Help with in game map and labels

[dburne]

Hey gang,

 

Ok so I am stupid I guess, but it has been quite a long time for me since flying this sim so please bear with me as I ask questions that should be very simple for me to know.

 

I recall being able to have a map view whilst flying in the cockpit, showing my plane and enemy planes as well - at least pretty sure.

 

How the heck do you get that map view? I have tried the M key with no success. Took a look all through the settings and really can't seem to figure this out.

 

Also aircraft labels, how to turn them on?

 

Thanks for any tips,

 

 

[LLv24_Zami]

It depends on chosen difficulty. With normal you can use M for minimap and I for icons. On expert you dont have icons and O opens a big map.

[dburne]

It depends on chosen difficulty. With normal you can use M for minimap and I for icons. On expert you dont have icons and O opens a big map.

 

Yes I have Realism set to Normal, I can not get the mini-map to show at all by pressing the M key. Nor do I have icons.

I am probably missing something simple but can't seem to figure out what.

Edited April 12, 2017 by dburne

[LLv24_Zami]

You have HUD on, H key?

[dburne]

You have HUD on, H key?

 

Aha, that was it thank you!

I had turned it off as I had noted in the release notes it was a frame rate hog.

 

I hit the H key and then had the mini map. Same apply for aircraft icons? I did not test that as wife is calling me to bed lol.

 

I did notice though after hitting the H key my framerates dropped immediately from the 90 fps I was getting in VR to 45 fps (ASW), so it was definitely a hit on performance for me in VR.

 

Thanks,

[LLv24_Zami]

Icons should work without hud with I key.

[=SqSq=SignorMagnifico]

I've also been having difficulty with map navigation icons since the 2.009 update. When flying on "Normal" difficulty, I can see the "my plane" navigation icon as expected by opening the map with "O" and pressing the "I" key to show my plane. I can also see my plane in the mini map. However, on "Expert" difficulty, I cannot see my plane's icon on the map even after pressing the "I" key and looking at the map with "O." Prior to the update, I was able to see my plane's icon by doing so, and I verified that "Navigation icons" is still one of the items that gets enabled with "Expert" difficulty. Additionally, I have verified that this occurs in multiple game modes, multiplayer (Wings of Liberty server), Quick Missions, and a Single Player Mission. The only setting I changed after the update was adding the sharpen feature in the graphics settings after the update. I also turned off "show hud by default," but when testing the issue I also pressed the "H" key to no avail. I also tried toggling this setting back on in the settings, but it didn't make a difference. Has anyone else had a similar issue after the update?

[Professor1942]

Same issue here, I was continuing the campaign in Expert mode today but got hopelessly lost as my plane icon is no longer on the large map.  Back to Normal for me?

[71st_AH_Mastiff]

Yes it was changed to h key will turn off or on the hud, and the I key after you have turn the h key off you will have to press the I key to turn it back on for labels or gps

Edited April 12, 2017 by 71st_AH_Mastiff

[=VARP=Cygann]

Same issue here, I was continuing the campaign in Expert mode today but got hopelessly lost as my plane icon is no longer on the large map.  Back to Normal for me?

 

Everyone has own idea of fun, so I won't go into that. But let me make a suggestion and you decide what to do.

 

Use this bug situation (I think it's unintentional, so therefore a bug) to actually learn to navigate the way pilots did before radars and gps.

It is fun to plan your flight, navigate by compas, watch and land marks.

 

And it also adds to immersion and tension since you need to navigate, follow your wingman and watch not being bounced at the same time, giving you a lot to do while not in combat. It really is fun if you give it enough time to learn it.

 

There are some online sites and mobile apps that can help you with interactive map you can keep on tablet or separate monitor so you don't have to keep opening it with O, but that has been covered already on forums, just search for it.

[dburne]

Thanks so much for the tips guys, much appreciated!!

[Professor1942]

Everyone has own idea of fun, so I won't go into that. But let me make a suggestion and you decide what to do.

 

Use this bug situation (I think it's unintentional, so therefore a bug) to actually learn to navigate the way pilots did before radars and gps.

It is fun to plan your flight, navigate by compas, watch and land marks.

 

And it also adds to immersion and tension since you need to navigate, follow your wingman and watch not being bounced at the same time, giving you a lot to do while not in combat. It really is fun if you give it enough time to learn it.

 

There are some online sites and mobile apps that can help you with interactive map you can keep on tablet or separate monitor so you don't have to keep opening it with O, but that has been covered already on forums, just search for it.

I did actually make it to the action point using the compass, but after the dogfight it was impossible to trigger the waypoint on the way back (didn't help that there was heavy cloud cover).

 

How do you follow a wingman? They always just follow me.

[=VARP=Cygann]

I did actually make it to the action point using the compass, but after the dogfight it was impossible to trigger the waypoint on the way back (didn't help that there was heavy cloud cover).

 

How do you follow a wingman? They always just follow me.

 

I meant online in MP play, but even offline in SP you can do it at "action point". Unless you order them different, once you reach action point, AI goes into doing the mission mode and is no longer following you.

 

But still, when I said to watch over your wingman, I meant real human buddy and not AI...

 

 

Also tip after fight is over, look for some distinct landmarks that are recognizable (for example, you see a town with lake on the left side and larger forest on the right side). Now you look for that within reasonable distance of your last known location (before combat took your attention) and once you locate where you are, you go from there navigating as you did before combat situation.

 

Takes a bit of practice and effort to figure out, especially during winter with snow and low cloud cower, but I can confirm it's doable. And if one 'pilot' can learn it and do it, so can the next one

 

S!