it would be possible to fly using a Game Pad and Keyboard but in some form of Game mode a more simplified version of the game with a lot less input instructions from the Pilot.

I had a quick look at Game Mode but it still seems simi complicated unless I set it up wrong as never used it before.

Any recommendation to help out this chap out would be much appreciated?

 

Cheers

[Mr_sukebe]

It’s possible to fly in DCS with a pad, but not easy.  FC3 aircraft would be the most viable.

Have you thought of working in a single aircraft with you flying and him in the back as a systems operator, or in say the Apache as the copilot /gunner?

[rapid]

8 hours ago, Mr_sukebe said:

It’s possible to fly in DCS with a pad, but not easy.  FC3 aircraft would be the most viable.

Have you thought of working in a single aircraft with you flying and him in the back as a systems operator, or in say the Apache as the copilot /gunner?

Hi,

Yes I have but he wants to fly along side me in an A-10c2.

Just wondering if there was a simplified mode he could use.

I had a quick look at Game mode but still think it could be a little complicated for him.

 

Cheers

[Mr_sukebe]

How about both flying the A10A?

It’s easy to dismiss the FC3 aircraft for not being full fidelity, I’m guilty of it myself.

Having said that, I always end up smiling when I fly them, and whilst being much simpler, they do still fly very nicely.

Edited August 29, 2023 by Mr_sukebe

[SharpeXB]

If even Game Mode looks too complicated, then sorry to say DCS probably isn’t the game for your friend. This game does require just a bit of effort. It is actually possible to play DCS with a gamepad or just a mouse and keyboard although that’s seems really frustrating and not any fun. 

Edited August 29, 2023 by SharpeXB

[BitMaster]

Watch this:

 

[rapid]

Cheers guys,

I think he just finds the controls daunting and just wants to play "simple- aided game.(where the aids the player)

I will have another look at game mode for him.

[LucShep]

DCS may be a bit too "hardcore", daunting and complicated for a begginer with zero experience on the genre.
If he's completely new to flight sims, I really think he'd be better starting with something "arcadey" like War Thunder or Project Wingman.
Then, when he gets interested on something more advanced (like DCS is) the aproach will be much easier.

If he prefers the gamepad, the XBOX based ones are universally the best and easiest to setup for the PC.
If he hasn't got one, the PowerA Enhanced Wired is an excelent solution, it's cheap (30 bucks and change) and it's plug-n-play.

If he wants to insist on DCS World (and good on him if so) the simpler modules, like the free Su-25T and the FC3 modules, are perfectly doable with a gamepad.
Tuuvas got that part covered:

That said, I'd definitely recommend a cheap, simple and basic joystick over a gamepad. The Logitech Extreme 3D Pro (30 bucks and change) is awesome for a beginner.
And on this one, there are Logitech drivers but you don't really need them for Win10/11, it's plug-n-play.

Edited August 30, 2023 by LucShep

[rapid]

Many thanks Gentlemen.

Edited August 30, 2023 by rapid

[SharpeXB]

What I found frustrating about using a gamepad in DCS (I set up one for use as the Apache CPG TEDAC) is that despite some of these having extra buttons, all these do is repeat the standard ABXY etc. functions. They aren’t truly extra. Clearly console games can’t make use of extra commands so there’s no need for them. 
So a dedicated PC controller like a flight stick, even a simple one like the Logitech above is going to be more flexible to assign in DCS. I haven’t tried every gamepad out there but I tested quite a few. Also a PC flight stick is simply going to have a longer stick which translates into less sensitivity. I think a new player will find the DCS aircraft almost uncontrollable with the tiny thumb sticks on a gamepad. Then there’s what I’d call the Y Axis inversion effect. If anyone is acclimated to FPS games where moving the stick forward is “up” they’ll find flying to be backwards. To me that’s an unalterable reflex I can’t unlearn. A flight stick gets past this since it’s just a different controller. If you even know enough about airplanes to know that pulling back the stick makes you go up, a gamepad is just impossible to use at least for me. Same thing with trying to use a mouse. It’s backwards from flying which makes it nearly impossible to adapt to. This is why I bought my first flight stick which was actually that Logitech one. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by SharpeXB