Throttle vs. Power (Newb)

[Jimbolya]

So I just got DCS world the other night and started playing. I'm using a game pad right now that's basically built just like the sony playstation game pad.

 

I've done the freeflight with the Su-25 and used the buttons for throttle, and then set up my game pad for throttle. I know that there's the RPM gauge in the cockpit, but both the keybinding and the gamepad when used increase RPM by about 10% per click. I'm wondering if it's supposed to be like that - I remember the old Jane's F18 and Apache sims had very granular power - is this no longer the case?

[Dr. Yes]

Hmm, I don't fly the Su-25, but its part of the Flaming Cliffs line. Not as detailed as the DCS aircraft like the Warthog and Black Shark. Its also a freebie with world, so you kind of get what you get. If you want something cool that's like the Su-25, but flies a lot better, buy DCS: Warthog. Very well simulated aircraft.

[Madog]

Hey, welcome to DCS World :)

 

No, the axis of all the aircraft available are analog axis, meaning increments, as fine as your controller can create. Maybe your controller is not set up properly, you can check what controller input correspondes to what axis output in the game in the options menu:

Go to:

Options ->

Controls (tab on the top) ->

Layer: Su-25 T (on the top left) ->

Drop down the Category menu (one step to the right) and select axis commands -->

click on the axis you want to analyze (for your particular problem: Thrust) in the right column for your gamepad (column headers tell you which column represents which controler. -->

click on Axis tune (to the bottom right), a popup window will appear -->

in the new window you can see a graph (thin blue line) representing the possible axis travel, a small red square representing the current in game output, and a black square with a red center representing your current controller position. The little red square always travels along the thin blue line, you can not manipulate the black square besides by moving the controller handle, but you can use the sliders on the right to manipulate the blue line, and thus what output is generated by which input.

Now if you sloooooowly move your controller and the red square jumps along the line, you may have a hardware problem with your controller, or some external software (controller driver, or similar) may manipulate the raw output of the axis.

If in the options screen the red square moves smothly along the line, you should be able to get the same response ingame.

 

Let me know your findings,

 

Madog

[Koekemoeroetoe]

Playing a flight sim with a controller? Can't see how that should work out. Best thing is to use a proper joystick for flying, most joysticks have dedicated 'sliders' which are used for throttle, and a so called 'twist grip' for rudder control. What I hear what is a good joystick is the Logitech 3D Extreme Pro, but there are cheaper joysticks.

If you can afford it though and flight sims interest you, get a HOTAS joystick (seperate stick and throttle control, like the Saitek X52 or Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog).

 

If you want to stick with the gamepad, try binding the axis you'd like for throttle.

How to (dunno if you know this): On the main DCS screen go to options -> Controls. For 'Layer' choose SU-25T. For 'Category' choose Axis Commands. Then select the column which has your Gamepad's name, double click the field that corresponds with 'thrust'. You'll get a pop up, now move the axis on the gamepad which you would like to use as throttle. When it's recognized, click OK and again OK, which takes you back to the main screen.

 

Note: If you want to play a 'real' sim, like the A-10C, a gamepad just won't do. Then buy yourself a HOTAS joystick.

 

Hope I helped you with this post, if not, tell me :)

[Vedexent]

The Su-25 throttle should scale smoothly with the keyboard - I can't speak to game controllers.

 

----

 

and ... trying to compare aircraft is semi-pointless. The A-10 doesn't fly "a lot better", or "a lot worse" - they fly differently. e.g. A-10 has higher operational ceiling, but is slower. The best you can say about any aircraft comparison is that in situation X, aircraft Y works better than aircraft Z - situations constantly turn the tables back and forth.

 

It is true, however, that in general the "DCS" level modules are higher fidelity, so the DCS A-10C is more detailed and challenging to learn than the stock Su-25 variants.

[kontiuka]

Definitely get a joystick. Even a basic one with a decent number of buttons, a slider, and a twist axis would be better than a gamepad. And you shouldn't have to spend tons of money. I'm still using a 12 year old Microsoft Precision Pro. Works fine for me.

