Please Note: Regarding the gameplay graphics. I have been out of town and unable to record b-roll gameplay for this video at home. So I had to pull from my previously uploaded videos and as I learned the quality isn't the best. That said, the real value here is the info I share and not the b-roll which is there just to fill the space up while I run my mouth.
To be clear, you DO NOT need a good GPU to run DCS. A mid-low tier GPU (RTX 2060 or higher) will be able to run this game at 1080p no problem if you lower your graphic settings. The biggest determiner of performance is by far your RAM. 16GB of RAM will not last long in any sort of large scale scenario before it fills up and causes your system to start chugging. If you can, spend the extra $50 to get 32GB of RAM and you'll have a significantly better experience. When I first started this game I flew the Su-25t with an Xbox controller for about a month, and had a blast doing both single player missions and the campaign. Eventually grabbed FC3 and started flying the Su-27 as well, getting kills in Growling Sidewinder with the same Xbox controller. Eventually I upgraded to the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X for $60 and was able to fly most of Full Fidelity jets with 0 issues. You DO NOT need even a mid-tier setup to have an awesome time with this game. I played for over 6 months before I finally upgraded to a VKB HOTAS setup, and even though I love it, it hasn't made me any better at the game. By far the best upgrade I've made to my flying is head tracking. I can't personally do VR, but being able to look around the cockpit and outside of your aircraft is a huge quality of life improvement. In my opinion, nothing beats TrackIR Pro, but it's expensive. In the meantime, I can definitely vouch for OpenTrack + AITrack. These 2 open source softwares work together alongside a normal PC camera to mimic the functionality of TrackIR. Is it as good? No, not even close. Is it still a huge improvement over normal gameplay, and completely worth it? Absolutely For your first module, everyone recommends grabbing Flaming Cliffs 3, which I don't disagree with necessarily, but I also think that most people come to DCS for the Full Fidelity jets. If you're cool with easing yourself into things, then FC3 is a great value proposition. You get the Su-27, which one of the best PVP jets in the game, as well as the Su-25 which gets you access to Cold War servers, and the F-15C which gives you a taste of NATO jets and can easily hold its own in Growling Sidewinder. If you really want a Full Fidelity jet, then I'd recommend picking either the F-16 Viper or the F/A-18 Hornet. The Viper is, in my opinion, the easiest FF jet to learn and fly, but the Hornet has BY FAR the most content for it. Just by purchasing the Hornet, you get a ton of free missions and campaigns, more than any other jet, on top of having the most paid content. The Hornet is also a more capable jet, having the ability to do just about everything that DCS has to offer, but I personally had a much harder time learning it compared to the Viper. Regardless of your choice, stick with it until you get a good feel for it. You DO NOT need to learn everything about a jet. You can definitely just use Auto-Start to ignore the start-up procedure, and if you only have an interest in shooting other players down, then you can ignore the entirety of Air-to-Ground. There's nothing wrong with just using the parts of the jets that you find fun, and then picking up other skills as you decide you want to use them. The being said, you will absolutely be spending a ton of time either way sitting in training missions, watching videos, or reading guides no matter what. There's really no way around it, and if that doesn't interest you, then just stick to the FC3 jets. You can learn everything you need about them in a couple of hours. Helicopters are amazing. Just because you're here for jets, don't ignore them. They require a completely different skillset, and make DCS feel like an entirely new game. Get yourself a helo and become a god of death (at least until CAP rolls in). 95% of multiplayer servers use either the Caucasus or Syria map. If that's your focus, just grab Syria and you'll be set. For single player, the Persian Gulf comes with the most missions for a bunch of different aircraft, followed by Nevada. These 3 maps (Syria, Nevada, and Persian Gulf) are also used for the vast majority of 3rd party campaigns, so owning these 3 will ensure that you'll have access to more or less everything that DCS has to offer. My purchase order would be Syria > PG > Nevada, and then ignore everything else unless it's required for a campaign you want, or it just looks cool to you. There's also a second free map, the Marianas Islands, that you should grab. It doesn't get used much in Multiplayer, and there's very little mission content for it, but it's a very fast loading and well optimized map, which makes it great for building quick missions on in the Mission Editor. The Supercarrier, while very cool, is genuinely completely unnecessary. I love taking off and landing from it, but in my opinion is NOT worth $40. This might change, as they're finally updating the module again, but If you do pick it up try to grab it on sale for $25. Combined Arms, on the other hand, is borderline a scam. Even