How hard is it to get into??

[Deadhead]

I'm sure there is a steep learning curve, but is someone that is experienced with flight sims able to play without getting destroyed until hundreds of hours are put into the game.

Also, what kind of equipment is really needed IE track IR etc

In a nutshell....how long before i would able to stand a chance in most games?

I have heard of DCS for a long time but never really looked into it until today....and I am very interested

[Paradox1126]

I would say you can be up and running within a week. Also this is dependant on the module that you fly and what you want to accomplish for it. Warbirds to cold war are relatively simple to learn due to the lack of systems. However they are harder to fly.

Modern planes have a ton of systems but are relatively easy to fly.

As far as gear if you don't have at least a trackIR and a thrust master 1.6t hotas then you're a little behind the curve.

If you wanted to just Auto start modules and just learn how to use their systems in the most direct way you could do that. I have some modules that I want to know all it can do and others that I'm not as interested in and so I just enjoy flying and shooting with that respective module.

So ask yourself how much you want to invest of money and time. Also ask if you're looking at single player or multiplayer.

I've only been playing a year and I don't think the game is hard to learn. It's especially not hard when someone walks you through things in the most direct fashion.

[van Leeuwenhoek's mustache]

Originally posted by Deadhead:

is someone that is experienced with flight sims able to play without getting destroyed until hundreds of hours are put into the game.

It doesn't matter how many hours you put in, someone/something will always manage to shoot you down, eventually.

Skill and knowledge in DCS won't prevent you from getting killed, just make it harder.

So don't be afraid of getting killed, take each defeat as a lesson of what not to do.

Originally posted by Deadhead:

Also, what kind of equipment is really needed IE track IR etc

Depends on what you mean by "needed".

You can play DCS with mouse and kb, even reach a decent level of competency... problem is that you'll be making your life way harder than it needs to be, imposing absurd limitations on yourself, giving a fundamental advantage to the enemy.

So, if you want to minimize limitations, make your life easier and become considerably more effective as a result, you'll need a joystick and a headtracking system, at the very least, imho.

If you get a full fidelity module (ie, non Flaming Cliffs 3 jet), then you'll need a HOTAS.

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by Deadhead:

I'm sure there is a steep learning curve, but is someone that is experienced with flight sims able to play without getting destroyed until hundreds of hours are put into the game.

Also, what kind of equipment is really needed IE track IR etc

In a nutshell....how long before i would able to stand a chance in most games?

I have heard of DCS for a long time but never really looked into it until today....and I am very interested

Let's get into equipment really quick first. I typed up a really, really long post about various setups you should look into but it is stupidly long and not really something I should just copy/paste here. Just check my post history and you will find it.

To give a quick overview.

1.) You will want some kind of IR headtracking. TrackIR is the most expensive option (though relatively cheap compared to other flight sim stuff you will get) but it is also the most convenient and the most accurate. If you don't want to a fuss, go with that. If you like to tinker a lot and mess with settings, there are DIY and even smaller company options that you can use with open source software like OpenTrack. It works but it isn't as convenient and it will really never work on the same level as TrackIR.

2.) While I won't exactly say that you MUST have a HOTAS when starting out, I would be lying if I said it won't make things a lot better and a lot easier on you. A lot of people are going to try to railroad you into getting the Thrustmaster T.16000 because it happens to be the cheaper and thus more popular option but don't be afraid to really look at your options, your budget, and make a choice that gives you the functionality you want. Sometimes the best option (even for a beginner) isn't always entry level stuff.

3.) Rudder pedals are not absolutely essential (though they can if you get a HOTAS without a yaw axis) but having them will certainly make flying all the WWII stuff, some jets, and (especially) tail rotor equipped helicopters much, much easier. You don't need to throw down $300+ on a set of MFG Crosswinds right away but getting a set of CH Pro Pedals (the only good entry level option) will certainly help.

4.) Any preconceptions you have about how a game should perform on your hardware that you have formed by playing normal games should be thrown out the window for DCS. This is going to be one of the most demanding games you have ever seen. Be sure to carefully read the minimum requirements and make sure you keep in mind that a lot of people will tell you to get 32 gigs or RAM for a good reason. It isn't just elitism, DCS will absolutely need that RAM for larger, more elaborate missions. Likewise. Laptops are going to generally have a hard time with DCS in general.

