schurem
5104
Welcome aboard nugget! There’s a metric fuckton of stuff out there, but I’d say let the game do the teaching. Run some of the things under training, use the mission builder to get a simple exercise going and get going.
It’s not an easy bit of software. Getting it to run right may be frustrating at times, the UI to set up your controls is… Not very friendly .
As for maps, well Syria is the best one. Also heaviest on your PC. South Atlantic is still fairly raw, it’s not done amd optimised yet. The lightest maps on your pc are the default Caucasus one and Nevada.
There’s also the ww2 maps that go amazingly well with the A-10 ;)
Oh and one thing to NOT gloss over: get the A-10C, not the A model.
Honestly, the control setup is a good part of the reason I’m eyeing that Warthog HOTAS. Times like this, I regret using Dvorak on an unlabeled Das Keyboard.
In for a penny, in for…mumble mumble. The Warthog HOTAS is on its way. I’m rationalizing it because I had $162 in Amazon credits.
schurem
5107
Oh its a sweet bit of kit. If you find the stick needs improving, there’s a couple things you can do:
Take it apart and smooth out the gimbal ball. Regrease it with some silicone grease. Make it taller with an extension.
But first, fly the fuck out of that hog of yours. It’s not until you start doing things like aerial refuelling or carrier landings that it starts showing its limitations.
I’m feeling pretty giddy. I loved the plane as a little kid, and the recent discussions have really reignited that passion.
I also like the idea of becoming intimately familiar with a single plane, and in flight sims, I always gravitate towards “simple” planes flying low and slow.
If I’ve got the Warthog HOTAS (but no pedals), how much will I need to use the mouse/keyboard?
JonRowe
5110
Flaming Cliffs has the A-10A
The A-10C is a separate module.
A-10C is absolutely the way to go here, and it comes with a clickable cockpit. Hotas will get you pretty dang far, but to master the things, you’ll need mouse. Not so much keyboard.
Strongly strongly strongly recommend you pair this with VR. Night and day total game changer. In that case, you can get a “pointer” that allows you to virtual click on buttons rather than use mouse. Super hard-core flight sim nerd stuff, but reportedly super cool. Enter @schurem
Editer
5112
Oh, you had Amazon credit… The Warthog HOTAS is a fine set o’ kit, but for anyone else considering joining the hardcore hardware crowd, I’d suggest checking out the Winwing Orion 2 instead. Just a newer design, a bit more flexible and full-featured and supposedly more durable in the long run. (But there’s a huge community that supports updating and tweaking older Warthogs, so no concerns there.)
schurem
5113
There’s also te plus that a warthog HOTAS maps perfectly to the A-10C ;)
Is it possible to use the A-10 in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and if so, would the Warthog HOTAS require much fiddling to get set up? While I do want the combat, I also love the idea of just flying it around the country and doing some tourism.
And just a question for the others here: do you “specialize” in a specific plane that you prefer, or do you split your time pretty evenly between aircraft?
Editer
5116
There is an A-10 available in Marketplace for Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it’s abysmal and one of the worst add-ones currently available (a cheap money grab — basic animations on a 3D model some idiot bought).
However, there are a number of excellent add-on military jets for MSFS: DC Designs F-14 and F-15, SC Designs F-16, IndiaFoxtEcho’s F-35 and T-45, and more… (Plus some excellent WW2 planes such as the awesome Hellcat just released last week.)
Editer
5117
Since DCS’s “easy” mode is a half-assed afterthought that doesn’t even really work, you really need to hone in on a few planes. I own most all of them, but because DCS planes are harder to fly and manage than the real aircraft, there’s so much systems-level stuff to learn for each one it makes more sense to find a few planes across different categories and specialize in those so you can really learn them.
The exception is the WW2 aircraft, but sadly, that part of DCS is still pretty half-baked.
Strike Fighters II has a pretty great A-10. Just saying. ;)
Okay, I tried to launch DCS through Steam and it’s not loading. The HOTAS doesn’t arrive until tomorrow, so I’ve got a bit of time to do some troubleshooting.
Ugh. That’s a bummer. I really like the idea of the A-10 becoming “my plane” in simulators, and doing some tourism through the PNW and Alaska.
Apparently its better to use DCS through the standalone version and not Steam, so I’m told.
Oh. Turns out, I just didn’t wait long enough for it to load.
schurem
5123
Yea at first run it compiles shaders for your computer. Takes forever. Subsequent loads are faster.
Re. Switchology, it’s only as hard as you want to be. There’s a keychord for autostart, and badic things don’t have to be complicated.
Re. Steam: don’t. You lose out on cool things like the trial licenses and the first time discount. You can transfer your steam purchase to standalone, but not vice versa.
