Red October, here is a good step by step install guide Ice did. If you decide to get in to BMS it makes it a lot easier to get it all set up

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.ph...-3#Post4347779

Get yourself a Warthog or another HOTAS and start flying!

I think this is a great analogy, and thanks for taking a fair perspective on it.

Honestly, I would have to agree with you completely on this, too - I do like what DCS does and I'm happy that it seems to have a live and active community of both players and developers behind it. I think what they definitely nailed was the development and sales model with 3rd party content. Not that it's a new thing, as it's basically a more modest version of what the Flight Simulator payware scene looks like - but it is good that it seems to be doing well in a combat simulator too. As a result, DCS is easily the finest "study sim" there is - if you're willing to pay to get all the various high-detailed aircraft.

Falcon is a study sim too - though even in these latter-day versions, a true study sim of the F-16 only (with other flyable aircraft doing a fine job of being plausible, but still often relying on F-16 systems modeled underneath). DCS aircraft do have a number of finer details modeled in some respects, but overall I'd argue that the BMS F-16 is still the ultimate simulated combat aircraft - though it is helped by the fact that the F-16 comes in more versions and deploys a greater range of weapons than any DCS plane does. At the end of the day, if I had to pick only one aircraft to fly in a combat sim, that'd have to be it.

What's more important, though, is the rest of the simulation - DCS does boast better graphics, physics, and even the (for now mostly theoretical) ability to play as ships and ground units (something Falcon was originally envisioned to do as well, but it was just a pipe dream at the time). But F4's campaign just blows everything out of the water. Ultimately, it's the difference between well-choreographed scenario play in DCS (and all credit due to great scenario designers of course!) vs. a live, unscripted, massively complex air/ground/(somewhat sea) combat theater in F4, essentially a self-playing strategic wargame where things like integrated air defense systems, supply, morale, manufacturing etc. all play an active role.

I say it without the slightest irony or exaggaration, but IMO Falcon 4.0 is not just a great game but one of the most ambitious pieces of software ever written. That ambition made for a pretty much unplayable game on release - but ultimately, it is still the closest we ever got to having a computer game where you can actually be part of a full-scale war, and interact with any of the hundreds of aircraft and thousands of ground vehicles - in 3D - which are meanwhile interacting with each other in all sorts of ways. Now it's nearly been two decades, and Falcon is still as close as you can get to a full-scale virtual war you can participate in first-person - and not because it's better than other sims, but because nobody has even attempted to do something so stupidly daring since. Can't blame them - F4 was not a financial success, and was among the reasons Microprose folded not long after its release. But even next to other great dynamic campaign games like the Enemy Engaged series, what it set out to do is pretty jaw-dropping to this day. And after all these years and a stubborn community, the fact is - that dynamic war in Falcon makes for a game that's infinitely richer than anything else out there, including DCS. And amazingly, it's not just singleplayer, but you can have all the campaign features in multiplayer too (and now it actually works and is stable, too!)

DCS will probably continue to draw the lion's share of multiplayer interest though, because it is better at multi-platform play - and at the end of the day, dynamic campaigns are not as important to most playing online. Most people tend to be more interested in human opponents, not the AI backdrop there. But in singleplayer - or even smaller-scale coop play - Falcon is going to be hard to beat. So I totally agree - I think that compared to anything out there including DCS, Falcon just has more to it as a game. But I don't think that's meant to make others look bad! More sims = better for us all :)

Good post CCIP. One of the things that makes BMS more interesting, more fun and more replayable is the fact that the Viper is a multi-role jet. The DCS F/A-18 will do a lot to bridge that gap, but you're still left with the point you made that I agree with the most -- and that's the campaign.

DCS is great for learning the systems,controls and weapons, mastering the jet. And it looks fantastic all the while. You do some training and get to the point where you are comfortable flying combat. This is where it all starts to fall apart. So you fly some missions. Maybe you didn't get it right. So you fly again. Now you know that the Su-27s are west of steerpoint five. Now you're ready for them. Since you saw no other planes in the first go 'round you aren't even scanning another part of the sky. Nothing there. And you already know it. So now your antenna is right where it needs to be and this time you pick them up early.

You get your missiles off first this time, after all you've already done it once. Two Flankers killed and you fly around and maybe back to base just looking at the clouds because hey, you've already done this and you know what is there or isn't.

My long winded point is that even though DCS makes a fantastic jet, what are you left to do with it? Some mission scripters are amazing, it's true and can almost give the the perception that you're flying something dynamic, changing, evolving.

But deep down you know you're not. The 'soft factors' of flying jet combat are lost on DCS like uncertainty or the unexpected. And there is no feeling of import or weight to what you are doing. The results, good or bad, have no impact on anything. This is where BMS shines as you rightly point out. Of all the great sims we listed earlier that have great campaigns, not one of them comes anywhere close to what F4 does.

No matter what beautiful confections are created in the future, Falcon will always stand as a benchmark and an inextinguishable favourite, just as SH3 does.

:O:

I have got BMS installed now, I just need a flight stick. The one I have is average at best and the rudder control is twitching so that's not a usable function.