at it's $20 sale price, it's not worth it. It currently does not work as advertised or expected, and likely won't until a future update from ED. I highly recommend ignoring it for the time being. You're not missing out on much, I promise. DCS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT!!! I don't know why this is constantly parroted in the community, but it's mind blowing to me. Sure, you can invest a ton of money into this game, but you can also buy FC3 on sale for $25, use an Xbox controller with free face tracking software, and have an absolutely awesome time. DCS doesn't even have to be a time commitment. You can learn Air-to-Air in the F-16 Viper within a couple of hours, and spending literal days on the Growling Sidewinder server having a blast with a $60 HOTAS. And finally, join DCS Discord servers. Flying by yourself is awesome, flying with friends is incredible. DCS genuinely has an awesome community of people who love to help teach other people, so don't be shy. Get in there, ask for help, and see if anyone wants to run some missions with you. Top recommendation goes to the DCS Wingman Finder community. Join their Discord, and you wont regret it. Quick Edit: Make sure you're using DCS Standalone and not the Steam version. Standalone gets you access to the 2-week free trials of the modules, which is an amazing feature. On it's surface, it lets you try things out before you commit to buying them, but, the trials all reset after 6 months. So you could feasibly pick a jet, fly it for 2 weeks, move onto the next one, and rinse and repeat on a 6-month cycle. You'd get to fly every jet, and never pay a dime to do so. Not necessarily something I'd recommend, but it's certainly possible to play this game for basically free.
Good intentions and positive energy in this video… but I have to disagree with many tips: - MSFS2020 pilots and WT players are very very different. One understands the concept of managing an aircraft and navigating etc… but WT understands combat (kinda). - start with a cheap hotas + pedals and upgrade once you know you’re in for the long run. T16000M will take you far. Upgrading from there is no big deal. It depends on funds. - good graphic card really depends on resolution and if the person needs maxed out graphics. even a 1070 or 2070 will go far on a 1080p screen on medium graphics to start. - VR had many downsides and is not for everyone. - For a new new person, there are many viable FREE head tracking options. Start there, if you get into the hobby - upgrade. - If you fly MSFS get full fidelity. For WT player, it’s more complicated, but full fidelity is why you are here anyway… just pick a module you love. - you don’t need to choose fixed wing or rotor wing. If you think you want to try both, take both. It’s nice to mix things up… you don’t need to do pick. It will not confuse you. (Multiple planes will confuse you though). - you don’t need to stick to one map. Syria is basically a must at this point and if you want WW2 you need Normandy. Rather than spending that money on a mid level hotas, get Syria, Normandy and a warbird. - PG is more optimised than Syria. - we know since before the publishing of this video that beta and stable are no longer a thing. It’s only one version. - you do not need the super carrier. At all. It’s way down the line of needs. - combined arms is very niche and not at all necessary for a beginner. You can still join servers (unlike ww2 assets pack). - the modules are not $70… most are about 25-35 on sale. There are sales every 6-8weeks. Never buy outside a sale. Again great intentions with the video, but I think watch some other guides too. edit: wrote this walking down the steet, sorry for any typos xD
Id definitely make a distinction between the two types of MSFS players: Casual arcade players that change all the settings for easy mode and don't actually fly the aircraft as they are supposed to be, and the ones that play more true to life for a training experience. Head tracking will also be highly beneficial to MSFS players, so it's still probably worthwhile for them to pick it up if they don't already have it. The casual MSFS players that click a button to get the plane running, don't know how any of the systems except autopilot work, and just buzz around a major town are probably going to struggle really hard with high fidelity DCS. Even MSFS players that go full in are going to have a much harder time with it than any MSFS plane. On the HOTAS I'd probably say rather than starting with something like T16k, go with something slightly more expensive but is also modular that you can build up - the VKB throttles come to mind. Perhaps still a cheaper stick, though, and just invest in some grease to keep the cheaper stuff moving well. Although entry level STECS may be a bit more than the full T16k setup, it's probably still worth it to do a tiny bit of extra savings, and those mid-high range units can be resold to other sim players for much better returns than on a T16k.
when i first started playing dcs i actually found it pretty easy to learn everything, especially with the hornet since everything is just logical and not overly complicated
Excellent introduction and summary of DCS for a beginner or someone getting back to DCS after being away for a few years. All 34 minutes of this video was worth watching.