As far as learning curve. This is really going to depend on how readily you embrace the learning process. Despite what some might say, DCS isn't really difficult to learn but there is a lot to learn (especially for beginners). If you already have experience with a relatively realistic sim like Rise of Flight, IL-2: Great Battles, Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX, or other civilian flight sim equivalents, you will probably be able to go into DCS with some of the basics under your belt in regards to base flight technique and the principles of flight (how wings work, what causes stalls, etc). If you are coming from War Thunder or Ace Combat, you are going to be starting from absolute square one.

Again. Even the most advanced, most sophisticated module in DCS isn't really difficult to learn. It just takes time. At the end of the day, DCS features combat aircraft and those aircraft were originally designed to be usable by the average combat pilot. Despite popular belief, those guys are not super human and nor are they super intelligent. These planes are designed to be usable and learned quickly enough to be practical.

So this brings us to an important issue. A lot of new players come into DCS with the thought that they should start with something "easy to learn". They want a "good beginner aircraft". At the end of the day, the best possible choice for a "good beginner aircraft" is the one that excites you the most. Don't worry about how many systems you will learn or how long it will take, just pick the one that really grabs your attention because that is the one that you are more likely to actually stick with. That is the one that you are more likely to keep flying even after you learn it and get other modules.

Here is where I say something that can sometimes be controversial with some in the community. If you want to learn a module at a good, steady pace and not waste a lot of time trying to work around bad or incomplete information, your best bet is to start your learning process by doing the following.

1.) Go to Eagle Dynamics official website and download the DCS world client from there. Don't bother with steam for DCS because doing so will lock you out of some good (and money saving) benefits. On top of that, the standalone DCS client tends to just be easier to deal with overall. From here, pick the aircraft that TRULY excites you and buy it. Again. Don't worry about if it is a "good beginner aircraft" or not, just get the one that excites you.

2.) When you are done installing everything, go into your main DCS install folder, locate the "mods" folder, and then click on "aircraft". This will give you a list of all the aircraft you have installed. open the folder for your recently installed aircraft and locate the "docs" folder. This will give you the manual.

3.) Put said manual on some kind of portable device or even a second screen if you have one. It might also be a good idea to also locate the Chuck's guide for that particular aircraft via a google search (for example "Chuck's guide A-10C" as a search query). Put this in another tab of your pdf reader of choice. Doing this will give you the best possible reference material in a way that is easily and quickly referenced as you play.

That "as you play" part is really important. There are some in the community that will (rather aggressively) dismiss using the manuals or even Chuck's guides because they think that doing so involves going to the study, opening up the manual, reading it, and memorizing it like you have a test the next day. It isn't really supposed to work that way. The manual is really best seen as a compiled set of easy to reference checklists that will tell you how to do everything in a step by step manner. They often include pictures that will guide you where you need to go and these are all typically written to be pretty easy to follow and understand.

Additionally. Don't worry about memorizing anything. Real pilots are discouraged from relying on memory so why should you feel the need to do any different? Eventually you will memorize a lot of stuff via repetition but until that point, you should just use the checklists and procedures in the manual and Chuck's guides because they are quick and tell you what you need to know without wasting your time.

4.) Take things step by step. Think of learning DCS modules like driving a race car. For the layman, it might seem like the car that wins the race is the one that always goes as fast as possible but in reality, the car that wins is the one that is driven by the driver that follows the plan step by step. The driver that knows that it isn't about going fast, it is about using the right techniques and the right tools at the right times. In DCS, the person that learns a module the fastest is going to be the one that uses the manuals and Chuck's guides and takes things one step at a time. Those that try to find shortcuts often spend more time finding those shortcuts (and often failing) than they would have spent actually just learning the module via the manual in the first place.

At this point, I feel the need to kinda tone things down a bit as I might be making it seem harder than it actually is. As I said before, the manuals are not complicated. They are not written for pilots, they are written for DCS players. A lot of them are written to be as easy to follow as possible while still giving you accurate, complete information. If you can read and can use pictures in a book to figure out what to do, you can easily use a DCS manual to learn a module.

