You already have the hornet. All other machines are harder instead of easier when it comes to making stuff go boom. The F-5 for example has no aiming help to speak of, and you set and arm your weapons using switches. Set them wrong, nothing happens or you’re dropping duds. Mirage has slightly more advanced systems, but they’re French, and not always quite streamlined. Its dogfight modes are almost on a par with the other modern fighters however, with just a couple HOTAS manipulations to get the plane in the right state.
You beat me to it. Load up a modern multi-role jet with rockets or dumb bombs, and that’s the easiest way in—older and simpler avionics, in DCS, doesn’t necessarily mean easier.
I think the Harrier’s weapons setup is a bit easier to come to grips with than the Hornet’s, but then you have to learn how to fly the Harrier, so it’s a false economy.
Thanks all. I won’t get either as I have enough to play with and was really only considering them for easiness. I will continue my training in the F18.
Honestly, if you want something fun and different, I’d pick up the F-86 Sabre. Love that plane. Dead simple systems, point-and-shoot.
I did! so I could play the campaign that goes with it that’s so highly talked about :)
Sigh, man I miss Mig Alley.
Sabre is also a good entry into planes that have no flight computers between your stick and the control surfaces.
Is someone working on the Intruder?
Yes. Heatblur. The outfit that’s making the tomcat. Its years out as a flyable. Four, five, maybe.
Really? I thought it was coming at the end of the year. Wow.
As an AI object it will be in game sooner, mayhaps this year. Featuring it in a trailer like that would imply it’s pretty much done visually. But then, it’s been 2 years since they first showed the SA-5 missile system and that’s still not in game. So yeah. Glacial. Don’t get too excited and don’t get your hopes up.
OK I’ve decided my Saitek X52 Pro isn’t going to cut it. It’s too hard to use the top hat switch, which leaves me with just 1 hat on stick. Highlighting with the throttle designator is extremely finicky, and there’s not enough hats/switches on the throttle. If I never flew in VR it wouldn’t be a problem, but I’ll mostly be in VR which makes flying a pain in the butt because I keep having to lift up my VR HUD to see my keyboard.
So here’s my idea and would love feedback:
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Throttle: Thrustmaster Warthog or Virpil Mongoose.
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Concerns: The Mongoose is on a hinge which changes the positioning of one’s hand on it.
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Flightstick: Gladiator NXT vs. Virpil Constellation.
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Concerns: I have very bad carpal tunnel and I’ve read the resistance on the Gladiator is pretty significant. Not sure if it has a pinky trigger that can be used as a modifier button in DCS? Virpil might not be as accurate for helo flying and AA refueling, and it is way more expensive. I don’t want to go to a center stick situation as it seems like it’d be a major pain to do. Right now I have stick attacks to the armrests of my chair.
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Rudder pedals. No idea what to get. But I can’t spend a ton, but want the full option set with them (sway, toe breaks, not feel cheap and clunky)
Wow. Committing to it eh. Might as well do as I did and drag a car seat from a knacker’s yard.
Virpil makes two bases, the t50cm and the warbrd. The latter would be best suited for you. Both are magnificently accurate. The warbrd is more suited to desk mount or as a side stick, while the t50 is very much meant as a center stick using an extension.
Center mount is a very ergonomic position, allowing you to vary the way you drive, like you would in a car. Sometimes with a full grip, sometimes the fingertips, sometimes left handed or even with the knees.
All throttles on the market, save the cheaper thrustmaster TWCS operate as a swivelling lever. Your hand position will always shift a little. Hats and buttons often have distinct shapes to help a gloved hand in the heat of combat.
The warthog throttle, expensive as it is, needs an aftermarket mod for the target designation thingie. The default one is like the nub on older IBM laptops and only really seems to work with the A-10.
Pedals are stupidly expensive. If you are committing that deeply, I insist you put a better chair before them on your priorities list. The thrustmaster pendular thingies are said to be quite good as are the ones made in the various boutique outfits.
wow
So maybe the Virpil throttle is the better way to go?
So now I look at this stuff, and it’s all on backorder. :(
Were I to make choice today, yeah most definitely the virpil one. Afaik the warbrd stick also does handle twist, so you can get by without pedals while you sort seating.
Holy shit!
If there were some excellent texture upgrades that might be worth playing again.
If only my eyes could roll back further. Your loss mate.
Much of my enjoyment of sims lies on the graphical side. I am a whore.