Why not make an in depth Tutorial for the simulator ?
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I think it would be a better idea for someone new (such as yourself), to start a blog here on the BMS site (Or anywhere really) and chronicle your learning experience for other new players to see and follow along with.
Detailed tutorials from an experienced player are always full of great information and detail, but most people who have never been a real instructor (General sense, not flight sense) tend to forget that certain terms and “general” knowledge are not always common to everyone. Detailing the experience from the perspective of a newer player would offer an incredible amount of insight for other new players, as well as the individuals creating the included training missions and tutorials by highlighting things that didn’t make sense, were harder in practice than concept, or didn’t transfer very well from the training documentation to the mind of a new player who lacks the fundamental knowledge of the game.
Additionally, if you really want to get involved in the game, this would be a good motivator to keep you going. If you write well enough and generate some interest, it also becomes an excellent avenue to get answers from other community members who may have experienced similar issues during their learning process, or experienced members who may be able to further explain something you’re having trouble with.
Being the one of the writer I’d love that kind of help.
The ones who actually helped in that regards can be counted on the fingers of a single hand.
The ones who either complained or praised the manuals can be counted of hundreth pair of hands.
What’s described above is typical and a trap we tried hard not to fall into, but regardless how hard we tried, it’s so easy to fall into it that we certainly at some point failed.
The other side of the coin of course is to also avoid to constantly repeating the same thing - and making the manuals impossible to read because of these repetitions. I guess the trick is compromise and that’s what we have tried to achieve. But don’t get me wrong. It is very hard not to fall into that trap a few times at least when writing 1000+ pages of manuals. -
An example of this is that it doesn’t say you press the RTN button to get back to the “main” display on the DED. Pretty simple thing, but if you don’t know that it’s frustrating when you get caught in the COM1 menu or the ALOW menu and can’t figure out how to get out (l assume I eventually searched in one of the other manuals and found it, but for something that basic and critical you shouldn’t need to).
let’s use this example - which I perfectly understand.
But IMHO it’s by design - The author team has to put some rules at some point or another to be able to organise their work and provide efficient documentation maintaining the big picture in mind:Dash1 page65 - UFC chapter
5 Override Modes
- COM1 (ICP button)
- COM2 (ICP button)
- IFF (ICP button)
- LIST (ICP button)
- F-ACK (left glareshield pushbutton)
Override modes provide direct access to the functions of the corresponding button. You can revert back to the initial page by pressing the override mode button again.
In addition to the 5 override modes there is a special override mode that returns the UFC to CNI (Communication, Navigation & Identification) page on the DED. That mode is accessed by moving the DCS (Data Command Switch) to the left (RTN position).
Dash1 page 66 - UFC chapter
The DCS is a four way momentary switch situated on the bottom row of the ICP, next to the DRIFT C/O – WARN RESET switch. The LEFT position is labelled RTN and allows exit from the current DED page or return to the CNI DED page.
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To return to the default DED (CNI) page, move the DCS to the RTN (left) position.Dash1 page 76
DCS RTN exits back to the CNI page.
So in the UFC chapter of the Dash-1 manual, which is supposed to be the one explaining how the aircraft system works, this specific example has been explained at least 4 times, with a bonus for difference from regular page and override modes.
Training manual does not refer to the RTN button I do fully agree with that,
But that’s by design as explained in the foreword:This document is not intended to explain how the BMS aircraft systems work.
The F-16 and its systems are explained in the BMS Dash-1 (TO-BMS1F-16CM-1) manual.
Weapon employment procedures are explained in the BMS Dash-34 (TO-BMS1F-16CM-34-1-1).So while on one hand I understand the argument, on the other hand, we decided of a philosophy of how the manuals interconnect with each other.
Which is kind of our prerogative (after all writting all this in a constantly updating sofwatere is a mammoth task). And I can tell you all that keeping the author motivated is a task on its own.
We don’t want authors to quit because the task became more frustrating than rewarding do we ?The users on the other hand should also try to understand the way the manuals are meant to be used. (IMHO, before starting to read)
That by the way is explained on all back cover of the printed manuals - Which I agree is probably not the best place as not all of you have hard copiesBut If I have trouble with specific issues in training, it should be obvious to revert to the aircraft system documentation and then find what’s the problem, learn its solution and then go back to the training manual, no?
