It's been a great relationship, with more than a few ups and downs along the way, but I am saying goodbye to Falcon. I remember buying Falcon 4 in 1999. I still have the spiral bound manual, and it is still a beauty. But it wasn't until 4 or 5 years ago that I seriously got into it. I met some friends online, and started the journey of discovering the incredible F-16 Falcon. Being able to engage A-A and A-G targets, learning about all the weapons systems, and countless other skills was really an amazing experience. Not to mention the Campaign! We had a server running a war 24/7 and we would join it every day, and find a totally new reality. That campaign engine has its limits, but wow was it good. One weekend while visiting my parents, I was helping my dad clean out the garage. What do I run across in one box? A 3.5" disk for Falcon. It was a previous version (I think just Falcon). We talked about it, and how the engineers over at Douglas played it for hours.

But all good things come to an end, and now I am starting a new journey with DCS. I am not sure which aircraft to start with, but I do have a few (rather limited) choices. And to support ED, I have purchased everything over the past few years, even though I was flying Falcon. The Black Shark looks interesting, but I have only really known fast movers. The A-10 might be worth a go, although I would miss tthe A-A dogfights. And then there's the P-51. Somehow it just doesn't do it for me. I could check out the SU25T, but without a clickabout cockpit and extreme AFM it could be a letdown.

I am actually not sure which direction I am going, and I would love to know what you guys think. I am also eagerly waiting to find out what Wags and Company have in store for us next. I expect that whatever fixed wing US aircraft they announce will be my next Falcon. In the meantime I will start learning about DCS, flying missions, and making sure my rig is up to snuff.

Anyone has any recommendations on aircraft? Where should I start getting serious? It's DCS or bust from here on out.

Really depends on what you want. The most challenging to fly is of course the Ka-50, in which I've spend more hours flying in an empty map doing (or trying to do) acrobatics. Instrument and avionics wise the A-10 is the best. As for the Su-25, it does have an AFM, and although it's a bit more versatile than the A-10 since it can do SEAD, its avionics/system symplicity makes it less interesting.

Maybe hold out for just a bit more time, some of the third party developers have a bunch of fast movers in production, some of them with similar fidelity as other DCS modules ( The F-15 will be one of them ). http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3584763/IRIS_Flight_Simulations_takes_.html

I'm waiting for a fast mover myself, I don't want to start learning an aircraft I have no interest in. I would dive down in any length manual for the F-15, that's for sure :

The downside I predict once fast movers come in is that the current map we have will start to look VERY small.

robmypro, as a simmer who has flown AF, then DCS A10C since Beta 3, then moved to BMS, I would say you will never say goodbye to Falcon. Why? Simply because of the dynamic campaign. Compared to that, the "campaigns" in DCS are going to feel very static and empty. A good mission designer can make a theatre come alive a bit, but nothing like Falcon wherein things are also going around you, other aircraft are doing their own mission as you are doing yours. Nothing gets more alive than that. So enjoy learning DCS, but don't say goodbye to Falcon just yet!

As to your question, I heartily recommend the A10. First, let me say why I don't like the other aircraft:
P51 - the theatre, opposition, and targets are too... modern for this aircraft. Until they can create an era-specific theatre for this, I'd lose the "suspension of disbelief" too soon to make it any fun.
Su-25 - although I loved the other fast movers from FC2, the Su-25 never really caught my attention. In DCS, the lack of clickable cockpit is the main drawback for this aircraft.
Ka-50 - let's just say that having one flight model for single-player and a different one for multiplayer really killed it for me. Aside from that, you are too task-saturated just flying the helicopter. It's a fun aircraft to fly, but not so when you have to fly-and-fight in it.

At the moment, I feel that DCS A10 is the most complete aircraft they have at the moment so that is the one most worthy of investing time in. Learn the ropes in version 1.1.1.1, the DCS World module seems to be a bit buggy at the moment --- but you can have both versions installed in your PC so get both and you can jump between one or the other if you want to.

Good luck!

I don't know where you got that idea - the mission options decide the Easy or real flight model, not multiplayer.

Nate

I realize that but after joining a few MP servers, I wondered after the 3rd or 4th time why my Ka-50 was handling rather beautifully, not like the b*tch it usually was, whereupon I was told that the FM was usually changed in MP because the AFM was too taxing "computation-wise" for the MP environment. SP was fine, but not in MP. Can you confirm that then? Will a MP server be having difficulties if there were, say, 10 Ka-50s all with AFM in a mission with A10s and all the other flights in a typical MP mission?

No that's not correct, the FM is calculated on the client - position, orientation and speed are then transmitted to the server.

Whoever told you that was very mistaken.

Nate

I want some of what your smoking FM is no different


I'm the exact opposite I find the A-10 to taxing, once you get the Autopilot and Flight director down the Ka50 is a beast. I enjoy the su25t as well (still going to fast)...I guess I just dislike avionics

Thanks for the confirmation, Nate! Good to know, thanks!

shadylurker, I have found the A-10 simply a beauty to fly. With the right trim, it'll fly itself off the ground and if set up correctly, you can even do a hands-off landing. I easily yank-and-bank too much that the stall horn blares in my ear constantly, but if I am patient enough it turns rather quickly anyway. Flying AND fighting in an A-10 is simply a breeze, and the autopilot makes things easy. While the Ka-50 can be fun to fly as well with the appropriate aids on, it is difficult to do so without the controls interface graphic up (sorry, can't remember the proper name for that image that shows you joystick and rudder position). Flying and fighting in the Ka-50 is a chore, you are either flying OR fighting, can't do both.

That and the only really reliable weapon I find for it is the Vikhr and the cannon... the bombs simply do not make sense unless you are bombing a helpless building or vehicle and the rockets --- well, all I can say is "why?!" I must say though, that cannon on the Ka-50 is simply awesome!

A-10 is DEFINITELY the direction you're going to want to travel but it will undoubtedly require some adjustment. The key assignments are absolutely daunting though profiles for a range of joysticks are available and quite easy to acquire. I didn't have the patience and figured for the time I was going to mess around with trying to figure out what would work for me I just invested in the TM Warthog setup. Good lord, am I ever glad I did.

You don't need to be told that there are some substantial differences in the capabilities between the two aircraft. With the Falcon your best defense is speed- getting in and out either destroying air defenses before they can shoot you down or getting your licks in fast before the SAM crews can wipe the sleep out of their eyes (sorry crew). With the hog, the mentality is substantially different. Information is your friend, and you needn't be in any particular hurry to acquire it.

The autopilot functions of "maintain altitude / bank" which allows you to orbit pretty much head down in the cockpit changed the whole sim for me. This allows you to orbit around a chosen point for literally hours if needed- I could get information on hazards, do a thorough scan of an area, assess hazards, designate targets (or hazards, or both) with markpoints in a favourable order, coordinate an attack with my flight and then on our final approach systemically irradicate everything at once at a painfully slow 280-300kts. It's a perfect example of the young bull and the old bull sitting up atop of the hill looking down at a herd of cows. "Eh pops... let's rush down there and $%#$ one of them cows!" "No son... let's go down there nice and slow like and #$%#$% them all."

Wise!

I have been thoroughly disappointed in this latest "patch" / "module" and it hasn't been a smooth transition at all but there's certainly promise and good community support. Eventually I'm certain the kinks will be worked out- but until such a time... I'll probably just hang out on 1.1.1.1- the full download of A-10 without DCSQW.

Welcome to the community!