Only HUEY + Syria, worth it?

[nikdonikde]

Hey, I'm looked on some youtube videos and I really like this game however price tag of DLC's always put me out of this.

If I'm going to buy only Huey and Syria for SP only, is it worth it? Is there enough content, dynamic missions or campaigns in the game to justify the price?

[nikdonikde]

+ In case of dynamic campaign or mission will there be other assets avaiable and controlled by AI which I don't buy?

- Also I'm wondering between Huey and Hind, basically I would love to play CAS role on another hand I'm not very profficient in air simulators, which one would you recommend?

[Xupicor]

Go to DCS World website - make yourself an account. Download the standalone edition of DCS (Stable or Open Beta if you would like to train some flying with others, you can always switch between them), enroll into the trial program.

NOTE: You don't have to redownload everything if you have Steam version installed. They are nearly the same - google how to go from Steam to Standalone. The info is out there.

On the trial get the Syria map free for two weeks. Get the Huey free for two weeks. You will be able to check if you don't have performance issues with your hardware. All without paying a cent.


Then try to learn flying in the Huey. You will need some basics tutorials, you can even watch stuff about basic IRL helicopter flying - aerodynamics will likely be applicable to DCS.

With fixed wing I'd say go for whichever plane interests you the most to keep the motivation up when learning to fly.
Helicopters... They want to kill you. All the time. So I'd say Huey is the best helicopter module to learn flying in. It has what you need, simple cockpit, good visibility, little distractions, it's forgiving in its flying characteristics and won't surprise you with a suddenly disabled flight augmentation/stabilization system.

Learn your take-offs, hovers, cruise and landings - you'll have two weeks to do that. There are online communities dedicated to learning/teaching where you can go and fly with more experienced people to help you get up to speed too.

When you feel confident in the Huey, grab the Hind trial. Hind is a different beast entirely.
Or ignore my advice antirely and just jump into both of them. You're the man in charge, after all.


Explore the forums and User Files part of ED's website. There's a lot of content from liveries to missions that is player-made and is free. There are some free tools to generate missions and campaigns for you, though like with everything, there's a learning curve to them, and I'm not sure how well they incorporate helicopter specific missions.

There are online servers and communities dedicated to low level hell flying too.


Another thing - Huey can provide some CAS but it has no means of countering tanks and with no automated warning systems you will not even know if you're just being locked by a SAM site or if a missile is going straight for you. In context of DCS you would use it for troop transport*, logistics*, maybe as a gunship if the situation allows it.
*) if and when supported by scripting on a particular mission/server

The Hind is an attack helicopter - it has the means to tackle (a tank...) targets from greater distance with more modern armament.

Both are great, though.

assets avaiable and controlled by AI which I don't buy?

Yes.

is it worth it

That's something only you can judge for yourself. They are worth it as simulations alone for me.
I don't fly much SP content at all, mainly training or flying with other people - that's where the meat of the game is for me, so the assessment of that side of the picture I'll leave to others that do.

[Gunfreak]

Syria is a fantastic helicopter map. Lots of small, medium and large urban areas. Quite beautiful lush agricultural places along the coast, even some forests. Then you have the desert parts too.

You can also do fake nam, with just the Huey and Marianas map.
In this mission, the only payed modual is the Huey, everything else is free with the game or free mods.

https://youtu.be/9d0RxvQPznU

[Wolfsun]

NOTE: I do not have the STEAM version as I bought DCS way many years ago from DCS and never saw the need to add in the STEAM version.

You stated, @OP that you are not very proficient at flying.

In my experience with PC aviation sims (going all the way back to the early 80's) and including DCS, flying a helicopter is way more difficult than a fixed wing aircraft. For me at least it is. Pretty sure there are some that it just comes natural to. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones.

I have the Black Shark DLC - a HOTAS control system and I eventually just gave up on it.

Start out fixed wing and play with the aircraft that comes with the base DCS game until you get a good handle on what you like to fly and how to do it. Save the money until you know you can play DCS - not every one can. It's very detailed and very realistic (which by the way is one of the reasons the aircraft DLC is so darned expensive).

[nikdonikde]

Originally posted by Wolfsun:

NOTE: I do not have the STEAM version as I bought DCS way many years ago from DCS and never saw the need to add in the STEAM version.

You stated, @OP that you are not very proficient at flying.

In my experience with PC aviation sims (going all the way back to the early 80's) and including DCS, flying a helicopter is way more difficult than a fixed wing aircraft. For me at least it is. Pretty sure there are some that it just comes natural to. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones.

I have the Black Shark DLC - a HOTAS control system and I eventually just gave up on it.

Start out fixed wing and play with the aircraft that comes with the base DCS game until you get a good handle on what you like to fly and how to do it. Save the money until you know you can play DCS - not every one can. It's very detailed and very realistic (which by the way is one of the reasons the aircraft DLC is so darned expensive).

Hey thanks for advises, same for others. I could stated it better. I flied some IL2, MFS etc. however I never deep dived enough because of fixed wing aircrafts. They just dont have that appeal or ''sexines'' for me as helicopters does.

That's also the reason why I'm not really into fly sims, there are no sims with helicopters or at least decent games. ARMA 3 is simplified and behave oddly, it's hard to sync hotas. MFS is more arcadey then realistic and while some helicopters will be implemented it's not gonna be really that experience I'm looking for because it's made for wide audience.

So this game seems like only my solution to fly Huey except getting the license in real life. I read DCS Huey manual already, which I'm suprised myself I keep through it since it's a lot of pages with technical instructions so I think this would be safe bet.