Glad you enjoyed it! Really appreciate the feedback. I try to focus my DCS content for newer players to help get them into the game as it has a high barrier to entry with the costs and complexity of it all.
I just downloaded the game and immediately got wrapped in! I have no idea what I’m doing but I can tell this is going to be for me! Thanks for making this video I need literally all the help I can get to figure this massive journey out!
i've been flying DCS with a first Gen Ryzen 1500X and a 1050TI (later upgraded with a borrowed 1060) til last year this time.. You don't need a beast of a system, but you need a SSD big enough to store all the DCS stuff.. Obviously playing with a R5 5500 and a 4060TI now there's HUGE visual difference to a year ago, but ever since they added MT support performance wasn't bad at all. I always could do everything besides low level stuff on urban areas, which i can do now without problems as well.. no need for a high end PC, arguably mine now isn't really high end (i'm still running that old B350 mainboard for example).. obv VR / 4K etc change things.
Tell ya, I hate to be starting up, as there so many great modules, with the FA18C no longer being top dog.. the F15, F16, Ah64d Apache, ongoing with rge JF-17 Jeff, Heuy, Hib, M2000 and more Don't forget the WWII aircraft either, with the Mossie being my favourite.
Don't forget - they are unifying the versions down to one version, so it won't matter shortly. Also a big one - DCS comes with it's own manual Check in Doc folder in the DCS app folder. Read it!
I would like to note that you can get headtracking using only a webcam and the opentrack software that is free to use. That will hold you over until you get VR.
still on my shitty $20 joystick + xbox combo 100hrs in, still being held back by my lack of everything, not the periphery. will upgrade soon tho cause this game is insane :)
Hey man, awesome video. I've been playing DCS for month now and I'm loving it. Just bought the F15E as my first full fidelity module and have been enjoying the process of learning it, but theres one issue. Lately I've been getting very frustrated because after weeks and weeks of practicing BVR, watching tutorials and videos, I just can't seem to win any fight. I keep getting destroyed in singleplayer and multiplayer, which has made me lose my confidence, so I'm not playing as much anymore. Anyways, so sorry for the long rant lmao, just wanted to speak my mind. You just gained yourself a sub. Cheers!
Hey man, this is exactly what I was talking about in the video! Please don't give up! It's literally a painful process to get proficient. My next suggestions would be to join a server where you can fly with someone more experienced so they can teach you BVR and how to go defensive, etc. Stick through it...the Mudhen is a great module and a lot of fun.
@@callsigngrimey Thank you for the response! I've been looking in some discord servers and asking around but (understandably) no one has been interested at the moment. I'll give it a couple more tries.
@@CaptainKoosh I would recommend getting the F14, learning it, and then buying the Speed and Angels campaign, and the Zone 5 campaign. SaA will teach you how to fly the aircraft by the book, how to tank, how to fly in formation, how to employ weapons, how to do bombing runs, etc. Its followed up by a small campaign to employ what you have learned. You can apply everything you learn in SaA, to any aircraft in DCS. Zone5, is a "TopGun" campaign, that will teach you BVR and WVR maneuvers in a fun environment. For both these campaigns, you will need the Nevada map. A good map to have anyway.
@@mattthacker9120 Thank you so much for your reply! That actually sounds amazing, as the f14 is my favorite aircraft of all time. Just gotta get all the money to get the module, nevada, the supercarrier and the campaign. Maybe in the summer when everything is discounted I'll try it. Thank you again and cheers!
Open source AItrack/OpenTrack software with just a regukar pc cam works great for headtracking without the expensive trackIR sys. VR is just the absolute best tho
Interesting you show training on the NTTR, but don’t say anything about the map. It is a great map to do all type of training missions on from A2G, A2A and AAR prior to running user generated missions on other maps. Also Marians map is a good carrier operations training map.
