A newcomer who could use some advice

[Senilix]

This is basically a re-post from another topic where I commented on one of Ze_Hairy's Fw. videos. I kind of liked some of my formulations, so I decided to publish it once more.

 

There's a lot tweaking and fiddling around with all kind of settings. I realize this: When I broke my Saitek X52 pro stick a while ago (not been able to glue it yet) and bought me a Warthog stick unit and kept the Saitek throttle and stick units (I use some of the buttons on the base, more buttons, more fun). I didn't make it particular easier to get my acts together so to speak.

 

The devil is buried in the details is a saying. I don't have two graveyards to dig in now (the game, my Saitek package (gear and software)), but tree (the game, my Saitek package and the Thrustmaster package).

 

Well, that's me in a nutshell   .

 

I'm almost there where I've found out how to fix the Saitek stuff according to my liking's, the warthog is reasonable axis wise, the only missing is a two stage trigger, which will involve fiddling with the Target software i guess. 

 

I have started to fly offline, been into one game one "one or another server", getting blown out of the sky and crashed to the ground. 

 

I managed to take off in the Anton at first attempt, even land it without "nose-breaking" and I kept it on the runway until it stopped, somewhat not "100% on the center line", more close to the yellow line - if there were any. What the heck, it was winter conditions, I couldn't see them lines. I'm satisfied  

 

I will take advice if anyone more familiar with my gear in this environment can point out for me where to find help and wise tip's.

I have this gear:

Saitek X-52 pro with broken stick mounted so I can use the buttons on the base, and I'm planning a sort of support or prosthesis for the stick so I can use some of the buttons on it. http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/x52pro.html

Thrustmaster Warthog stick unit. http://www.thrustmaster.com/en_UK/products/hotas-warthog-flight-stick

Saitek pro quadrant http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/quad.html

Saitek pro fighter rudder pedals  http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/compedals.html

Track Ir pro SW 5.2.200

Corsair K70 gaming keyboard, my newest toy (lots of color flash if one likes it, I use it to see important keys when I'm flying - and I hope I can program some keys to do "stuff" for me)

 

I can see out of vid's the there can be a lot to gain in the graphic department. I have a reasonable computer I believe - MSI GT72 17.3" GeForce GTX980M 4GB, Core i7-4720HQ, 16GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD, Win 8.1 hooked up to a BenQ 27'' 144 hmz sreen. It gives me +/- 60 fps, I haven't bench-marked it yet in BOS.

 

I have seen something on add on's, I would be very happy if someone could aid me to where I can find useful info and guidance.

 

I've been more or less on a sick leave for two years, "burn out syndrome" - boring as hell but I'm slowly improving. My memory, energy and perception are not according to what I like, that's life.

It could be worse if I woke up a morning - dead. I have a lot time to put into fiddling with "things" so to speak.

 

I'm not mentioning this to seek any sympathy, I'm just trying to motivate someone to put me on the right track / track's (slick as any) 

 

Humor is invented - Thank You 

 

[Senilix]

Was this request for some assistance a bit too cocky?

 

I'm not cocky at all. My intention with the posting were to a bit funny and sarcastic on my own behalf. I have a growing suspicious that I didn't succeed in that.

 

Some of my problems with the "burn out thing" is that I don'w always remember the small and tiny thing from just or yesterday, like "where did I see that?". It's very handy for me to have it stored one place, like in this topic or thread.

 

I use money on sim gear at the moment, to try to compensate for the problems I have. I don't use money on other things at all at the moment, I have even stopped smoking cigarettes (which is very expensive where I live). This isn't cocky at all. I'm not trying to be too personal either, I like to be straight forward and I thought it would be fair to try to explain something in here about it.

 

To help me in remembering stuff, I started to use Evernote after I got ill, or to be more precise, I just re-discovered that I had started to use it some 1,5 years ago. Now I use it actively to store downloaded files, links to websites, to forum postings (when I remember to do so). I can really recommend it, the program "grows" as you use it.

 

The setup process in BOS is slow because of my memory trouble and some due to some perceptual problems, which is more important when flying - like situation awareness. My language capacity has been set back too, finding words when I need them, write correct, grammar - it's not funny, but I manage, I don't have any options either. I am improving, its a slow process. I will be back to my old self one day.

 

You will see a of me in the forum and soon "up there", you're all warned 

 

This should have happened to me some 10 years ago when it was more trendy 

 

And why the heck can't I edit my own OP?

[coconut]

I don't think your request was cocky, why would you think so? If it was the lack of response, it's probably just that many are away for vacation. Anyway, I can't help you with your settings/hardware questions, but I'm sure you'll find something that works. Welcome here 

[Senilix]

I'm thinking a lot strange thoughts, I have too long days (I'm not world champion in sleeping either) ;-)

 

At the moment it could be handy with some guidance in the graphical area. I have a straight forward out of the box setup on my rig. The contrast isn't even close to my expectations.

 

The setup of stick and flying the Fw has to go in it's own path and I need time to familiarize in it. 

 

I think I have most of the stick settings are in place, I haven't tried the setup in other planes yet to check if it works. Any tips for typical traps I should look for in that department?

 

Axis'es are a matter of personal taste, I've always liked'em tight (not any filthy associations now....), I guess I will adjust these for a good while. 

 

To be able to fly in expert mode is there anywhere a minimum is described?

Do people change profiles on their sticks and other gear when they fly different planes, or will one set up fit all?

Some of the functions are best on the keyboard, any tips on which? I guess this will be convenient for engine management twin engine's planes. I'm normally a fighter head...

To be able to orientate fast on the keyboard, I bought me the RGB keyboard, marking important parts of it or single keys with colors - that's part of the conceptual problem.  