That’s how I’d do it. And to be honest with you guys, that’s how we do with any kind of documentation (being software, hardware, aircraft, cars, hifi, …, … no?When I learned to fly for real, My IP never quite got into explaining to me how the GNS430 worked. he showed me pretty quick way to do simple stuff
After that I had to get the added information, dig into the manuals and finally was able to plan full routes and using the advanced functions of the avionic system.
Nowaday my tablet and dedicated software do better, but again, I had to learn that all by myself.
Because it’s meant to be by design and because pilots or stdent pilots or virtual pilots all come from different horizons and different level of knowledge, motivation and experience and the manuals should be made for all of them.
To scratch the surface of that goal, rules and philosophy of use must be decided, enforced and explained. -
@Chu:
I get where i gotta start, but there’s definitely around 98% of your posts that I have no idea what you’re saying because I have the whole aircraft vocab of an Unguided Bomb. Neither of us actually understand, and both of us can explode if we fall from a certain height. Although one can actually damage things.
The road ahead of me is too long for me to actually want to blog things, and blogging will make it longer. I’m not THAT patient. Like, what’s an RTN button? getting back to the main display on a DED? Bu-but what even is a DED? Forget getting out of it, how do i get in it?! O.o
I’ll start by first getting some funds for a Hotas. Then, seeing as now i barely understand what anyone’s talking about in Setup/Config threads/videos/In general, I may advance a step. but for now, i’ll just poke things.
No really, there’s so much I have to go through that explanations for explanations need an explanation. If only F-16’s weren’t so cool…
It is normal that all acronyms are not explained again and again in every chapters … otherwise the 900 pages document would becomes a 2000 pages documentation … and you would be even more puzzled.
Do the thing in the right order :
- Learn your desktop: Dash-1 for cockpit and fundamental systems.
- Learn avionics systems : Dash-34 (no need to deeply study the whole thing at the first shot, you will come back on some chapter later for more specific needs).
- Read the training manuals and fly the training missions .
- Learn the software itself for better understanding. This might need a quick look at the beginning for proper setup and configuration (this could even be the first thing to do actually) , then after, dig it for specificities.
Understand that there won’t be any magic solution. This is a study sim. You are close to fly the real stuff … do not imagine it can be mastered in one week.
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+1. What DeeJay says is spot on - you are learning to fly an F-16, and from the sound of things you are not only learning that, but you are also learning to fly…which means you have a lot of basic things to learn about airplanes, let alone about combat airplanes. BMS isn’t a “game”, it’s a simulation…and a very good one at that. Don’t expect to just jump into it and go - I’ve been flying Falcon since the 80s…and still learning from/with BMS.
Small steps - lots of reading…more reading…fly/practice…read a lot more. Then rinse and repeat.
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@Chu:
I get where i gotta start, but there’s definitely around 98% of your posts that I have no idea what you’re saying because I have the whole aircraft vocab of an Unguided Bomb.
Don’t worry about things you don’t understand NOW. You will get there. Talking about the DED was just an example and while it won’t make sense NOW, it’ll make sense when you get to that part of the F-16.
Bottom line –- don’t sweat it.
Get a HOTAS, get your gear set up… even that will require some learning and configuration depending on what HOTAS you get… but that will greatly simplify the learning process working with a HOTAS compared to just a KB/mouse setup.
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@Red:
let’s use this example - which I perfectly understand.
