Eh there and welcome to the club. I was the same way only I had an older set of X52s to fly with... but it wasn't until I got in here and saw how awesome the HOTAS setup really was. The TIR5 was something I'd wanted for years (earlier models) and I bought both at the same time. Then of course I had to go away and was unable to play for awhile. Then, by the time my controlers showed up I was able to play once or twice then had to go away again! GAH!

Anyway, once they come in take a browse through my thread (A10 late night)- there are a few things I had some trouble with the initial setup that are walked through so that beginners (like me) can understand them. And to that end I should point out that these guys are GREAT with beginners- they're not all snob and "how about learn where the search feature is there, N008!" All of my questions were welcomed and answered.

Just make sure to get up in the air multiplayer soonest- having someone walk you through some of the finer points of the sim is a HUGE help! And I have to say that flying in formation with a couple of wingmen at your side is pretty wild- look back there and see him right where he's supposed to be, looking right at you (pilots heads move in the cockpit in MP)... VERY cool!

Thanks all!

@Wrecking Crew: Yeah, the "new remote" didn't go down too well; "How do I start the DVD??" "*Ahem* Weapons release button, darling."

Concerning TrackIR 4 & 5, the reason I thought to go with 4 is that the set available on Amazon.co.jp includes the ClipPro... I know the resolution isn't as good on 4 which does give me second thoughts, but the price difference is a whopping 10,000 yen... incidentally the price of the MFDs! In the end I can't resist the pull of extra buttons

I do actually have one quick question: Do most people play with the red & blue ally/enemy labels switched on? It's kind of difficult to make out on Youtube videos. Part of me would like to turn them off for realism, but would that just make target acquisition ridiculously difficult? This question is jumping the gun a little since I'll be staying away from weapons until the WH arrives, but it's been on my mind.

The labels, if allowed by the host, can be switched On/Off by the client (you) with LShift-F10. You will want to turn them off soonest, prolly. IMHO, use the F10 and F7 views a lot, and know your autopilot (AP) modes and use them a lot, too. You'll have your head down flipping switches and stuff so the AP comes in very handy. And get comfortable using the Trim; with a TIR you must reprogram the HOTAS Stick Trim to the actual Trim functions - get the trim right and you won't have to apply constant stick pressure when the AP is off.

It's pretty tough to find targets without the labels or views unless a waypoint is right on top of it, so when you are starting out don't hesitate to take advantage of everything, especially at night . After a while you will get familiar with the TAD and be able to place the TAD cursor where you want and then switch to the TGP to search the area without the aids. And there are ways to triangulate an RWR threat with the TAD and Mark Points. Other pilots can broadcast their 'SPI' when they have a target to share. Last evening PMike was sending me red triangle target designators over SADL...

I'm making some missions where the labels are allowed. (I'm new to mission making so they are helping me right now.) New pilots can use them, old hands can turn them off. Where the labels are not allowed then you are left to depend on reading the mission briefing carefully. When you don't have anything else to key from, take note of the towns or landmarks near the targets and use those as starting points for your TGP search - like starting a road search from a known bridge. Ask your CIA pals for the target coordinates and plug those into your CDU before you take off and you'll never need a label again. (This is giving me a great idea for another mission.)



The CIA - if you can find them - can tell you the target coordinates. F10 View. Click on a target. F7 View. Copy the coordinates and enter them into your CDU.


W

All excellent advice! I'd seen the map screen on one YouTube video, but hadn't figured out how to bring it up, so even that is a big help, and I think I'll make entering coordinates into the CDU my practice objective for tonight!

If I'd known about the F10 map view my experience the other night would have ended differently... on a practice flight I couldn't resist amateurishly strafing some BMPs, but I took a missile (?) in return which knocked out my HUD, left MFCD and one or two other things. A little panicked, I tried to head back to the airfield and flew straight over a couple of SAMs! Miraculously neither engine flamed out (in the replay track one does and the track shows me dying ) but I lost EVERYTHING except altitude & climb indicators, and the whiskey compass. No HDI even! Radio was still up so I called Tbilisi for a return vector, and when I followed it I saw the entire airfield was surrounded by T-72s?! Not wanting to get captured by the Russians and apparently losing fuel from my left tanks, I made a grass landing inside friendly lines. Lost the wheels but kept the nose out of the dirt! Fantastic experience despite how I could have handled every step better in hindsight, it has made me very aware of how different this is to any "game"!

You will learn quickly that strafing BMPs can be the most dangerous thing you do. These things are impressively accurate, even more than the tank MGs. To give you an idea, I do not fire on tanks until 0.7nm, but BMPs I fire from at least 1.5nm so that by the time they fire at me, I'm already peeling off.

^^^^

They do happen to have an anti-air guidance mode for their guns. If you ever played Steel Beasts PRO PE, you will find that the CV9030/40 series has such an anti-air mode. It's a bit complicated to use, but if you do it right it's quite accurate, especially with the use of special fragmenting rounds.

Welcome Xray, you have chosen a great sim and a good place to hang. people here are friendly and top notch, also remember that the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.

Staffan

Thanks again for all the welcomes!

I intended to be posting pictures of my heavenly TM Warthog setup over the next day or two... but the company's not doing its best and payday has been postponed...! The agony continues!

Finally!



I ended up bowing to WC's wisdom and got the TIR5, so no MFCDs for a while. It is SUCH a breath of fresh air to have all the controls at my fingertips... and the pull on the TM Warthog trigger is much more satisfying than I could have imagined! I'm seriously getting into training now, but expect to see me in Multiplayer once I've got Teamspeak etc. figured out. (And a little more used to the new setup)

One thing that surprised me is that with my heels down... the toe brakes are applied? Have I got this set up oppoaite to the way it should be? I'm an utter newcomer to using pedals, so any pointers would be very welcome.

Now to get myself better acquainted with the Maverick!

Go to the controls and tick the Invert box for both your left and right brakes.

Options -> Controls tab -> Axis Commands drop down -> Wheel Brake Left/Right

Welcome again, and congrats on the new setup. Once you get the hang of the A10, and clicking those tiny OSB buttons, get yourself a pair of Cougar MFDs... THEN you'll see the difference that simple piece of hardware makes!!