How long is it to Christmas? (joking) 

[Cat_Astrophe]

 

 

Do people change profiles on their sticks and other gear when they fly different planes, or will one set up fit all?

Some of the functions are best on the keyboard, any tips on which? I guess this will be convenient for engine management twin engine's planes. I'm normally a fighter head...

To be able to orientate fast on the keyboard, I bought me the RGB keyboard, marking important parts of it or single keys with colors - that's part of the conceptual problem.  

How long is it to Christmas? (joking) 

I'm too new to help with most of your questions, but I am quite sure now that I, for one, will need different linearity for different planes. LAGG 3 and LA 5 are the same for me, but the IL 2 and YAK will need other settings for best results. German planes are mostly a mystery to me except that my first flights with the BF109 seemed ok with the same linearity as the LAGG 3.

 

As far as controls are concerned, I try to synchronize controls across games so I don't need to think, just act (I have some of the same issues you do and simplifying things is helpful). That's a bit of a challenge between this and other games. Works ok between BOS, CLOD, and WT, less so with Elite or ROF for example. On the down side, synchronizing controls has meant relearning my control setup on more than one occasion where changes were needed. In the past few days I have spent as much time in War Thunder custom matches retraining myself to the new control routines... and considering more changes still... which will lead to yet more retraining! Oh, the price one pays to make things automatic and instinctive. Probably be better if I just quit playing so many different sims.

[Sokol1]

You can use the Warthog stick and the Saitek X-52 PRo thottle as 'HOTAS", just assigning the buttons, axis in game GUI. The X-52 throttle work independent of the X-52 PRO joystick.

 

And with the Qadrant, Pedals and TrackIR you have all the controls that you need.

 

The broken X-52 PRO 'stick can be together with the above (plugged in X-52 PRo throttle base) used as "button box" - some guys MOD then moving his "gut's" for other box and use conventional witches: http://file.walagata.com/w/bearcat/X-52_mod.JPG

 

Since BOS use the rule "less keys is better" you dont need fiddle with TARGET or Saitek programming software (if are not used to then), just assign the buttons in game Controls GUI.

 

I use as norm set the controls in flight games like I was used in more than 10 years of il-2 (original), e.g. Flaps control is always F and V, reassign the functions in Controls.

And for primary/most used controls I reassign then without modifiers (the Alt, Shift, Ctrl+).

Edited July 15, 2015 by Sokol1

[coconut]

To get decent contrast, first make sure your screen brightness, contrast and gamma are properly adjusted. There are test images to help you do that on the net, or you can use Windows' own tools for that (though I find them pretty bad). For contrast and brightness, try to use your screen's buttons to get proper results. Then fine-tune your gamma using your graphics card control panel.

 

The next step is then to adjust the "gamma" (brightness, really) in the game. For me, a value of 0.65 works nicely. You'll have to edit startup.cfg to set values below 0.8, and any time you go into the graphics settings in the game, you'll have to edit startup.cfg again if your gamma was outside of the range 0.8-1.2

[Senilix]

You can use the Warthog stick and the Saitek X-52 PRo thottle as 'HOTAS", just assigning the buttons, axis in game GUI. The X-52 throttle work independent of the X-52 PRO joystick.

 

And with the Qadrant, Pedals and TrackIR you have all the controls that you need.

 

The broken X-52 PRO 'stick can be together with the above (plugged in X-52 PRo throttle base) used as "button box" - some guys MOD then moving his "gut's" for other box and use conventional witches: http://file.walagata.com/w/bearcat/X-52_mod.JPG

 

Since BOS use the rule "less keys is better" you dont need fiddle with TARGET or Saitek programming software (if are not used to then), just assign the buttons in game Controls GUI.

 

I use as norm set the controls in flight games like I was used in more than 10 years of il-2 (original), e.g. Flaps control is always F and V, reassign the functions in Controls.

And for primary/most used controls I reassign then without modifiers (the Alt, Shift, Ctrl+).

Thanks for answer. 

I use the broken X 52 as a "button box" already (nice expression, I'll use that). To let some of the rotary's on the throttle unit work as a trim button (not an axis) one has to program it in the software, which I've done. Just now I have all three trim settings on my left hand. This is a habit I have from other games, my first approach is to do the same in BOS until it proves necessary to "re-program" my more or less automated actions. 

 

I have "a problem" with the two stage trigger on the Warthog. it fires mg in the first step and cannons in the second. I wanted it to fire both in the second. It seems to give me a halt in firing MG's when moving from stage 1 to stage 2 and the back again. This can make me to miss because of this halt in my bursts. I'm used to create these halts my self and not by the trigger mechanics. The trigger on this stick is the only element I don't like, one has to push it 100% to the bottom to make stage 2 work. I would prefer the controller to "connect" in stage 2 earlier in the travel than it do. (I know the mechanisms on the real planes were of totally other proportions than a modern stick.) I liked the ergonomic design on the Saitek stick better than the Warthog, the Warthog is far better axis wise in my opinion, which is important. It's pro's and con's (as usual I guess).

 

The solution may be as simple as: I will have to get used to another mechanism, and learn to use it.

To get decent contrast, first make sure your screen brightness, contrast and gamma are properly adjusted. There are test images to help you do that on the net, or you can use Windows' own tools for that (though I find them pretty bad). For contrast and brightness, try to use your screen's buttons to get proper results. Then fine-tune your gamma using your graphics card control panel.

 

The next step is then to adjust the "gamma" (brightness, really) in the game. For me, a value of 0.65 works nicely. You'll have to edit startup.cfg to set values below 0.8, and any time you go into the graphics settings in the game, you'll have to edit startup.cfg again if your gamma was outside of the range 0.8-1.2

I'll look into it, thanks for advice ;-)