But IMHO it’s by design - The author team has to put some rules at some point or another to be able to organise their work and provide efficient documentation maintaining the big picture in mind:…
I agree with this-balance is a must, and always a hard thing to find. I think it would be helpful however in future versions of the training documentation to have a “familiarization” chapter up front after the "Setting Up BMS… " section. In flying training, you go through months of academic schoolhouse training where you learn the layout, names, functions, etc… of all the different components and pieces you have to play with. It’s not uncommon in FTUs to go several weeks of academic training without ever even seeing an actual TO, strictly schoolhouse training material. I think a chapter at the beginning of the training documentation, with a picture and a short (1 paragraph max–many could be 1-2 sentences) description of each piece of equipment, or at least each general area, would be a good way to go. I know nobody wants to duplicate efforts from the -1, but that’s not really what you would be doing. Basically 1-2 sentences of everything with an arrow pointing to it on the diagram on Pg10 of the Training manual. Condense 3 months of academic training into 3-4 pages just to get the guys who have never seen the inside the the Falcon cockpit a little familiarity without asking them to read 1000+ pages.
It covers a lot of bases by doing that. Especially if you include references to the -1. Right, wrong, or indifferent: A lot of new players go straight to the training material instead of the -1. Doing something like this has several benefits:
1. Brief overview of the pit, basic nomenclature, acronyms, and functionality
2. Easy and quick reference for people to go back and reference what something looks like and does when they see it mentioned later on the 6th or 7th mission and have forgotten it from before
3. Having a lot of references to the -1 starts to really impart on the newbie that the -1 is important, gets them looking through it more, and starts to get them familiar with it
4. Provides a considerable amount of information that can help to bridge the gap between the trap you refer to and the rest of the basic knowledge
5. Provides some solid fundamental equipment knowledge with less risk of deterring someone with the enormity of the -1 -
I very much like MorteSil’s idea about a familiarization section. However, I’d like to put forward another similar idea. No one teaches themselves to fly. It’s not possible. So in falcon you are pretty much thrown so far into the deep end that many give up and drown instantly. I think this is due to the fact that newbies have no idea where to begin with the manuals. The documentation is top notch but I do think it isn’t 100% user friendly if a pilot is brand new. So I think a stopgap is needed. Like MorteSil mentioned, a section would be good. But what if someone created a document similar to what a flight instructor would be. Just a short word document perhaps that a new pilot could open and it would tell them what each document is and how they are laid out. A glossary can be included with each acronym and abbreviation. This would allow new pilots to first understand what the documents are and where they can find relevant information for any question they might have. I’m not thinking of making a new 100 page manual. But a simple 2-5 pages that is more of an introduction to the sim that also has a FAQ section built from the forums. I do feel this will also reduce the amount of initial questions that are asked on the forum. Just my two cents.
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1. Brief overview of the pit, basic nomenclature, acronyms, and functionality
A glossary can be included with each acronym and abbreviation. This would allow new pilots to first understand what the documents are and where they can find relevant information for any question they might have.
I really like the idea of an exhaustive glossary … but there is not reason to let that task on the BMS docu team’s shoulder only.
Anybody here can start a thread inviting anybody to post all the acronyms and abbreviations we can “imagine” … and keep the list sorted alphabetically on the 1st post …
At the end … the docu team could simply pick up all those and add them into their documentation or in a separated PDF.This is a community … anybody can contribute.
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a glossary is already in the works.
As a reminder, most of the acronyms are explained in the manual the first time they are used. So acronym explanation is there for those who search
That being said a list easily accessible is much better and compliment the above perfectlyWhat we have been discussing as well is to make a training mission zero to setup BMS
Take a new guy totally unaware of BMS and guide him through all the steps necessary before actually flying (explaining Callbacks, what’s needed for basic joystick assignation, TIR or not, ….The trick to that is where it starts and where it ends as there are hundreths of possible combinations and i’m sure some may be forgotten. I plead guilty in advance for already knowing I will omit the guys trying to fly BMS with a keyboard or a PS controller
Not an easy task either -
I very much like MorteSil’s idea about a familiarization section. However, I’d like to put forward another similar idea. No one teaches themselves to fly. It’s not possible. So in falcon you are pretty much thrown so far into the deep end that many give up and drown instantly. I think this is due to the fact that newbies have no idea where to begin with the manuals. The documentation is top notch but I do think it isn’t 100% user friendly if a pilot is brand new. So I think a stopgap is needed. Like MorteSil mentioned, a section would be good. But what if someone created a document similar to what a flight instructor would be. Just a short word document perhaps that a new pilot could open and it would tell them what each document is and how they are laid out. A glossary can be included with each acronym and abbreviation. This would allow new pilots to first understand what the documents are and where they can find relevant information for any question they might have. I’m not thinking of making a new 100 page manual. But a simple 2-5 pages that is more of an introduction to the sim that also has a FAQ section built from the forums. I do feel this will also reduce the amount of initial questions that are asked on the forum. Just my two cents.
