DCS Beginners Guide - GETTING STARTED 

"DCS is free for a month". Like when I was a kid and they warned me about free drugs...

Basicly VR motion sickness = G tolerance for sim pilot

Anyone wanting to get into DCS for the first time needs to think about the game's unavoidable hurdles in the form of personal cost. Not simply the monetary cost of a computer that meets the recommended requirements AND the accessories to go with it (also expensive), but also the time and perseverance you'll need to commit to attain proficiency in whatever module you want to buy. Make no mistake, Digital Combat Simulator is very rewarding once you get to a place where you can see yourself making progress, but it takes a good deal of time to get there. It's not referred to as a "study sim" for nothing. This isn't Ace Combat. Your XBox won't run it, and you won't have the feel of it mastered in a week.

This free month claimed all my spare harddrive space, and when it's over it will claim all the money left in my wallet.

Now OF COURSE I find this video, the day after it ends. That's my luck.

I began in the F-5 (my favorite at the time), which is really great for teaching fundamentals, bought most the modules, but put in the huge bulk of my hours in the F/A-18C. I think if you're gonna begin in the hornet, you gotta be really committed. The Jeff though, omfg, I totally agree! When I casually fly, it's usually in the Jeff or Mirage. It's cozy, very easy to do anything, has color displays to sit and tinker with, very easy to fly and land, and the weapons are all fun. I will point out, it's best all around, not the best at anything. There are better fighters, better bombers. It also has a Chinese waifu voice, which is soothing when I'm about to die.

Honestly I would recommend the F5 Tiger as a beginner aircraft. It's fully modeled and complete and isn't buggy. It's a bit harder to fly as it doesn't have fly by wire, but it's systems are really simple so you don't have to learn the massively complex maze of MFD menus. It's essentially a WW2 fighter but with radar, countermeasures, and jet engines.

This was a great guide. Thank you. My first simulator was "F119 Stealth Fighter" back in 1991 and I was hooked. I progressed on to Falcon 3.0, Hornet, 4.0 and don't understand the patience my wife had to stay married to me those first few years. I'm 50 yrs. old now, got a little bit of more money and time, I want to take the dive into DCS. Your guide provided me with a direction. Reading the comments I might take the F-5 out for a spin. I do love carrier landings though. Muchos saludos de El Paso, Tx. hermano.

This video has crushed all my hopes and dreams I'll just stick to getting a pc then arma then sulk over not getting DCS as it costs as much as a small naval fleet

This is an *_amazing_* intro to DCS. Great job - I was totally not expecting to watch it all. Oh, just a tiny grammar note: "an" aircraft. :-)

Don't forget the different eras of aircraft. WW2, Korea, modern, and helicopters. in the free initial download you get a P51 trainer along with (simple) jets.

Sim gamers really don't know the meaning of 'budget'.