Another thing to help ease your mind. Learning even a more feature rich module like the A-10C or the Hornet doesn't really involve as much learning as you might think. For example. When you are learning the A-10C, you might look at the list of sensors and weapons and freak out a bit but in reality, a lot of them share very similar procedures so there is going to be a lot of overlap. Learning how to use the gun and fire the rockets is a very similar procedure. Using the various dumb bombs involves similar procedures. These are combat planes designed to be efficient so it is often not nearly as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

Likewise. Learning some procedures in one aircraft will pretty much teach you the underlying basics of that procedure in ALL aircraft. As you learn various DCS modules, you find that you end up learning less and less as you go along because you will have built up a lot of knowledge that applies to just about everything in some way or another.

What I am saying here is that you shouldn't really let yourself get intimidated or overwhelmed. It isn't that difficult and is often the ones that get overwhelmed are the ones that were actively discouraged from taking it step by step with good learning resources.

I can't really give you a timeframe on how long it takes to learn and nor can I give you any timeframe of how long it will take to be "competitive" online but I will tell you that the players who try to rush through the process end up taking a lot longer to learn a lot less. The player that really embraces that learning process as a big part of the fun of DCS is going to learn a lot more, a lot faster.

[Sizigmund]

• is someone that is experienced with flight sims able to play without getting destroyed until hundreds of hours are put into the game.: Which flight sims do you mean? If you mean a "War thunder", "Ace combat", "Project wingman", e.t.c., then the truth is, they are not a filght sims. If you mean "X plane 11", "Prepare 3D", e.t.c., then you still have to learn how the "pulse dopler" radars works to understand how to perform a propper antimissile maneuvers. You still need to learn the air to air and air to ground tactics. And in general, if we are talking about a high fidelity modules, with realistic flight model and realisticaly simulated systems. Then there is a need to learn all the systems in order to use the weapons and navigation in a propper way. The good news are, each plane comes with official manuals and there is also a "Chuck's guides" and youtube videos. But ofcourse the best in-deep learning of all systems is possible with official manuals only, all other sources can be used as an additional info.
  
  
• Also, what kind of equipment is really needed IE track IR etc: The only thing you really need for this game is a joystick. All additional stuff can make your life easier but they are not strictly neccessary to play the game. You can play the game without "Track IR" but then you need to bind the joystick's top cap to control the pilot's view so you can look around while flying. Looking around is a very necessary thing in this game, because it is the only way to spot the launch of a heat guided missiles in most planes.
  
  
• In a nutshell....how long before i would able to stand a chance in most games?: And again, what do you mean by this? You mean "to have a chance in PvP"? I can't tell you how long it will take to start succesfully shooting the other players, because in PvP you can meet new players and experienced players. But the truth is, DCS World is much more than PvP battles and experienced players prefer to play a realistically made missions than to just fight other players in PvP. Because PvP is all the same all the time and in a term of realism, it is not so realistic. You will never see a bunch of pilots flying private military jet fighter to just fight other pilots, in real life. And while we are in a very realistic simulator, people prefer realistic SP and MP missions and campaigns.
  
  
• I have heard of DCS for a long time but never really looked into it until today....and I am very interested: You can download it, it is free and it is comes with 2 planes. A high fidelity WW II trainer plane "TF-51D", which don't have any weapons, but it have a realistic flight model and realisticaly simulated systems and clickable cockpit. And Su-25T which is a russian ground strike plane. It is a low fidelity plane, which means, it have a realistic flight model but simplified systems and it doesn't have a clickable cockpit. It is much easier to control than a high fidelity plane, so it can be good for a start. By the way, there is a module that is called "Flaming cliffs 3" and it have a pack of all legacy, low fidelity planes "A-10A", "F-15C", "Su-25", "Su-27", "Su-33", "MiG-29A/S/G" and "J-11A". These planes can be an easy way to start with the game. You can also download a standalone version of the game and try any high fidelity plane for free during 14 days period. You will also get a 50% discount for your first module purchase and you will participate in "Eagle dynamics miles" program. Which means that you can use these "Miles" to get a discount on your next purchase or even use them to buy a module, if you have enough "Miles". Additionally, the discounts for standalone version are usually starting earlier and continues for longer period. But the modules purchaised in a standalone version can't be transfered to a steam version, while the modules purchaces in steam version can be also transfered to a standalone version.

[Perfect Info]

Seconding what others are saying: more & better equipment will make the game feel much better, but aren't necessarily essential.

If you are playing civilian flights sims with a flight yoke/civilian throttle, you could probably fudge that work in DCS (with some creative use of the axis curves...).

