FINALLY!!! I miss these types of games - An awesome Warthog (A-10C) simulation

[Steve Dallas]

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/series/warthog/

OK, I've always been a serious Simulation person, from sub sims to airplane sims.

I just bought this yesterday, and hadn't seen a lot of press on it...mainly because game magazines and companies focus on rehashing games like Warcraft, World of Warcraft or Angry Birds. I hate that.

Some of the best games of all time were combat flight simulators. Sid Meier made some of the early ones that were damn fun, and not as realistic as they could have been...but that was the technology of the time.

Falcon came out for the Mac, and was one of the first really good simulations. Falcon 3.0 came out many years later and blew anything away at that time. Since then, there have been a few titles that were worth having, but more recently things have been pretty dead.

I'm just starting up on this A-10C simulator and it is AMAZING in the detail. All the switches that the real A-10C has. Yes, you actually have to go through the proper startup sequence (though they do have a game mode which I believe takes a lot of that detail away).

It kind of reminds me of a simulator of the Space Shuttle that Virgin did many years ago, back in the early days of VGA. You could scroll through every button and switch in the Shuttle, and could go through the entire launch sequence. Was amazing at the time.

This game has multiplayer as well as single player modes...I really look forward to learning this game. It has a real MANUAL (I'm printing out about 300 pages of ****pit controls right now).

I'm probably a minority...as most people just like mindless games...but this type of "game" is really what has interested me over the years...and is the reason why good PC's are so much better as gaming/simulation machines than you will ever find with a X-Box, PS3 or whatever.

[Steve Dallas]

Some eye-candy into the detail this simulation provides...

[MagnumForceGB]

I remember playing Falcon 4.0 when it was out, and it came with an actual game manual, not a little quick start. They had a mod that made starting the F-16 the same as real life (used to be a F-16 Crew Chief). I may have to check this game out.

Also, starting a F-16 is alot easier, helps with 1 engine.

[Steve Dallas]

Yeah, even though I bought this online, it comes with several PDF's.

I printed out about 300 pages of the manual (there are 4 manuals) that goes into detail on the various switches and guages. There's a LOT more that I haven't printed out yet. It's going to take me days to study up on some of this stuff.

One cool thing is I guess this is based off a simulator they did for the people that actually fly these things. So it's pretty damn realistic.

So far I've started, taken off and landed with no real problems, but I definately don't have the startup procedure memorized...I'll need to use the checklist for that, I'm sure.

Even using the weapons is realistic...far more than I thought it would be. Still learning how to target and use the various weapons.

[Tom0662]

I love combat flight sims, dont play them hardcore though. Use to play the heck out of Janes Fighters Anthology with about 10-15 guys. Was fun, we would have ladder tournaments for dogfighting etc.
Anyway I bought DCS Blackshark and yes the startup is hard without printouts, lol. Using a Logitech 3D Pro that was getting worn out and couldnt control the helo well anymore. Sort of stopped playing it for a while.
Then it was time for the Release of A-10C Warthog, awesome, bought it. Joystick still a piece of crap. Started research and wound up buying the A10C HOTAS http://www.thrustmaster.com/product.aspx?ProductID=221
Awesome heavy duty stick and throttle, and I do mean heavy. The only proble with this was that it is tough to use with a helo. Was also looking at this one http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/x65f.html
which would have worked well with helos although the stick does not move as it is a force sensing stick.

Another awesome sim is Lock On Flaming Cliffs 2. You dont have to worry too much about hundreds of clickable buttons. I have played this one the most with the A10 HOTAS and it does work excellant.

Also if you dont have it yet a must have for sims is this http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/

Here is a video with Blackshark and using TrackIR.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by MagnumForceGB

I remember playing Falcon 4.0 when it was out, and it came with an actual game manual, not a little quick start. They had a mod that made starting the F-16 the same as real life (used to be a F-16 Crew Chief). I may have to check this game out.

Also, starting a F-16 is alot easier, helps with 1 engine.

Ahh Falcon 4.0. Such a good game.

[Steve Dallas]

Originally Posted by Tom0662

I love combat flight sims, dont play them hardcore though. Use to play the heck out of Janes Fighters Anthology with about 10-15 guys. Was fun, we would have ladder tournaments for dogfighting etc.
Anyway I bought DCS Blackshark and yes the startup is hard without printouts, lol. Using a Logitech 3D Pro that was getting worn out and couldnt control the helo well anymore. Sort of stopped playing it for a while.
Then it was time for the Release of A-10C Warthog, awesome, bought it. Joystick still a piece of crap. Started research and wound up buying the A10C HOTAS http://www.thrustmaster.com/product.aspx?ProductID=221
Awesome heavy duty stick and throttle, and I do mean heavy. The only proble with this was that it is tough to use with a helo. Was also looking at this one http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/x65f.html
which would have worked well with helos although the stick does not move as it is a force sensing stick.

Another awesome sim is Lock On Flaming Cliffs 2. You dont have to worry too much about hundreds of clickable buttons. I have played this one the most with the A10 HOTAS and it does work excellant.

Also if you dont have it yet a must have for sims is this http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/

Here is a video with Blackshark and using TrackIR.

I'm going to look into that A-10C HOTAS stick. I had a Thrustmaster Throttle and Joystick that was quite good, but it was serial, and doesn't work with most modern sims anymore. I have a Thrustmasterr USB Joystick, but it doesn't have the full complement of buttons that a true combat sim needs. Since I had really just been doing Microsoft Flight Simulator more recently, didn't really need that functionality.

Now that I'm getting back into the hardcore stuff, I need to update my input hardware. I definately was having a hard time deciding between Blackhawk and the Warthot sims...I'll probably get the Blackhawk one as well. And I was looking at Lock On as well...

[wylde1]

Loved the Janes Fighter Anthology, also had an F-15 one that was pretty good as well. I think the Longbow 2 was my favorite though.

This A-10 one looks intense, I might have to check it out.