Hey X-CHECK, great video, I just wanted to add a few things on top of what you said for beginners since it's 2021 now _______________ Module Choice In terms of the Hornet, it's much, much closer to completion. ED did a lot for it in 2020 and supposedly it will be out of early access this year. Here are some reasons why you might want to get the Hornet or Jeff. Reasons to get the Hornet: -It has a lot more single player content that the Jeff. This is probably because most DCS players are from the west and have more interest in the Hornet than the Jeff. The Hornet has also been around for longer. -It can carry more. I don't remember who said this, but "the Jeff is multi-role, but not multi-mission" meaning it can do air to ground OR air to air, but it can't do both very well. The Hornet has more hardpoints and a higher take off weight. -It can land on a carrier. This is an easy to learn, hard to master thing, and very very fun in my opinion. -The gun isn't weird. If you like doing guns only kinds of fights with your friends, definitely do not get the Jeff. The gun is aimed down for air to ground purposes, which it's good at, but you'll need to pull more lead to get your gun on the enemy. It also doesn't help that the bullet velocity in the Jeff is quite slow. -Weapon choices. You can carry the majority of weapons in the US arsenal, from a long range JSOW to an anti-radiation AGM-88, this thing can carry them all. They're not necessarily better than the Jeff, you just get more options. -Overrated plane. This can be a good thing because there's no shortage of people that can answer questions about the plane, no shortage of RU-vid videos about it, no shortage of missions you can simulate, etc. -It has a helmet mounted display. HMD + AIM-9X is the ultimate combination for within visual range missile fights. Just aim your head at the target and shoot, it's that easy. The helmet mounted display helps a lot with other stuff too Reasons to get the Jeff: -Massive screens. Great because you can see everything you want on three large iPad-like displays. I don't use VR but I'm told that it's very nice for VR because there's no need to squint anymore -Cool effects. Deka Ironworks did really really well on this. When you break the sound barrier there's a shock cone. If you go to an overly hot place and don't cool yourself properly you'll get a heat stroke. Your canopy will fog up so you need to use the defog thing, etc -Other nice gimmicks. There's a built-in music player, some tv focusing effects, etc. -It's not just another one of those overrated US jets. It's a very unique plane, which, as X-CHECK said, has some very interesting history. It's a budget aircraft built by China and Pakistan to complement Pakistan's F-16's. -Easier to use. A lot of people I know say it was much easier for them to learn. -Cool and really useful weapons like laser-guided rockets. You can do more with less in the Jeff. -If you like anti-ship stuff, the Jeff is a great choice. -Data cartridge system. Saves tons of time and very easy to use. The Hornet will have it after early access but it will probably be a very long time. -It's still more complete than the Hornet. I don't think this should be that big of a deal anymore though. Notes on the Viper: -Still incomplete. Probably a while until it's done -Air to air is pretty good already though, it's generally considered to be one of if not THE best dogfighter in DCS. High thrust to weight ratio, helmet mounted display, good datalink, etc. ______________ Falcon BMS If you love the F-16 and want a complete version of it, give Falcon BMS a try. It's an absolutely massive mod to a game from 1998, so the graphics aren't great, but the latest update has DirectX 11 now so the developers are definitely laying the groundwork for better graphics. There's also no VR, but again, thanks to DirectX 11 we can expect it to come soon. So why BMS over DCS? Well, first of all the F-16 is more complete than the DCS one will ever be. It has a ton of weapons I've never even heard of such as the Israeli Python missile. It also has many different versions of the F-16 from different points in time. Although, this means that other aircraft are just F-16's pretending to be other aircraft. More importantly, BMS has an incredible dynamic campaign. So incredible that its development practically brought the company to bankruptcy. It simulates a full on war where you play a role as part of a larger battle. If you destroy a tank, it's gone. The enemy will have to make a new one fresh from the factory. If you shoot down a plane, it's gone. The enemy squadron will have one less plane to fly in the next encounter. Last reason is that its cheap. All you need to do is buy a license for the 1998 game from somewhere like Steam or GOG. The game itself can be downloaded from the benchmarksims website. ________________________ Head tracking solutions I thought that I might also add some of the free or cheaper alternatives to TrackIR. Free(ish): The solution I'm using right now is AITrack with opentrack. You'll need a webcam for this, but if you don't then you can use your phone using Droidcam, which turns your phone into a webcam. Basically how it works is it uses AI to track your head. It sends this data to opentrack, which gives this data to DCS. Works pretty well after a lot of tweaking. There may be some noticeable latency depending on the refresh rate of your phone/webcam. You can find it here: github.com/AIRLegend/aitrack/releases Smoothtrack is an app I've heard good things about. I think it costs a few bucks though. It also connects to opentrack, just like AITrack. There may be some noticeable latency depending on the refresh rate of your phone and the quality of the connection between your computer & phone. You can find it in your phone's app store Aruco tracks a QR code strapped to your head which makes you look ridiculous, but it sorta works. I'd only use this as a last resort because it's not great. Aruco works directly with opentrack. Paid: Grassmonkey and Delanclip are both good choices offering pretty much the same product. Both are cheaper than TrackIR but work in essentially the same way, by tracking three points on your headset with a camera. DIY solution. You can make your very own TrackIR/Grassmonkey/Delanclip head tracking for a few dollars if you're lucky. I found a pretty good tutorial here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-M_VN4mMA6Cw.html _______ HOTAS Not gonna add to much detail here, you should probably do some more research elsewhere because different HOTASes are good for different people. I'm just going to list a few other options to look into: Logitech Extreme 3D Pro (stick only, pretty standard beginner stick) VKB Gladiator NXT (stick only, relatively cheap but very, very good stick) Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog (full A-10 replica HOTAS, expensive but good) WinWing F-18 set (full F-18 replica HOTAS, very expensive but very good) Virpil's stuff (stick and/or throttle, very expensive but very good) Beware of unfair HOTAS prices!!! Covid, Star Wars Squadrons, and MSFS have created a perfect storm where HOTASes are going out of stock and you might not be able to get one for a proper price price, just make sure to be careful. Ebay prices are insane as well. __________ Other info Regarding the first school of thought, I'd still go for it depending on *why* you love a certain plane so much. I bought the Flaming Cliffs 3 pack (flaming cliffs 3 aircraft = simple model aircraft, you can get them all in a cheap pack), simply to fly many planes in there. The Su-27 is just so sexy and you pull a cobras on the American scum trying to hunt you down. On the flip side, the F-15 is also really fun because of its massive engines. It's probably one of the fastest planes in DCS (the F-14 might be faster, I'm not sure), and because of that and its strong radar it's a beast in beyond visual range.If you like an aircraft because of its weapons and systems, don't get a Flaming Cliffs plane. If you want to learn more about a certain aircraft, don't get Flaming Cliffs. Sorry for the wall of text but I hope at least one person finds this useful, good luck with DCS! Edit: by the way regarding the garbage performance of DCS, it'll get better soon with Vulkan and multithreading. Until then, unfortunately you'll have to suck it up :( Also yeah X-CHECK is absolutely right about the Grim Reapers. Don't watch their videos because a lot of things they teach are just downright wrong.

