New here

[RepoMan]

Just wanted to say hello. I have spent about 3 days with a-10c...all I can say is - wow. I used to play flight sims when I was younger and things have come a long way. I ordered a cheap thrustmaster without throttle and think I messed up. I'm just learning the flight procedure for now.

[cichlidfan]

Greetings and Welcome.

 

As for the joystick...I am afraid that I would agree with your thought.

 

There are lots of threads here about joystick and other hardware selection but at minimum something with a separate throttle and as many buttons/hats as possible is a good start.

[Zenra]

Greetings and welcome as well - as cichlidfan put it, you will want to consider investing in a decent HOTAS setup, whether the TM Warthog or another, it will greatly enhance your experience and enjoyment of the sim. Track IR or similar will add another dimension, as i am sure you will see in other, similar threads.

 

Do whatever your time and monetary situation supports, but above all have fun, share your experiences and ask questions here on the forum. It is a great community, and as much as I love studying the manuals and real world A10-C documentation, I have learned more here about flying and executing missions than anywhere else.

[ZQuickSilverZ]

Do NOT buy the Logitech G940. It has a lot of slop in the middle and the spinner things on the throttle are prone to problems.

[Lange_666]

If you eyeballing a Thrustmaster Warthog but the price is a bit to big to chew and you then drop that eye on a cheaper Thrustmaster Cougar, beware that the internals who "drive" the stick (the gimballs) are not up to par with what you might expect. They have a very weird feeling to it. To make them work like a normal stick would feel, you have to mod them, either by doing that yourself if you have the skills or by buying a mod (there are a few variations up for sale). This will lift the cost for a Cougar beyond that of a Warthog.

[Feuerfalke]

I recommend the CH Products Hotas.

 

You can buy the CH Fighterstick for a good start.

 

It has a lot of buttons and it is very easy to program. The Fighterstick also has a 3rd axis, that can be used as a throttle.

 

If you like this experience, you can increase your setup with the CH Pro Throttle. It adds a very decent throttle that is much more handy than the TM Warthog's throttle. Remember, the throttle of the Warthog is designed to be at leg-level. The CH Pro Throttle is designed for desktop usage and allows easy access to all buttons in every setting.

All buttons and switches on the CH gear have a much lower resistance compared to the Warthog. This makes flying and operating the plane very easy.

 

I'd also recommend some rudders, if you really want to get into it.

 

 

The CH Setup is not cheap either. But it has a very tough basis, though it's all plastic. The electronics are very reliable as well. My first Fighterstick lasted 16 years. (And I only repaced it, because I wanted the USB-Version.)

 

If you don't want to spend that much money, the X52 or X52pro is a great start. As a big plus compared to the CH gear and the TM Warthog, it also has a twistable stick for rudder-control. The software is probably one of the easiest on the market, but it has limitations compared to the higher priced competitors. With the A-10C, you may also run out of buttons quickly. For the price, it's a great HOTAS, though.

Edited March 23, 2013 by Feuerfalke

[RepoMan]

I was looking at the wart hawg. $500 to spend on that setup is a little out there. Thrustmaster has a cheap HOTAS for around $50. $100 + is a little more manageable. I guess I will figure out how serious I get in to this game and the amount I spend.

 

Right now I would appreciate an atari joystick. Strafe runs etc is kinda hard with keyboard only !! :smilewink:

[KLR Rico]

I think an X52 isn't a bad place to start, and they can be found used for cheap enough, usually under $100 USD.

[Cali]

Before you drop some serious money on a HOTAS, make sure you are going to want to play/fly flight sims for a while. You don't want to buy stuff, then 5 months later stop flying. You can always "step up" with different HOTAS systems. I would recommend CH also, because you can get the stick, throttle and rudder pedals for the same cost as a Warthog. Another thing you'll have to look at is buying a TrackIR or making one.

