Was on the verge...

[Grim.Reaper]

Thanks Judge, that is what I was thinking as well:) Sounds like your stats are similar to mine...not that I'm looking for an excuse....but I'm thinking my Joystick might be part of the problem. I'm hoping I figure out all the sensitivity stuff, maybe it will improve....ok, maybe it does sound like an excuse:)

[JudgeDredd]

Nah...I'm convinced my joystick is the problem - the rudder is really very sensitive and I seem to either hold the stick wrong, or it's in the wrong place/at the wrong angle, because I seem to be forever using the rudder without wanting to.

[SlickWilhelm]

I hope you boys are using rudder pedals. If not, that would be my first suggestion. Going from a twisty stick to rudder pedals might seem strange at first, but you get used to it quickly. I made the change in about 1997 and haven't looked back. 

[SlickWilhelm]

Btw, looks like RoF took the honors for best PC simulation game of 2009 from simHQ: http://www.simhq.com/_commentary/all_098a.html 

[htuna]

To me, the hardest part is the rudder.. especially take offs.. I think takeoffs are more dangerous than the NME....

My stick sucked for rudder.. so I reprogrammed two buttons on the base of the stick for the Rudder...

On the head of the stick, I programmed one button for the Blip switch... one for Padlock NME, one for padlock friend and one for back to cockpit view..

On my mouse which I moved to the left side of my stick, I use the 3 and 4 buttons to turn the mixture up and down..

I agree shooting down planes is hard for me as well.. I think I've gotten six in all my flights.. Sarge must just be a 'natural'...

Started a career with the Dr1 last night.. boy that plane is tough... first mission was a baloon busting one.. think I've tried it six times so far and haven't pulled through..


I'd really like to try Multiplayer with you guys sometime if anyone is interested!

[Grim.Reaper]

I usually have a little harder time with pitch while shooting at enemies versus the rudder action, although that has caused me some issues at times. What puzzles me more is a lot of times I will have the planes lined up right in my sites and for reason I still miss.

Cmurphy, I usually only play single player games but maybe once I'm a little better we can give multi-player a try.

[htuna]

One thing that bums me out is.. you make changes in the Hanger i.e. gun conversion point.. fuel load.. paint scheme.. but then the next mission it does not stick..

[hgilmer3]

ORIGINAL: cmurphy625

To me, the hardest part is the rudder.. especially take offs.. I think takeoffs are more dangerous than the NME....

My stick sucked for rudder.. so I reprogrammed two buttons on the base of the stick for the Rudder...

On the head of the stick, I programmed one button for the Blip switch... one for Padlock NME, one for padlock friend and one for back to cockpit view..

On my mouse which I moved to the left side of my stick, I use the 3 and 4 buttons to turn the mixture up and down..

I agree shooting down planes is hard for me as well.. I think I've gotten six in all my flights.. Sarge must just be a 'natural'...

Started a career with the Dr1 last night.. boy that plane is tough... first mission was a baloon busting one.. think I've tried it six times so far and haven't pulled through..


I'd really like to try Multiplayer with you guys sometime if anyone is interested!

I think Sarge has played almost all flight simulations that have ever been made. He mentioned he had killed 10,000 planes+ in online simulation, I am thinking probably aces high.

From what I know of dogfighting in simulations and truly even real life, the ever present circles where you are just trying to catch up to the tail of the guy you are trying to shoot is one of the worst ways to try and kill. I still do it anyway. Sarge is probably an expert on all the true combat moves used by the old time pros we only read about.

[SlickWilhelm]

ORIGINAL: cmurphy625

Started a career with the Dr1 last night.. boy that plane is tough...

Remember this for the DRI when wanting to execute a turn: Rudder first, then aileron. It's opposite of all other planes. If you apply aileron before rudder in the DrI(especially when trying to turn left), you will enter a stall.

