60 y/o total newb needs

[Rsnead62]

Hi All.  Have NEVER played video games.  However have always wanted to. A friend gave me his son's equip when he upgraded so I am going to give it a go.   I have a big gaming monitor, thrustmaster throttle, warthog stick and saita pedals.  Need to get a desktop.  I understand what all the basic components mean but the online sales stuff us overwhelming.  Is there a list on the forum of what components are preferred to allow the game to run well? I don't need neon lights or anything glitzy and will only be using it for gaming.  I don't plan on building it myself.....that might end badly!  I don't have a set budget but am hoping 1k to 1.2k would be in the ballpark since I already have some of the other equip.  Also, there seems to be lots of IL2 versions out there.  What is recommended for the first timer to play offline to learn on?  I know this must be a tedious post for some of you but I would greatly appreciate the help.  Thanks for your patience!

[AEthelraedUnraed]

First of all, welcome! The requirements for the game as given on the website are:

• OS: 64-bit Windows® 7 (SP1) / Windows® 8 / Windows® 10
• CPU: Intel® Core™ i5/i7 2.8 GHz
• GPU: GeForce GTX 660/Radeon HD 7770 with 2GB VRAM or better
• DirectX: Version 11
• RAM: 4 Gb+
• Sound Card: DirectX®-compatible
• Storage space: 23 Gb+
• Internet connection: 256Kb/s for single-player career, 1Mb/s and faster for multi-player
• DirectX® compatible flight stick is recommended

But this is probably a bit on the low-end side. Is there anything specific you want info on? Or do you already have a PC that you may be able to use? We'd be glad to help

[Nocke]

Wow ... expect a steep learning curve ahead

I would say - it all depends on if you will first have the patience to spend perhaps weeks to get all set up and working. After that, it will depend on if you will get hooked to this or not, difficult to predict, I guess, if you really never ever have been playing a video game.

If you get hooked, you will want to have a better PC soon. If not, that money would be wasted. This sim is graphics card and cpu hungry. Cpu currently you really want the fastest you can afford, otherwise you end up easily with a slideshow when there are too many units, especialky bombers, in a mission.

Personally I am running it on an Intel 9700k, and I would not call that an overkill.

Graphics: I guess you are not going VR from the beginning - then again you would want the fastest available.

Mine is a NVidia 2080, which works really well with all graphics effects maxed out at a resolution of 2560x1440, maybe it is even a little overkill.

What resolution has your monitor?

Giving it a break for the moment to see what others write ...

[ShamrockOneFive]

10 minutes ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

First of all, welcome! The requirements for the game as given on the website are:

• OS: 64-bit Windows® 7 (SP1) / Windows® 8 / Windows® 10
• CPU: Intel® Core™ i5/i7 2.8 GHz
• GPU: GeForce GTX 660/Radeon HD 7770 with 2GB VRAM or better
• DirectX: Version 11
• RAM: 4 Gb+
• Sound Card: DirectX®-compatible
• Storage space: 23 Gb+
• Internet connection: 256Kb/s for single-player career, 1Mb/s and faster for multi-player
• DirectX® compatible flight stick is recommended

But this is probably a bit on the low-end side. Is there anything specific you want info on? Or do you already have a PC that you may be able to use? We'd be glad to help

 

Yeah a weee bit on the low end

 

Here's some general specifications that should do well for the modern era.

 

OS: Windows 10 64bit

CPU: Intel Core i5 or Core i7 10th generation or newer (11 is out, 12 I'm sure is in the works)

GPU: nVidia RTX 2060 or higher, 8GB VRAM or higher recommended

RAM: 16GB DDR4 minimum (a lot of people are starting to go 32GB... my next system I may just eat the cost and go straight to 64GB)

Storage: Put IL-2 and any other sims on a SATA3 or M.2 solidstate storage device (SSD). These are faster than conventional drives and are essential for high data titles like a flight sim.

[Noisemaker]

I'm running GB on an Intel I7-3930K from 2013 at a rock solid 60FPS (Limited by my monitor), even in BP and with high activity fronts.  With my old GTX 650 I was struggling, but after upgrading to a 1080, I've had no issues.

[Zeev]

2 hours ago, 216th_Nocke said:

Wow ... expect a steep learning curve ahead

I would say - it all depends on if you will first have the patience to spend perhaps weeks to get all set up and working. After that, it will depend on if you will get hooked to this or not, difficult to predict, I guess, if you really never ever have been playing a video game.

