Help on control methods

[Alhazred]

Hi all,

 

I haven't really tried a flight sim since the early 90s (tempted back because I've loved the A-10 since I was a lad) and I would love to get a bit of expert advice on control methods before I jump in to this monster. I have a stick (logitech extreme 3D pro) for the basics, but this cockpit has about a thousand controls in it and I am wondering if I should be trying to learn to use them all with my mouse, or whether it is better to start learning to use keyboard controls, or some hybrid approach?

 

Since the learning curve looks so long and steep I really want to make sure I start off in the right direction from the outset.

 

I thought maybe because I would have to be look down at the controls to read them I might as well be toggling/pushing/pulling them via mouse clicks, but my right hand is already on the stick, and taking my hand off the stick to use a mouse just feels so weird and cumbersome.

 

Thanks in advance for your help, and pardon my complete noobishness if this is a stupid question.

 

Cheers,

Alhazred

[LankNZ]

Hey mate.

 

I use the same stick and will be upgrading soon however it is easily doable without an upgrade. Here is what I did to become confident enough to start the campaigns.

 

Run through all the tutorials. Some of them seem mundane at times but they are all necessary. After you have done one or two tutorials and start feeling swamped by the info, make a practice map with a few targets that can't shoot back (ie fuel trucks) and just consolidate what you learnt. My flatmate jumped in and did everything one after the other and as a result things still slip through the cracks.

 

In doing this youll find out what keys you use most and can then bind the more common ones to your stick. Have a hunt round the forums and print off a Startup Checklist, Keyboard shortcuts checklist, and any other checklists you may find useful. They aid you heaps in the first few flights on your own.

 

All in all mate there is one hell of a learning to curve to pilot this beast, however if my experiences so far are similar to other new Sim Goers, you will love and thoroughly enjoy the learning experience. EVEN with a standard keyboard and joystick.

 

Plus you may finally find the excuse you need to upgrade some of your kit :p i know i did

[Ptroinks]

I didn't have a HOTAS when I first started flying the A-10, and with the amount of systems and commands that you will have to learn to properly fly this thing, I can tell you from personal experience that getting a good HOTAS is an investment you will not regret! Learning to fly the A-10 will be A LOT easier, and you won't have to memorise that many keyboard commands. Personally, I use the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog. It's a bit expensive, but I'm far from sorry for getting one. Another piece of hardware that is a must-have with this sim, is TrackIR. After I got those two things, I can't imagine flying this sim without them.

[SmokeyTheLung]

just to reiterate what Ptroinks has said, find the controls listed as HOTAS and get those mapped to your stick/throttle or commit the key commands to memory. The rest can be done with the mouse (a track IR will come in very handy)

 

H.O.T.A.S=Hands on throttle and stick. Those are the controls that the real pilots need at their fingertips, so prob a good place to start

[Helios]

Personally, I use the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog. It's a bit expensive, but I'm far from sorry for getting one. Another piece of hardware that is a must-have with this sim, is TrackIR. After I got those two things, I can't imagine flying this sim without them.

 

What he said. There is no point sugercoating it - while it's perfectly possible to enjoy the sim without a full rig, having those two components does make a big difference. The authentic HOTAS is how the plane was intended to be operated, and in real life we can look around by moving our head.

 

I have an X52 Pro myself which I will want to upgrade to the Warthog HOTAS, but maybe hold off on that for a while after too many hours of frustrations with FPS problems on my ageing PC caused me to spontaneously order a new gaming rig yesterday with i7 2600K, GTX 280, SSD and all that good stuff, which put a rather big dent in this year's sim budget :)

 

For pretty much everything not configured to the HOTAS I use the mouse, which combines nicely with TrackIR - mainly with the exception of using '2'-'3'-'4' to select autopilot mode, gears/flaps, and external lights 'LALT-P' and 'LSHIFT-P'. And of course there is 'ctrl+E' to eject 8)

[rextar]

I have the same joystick, and mapped keys for speed brakes,chaff,flares,wheel brake etc,but as said upgrade soon!

[Zenra]

You will definitely need some type of programmable stick and throttle to fight, and I definitely agree with the other posters on Track IR - I resisted for a long time, but cannot imagine how I did without it for so long.

 

Using the mouse for clicking all of the non-HOTAS controls in the cockpit is quite doable and realistic feeling. Get used to trimming often and using the autopilot. ALT HOLD mode keeps your plane at your set altitude (of course), but also maintains your bank, making it excellent for circling while you go heads down. Even without using the autopilot you will find that a nicely trimmed aircraft remains steady long enough for you to take your mouse hand off the stick to take care of other tasks. All very realistic, after all - in the real A-10 you still have a throttle and a stick but only two hands. To press the other buttons you're going to have to let go of one or the other!

[Alhazred]

Thanks so much for all your help folks =)

[Frostiken]

Unfortunate fact of life is that getting into realistic sims requires a heavy investment. I like to think of it like scuba diving - but once you're set up, you're golden for a long time.

 

Once you lay down the cash you'll wonder how you ever managed before.