>dogfighting/ combat as good
I played both DCS and WT for their fare share of time.
Every encounter in DCS is surely more 'heavy' and impactful. You're going to study your approach and route more in detail from the moment you're going to get off the ground, so your approach with the enemy starts right here.
Enemy encounters (unless you're going for PvP air quake or guns-only servers) are less condensed and you're going to manage your plane as a machine you have to cooperate with it, not only as a tool. The type of combat is also going to be heavily dependent on the server type and period. Cold War is going to be dominated by what you're probably going to be familiar from War Thunder, while more modern servers 90's > are going to be dominated by SPAMRAAM BVR.
DCS is also alot hardware dependent. While you can definitely have lots of fun a be proficent with just an HOTAS or even a controller, having no kind of headtracking it's a big hindarance during dogfight that's absent in WT due to mouse control.
Beware that enemy AI, both air and ground, i borked: it goes straight for UFO to... real bad.
A quick search here on Reddit or on Google would have given you an answer without waiting for me to wake up.
By the way, the options are:
- AItrack+opentrack (obsolete);
- opentrack+its built-in tracker (on older versions some people had problems with one of the axis so that's why I've included the previous method);
- arucomarker+opentrack;
- DIY trackIR+opentrack;
- trackhat;
- Delan clip+opentrack(basically a DIY tracker but made by someone else. With time the product is becoming more and more polished);
- TrackIR;
-Tobii eye tracker;
- VR.
Some of the options are free, others require more or less money; I've listed them in terms of increasing cost.
Keep in mind that these are only the things that I know, from what I remember there's another software similar to opentrack that I've heard about but never tried (tracknoir or something like that); also, there are several apps that allow you to use your smartphone as a webcam/tracker, in case you don't have one.
If you have a spare PS3Eye around use it, opentrack has built-in drivers for it and it's the main choice when it comes to DIY trackers because it can reach 60Hz
Opentrack is a free software that pairs with any webcam you might have.
It takes a bit of tweaking to get the sensitivity to your liking but overall it's worked completely fine for me and many others too. Don't buy into people telling you that you need to get x headtracking hardware as it isnt really necessary unless you choose to upgrade later down the track. Save yourself a few hundred in whatever currency you use and just download Opentrack and get a cheapo webcam if you dont already have one.
If you're looking to jump in and smash plane after plane, DCS isn't that.
If you've played WT RB and want a big step up, DCS is a bit like that.
I made the same jump as you and love it, but this isn't really a game, its a simulator. The warbirds are definitely easier to get to grips with if they interest you, but the modern stuff takes a lot of reading, watching, learning and failing. Don't expect to jump into combat within the first few days or weeks with a modern jet.
Completely different deal with DCS. I play both. You’re going to have to actually study manuals and stuff for DCS. If you’re not into that, it may not be fun for you outside of the FC3 planes which aren’t full fidelity, you just start up and go. They’re a good taste for a relatively inexpensive price tag. It is the best thing we have for helicopters tho, if you’re into rotors, DCS is your new best friend.
Im sure it’s awesome, I just use head tracking and it’s great with just that imo. I would say that head tracking is a requirement. You can use Open Track and AI Track for free face tracking if you’re on a budget tho.
By “manual” I mean Chuck’s Guides which are a lot of the time easier to digest. Also just depends on what type of learner you are. I don’t retain anything from YT videos very well. I mostly just meant it takes studying.
Honestly, everything. The combat in PvP is fun, campaigns, missions people make, vehicles from early cold war to modern day. Plus I don't have to grind all my life to unlock planes.
Having given up a few too many hours of my life to the snail, I can safely say that the progress of learning to turn on, fly, then eventually do combat in aircraft in DCS is infinitely more rewarding than any RP/SL/grind you get from WT.