If you get hooked, you will want to have a better PC soon. If not, that money would be wasted. This sim is graphics card and cpu hungry. Cpu currently you really want the fastest you can afford, otherwise you end up easily with a slideshow when there are too many units, especialky bombers, in a mission.

Personally I am running it on an Intel 9700k, and I would not call that an overkill.

Graphics: I guess you are not going VR from the beginning - then again you would want the fastest available.

Mine is a NVidia 2080, which works really well with all graphics effects maxed out at a resolution of 2560x1440, maybe it is even a little overkill.

What resolution has your monitor?

Giving it a break for the moment to see what others write ...

Nice post but I think 9700K is OK, (K means it supports overclocking so you can squeeze more from it but I wouldnt if I was OP)

I am able to run the game at 4K constant 60 FPS with this CPU and RTX2080TI so the CPU here is not a bottleneck.

 

Anyway, my suggestion to OP would be to find a hardware dedicated forum with a community experts in building new computers, and I would take advice from there, where to buy etc.
Also most of the stores usually build the PC themselves and just ship it to your home (at least where I am living, and I live in a 3rd country world so I believe OP will be fine).

Edited June 26, 2021 by Zeev

[Nocke]

Depends on the mission, of course.

I love PWCG as a campaign generator, and if I am not really careful with the settings, I do easily get a slideshow caused by CPU overload. As well as buddies of mine with faster Cpus.

Agreed, mostly its enough though.

[Irishratticus72]

7 minutes ago, Zeev said:

Nice post but I think 9700K is OK, (K means it supports overclocking so you can squeeze more from it but I wouldnt if I was OP)

I am able to run the game at 4K constant 60 FPS with this CPU and RTX2080TI so the CPU here is not a bottleneck.

 

Anyway, my suggestion to OP would be to find a hardware dedicated forum with a community experts in building new computers, and I would take advice from there, where to buy etc.
Also most of the stores usually build the PC themselves and just ship it to your home (at least where I am living, and I live in a 3rd country world so I believe OP will be fine).

So, Canada? ?

[Nocke]

1 hour ago, Noisemaker said:

I'm running GB on an Intel I7-3930K from 2013 at a rock solid 60FPS (Limited by my monitor), even in BP and with high activity fronts.  With my old GTX 650 I was struggling, but after upgrading to a 1080, I've had no issues.

Now that really comes as a surprise to me. 

Did you have to make compromises in the settings?

What is your resolution?

[Jason_Williams]

5 hours ago, Rsnead62 said:

Hi All.  Have NEVER played video games.  However have always wanted to. A friend gave me his son's equip when he upgraded so I am going to give it a go.   I have a big gaming monitor, thrustmaster throttle, warthog stick and saita pedals.  Need to get a desktop.  I understand what all the basic components mean but the online sales stuff us overwhelming.  Is there a list on the forum of what components are preferred to allow the game to run well? I don't need neon lights or anything glitzy and will only be using it for gaming.  I don't plan on building it myself.....that might end badly!  I don't have a set budget but am hoping 1k to 1.2k would be in the ballpark since I already have some of the other equip.  Also, there seems to be lots of IL2 versions out there.  What is recommended for the first timer to play offline to learn on?  I know this must be a tedious post for some of you but I would greatly appreciate the help.  Thanks for your patience!

 

Just be patient. IL-2 is not just a game, but a simulation and yes it has a pretty steep learning curve, but just be patient and you can get up, flying, and shooting things down in 5 mins or less. Here are some quick tips. 

 

1. Make sure your rig can run it. You already have a good joystick setup.
2. Let the autopilot fly at first to test your performance. Hit Backspace to see the framerate in the upper right corner. You'll probably want 60 or more. The lower number is your Field of View. Find a setting that does not look fisheye. Start in a forgiving plane like the 109. 

3. Just do Quick Mission Builder to practice flying and dogfighting. Leave Career and Multiplayer for later.

4. Then try takeoff and landings in QMB.

5. Use Normal settings at first to reduce pilot workload and make visibility easier.

6. Invest in a TrackIR 5 then if you like try VR.

 

Jason

[Chief_Mouser]

4 hours ago, 216th_Nocke said:

 

I would say - it all depends on if you will first have the patience to spend perhaps weeks to get all set up and working. After that, it will depend on if you will get hooked to this or not, difficult to predict, I guess, if you really never ever have been playing a video game.