[cichlidfan]

I was looking at the wart hawg. $500 to spend on that setup is a little out there. Thrustmaster has a cheap HOTAS for around $50. $100 + is a little more manageable.

 

Where are you located? I have one of those TM sticks that I will let go for next to nothing plus shipping. I am not recommending it for DCS but it will work.

[KLR Rico]

You don't want to buy stuff, then 5 months later stop flying.

 

....

 

Another thing you'll have to look at is buying a TrackIR or making one.

 

 

That's a good thing about buying used stuff, you can usually get back close to what you bought it for.

 

+1 on trackIR... I consider head tracking to be as important as a joystick when it comes to flying sims. I use freetrack, but it's something that you have to tinker with a little, if you want it to just work, get trackIR.

[RepoMan]

Where are you located? I have one of those TM sticks that I will let go for next to nothing plus shipping. I am not recommending it for DCS but it will work.

 

I'm in Arkansas. What stick would that be? I ordered the same stick thats on the $50 TM HOTAS except it doesn't have the throttle. I thought it would be good enough to at least get my feet wet. This is what I was talking about. http://www.thrustmaster.com/en_US/products/tflight-hotas-x

Edited March 24, 2013 by RepoMan

[RepoMan]

I have my computer for sell. I don't think anyone will cough up the cash in my location though. I'm planning on sticking with this sim. It has a lot of expandability with online play and the mission editor. So I can see myself atleast getting a HOTAS.

 

Sims are all I used to play. My last game was bf3 but I got tired of it. I wanted something more realistic and with a more mature fan base. I'm kind of used to just having a joystick. For this though there are too many commands though. I have a gamepad I will probably use until I get something proper.

[cichlidfan]

The $50 TM that you were looking at. T. Flight HOTAS X

 

http://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T-Flight-Hotas-Flight-Playstation-3/dp/B001CXYMFS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364087571&sr=8-1&keywords=T.+Flight

 

I posted it for sale here a while back with no takers. It is actually still packed in a box ready to ship.

[sslechta]

I can say I've enjoyed my T-Flight Hotas X for the past month I've owned it. I spent about the same as what Cichlidfan is offering for his.

 

If budget is a concern, this is an awesome stick. No problems at all with it.

[Cali]

I'm in Arkansas.

 

Small world, I'm in Louisiana, Barksdale AFB (Shreveport/Bossier City) to be exact.

[cichlidfan]

Small world, I'm in Louisiana, Barksdale AFB (Shreveport/Bossier City) to be exact.

 

I thought you were in Guam. ;)

[RepoMan]

Small world, I'm in Louisiana, Barksdale AFB (Shreveport/Bossier City) to be exact.

 

 

That's cool. It's been awhile since I have been to LA. I used to go fishing down there. I have an AF friend up here from Bossier. I'm ex Army Light Infantry myself. Thought I would see how the other side lives in there air. lol

 

The $50 TM that you were looking at. T. Flight HOTAS X

 

http://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T-Flight-Hotas-Flight-Playstation-3/dp/B001CXYMFS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364087571&sr=8-1&keywords=T.+Flight

 

I posted it for sale here a while back with no takers. It is actually still packed in a box ready to ship.

 

I wish I saw that a few days ago before ordering. I think my next purchase will be the saitek x52-pro. I can't justify the warthog though. I can get a new pistol, or bow, or even a small local get away for the price of that. I have been watching youtube videos of people's dcs a-1- missions and some of them make really quick changes and target acquisitions.So I'm starting to see the advantage of a good setup.

Edited March 24, 2013 by RepoMan

[Cali]

I thought you were in Guam. ;)

 

Yes, I'm currently in Guam, but stationed at Barksdale.

 

That's cool. It's been awhile since I have been to LA. I used to go fishing down there. I have an AF friend up here from Bossier. I'm ex Army Light Infantry myself. Thought I would see how the other side lives in there air. lol

 

Well, welcome and hope you enjoy it.