I've been having fun throwing switches in the cockpit though. Figuring out how everything works will be a challenge.

Which ones are you looking at Red October?

I use a Cougar, but those aren't as easy to get these days. Many of the guys I fly with use the Warthog.

I used a Warthog.
While it appears to be the best you can get for money, it has one severe weakness that made me sell it (that, and the fact that I'm not flying atm).
The throttle's slew function is a joke. It's a tiny "ball" which is very finicky to control and from what I've read not like the original in the A10 at all.

This might not sound like a big deal, but considering how important the slew function (for targeting pods etc) is, it can ruin a lot of fun.
So I'd think twice about a Warthog now.

Looking at the Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS. It's a budget stick, yeah...but I don't want to spend over 60$ on a flight stick.

Before I buy anything, I'm trying to get a job first.

You're right, but most of these guys seem to either have no trouble, or they've modded it in some way to prevent it. Some, I suppose, are just waiting to happen.

In RO's price range the T Flight HOTAS X is a good choice. It has a throttle and a bunch of buttons so will serve the purpose.

But if one were in the market for a full-blown HOTAS, what aside from the Warthog is there to choose from these days? X-55? CH Fighterstick with Pro throttle?

Pretty barren market it seems.

I've been using the Cougar for 15 years now. It has had a few issues, like all sticks I suppose, though I modded it early on and that took care of some of the most glaring possible issues (pots and gimbals).

I hope it lives forever, as I love flying F4 with this setup.

120% Alcohol !!!
 

Nippelspanner;2477567]Yeah right, DCS is 'rubbish'.
What nonsense, really.

It's like saying Italian food sucks because you like Indian food better.
There's no need for elitist nonsense between falcon and DCS at all.[/QUOTE]

120... points for you !!!: Kaleun_Cheers:: Kaleun_Applaud:

welcome aboard!
 

I just got my T Flight HOTAS in the mail this last week. I've toyed just a bit with BMS but I don't even know where to start as far as learning the game. I tried reading through a guide to get through startup procedures but that was a pain and seemed to leave some things unaddressed.

Does anybody have any advice for a new Falcon BMS player? The HOTAS works great so far. It's not force feedback but I always was more annoyed by that anyway. But yeah, any helpful tidbits are welcome. :Kaleun_Applaud:

Take it slowly and be methodical.

I've been flying one version of Falcon or another for 20 years, and I still have stuff to learn. I don't know if that says more about Falcon's complexity or my mental capacity, but...

I'd recommend printing out the manual and the Dash-One. It's handy to have these documents available.

You have a HOTAS now and I recommend setting it up as close to the real jet as possible. Get the TMS/DMS/CMS stuff set up, or as close as you can within the limits of your stick's layout. I've never used that stick and don't know it's capabilities. For example, does it have a shifted function?

If you can get radar cursors and antenna elevation on some sort of analog control, it will be a big plus, especially the cursors.

Spend time in free flight learning the layout of the cockpit. How do I turn my lights off, master arm on, emergency jettison, laser and so on. Start your training by practicing takeoffs and landings. Touch and goes work great for maximizing your time. The F-16 is probably the easiest plane to land..if you know the correct parameters. If you get these correct, the jet basically flies itself down to the threshold. AoA and speed correct? Then just place the FPM on the threshold and fly it on down. A little flare, and land like a butterfly with sore feet.

Read the manual about how to set up your DTC tape. This lets you pre-program countermeasures programs, preset radio channels and perhaps most importantly, set precision steerpoints, which will be used to mark stationary targets and to deploy weapons like the JDAM and the SDB (small diameter bomb)

Once take offs and landing are done then pick a ground weapon to learn. Honestly, the easiest weapons to deploy in BMS in my opinion are the JDAM and the SDB. You want to study the manual and learn the procedure. JDAM deliveries are very similar to LGBs, but without lasing and no lase turn is required. Just plink and go. Love those things.

There are training missions included for most weapons. It's a good idea to run through each in turn as you add a new weapon to your quiver. In addition, when I was learning Falcon, I found the Mud Moving mode to be excellent. You get several weapon types and unlimited ammo. I spent hours and hours in here until I could repeatedly have success with each type.

If you have experience with other versions of F4 be aware that many procedures are more involved in BMS. For example it used to be that to guide LGBs, you just needed to flip the laser switch. In BMS, you begin with the laser in Training mode, and you need to use the DED to turn on Combat mode. Yeah, the DED, it's important in BMS and you should work on getting comfortable using it. Laser, package datalinks, fuel estimates, waypoint timing and much more is done in the DED so learn it.

Work through each ground ordnance you think you'll want to use. I tend to deploy dumb bombs (especially the glorious Mark 84), HARMs, JDAM, CBU, JSOW and SDBs. Mavericks are a whole new kettle of fish in BMS, and while I can use them, I am not what I would call 'qualified' in them even yet. They are fun to shoot, but too heads-down for me and I can always kill just as much and more with CBU.

To become proficient with ground attack weapons, you also need to be comfortable with your radar, sensors and MFD functions and options. Yeah, this is a lot to learn, but a big part of the appeal, at least for me. Learn all submodes and how to switch around. Having all of this on your HOTAS is best if possible.

