Wow thank you all for the support, help and suggestions!
I’m going to respond in bulk, rather than make a bunch of separate replies.
Lots of people asked which controller I have, I’m using the T.Flight HOTAS 4 (PS4 version of the T.Flight HOTAS X) for now. It’s cheap, but it’s going to have to do until I can save up for a better HOTAS controller.
Several people suggested I play the training missions. Thank you! I’m still finding my way around the menus, and I hadn’t found those yet (although I might have run one of them by accident without realizing it), I’m going to try and find and play some training missions before I ask further questions.
In your \Falcon BMS 4.33 U1\Docs\Key Files & Input folder you will find the BMS Key File Manual, supporting guides and a number of HOTAS setups ready for use.
If you post what controller setup you are using I’m sure someone with that setup will chip in if you aren’t already catered for with the above.
Thank you! I didn’t know the game comes with keys and setup stuff already, I’ll go through that and see what I can figure out from it.
@TwanV:
Hi Vaalt, welcome. It can be a little daunting but if you look closer, everything is grouped according to the layout of the pit, meaning all HOTAS commands can be found easily. Anyway it depends on what kind of joystick or HOTAS you have. When I started out with my Wingman Digital Extreme, at the bare minimum I would map:
trigger (second detent, fires gun)
TMS up (locks)
TMS down (unlocks)
CMS up (activates countermeasure program)
DMS down (to change sensor of interest)
Pickle/weapon release (obvious)
Trim left/right (after you drop a bom you will have to trim)Furthermore, its useful to know where on your keyboard to find:brakes, Nosewheel steering, rudder, gear. view switching with the numbers. Comms (awacs, wingman, element, flight, tower tanker -> Q,W,E,R,T,Y)
Have a look in the manual at the actual F16 HOTAS setup. In the beginning I would focus on the stick controls (DMS, TMS, CMS, nosewheelsteer and pinky). Once you get comfortable with what these controls do, move to the throttle and see what’s there. The training mission descriptions should learn you step by step which to use where.
good luck, hope this helps.
Thanks! I had no idea that it was grouped similar to the pit layout. Once I find the first corresponding commands and pit instruments the rest will hopefully fall into place!
Ha, the effect of Falcon being thrown in your face :).
- Try to resist the urge to change your keybindings. That will come later (if at all). Joystick bindings might be a different story. What kind of stick do you have?
- Read the manual, for starters on “need to know basis” as per the next point. But it helps to also have the bigger picture.
- Start with the first training missions and move up from there. Taxi and Taking off and landing are nice first milestones, helping you to get to know your way around the cockpit.
- After that, start with “dumb bombs” (training mission) and the basic mechanics of AA missiles (training mission).
Want to smoothen this megalomanic learning curve a bit? Try to find some live online guidance in the form of a virtual squadron. There’s a forum thread about those lurking around somewhere… ah here it is: https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?32205-List-of-Virtual-Fighter-Wings-and-Squadrons
Meanwhile… keep the questions coming
Oh absolutely, I have no intention of changing bindings unless I absolutely have to. I only wanted to bind the HOTAS anyways, just to get my stick controls working correctly.
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll check that virtual squadron stuff out once I’ve got a handle on basic things and knowing where the controls I need are.
Wrapping your head around the controls is one of the biggest road blocks when you first get into BMS.
Thankfully, Jeffu made a pretty great little guide on the subject of what keys you will need to remember and access frequently, which ones can remain as switches you click around in the cockpit with the mouse, and things that absolutely need to be on your flight stick or at your fingertips ready to use.
Seems like it’s helped a thousand or few people so far, hope it helps you out as well:
http://veterans-gaming.com/index.php?/blogs/entry/18-falcon-bms-keybindings-for-new-players/(and be sure to check out part 2 as well, link at the bottom of part 1)
Perfect, thank you! I’ll check out that guide along with my other research and learning efforts.
I can understand the frustration though. A lot of the stuff that is out there still calls things by the key bindings or has a cryptic name that only makes sense to a semi-experienced player. For someone new to the sim, or sims in general, a lot of it will still make no sense. For instance reference above: DMS Down (to change sensor of interest). For a new player this immediately sparks the question: WTF is a sensor of interest? TMS, CMS, DMS, what happened to only having to deal with PMS…
I think Fluke has the best suggestion thoguh. Try not to mess with key bindings until after you get a little action under your belt. Go through some of the training missions first, and as you develop your own style, you will eventually find the need to adjust key bindings. Personally, I recommend to everyone during training to ONLY use the 3D buttons in the Pit whenever possible–simply because it helps to know what is where and what it looks like in the “correct” position. I flew online with someone who had been playing for almost a year and never knew you could turn on the lights inside the pit, or open the AR door. Human mind is visual in nature, it is much easier to remember where something is inside the pit vs 100+ key commands with different combinations of Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Key Combo-Shifted HOTAS, etc…
Thank you, now I don’t feel crazy being confused by all this! I’ll try your suggestion and use things manually in the pit, as soon as I figure out how to do that… XD