As for TrackIR, there are much cheaper alternatives like DIY kits for tracking markers, phone apps which use the accelerometer, and webcam facial tracking. With the caveat that the more you invest/work you put in, the better results you'll get. If you want something free that I can endorse, OpenTrack now has a facial tracking option and it performs rather well for me. Another option for looking around are Snap Views, hotkeys you can save a particular viewing perspective to and press to immediately return to it. Even with head tracking, I use snap views constantly for in-cockpit looking around and save the head tracking for looking outside the glass.

Though as you also see up thread, there is a lot to learn. Certain skills will be transferable across simulators. I'd hope, for example, even arcade simulators teach you a little bit about energy management. If you've done civilian flight sims, then the knowledge of aviation and navigation will be valuable. You can make this learning curve much easier to climb if you find ways to practice "at your current level." You can find or create custom missions that focus on the tasks you are trying to master and limit interference you aren't prepared for. If you are trying to practice bombing, for example, then fly some missions that don't have enemy aircraft around to bother you. If you want to practice within-visual-range combat, then don't fly missions with Tomcats yeeting Phoenix missiles at you from further than your radar can see. Even if you want to play multiplayer, there are servers for a variety of experience options for PvE and PvP. Want to PvP but not ready for unrestricted AMRAAM spam? Then try the PvP servers with "arenas" for WVR/gun dueling.

There's a lot to learn, so I'd say the most important thing is to decide whether you can have fun along the way. If the only satisfaction for you is at the summit of the mountain, it's going to be a gruelling and brutal slog to the top...

[TheOptimator]

DCS is free.

Download it, try it out, find out for yourself.

Only recommendation is to play with a joystick. You can technically play without one but that'd be like playing baseball with a fishing rod and a, I don't know...rock? Ping pong ball?

Start with the Su-25. Spend some time binding controls. Watch tutorials. Watch more tutorials. Screw around in "free flight" instant action.

I found it all very overwhelming at first but just chip away at it and you will get there. I started with the A-10C which allegedly is one of the more difficult planes to master and I haven't mastered it yet but I am comfortable with it.

DCS is definitely more of a hobby and project as much as it is a game, or just something you sit down and play. You're going to have to put a bit of work into it, but it is super rewarding and it's nice watching your progress.

[The Cunning Fox (raZoleg)]

Without walls of text: if you like it, it’s like breathing. If you don’t — it’s like a punch to your nuts.

[Deadhead]

thanks for all the replies. I'm experienced with many flight sims...FSX MSFS, IL2 etc. Already have a HOTAS setup.....lacking TRACKIR ATM. Think I will give DCS a go. I enjoy deep games with many nuances. I already would of Downloaded it to try, but saw the 90GB requirement...need to free up some space or get another SSD.

One more question...How is the community? Filled with a bunch of elitist? Or welcome to newbies? I'm sure there is probably a mix of both, but hope it leans to the friendly side. A toxic community is something a hate.

[Paradox1126]

Originally posted by Deadhead:

thanks for all the replies. I'm experienced with many flight sims...FSX MSFS, IL2 etc. Already have a HOTAS setup.....lacking TRACKIR ATM. Think I will give DCS a go. I enjoy deep games with many nuances. I already would of Downloaded it to try, but saw the 90GB requirement...need to free up some space or get another SSD.

One more question...How is the community? Filled with a bunch of elitist? Or welcome to newbies? I'm sure there is probably a mix of both, but hope it leans to the friendly side. A toxic community is something a hate.

I can't stand a toxic community either. Coming from Arma 3 and I thought that was a great community (yes I know it has its share of idiots).

My time with DCS has been nothing but amazing and that's due in large part to it's community. There are plenty of groups to choose from that will be more than happy to teach you. Seems many are eager to teach so it allows for one more person in the skies with us.

After all, more pilots we have the availability of what we enjoy opens up. Definitely go to DCS's discord server. I, like many, are on it every day. Great way to keep up with what's going on as well as get answers to questions I'm real time.

Hope you enjoy the game and never forget... MIg-21 FTW

[Richardus]

Community depends on where you go.

In my overall experience the community is very helpful to newbies provided that:

1. You've done a quick google search to check if your question has been asked before recently, especially if it's something like "what is the best plane overall?" or "which module should I get?"