Drowning is an understatement, I think I discovered a new fish
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@Chu:
Drowning is an understatement, I think I discovered a new fish
Well brother, you got to man up if you want to sim with the big dogs…this sim is a hardcore vetting machine…;)
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I +1,000,000 to the suggestion of Glossary. RD, if you need any help with that, I would like to offer my services. We could make a thread here with all the terms on it and occasionally release a PDF version for easy access.
As I have done a newbie install guide, I might do a newbie setup guide as well. We’ll see how much time the new year brings!
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So I have created a small document that I think may help new pilots get there bearings when they first start falcon. It’s only about a page and a half word doc but I’ll just paste what I’ve come up with here. Let me know what you think and if it’s something that could help the community.
"BMS Starter Guide
Hello and welcome to Benchmark Sims Falcon 4.0. BMS is the most in depth F-16 simulator currently on the market and has thousands of players around the world. This document is designed to get new pilots started in BMS. So without further ado let’s begin.
One of the most asked questions on the forums is “Where do I start?”. BMS is very complex and models almost all the Viper systems to a tee. With that in mind BMS has an extremely steep learning curve. Thankfully, the BMS devs have created top notch documents that contain a plethora of information that you will need to employ the F-16. It is important to note that all manuals are searchable so that finding certain topics is quite simple.
In your install is a docs folder that contains the BMS manuals, airport charts, cockpit diagrams, key files, operational manuals, and several other documents. You will want to start in the BMS manuals folder as this manual will only cover those manuals.
The first document is the “BMS User Manual”. This manual explains BMS as a whole. It contains instructions for install, configuration, multiplayer, and other topics related to the configuration of different settings within the sim.
Next is the “BMS Training Missions” manual. There are several Tactical Engagements or TEs already created in the sim for you. A TE is a user created mission that is more or less on rails. This manual contains all the information you will need to understand and fly the training TEs. TEs include everything from ramp start to weapons employment.
Next we have “BMS F-16CM-1” also known as the “-1”. This will be your starting point once you are ready to begin learning the aircraft. It will guide you through each button and switch in the cockpit as well as take you through very detailed procedures both normal and abnormal. This document is broken down into four sections: Section I Description and Operation, Section II Normal Procedures, Section III Abnormal and Emergency Procedures, and Section IV Flight Characteristics. Read this manual to learn how to operate the F-16.
Moving right along we finally have the “BMS F-16CM-34” or “-34”. This is your guide to all the F-16 systems and weapons. Once you have learned how to start up and fly the F-16 come here to begin learning how to employ the jet in combat. Once again this manual is broken down into chapters. Each chapter describes a different system or weapon.
Though all of these manuals are different the topics they cover generally overlap and you will need to study them all too really understand the sim. For instance while reading the -34 you may come across and acronym or abbreviation for a button or switch that is not explained. This is because section 1 in the -1 will have already explained said switch.
To avoid much confusion it is strongly recommended that you read and understand the -1 before moving onto the -34. It will make your life much easier and help you understand things better."
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That glossary is going to save lives
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Indeed! I was quite surprised when I realized there isn’t one. I was thinking about the BREVITY guide so I was confused and surprised when I realized there isn’t a glossary!
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An extremely steep learning curve….sometimes Falconeers like myself who have lived and breathed this sim for decades forget the learning curve. . I’m very much in a Zen state, one with my virtual mount, when I fly.
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@Red:
a glossary is already in the works.