Fair point and I actually use Nevada for most of my content as I created this massive all situations mission. The think about it is that outside of using it for personal use, folks really aren't going to get more value out of it on MP servers. That is why I didn't mention it, at least not for one of their first few map purchases.
So I’m new here and to DCS. I already have the X-56 stick and throttle and a itrack5 . I have a sim rig I bought for racing , but I can add things and take things away to turn it into more of a flight rig. I’m learning how to set my Hotas up cause there are over 50 buttons lol. My question is -is the F-16c worth the $79 price tag or should I wait. That is hands down my favorite fighter but if there are sales I would rather wait for the price drop.
Thanks for this Grimey. Question: I'm about to start my adventure on DCS. If I download from their website, will I be able to have my purchases if I use Steam version too (my friend downloaded it by Steam?) - Can you buy one mod on the DCS website and use it on Steam and visa versa?
Great question! The answer is NO! Majority of people will tell you to buy DCS directly from ED website. You also have the benefit of demo'ing modules for 2 weeks before buying when you go through ED directly. I would suggest this route over Steam for DCS. Also, welcome to DCS I hope you have a great time with it. There's a big learning curve but put in the time and its well worth the experience.
When it comes to hotas, avoid the Logitech X56 at all costs! The stick gives ghost signals out of the box. A 15 dead zone wouldn’t stay “on center” flying straight and level
@@Chasegreen66 I would suggest saving a little more and getting a much higher quality product. The tech/fit and finish you get for that little bit extra is worth the cost. I personally have the Winwing Orion 2 setup, throttle has F15EX handles and the stick base is rockin the F16 grip. For the kind of modern aircraft I like to fly, it gives me more than enough bindings. The x56 had the Viper flying every which way but straight due to drifting inputs at under 50 hrs of use.
I can liken it to what it’s like to drive an older vs newer vehicle. The older one gets it done, yes, but the newer one is much more refined and precise
well kinda, FC3 planes are still realistic to real life, just most the systems are not fully modeled where as in war thunder u can pull like 80g and not black out
@@gibbo_303 The gload on the pilot is not very realistic but, things like radar and IR simulation are more realistic than most, if not all DCS aircraft.
Yes, but invest in a second 2tb ssd to run DCS separate drive from the OS... Never a good running a heavy GPU intensive software on the same drive as the OS.
YES, DOUBLE YOUR SYSTEM MEMORY. At some point VR will be of interest... I run mine from a i9 rtx3060 and while I have to bring my settings down to min from max... VR is the ultimate in immersion. It doesn't get more real.
Not sure if i should be commenting here, but i am getting into DCS for the 1st time and not sure where to even begin. This seems to be a newb friendly spot and was just wondering if i could come here for advice?
Unfortunately I am out of town and couldn't record actual in game "b-roll" for this video so I had to pull from my existing youtube videos. As I learned, the video quality isn't the best. That said, it doesn't change the info shared which is the real point of the vid, ya know.
Skip the manual! Its really dry reading. Plenty of RUclips vids that explains absoutely everything. Grim Reapers and Spudknockers has it all for all planes
Please Note: Regarding the gameplay graphics. I have been out of town and unable to record b-roll gameplay for this video at home. So I had to pull from my previously uploaded videos and as I learned the quality isn't the best. That said, the real value here is the info I share and not the b-roll which is there just to fill the space up while I run my mouth.
To be clear, you DO NOT need a good GPU to run DCS. A mid-low tier GPU (RTX 2060 or higher) will be able to run this game at 1080p no problem if you lower your graphic settings. The biggest determiner of performance is by far your RAM. 16GB of RAM will not last long in any sort of large scale scenario before it fills up and causes your system to start chugging. If you can, spend the extra $50 to get 32GB of RAM and you'll have a significantly better experience.