[Vedexent]

Definitely get a joystick. Even a basic one with a decent number of buttons, a slider, and a twist axis would be better than a gamepad. And you shouldn't have to spend tons of money. I'm still using a 12 year old Microsoft Precision Pro. Works fine for me.

Indeed - I've heard good things about the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, which can be had for under $30, although I've never used it for DCS World. It's got all the basic axis, a handful of buttons, and a throttle control.

[Jimbolya]

All - thanks for the input.

 

I used the keyboard and it jumped by 10% as well - idle is set at about 50%. I'm thinking it's the game pad as well - it doesn't have a slider...something I didn't consider when I purchased the rig. As far as sims go - super interested. I used to do a ton of info docs for F18 and worked with the mod group Team Super Hornet years ago.

 

I'll check into the control set up as well. I might have to slave the throttle to the other stick on the pad (no pun intended lol).

[Jimbolya]

However, now that I think about it - when I tap the left front button I get +10% increase in engine RPM. What I'm looking to do is hold the button down and get +1% increments until I release the button. Is that something that can be set up in the option's section for controls?

[lmp]

Indeed - I've heard good things about the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, which can be had for under $30, although I've never used it for DCS World. It's got all the basic axis, a handful of buttons, and a throttle control.

I had a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, and while I found it very comfortable to hold, the potentiometers went bad rather quickly. From what I read it isn't uncommon. I had better experience with the Saitek Evo and my current Thrustmaster T.16000M. That last one has Hall sensors in the X and Y axes which makes them very precise. The pots in the Z and throttle axes perform well, though I'm not using them much as I have a separate throttle and pedal set. On the flip side, the stick isn't as comfy, has only four buttons plus a hat, and they are all rather wobbly...

 

All three sticks should be in a similar price range.

[esb77]

There are several keybinds for throttle control, left, right, both, there may also be redundancy in terms of binds for keyboards with vs without numerical keypads (but I'd have to check to be sure).

 

If you tap one of the default keyboard control for throttle of both engines, it will indeed jump in large increments. I recall this from once having tried flying without my HOTAS setup. I also recall fooling around with keybinds on the options page and finding a binding that gave me continuous/infinitesimal control of the throttle.

 

I don't habitually fly with keyboard though so I forget what the workaround was.

 

That was as of version 2.4.

[Pikey]

The Logitech (for me) was terrible and the pots went in a couple of months of play resulting in jerky twitchy leaping all over the place.

The cheapest Hall sensors is the Thrustmaster mentioned above and prior to the Saitek X52's the only sub £100 joystick I would ever buy again.

Sorry for not answering the original question, I don't think what you ask is possible.

[sobek]

No, the axis of all the aircraft available are analog axis, meaning increments, as fine as your controller can create.

 

It is a digital representation of an analog axis, which means it is still discretized. IIRC, DCS uses a bit lower resolution on its axis than what the TMWH delivers, so probably something like 12bit.

[Jimbolya]

Well - I fixed the issue. It was the selection of Power vs. Throttle. The buttons were set to use Throttle. Switched the buttons over to use Power and I now have granular control even without a slider. Now it's just a matter of getting use to response times and what not. Thanks for the help all. I'm sure in the future I'll be getting a proper rig for the sims.

[Vedexent]

I had a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, and while I found it very comfortable to hold, the potentiometers went bad rather quickly.

 

I have one and have never had any issues - but I only used it for "low impact" simulation flying (docking maneuvers in Kerbal Space Program), so it's possible the build quality just doesn't lend itself to long hard use.

[Jimbolya]

I'm going to test setting the trim keys to the second stick on the controller and see how that works out. I know some folks like game controllers so once I get this all set up and working I'll post something up to tell folks how I did it.

[doveman]

The Logitech (for me) was terrible and the pots went in a couple of months of play resulting in jerky twitchy leaping all over the place.

The cheapest Hall sensors is the Thrustmaster mentioned above and prior to the Saitek X52's the only sub £100 joystick I would ever buy again.

Sorry for not answering the original question, I don't think what you ask is possible.

 

How did you find the X52 compared to the 1600M? I understand the hall sensors in the latter make it very precise and thus ideal for making the small adjustments necessary to balance helos, so I wonder if the X52 is worse in this respect?