New Aerofly FS2 Player - My biggest concern

[Neurosys]

Hi, I only play VR and while I found my initial flights today enjoyable, I had a helluva time with those controls. I'm tempted to post my twitch stream of the act, so you can hear my swearing and exclaiming "why the hell would you put the throttle and the view change on the same stick!!?!?" as I shot down the runway, reaching my virtual hands for the tailfins from outside, cursing all that is aerofly. I gave in to temptation: here it is https://www.twitch.tv/videos/487317564?t=00h00m58s

Ofc, I eventually got most controls figured and was able to clumsily take off and land at another airport, finding most of the controls as I bobbed between clouds.

I like the game, but I dont like the UI, I cant get the HUD to go away regardless of options set. I would like to see a default controller scheme for the Index, with no insanity on the sticks, or a "hey your using VR, want to set your basic controls?" and include options for "I dont want a button for that". Also the "recenter VR" key default, should be on the VR controllers, not the keyboard (smh).

Lastly, the gripping of the steering joystick is non-existent, you have to "grab" motion it and the hand does not snap to the stick model nor follow it, which just sucks a bit.

For perspective, when I decided I wanted VR FS, I went with this over X-Plane 11 and after seeing VR I'm not upset but im curious if I should get X-Plane instead.

I hope the developers find this feedback useful and welcome others to jump in with their experience and/or tips.

[Jan (IPACS)]

Per default each control device is assigned as labeled on the box it ships in, that means we bought a bunch of devices, looked at their packaging and made the control assignments work out of the box as labeled on your device's box.
If you connect multiple devices you should probably tweek the assignments first and set them to your liking. The control assignments allow for multiple devices to control the same function, e.g. you can have a yoke and joystick connected at the same time that control both aileron and elevator for example.

When you fly with VR hands you don't need to set up anything related to the hardware controls and per default no stick on the hand controller does two things at once.
When you press the menu button briefly it will center the view, no need to reach for the keyboard.
If you press and hold that menu button for one second it will bring up an overlay that explains all of the button functions and also enables the controllers to change the views.
if you push and hold the button longer you return to the main menu.

The controllers are described in more detail on our official website:
https://www.aerofly.com/tutorials/vr-controls/

and in our official wiki:
https://www.aerofly.com/dokuwiki/doku.php/manual:virtual_reality

The main menu interface is designed to work on desktop, in VR as well as on mobile touch displays...

[Neurosys]

You've just confirmed that the control scheme is terrible.

The left index stick adjusts throttle and if you hit it wrong, will change your view and then obscure it with the idiotic attempted rendering of the controller and btw, you have to hold it more than 1s and returning to the menu does not reset the scenario,

You really trying to convince me this wasnt phoned in?

I'm a consumer software developer by trade, so dont try and tell me just because "we planned it that way" means its the right way. The scheme is bad, fix it.

You can quote the wiki all you want, but that does not mean it actually works that way (and it does not function as you described it, though I believe you think it does, this is evidence that very little if any testing was performed.

You simultaneously stated that no button has more then 1 control then described the "menu button" with at least 4 different functions. On the index, this is really the left stick, which is not our "menu" button.

"The main menu interface is designed to work on desktop, in VR as well as on mobile touch displays..."

Well you've failed marvelously. Btw, when a customer tells you you've failed, it means you've failed. You can argue with you customers if you want, but I dont advise it.

WTF IS THIS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE:

https://www.aerofly.com/site/assets/files/4572/vr_hand_features.700x0.png

Fail.

[lel]

The mappings for the valve index controller are simply wrong. The left joystick opens the menu at the same time as you operate the rudder and switch between camera views. Absolute madness and unplayable... Is there hope for a fix or will I have to make use of the refund?!

[Neurosys]

Originally posted by lel:

The mappings for the valve index controller are simply wrong. The left joystick opens the menu at the same time as you operate the rudder and switch between camera views. Absolute madness and unplayable... Is there hope for a fix or will I have to make use of the refund?!

Thank you for confirming that, this is precisely what I was referring to.
---

I refunded and bought Xplane-11, I should have done so from the start, couldnt be happier.

BTW, everything that is wonky in this title, works as expected in X-Plane.

I had called this release a failure but it's more than that, it's a cheap ripoff of a better product.

Get X-Plane, it hits all the markers this one misses.

I was open about trying alternatives and this title simply took advantage of that, once I returned to the path, smooth sailing all the way home.

[Nethiuz]

LOL you trying to fly with hand controllers?
Stop being poor and get a HOTUS!
Works perfectly fine and also i own FS2 and XPLANE.. Both are good, Xplane however runs like crap in VR and is ancient OpenGL, it does a lot of things WORSE than FS2
DCS is better than both!
I use Valve Index as well.

[lel]

Well, i really like the cockpit-interaction with the tracked controllers and i know, that a HOTAS is more precise than flying with the tracked controllers... the problem, however, is a very noticeable error in the button mapping and those should not be there if you advertise you product with "VR Controls" and stuff...

btw: VTOL VR is a perfect example for VR-Cockpit-interaction done right!

[Nethiuz]

I think the perfect combination would be some finger tip less (for feel) VR gloves so you can use a HOTUS then just touch things with your bare hands.
Oh i wish.

[Jan (IPACS)]

As far as I know the Valve Index is not yet listed as a supported device. We officially support the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive (pro) but the controllers for the Index obviously seem to have a different default layout so that the behavior is not as intended. I wonder why it works at all :)

Please give us the chance to buy a Valve Index and then set up its controllers correctly.

[lel]

It is listed as a supported device...
https://imgur.com/a/w5rbS23

[Jan (IPACS)]

I believe those are added because we support Steam VR, I was referring to our official website... Anyway we'll make sure the index controllers are working as they should.

[jerryzito18]

I don't use VR. I have a Thrustmaster joy stick. The game does not recognize the controller.

[Mike1304]

Originally posted by Jan:

I believe those are added because we support Steam VR, I was referring to our official website... Anyway we'll make sure the index controllers are working as they should.

Hi, I'm glad that you write you will fix the problem with the index-controllers (Knuckles). Problem is that your post is many months old and it seems the problem is still there. I always used Aerofly FS2 with my Oculus Rift and the touch-controllers. Now I changed my VR-headset to a Pimax 8K plus which comes bundled with Valve Index Controllers (Knuckles). So the Pimax also uses the same controllers like the Valve Index headset. AND THEY DON'T WORK CORRECTLY!!!
Please fix this as soon as possible. Can't believe that I can't play this marvelous flightsim anymore.... :-(