When I first started this game I flew the Su-25t with an Xbox controller for about a month, and had a blast doing both single player missions and the campaign. Eventually grabbed FC3 and started flying the Su-27 as well, getting kills in Growling Sidewinder with the same Xbox controller. Eventually I upgraded to the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X for $60 and was able to fly most of Full Fidelity jets with 0 issues. You DO NOT need even a mid-tier setup to have an awesome time with this game. I played for over 6 months before I finally upgraded to a VKB HOTAS setup, and even though I love it, it hasn't made me any better at the game.
By far the best upgrade I've made to my flying is head tracking. I can't personally do VR, but being able to look around the cockpit and outside of your aircraft is a huge quality of life improvement. In my opinion, nothing beats TrackIR Pro, but it's expensive. In the meantime, I can definitely vouch for OpenTrack + AITrack. These 2 open source softwares work together alongside a normal PC camera to mimic the functionality of TrackIR. Is it as good? No, not even close. Is it still a huge improvement over normal gameplay, and completely worth it? Absolutely
For your first module, everyone recommends grabbing Flaming Cliffs 3, which I don't disagree with necessarily, but I also think that most people come to DCS for the Full Fidelity jets. If you're cool with easing yourself into things, then FC3 is a great value proposition. You get the Su-27, which one of the best PVP jets in the game, as well as the Su-25 which gets you access to Cold War servers, and the F-15C which gives you a taste of NATO jets and can easily hold its own in Growling Sidewinder. If you really want a Full Fidelity jet, then I'd recommend picking either the F-16 Viper or the F/A-18 Hornet. The Viper is, in my opinion, the easiest FF jet to learn and fly, but the Hornet has BY FAR the most content for it. Just by purchasing the Hornet, you get a ton of free missions and campaigns, more than any other jet, on top of having the most paid content. The Hornet is also a more capable jet, having the ability to do just about everything that DCS has to offer, but I personally had a much harder time learning it compared to the Viper. Regardless of your choice, stick with it until you get a good feel for it.
You DO NOT need to learn everything about a jet. You can definitely just use Auto-Start to ignore the start-up procedure, and if you only have an interest in shooting other players down, then you can ignore the entirety of Air-to-Ground. There's nothing wrong with just using the parts of the jets that you find fun, and then picking up other skills as you decide you want to use them. The being said, you will absolutely be spending a ton of time either way sitting in training missions, watching videos, or reading guides no matter what. There's really no way around it, and if that doesn't interest you, then just stick to the FC3 jets. You can learn everything you need about them in a couple of hours.
Helicopters are amazing. Just because you're here for jets, don't ignore them. They require a completely different skillset, and make DCS feel like an entirely new game. Get yourself a helo and become a god of death (at least until CAP rolls in).
95% of multiplayer servers use either the Caucasus or Syria map. If that's your focus, just grab Syria and you'll be set. For single player, the Persian Gulf comes with the most missions for a bunch of different aircraft, followed by Nevada. These 3 maps (Syria, Nevada, and Persian Gulf) are also used for the vast majority of 3rd party campaigns, so owning these 3 will ensure that you'll have access to more or less everything that DCS has to offer. My purchase order would be Syria > PG > Nevada, and then ignore everything else unless it's required for a campaign you want, or it just looks cool to you. There's also a second free map, the Marianas Islands, that you should grab. It doesn't get used much in Multiplayer, and there's very little mission content for it, but it's a very fast loading and well optimized map, which makes it great for building quick missions on in the Mission Editor.
The Supercarrier, while very cool, is genuinely completely unnecessary. I love taking off and landing from it, but in my opinion is NOT worth $40. This might change, as they're finally updating the module again, but If you do pick it up try to grab it on sale for $25. Combined Arms, on the other hand, is borderline a scam. Even at it's $20 sale price, it's not worth it. It currently does not work as advertised or expected, and likely won't until a future update from ED. I highly recommend ignoring it for the time being. You're not missing out on much, I promise.
DCS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT!!! I don't know why this is constantly parroted in the community, but it's mind blowing to me. Sure, you can invest a ton of money into this game, but you can also buy FC3 on sale for $25, use an Xbox controller with free face tracking software, and have an absolutely awesome time. DCS doesn't even have to be a time commitment. You can learn Air-to-Air in the F-16 Viper within a couple of hours, and spending literal days on the Growling Sidewinder server having a blast with a $60 HOTAS.
