Get in the queue buddy!

Well would you look at what the cat dragged in? Holy moly Durrie old chum! Wow, great to hear from you. Yes, please read through the thread and get back in to F4 and start flying with us. We'll wait Adding someone from Australia will do wonders for scheduling issues

How's things old man? It's been too long.

Durrie is my old mate. We spent many long hours flying Falcon and racing in GPL leagues and we might have even tried SH3 multiplayer once.

It's been a while since I talked about the Odyssey. I have gotten to the point where I am comfortable flying the Viper in combat. I am far from mastering it, but I know enough to get by. Doesn't that sound familiar?

I want to say thanks to Oden, Ice, Schnidrman and everyone else that has helped me through this adventure. Especially as well to Mac, who has been helping me a lot in the campaign missions we are flying. Last night he showed me two tips I didn't know of. He showed me how to alter the config to get my Dogfight switch working correctly. It would not cancel and I thought it was broken. But it's a simple cfg file edit. Also he showed me how to fix the track IR to see 'down'. I can now see the ass end of each side panel, when I could not before. Again, a simple cfg edit.

Now that I am flying online a lot, I had to learn the datalink. I can now bring it up, configure package elements and transmit targets. Awesome.

I worked for a bit on Mavericks yesterday. Not entirely successfully though I must say. I can now boresight them fine, but either my handoff is failing or I'm not keyholed. Don't know enough yet to know why the missiles aren't leaving the rail. Now here's the thing. Mavericks are so involved that I can only see two reasons in the campaign where they would be preferred over something like CBU. I can destroy as much or more, more quickly and more simply with CBU than I could with Mavs. The only two reasons are that they are fun, and for naval strikes with Mav-Gs. I want to learn the weapon as part of the Odyssey, but I don't see using them very often. It's too 'heads-down' to be used in a busy combat environment.

I'm really happy with how far I've come in 3 months. There's is still far to go, but I am enjoying it so much that it's just a pleasure to keep learning. Flying combat missions successfully, especially when it was a difficult and challenging mission, and landing back at base is immensely satisfying. Coming to a stop, raising the canopy and shutting down engine after a successful mission is a pleasure indeed

You're welcome, but helping you out is also helping ME out. When someone asks something I don't know, then that identifies a gap in my knowledge which I can either cover by reading up on it or at the very least making note of it to cover it later.

I'm surprised about the DGFT switch and TIR concerns; you've never brought them up and as you know, it's a simple edit in the relevant files and you're done. As for the Mavericks, they've been a thorn in my side ever since switching to BMS from DCS A-10C. I used to be able to ripple off 6 Mavs in two passes. One pass to mark targets and then another pass to fire all 6. In BMS, it's a pain to shoot even just one. The people who do NOT find it difficult are those that fire on any random speck; I don't like wasting a Mav on a truck and finding a more "worthy" target and oops!! I've just flown past the column. So might as well bring Rockeyes or CBUs. 4.33 is supposed to have made this easier with the ability to set SPI, but I've not tried it yet.

My issue with BMS is opposite to yours. I think I'm comfortable enough flying the Viper in combat, it's setting up the campaigns and fragging flights that I have absolutely no confidence in. I once thought about exactly what you're doing now --- start a campaign but set aside a squadron for the player to control. But I had a lot of questions after that. What happens when I need tanker support? What happens if the target I'm fragging NOW already has a bunch of A-10s en-route to kill it? I'll RTB with a failed mission. What happens if... what happens if... and that's it. I'm back to practicing TEs. I've since concentrated on fixing and refining my "work environment," getting my sim pit set up correctly, making Helios profile to make use of my two touchscreens, lowering the TIR sensitivity curve to make it easier to work with my 3-screen setup... etc. Like I'm finding ways NOT to play the campaign because something ELSE needs work.

Don't get me wrong, I can fly any mission any time... I guess it's commitment to a campaign, controlling various aspects of it that scares me. I can be a fighter pilot in the war. I can't be a wing commander.