 

 

Hi there Rsnead62. If you like aircraft, especially WW2 or WW1 versions, if you like the history of the periods and you don't mind putting a bit of time in you will love it and be hooked. It's not just a video game - the simulation side of it makes it much much more.

I have a big gaming monitor, thrustmaster throttle, warthog stick and saita pedals.  A very good start, better than some long-time players here.

Also, don't be put off by being 60 - you are by no means the youngest here!

Edited June 26, 2021 by 216th_Cat

[Noisemaker]

1 hour ago, 216th_Nocke said:

Now that really comes as a surprise to me. 

Did you have to make compromises in the settings?

What is your resolution?

1080p.  Most settings at high or ultra (mirrors etc..), grass off...  I'll have a check next time I'm at my computer to see, but, no, since the upgrade to the GTX 1080 I found that I could increase my settings significantly and still hit my maximum FPS.

[Rsnead62]

Well this is obviously going to be complicated....but I think it will be rewarding.  I have played the sim for a couple of hours on my friends PC and was friggin HOOKED when I shot down a very stupid P-47.....(went into a flat spin moment later...sigh) .so I gotta do this. I have just never owned a gaming pc.   I just have to figure out all the darned acronyms. I see a lot of PC's in the 1100$ range with Nvidia 1650 graphics card.  With an i9 core and 16 of ram would one of these be adequate?

[cardboard_killer]

10 minutes ago, Rsnead62 said:

I see a lot of PC's in the 1100$ range with Nvidia 1650 graphics card.  With an i9 core and 16 of ram would one of these be adequate?

 

Yes, at least for non-VR play. You could probably get something cheaper and be okay, too. But I'd buy the fastest computer you can afford to be a future proof as possible. Also, you can buy the componants and put one together yourself (or pay a local shop to put it together for you), making upgrading much easier down the line.

[Thad]

56 minutes ago, 216th_Cat said:

 

Hi there Rsnead62. If you like aircraft, especially WW2 or WW1 versions, if you like the history of the periods and you don't mind putting a bit of time in you will love it and be hooked. It's not just a video game - the simulation side of it makes it much much more.

I have a big gaming monitor, thrustmaster throttle, warthog stick and saita pedals.  A very good start, better than some long-time players here.

Also, don't be put off by being 60 - you are by no means the youngest here!

 

You are a youngster. I'll be 71 this November. Welcome to our community. 

[Charlo-VR]

If you ask amongst your friends and neighbors, chances are very good one of them or one of their children's eyes will light up at the chance to help you pick out parts for a computer and build it with you. Generally speaking, after someone has built their own computer they are often eager to use that knowledge and experience to do the same for someone else. In other words, by asking around people you know it may be the start of a beautiful friendship ?

[Irishratticus72]

Been watching LTT lately, the amount of people who did self builds, and are waiting on GPUs is truly saddening. 

[SCG_Tzigy]

Where do u live? Lots of great advice here.. u also could keep it very simple, e.g. here in US, Costco quite often has a variety of gaming rigs, store and online..

[Rsnead62]

I am in a small town in South Carolina. No big box stores anywhere close except walmart

 

[Nocke]

... but be warned ... once you let yourself getting sucked into and hooked to this wonderful flight simming craziness - there will be no end to buying more peripherals and spending money.

Thought already about how to look around in this new world?

Most, I believe, end up really soon with some head tracking device, if not VR.

 

[Varibraun]

1 hour ago, Rsnead62 said:

I am in a small town in South Carolina. No big box stores anywhere close except walmart

 

If you are looking for something already assembled and are not near a good source, this article may help you evaluate some other options:

 

https://techguided.com/best-custom-pc-builders/

 

As a fellow 1962 guy, I got back into computer games when the nest emptied a few years ago, and was lucky enough to stumble into Rise of Flight and it's great Dev Team and wonderful community it and IL2 had spawned.  If you need any proof of that, the Executive Producer of this whole series just replied to your thread on a Saturday!

 

Anyway, when I realized I was going to need a better computer, I went with Cyberpower and was happy with the machine (but the comments in the article indicate others have had bad experiences with them recently).  Then when I first moved to VR, I decided to save a few bucks and build my own rig and then spent a whole weekend watching Youtube...part by part by part.  I learned a lot, but for my next upgrade, I decided to buy the parts myself and to let an expert at the local computer store put the thing together for a very reasonable assembly fee.

