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How simple can it get?


Harnis

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Hey everyone,

 

So i'm considering getting DCS Blackshark, and the thing is, I am not necessarily interested in the full sim study level just yet, since I don't have the time to devote to one single aircraft. I like flying a bunch of them, so FC3 level sim is plenty for me. I was just wanting to confirm that DCS Blackshark can be set to be at approximately FC3 level of sim/simplicity. I know the DCS sims have the whole "game" and "sim" controls, I was just wondering about approximately what level of sim the two settings are.

 

Sim is obviously full sim study with all the buttons and detailed startup procedures and avionics and everything.

 

Is "game" at approximately FC3 level?

 

Thanks

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Game mode is more arcade than FC3, by a long shot.

 

EDIT: This is what Game Mode looks like.

 

GameModeBS2_zps61a5ecf8.jpg


Edited by cichlidfan

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Sure like cichlidfan has pointed out you can start off in "game mode" and that allows you to get started without learning all the systems and once you've got time you can move to "sim mode" if you like.

 

Am seeing a'lot more posts from users starting off in game mode you'll get a very very compete game experience no matter what mode you choose.

:joystick: YouTube :pilotfly:

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Game mode is more arcade than FC3, by a long shot.

 

EDIT: This is what Game Mode looks like.

 

oh wow......that's painful to look at lol

 

 

so is it not possible to play DCS Blackshark at a level close to FC3? Are my options between Ace Combat and full-real-life simulation?

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that's a shame. ED should really consider adding that ability........

 

naw, invincible, unlimited weapons, fuel, that stuff isn't the issue. I have FC3 on basically full real settings. The issue is that right now, I can't learn hundreds of switches and buttons just to fly one aircraft :P

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that's a shame. ED should really consider adding that ability........

 

naw, invincible, unlimited weapons, fuel, that stuff isn't the issue. I have FC3 on basically full real settings. The issue is that right now, I can't learn hundreds of switches and buttons just to fly one aircraft :P

 

It's not really that hard. The Black Sharks systems are actually very basic and easy to learn. The efficient flying in combat is the hard part.

  • Like 1

DCS Wishlist: Ka 26

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You can customize the level quite easily. If you set it to sim mode then turn on "game" flight model the shark handles very easily, although you will probably get into bad habbits that will be hard to break when you progress to sim flight model. You can map most of the stuff you need to your hotas for weapon employment. Navigation is pretty simple. As metheluckydonut said it's not that difficult to operate, its flying the thing properly that's the complex bit and with the game flight model you can alleviate that a bit for yourself to begin with.

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So here comes my "standard Ka-50 newbie reply" wink.gif:

 

 

First download Bigfoots interactive training missions

>>> KA-50 Black Shark 2 Training missions

 

 

 

Read also besides the manual this:

DCS: Black Shark...

Technical, Simplified

-Coaxial Rotor Aerodynamics

-Trimming the Ka-50 Black Shark <<<!!!! very important to understand this fully!

-Part 1 - Autopilot <<<this too!

-Part 2 - Autopilot

 

and when you are confident about your cyclic-trim,

you want to read about your rotor-pitch trim (aka collective brake):

Collective Brake - aka Collective Trim ... and why you should use it.

Ka-50 Default Keyboard bindings

 

And when you still have time , read this too:

A Stick and Rudder Man's Guide

to DCS: Black Shark

 

Here is a useful tweak if you using real rudders:

How to unchain the rudder from trim - solution

 

Things you want to have some day too:

KA-50 collective: another picture-tale

Two MS FFB2 with Cougar Grip

 

Another very useful hardware mod:

>>> How To: Remove centre detend from Saitek Pro Flight Rudder

 

Welcome aboard!

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Its really not that hard there's an auto start all you would need to learn is how to trim and the weapons systems after that its just stuff you learn while playing.

hm well auto start sounds like what I was hoping there was.

 

So here comes my "standard Ka-50 newbie reply" wink.gif:

 

 

First download Bigfoots interactive training missions

>>> KA-50 Black Shark 2 Training missions

 

 

 

Read also besides the manual this:

DCS: Black Shark...

Technical, Simplified

-Coaxial Rotor Aerodynamics

-Trimming the Ka-50 Black Shark <<<!!!! very important to understand this fully!

-Part 1 - Autopilot <<<this too!