Thanks Ice. Yes, it's true that you guys would have helped me no problem with those two issue. But ya know what? I didn't realize what the problem was. I thought not being able to see straight down was a function of the geometry of my track IR camera and clip. A limitation as it were. But Mac asked 'Hey D can you see the bottom of your seat?" I was like, umm no, never tried. But I can't see all the way to the back of the side panels. So we did the cfg edit and now it's perfect.

He asked "Does your DF switch work when you cancel it?" Well, no it doesn't. Get outta my head! See I thought it was just broken. Did the cfg edit.

As to the campaign part of your post, well I'd love to help you. I'd like to in some way start paying you back for the help you've given me. But for that we need to get you started on a campaign. If and when you're ready, let's do it. Those are the sorts of questions I actually do know the answers to.

And you know it's mostly because we haven't flown together much. Just that once, which was actually my first time successfully connecting in BMS. Obviously I had issues. But since getting squared away it's just through talking to each other that Mac and I work out things one or the other doesn't know. He helped me with those issues above (and more). But it works both ways. I was able to show him how to put the package flights on the datalink. It's just flying and talking things over that makes some of these things, and their solutions, evident.

So, let's fly!! Haven't you been off for the past two weeks?

LOL, yeah.. but I had this small "adventure" with my Crucial M4... I think the PC Gods wanted me to buy a NVMe drive... then got busy installing Win10 to that, then got busy installing Win10CU, then got busy trying to get things to work in Win10CU... so just now rolling back to Win10AE and installing stuff there. Fingers crossed everything works fine then I can fly again.

Yeah it's cool Ice, no worries. I am just trying to nudge you. Hopefully we can join up sometime soon.

Trust me, mate, I'm sick and tired of this tweaking... luckily I was able to do a test flight just now and seems like all systems are back to normal!

Hey DB, I'm still making my way through this thread (man,I'd forgotten how adept you are at typing ).

It seems I'm going to be going to school on your experience of returning to F4, although my rig isn't as capable as yours, I think I'll have a few of the same issues.

I'm going to have one particular difference in that I managed to pick up an unwanted "sim seat" from a PR company that was done with whatever conference they were running. It wasn't complete, but had all the bits mostly for car simming. Along with the seat (its just a static race car type, but with peripheral trays, pedal tray and screen stand etc), they included the next-to-new (i.e. they used it for 2 days of the conference) TM Warthog as if it was some after thought...woot! best $250 I've spent on gear for my rig.

Unfortunately, I see getting that running satisfactorily with my combination of TIR, voice commands, and TM MFDs to be my biggest challenge. I know there are numerous .key files out there to match with HOTAS profiles, but modding them to get what I want all working together is daunting.

Anyway, I'll plough ahead with this thread and get U3 installed and see where we're at. What with all the nostalgia in the first half of the thread, I was saddened not to see the Delphi forum get a mention - Ahh, Rhino, the Realism Patch group, the eTeam etc.

I did a lot of race simming since we last touched base - mostly Live For Speed, and we ran a successful Aust & NZ comp well past LFS's use by date. Since that, I tried iRacing but it wasn't enough i for me so I'm currently messing about with Assetto Corsa. Otherwise its been Red Orchestra 2, Rising Storm, ARMA3 and DayZ with a smearing of FSX and Rise of Flight.

I just know I'm going to have a heap of questions on F4, so stay tuned.

Hey Mark, well at least you haven't gone running and screaming in the opposite direction so that's good

Yes, I apologize for the verbosity. It inflates my sense of self importance. Post any questions or problems you run in to and Ice will get you squared away Here's our tech guru and knows how to get different pieces of kit playing nice with each other. He also flys a Warthog.

Maybe we could get together online and go over some stuff when you're ready. It sure helps de-steepen the learning curve. I've been back at it for three months now and still have lots to learn, so no rush.

Since our GPL leagues I haven't done much racing at all I bought Assetto Corsa but the boy plays it more than I do. I miss those GPL leagues. If I put as much effort and concentration in to my real life as I did in GPL I would be a rich man! lol, Man that was fun. The amount of time and effort I would put in to shaving just another tenth off the Ring PB or whatever was nuts. Like some sort of mental disease.