FYI there are people you will offer you FREE lessons unlike Grim Reapers who charge money for pretty incomplete lessons.

lol, I love the explanation for how to tell the difference between full fidelity versus simple model. Perfect.

VR tip: always hydrated and not on empty stomach also put a little desk fan on the table. Air will help.

whoa shots fired at the grim reapers

I have owned a DelanClip (alternative to track IR) for the past 2 years, and can extremely recommend it. (cost: £20 ~ £40. (£40 will get you from owning nothing to track IR level (many even better) head tracking in DCS and plenty of other games/sims) I have also found the delanclip to be much much stronger (the delanclip is made of metal and have had friends waiting for track IR replacement after braking them.) the software provided free with delanclip also allows for much more control over the tracking camera than track IR does.

I've picked up DCS recently, buying both the Su-27 and Su-33 as they were on sale. I love Russian fighter jets to death, so - knowing DCS is a sim and not a game - I picked it up to have a go at from time to time. I have a physically demanding minimum wage part time job, as well as a lot of other hobbies and interests, so I don't always feel the urge to play. That being said, what little I've learned about how to fly these planes is so rewarding. Every time I figure something out in the laundry list of things, it's a great hit of dopamine. Figuring out how to fly smarter, figuring out BVR, figuring out takeoffs and landings, it's great. I'm really disappointed that there's currently no high-fidelity options for these planes, but my wallet is grateful for now.

I have DCS on my computer but because i don't have money (mostly because of my age) I now play on a decent pc with a ps4 controller. I hope that I can someday upgrade my pc a little with the work I do and that I can get a decent set up to play real missions (now I am just flying around with the training P 51) thanks for all the tips and i love your videos. Keep up the great work!

I went from the Flanker straight into the Tomcat when it launched. It’s a superb module!

Great video. I’m a noob - I found this video while waiting for DCS to download. It is just what I was looking for: a high level overview of the game and how to begin the process of learning to use it. Thanks!

"Get multirole" I always stepped away from BVR-type combat bc shooting thins that I can't even see didn't sound that right. I bought the F-16 and BVR Combat is hell of fun. Thank you for that Video

Brilliant video, I was worrying about how to start and this has made me much more confident in starting my DCS journey!!!!

