Noob wanting guide how to get started

[Nosscar]

I am looking to try get into this game, i love the idea of flying around and in particular helicopters are my main interest. I am looking for the best guides on how to manage certain ways to get started.
First things are how and where to get free mods for a helicopter, i do own a thrustmaster t-1600m hotas, throttle ect, i also own a pico 4 headset, how do i use it with DCS. Any good joystick preset configs available for my hotas.
How do i find and install mods.
Any guides on flying basics, just so much right now i need to find and learn. Any help apprciated.

[bignewy]

Hi,

DCS World Manuals, Guides and Tutorials
Manuals can also be found in your game files
DCS World\Doc
Or module specific
DCS World\Mods\aircraft\AH-64D\Doc
Download Manuals Here:
https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/documentation/

Chucks Guides:
https://chucksguides.com/#dcs
Ralfidude 0 to Hero - A-10C Series
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYA7v8u34qu89mbs4TGGEIhkwJ8kgFRWr
Ralfidude 0 to Hero - Su-25T Series
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYA7v8u34qu_LHSgylMs2_ww6KcKc_pis
Check out Matt "Wags" Wagner for some of the best tutorials on DCS Modules here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MattWagner

and join us on discord https://discordapp.com/invite/eagledynamics

[Gunfreak]

I second getting the Huey and using than to learn.
There is only one ok Helicopter mod out and its the Blackhawk. It's an OK mod. Bit nothing on the proper Helicopter moduals.
There's also an OH-6 and Cobra mod in the works. Both will probably be better the blackhawk. So I too recommend the Huey.

[Poonflap]

So if you are looking for a little more plug and play VR helicopter experience that you don't need anything other than your VR headset and joysticks (not thrustmaster setup, just handcontrollers) then I would recommend VTOL VR and buy the helicopter mod thats like ten bucks. its nothing like DCS, it is for people who just want to fly and shoot at stuff, but you can fly with multiplayer as a gunner or pilot and it's a blast.

Graphics are nothing like DCS. Again, this is just for the pure love of flying a helicopter and shooting at stuff. The game from the opening credits will look cheesy and you will be like,"no way i bought this." but then you will do the tutorials and start flying around and then you'll go play multiplayer and next thing you know it's four hours later and your palms are sweaty because you are ducking under SAM's and masking behind ♥♥♥♥ and blowing stuff up! HOO RA.

But DCS is still the ♥♥♥♥. Once you learn everything. Think of it as an actual course in how to really fly these vehicles. Because it is exactly that. Nobody flies for ♥♥♥♥ on day one. Lucky to get the plane started. Start reading the Chucks guides.

In the meantime, take out your frustration in VTOL VR where anybody can be a pilot.

[Nosscar]

thanks for the replies, i did get into the game with one of the 2 free planes, did a quick start flying already, in vr with joystick i found it easy enough to control basic flying and loved the vr experience, so i think i will take the advice here and go for the huey.

[bignewy]

Please note on the stand alone version of DCS you can get 50% discount on first basket for participating modules, there is also free trials for many products so you can try before you buy.

[Troll Norris]

Beginner guide
https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3326416/

[Xupicor]

If you go for the Huey, I'd be glad to show you the ropes. We should be in a similar time zone too.

[Nosscar]

found the huey 1m version for free, but flying it is a pig, download profile for it, but still hard to control

[Xupicor]

"huey 1m version for free"
Huh?

[Actionjackson]

Get FC3, best value, best for beginners. Dont fall for expensive planes with 1000 buttons to press but you can not properly fly in a month or more.
In FC3 you get lots of great planes and you can use them in short time, and you can use them on servers to have good fun quickly.

Once you know how to "fly" you can still buy an expensive plane that has massive learning curve before you can do anything meaningful with it.

[TequilaZaire]

Originally posted by Actionjackson:

Get FC3, best value, best for beginners. Dont fall for expensive planes with 1000 buttons to press but you can not properly fly in a month or more.
In FC3 you get lots of great planes and you can use them in short time, and you can use them on servers to have good fun quickly.

Once you know how to "fly" you can still buy an expensive plane that has massive learning curve before you can do anything meaningful with it.

