Game mode / sim mode

[fric1971]

Hey I am a newbie here so I hope I am posting this in the right place. Can anybody explain the differences between game mode and sim mode? I see in the option window the different presets for game and sim mode. But is there some setting I am missing as to pick which one I want to use on the campaigns or instant action? Is selecting easy flight and easy avionics considered game mode and vice versa? Its an awesome game and I am loving the hell out of it. So any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Fric1971

[EtherealN]

I'm actually not sure about a hard limit on what makes it "game" or "simulator", but a guideline can be seen through comparing the two pre-sets for the two.

 

I'd personally say that easy flight is the one that makes the big difference - although I actually find it more difficult to fly when "easy" flight is active. The bird just don't behave as it should and I end up with massive confusion and death. :P

 

If you want the opportunity to make things easier while learning, the easy flight one is something I'd personally recommend that you not use. The controls in easy flight are so different that you will not really learn how to fly with it. But for simple action fun it's still nice - I actually came out of an arcade session just now, reliving old memories of Novalogic's "Werewolf" game. :D

 

(I'm never going to hear the end of it when the other people hear I've actually flown arcade and had fun. :P )

[isoul]

Main difference between Game-Sim mode :

1) Realistic Flight Model : The heli will fly like a real one. This means that even wind will have an impact on you! It will be quite weird for you(like most of us in the beginning) but as EtherealN said...its the beauty of the Shark. Imo if you get used to easy flight you ll have hard time to get used(from scratch) to the realistic one and you may get discouraged.

2) No "Radar" : In sim-mode you ll have no "radar" on the upper-right corner of the screen. This means you ll have to do with the Shark's optical sensors(Shkval).

 

Other differences are minor such as radio assist etc etc

 

To me DCS:BS in game mode dosn't worth it. Personally I only used easy flight(which is quite easy) in the beginning but then I've seen realistic one and got discouraged, cause from being master of the skies from "Day-1" (easy flight), I had to spend about 30h to get used to the controls and trimming (then learn the AP functions etc etc). I 've sticked to realistic since I want to experience the simulation.

Edited January 11, 2010 by isoul

[EtherealN]

isoul, I believe the main question was when it counts as which. For example, the simulator switches out the Instant mission based on those variables - but which ones? I haven't tested this myself but with a bit of time it should be easy to find out through just testing a few of the likely variables and checking which Instant gets loaded.

[Legolasindar]

Game Mode is for babies.

Sim Mode is for mens, with hair on his chest and a hoarse voice.

 

I recommend use every time all the life in all the sims the most realistic mode, in this case Sim Mode. Is more gratifying. And for training is more better, if you learn first with the most difficult mode, after you can fly more easily.

[fric1971]

Thanks for the quick reply's. Being a newbie to this game I just want to be sure that I have this straight. There is no game mode / sim mode selection, switch, button or whatever you want to call it. It all depends on if you choose easy flight and easy avionics on the option screen at the beginning of the game?

[Vitesse2l]

I think some of the missions are set to run in game mode...

 

You can lock your settings in the option menu (so that a 'game' mission will start with your preferences). There IS a preset Game/Sim switch on the 'gameplay' screen. It's near the bottom.

 

Hope that helps.

[fric1971]

I think were getting closer to my question. When you say lock your preferences do you mean "use these options for any missions" check under the "mirrors" check box?

When I go to that screen and select sim or game play I see the presets being changed but I cant tell which box is checked just by looking at it. The boxes don't highlight or show which one was actually selected.

I just find it odd that when you go to the controls section of the option screen under aircraft they list KA-50 real or KA-50 game. I see that the selections that they both have in common overlap.

It just seems like everybody talks about sim and game mode as black and white options .I mean real cut and dry. So I just wanted to be sure I am not missing something in the thousands of options this game has. It seems like an A+ game so far.

Thanks for all your help with this.

Fric1971

[Waldo_II]

Think of it this way. DCS: BS was designed for sim mode. DCS is a simulator at its heart. Only the most patient of people can handle a simulator in its full glory, such as DCS. To appeal to a wider audience, the developers created a number of features that lets the player cheat a little. The radar, for example, is a game-y kind of addition, obviously something that isn't true to real life. Options such as invincibility, unlimited ammo, unlimited fuel, labels, simplified flight model, etc. are all features that the developers made to (this is the most cruel way to say this) dumb the game down so a wider variety of people can enjoy the simulator.

 

"Sim mode" is absolute, pure, true-to-life simulation. Realistic flight model, realistic damage, no labels, no radar, etc.

 

"Game mode" isn't so easily defined. More hardcore players will define "game mode" as having a single one of the "dumb-down" options on, others would call "game mode" as having all of the options on, radar, simplified flight model, invincibility, everything.

 

Some of the options are useful to even more hardcore players for practicality. In training, it can be useful to have labels on so you can, say, identify when a missile is launched against you so you can maneuver and know what to do later when labels are off. Rocket strafing requires unlimited ammo, otherwise you are returning to base every three minutes.

 

The only options that can apply to the definition of "game mode" vs "sim mode" are in the list you see that includes all of the options of "labels, radar, simplified flight model, unlimited fuel/ammo, invincibility, etc." It has been a while since I have looked in the settings, but I do believe all such options are on a single page in like a check list.

 

The "use these options for any missions" box, although I'm not sure, I think is there to override any settings or declarations made within missions. Custom missions can turn on labels or radar for you, and I assume that the "use these options for any mission" box overrides the mission's ability to turn on labels. You aren't going need this much unless you plan to play a lot of downloaded user-created missions.

[fric1971]

Got it! I just wanted make sure there wasn't some setting I was missing playing this game . Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate it.

Fric1971