I have just purchased Lock On flaming Cliffs 2 - what amazing graphics and ground textures. I also have Black Shark and IL2 1946. Mainly I love anything to do with WW2 so I am focused on IL2 mostly. I have an X-52 pro joystick and bought both manuals for Lock On and black Shark. The problem is I like the look of Lock On but rarely play it, and have not configured my joystick. There are so many dials and gadgets that it takes a long time to study how to fly, its like studying for a degree and for an over 60 chap thats not easy. Mostly I like the A-10 Warthog, Usually I cannot get past the training aspect, Can take off but then get lost, do not understand how the compass works compared to say a Heinkell 111 directional indicator which is straightforward. Really I nned to focus on just one jet, say the A10. Not sure where to go next, carry on with IL2 or make an attempt to get into Lock On? How does lock On 2 compare to IL2? The last time I tried black Shark it was very low Fps so I never bothered with it. These are time consuming flight sims. It would be great to hear some thoughts and ideas, and how I can get into lock On without bring mentally drained by all the high tech stuff.

I just ordered the game and would also be interested in any feedback to tonyuk's post. I also need a "gentle" introduction. I bought Wings of Prey because it had a mode I could just pick up and play, and also to support the genre. I bought FSX but it runs like a pig for the quality of graphics it has. I still haven't found the game that pulls me in as a sim-aholic...hopeful this might be it with some encouragement from the community.

http://flankertraining.com/ironhand/index.html


This is what helped me to understand Lock-On. Awesome, easy to understand tutorials. Watch and absorb.

Once you figure out the basics, then you can plan out keymapping to your x-52 to your liking. Lots of buttons on that baby. The actual mechanics to mapping keys in Lock-On (or DCS) is quite simple, you just need to know what you're looking for. Each controller has its own lane in the menu, one for your throttle, joystick, keyboard etc... Just make sure you have the right one hi-lighted.

Start with the Su-25 doing visual attacks against trucks (moving from guns->rockets->bombs->missiles)
Or start with IR missiles against tankers

If you learn it gradually, you don't notice you're learning. The thing is to start with simpler activities first.

Eventually you'll even learn to turn off your engines after landing!

The older I've become the less attention I can give a flight sim at a given time.

I have noticed a drop in fps, mainly due to high water settings, now I have to use normal and with that I get around 60 fps otherwise 20-30. Oh well. Yes it is a question of time and when I get Civ 5 later this month I will be torn between IL2, FC 2 as well! Then too much time on FC 2 I would have forgotten how to play IL2. LOL.

For many people, Su-25 is quite a challenge, especially finding flight-path with its waypoint gauge. I will not recommend any novice start with Su-25.

@tonyuk: A-10 is a good start, it's easy to deal with than Su-25. I think you should print the key-mapping and look at it while flying.

Actually Su-25A is a good start to train yourself in FLIGHT, and reading cockpit gauges.

Start with the flight part, forget about staring at the gauges (you want to check them, not watch them). It will teach you to 'fly ahead of the plane', hit correct parameters for your maneuvers, etc etc.

I'd second the A-10 pretty simple systems, and the gauges are familiar to us westerns. To actually fly and fight the beast (assuming you're good with hand flying it and not playing with the autopilot), takes about 10 keys total plus your normal joystick and throttle functions (pitch, roll, throttle etc.). I setup a truck and tank park, and went to town. After I got that down with all the weapons and weapon modes (not to hard at all on static targets and no one shooting back) I added a moving truck convoy. Then some static sams/aaa, then some mobile ones... This also lets you see what gets you an effective kill, the GAU-8 for instance is a lot harder to get kills with on frontal shots against armored vehicles (top and rear of course it does much better).

Took maybe two weeks to get it down cold, though missile evasion takes a bit more practice. Flying and fighting the A-10 is a lot like flying a P-47 A2G to be honest. Point the nose, don't overspeed, and open up! CCIP bombing makes dive or level bombing a lot easier, as does the predictor sight for the gun. Mavericks are pretty simple once you get used to slewing them and not flying into things.

-Jenrick