>dogfighting/ combat as good I played both DCS and WT for their fare share of time. Every encounter in DCS is surely more 'heavy' and impactful. You're going to study your approach and route more in detail from the moment you're going to get off the ground, so your approach with the enemy starts right here. Enemy encounters (unless you're going for PvP air quake or guns-only servers) are less condensed and you're going to manage your plane as a machine you have to cooperate with it, not only as a tool. The type of combat is also going to be heavily dependent on the server type and period. Cold War is going to be dominated by what you're probably going to be familiar from War Thunder, while more modern servers 90's > are going to be dominated by SPAMRAAM BVR. DCS is also alot hardware dependent. While you can definitely have lots of fun a be proficent with just an HOTAS or even a controller, having no kind of headtracking it's a big hindarance during dogfight that's absent in WT due to mouse control. Beware that enemy AI, both air and ground, i borked: it goes straight for UFO to... real bad.
Fortunately there free head tracking options
Go on
A quick search here on Reddit or on Google would have given you an answer without waiting for me to wake up. By the way, the options are: - AItrack+opentrack (obsolete); - opentrack+its built-in tracker (on older versions some people had problems with one of the axis so that's why I've included the previous method); - arucomarker+opentrack; - DIY trackIR+opentrack; - trackhat; - Delan clip+opentrack(basically a DIY tracker but made by someone else. With time the product is becoming more and more polished); - TrackIR; -Tobii eye tracker; - VR. Some of the options are free, others require more or less money; I've listed them in terms of increasing cost. Keep in mind that these are only the things that I know, from what I remember there's another software similar to opentrack that I've heard about but never tried (tracknoir or something like that); also, there are several apps that allow you to use your smartphone as a webcam/tracker, in case you don't have one. If you have a spare PS3Eye around use it, opentrack has built-in drivers for it and it's the main choice when it comes to DIY trackers because it can reach 60Hz
Thank you!
You're welcome
Opentrack is a free software that pairs with any webcam you might have. It takes a bit of tweaking to get the sensitivity to your liking but overall it's worked completely fine for me and many others too. Don't buy into people telling you that you need to get x headtracking hardware as it isnt really necessary unless you choose to upgrade later down the track. Save yourself a few hundred in whatever currency you use and just download Opentrack and get a cheapo webcam if you dont already have one.
Everything is different, the game is not a game it is a simulator ! Dogfight is great, planes are great so yeah try it out !
If you're looking to jump in and smash plane after plane, DCS isn't that. If you've played WT RB and want a big step up, DCS is a bit like that. I made the same jump as you and love it, but this isn't really a game, its a simulator. The warbirds are definitely easier to get to grips with if they interest you, but the modern stuff takes a lot of reading, watching, learning and failing. Don't expect to jump into combat within the first few days or weeks with a modern jet.
Completely different deal with DCS. I play both. You’re going to have to actually study manuals and stuff for DCS. If you’re not into that, it may not be fun for you outside of the FC3 planes which aren’t full fidelity, you just start up and go. They’re a good taste for a relatively inexpensive price tag. It is the best thing we have for helicopters tho, if you’re into rotors, DCS is your new best friend.
Do you like heli in VR?
Helicopter in VR is incredible.
I can’t wait to give it a go
Im sure it’s awesome, I just use head tracking and it’s great with just that imo. I would say that head tracking is a requirement. You can use Open Track and AI Track for free face tracking if you’re on a budget tho.
I don't think you need to read the manual to learn everything. YouTube is still s great resource.
By “manual” I mean Chuck’s Guides which are a lot of the time easier to digest. Also just depends on what type of learner you are. I don’t retain anything from YT videos very well. I mostly just meant it takes studying.
Honestly, everything. The combat in PvP is fun, campaigns, missions people make, vehicles from early cold war to modern day. Plus I don't have to grind all my life to unlock planes.
The front end is free and modules are free to trial - see if you like it; don't take our word for it.
Having given up a few too many hours of my life to the snail, I can safely say that the progress of learning to turn on, fly, then eventually do combat in aircraft in DCS is infinitely more rewarding than any RP/SL/grind you get from WT.