2. You have at least attempted the included basic training missions for your plane/helicopter and skimmed the manual or tutorial videos for a bit so you know what you're talking about

I get the feeling that there is an attitude of "first try to solve something, then ask others" and whilst this may seem like a harsh or maybe "toxic" mindset, it is mostly because a) you learn way faster by doing or trying stuff yourself rather than having someone do it for you and b) because it usually takes some time to figure out your issue and explain the answer via a reply post.

Example: Asking "how do I use the F-16 radar" will probably get you redirected to a 15-minute video tutorial or or 20 pages of the manual explaining all the operations and sub-modes since it would take 2 hours to type a full explanation for you.

"Is there a way to check when my AIM-120 missile goes active?" will probably get you a more constructive reply since you have narrowed down the exact thing you want to know.(even if it is detailed in the training mission/manual)

Online

Multiplayer brings casual servers, training servers, aerobatics servers, combat servers and more. I really recommend staying away from combat servers (especially the PVP ones) until you are confident with your airplane and understand basic radio callouts.

Other players will assume that you understand what a standard callout like "Deadhead, BRA 310 for 40 at 16, cold" means and that you know how to respond to it. Of course, you can also ask a more veteran player if you can tag along on a PVE server so they can help you build your skills and experience in combat conditions.

In PVP people are not going to hold back against you since they cannot check who is in which plane and everyone wants to win. Therefore it that can quickly turn into an incredibly frustrating experience when you get blown out of the sky 10 times in a row without ever seeing the enemy or even knowing they were there in the first place. I only recommend going for PVP after you've gained plenty of experience and read a bit about the tactics people commonly use like cranking, terrain masking, missile types, optimal turn radius/speed, one circle/two circle fights, stuff like that.

[The Cunning Fox (raZoleg)]

Originally posted by Deadhead:

thanks for all the replies. I'm experienced with many flight sims...FSX MSFS, IL2 etc. Already have a HOTAS setup.....lacking TRACKIR ATM. Think I will give DCS a go. I enjoy deep games with many nuances. I already would of Downloaded it to try, but saw the 90GB requirement...need to free up some space or get another SSD.

One more question...How is the community? Filled with a bunch of elitist? Or welcome to newbies? I'm sure there is probably a mix of both, but hope it leans to the friendly side. A toxic community is something a hate.

It got better. ED removed toxic moderators from steam and did a whole uh… “facelift” of their mods (same happened to forums, now it’s all new, shiny and friendly). I’d say the community is great right now, but you still have people who take things way too seriously, and think that cause they read Tom Clancy and learned a few things from NATOPS, they are a literal Rambo-Maverick, whilst in reality they are more like a mix of Admiral Benson and Topper Harley from “Hot Shots”.

Then you have like community “stars”, like Chick Owl (for example), and his posse that will bite your bollocks if you say something against them. But all in all it’s pretty neat now.

[Thorn]

Play and practice with it each day just learning the gauges and switches and toggles of your chosen aircraft and how to get airborne, fly, and land it safely. You can watch YT videos for help.

I would suggest programming your controller options to the way you want them first thing.
There are hundreds of keyboard controls for each aircraft - most of them you won't even use much at all (or because it's just easier to use your mouse to flip or press whatever switch or button instead of remembering hundreds of keyboard commands for everything).

So, I'd stick with just getting the basics setup with your controller to be able to takeoff, fly, and land safely first thing first. Then, build up your skills from there by learning more advanced things, like how to use the multifunction displays and all their various functions and modes, your air radar and ground radar, and then learning all about the weapons your aircraft carries and how they work.

You can create simple little test missions for yourself with the mission editor so that it's just your aircraft in the game world so that you can familiarize yourself with your aircraft in peace with all the time in the world without stress. Then, start adding in some unarmed enemy aircraft to find with your radar and destroy with your A/A weapons. Then, add in some unarmed ground units to find with A/G radar and destroy them with your A/G weapons. Just keep working your way up. This is not something anyone can just jump into right away. There is a very steep learning curve but it's not impossible. But my God, the replayability of this sim (or pretty much any sim) is phenomenal with an infinite amount of missions, scenarios, online play, etc etc etc once you get things figured out.

Just stick with one aircraft that you absolutely love and want to learn how to fly and master. You may have more than one that you want, but go with the one you absolutely want the most and get that one and master it. Then, move to the next aircraft you want and so on. No sense in buying them all right away. Each one will take a long time to learn and master. I went from the F/A-18 Hornet to now learning the F-14b and it's like starting from scratch just about. Totally different experience even though both are carrier-based aircraft (which are my favs since I love taking off from and landing on carrier out at sea).

