What is "Easy Mode"?

[Snacko]

Before all you rocket jocks start posting "Don't use easy mode, it's for girls", or "If you want an 'easy' mode, you've come to the wrong place!".  I'm just wanting to understand it's current state.  DCS did used to have an Easy mode, but I have not looked for it for years..

But I have a friend coming over next month, and I was wondering if it still works?  How does it work?  I've read that it's bugged, but I want to look for myself.

I have the Mig-19p and it has an 'easy' mode(MIG-19P_easy) aircraft in the Controls Settings, and I've assigned the basics to it.  But when I go to the Mission Builder, or "Create Fast Mission", it's not there for selection.  And I've see other 'easy' aircraft listed in the install files(F-86_easy; FW-190A_easy; FW-190D9_easy; KA-50_easy; P-47_easy; and several more.) that are also not available in the game.

So, is this 'Easy' mode just simply completely abandoned in DCS.  And the BF-190K-4_easy that is in the Control Settings just a mistaken left-over that should be remove?   Or is Easy mode still functional in any way at all?

Thanks.

Edited May 20, 2024 by Snacko

[razo+r]

The "easy" is not a seperate aircraft, despite there being a seperate entry in the controls option. It is simply a setting that simplifies the physics for an aircraft. Unfortunately, since easy mode is not really supported anymore, it can be that it makes the plane unflyable. Wether easy mode still works with an aircraft or not can only be found out by trial and error. Newer modules generally do not like "easy mode" enabled. 

[BIGNEWY]

Hi, 

Game avionics was removed from DCS a while ago as it was creating problems and could be exploited, we still have game flight option, which uses different inputs set, but it can create problems for some modules. We are currently considering its removal from DCS.

thank you 

 

[DJK]

Snacko, instead of using "easy mode" or any other artificial way of reducing a full fidelity plane to an arcade one.. why not just use what DCS has to offer for this exact situation.. a trainer. It is perfect for a newbie, slow, handles as an airplane should, you can multicrew with your friend and assist him and he's gonna get a proper intro into flying.

Also,
 

On 5/20/2024 at 5:59 PM, BIGNEWY said:

We are currently considering its removal from DCS.

Let's hope to that!

Edited May 21, 2024 by DJK

[SharpeXB]

The FBW planes like the Hornet and M-2000 are already easy to fly. No extra mode necessary

[gmangnall]

H heads up. The mossie is unflyable in easy mode. You cannot even take off

[Czar]

6 minutes ago, gmangnall said:

H heads up. The mossie is unflyable in easy mode. You cannot even take off

Majority if not all modules are unflyable with the "simplified flight model''.

ED should completely remove that deprecated feature. It produces a lot of bug reports from something that's not currently supported.

[Dragon1-1]

Yeah, and the "easy" mode wasn't really easy even when it worked right. At least with FC3 aircraft, it basically took away a few controls, like trim, but otherwise did very little to make actual flying easier. It's far easier to learn flying properly than deal with a gamefied mode that nonetheless still has to conform to DCS physics.

These things come from an era when a joystick with one hat was moderately fancy, and that hat was used to control the view more often than not. Back then, some consideration went into at least attempting to make DCS playable with mouse+keyboard, or with a really cheap joystick that had a shortage of switches. Fortunately, times have changed, T16000M and gamepads have become commonplace, and ED no longer needs to consider that a player might not even have a hat that could be bound to trim commands. The "game flight model" is therefore long obsolete.

[The Gryphon]

If you are flying warbirds having the auto-rudder checked in options menu makes flying really easy. The P-47 and P-51 is very easy to take-off in this mode.

 

Edited 21 hours ago by The Gryphon

[draconus]

7 hours ago, The Gryphon said:

If you are flying warbirds having the auto-rudder checked in options menu makes flying really easy. The P-47 and P-51 is very easy to take-off in this mode.

Maybe but it's a different setting hidden in the special options for each prop aircraft, not global "easy flight model".

[Dragon1-1]

The autorudder doesn't actually change the FM, though, it just adds what is effectively a magic yaw damper. That one is meant for people without rudder pedals, which are far less common and tend to be rather more pricey than a T16000M.