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When this game came out I really wanted to play it, but I didn't have the machine to do so. Now, 33 years later I watch videos of people playing DCS and I'm in

When this game came out I really wanted to play it, but I didn't have the machine to do so. Now, 33 years later I watch videos of people playing DCS and I'm in the exact same situation. Only before, I had no money, but today I have money, but choose not spend it, because I'm the kind of guy that would drop multiple thousands of dollars on peripherals. "Wanna play DCS?" "No. No, man. I'm clean."

dmpk2k 3y ago
Still vastly cheaper than a fighter jet!
- gregatragenet3 3y ago
  Still vastly cheaper than 10 hours of flight training in a Cessna that was built when humans were last on the moon.
  - dmpk2k 3y ago
    Tragic truth. :( GA has problems, and they're only getting worse.
dharmab 3y ago
Good news, DCS is now viable to play on an Xbox gamepad and cheap head tracker. Some if the best online wingmen I've flown with are using gamepads.
- jonathankoren 3y ago
  Why would anyone want to play it with a gamepad? That’s absolutely the Wrong way to play any flight sim. You need joystick, throttles, rudder pedals, and ideally a VR headset. IR head tracking appears to work, but I have no idea how, given that you’d have to point your head away from the screen to look over your shoulder.
  - ldmosquera 3y ago
    Head trackers don't map movement 1:1, more like 1:10 (or so). Thus if you want to look 180 back, you turn maybe 30degs but can still eye the screen. Basically you gesture with your neck. It sounds awkward but it works very well as an input method. It's also way less intense than VR for longer sessions. Not saying it's absolutely superior, just that it's pretty good as designed.
  - dharmab 3y ago
    1. Because in much of the world, HOTASes are taxed at ludicrous import rates and are not affordable. 2. Because the Xbox and PS5 gamepads are better designed and more reliable than any flight stick under $135. Remember, these gamepads have 7 figure R&D budgets, and are used by real world soldiers to control some drones and robots. 3. Because they're 100% viable. I personally know two people who can fly better on a gamepad - including formation flight, air refueling, carrier landings and all combat roles - than I can on $1000 of HOTAS. 4. Because portability is useful for people who travel, such as one of my wingmen who is active duty US military. When deployed he has his gaming laptop and a gamepad. Your attitude is exclusionary, acidic and outdated. P.S. As mentioned IR trackers use a multiplier curve, so on mine a 20 degree movement gets multiplied to 180 degrees in game. It feels very natural and intuitive. Also, you don't need rudder pedals at all. The executive producer of DCS World is wheelchair bound, and simply uses an input on his throttle to control the rudder. This is the person who makes the Apache tutorial videos, BTW.
    - jonathankoren 3y ago
      > Your attitude is exclusionary, acidic and outdated. A Logitech joystick with throttle and twist is literally $34, and a Logitech X52 with a separate throttle is $65. Sit down.
      - dharmab 3y ago
        Heh, funny you should mention the X52. It's got a long-running issue where the potentiometers develop jitter, inhibiting fine control. The 3D Pro is alright, but it's got fewer usable buttons than a gamepad, (the ones on the base aren't reachable with the grip hand) so it's kind of sixes with a controller. The gamepad is a bit better at input-heavy aircraft such as the A-10 or the front seat in the Apache.
glimshe 3y ago
I'm a fan of old Flight Simulators but couldn't get into DCS. Too complicated, feels like work. Because of the technical limitations, the older Flight Simulators had just the right amount of complexity, making them a lot more fun.

dmpk2k 3y ago

Still vastly cheaper than a fighter jet!

gregatragenet3 3y ago
Still vastly cheaper than 10 hours of flight training in a Cessna that was built when humans were last on the moon.
- dmpk2k 3y ago
  Tragic truth. :( GA has problems, and they're only getting worse.

dharmab 3y ago

Good news, DCS is now viable to play on an Xbox gamepad and cheap head tracker. Some if the best online wingmen I've flown with are using gamepads.

jonathankoren 3y ago
Why would anyone want to play it with a gamepad? That’s absolutely the Wrong way to play any flight sim. You need joystick, throttles, rudder pedals, and ideally a VR headset. IR head tracking appears to work, but I have no idea how, given that you’d have to point your head away from the screen to look over your shoulder.
- ldmosquera 3y ago
  Head trackers don't map movement 1:1, more like 1:10 (or so). Thus if you want to look 180 back, you turn maybe 30degs but can still eye the screen. Basically you gesture with your neck. It sounds awkward but it works very well as an input method. It's also way less intense than VR for longer sessions. Not saying it's absolutely superior, just that it's pretty good as designed.
- dharmab 3y ago
  1. Because in much of the world, HOTASes are taxed at ludicrous import rates and are not affordable. 2. Because the Xbox and PS5 gamepads are better designed and more reliable than any flight stick under $135. Remember, these gamepads have 7 figure R&D budgets, and are used by real world soldiers to control some drones and robots. 3. Because they're 100% viable. I personally know two people who can fly better on a gamepad - including formation flight, air refueling, carrier landings and all combat roles - than I can on $1000 of HOTAS. 4. Because portability is useful for people who travel, such as one of my wingmen who is active duty US military. When deployed he has his gaming laptop and a gamepad. Your attitude is exclusionary, acidic and outdated. P.S. As mentioned IR trackers use a multiplier curve, so on mine a 20 degree movement gets multiplied to 180 degrees in game. It feels very natural and intuitive. Also, you don't need rudder pedals at all. The executive producer of DCS World is wheelchair bound, and simply uses an input on his throttle to control the rudder. This is the person who makes the Apache tutorial videos, BTW.
  - jonathankoren 3y ago
    > Your attitude is exclusionary, acidic and outdated. A Logitech joystick with throttle and twist is literally $34, and a Logitech X52 with a separate throttle is $65. Sit down.
    - dharmab 3y ago
      Heh, funny you should mention the X52. It's got a long-running issue where the potentiometers develop jitter, inhibiting fine control. The 3D Pro is alright, but it's got fewer usable buttons than a gamepad, (the ones on the base aren't reachable with the grip hand) so it's kind of sixes with a controller. The gamepad is a bit better at input-heavy aircraft such as the A-10 or the front seat in the Apache.

glimshe 3y ago

I'm a fan of old Flight Simulators but couldn't get into DCS. Too complicated, feels like work. Because of the technical limitations, the older Flight Simulators had just the right amount of complexity, making them a lot more fun.