This was certainly true some years back, but the maturity of development with modules like the F-18 make learning a Full Fidelity plane quite easy. Mastering the systems takes time, but you certainly don't need a month to fly the F-18 and have some fun. The F-16 in particular is a fun start these days as it's cockpit is excellent for new players given the visibility, systems, variety of roles, and ability to take what ones learns to that OTHER well known F-16 sim and it's amazing mod.

[Actionjackson]

I am not saying it can not be done,... if all you want to do is amraam AI arse in PvE severs than this can be done reasonably quick-ish.
But download the PDF manual for a full fidelity plane, no matter which one, and tell me its easy to learn, it has hundreds of pages alone, and this is only for the plane, not the skills needed to succeed with it.

Flying to point A and firing off 6 amraam or dropping some dumb bombs is not very difficult, but once you have to "fight" in the plane without massive advantage of super missiles you are nothing but a victim(for a long time).

The FC3 planes let you be competent a lot(a LOT) quicker, focus on what is important, playing, fighting and flying, and not having to press 1000 buttons and remember layers upon layers of systems and knobs.
Also you have A-A planes and A-G planes included for less money. In terms of value it is unbeatable

At least this is my opinion, i know not everyone agrees with that.

@OP i suggest checking out the FC3 planes(or FC3 dlc as a whole) on YT and see if this would be something you enjoy.

[Troll Norris]

I remember that I had Falcon 4.0 over 10 years ago. It used to be my first study level sim that I've ever played. I've learned how to start up engine, take off and land in less than two days. It is not so difficult. You just need 3 things: reading, understanding the text, patience.

[TequilaZaire]

Originally posted by Actionjackson:

I am not saying it can not be done,... if all you want to do is amraam AI arse in PvE severs than this can be done reasonably quick-ish.
But download the PDF manual for a full fidelity plane, no matter which one, and tell me its easy to learn, it has hundreds of pages alone, and this is only for the plane, not the skills needed to succeed with it.

Flying to point A and firing off 6 amraam or dropping some dumb bombs is not very difficult, but once you have to "fight" in the plane without massive advantage of super missiles you are nothing but a victim(for a long time).

The FC3 planes let you be competent a lot(a LOT) quicker, focus on what is important, playing, fighting and flying, and not having to press 1000 buttons and remember layers upon layers of systems and knobs.
Also you have A-A planes and A-G planes included for less money. In terms of value it is unbeatable

At least this is my opinion, i know not everyone agrees with that.

@OP i suggest checking out the FC3 planes(or FC3 dlc as a whole) on YT and see if this would be something you enjoy.

Re-read the OP's original post. He wanted to pilot a helicopter. Even at their easiest, they tend to be pretty in depth. That depth and "1000 buttons" is part of the fun/challenge. Particularly for those who want to play the game as a focused simulation, go through campaigns, and understand the skills needed of flight and aircraft systems. It's why the Huey was recommended as its essentially the "FC3" of the helicopter modules. I say that because it's straightforward, not because it's paired down like an FC3 module.

MP is definitely another beast, but it's also not the end goal for the majority of players. This has been discussed in the past. While FC3 does make things relatively easy, it's also no longer an accurate picture of modern sims. Learning a full fidelity module early on opens the doors to the methodology of modern modules A LOT faster. I stopped recommending FC3 not because it's not fun or obsolete, but because finding help, tutorials, user guides, videos, etc. is so easy these days for the popular full fidelity modules. It's easy for a true noob to learn on their own and ask specific questions rapidly. It also lets them fly the kind of aircraft that likely drew them to DCS in the first place.

Your opinion is totally valid and more so if the focus of a player is what you described, but I think we're at a point where the full fidelity modules aren't quite a scary as we make them out to be. When I came back to DCS after a healthy years long break, I dove into FC3 as I felt the full fidelity modules would indeed be "too much." FC3 reminded me of the sims I'd grown up with and was using before I'd taken said break. Yet, I was shocked how forgiving and rewarding the F-18 was and ended up transitioning over.

Ultimately though, the only thing that will keep a player committed to this hobby is if they are flying something that interests them.

[TequilaZaire]

Originally posted by Troll Norris:

I remember that I had Falcon 4.0 over 10 years ago. It used to be my first study level sim that I've ever played. I've learned how to start up engine, take off and land in less than two days. It is not so difficult. You just need 3 things: reading, understanding the text, patience.

That and the Top Gun soundtrack playing in the background.