[Challerain]

Based on this thread and the half price deal I decided to make the purchase.  Then I remembered that I don't have a joystick anymore.  Go figure.  Anyone have a recommendation for a relatively inexpensive stick to get me started?  Don't want to drop too much cash if I don't end up liking the game.

Thanks!

[mgarnett]

I'm by no means an expert pilot, but I find the two Albatross variants the easiest planes to fly and control. I can even semi aim straight and hit targets with these two planes. A rule of thumb, the German planes seem easier to fly because they mostly have auto mixture so you don't have to worry about adjusting fule mixture, only the radiator and I mostly have that open.

On the allied side, the Sopwith Camel is very difficult to fly and control. I'm pretty ham fisted and I can't help but send myself into a spin. The Allied plane I find easiest to fly is the Sopwith Dolphin.

The three planes I find easiest seem to have pretty good turning circles and enough power so that I can prevent myself from diving into the ground! I also find them a little more stable as a gun platform so I can at least hit another plane (ground attack is still very difficult though).

Cheers

Mark

[mgarnett]

Challerain

Hi Challerain,

I know you said you didn't want to spend much money, but I highly recommend a set up with a separate throttle. I think a single stick solution with an integrated throttle would make things harder to control and you may get frustrated, IMHO.

I use a Saitek X52 which I think you can pick up relatively cheaply these days depending on what country you are in. It's easy to set up and works a treat in this sim or any other sim you might end up playing.

It has a twist motion for the rudder, but if you end up getting into flight sims you may want to shell out for some rudder pedals down the track. Some people are fine with joysticks with integrated throttles but I just find them too clumsy (I'm not the best sim pilot though, very far from it).

Cheers

Mark

[Hard Sarge]

ORIGINAL: Challerain

Based on this thread and the half price deal I decided to make the purchase.  Then I remembered that I don't have a joystick anymore.  Go figure.  Anyone have a recommendation for a relatively inexpensive stick to get me started?  Don't want to drop too much cash if I don't end up liking the game.

Thanks!

Logitech has some decent, cheap sticks (I use a Extreme 3D Pro) and it works well enough)

[Hard Sarge]

I remember when I got some pedals, screwed me up, as I would expect them to be more a push pull set up, but they were a up and down, so I tended to hit the rudder, and then when the target would counter roll, I would roll after it, with out changing the rudder, after a while I stopped using them

(which at that time, the twist sticks had not come out yet, once they did, I found, it much easier to control my hand, then to try and control my hand and feet, besides the room needed for them

[Hard Sarge]

I think Sarge has played almost all flight simulations that have ever been made. He mentioned he had killed 10,000 planes+ in online simulation, I am thinking probably aces high.

From what I know of dogfighting in simulations and truly even real life, the ever present circles where you are just trying to catch up to the tail of the guy you are trying to shoot is one of the worst ways to try and kill. I still do it anyway. Sarge is probably an expert on all the true combat moves used by the old time pros we only read about.


for me, it is Fighter Ace (think it is 3.8 now, I was with it when it was 1.5

for shooting and kills

I would say, turn on aimming help, and just play around with it, mainly, to try and figure out where "your" gun sight really is, and also to get a idea on what the deflections in the game is, and how it works

also, work with the game speed, get it to where you are aimming and firing your guns, instead of trying to react to the target and yourself

once into some fights, hit pause at times, and just take a "real" look around, look outside of the plane, are you really lined up on the target or not, look to see if your aim point, really is where the rounds are going (the DXII is interesting, as it looks like the rounds fly high, but, it is one of the planes that you can see the rounds flying, so easy to correct)

look to see, if your rounds are hitting the wing, if you are aimming at the wing, until you get a feel for it, it is real easy to think you just made a very good firing pass, and not even hit the target

ground attack, try it more with inline engine planes, the rotary's will toss you about, plus gunning at some trucks, help with your aimming, you can see the rounds hitting the ground, the target and what not, and gives you a much better feel for it

also

would say, start with the easier planes, the DVII, then go to the early DIII/DIIIa, the Spad, those are going to be much easier to handle, and aim, then the DrI or Camel, once you can feel like you know what you are doing, then you can move onto the fancier planes

