Recent air combat sim recommendations?

[Tim_N]

@Kolbex

You can always start on the ground and use LWin+Home.

That’s what I do.

I always liked to start hot on the runway ready to go. Take-offs are alot of fun in a jet, and you can get them without spending the several hours learning the startup procedure and taxiing which I personally think is really boring in all flight sims (ducks).

[Kolbex]

That’s a fine perspective, and although ground handling isn’t usually my favorite thing (planes are finicky enough when they have air on their control surfaces) when it comes to carrier ops I love the flavor, even though it’s like ten times harder.

[Editer]

In all of the times I’ve been lucky enough to be at the controls of real planes, civilian and military, the startup sequence was approximately 0% of the fun. :) Totally get that it’s interesting to learn how the systems really work, and to think that if you could get into the cockpit of an F/A-18 for real without getting shot you could go Iron Eagle on the thing, but I’d love to see 50% of the effort that goes into detailed engine management in modern simulations instead spent on AI and mission design.

[jpinard]

@Editer

mission design

YES YES YES

[jpinard]

It says it won’t work with Steam version of DCS.

[Editer]

@jpinard
Jeff, don’t use the Steam version of DCS. Download the version from DigitalCombatSimulator.com.

This post shows how you can transfer the Steam planes to the native DCS Store sim: https://steamcommunity.com/app/223750/discussions/0/1744482869760438699/

IMHO it’s always best to purchase flight sims directly from the publisher when possible. In the case of DCS and IL-2, you get better sale options, more frequent updates, and you’re giving more money to the developers instead of to GabeN. :)

[jpinard]

Can I do the same thing for IL2? Transfer everything? MS FlightSim?

[jpinard]

I finally found the app reprojection settings in Steam VR. it’s set to disabled right now. Is that the setting it should be on for everything? I know @Editer mentioned it should be off for MS Flight Sim, but what about DCS and IL-2? And what does it even do?

[Editer]

I suggest turning off the feature in OpenXR for WMR for MSFS (which doesn’t use SteamVR).

I haven’t messed with it at all in SteamVR, so whatever the default setting is, it works fine for me.

[jpinard]

@schurem

Go into options, special, f18, and disable “realistic finger lifts”.

I don’t have that option under F18 :(
Still can’t get any power to my engines even when I start in-flight. cries

Here’s the relevant items in my controller settings:

Is it because this is a 2 engine plane?

[jpinard]

Another bizarre thing. My rudder slider isn’t controlling my rudder. Instead it’s opening and closing the baffles on the back of the engines. What the heck? Both of those functions are assigned properly in the control settings shown above and they do work when in that controller screen.

[jpinard]

Yes I fixed it! Not sure why, but even though I selected Sim and adjusted a few settings, it was still using game mode and all the joystick settings are super messed up.

How might I tell it to use all the sim mode keyboard and joystick commands instead of the game mode ones?

[jpinard]

@schurem

Try the interactive training missions. They aren’t perfect, but they will teach you how to blow shit up. Blow it up good. Iirc the hornet’s are narrated by wags himself, the producer of the game.

I shot at some buildings in IL-2 but nothing would blow up. Now that I got DCS to work in 2D, going back into 3D. Is it possible to alt tab between the game and youtube somehow with my visor on?

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ohhhh sorry. 4 posts in a row. Hope I’m not annoying.

[HRose]

I wonder, why the Hornet and not the classic F16? Weren’t people waiting for that for a long time?

[schurem]

The hornet is easier and more complete. It also has even more toys.

@jpinard

Hope I’m not annoying.

Not at all buddy. In the options screen theres a tab called special. I’ll make a screenshot after work today.
You might want go give some of the instant action flights a go, as well as some of the weapon training. Do the fun blowy uppy stuff first ;) aim-9 baby!

[jpinard]

I’m doing all the tutorials in order building up to the fun stuff :)
One thing I’m having an issue with is my Helmet marker is fighting with my mouse making it challenging to flip switches. How do I turn my Helmet marker off so only my mouse highlights stuff in the sim?

[schurem]

What helmet marker do you mean?

[jpinard]

@schurem

What helmet marker do you mean?

When I move my head around there’s a cursor that moves with it.

[schurem]

Is it like a small blueish cross or a whole bunch of stuff like a version of the Heads Up Display that sits up front on the dashboard? Did you know you can set that display to “both eyes” in the same fabled Special tab? Makes it much easier on the eyes.

The special tab:

Have I told you to check out Chucks’ Guide to the F/A-18C yet? If not, do so. Take a good look at the joystick and throttle setup and try to replicate that as close as possible on your HOTAS.

[jpinard]

I set it to both eyes as well. Is there some way I can turn it off? I need to just have the mouse cursor, not the HMD icon. Because what happens, is my head is slightly off (and not perfectly still) from where my mouse cursor is trying to hover to read and click a switch. Basically, I’m just about to click something, and my head moves a tiny bit pulling the cursor off the switch.

Does that make sense?

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Wow that guide is impressive! I have a question though. Do I really need to have trim assigned to the hat if I don’t do AA refueling?

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Could you post the video options you set for the game and the FPS you get?