But now that disease has spread to BMS.

Over the past few years I was mostly in to strategy games, and Europa Universalis IV in particular. But when I built the new rig in January I thought let's get back in to F4. Oh boy, what little did I know!

Wow, that's a good deal!! CHECK HERE for details regarding my TM WH profile. AFAIK, you don't need to integrate the Cougar MFDs in the TARGET profile, they should work with BMS by themselves.

I'll be releasing my update to the profile soon, just as soon as I square away my PC problems.

You know there's a sweet Lotus 49 and cool versions of the Ring and the old Spa available in AC don't you?

Thanks for the words of encouragement for F4, I'm looking forward to it. I especially liked your post about the feeling of entering the pattern after a successful mission.



Hey Ice, thanks for the heads up. I'll check out the profile. Putting in-game Voice Commands on one radio and TeamSpeak on another is perhaps my easier challenge, the more complex is using a WiFi pad for an ICP using webserver (but it lags so badly) or perhaps using a keypad instead given that the Warthog TQS has a bunch of other hardware switches for other Upfront controls.

Do people use Team Speak for voice comms or BMS's VIOP?

Voice commands can be done with http://dwvac.com/]VAC or Voice Attack. I have both and prefer using VAC; I bought it years ago and is one of the best investments I've ever made. Voice Attack has more features but was also a bit fiddly to use. On my new profile, the TS3 PTT and VAC PTT are on the same switch, just one on the shifted layer so eventually, it gets intuitive to use.

As for your ICP controls, easiest method is to map the controls to your numpad. Other options include buying a separate numpad, a Logitech G13, a Razer Nostromo, iPad, smartphone, or a touchscreen. I went with a touchscreen. No lags, and the full F-16 cockpit in one screen. No need to touch the mouse or keyboard once I'm in the 3D pit.





For comms, we're using TeamSpeak for now, on the SimHQ server. The option for IVC is there, but so far there hasn't been a need for this added layer of complexity.

Holy Friggin Jeesuz -Ice, that's almost cheating

Have I not shown pics of my pit before?

Here's the simpit in the "cold and dark" state



I've got a "rail system" going on to make it easier to get in/out of the pit



You can see the pit in action in the pic above, and here's a setup with a moving map feature from YAME




The advantage of this setup is that I don't have to remember anything... I just need to know where the switch I want is and I can access it via the Helios profile. What's my Gear Up/Gear Down controls? I couldn't tell you even if my life depended on it. Once I'm in the 3D pit, there is absolutely no need to use the keyboard or mouse, even view controls are integrated in the Helios profile. Another big advantage is that the MFDs are displayed in the correct size so it's easy to work with the MFDs. No need for monitors behind Cougar MFDs or velcro-taping Cougar MFDs onto a spare monitor. Everything. Just. Works.

Yes, well, only recently have I built a box capable of doing it justice, but F4 came first and I've not done much else since.



Of course, don't mention it. I've just tread the path you are embarking on and I'd love to pay it forward in any way I can. Don't hesitate to ask. Even questions like 'how do I enable nose wheel steering'



Ice that is sweet! Now get up there and give the Reds a spanking, in style

Noooooo that one MUST remain as the Forbidden Question!

Ni!

We are now the knights who say ekki-ekki-ekki-pitang-zoom-boing!”

OK, that's is a bit obscure for non Python fans I am sure. So I will make it worse...


I cannot tell you. Suffice to say is one of the words the Knights of Ni! cannot hear!

How can we not say the word, if you don't tell us what it is?

You said it again!

What, "is"?

No, no ... not "is"!

"Is" is all right ... You wouldn't get far not saying "Is"!

Thanks! Now if only the rest of it were to work!! Lesson learned -- if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

To think all these adventures started because I wanted to install a 140mm fan over my 5.25" bays to give airflow over my SSDs and improve air availability for my CPU cooler.