Thank you so much for this guide, decided to go down the DCS rabbit hole and decided for the F/A 18, because the carrier is a great plus for me. Ok, let's start the learning process... 😅

Just one thing about the HOTAS- while it will make your life a lot, lot easier you can quite happily play this sim with a single stick. You use keyboard modifiers for the top hat switch to make up most of the controls and just a handful of keyboard shortcuts for most other things. The F-18 and F-16 will probably be pretty taxing with the number of modifiers for the hat switch though. Some modules are a lot simpler though. The Harrier (my personal favourite module in all of DCS) only needs two modifier keys even if you're using the hat to look around (alt for trim ad ctrl for slewing the target designator respectively). This sim will take a very long time to master and be wary of picking up too many aircraft. If you don't keep flying them (especially the more complicated ones) you'll find yourself having to re learn things over and over and over again, which can be a frustrating experience.

“You are in a fighter aircraft” *laughs in attacker aircraft*

Timing could literally not have been better!

update for VR, the quest 2 is the best VR today to buy, its the cheapest and best VR, it delivers everything the other VR produce but at a MUCH cheaper price, also if you buy others theres no problem but id say theres no need to go better than a quest 2.

Another thing I want to touch on with vr, don't expect to be immune to the motion sickness because you've played games your whole life. I made that mistake and sorta denied i was getting motion sick and I ended up laying on the floor for over an hour. Pace yourself and never try to power through it, it gets better (also ordered a hotas today to get into dcs)

I m not really a beginner, but your feedback about VR types and motion sickness was precious. Thanks!

I liked the Video during the "How to tell if it is full fidelity" Part ;) Great part :D

IMPORTANT UPDATE! You can now try any module for free for a period of 2 weeks. And when you are finished, you can activate another module to try out. This is only available in the standalone version of the game, NO STEAM! Download the standalone version here: www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/world/ Activate you trial licenses here: www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/personal/licensing/trial/

I'm 11months late. (Better late than never).I been watching under 1 month. On my phone. Don't bother with TV much. Today OMG I have 65in 4K TV. I been watching DCS happily until today. My jaw drops when I see the stuff I've been missing. Phone is great TV light years ahead. Unbelievable details I've been. Missing. If I didn't have to start from the ground up I would get into playing. But my Babbage difference engine laptop is not up to spec' . Thanks for so much and varied and valuable instruction. Don't want to be a brown nose but your presentation style is very professional Brother I mean like proper TV levels congrats on that. Long may you keep on doing what you love 🖐🙂

I just opened Chuck's Guide fot the F/A-18 and this gotta be the biggest PDF I opened in my life, holy sheit

I recommend VR, I use a first gen HTC VIVE (Crappy old headset compared to the new ones) I use it all the time, I can mostly read everything near me as well. It’s the way to go for sure. Also X-Check, I hope I didn’t make you throw up that time in the L39, when I randomly pushed the nose down while we were near stall speeds, resulting in a really weird manoeuvre. Haha

This is solid advice in my opinion, next time I'm asked "Where to start with DCS" I'm going to point them at this video. You nailed it, I agree with pretty much everything you've said. I don't have the "Jeff", but my friends have all shared a similar sentiment, a great module even if the plane itself can be limited. Everything else you've said would have been exactly what I would have said, except I wouldn't have said it as well.

For equipment, what I did to save money: I already had a PC with a semi-decent graphics card and processor (I believe that if you are interested in DCS, you probably already have it too). Made a slight RAM upgrade (from 8 to 16gb) and bought FC3 (a bundle with all low fidelity aircraft) on a sale. For joystick, there are tutorials for setting up an Xbox or PS4 controller, but I bought an used cheap ass thrustmaster flight stick x for 40 bucks, and it works like a charm. For head tracking, I use my phone as a webcam to connect on my PC and use that free open source apps called Ai Track and Open track (Ai Track isn't as precise as a good TrackIR or VR, but do the job).