-Part 2 - Autopilot

 

and when you are confident about your cyclic-trim,

you want to read about your rotor-pitch trim (aka collective brake):

Collective Brake - aka Collective Trim ... and why you should use it.

Ka-50 Default Keyboard bindings

 

And when you still have time , read this too:

A Stick and Rudder Man's Guide

to DCS: Black Shark

 

Here is a useful tweak if you using real rudders:

How to unchain the rudder from trim - solution

 

Things you want to have some day too:

KA-50 collective: another picture-tale

Two MS FFB2 with Cougar Grip

 

Another very useful hardware mod:

>>> How To: Remove centre detend from Saitek Pro Flight Rudder

 

Welcome aboard!

 

thanks Peter, those will come in very handy if I ever get around to getting Blackshark.

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I say Black Shark IS about FC3 difficulty. Once in the air, you only trim (with ONE button, not trim for every axis like FC3) and use ONE tv targeting screen to slew crosshair up-down-left-right (no radar etc). You dont even need to watch your radiator/mixture like in WW2 birds, you just fly.

 

Starting up is very simple too- basically you turn on battery, fuel pumps, APU (small engine to spin up the big ones), then the engines themselves. THere's a row of switches for radio/comms all flicked up.

 

Autopilot is dead easy to use: press waypoint number on ka50 navigation thing and press button "R" on keyboard- and there's GPS map in front of you all the time. Alt and speed are displayed in large font on the HUD and you only have to watch rate of climb dial to fly.

 

I was going through the same deliberations as OP, and was really scared by "study simness" reputation, but Ka50 is a very simple to use simple aircraft, it does not have layers upon layers of avionics/weapons configurations so sift through - unlike the A10C

 

I'd say DEFINITELY go for it, the physics are AWESOME in Black Shark and the controls are not hard to pick up at all.

 

Go for it! :)

 

1314e13babeaae56ac1923c6c5833c0c.jpg

 

Sample the joys of Heli to Heli dogfights;)

 

6f0ed301471765142b9d2f6074d31a60.jpg

 

And much much more of course! Go for it! :)

 

PS Bigfoot's interactive training missions are fun and explain most things you need quickly and clearly - a must imho.


Edited by Katmandu
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As others have said, the Shark is pretty easy to get up in the air and start shooting at bad guys. Although more detailed than the FC3 aircraft, the basic systems you'll need are all quickly and easily learnt, and it is definitely simpler than the Hog; that and it's a helluva lot of fun!

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When I first got interested in the Ka-50 I was also planing to play in game-mode, since it was just the flying I was after, not switch-galore or senors this or that. But I just got hooked reading the manual and before I had a chance to turn that game mode on, I had already learned enough of the cockpit to not look back.

 

Also, having switches might even be easier than key commands, at least for an visually inclined learner (guess I am). They also encourages experimentation.

 

Still, don't mock the game-mode! It's ED's (discreet) barker :pilotfly:

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Definitely agree that flying the shark is the hard part, the weapons systems are quite straight forward, and not so different to the FC3 series.

 

I think if you are familiar with how the weapons systems work on the SU-25T, you'll be right at home in the Black Shark.

 

All of the aimed weapons consist of designating a target with the reticule, turning to face more or less in that general direction, and firing :)

 

 

To get in the air its really as simple as pressing the Auto-Start key combo, and watching the switches press themselves :) (or course you can always edit the mission and set yourself to be "parked hot start" so you are ready to go as soon as the mission loads.

 

Using the weapons systems involves:

Turning the laser switch

Turning On Master Arm

Turning On the TV Shkval

Selecting your weapon

Designating target

Blowing said target sky high :)

 

 

There are of course many more advanced functions that it can do, but you will naturally progress to those as you play.

 

Also when I said flying is the hard part, well to me it was like learning to ride a bike for the first time. If you practice regularly in short bursts (do some 10-15 minute flights every day for a few weeks) you'll eventually get in sync with the way the aircraft moves. It will frustrate the **** out of you, but eventually you will just "get it" and suddenly the shark does what you want it to do.

 

Once you are used to the trimmer, the shark is a really smooth chopper to fly, it really sings! If I may gloat for just a minute, I only just feel like I've started to fly confidently in the shark this weekend, and man, it is a lot of fun zoom through a city 15 meters above the ground, doing tight turns between buildings :)

 

btw I found practicing flying on a nice big airport really helpful - I'd bascially used the two runways as a circuit and just fly round and round like in daytona haha.