 

Looking at your situation, with my last 3 computers as background, I would probably go with one of the online prebuilt machines to start.  Especially with the GPU shortages others have mentioned.  If this hobby really grabs you, then you should definitely try out VR, which will likely lead you to a more expensive build (but maybe GPUs will be back in supply then).  Welcome Aboard!! 

 

Edit - Yep...exactly what @216th_Nocke said above.  But, it's still cheaper than owning an airplane, which is the only other alternative...correct? 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Varibraun

[Denum]

If you're new to PCs, I'd suggest buying a prebuilt and shipping it to you.

 

Any intentions of going to VR, or is using a monitor good enough? 

 

Head tracking is a very immersive addition as mentioned. 

 

Budget version would be a Delanclip. If you're wanting to get a little fancier TrackIR is great also.

 

 

Welcome to the addiction! 

 

If you're needing more help with your machine once you are set up, Check out combat box and Finnish Virtual pilots on Discord. 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Denum

[BlitzPig_EL]

Welcome aboard!  I'm 67 so your age is a non issue...  

 

In your circumstance, get a pre-built machine with as high a performance specification as your budget will allow. Get as much RAM as possible within your budget.  Also invest in the Track IR 5 head tracking device.

 

DO NOT BOTHER WITH A VR HEADSET at this stage of things.  It will be very demanding on your computer spec, and your wallet, and many people have issues with motion sickness because of VR.  Once you are comfortable with the sim, your equipment, and your skills and commitment, then try VR before you buy.

 

Just get in the "air" and learn the ropes.  It's been a 20+ year love affair for me, and my flying friends.  That's really the secret prize in this crazy hobby, the good friends you will make along the way.  I know you are experiencing a barrage of suggestions, and opinions here, but this community is really very helpful.  Don't get overwhelmed, and never be afraid to ask questions of us.  

 

Hope to see you in the sky soon.

 

 

Edited June 27, 2021 by BlitzPig_EL

[354thFG_Drewm3i-VR]

Are we allowed to post links for prebuilt systems? It could help...

 

Also, I would go vr right away...there is no comparison in ease of use compared to trackir. Vr is what hooked me on IL-2 after losing interest before in many stints.

[zan64]

 

1. buy the IL2 games you want now since there is a sale now. Depends on your interest as to which ones. each come with their own map. the stalingrad map is my personal favorite. 

the big four are: 

 -Battle of Bodenplatte (battle of the bulge)

 -Battle of Kuban (eastern front summer 1943)

 -Battle of Stalingrad  (eastern front autumn 1942 - winter 1943)

 -Battle of Moscow (eastern front fall/winter 1941)

  (if western planes are your thing, I recommend collector planes P-40 and  Spitfire mk. V as these can be played in campaign on the eastern front, soviet lend lease aircraft. I also really like the U-2VS, i often find myself flying it to either relax or practice real life civilian things like turns around a point. I find the Bf-109 (any version) and the P-40 to be relatively easy to handle when it comes to landings)

 

 -Battle of Normandy is still underdevelopment and the map is not released yet, but will be eventually. So will need at least one of the ones above in addition if you choose to buy this. Cool thing about Normandy it will come with both pre-d-day and post d-day maps. so looking forward to people making early western front combat scenarios 

 

2. buy prebuilt pc

 

3. no VR. instead check out track IR.  https://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/     this allows the game camera to move depending on your head position. I use it mostly for landing though, i wouldn't say its as necessary as some say, esp for single player.

 

4. install the PWCG https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/forum/99-pat-wilson-campaign-generator/   i just started using this recently and LOVE IT , really feels like DUBYA-DUBYA-TOO as opposed to the multiplayer experience. 

 

5. dont be shy, no such thing as stupid questions, please ask us!

Edited June 27, 2021 by zan64
mah po-2 shout out

[AEthelraedUnraed]

Regarding VR and whether or not you should use it, as you can read above some will say that you should not do it and others that you should buy a VR set right away. From experience, I can tell you the following:

- Some people get motion sick using VR, others not at all. In general I'd say that if you get other forms of motion sickness (i.e. seasick, carsick), you'll likely get motion sickness in VR as well. If you don't get seasick or carsick easily, VR will likely not be a huge problem. Especially since from my experience IL2 is easier on your vestibular system than many other VR games.