Appreciate how you explained things in this. I found other videos just made me feel more intimidated/overwhelmed being a new pc player but the second you explained about your friends being slower learners and feeling the same way and then enjoying the f16 was exactly what I needed to hear to start learning the game and feel confident I’m in good hands

I was about to download the game until I watched your video. So thank you for opening my eyes before getting into this mess. I found your video very informative and decisive on not getting into it. I can spend even couple of thousands for a game I like. But no one can get a single cent from me for something I don't even know if I will like it or not. And I can clearly see from your brilliant video that I will not get the experience and the joy from the game unless I have the detailed modules (like not having premium vehicles in war thunder) and all those accessories which sums up to a thousand already. Also, imagine how some one would be discouraged to start playing this game by being provided with an information which suggests how to configure your accessories (which should be bought along side the game - recommended but not required :) ). On the other hand, I can clearly see even without trying it that this game/developer/publisher is an another Russian success story (again! like war thunder) where they amazingly achieved milking money from Western World (Europe/US) and their images (JP, South Korea, Thailand, Australias) who are swimming in the pool of money which they don't even know where it comes from. Well, thank you again... But I will pass!

".... That means your wallet is having a heart attack..." You just killed me with that line.... I can't breath I'm laughing SO hard :-D

About the Head tracking, I use my mouse and a basic flight stick. It's a basic gaming mouse, with 2 extra buttons on it's side and one on top for burst fire, but I don't use that one. I'm sure many people have this template cheap mouse. So what I did, is binding through an app called "X-mouse" my buttons to Alt+C, which toggles between the clickable cockpit and looking around, and the other for my left Ctrl, to use combinations of buttons of my flight stick Also, this flight stick is old, and has only 7 of 12 buttons working. Most of my controls are done through the Keyboard, which requires me to take my hands off the mouse, but I can manage it

About the "School of thoughts" , there is another one: Get DCS for free, and fully exploit the Su-25T and the TR-51 that come with it. Do all the training missions, then do all the single missions, then do the campaign that comes with it. The Su-25T is low fidelity, which means that you must have a good HOTAS to bind all keys. I Started with the Logitech X52, which is affordable and will do the job. The Su-25T has so much to offer, that you will probably go back to it once in a while, even after you bought the expensive HiFi-models. The T-51 on the other hand will give you the experience of a Full Fidelitiy-aircraft, in which you can just be amazed at the scenery. Just fly it like you have your own P-51 and take it out for a ride. No enemies, just fly. I recommend flying at sunset or Sunrise in VR. It is just amazing, and I still gasp upon the views. Oh and get a scenery-map as well. In fact get all maps. It's just beautifull. Remember that ED have a sale every few months, so just wait for another sale and take advantage. When you have fully exploited all things to do with the 2 given planes, I personally would stay away from the Low-fidelity planes. I got them all in Flaming Cliffs 3, but I regret that now. It's feels like not being taken seriously. For the Full Fidelity models I started with the Ka-50 (best chopper !) and now have the FA-18. I stay away from the F-16 until it is finnished. I would stay away from any "Early access" plane. You will pay for something that will take still years to complete. I might considder getting the pinackle of DCS-planes, the mother of complicated but efficient, the explosion of functions, buttons, systems and subsystems… the A-10C. I am trying it out now in the all-free-month.

if you have VR but dont like playing in vr then the OpenTrack software can turn your vr into head tracking without using the vr over your eyes. DCS in vr makes me super sick so that's what I do.

Amazing video, concise and to the point and answers a lot of the questions I have as a starter. Thank you!

Thank you for a great guide, You have answered many questions I had, especially with respect to VR and getting around wanting to throw up when playing with VR

Vr tip number 2 is the best advice ever. Its what I tell everyone. Do not try play through vr sickness lol.

Dusted off the old T16000M. Bought FC3 and the M2000c. I'm running a single stick setup and planning to buy a facetracker since money is tight for a TrackIr. I'm still figuring things out but today I managed to kick some ass at BVR and close range as well! I'm learning the basics of flying and combat on the low fidelity stuff and slowly learning to fly the Mirage. I'd never imagine that failing could be so much fun! Instead of getting mad when losing my wings, I can't help but burst out laughing. Great video!

I personally love the Grim Reapers, I've learnt more from them than any other source I could find. But that's just my opinion

Great video. Thank you. And I've been flying DCS since the beginning and still learned something.