And finally, join DCS Discord servers. Flying by yourself is awesome, flying with friends is incredible. DCS genuinely has an awesome community of people who love to help teach other people, so don't be shy. Get in there, ask for help, and see if anyone wants to run some missions with you. Top recommendation goes to the DCS Wingman Finder community. Join their Discord, and you wont regret it.
Quick Edit: Make sure you're using DCS Standalone and not the Steam version. Standalone gets you access to the 2-week free trials of the modules, which is an amazing feature. On it's surface, it lets you try things out before you commit to buying them, but, the trials all reset after 6 months. So you could feasibly pick a jet, fly it for 2 weeks, move onto the next one, and rinse and repeat on a 6-month cycle. You'd get to fly every jet, and never pay a dime to do so. Not necessarily something I'd recommend, but it's certainly possible to play this game for basically free.
Good intentions and positive energy in this video… but I have to disagree with many tips:
- MSFS2020 pilots and WT players are very very different. One understands the concept of managing an aircraft and navigating etc… but WT understands combat (kinda).
- start with a cheap hotas + pedals and upgrade once you know you’re in for the long run. T16000M will take you far. Upgrading from there is no big deal. It depends on funds.
- good graphic card really depends on resolution and if the person needs maxed out graphics. even a 1070 or 2070 will go far on a 1080p screen on medium graphics to start.
- VR had many downsides and is not for everyone.
- For a new new person, there are many viable FREE head tracking options. Start there, if you get into the hobby - upgrade.
- If you fly MSFS get full fidelity. For WT player, it’s more complicated, but full fidelity is why you are here anyway… just pick a module you love.
- you don’t need to choose fixed wing or rotor wing. If you think you want to try both, take both. It’s nice to mix things up… you don’t need to do pick. It will not confuse you. (Multiple planes will confuse you though).
- you don’t need to stick to one map. Syria is basically a must at this point and if you want WW2 you need Normandy. Rather than spending that money on a mid level hotas, get Syria, Normandy and a warbird.
- PG is more optimised than Syria.
- we know since before the publishing of this video that beta and stable are no longer a thing. It’s only one version.
- you do not need the super carrier. At all. It’s way down the line of needs.
- combined arms is very niche and not at all necessary for a beginner. You can still join servers (unlike ww2 assets pack).
- the modules are not $70… most are about 25-35 on sale. There are sales every 6-8weeks. Never buy outside a sale.
Again great intentions with the video, but I think watch some other guides too.
edit: wrote this walking down the steet, sorry for any typos xD
Well I disagree with many things you shared so we agree to disagree lol Happy flying!
yeah i would say only buy a decent hotas if you are sure you will like dcs
@@callsigngrimeyOut of curiosity, which points in particular do you disagree with? You said "many" and it has me wondering.
Excelent tips and totally agree.
Id definitely make a distinction between the two types of MSFS players: Casual arcade players that change all the settings for easy mode and don't actually fly the aircraft as they are supposed to be, and the ones that play more true to life for a training experience. Head tracking will also be highly beneficial to MSFS players, so it's still probably worthwhile for them to pick it up if they don't already have it. The casual MSFS players that click a button to get the plane running, don't know how any of the systems except autopilot work, and just buzz around a major town are probably going to struggle really hard with high fidelity DCS. Even MSFS players that go full in are going to have a much harder time with it than any MSFS plane.
On the HOTAS I'd probably say rather than starting with something like T16k, go with something slightly more expensive but is also modular that you can build up - the VKB throttles come to mind. Perhaps still a cheaper stick, though, and just invest in some grease to keep the cheaper stuff moving well. Although entry level STECS may be a bit more than the full T16k setup, it's probably still worth it to do a tiny bit of extra savings, and those mid-high range units can be resold to other sim players for much better returns than on a T16k.
when i first started playing dcs i actually found it pretty easy to learn everything, especially with the hornet since everything is just logical and not overly complicated
Some people retain certain and more information better than others.
Excellent introduction and summary of DCS for a beginner or someone getting back to DCS after being away for a few years. All 34 minutes of this video was worth watching.
Glad you enjoyed it! Really appreciate the feedback. I try to focus my DCS content for newer players to help get them into the game as it has a high barrier to entry with the costs and complexity of it all.