- VR, if you choose to have it, is completely overwhelming and beyond comparison with playing on a monitor. It's simply fantastic! You really have the feeling you're in a cockpit.

- VR is expensive. First you need (obviously) a VR set. I bought mine (an Oculus Quest 2) 6 months ago for some €350. Then you need a capable GPU. I've got an Nvidia RTX 2060 and on some of the heavier maps I barely get beyond 30-35 FPS, especially if there are heavy clouds. For some people, 35 FPS may be low enough to cause motion sickness. In short, I think an RTX 2060 is the absolute minimum you'll need if you want to play VR. A quick google search shows you can get one for around €560.

 

If you're interested in playing VR (you should be!), I recommend to try it out somewhere if you've got the opportunity (VR in general, not necessarily IL2). If you don't have such opportunity, use my guidelines for motion sickness above. I advice however to not start with VR right away, as there's still the possibility you won't like IL2 after all (how unlikely that may be ) and then it's a waste of money. However, do buy a graphics card that's VR ready, i.e. an RTX 2060 or better. That way you can always decide to upgrade in the future.

 

5 hours ago, zan64 said:

 -Battle of Bodenplatte (battle of the bulge)

That's a bit meagre description. BoBP (Battle of Bodenplatte) is almost the entire Western front from operation Market Garden up to the fall of the Reich. Yes, this includes the Battle of the Bulge but also Market Garden, the Battle of the Scheldt, the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, operation Bodenplatte, the Rhine crossing and many other operations. If you're interested in late-war US/GB aircraft, BoBP is the right module for you.

Edited June 27, 2021 by AEthelraedUnraed

[[1Tac]DisCHQ]

On 6/26/2021 at 1:10 PM, Rsnead62 said:

Hi All.  Have NEVER played video games.  However have always wanted to. A friend gave me his son's equip when he upgraded so I am going to give it a go.   I have a big gaming monitor, thrustmaster throttle, warthog stick and saita pedals.  Need to get a desktop.  I understand what all the basic components mean but the online sales stuff us overwhelming.  Is there a list on the forum of what components are preferred to allow the game to run well? I don't need neon lights or anything glitzy and will only be using it for gaming.  I don't plan on building it myself.....that might end badly!  I don't have a set budget but am hoping 1k to 1.2k would be in the ballpark since I already have some of the other equip.  Also, there seems to be lots of IL2 versions out there.  What is recommended for the first timer to play offline to learn on?  I know this must be a tedious post for some of you but I would greatly appreciate the help.  Thanks for your patience!

 

What you need hardware wise will certainly depend on if you intend to run the game in VR, you can get IL-2 to run quite well on low end hardware (with some compromises in graphical fidelity). 

 

Now with a budget of about 1,500 (Dollars would be my guess) you could certainly build yourself a decent setup. I would recommend you to stay away from the newest graphical cards (GPU) on the market, the prices on those are quite high due to shortage. (prices for even older GPU's on the used market are heading in the direction of 500 - 700 dollars per card.)

 

As for processors (CPU's) they are relatively cheap so you might want to buy some of the more up to date hardware in that case. (for instance an i5 9600K costs maybe 200 dollars). Can't tell you much about AMD's CPU's don't use those but there are bound to be people here that can tell you all about em.

 

Motherboard needs to have the correct CPU slot for your choice of processor, if you are buying a pre built machine this will probably be impossible to get wrong but good to keep in mind.

 

As for RAM 8GB (2x4) will be fine for IL-2 but you might as well future proof yourself by getting 16GB (2x8), DDR4 ram does not cost that much.

 

Make sure your power supply (PSU) has the enough wattage to run all hardware on maximum load, the new 3000 series nividea GPU's use a lot of power.

 

I would recommend air cooling over water cooling, its just less of a hassle (less things that can break). Remember to CLEAN YOUR PC at least 2 times per year. Dust buildup in radiators can kill components!

 

*edit* 

 

If you do end up buying a prebuild pc, you are likely to be paying a lot of money, I would truely consider building your own. Its just way more value for your money. 