For years I've been extremely interesting of this game every time I see a video, but this one is so informative, thanks Bro.✔👍👍

I just downloaded DCS. It is, indeed, impressive. Lusciously so. I looked at the available aircraft and began counting on my fingers to see if I could afford this diversion. Then I got here and saw the recommendations: $250 for a Thrustmaster HOTAS system, another $300+ for a VR setup ... I think I'll tap out. I grew up with Dynamix's Red Baron, Lucasfilm's SWOTL, EA's Chuck Yeager's Air Combat and died and went to heaven with IL-2 Sturmovik. I can justify a couple of hundred dollars to throw away on a game, but this is outta my league. I've got actual bills to pay.

It is a brilliant guide. Every bit is really good. Thank you for your efforts

What a great video. Thank you. Funny because I just got into DCS couple of days ago. I bought the F18 C. Which was $87 with tax. Well worth it. Beautiful. And you can land on air craft carriers with them. And I bought Nevada. Boot bad. Should of bought Dubai. That is my next choice.

Started the game not too long ago using only the first free Russian jet. The tutorials went well enough, though the lack of a pointer on the dashboard made them hard to follow. I picked up the F-15c afterwards, as it seemed the best option for the financially challenged. The lack of built-in tutorials wasn't motivating, but after I tried some instant action missions I found that I could do most simple things with some practice. I then found a mission pack online that serves as an excellent tutorial package for the F-15c, which I've been following since. I plan to save up for a harrier, which sounds like a ton of fun and worth the effort to learn. The high prices make it difficult to decide on, so I very much understand the suggestion to get a multi-role plane. The JF-17 sounds very interesting as well for that reason alone, but if I pick all the planes that sound good on paper, my wallet may not survive. I haven't tried any online play yet, but I do plan to once I've finished the F-15c training missions. While I worry that I won't be able to join in with more experienced players, I'll just need to keep in mind we all started from zero at some point :P

Even with a full fidelity module like the F18 or A10C, you will be using keys on your keyboard (i.e. the canopy). If you're new and on the fence about spending too much, download and try the SU 25T that comes with an entire campaign, training and missions. Excellent module, especially if you like ground attack. If you really like it and are fairly new to sims, FC3 is an excellent start when on sale. Lots to learn, even with the low fidelity aircraft. If you want to buy one, yah the F16 is nice and they did the right thing this time with early access by offering it early at a 50% discount. I would say the F18 is still the best one, especially for a beginner as it's easy to start and fly, intuitive, has carrier ops, and is now 50% off. Lots to learn though, even though it isn't 100% complete. I was also impressed with the JF 17. Don't forget the Sabre/Migs, and also the helicopters are just stellar. For MP, don't forget to mention that open beta is pretty laggy and broken right now (during the free trial period unfortunately). Three 1440p monitors and you use VR? What a waste of cash...

For anyone watching this months after release of this video, like me, I'd like to point out that there are a number of user made shader mods that really help improve the fps in Virtual Reality. Which really does help and made my game, even in multiplayer buttery smooth, and if like me, you're using an Oculus Rift CV1, which has fairly low resolution, enabled me to substantially increase Super-Sampling to make the image a lot sharper. Out of the box the game is not optimised for VR, but with these shaders, it really can be improved!

DCS World is the best flight / combat simulator, by far I wish I could fly the F14B, F16C or the F18, on the X-Plane 11 scenery ( free flight ) DCS World needs more maps. They should " get " some ORBX maps

This video was excellent!! You have a great speaking voice and are very well spoken. The in-depth nature of your video was absolutely perfect! Thanks for the great content!

Easiest plane to enjoy and have fun/learn quickly either the f15c or the mig 25 from the flaming cliffs modules. I’d say it’ll take you (from day 1 and about 2hrs minimum to play) it’ll take about 2-3 weeks to become proficient enough to take it through some campaign missions and about a month - month and a half to be successful in online games They aren’t high fidelity but it’s as close to a “casual” experience as you’ll get outta the game. And if you prefer more CAS roles either just Learn the free su-25 or get the warthog from modules FC3 and go to town. Warthog is better but su-25 is still good and you’ll have fun learning it no doubt

Thank you Sir. I've been playing the free version for a while, and I'm enjoying it full time. VR, joystick, and pedals. And was looking for a good recommendation, something that showed me the best next thing to do. And let me tell you,this is a great great video. I have some friends that are on the fence ( even thinking on playing the free version), and I know that this video will help em out. Thanks (subbed).

