I want to get into flight sims and this game but...

[Flacracker]

The COST!

 

I figured I would get:

 

Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Which is $400

TrackIR 5 with the Clip which is $150

CH Pedals which are $122

Cougar MFD's which are $60

and the game which is $20

 

That means $750 for the whole package. I don't even know if I will like it. If I will play it. Is it worth it?

[KillaALF]

Why not just get the game and a cheap joystick at first and see if you like it?

[Grimes]

The X52 is a plenty capable HOTAS for a pretty decent price.

[pitbldr]

Yeah, you don't need the Warthog or pedals to enjoy this. Even the most basic stick will work with the only trade-off being you just have to know/use more keyboards commands. I would however get the TIR and the MFD's. Those will make it much more enjoyable. :)

 

EDIT - If you not sure you'll like it, just spend the $20 before the rest and try it out. That's a bargain for a sim of this quality.

Edited January 7, 2012 by pitbldr

[metalnwood]

Like anything I want to try out, I could go the most expensive route and hope I like it or I can go a less expensive route to feel out the water.

 

There are a lot of options other than buying the best of everything.

[Nate--IRL--]

Get the Sim and wait until you feel a specific need for the rest, before getting them. That will be much much more satisfying that getting it all at once.

 

You will appreciate the peripherals all the more after you have learned to fly the Hog.

 

Nate

[159th_Viper]

I started LockOn Flaming Cliffs with the SIM and a Saitek Cyborg Evo..........All-told cost me about £30 IIRC and that was good enough for me as a start.

 

At the very least an entry-level flightstick - that's all you need to start :)

[Devrim]

...TrackIR 5 with the Clip which is $150...

And , you don't have to buy TrackIR at start. You can go with Free Track.

It costs... may be 2 dolars? :)

 

After a while, you may want to switch to TrackIR, like me.

[hog_driver111th]

Also, the saitek pedals are cheap these days. I paid around $50 for a great set, albeit used.

[cichlidfan]

You don't need anything but a reasonable stick and the sim to start with.

 

TIR is great for looking around but not a requirement for seeing if you might like it.

 

The MFDs are nice but just eliminate some buttons you can click with your mouse.

 

Pedals are handy but in this aircraft, once airborne are almost not needed. There are other ways to control the rudder.

[FreeFall]

Is it worth it?

 

Yes, it is.

[jp203000]

That depends on which country are you in .

[beers]

it is a bit much for any of us to tell you that you will like it. Flight-sims are very different from any "game" I ever played, some of my friends with whom I share many gaming interests have absolutely no interest in flight sims. They see them as boring.

 

I have had less-exciting flights and more-exciting flights, but some of my most extreme pucker-moments in life, let alone computer gaming, have been afforded me by the beautiful simulator. i.e. many people do NOT find this boring.

 

Then there is the question if you are going to play on-line with others or just fly by yourself. I enjoy both, as do quite a few people from what I can tell. I know a few who would not start up the sim unless they were going to join others on-line. I think there is a significant portion (a majority?) of people who only fly off-line. The two experiences are worlds apart in many ways, and you might love/like/hate them in different ways.

 

I have never upgraded from the Siatek x52 and it works fine enough. Track IR is essential to me in flight sims, but lots of folks who love this sim do not have any head-tracking, so it's not essential.

 

So, unless you have $750 burning a hole in your pocket, start slow in investing in this hobby. :pilotfly:

 

BTW, you did not mention your rig stat's in your post, you might want to consult some of the hardware threads to see if your rig might require some investment in order to pump out the FPS.

[leafer]

the game which is $20 and this are all that you need.

That means $50 for the whole package.

 

All that other stuff are gadgets that even though will greatly enhance your flying experience, but are absolutely not necessary at all. In fact, I flew with my keyboard only for over a year, and became quite good if I may stroke my own ego. :D

Edited January 8, 2012 by leafer

[Nate--IRL--]

the game which is $20 and this are all that you need.

That means $50 for the whole package.

 

I concur - I still use the above stick - it is more than adequate. Everything else is nice to have but not essential.

 

Nate

[Kuky]

As everyone said, if you are completely new to flight sims getting the sim only for $20 is real bargain, there's no other way to put it... so get the sim and some basic joystick and you can try the gaming mode and see how you go.

