Flight simulator games? Do you need specialist controller/joystick?

moneysavvy35

Hi

My son is fast developing an interest in planes and says he wants to be a pilot. I'm gonna book a flight simulator experience for his birthday. But someone also told me about flight simulator games for the pc. I've been looking on eBay and they seem to have a lot around, but do you need to have a special joystick/controller to use them? How do you play otherwise?

Thanks in advance

bluenoseam

You don't need one, but they enhance the experience significantly! Problem is the really good ones are expensive, but incredibly detailed & precise - there are a good number of online communities dedicated to flight sims though. (I don't know which are best - it's not a genre which I participate in) Your best bet would be to find them & ask their opinions for the best controller for the best games.

duggan1

I play the odd flight sim game but I use an Xbox controller (for windows). It's usable if you are fairly deft (I'm not). Could really do with a proper joystick and throttle set up but I'll wait for Oculus Rift to be released before investing in decent kit;)

Microsoft Flight Sim X + Acceleration Pack is probably the best place to start. Might even be able to pick it up fairly cheap as it is fairly old. Can even hook up online with people who do the air traffic control if you really want to get into it.

For combat games, I suspect the best is still Ubisoft's IL-2 Sturmovik, tremendous fun.

For a bit of a laugh World of Warplanes is good (and free), as is War Thunder, if a little more 'simulation'.

gboom2000

I have a cousin massive into flight sims and has a dedicated PC with 3 monitors and all the joysticks and throttles, cost a small fortune. He spends hours just recreating flights from proper airlines, seems a bit geeky to me, but each to their own.
If you're getting to help him learn to fly, I would imagine (and this isn't my expert area just an idea), the more realistic the controls the better as a learning aid.

bingo_bango

Be warned, this could be the beginning of 7 hour simulated trans-Atlantic flights with the full ATC experience.

I actually got told off by an air traffic controller back when I played MS flight sim because I buzzed his tower. There are die hard fans out there who can think of no better way of killing 6 hours than looking at a screen with simulated radar tracking all the online players in their area of control. And God help you if you haven't posted a flight plan to VATSIM before takeoff.

Have a look at the Air Traffic Control section of that site to see how much of a geek you can really be! You have to take a training course to become an ATC for them!!

That said, it was good craic. There was always lots of banter, and for anyone wanting to get to know the correct approach to take into Chiang Mai and the language/acronyms used in RL flying, then it's a good place to start.

Dig out your wallet old man, you're gonna need it!

Weird_Nev

Hey, people, this is MSE!!!!

I love my flight sims.... but I love not spending much money on them.

1) You do need a PC that will run with a bit of grunt. You need a 3D graphics processor of some sort, and enough RAM and a half decent processor. Post the spec of your PC and we should be able to tell you if it's acceptable or not. If it's a low powered laptop, it might have difficulty. I do all my PC gaming on a 3 year old mid rage Laptop - a discreet graphics chip is the only really posh bit of it, and it works well.

2) You do need a joystick. It's just the only way to get sufficient control over a flight sim. You need analogue inputs (not just up, down, left, right but HOW MUCH up, down left right!) plus you need a rudder axis and a throttle. A joystick is the only way to get this. BUT: You don't have to spend too much!

This is a cheap Thrustmaster Joystick for £15 but be aware it lacks buttons (you always need more buttons in flight sims!) and most importantly it lacks rudder control! For £15, it's good value, but the lack of rudder control is a real shame and it means you may end up "buying twice". I think the next one is worth the extra £7

This is what I use currently. Thrustmaster t-flight stick. This meets 90% of flight sim needs perfectly! It's currently £22, on ebuyer. It has throttle, rudder (by twisting the stick) and all the buttons you really need. it is a bit plasticy, but mine has worked without flaw for 2 years.

After that, you really do need to spend a bit more to get much better value for money. Something like the Saitek X-52 would be great, but it's £90 and probably a bit overkill. get a cheaper (but functional!) one first to see if his interest keeps up.

With a stick and a decent computer bought, all you need is software. In terms of value for money:

You can't get more flight sim per £ than Microsoft Flight Simulator X Gold Edition. (Sometimes shortened to FSX). It's the Gilt standard of flight simulators, and with the (usually free) online content created by users, there's hundeds of aircraft, literally every landing strip on the planet, and even things like real time weather to contend and play about with. Awesome.

It's sadly unsupported now, but Microsoft Flight was meant to be the shiny replacement for FSX but never made it. However, it is FREE to download and play, and you can fly all over Hawaii in a few beautifully modelled aircraft. It's a bit gentler to get into than FSX, and it has good tutorials and mini missions which are fun to fly. For £10 ish you can upgrade it to fly over Alaska in some robust cargo aircraft, but you're probably better off putting that money towards FSX.

And the definitive Air Combat Sim is IL2:Sturmovik. Loads and loads of play-time in WW2 fighters and bombers. It's not gory and it's all suitable for a youth. I'd be happy with a 10 year old playing it. Check for an edition that includes the game, plus expansion packs for best value for money. it occasioanlly goes on sale on the steam shop too, where it can be really cheap. I think I paid £4 for it. Here is a complete edition for $10 - GOG is a reputable website. If you shop around you might be able to get it cheaper, but be aware taht the 1946 expansion pack alone MAY require you to already have the IL2 Sturmovik game.

Finally, I'll give a recommendation for Rise of Flight - it's WW1 combat simulator, and it looks gorgeous and the flying is seriously tricky, as you'd expect for dawn-of the age machines. It's an online game, so you're flying against real people all over the world. It's free to download and play, but it makes it's money through people downloading in game aircraft and things for real money, so keep the credit card hidden! It's also very difficult, but you can pick up and play it fine offline.

So, provided your PC is up to the task, I think you should be able to get the lad in the air for £30 or less.

Be aware it can get expensive though! I'm considering spending over £1000 on a new computer since mine is getting long in the tooth, and my wife made the mistake of buying me an actual trial flight in a Cessna 152 Aerobat last month. I'm now hooked, and scrabbling around for money to get my private pilots licence done!

Gold_Dust_2

If you really want to give your son a great experience, why not get him a pair of 3D glasses, like the Oculus Rift. I've tried them, and after the initial queasiness fades, the experience is mind-blowing.

Weird_Nev

Gold_Dust wrote: »

If you really want to give your son a great experience, why not get him a pair of 3D glasses, like the Oculus Rift. I've tried them, and after the initial queasiness fades, the experience is mind-blowing.

I'd advise holding off for now.
It's not even released, and there are significant challenges remaining in making them commercially viable (IMO).

It'll be a simple addition to a decent PC in a couple of years time, if/when they're refined and mainstream.

Thomas_The_Tank_Top

Another vote for the incredible world of IL2-Sturmovik.

Current incantation is Cliffs of Dover (Battle of Britain). There are quite a few on-line Squadrons to join if he ever fees the need.

Here is a short movie made using the software.

The day before Aldertag (Eagle Day)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBsFkAP48iI

dannny_2

Prepar3d.

http://www.prepar3d.com/

Still being developed by lockheed martin, unlike FSX which is dead in the water game engine development wise.

If you have the money these are quite good controllers

http://www.virtual-fly.com/productos/detalle/articulo/ovo-04