Well presented video. I watched this at 366 views. I think you will get many more! Great content! I personally think the JF-17 is a really good and great place to start. If someone was a beginner they would do well to look at this video. Liked the video!

To all dreaming of VR: Had Oculus rift S = bulky/heavy (like all vr-glasses), poor resolution, poor black depth, no physical ipd adjustment, controller batteries drained quickly, gets hot and sweaty.. etc = sold them. continuing using TrackIR. consumer VR just isnt there yet.

Awesome video. VR definitely has its downsides, mainly watching 12 B-17s open up and all the tracers zipping towards you, or watching a SAM the size of a telegraph pole lift off from the ground and start winging its way to you. Brown pants time.

ive been playing with an oculus quest since feb and its AMAZING even at the lower res over oculus link - i have to lean in to read some of the F-16 screens sometimes though

5:56 im playing dcs Now for 1200H+ without headtracking. For me its ok cause I juse my joystick to look around

A-10C is definitely first or 2nd aircraft to fly. F/A-18 and F-16C are quite advanced and you would probably spend too much time learning them versus knowing you know most of it and attempting to fly missions. Having too much to learn causes you to doubt yourself in situations you are having trouble: are you screwing something up or do you simply not know how to use some feature of the aircraft? It's fairly easy to understand the capabilities of the A-10C and Ka-50, and you still have flexibility in strategy and approach with just those capabilities. Get used to those first, or learn the more advanced ones in a very iterative approach where you know you don't know everything but you push yourself to see what you can execute anyways before you pick up more and see how much further that can take you.

VR sickness is very real! I didn't get it nearly as badly as you described, but I would feel sick for hours after just a few minutes of gaming. It only took a couple of weeks before it was mostly gone, and after probably a month I could play Boneworks (very intense for VR sickness) for hours on end without issue. Some people get it worse than others, but I think most people do experience it to some extent. It just takes time to get used to it, but I think just about everyone can. It's so worth it too, I love VR.

Thank you I really really needed this great work!

Great overview. A bit puzzled about your aircraft recommendations as in your 2020 roadmap video you said to never buy an ED early access plane. Now 2 of the 3 you recommend to buy first are exactly that.

having also spent a lot of time doing car racing sims in VR recently, it really is a game-changer for any sim aiming for full immersion in an activity. sense of scale, speed and depth is just so much better for getting lost within a virtual world. But yes, you do have to somewhat rethink things like control bindings, many a time i've ended up groping around for my keyboard and mouse and knocking things over on the desk

I started with the Su-33 about 5 months ago using and Xbox controller, bought a HOTAS right after. Loved it, then got the rest of the Flaming Cliffs pack, didn't get impressed with anything else on it. Decided to go back to the basics with the Su-25T that comes free with the game, pretty capable CAS plane with lots of options for armament, the ELINT pod combined with the anti-radiation missiles are excellent for SAM clearing. Then I decided to get my first full fidelity module, went for the Ka-50 since it's the oldest and most consolidated module on DCS (and it was 50% off along with the Mi-8), couldn't handle it without head tracking, bought a TrackIR and finally got the hang of it (at least enough to be able to go to enemy bases, wreck things up and get back safe, didn't dare to explore the Nav computer). Then I realized that I ain't got shit against ships (Su-25T can do it, but you gotta get danger close), so I got the Viggen about a month ago, finished reading the manual today, all the almost 400 pages of it. The Viggen is excellent against ships and as a overall strike aircraft, it's all or nothing, fly in low and fast, drop everything you have and get the hell out at insane speeds, recommended and surprisingly simple compared to the Ka-50, you just gotta get the hang of the nav system as everything relies on it. I'm trying to perfect the toss bombing right now, kinda complicated. One criticism is the fact that you can't use mixed ordnance, that sucks.

