Good pointers to get me flying please?

[eazy]

HI, 1st time poster, newbie

Misleading title slightly as I can get the Jet off the ground and fly around without crashing. Thing is, after taking the past week or so learning bits and pieces of Falcon 4 and just getting to grips with it (dying every time ofc). I realised I was using the outdated game. I eventually found the link for the 4.33 and got it all set up. Quickly realising I had to fix the frame rates a bit (no biggie) I don’t have the best equipment but I can usually make do.

Then became the problem, It appeared I didn’t know any of the buttons. :rolleyes:

Things I’m doing;

• Read The Fine Manuals
• Watch the videos on youtube
• Training missions
• Googling
• Trial and Error Error Error

I’m using a Thrustmaster T.Flightstick X, No the HOTAS although a quick google search it looks similar it just has a small thumb throttle slider thingy instead. It was a brief search.

I’ve landed the plane a few times, ugly, still lands on its wheels.
I tried to slew the cursor over the white dots that “I think” used to be yellow, never worked. However after a bit I found out I had to hold shift to move it and then I still don’t know how to select the target.

On other peoples videos I can see the controls a bit clearer but on mine they just don’t look right unless I zoom in using the mouse. I wouldn’t say fuzzy, just unclear (1440x900res).

Sometimes the training manuals tell me to do something but then only tell me which panel or refer me to the other manual in which I then still need to find out the key that I haven’t set yet or something like that.

Any pointers on where to start. for instance, which manuals 1st, 2nd, etc…?
Online tutorials? Maybe of the training missions?
Previous forum posts I have not found yet?

Oh yer, almost forgot. I’m using 2 monitors. BMS is in front and Manuals are on my left. Can I control both without the Pausing/Freezing Alt-Tab move mouse scroll down a bit re-move mouse reopen BMS ritual?

Am I just having the usual teething problems everyone else does and I should just shut up and deal with it?

Thanks for reading,

Joe

[Frederf]

I’m a fan of the original F4.0 manual, written by Bonanni, at least as an order of lessons. As the weapons and avionics are taught the differences between the F4.0 and BMS versions grow but for stick and rudder stuff the original text is ideal in construction. He was a real IP and I believe taught at Fighter Weapons School. There’s always room to improve on basic flight. The real flight manuals are a handy reference whenever the mood strikes to look up exactly how it’s really done or exactly what a switch does.

Despite the logical order I would postpone ramp starting unless it really clicks. Imperfect starts, missed switches, etc. will later impact trying to use it as a learning platform which can be frustrating. Doubly the switch knowledge is like throwing spaghetti at a Teflon wall as none of them will truly mean anything until you use the systems those switches control. If it were my lesson plan I wouldn’t turn on the HUD until the second flight and the EWS until well into the combat phase.

BMS can be run windowed, look into it via the Launcher’s Configuration and Cockpit Display Extraction options.

As for long-term learning, decide for yourself what you want to become and then break that down into major skills broken down into minor skill broken down into more minor skills and so on. In a similar way that every page of a book cannot be read simultaneously not everything can be learned about the F-16 at once. What you learn is often defined by what is put aside to focus on a manageable aspect. That is studied until you are 2/3rds as ignorant on the subject as when you started. Then a new topic is chosen and repeat, coming back to remove reduce that ignorance on the previous topic to 2/3rds of what remains as needs warrant. In this way the collection of ignorances are eaten away with what is learned aiding understanding in other areas.

What will help is to make all efforts to forget what keyboard key or button is being pressed on your desk and with all discipline remind yourself always what would be the real action of you sitting in the F-16 would be. It’s not shift-numpad_plus it’s pressing ICP LIST, it’s not backslash it’s pressing DMS down, or whatever. The layer of abstraction of the keyboard or desk controller must be despised as a permanent barrier to understanding until its completely transparent. No pilot of any accomplishment in BMS will refer to the desktop control instead of the cockpit control.

The universal teething trouble is setting up controls. Patience and discipline is the only real help. Study the HOTAS diagrams and do your best to bind those controls faithfully. It may take a while and tempt you to give up sometimes but it’s worth the perseverance. The stuff you missed (and you missed something, everyone does) will be obvious when you get to the abilities that rely on that control.

When it comes time to learn AA weapons and radar. Do yourself a favor of learning the radar without any consideration for AA weapons and all the AA weapons without concern for the radar. Then only when they are understood separately put them together. The understanding from this method is stronger than introducing them mixed.

Chit chat freely about anything that confuses you or you want any discussion about. Everyone here will go on and on happily for days about any subject. The only thing to worry about is having to read pages and pages of responses.

[av8orfliboy]

If you have 2 monitors, I recommend adopting Helios for your second screen and putting the manuals on a separate device. It will remove a lot of the keyboard button pressing and improve visibility on the avionics. I find it a much more intuitive way to fly. Find it here: http://www.gadrocsworkshop.com/downloads/13. I like ice’s Helios profile which can be found here: http://ihpff4bms.blogspot.com/. Good luck!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[CobaltUK]

That seems an unusual resolution but zooming in is normal for the 3D pit unlike the original falcon 4. I use the mouse scroll wheel.

[CobaltUK]

You need to open setup controllers Tab and identify which keyfile you have loaded. Press every key/button on your stick an look at the function info that is displayed. Also scroll up and down the keyfile list to see where the actions you are interested in are assigned on keyboard.
Look at the BMS Key File Manual.pdf and BMS Keystrokes - Defaults.pdf in Docs folder

If you run bms in windows mode as Frederf mentioned then after pausing or freezing the sim you can then move mouse pointer to other screen to read.

[Guest]

Hello and welcome to the crazy world of Falcon!!

As Frederf has mentioned, nobody will tell you about [keyboard combos] and will instead tell you about [cockpit button]. The reasons for this includes 1) my [keyboard combo] may not be the same as yours. You will find that there are at least 5 .key files (these store the [keyboard combos]) and different people will use different files depending on their setup and preferences, and even then, people tend to customize the .key file depeinding on their needs. Another reason is to avoid confusion. If I say “ICP Zero,” then that’ll be whatever ICP Zero is mapped on your .key file or, the easier way, is to simply press ICP Zero in the cockpit.

In the old days (Falcon 4.0, Allied Force, etc.), memorizing and using [keyboard combo] was a must. In Allied Force in particular, using a [keyboard combo] may mean not having to go to the 2D cockpit and thus, lessening the break in immersion and getting results quicker. In BMS, well, we now have a fully-functioning, 6DoF cockpit and clicking the necessary switch or button is much easier than having to memorize [keyboard combos].

As for your monitors, well, while I would recommend using Helios, I’m not sure how well it works if the 2nd monitor is NOT a touchscreen monitor.

Hope that helps!

[neystratiou]

@eazy:

HI, 1st time poster, newbie

I’ve landed the plane a few times, ugly, still lands on its wheels.

Joe

Well about this, simply download and read this pdf guide. The best you can have in order to learn the correct way of landing your F-16 and always execute a smooth landing.
Link: http://www.google.gr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjP-P3T8vjNAhUFPxoKHVm3BMYQFggaMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.185th.co.uk%2Fforum%2Fdocs.asp%3Faction%3Dgoto%26id%3D464&usg=AFQjCNHeFoaDipm4YvtqytWusvsf7yslPA&bvm=bv.127178174,d.bGs
Nikos.

[eazy]

Thanks for the tips, I like the look of the Helios thing. Might need to remove the surgically remove the girlfriend from the tablet in order to have the manuals at hand I think I got most the buttons I need on the flightstick set up now also.