 

If you find yourself after you tried the sim that you like it you can start buying one thing at a time... this is how most of us do/did it. Over months and years you will get all you need to enjoy such quality flight sim (HOTAS/Rudder/TrackIR/etc) and spreading the cost over this time won't be as bad

[104th_Cobra]

My apparel:

 

Thrustmaster T-16000M (the same technology as Warthog)

http://www.amazon.com/Hercules-2960706-Thrustmaster-T-16000M-Flight/dp/B001S0RTU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325998874&sr=8-1

 

Freetrack with IR leds (and a friend which mount it for a couple of beers, if you aren't into electronics)

http://www.free-track.net/english/freetrack/manuel.php

 

Rechargeable batteries

 

Philips SPC230NC Webcam (I paid about 10€ for it)

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SPC230NC-27-Webcam-Easy/dp/B00150SZF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1325999491&sr=1-1

 

Total party: about 50€ (including the beers)

 

 

Cheers.

[Username455]

This was my very first flight sim (well second if you count wings of prey) but all I had was the x52 pro. Thats all you need, a joystick.

 

The thing is, once you play this sim you realize you dont NEED all the extras, but you will really really WANT all the extras haha. I used FacetracknoIR (free face tracking) for over 6 months before getting trackIR for christmas and enjoyed every bit of my time in the air.

 

Plus, at only $20 you should buy now! It will be so much more rewarding than the $50 and $60 games available these days

[Conure]

I think that if the sim doesn't grab your attention without TrackIR, you'll probably find it doesn't grab it with. TrackIR is great but you do need to enjoy learning avionics etc first, all of which can easily be done with a very simple cheap joystick and nothing else.

 

I would suggest you build up over time - I started with the game and a cheap joystick, then I added TIR, then later added an X52 pro, then a whole PC upgrade etc etc...It's very rewarding to see your equipment grow over time. - and as you do you might find you branch into other sims such as Rise of Flight, FSX, X-Plane X, Black Shark etc - If you find you love one, most likely you'll enjoy the others too!

 

Best of luck

[KLR Rico]

+1 on all that everyone has mentioned.

 

The only "need" is a joystick. A cheap, used HOTAS (X52 for me) is first, and if you like it, head tracking is a very close second.... I can't imagine playing without it now. I use freetrack with good results, and it cost me less than $10 to get set up.

 

Rudder pedals are nice, but IMHO they were the least bang for the buck in terms of adding something to the experience.

[cichlidfan]

Rudder pedals are nice, but IMHO they were the least bang for the buck in terms of adding something to the experience.

 

In regards to DCS A-10, I absolutely agree. Unfortunately, even though they, at most, provide control over only three functions (yaw, left brake and right brake), for many other flight sims they are extremely valuable (Black Shark, or helis in general, and Rise of Flight come to mind) if not essential.

[KLR Rico]

In regards to DCS A-10, I absolutely agree. Unfortunately, even though they, at most, provide control over only three functions (yaw, left brake and right brake), for many other flight sims they are extremely valuable (Black Shark, or helis in general, and Rise of Flight come to mind) if not essential.

 

Just to clarify, I didn't mean yaw control wasn't important, but going to pedals over the typical joystick twist axis wasn't a huge step up IMO.

[agrasyuk]

the game which is $20 and this are all that you need.

That means $50 for the whole package.

precisely. that was the stick i used for all the flying i ever did for many many years (albeit exchanging for a new one every half year or so)

[Total]

I've posted this elsewhere, so I'll do the abridged version:

 

The logitech Extreme 3C Pro is a good stick, but I went through two of them and both developed the same problem of losing full left deflection on the X axis. It was never nailed down to a particular manufacturing lot code and was never really figured out as either hardware or firmware failure.

 

Between the time I stopped using the 3D Pro and got an X-52, I used a Saitek Aviator. Using the Saitek profiling software, the 8 switches on the front, along with the 3 mode selector switch gives you 24 different functions. You can also program in the hat and stick buttons in each mode if I remember correctly too.

 

Either joystick will work just fine to enjoy DCS.

 

I will say that saving up for a HOTAS is well worth it though. The regular X-52 can still be purchased for around $100 and is a great setup. Mine lasted for years before I eventually retired it.