I just downloaded the game and immediately got wrapped in! I have no idea what I’m doing but I can tell this is going to be for me! Thanks for making this video I need literally all the help I can get to figure this massive journey out!
i've been flying DCS with a first Gen Ryzen 1500X and a 1050TI (later upgraded with a borrowed 1060) til last year this time.. You don't need a beast of a system, but you need a SSD big enough to store all the DCS stuff.. Obviously playing with a R5 5500 and a 4060TI now there's HUGE visual difference to a year ago, but ever since they added MT support performance wasn't bad at all. I always could do everything besides low level stuff on urban areas, which i can do now without problems as well.. no need for a high end PC, arguably mine now isn't really high end (i'm still running that old B350 mainboard for example).. obv VR / 4K etc change things.
Tell ya, I hate to be starting up, as there so many great modules, with the FA18C no longer being top dog.. the F15, F16, Ah64d Apache, ongoing with rge JF-17 Jeff, Heuy, Hib, M2000 and more
Don't forget the WWII aircraft either, with the Mossie being my favourite.
Don't forget - they are unifying the versions down to one version, so it won't matter shortly. Also a big one - DCS comes with it's own manual Check in Doc folder in the DCS app folder. Read it!
Yes good points! The first one slipped my mind but did hear wags talk about it on a podcast if memory serves me right
When will it be unified into one version? Is there any time-line for this. I'm looking to get started with dcs soon.
@@williamtackett3814 The stand alone version already is, although not sure about the steam version, last I heard they were working on that.
I would like to note that you can get headtracking using only a webcam and the opentrack software that is free to use. That will hold you over until you get VR.
still on my shitty $20 joystick + xbox combo 100hrs in, still being held back by my lack of everything, not the periphery. will upgrade soon tho cause this game is insane :)
Hey man, awesome video. I've been playing DCS for month now and I'm loving it. Just bought the F15E as my first full fidelity module and have been enjoying the process of learning it, but theres one issue. Lately I've been getting very frustrated because after weeks and weeks of practicing BVR, watching tutorials and videos, I just can't seem to win any fight. I keep getting destroyed in singleplayer and multiplayer, which has made me lose my confidence, so I'm not playing as much anymore. Anyways, so sorry for the long rant lmao, just wanted to speak my mind. You just gained yourself a sub. Cheers!
Hey man, this is exactly what I was talking about in the video! Please don't give up! It's literally a painful process to get proficient. My next suggestions would be to join a server where you can fly with someone more experienced so they can teach you BVR and how to go defensive, etc. Stick through it...the Mudhen is a great module and a lot of fun.
@@callsigngrimey Thank you for the response! I've been looking in some discord servers and asking around but (understandably) no one has been interested at the moment. I'll give it a couple more tries.
@@CaptainKoosh I would recommend getting the F14, learning it, and then buying the Speed and Angels campaign, and the Zone 5 campaign. SaA will teach you how to fly the aircraft by the book, how to tank, how to fly in formation, how to employ weapons, how to do bombing runs, etc. Its followed up by a small campaign to employ what you have learned. You can apply everything you learn in SaA, to any aircraft in DCS.
Zone5, is a "TopGun" campaign, that will teach you BVR and WVR maneuvers in a fun environment. For both these campaigns, you will need the Nevada map. A good map to have anyway.
@@mattthacker9120 Thank you so much for your reply! That actually sounds amazing, as the f14 is my favorite aircraft of all time. Just gotta get all the money to get the module, nevada, the supercarrier and the campaign. Maybe in the summer when everything is discounted I'll try it. Thank you again and cheers!
Open source AItrack/OpenTrack software with just a regukar pc cam works great for headtracking without the expensive trackIR sys. VR is just the absolute best tho
Interesting you show training on the NTTR, but don’t say anything about the map. It is a great map to do all type of training missions on from A2G, A2A and AAR prior to running user generated missions on other maps. Also Marians map is a good carrier operations training map.
Fair point and I actually use Nevada for most of my content as I created this massive all situations mission. The think about it is that outside of using it for personal use, folks really aren't going to get more value out of it on MP servers. That is why I didn't mention it, at least not for one of their first few map purchases.