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What we have been discussing as well is to make a training mission zero to setup BMS
Take a new guy totally unaware of BMS and guide him through all the steps necessary before actually flying (explaining Callbacks, what’s needed for basic joystick assignation, TIR or not, …The trick to that is where it starts and where it ends as there are hundreths of possible combinations and i’m sure some may be forgotten. I plead guilty in advance for already knowing I will omit the guys trying to fly BMS with a keyboard or a PS controller
…I think this is a fantastic idea. Especially the callback comment. That word is very common in responses to a newer player asking about setting up the keyboard or a controller. For people with no BMS or programming experience that word may as well be farfalanginsnips. Or, we as a community should shift it to be called “commands” instead of callback. Callback is the term used in development parlance which apparently leaked through, but really you are assigning a key/button/POV/Hat to a command. But that’s not the point I suppose, I think what you describe would be a good idea, and very beneficial to a lot of players.
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Yeah, before getting to communication it would be rather splendid if I understood the actual plane and it’s systems. You start out thinking it’s all fun and games, open the manual, 5 lines into it in some foreign announcer voice you read to yourself “The heart of the onboard system is provided by the Up Front Controller (ICP & DED) and the 2 MFDs”. And then it hits you… “I have no idea what an ICP is or what a DED is or what a MFD is…” (well i got the last one relatively quick)
What follows is a little scroll through the pages just to see whats up and then you feel like you need a manual for the manual. A glossary would damn near kill that problem. should it include brief 1-2 line explanations, it might just kill it completely.
For example MFD- Multi functional Display - The screens in the cockpit that can display a variety of things such as the radar and weapon stores.
ICP- Integrated Control Panel - (well i clearly can’t explain this one too well) “Some main interface that is right under the HUD” Which brings up another point, when using an acronym in a line used to explain say… another acronym, it’s probably a safe bet to have the explanation of said acronym right before the other. So i’d explain HUD right before ICP and the DED right after that as something like
DED- Data Entry Display - The LED display to the right of the ICP ( by now I already read what an ICP is so seeing the acronym wont throw them off even for a second)
And keeping things simple without going through the details which would be shown in parts of the manuals. And the glossary could be put in a manner that places acronyms relevant to each other together. for example anything related to the Air to Ground can be clumped together as it might be more likely to be seen together when reading the manual/performing anything Air to Ground and so on…
It’s a lot of work, but for complete beginners that do seek some realistic Fighter Jet simulation, it could be the difference between dropping it or going through with it. The newbies (seen plenty bitter comments from the past to be honest) see such an insane, authentic simulator and end up giving up filled with regret, but at the same time it’s so inaccessible that they feel like they cant do jack about it.
Just imagine the community if all the people who were interested in a genuine F-16 simulator could go in, learn the thing and start improving on a steady-ish basis. A whole lot of fun is what I can see. But of course, everything is easier said than done.
Oh and the Wiki also has heaps of acronym lists in alphabetical order, but since it’s not really 100% aircraft/F-16 specific it’s still kinda scrambled.
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As I said before, knowing that ICP is “integrated control panel” isn’t as important as knowing where the ICP is and what it does. Aside from telling a newbie what an ICP means, I don’t think anyone refers to it as anything else aside from ICP. Doing a document search for “integrated control panel” won’t get you much hits as well, but do it for “ICP” and you’ll find all you need to know.
So don’t sweat it if you come across an acronym that you don’t know what the letters mean. You will, eventually, but what’s more useful is knowing what that part of the F-16 does and what it’s good for. CCIP? CCRP? You’ll rarely, if at all, find anyone talking about bombing modes and mention “continuously computed impact point” or “continuously computed repease point”, but they’ll all be talking about CCIP and CCRP.
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I understand what you’re saying, and I agree that knowing where it is, what it does, when to use it and the such is more important by far. But when reading a chunk of information and seeing all the acronyms, not knowing anything as of that moment, throws me off. It only really takes one time and an occasional refresh for a certain (low) amount of time to get what it stands for then I can go on and understand the functionality. Lets say all I’ve seen so far is ICP and what it stands for. Well, I know its a control panel in the cockpit, I can keep reading now and not have to think too much yet. But when I don’t even know what it stands for, it’s as if the sentence is being cut off because i’m unable to fill identify what im reading. It’s like a new language entirely if i don’t even know what it stands for.