New Player Seeking Guidance

[EnigmaoftheDragon]

To start off, ignore the amount of game time for the game. I left the game to download before work and came home to the game running.

I just got my Hotas and jumped into this game to see if I enjoy the game/Hotas. Below will be the questions. I will admit that I have enjoyed and watched Growling Sidewinder's videos which led me to try the game as I enjoy space games such as Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen. So I am a complete newbie to both this game AND the Hotas.

1. How much setup in needed to use the Hotas?
2. How much is needed to be spent on the game to be able to do flights/missions similar to Growling Sidewinder or multiplayer servers?
3. How does one go about joining such multiplayer missions/servers?
4. Are there groups that people can go to in order to learn the game with player guidance or fly with?
5. How welcoming is the community of this game usually? I know this is difficult to answer, but some games have very toxic communities.
6. How do you learn the turning limit of your plane?

If I think of more questions, I will post. Thanks for at least entertaining a newbie asking awkward questions.

[Troll Norris]

Hi. Try to folow this beginners guides. Those are IMO the best ones around for now:

Ralfidudes From 0 to Hero DCS:W beginners youtube guide:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYA7v8u34qu_LHSgylMs2_ww6KcKc_pis

Very good text based DCS:W Beginners guide (not finished yet, but already good one)
https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3326416/

[Gunfreak]

Originally posted by EnigmaoftheDragon:

To start off, ignore the amount of game time for the game. I left the game to download before work and came home to the game running.

I just got my Hotas and jumped into this game to see if I enjoy the game/Hotas. Below will be the questions. I will admit that I have enjoyed and watched Growling Sidewinder's videos which led me to try the game as I enjoy space games such as Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen. So I am a complete newbie to both this game AND the Hotas.

1. How much setup in needed to use the Hotas?
2. How much is needed to be spent on the game to be able to do flights/missions similar to Growling Sidewinder or multiplayer servers?
3. How does one go about joining such multiplayer missions/servers?
4. Are there groups that people can go to in order to learn the game with player guidance or fly with?
5. How welcoming is the community of this game usually? I know this is difficult to answer, but some games have very toxic communities.
6. How do you learn the turning limit of your plane?

If I think of more questions, I will post. Thanks for at least entertaining a newbie asking awkward questions.

1. To do a dogfight, 3 minutes, to fix everything so you can do everything. 20 minutes if you're new to it.
2. In theory 0, in praxis; one full fidelity modual 50-80 dollars and if you want 1 or more extra maps each 40-60 dollars.
3. Click multiplayer find server(some server has various requirements of maps and moduals (cold war servers require cold war planes, same with ww2)
4. There are clans/squadrons. Some are very welcoming to new people.
5. Most are nice, some are extremely elitist. Some claim you'll need to read 600 page manual while pulling 7gs in a real sentrifugal contraption while also holding a masters in engineering. Some servers are milsim and require you to be fully competent in all aspects of your plane from taxiing on the ground. Radio usage and brevity. Etc. Many servers are catering to new people.
6. Try it and see how it goes.

[Troll Norris]

Now my own advices:

1 - I don't uderstand this question. What do you mean by this question? How difficult is to assign commands to your controller? If you mean this, then check this guide. It is bit outdated, but still working. https://youtu.be/nIXdazooP30
The most important is to set primary and secondary flight controls. Like Stick axis, throttle axis, trim switches or axis, flaps, air brakes, maybe also wheel brakes. Then you can start with other systems like nav systems, weapon systems, e.t.c...

2 - You can create any mission without need to buy anything. The mission editor is fully operable without need to buy anything.

3 - The only thing you need to join any mission is to have bought exact terrain and assets pack that mission use. For example to join Caucasus or Mariana mission you need nothing to buy. To Join Sinai mission you need to buy the Sinai terrain. Simply in the multiplayer lobby you click on any server in the list. There you will see all requirements listed in the server details window. Supercarrier DLC is not mandatory but you will not be able to use the supercarrier in any server.

4 - Yes, there are many groups. Check the forum.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/223750/tradingforum/
or
https://forum.dcs.world/forum/612-general-dcs-squadrons/

5 - I think the comunity is mature and helpful. Please, mind one thing. When someone says: "read the manual". It is not because they don't want to help you. It is because they don't want to copy/paste 10 pages long answer to your question.

6 - Practice. Each "turn limit" is given by many factors. weight, speed, altitude, overall drag and airfoil and engine performance. Basically you don't need to know your weight, speed or altitude. But you need to know that those mainly affects the aircraft's performance. The easiest way how to find the performance limits are to watch the AoA (angle of attack) indicator and the G (acceleration) indicator. When you reach the maximum AoA, it is your turn limit. When you reach maximum G, it is your turn limit. At very specific speed you can reach the maximum AoA and Gs at the same time. In that case you are performing the fastest (angular rate) turn. Mind the tightest turn does not mean the fastest turn.

[Pirate]

for the hotas mappings I would only map what is on the actual hotas of the plane maybe a few other things like landing gear etc. In the controls menu you can filter by these items and only assign those to your hotas. I also recommend focusing on one plane at a time and getting to know it in and out. facebook and reddit have great hoggit and dcs multiplayer groups.

[evolgenius]

1. Not really much. I can bind all of mine to what I need in my tomcat in under 3 mins from a blank slate. The first few times you do keybinds might take quite a bit longer you won't be used to it and won't be sure what to bind out of the 239847923749823 keybinds they give you. If you can find a "Chucks Guide" for them or look in the docs folder to find the flight manual there are diagrams to tell you what button is what for each aircraft. Most crap you won't need to bind anyways.

2. You'll NEED head tracking, and at least a HOTAS setup with twist. You can get into this very cheaply with a CHEAP less than $100 Hotas and $30 webcam and just use a free software like Open track. Or, like me: middle road, I spent about $800 bucks on an X56, Logitech Rudder Pedals, and Track IR 5.

3. Games are joined via the multiplayer menu, and will generate a server-list. Just choose and join. Once in, you choose your "role" and hit "briefing" and ur in. You may or may not want to install SRS Standalone Radio. If you do, most servers will autotune this for you so it works with that server - OR - they will have the radio server in the server descriptions and you just punch that URL into your SRS radio bookmarks.

5. Depends on the community. Some are cool. Some are know it alls and act shady and pull really shady things. *cough grim reapers cough* What I tend to notice is people who have been playing longer and love the game more tend to be more friendly and helpful - as long as they aren't trying to present themselves as the KING BIG ♥♥♥♥♥ of the DCS scene.

6. You have to practice to really know it because it's different at different altitudes and loads, weathers, etc. Best thing to do FIRST is just look up the "corner" speed for your aircraft and use that as your "back of the napkin" note for what speed you get the best turn rate out of. Second: Look up the EM chart for that aircraft and learn to read it.

The EM charts are in the documents folder for your game. Mods/Aircraft/*model*/Docs. There are tutorials on Youtube and online how to read an EM chart. I gotta warn you, they are confusing charts to read at first because they use a 2-axis graph to show you 4 or 5 criteria. This chart will show you different possible turn rates in degrees per second, it will show you turn radius, and at what speed and what G you need to pull to make that turn. If a dive is required to make it, it will even show you how fast you need to dive to make that turn at that rate.

The charts are also set for a specific aircraft fuel/load state (weight), and altitude so your performance may vary. ED has made their planes follow these charts closely but they don't model it exactly (I heard this is intentional for OPSEC reasons), but also in real life these EM charts are very theoretical and based on mathematical calculations anyways.