So I’m new here and to DCS. I already have the X-56 stick and throttle and a itrack5 . I have a sim rig I bought for racing , but I can add things and take things away to turn it into more of a flight rig. I’m learning how to set my Hotas up cause there are over 50 buttons lol. My question is -is the F-16c worth the $79 price tag or should I wait. That is hands down my favorite fighter but if there are sales I would rather wait for the price drop.
Thank you Sir for your Thoughts
Appreciate it!
Thanks for this Grimey. Question: I'm about to start my adventure on DCS. If I download from their website, will I be able to have my purchases if I use Steam version too (my friend downloaded it by Steam?) - Can you buy one mod on the DCS website and use it on Steam and visa versa?
Great question! The answer is NO! Majority of people will tell you to buy DCS directly from ED website. You also have the benefit of demo'ing modules for 2 weeks before buying when you go through ED directly. I would suggest this route over Steam for DCS. Also, welcome to DCS I hope you have a great time with it. There's a big learning curve but put in the time and its well worth the experience.
Would be great if I could actually download it. I'm getting 0.8 mbps. Tried numerous times over several days. Gave up.
When it comes to hotas, avoid the Logitech X56 at all costs! The stick gives ghost signals out of the box. A 15 dead zone wouldn’t stay “on center” flying straight and level
What would you recommend under 300$
@@Chasegreen66 I would suggest saving a little more and getting a much higher quality product. The tech/fit and finish you get for that little bit extra is worth the cost. I personally have the Winwing Orion 2 setup, throttle has F15EX handles and the stick base is rockin the F16 grip. For the kind of modern aircraft I like to fly, it gives me more than enough bindings. The x56 had the Viper flying every which way but straight due to drifting inputs at under 50 hrs of use.
I can liken it to what it’s like to drive an older vs newer vehicle. The older one gets it done, yes, but the newer one is much more refined and precise
0:27 i’d say warthunder sim is pretty close to FC3 Aircraft and sometimes more detailed in certain aspects.
But i have never flown a DCS plane myself so make sure to take that with a grain of salt or some pepper if you want as well.
fair enough. I flown WT a few times in realistic mode and it was ummm interesting.
@@callsigngrimey i could imagine
well kinda, FC3 planes are still realistic to real life, just most the systems are not fully modeled where as in war thunder u can pull like 80g and not black out
@@gibbo_303 The gload on the pilot is not very realistic but, things like radar and IR simulation are more realistic than most, if not all DCS aircraft.
I have a CyberPowerPC - Gamer Xtreme Gaming Desktop - Intel Core i7-13700F - 16GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB - 2TB SSD - Black. Is sufficient for DCS World?
highly recommend 32gb memory otherwise yes it should be fine
@VWare-c4s Thank you Sir. I will get right on .
Yes, but invest in a second 2tb ssd to run DCS separate drive from the OS... Never a good running a heavy GPU intensive software on the same drive as the OS.
YES, DOUBLE YOUR SYSTEM MEMORY.
At some point VR will be of interest... I run mine from a i9 rtx3060 and while I have to bring my settings down to min from max... VR is the ultimate in immersion. It doesn't get more real.
Not sure if i should be commenting here, but i am getting into DCS for the 1st time and not sure where to even begin. This seems to be a newb friendly spot and was just wondering if i could come here for advice?
'' not sure where to even begin.'' - Did watch the video? What do you mean?
No, RUclips and Facebook DCS forums
Grimey it ckills me to see your beast pc with crap graphics ma man!
Unfortunately I am out of town and couldn't record actual in game "b-roll" for this video so I had to pull from my existing youtube videos. As I learned, the video quality isn't the best. That said, it doesn't change the info shared which is the real point of the vid, ya know.
@@callsigngrimey Got ya, not bashing you at all, you make some good info here. Just jealous of your setup haha!
What monitor are you using?
Asus 1440p monitor. Don’t recall exact model number.
Skip the manual! Its really dry reading. Plenty of RUclips vids that explains absoutely everything. Grim Reapers and Spudknockers has it all for all planes
34 min video without chapters is insane....