How to start Combined Arms.

[totalspoon]

Arrrr.... I just spent AU$30 on Combined Arms (on Steam) and I can't find how to play it...

 

All I have a Su-25T simulator. The Combined Arms icon on the menu screen says I've bought it.

 

The blurb at the official website said

'Singe Player and Multiplayer

 

Combined Arms can be played in both single player and multiplayer modes. In single player mode, players can choose to play missions solely from the ground command point of view, or they can choose to fight the battle from the cockpit and direct ground forces as needed.'

 

but I can't do anything but fly Su-25 missions.

 

Spoon

[Kaiza]

From the world splash screen select "mission", then from the drop down menu select the combined arms folder, then select the mission you would like.

[totalspoon]

Thanks Kaiza. Appreciated.

 

:)

 

Spoon

[WildBillKelsoe]

In single player mode, players can choose to play missions solely from the ground command point of view, or they can choose to fight the battle from the cockpit and direct ground forces as needed.

 

^ this means in SP its strategy like with the exception that you can jump into some ground vehicles and fly the planes that support them overhead. You can be a General per se flying and directing (with autopilot on of course) at the same time.

 

In MP, it is vested that it currently causes server problems and therefore, few if not any servers you find offer ground unit commander/JTAC roles to players.

[jackd]

Now 10 years later LoL. Set and adapted some button and keys and axis controllers to get the DAC (?) tank moving.

Nothing happens,nothing moves ...  even the engine won't start. Any tips how to get it going?

Pressing pause, movement starts, but then an error message Unable to enter vehicle: vehicle control is not available

Edited May 10, 2023 by jackd

[draconus]

18 minutes ago, jackd said:

Unable to enter vehicle: vehicle control is not available

The unit has to be set as "player can drive" in the mission. Not all of them can.

 

[jackd]

I am able to aim and shoot the gun now, figuring out how to get it moving

Edited May 10, 2023 by jackd

[Raisuli]

Yeah...combined arms has always been a huge mystery for me, too.  Bought it about forty years ago back when DCS ran on the Apple ][+, and never really figured out how to use it.

Not the only think I haven't figured out, though.  I'll be dead about twenty years before I get good at all the things I have, assuming nobody comes out with anything new.

[draconus]

3 minutes ago, jackd said:

I am able to aim and shoot the gun now, figuring out how to get it moving

 

Default WSAD, change gear with ZX.

[jackd]

I am a bit used to TC (IL2). Was planning on doing some road running on the Normandy 2.0 map, as tourist. AA would be a great help here, i tried getting my throttle the way i am used to in IL2 Tank Crew ...

PS although my warthog set seems present on the Controllers page for CA they don't seem to work.

Only some Keyboard commands do, and i got the gun to move with my joystick, but nothing engine power related with either keys or Throttle.

Is this typical for DCS; selling unfinished business?

Edited May 10, 2023 by jackd

[razo+r]

59 minutes ago, jackd said:

I am a bit used to TC (IL2). Was planning on doing some road running on the Normandy 2.0 map, as tourist. AA would be a great help here, i tried getting my throttle the way i am used to in IL2 Tank Crew ...

PS although my warthog set seems present on the Controllers page for CA they don't seem to work.

Only some Keyboard commands do, and i got the gun to move with my joystick, but nothing engine power related with either keys or Throttle.

Is this typical for DCS; selling unfinished business?

 

Sounds like an user error to me. Last time I tried it, keyboard worked just fine. 

Make sure you shift into a gear and release the handbrake if needed before you drive, otherwise you'll go nowhere. DCS CA does not feature a semi-automatic gearbox like IL2 TC does. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by razo+r

[draconus]

3 hours ago, jackd said:

but nothing engine power related with either keys or Throttle

Works fine, just tested driving with my joystick.

[Slippa]

3 hours ago, Raisuli said:

forty years ago back when DCS ran on the Apple ][+,

I fly DCS on a Bootcamp partition. Have done for the past 48 years, no, 18 months , runs ok.

Combined Arms is a bit of a mystery to me too. Had a quick mess about when I bought it, I'll have another look.

[jackd]

3 hours ago, razo+r said:

Sounds like an user error to me. Last time I tried it, keyboard worked just fine. 

Make sure you shift into a gear and release the handbrake if needed before you drive, otherwise you'll go nowhere. DCS CA does not feature a semi-automatic gearbox like IL2 TC does.

in CA general options there's a Automatic Transmission activation setting.

T (for Trouble) supposed to be Cruise Control? C for autopilot does nothing, although it shows in the left low corner of my monitor screen on play mode.

Edited May 10, 2023 by jackd

[peachmonkey]

43 minutes ago, jackd said:

in CA general options there's a Automatic Transmission activation setting.

T (for Trouble) supposed to be Cruise Control? C for autopilot does nothing, although it shows in the left low corner of my monitor screen on play mode.

 

 

see if this video helps. You need to preconfigure the map & units in the proper way for it to work.

 

 

[razo+r]

2 hours ago, jackd said:

in CA general options there's a Automatic Transmission activation setting.

T (for Trouble) supposed to be Cruise Control? C for autopilot does nothing, although it shows in the left low corner of my monitor screen on play mode.

 

Autopilot only works if your vehicle has an assigned waypoint to it (for example in the F10 map)

Automatic transmission of DCS is not the same as the semi automatic one of IL2. 

And cruise control in DCS only maintains the speed at the point of pressing "T" that you were travelling. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by razo+r

[K-dot-B]

There is a short manual for CA in the game files that answers all of these questions. Iirc it's somewhere in the core DCS/Mods/Tech/Combined Arms/doc

[jackd]

Thnx all, it becomes more interesting to me, almost gave it up LoL.

[Hobel]

vor 30 Minuten schrieb jackd:

Thnx all, it becomes more interesting to me, almost gave it up LoL.

and not to forget one of the most useful tools in CA...
I have watched many tutorials on youtube or elsewhere but for whatever reason no one has mentioned this feature that you can observe in my video.

 

"tracking  mode"

 

 

 

[jackd]

Call me stupid, but where do i find this 'tracking mode'. Seems not in any options as being selectable..

I see the tank in a compass circle displayed in the upper right corner, is it active then?

[razo+r]

13 minutes ago, jackd said:

Call me stupid, but where do i find this 'tracking mode'. Seems not in any options as being selectable..

I see the tank in a compass circle displayed in the upper right corner, is it active then?

Tracking mode is only active when it says so on the screen, visible in the videos posted above. 

[jackd]

so that's in gunner view i guess ..

ADDED i got vehicle controls to work; tip (maybe): don't setup pedals for anything, it confuses vehicle input settings it seems.

Edited May 11, 2023 by jackd

[Hobel]

Am 11.5.2023 um 10:03 schrieb jackd:

Call me stupid, but where do i find this 'tracking mode'. Seems not in any options as being selectable..

I see the tank in a compass circle displayed in the upper right corner, is it active then?

in the options it should be "target tracking on/off

[jackd]

There is target info in special, is that what you mean?

PS found out more to get it working as player:

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by jackd