(I am having trouble with the DrI, but that is more with the views, I keep losing my forward view for some reason)

run the dogfight mission, it will be you vs one other plane, learn to fly in padlock

and over and over, learn the angles, are you really at dead six (easiest to hit, but not always the best place to be, but best for learning

try to keep your deflection as short as you can, you don't really have the fire power for 45 degree shots

easy to say, and HARD to do, try to only fire when you think you are going to hit what you are firing at, really, when you fire, you should expect it to be a kill shot


some are saying they are hamfisted, one thing to watch with most joysticks, you need a deadzone, that will let you have a little wiggle room, before the stick reacts to the imput, and sticks with twist handles, you need to learn to work your trigger, with out working the stick itself, most times, that is one of the reasons you miss, you pull the trigger, you also are hitting the rudder and starting to roll the plane, you see or sense it, and then over compensate for it

(if you have ever shot a pistol, you know how important, the trigger squeeze is, and how it can throw your aim off, if not done right)

[JudgeDredd]

hardsarge
some are saying they are hamfisted, one thing to watch with most joysticks, you need a deadzone, that will let you have a little wiggle room, before the stick reacts to the imput, and sticks with twist handles, you need to learn to work your trigger, with out working the stick itself, most times, that is one of the reasons you miss, you pull the trigger, you also are hitting the rudder and starting to roll the plane, you see or sense it, and then over compensate for it

Absolutely what I found. I was pulling the trigger and for some bizarre reason was slewing left! Over compensated blah, blah, blah - eventually the plane was yawing all over the place...impossible to hit anything. Created a deadzone last night and it was better, but I think I need to make it even bigger!

[SlickWilhelm]

ORIGINAL: Hard Sarge

I remember when I got some pedals, screwed me up, as I would expect them to be more a push pull set up, but they were a up and down...

What kind of hokey-jokey rudder pedals were those? Sounds like you were using them in racing mode where they act like gas/brake pedals. [:'(]


For those of you looking for a good, stable gun platform...try the Pfalz DIIIa. That has very nice flight characteristics and makes for easier gunning.

I actually started a career in the Pfalz DIIIa last night, and the first mission was in the rain! Very cool! [8D]

[htuna]

Slick, thanks for the tip on the rudder on the Dr1.. will have to try it again... I tried the Sopwith last night and that seemed pretty cool..

Also, will have to look into that DeadZone for the stick. is that done on the in game calibration?

I love the game, but one other thing that bums me out, is the long load time.. once your in a mission.. they shouldn't make you reload from the beginning when you choose to restart!!!.. lol it's a lot of waiting when your getting killed a lot!!![X(]

[SlickWilhelm]

ORIGINAL: cmurphy625

Also, will have to look into that DeadZone for the stick. is that done on the in game calibration?

It's on the same page as the response curves. There's a slider at the top of the box for setting the deadzone. It's easy to over look it, though. It's not as obvious as it should be.

[Grim.Reaper]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

hardsarge
some are saying they are hamfisted, one thing to watch with most joysticks, you need a deadzone, that will let you have a little wiggle room, before the stick reacts to the imput, and sticks with twist handles, you need to learn to work your trigger, with out working the stick itself, most times, that is one of the reasons you miss, you pull the trigger, you also are hitting the rudder and starting to roll the plane, you see or sense it, and then over compensate for it

Absolutely what I found. I was pulling the trigger and for some bizarre reason was slewing left! Over compensated blah, blah, blah - eventually the plane was yawing all over the place...impossible to hit anything. Created a deadzone last night and it was better, but I think I need to make it even bigger!

Judge, would you be able to share what you put the deadzone setting to and what areas (i.e. yaw, pitch, etc.)? Did you change anything else about the curves?

Thanks!