 

My old build could scrape 60 fps on 1080p with a bit of tweaking:

 

CPU: i5 3570K quad core at 3.4 GHz

GPU: GTX 960 with 2GB of VRAM

RAM: 16GB DDR 3

 

Now this hardware is pretty much ancient at this point and mainly the lack of VRAM is a problem. Currently I'm running:

 

CPU: i5 7640x quad core at 4 GHz

GPU: GTX 1070 with 8GB of VRAM

RAM: 16GB DDR 4

 

This can run IL-2 on 1080p at any setting and reach framerates well above the minimal 60 fps.

Edited June 28, 2021 by [1Tac]DisCHQ
Adding extra information.

[Zeev]

On 6/26/2021 at 8:26 PM, Irishratticus72 said:

So, Canada? ?

I wish

[DD_Crash]

 Join a squad and get on teamspeak

look here https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/forum/17-virtual-squadrons/

 

 

[[1Tac]DisCHQ]

On 6/26/2021 at 7:37 PM, Rsnead62 said:

Well this is obviously going to be complicated....but I think it will be rewarding.  I have played the sim for a couple of hours on my friends PC and was friggin HOOKED when I shot down a very stupid P-47.....(went into a flat spin moment later...sigh) .so I gotta do this. I have just never owned a gaming pc.   I just have to figure out all the darned acronyms. I see a lot of PC's in the 1100$ range with Nvidia 1650 graphics card.  With an i9 core and 16 of ram would one of these be adequate?

 

I would stay away from the 1600 series cards, perfomance wise they are pretty much junk. You can always compare performance of cards by looking on userbenchmark.

 

(GTX 1650 vs GTX1070) https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1650-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1070/4039vs3609

(GTX 1650 vs GTX970) https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-970-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1650/2577vs4039 

 

You can use this site to compare most pc parts. IL-2 needs a decent GPU with enough VRAM to run well (you need the VRAM for a high draw distance).

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by [1Tac]DisCHQ

[Rsnead62]

On 6/28/2021 at 1:25 AM, [1Tac]DisCHQ said:

 

I would stay away from the 1600 series cards, perfomance wise they are pretty much junk. You can always compare performance of cards by looking on userbenchmark.

 

(GTX 1650 vs GTX1070) https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1650-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1070/4039vs3609

(GTX 1650 vs GTX970) https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-970-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1650/2577vs4039 

 

You can use this site to compare most pc parts. IL-2 needs a decent GPU with enough VRAM to run well (you need the VRAM for a high draw distance).

 

On 6/28/2021 at 1:25 AM, [1Tac]DisCHQ said:

 

I would stay away from the 1600 series cards, perfomance wise they are pretty much junk. You can always compare performance of cards by looking on userbenchmark.

 

(GTX 1650 vs GTX1070) https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1650-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1070/4039vs3609

(GTX 1650 vs GTX970) https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-970-vs-Nvidia-GTX-1650/2577vs4039 

 

You can use this site to compare most pc parts. IL-2 needs a decent GPU with enough VRAM to run well (you need the VRAM for a high draw distance).

 

On 6/26/2021 at 7:04 PM, Denum said:

If you're new to PCs, I'd suggest buying a prebuilt and shipping it to you.

 

Any intentions of going to VR, or is using a monitor good enough? 

 

Head tracking is a very immersive addition as mentioned. 

 

Budget version would be a Delanclip. If you're wanting to get a little fancier TrackIR is great also.

 

 

Welcome to the addiction! 

 

If you're needing more help with your machine once you are set up, Check out combat box and Finnish Virtual pilots on Discord. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for all the information.  Certainly not going VR at this time.  Will be doing a prebuilt system.  Probably get a Track IR as well.  Got a 10 day motorcycle trip coming up so plan on getting it ordered when I get back.  I think you have all given me a good overview of where to go in terms of short term vs long term system needs.  I do find it interesting when I review the quality review of prebuilt systems. Not sure if they are really that shoddy or if it is just sour grapes....there are always a few of those folks out there.  Thanks for the information on the various campaigns.  I know you used to get a CD in the "old days".....are these  directly downloaded now? Thanks

[Denum]

Games are mostly directly downloaded now.

 

Purchasing directly from here gives all the profit to these guys. Steam takes a pretty decent cut.

 

It's currently on sale right now, so now's a good time to buy also. 

 

Should be able to get everything aside from Normandy for less then 150$.

 

 

Prebuilts are generally pretty good but you do get what you pay for.

 

Building your own PC is quite fun but part shortages at the moment might make it a bit difficult.