I have some cheaper HOTAS but now I'm more concerned about singleplayer and how worth it is to pay for it. I heard there was some dynamic campaign and now isn't? Scripted missions are fine but it's not something with a lot of replayibility.

So my concern is now more if the game is worth for anything else (in terms of content) except simulated physics and detailed aircrafts.

[Wolfsun]

@OP:
There are 3 campaigns for the Huey. The one with the best reviews takes place in the Phillipines and from the description sounds like it's right up your alley. Take a look.

[Gunfreak]

Originally posted by nikdonikde:

Originally posted by Wolfsun:

NOTE: I do not have the STEAM version as I bought DCS way many years ago from DCS and never saw the need to add in the STEAM version.

You stated, @OP that you are not very proficient at flying.

In my experience with PC aviation sims (going all the way back to the early 80's) and including DCS, flying a helicopter is way more difficult than a fixed wing aircraft. For me at least it is. Pretty sure there are some that it just comes natural to. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones.

I have the Black Shark DLC - a HOTAS control system and I eventually just gave up on it.

Start out fixed wing and play with the aircraft that comes with the base DCS game until you get a good handle on what you like to fly and how to do it. Save the money until you know you can play DCS - not every one can. It's very detailed and very realistic (which by the way is one of the reasons the aircraft DLC is so darned expensive).

Hey thanks for advises, same for others. I could stated it better. I flied some IL2, MFS etc. however I never deep dived enough because of fixed wing aircrafts. They just dont have that appeal or ''sexines'' for me as helicopters does.

That's also the reason why I'm not really into fly sims, there are no sims with helicopters or at least decent games. ARMA 3 is simplified and behave oddly, it's hard to sync hotas. MFS is more arcadey then realistic and while some helicopters will be implemented it's not gonna be really that experience I'm looking for because it's made for wide audience.

So this game seems like only my solution to fly Huey except getting the license in real life. I read DCS Huey manual already, which I'm suprised myself I keep through it since it's a lot of pages with technical instructions so I think this would be safe bet.

I have some cheaper HOTAS but now I'm more concerned about singleplayer and how worth it is to pay for it. I heard there was some dynamic campaign and now isn't? Scripted missions are fine but it's not something with a lot of replayibility.

So my concern is now more if the game is worth for anything else (in terms of content) except simulated physics and detailed aircrafts.

As Wolfson said there are 3 campaigns for the Huey(a 4th is coming) and paradise lost is seen as very good. However it does require you to be very proficient in the Huey mabye not expert. But already in the first mission of the campaign there is a lot to deal with, it over an hour long I think, there is navigation, radio as well as taking off and landing while very heavy and landing in very small landing zones. You should probably be quite good at the Huey before venturing out into that campaign.

There isn't any dynamic campaign in the game. However you can download program called liberation, which is a dynamic campaign for DCS, including logistics if I remember.

It's also quite easy to make your own mission in the editor. Depending on what you make of it. There is a lot you can do to make helicopter flying in DCS even better. VR being the main thing. Almost everyone who flies helicopter and have tested VR as it's much easier in VR than on a regular screen.
I personally just got a collective and cyclic, which together with VR makes the whole thing super immersive.

[xcvb]

The huey requires a lot of skills. If you're not that good at flying helis, the Ka-50 might be an option. It has an autopilot that makes flying the heli arcade-like, but the autopilot can also be turned off.

[Gunfreak]

You can also download the Blackhawk mod. Let's you fly helicopter without paying.

[spike2071]

If you want the Huey, get the Huey. There is plenty of single player content.

It comes with a set of training missions, 3 standalone missions, and a campaign. There are 136 single player missions on the DCS User Files[www.digitalcombatsimulator.com] section, and 13 campaigns. You might not be able to play them all, as they might be on maps you don't own. The quality of the campaigns can differ as well, but the most popular map is generally the Caucuses.

Speaking of maps, you get 2 with the free game: Caucuses and Marianas (Marianas is considered a free DLC so you'll have to "buy" it for $0). I would stick with those 2 at first and see if you like the Huey enough to then spend money on other maps.

Many of the campaigns people are talking about in this thread are campaigns you have to buy. The price is usually around $10 per campaign, but it varies. The quality is usually better, but that also varies.

There are user-made attempts at a dynamic campaign called Liberation[github.com] and Through the Inferno.[www.digitalcombatsimulator.com]

I'd wait for a sale because the Huey is 50% off on sales. Or, as others have stated, you can download the game direct from the DCS site and get 2 week trials and 50% off[www.digitalcombatsimulator.com] your first purchase (it doesn't stack with sales). There is usually a sale around Halloween if you want to stay on Steam.

I don't know if your HOTAS has anything for simulating a rudder, but that might be needed if you don't have foot/rudder pedals.

I know you mentioned SP content, but there are also MP servers that have jobs for the Huey by simulating troop and supply missions.

[Noobiecanoobie]

The Huey was the first module I purchased. You could say I bought into DCS just for the Huey... and it was good. It also happens to be what I flew last session (yesterday), so still a favorite!

Good thing is, there are campaigns and free missions for Huey using the default map and Syria. So what you're considering is okay, you can't go too wrong if you love choppers.

The Huey comes bundled with a campaign, which I quite enjoyed. Multiplayer servers have rescue missions for the Huey, but I haven't played enough MP to comment further.

While the price conscious may want to wait for a sale, your first DCS purchase is always at the sale price (50% off most items, less for some). So if this is your first purchase, pack it in to take advantage.

[nikdonikde]

I actually bought Huey and Syria, thanks to all for recommendation and advises.

With 50% discount it wasn't much so I hope that it will be worth it, especially big thanks for recommendation on Liberation gamemode.

Seeing you all later in the game once I will be at least able to land :)