 

Good luck and enjoy! :)


Edited by schkorpio

Sponsored by: http://www.ozpc.com.au

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sounds to me like you like realistic flying, but have less time for reading manuals and learning switches?

 

you may consider the Huey.

Startup is about 5 necessary buttons and Weapons, not really more. FC3 a/c are much more complex.

The challenge is to fly - as in "control"- the Helicopter...

Shagrat

 

- Flying Sims since 1984 -:pilotfly:

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I say Black Shark IS about FC3 difficulty. Once in the air, you only trim (with ONE button, not trim for every axis like FC3) and use ONE tv targeting screen to slew crosshair up-down-left-right (no radar etc). You dont even need to watch your radiator/mixture like in WW2 birds, you just fly.

 

Starting up is very simple too- basically you turn on battery, fuel pumps, APU (small engine to spin up the big ones), then the engines themselves. THere's a row of switches for radio/comms all flicked up.

 

Autopilot is dead easy to use: press waypoint number on ka50 navigation thing and press button "R" on keyboard- and there's GPS map in front of you all the time. Alt and speed are displayed in large font on the HUD and you only have to watch rate of climb dial to fly.

 

I was going through the same deliberations as OP, and was really scared by "study simness" reputation, but Ka50 is a very simple to use simple aircraft, it does not have layers upon layers of avionics/weapons configurations so sift through - unlike the A10C

 

I'd say DEFINITELY go for it, the physics are AWESOME in Black Shark and the controls are not hard to pick up at all.

thanks, that definitely makes me feel more comfortable about getting it. I think I've been intimidated by seeing the A-10C complexity, and I just assumed the KA-50 was the same. Good to know though, thanks

 

As others have said, the Shark is pretty easy to get up in the air and start shooting at bad guys. Although more detailed than the FC3 aircraft, the basic systems you'll need are all quickly and easily learnt, and it is definitely simpler than the Hog; that and it's a helluva lot of fun!

 

Definitely agree that flying the shark is the hard part, the weapons systems are quite straight forward, and not so different to the FC3 series.

 

I think if you are familiar with how the weapons systems work on the SU-25T, you'll be right at home in the Black Shark.

excellent......I'm a big fan of the Su-25 and 25T'

 

See, the thing is, I just bought a TrackIR (it's freakin awesome, huge game-changer) and to my surprise, inside the package, there was a coupon code for 60% off a DCS module, and I was deciding what would be best to get. the Ka-50 is definitely up there now.....

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Glad to hear that, Harnis! And TrackIR is a "freaking awesome game changer" for sure, I cant imagine myself enjoying a flight sim without it.

 

Don't know what other DCs modules you are considering, but hope you'll choose the Shark. Its a great sim in its own right, and, because it is not too complex, it's also a great stepping stone towards other sims. After getting the Shark couple of months ago, I'm no longer scared by any modern plane sim - they are more complex, but fundamentally similar in terms of operation- like I said above: turn on batteries, pumps, APU, then the engines, etc...

 

Bring on the F/A-18! :D

S!

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Glad to hear that, Harnis! And TrackIR is a "freaking awesome game changer" for sure, I cant imagine myself enjoying a flight sim without it.

 

Don't know what other DCs modules you are considering, but hope you'll choose the Shark. Its a great sim in its own right, and, because it is not too complex, it's also a great stepping stone towards other sims. After getting the Shark couple of months ago, I'm no longer scared by any modern plane sim - they are more complex, but fundamentally similar in terms of operation- like I said above: turn on batteries, pumps, APU, then the engines, etc...

 

Bring on the F/A-18! :D

S!

 

yeah, I bought it thursday, it arrived friday, my dad tried it twice and now he's just ordered one himself (FSX is his thing). It's an amazing product.

 

 

and I'm not sure, the Black Shark was really the only one I was considering. the UH-1 seems awesome, but if I get a chopper I'd rather the Shark. the P-51 and A-10C look great, but they're a bit too crazy for me, and it would be a waste for me to buy just one single aircraft like that. At least with the Shark, I'm getting a whole different kind of aircraft.

 

I'm very tempted to get it.

 

The only other option would be to save it for some future DCS module. If I had my choice, a "FC4" style module with maybe 8 different aircraft would be ideal, but that's not in the works...

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