Then do it all over again with air to air weapons. Or you could do air to air first. The biggest mistake newcomers make in air to air is failing to use the antenna elevation. It's crucial to finding the gomers.

Get a Track IR or head tracking alternative. Seriously. People fly without it, sure, and do very well. But come on, once you've flown BMS with one, you'll never go back.

Air to air refueling in BMS is hard. And frankly I've never needed to use it in a campaign, even in the Balkans. So you can safely save that training for later. But it's there, it's challenging and worth the effort to be able to do it successfully.

Once you feel comfortable flying the jet, using your radar and can deploy some weapons on target, it's time to start a campaign. For a first go I recommend the KTO Tiger Spirit campaign. It's the one that is most set up for success. Myself and the guys I fly with like to fly what we call HARMCAPs early in a campaign. Essentially it is a free hunt with two HARMs and Air to Air missiles. We patrol the front and lob HARMs at radars and try to pick off Red intruders in the air.

I could go on for hours, but I'll stop here. Bottom line is take it slowly and pick systems and weapons to master one at a time. Don't move on until you can perform that function reliably and without consulting a manual. Lastly, use Shift-P to 'freeze' the sim. It is pause, but with the ability to still click around in the cockpit. Very useful! Good hunting.

Thank you for your very helpful post!

On this, I am curious on how difficult it is because I've done the refueling from both points of view on the actual USAF simulators. I might load up a mission for this (if there is one). Seems like it would be a good test of the new HOTAS and how sensitive it is. :O:

Sounds pretty straightforward. I just need to find time to get the training in. I'm spending a lot of time lately working on the paperwork/tests/etc that I need to actually become a USAF pilot. (On top of a full engineering course load) I bought this as kind of a motivation piece. :haha: But I can tell it's going to be a lot of fun to play. Sometime in the next couple of weekends I'll be taking a few hours and diving deeper into the takeoff/landing procedures starting from the beginning.

I had looked for this sort of feature but wasn't able to find that. Thank you for letting me know. That will come in handy!

:ping: :Kaleun_Salute:

You're welcome, happy to help.

I didn't realize you were a pilot candidate, if you mentioned it earlier my apologies. You're in the the Air Force now?

Our group has seemingly taken a summer hiatus and our server has been inactive since July or so. But I'm sure we will get going again sometime soon. If you're interested in flying multiplayer let me know. Also, please consider visiting the SimHQ F4 forum, and of course the BMS forums as well. I am DBond at both places.

People often say that you'll learn more flying with others than flying alone and it's true.

If you have any other questions fire away.

I'm not a pilot candidate yet. I am a contracted AFROTC cadet that's going to be applying for the rated officer selection. A couple weeks ago I took the first step of many towards turning in my packet. So hopefully within 2 years I will know one way or another if I've been selected.

If you're interested in how that works shoot me a PM. :Kaleun_Wink:

I would LOVE to fly multiplayer sometime, but I need to learn the game first before I hop into that. :oops:

That's true for more than just gaming. :)

I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Do you have a skype or a steam I can add you on for easy communication?

No worries. Recently there was a thread at the BMS forum about getting more folks involved in the multiplayer community. I commented on how I find many guys want to fly MP, but also want to learn everything first, before they venture online.

Understandable indeed. However, there is just so much to learn, and even knowing what to do isn't the same as actually doing it when you're 30 miles over the FLOT, with seemingly every tone in the library chirping on the RWR and a four-ship of zero aspect Flankers closing at 1200 knots :D

It's a rewarding journey though if you stick with it. As an aside, I also play and teach guitar, and I see many similarities believe it or not. Most folks want to jump in and either rock out or start blowing stuff up right away, as the case may be. But that just isn't going to happen.

So some give it up and move on to something else. Others stick with it, seeing the value, reward and satisfaction in learning something complex. This isn't a reference in any way to you Red October, and if you're aspiring to be an Air Force pilot I can safely conclude you enjoy challenging yourself.

If you need to contact me for anything feel free, a private message is probably best. I don't hang around subsim all that much these days, but check in regularly. If you are a member at SimHQ or BMS I am on those boards more frequently. We could always hook up for some private hops, and I have a fast machine and connection and host no problem.

I recommend to search for and find the manual for the Realism Patch 5 or 3. Not every detail may be matching with BMS, but all in all you get an idea, also on background and sensors. It were these manuals by the RP group that got deep into F4, more than anything else. But it is quite a read, though an exciting one. Back in those days, manuals of this size were unknown.

Do not give up too early, its worth it.

With DCS, system studying can become even "worse". ;) :)

P.S.

https://sites.google.com/site/falcon4history/files

Superpak SP 3 or 4 should help, too. ;)

Thats the correct order. Its like in racing sims. First you leanr alone, track and car - then you join MP to mess up the day of others as well. :D I hate it if newbies who visit some traxck for the first time ever, immediately start that in MP. Do 15-20 laps on a track alone before MP.

With flying, its comparable. You should know the basics and essentials before joining MP.