Falcon 3.0 game manual (1991) [pdf]
dosdays.co.uk
dosdays.co.uk
Eventually I got really good at it - selecting what drivers were required and packing them efficiently into base and extended (I think that was it...) memory.
Sometimes IIRC I'd swap boot disks around and discover extra features in games that only appeared with even more base memory.
It's the only DOS game I played that needed >600K of conventional memory, and I too remember the struggle to free that much.
Tunic, a game released last year, contained an in game manual in the style of older games. I personally found it legitimately useful, and fangamer recently released a hardcover version that is now out of stock.
Whoa, they modded VR support into Falcon? Have you tried that and if so how is it?
Now, 33 years later I watch videos of people playing DCS and I'm in the exact same situation. Only before, I had no money, but today I have money, but choose not spend it, because I'm the kind of guy that would drop multiple thousands of dollars on peripherals.
"Wanna play DCS?" "No. No, man. I'm clean."
GA has problems, and they're only getting worse.
You need joystick, throttles, rudder pedals, and ideally a VR headset. IR head tracking appears to work, but I have no idea how, given that you’d have to point your head away from the screen to look over your shoulder.
It sounds awkward but it works very well as an input method. It's also way less intense than VR for longer sessions.
Not saying it's absolutely superior, just that it's pretty good as designed.
2. Because the Xbox and PS5 gamepads are better designed and more reliable than any flight stick under $135. Remember, these gamepads have 7 figure R&D budgets, and are used by real world soldiers to control some drones and robots.
3. Because they're 100% viable. I personally know two people who can fly better on a gamepad - including formation flight, air refueling, carrier landings and all combat roles - than I can on $1000 of HOTAS.
4. Because portability is useful for people who travel, such as one of my wingmen who is active duty US military. When deployed he has his gaming laptop and a gamepad.
Your attitude is exclusionary, acidic and outdated.
P.S. As mentioned IR trackers use a multiplier curve, so on mine a 20 degree movement gets multiplied to 180 degrees in game. It feels very natural and intuitive.
Also, you don't need rudder pedals at all. The executive producer of DCS World is wheelchair bound, and simply uses an input on his throttle to control the rudder. This is the person who makes the Apache tutorial videos, BTW.
A Logitech joystick with throttle and twist is literally $34, and a Logitech X52 with a separate throttle is $65.
Sit down.
The 3D Pro is alright, but it's got fewer usable buttons than a gamepad, (the ones on the base aren't reachable with the grip hand) so it's kind of sixes with a controller. The gamepad is a bit better at input-heavy aircraft such as the A-10 or the front seat in the Apache.
I loved the flight sim games of that era. I haven't played one in a long time. Of course one of the issues was I had taken some flying lessons in high school but couldn't really afford it. I told myself I was going to get my license after I got out of college. Then I played a lot of flight sims while I was still a student.
When I got out of college I took a bunch more flying lessons and eventually decided I didn't actually like it... and never played any more flight sims again.
At some point it seemed like just work... and when these sims get too complex they also seem like work.
The A-10 plane in DCS seems to be as complex as the real plane (?)
I think that's where I saw a hilarious video of a poor guy trying to get it started and taxiing to the runway for something like three hours before giving up.
On the other hand, the AJS-37 Viggen in DCS is fully accurate (I've checked it against the declassified official pilot's manual), and it can be started in a few minutes using a simple checklist. They really should be guarding them well at airshows ;)
> At some point it seemed like just work
I like flying too in principle, but all the required detailed technical knowledge about airspaces, ATC comm, etc doesn't make it that appealing to actually get a license.
Gliders / hanggliders / paragliders are much nicer in that regard.
The DCS manual contains many diagrams taken from it as well.
https://tanks.mod16.org/2016/08/29/saab-aj-and-ajs-37-viggen...
I tried playing it without any information at first, but couldn't figure out the controls. So I looked up the manual and found that it used the Game Select and Difficulty switches for additional controls. Having the left and right difficulty switches for the arresting hook and landing gear felt surprisingly cool. I didn't have a lot of games for the 2600 growing up, so I'm sure there are lot of examples of clever controls, but this would have blown my mind as a kid.
https://archive.org/details/Tomcat_The_F-14_Flight_Simulator...