[Delta Dagger]

It's probably the most beginner friendly flight sim of its type.

You can rebind keys and controls on the fly, it comes with tutorials in game that walk you through things, and there's a pretty active community producing instructional content.

All you need to do is be willing to read the manuals and you'll do fine. Don't believe the intimidation brought by some; it's easy to get into and learn.

You just really need a HOTAS and you really REALLY benefit from headtracking. Also, if you want to fly warbirds or helos, you really need pedals, too.

[Undead Rufus]

Originally posted by Deadhead:

thanks for all the replies. I'm experienced with many flight sims...FSX MSFS, IL2 etc. Already have a HOTAS setup.....lacking TRACKIR ATM. Think I will give DCS a go. I enjoy deep games with many nuances. I already would of Downloaded it to try, but saw the 90GB requirement...need to free up some space or get another SSD.

After getting head-tracking for DCS (I use the Grass Monkey Puck w/ OpenTrack), I can no longer fly a virtual aircraft without it. Even in Arma 3, I can't stand operating a plane or helo without the ability to look around hands-free.

The game does require a ton of space. My game folder and save folder collectively weigh in at 330 GB, and I don't even have all the maps.

One more question...How is the community? Filled with a bunch of elitist?

Yes.

Or welcome to newbies?

For the most part, also yes. DCS is probably less elitist and toxic than you might expect, and is certainly a more mature community than, say, your average commercial shooter.

[startrekmike]

Originally posted by Deadhead:

thanks for all the replies. I'm experienced with many flight sims...FSX MSFS, IL2 etc. Already have a HOTAS setup.....lacking TRACKIR ATM. Think I will give DCS a go. I enjoy deep games with many nuances. I already would of Downloaded it to try, but saw the 90GB requirement...need to free up some space or get another SSD.

One more question...How is the community? Filled with a bunch of elitist? Or welcome to newbies? I'm sure there is probably a mix of both, but hope it leans to the friendly side. A toxic community is something a hate.

The community experience will depend on where you tend to go. The Hoggit subreddit has its friendly elements but you have to sort through a lot of the usual Reddit sewer stuff to find them. It doesn't help that Hoggit tends to get REALLY outraged, REALLY quickly about even the most minor thing. I suppose that is also a pretty normal reddit thing but still, it is something to keep in mind when you see controversy erupt.

The Youtube scene is also a mixed bag. The DCS community has its share of Youtube personalities and some tend to chase clicks pretty aggressively when they start getting popular. Some of the Youtubers (like Redkite, Laobi, xxJohnxx, and Spudknocker) do try to keep things pretty positive while also providing useful, generally accurate information. There are others that are going to be a lot easier to find (since they have figured out that just pumping out tons of content very quickly gets them the dominant share of the Youtube search results) that are not going to be so great for you long term and they also tend to bring out the worst in the community via some pretty awful behavior.

One lesser known community that you should try out is Mudspike. They have a good moderation team and everything manages to stay really positive and just generally pleasant there. You won't see a lot of outrage, abuse, or the other usual internet nonsense there.

The ED forums are also generally well moderated and thus more pleasant to be on. They have their share of rather aggressive users but if you want DCS news, it is probably where you are going to get the clearest, least hyperbole-laden picture.

Finally we have the steam forums. This isn't a bad place. It has a few bad eggs that try to cause trouble but you will pretty quickly learn to recognize them and kinda ignore them.

One thing that will make your time in the community a lot easier is to trust your own gut when it comes to decisions about buying modules and the like. There are going to be users that will genuinely try to help you figure out the best option that works best for you and there are others that will just tell you to buy whatever they happen to like the most with no regard for your needs or wants. It isn't a big deal but it is something that can trip up new players. Whenever you find yourself thinking "What module should I buy?" The answer will always be the one that is most interesting for YOU and nobody else. Don't worry about what others happen to like and instead just focus on what you like.

As far as elitism goes, that is a complicated question. I have had some tell me that I am elitist by even suggesting the manual as a viable learning tool (not by telling anyone to only use it or that they have to use it, just suggesting it as a viable option). Elitism is going to mean different things to different people but on a whole, you won't encounter a whole lot of it. In my experience, true elitism has been shockingly rare. Obviously it is going to be better in more moderated corners of the community but I think that kind goes without saying these days.