Falcon is still 40$ lol

Ah, the RESET button loads the defaults? Great! Didn't know about that, but too late now! Do new users still have to do this or is this done automatic with Update 2?

Okay I get that, but I think even on the Keychart (can't look it up now) it's the same. Sometimes I just want to look up quickly how to drop a godamn bomb... then I have to do a mental translation to the keyboard button actually assigned.

I see the problem with different functions in different modes, though. I guess what could be nice is a multi-page keychart grouped by modes, so you'd get an A/G main mode with the standard key functions, maybe multi-colored for different sub modes.

Or I suppose I stop being lazy and could just make the effort to get the Cougar Win7-upgraded... with a 16-Replica Stick it would make a ton of sense.

The Data cartridge is another example of stuff that didn't filter down to me either... I set up my own from a youtube vid, but having an initial default assignment would make a ton of sense.

It's truly a sim for Advanced Addicts and clearly geared at people having been with F4.0 for a while.

I guess my main stumbling block also always is that I have a quite clear "workflow" ingrained from the F/A-18E by Janes and in FS2004 (VRS). The concepts of these two jets are surprisingly different in many key points.

Pages 30-34 in the manual though that one still uses the F-16 HOTAS button names. The more I think about this, with all the different keyfiles in F4 and most people using HOTAS systems and those who don't making their own key bindings... not to mention promoting realism... it would really be a mess if they tried to use keystrokes. It seems to me there is no other way to go about this properly than with the real HOTAS buttons. That's what other sims like DCS do as well BTW, they might include the default keystroke as well, but the emphasis is usually on using the proper control names.



You really should, because it really does. Its almost like flying a different jet, really unlocks a lot of 'hidden' potential. Lets put it this way, fighter jets avionics are developed with the HOTAS in mind, and the HOTAS is developed with the avionics in mind. One is made for the other, and you'll never get 100% out of them if you only use one. Using a different HOTAS which will not match 100% is bearable, not using a HOTAS at all, not so much. Been there as well. The difference the Cougar made compared to a simple joystick was for me like the difference TIR makes. You can fly, but you have to work around those things and your performance is handicapped.



As someone said above, hitting the RESET button will load default settings. Why those are not there to begin with, I don't know.



Well its made by people who have been around F4 for more than a while... I guess sometimes its hard to judge what would make sense to a newcomer or not. The new all-inclusive manual should help a lot when its done, meanwhile the current manuals cover pretty much everything, they're just all over the place, and the community is very helpful.

The reason it is easier to simply say TMS Up or TMS Down instead of the keyboard key combo is because people can change the key combo for the TMS Up function. My CTRL+Up might do something different from your CTRL+Up. So it is easier for me to tell you what functions I use to do something but of course you will have to "translate" that to how you mapped out your functions on your stick. If we are both working with the same gear, ie, TM Warthog, it is easier since I can just tell you "it's that hat switch under the red pickle button," assuming of course that you've set your WH to realistic layout as well.

An example of how key combo naming is not ideal is the F4AF manual. I have used it to "re-learn" Falcon BMS, but everything is screwed up now. IIRC, the F1-F4 keys controlled the radar modes but they are now assigned to countermeasure program modes... if it was written using instructions of accessing various OSBs on the MFDs or the Dogfight switch + TMS buttons to navigate to the proper radar mode, it will work as well in AF as in BMS.

BMS has been geared towards people who have been playing F4 for a while, yes. It mostly assumes you are coming in from F4AF or some other flavor of Falcon.... if you are a new pilot coming in from scratch or transitioning from DCS A10C, well, it'll be a bit tougher. Do-able, but tough. Still, the sim makes it all worth it.

Again, it is no secret that Falcon is one heck of a study sim. DCS A10 had a lot going for it, and that was a dedicated CAS aircraft. The F-16 is a multi-role fighter which can do CAS, SEAD, CAP, OCA, etc. etc. so naturally there will be more to study. Another fact is that it is not written with beginners in mind. But this does not make it any less of a sim, it just makes the "topic" much more interesting. No way around the "study" part but the nice bit is that you can always go at your own pace.

A bit of advice. Find someone to show you the ropes. Falcon can be intimidating, but you can speed up the learning curve dramatically if you can fly with someone with experience. It is also a lot of fun that way.

Or better yet, join a virtual squadron, as I've mentioned above. The decent ones should have a "training program" that will bring you up to speed quite quickly.

Yep. Excellent idea.

You should look into flaming cliffs 2,the systems are pretty easy to learn and there is even a game mode

I'm with BigDOg4215 on this one...

He said he was interested in the Falcon campaign mode and such, whereas FC2 only has scripted missions... If flying and blowing things up in arcade-y third-person was the goal, then yes, I guess FC2 would work. So would DCS A10C (it has an arcade mode too!), HAWX, or even Ace Combat on the PS3/PSP.

Don't complain about hawx is all my life that I'm waiting to face overwhelming enemy forces with and airplane loaded with 50+ missiles and unlimited cannon rounds (and don't tell me that is not fun) . Seriously BMS learning curve is a wall (where i bang my head often) but when it comes to why someone would fly a simulated warbird immediate fun is not the reason i spend more time designing panels and tweaking my cockpit parts than actually flying (I'm an happy grease monkey but a bad pilot).

As Ice said the only thing that interests me is the campaign mode. If it had a visual training guide like DCS A10c/P51/Blackshark 2 I would be happy to play it but it doesn't seem to so I'll probably stick with the DCS series. I did download Falcon 4.0 just to try BMS, I don't think I want to take that plunge with no training mode so I'll likely uninstall it.

Why giving up so soon? Like I said, there is no training but joining a vSquadron will give you better training than even DCS did!

I'm not into multiplayer and teamspeak etc. is the problem.

If there's any quick start guides out there just to get the engine started, flying and some explanation on weapon systems I would be willing to stick with it. I found a video series but I would prefer PDF's or forum threads.

No need for a tutorial on how to start the engine. Unless you want to learn the 10-20 minute ramp start, your engine will always be running when you spawn in.

Ahhh, startup is my favorite part of flight sims!

There is Red Dog's checklist... should be in the Docs/Checklists & Cockpit Diagrams/F-16 Checklists folder. Filename is Main Checklists.pdf. Or you can do the startup tutorial with the training scripts, but turn off TIR before you do it so that the script can "point" your view to the panels you should be looking at.

Fair enough, but it's hard for someone to teach you via forums You can simply do multiplayer for your training, but I don't see why you prefer AI wingmen over human ones. Remember each time you wished you could ask your wingman for better support or help? Or you wanted him to do something but there was no command for it? Or wished he wasn't so show-off during aerial refuelling? Go with a Human wingman -- better in every way. In fact, that's one reason I never played any of the DCS missions myself. Stupid AI wingman would spot targets up to 15nm but wouldn't really tell you more. Human wingman could share SPI with you and stuff.

Plus gone are the days wherein you fly with someone and they warp all over the place (happens sometimes in DCS, but not BMS). I do formation flying with the guys I fly with and it is smooth as butter. Well, at least until the flak and SAMs start flying!

Agreed. The beauty of BMS is how easy is to fly a campaign with other people. If it's been a single player campaign you can fly it cooperatively. If it's been a cooperative campaign you can play it single player. Simply amazing.