Me(a 15y/o): just wants to have some amount of experience about the job I want to do in the future X-CHEK: so basically all you have to do is become broke

Imagine. DCS Merges with FS2020 🤤

the best way to get used to VR ( i have a oculus rift S) just play less intensive games. Than build up the intensity. Worked best for me never endured sickness in DCS because i got used to VR in other games like racing

Thanks for this detailed video. It saved lot of hours of download and installation of game just to get final conclusion that I can't play this game, just because I am not rich to buy all those gaming equipment.

it runs suprisingly smooth on my i3 probaly combined with the fact that im the owner of an gtx1050ti

pretty sure their hq is in Switzerland. And it's partially owned by TFC in the UK. it's confusing lmao

It takes several hours to map the controls and switches of the Logitech X-56 HOTAS/Rudder Pedals to a particular DCS aircraft. And several more days that will undoubtedly turn into weeks to tweak all of that into a functioning flight sim control system. OK, I get it - DCS is hardcore. But I would think this early exercise in control mapping by trial and error could be mitigated if there was an effort by the game designer to provide pre-mapped layouts for some of the more common HOTAS systems out there, as the X-56 certainly is. Just mapping the throttle, stick and rudder pedals correctly would have saved some aggravation. I've had it a week. And I must say taking off and landing a MIG-29 is pretty darn cool. And just like actually flying a modern combat jet, this is going to take a lot of patient practice.

Excited to play this finally got my gaming pc capable of handling this game let’s go !

Quick question, how did you add the sections of your video into youtube. I know that you can add tinestanps but on the RU-vid timeline the different sections also came up. How do you do this?? Also great video thanks a lot!

Yea guys, don't rely on Grim Reapers for an education. They ramble and read from Chuck's Guide and Wikipedia.

As someone who walked into DCS with ZERO aviation knowledge (googling simple terms like trim, pitch, and yaw), I found the F-16 overwhelming. Especially with an entry level logitech stick and head tracking via a $30 webcam.

Good video on starting on the sim! I sorta like the FA18 as it’s a multi role fighter/bomber so more variety in scenarios.

Can't believe I sold my HP Reverb without trying this out

Amazing lag and glitches so far. Still a damn good simulator.

Good advice on getting used to vr. Real life acrobatics pilots call this “not so fun anymore”. When you get to this point you land the plane and take a break. Each time you do this you increase your threshold for aerobatics.

I'll just say I have never seen your videos but this, this one was made beautifully

If the getting started video is 35 minutes long then it probably explains why I crashed in my first 12 minutes of playing the game

I just want the new modern air combat to release, I’ll never have the time and patience for this 😅

Excellent DCS tutorial! Especially the VR sections hints and tips RE: motion sickness. Thank You!! Subscribed.

i know this is an old video but it is by far the most useful DCS video i have seen

Great video! - up to the point where you slate The Grim Reaper Channel. this is very bad form. I do not fly with the grim reapers nor interact with them very often so my opinion of them is not bias. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, they may not be 100% true to life. but they are a bunch of guys having fun with DCS. If I am unsure how to do something in DCS It can almost be guaranteed Grim reapers have at least covered it.

“Based on Russia “ me: must be a lot of bias then

I recently started with DCS, i chose the F-5 as my first aircraft and i don't regret it. Of course the startup procedure could be simplier, but all in all it's a very nice aircraft, not boring, not too difficult, behaving well in the air, and not bugged like some others.

Couldn’t have timed this better. My first gaming laptop arrives tomorrow morning. Specs are good enough too!

For following Chucks guides in VR, it's worth mentioning that you could use something like OVRToolkit to pin one of your monitors to the top of your canopy and read through it just by glancing up while working through it and playing. Love the video by the way, I've been right on the edge of buying a T16000 HOTAS and diving into DCS for quite some time, and I think the free weekend and this video have finally pushed me over the edge.

Will play DCS for the first time this weekend - can't wait. Loved this video-- very informative

I just downloaded This the other day I'm using i7 8700k 64 gigs and a 3090 card also just got the valve vr kit but I was told this a real steppe learning curve if you don't have actual flight background

this video summarized: you need hotas i personally like clickable cockpits so you HAVE to like them too and enjoy them more than non-clickable therefore you have to like them more too. clickable cockpit aircrafts read chucks guide