SF series as gateway to other flight sims? What to fly next?

[MrGoTime]

All - I've been playing the SF series for quite sometime now and absolutely love how simple the design is. While I enjoy aviation, I don't have a great computer set up, so it's nice to be able to jump right into "flying" with a simple joystick and keyboard combo (with mouselook!). SF makes that easy. What other flight sims (or flight sims-lite) would be recommended as a next step into flight simming?

 

I am good with any era of flying, though modern flight interests me a bit more. I like dynamic (or semi dynamic) campaigns.

 

What are you all flying?

 

 

[Peugeot205]

Try Lock On series , they are, in my opinion, the most realistic and complete fighter simulators ever made, however, they are not as "simple" and you wont't have the huge amount of mod's you'll have with Strike fighters.

Edited October 27, 2013 by cangas

[MrGoTime]

I've heard a lot about that series. Is it primarily russian fighters? Where do you start with it?

[Boresight]

Hello everyone.

 

MrGoTime, why don't you try " Falcon BMS " ?

Summarizing about it:

 

- it's the most complete and realistic F-16 sim until now (step learning curve);

- it's free, so you may download it from the web;

- although it's mainly about the F-16 (there's also a Mirage 2000 C model, if I remember correctly);

- I believe it has even more avionics features than Lock On series;

- very good graphics (aircraft and scenarios).

 

Currently I'm not playing it, because I was tired of flying always the F-16.

[+Stratos]

Hello everyone.

 

MrGoTime, why don't you try " Falcon BMS " ?

Summarizing about it:

 

- it's the most complete and realistic F-16 sim until now (step learning curve);

- it's free, so you may download it from the web;

- although it's mainly about the F-16 (there's also a Mirage 2000 C model, if I remember correctly);

- I believe it has even more avionics features than Lock On series;

- very good graphics (aircraft and scenarios).

 

Currently I'm not playing it, because I was tired of flying always the F-16.

Agree in everything BUT the SCENARIOS part. They still look like in 1998.

[Boresight]

Yes maybe, but you I believe one may install other scenarios (although payware they might be.)

 

But did you know/tried the Falcon BMS already, and are you looking for hardcore flightsim?

Edited October 27, 2013 by Boresight

[Peugeot205]

I've heard a lot about that series. Is it primarily russian fighters? Where do you start with it?

Yes mainly russian planes , I've been playing with it since 2010 3 years after I started with SFP1 

[MrGoTime]

Where do I start? What's the best place to purchase? Also, I have seen some references to "flaming cliffs". Is that stand alone?

[+CrazyhorseB34]

I got a copy of LOMAC two days ago at Target for $9.95.

[MrGoTime]

No kidding! That sounds like a steal. And then flaming cliffs is a separate install above the original LOMAC, correct?

[MrGoTime]

I actually think I got this figured out. I am currently downloading DCS World, DCS A-10C, and the Flaming Cliffs A-10A on steam now. As I understand it, I don't actually need to purchase the old LOMAC anymore...I can just snag the Flaming Cliffs modules I want through steam.

 

Any other good sims worth taking a crack at?

[SFP1Ace]

If you're into WW1 give Rise Of Flight a try - it comes with a free to play mode with 2 aircrafts unlocked. If you're in to WW2 then try IL-2 1946 with 4.12.2 patch and optionally HSFX 7.0 modpack. Also IL-2: Cliffs of Dover is highly recommended if your into Battle Of Britain scenario, just don't forget to apply Team Fusion patches 3.0, 3.01 and 4.0 (in that order). Have fun!

Edited October 28, 2013 by SFP1Ace

[Peugeot205]

IL 2 is also a very good option as a WWII simulator

[MrGoTime]

 I

 

Hello everyone.

 

MrGoTime, why don't you try " Falcon BMS " ?

Summarizing about it:

 

- it's the most complete and realistic F-16 sim until now (step learning curve);

- it's free, so you may download it from the web;

- although it's mainly about the F-16 (there's also a Mirage 2000 C model, if I remember correctly);

- I believe it has even more avionics features than Lock On series;

- very good graphics (aircraft and scenarios).

 

Currently I'm not playing it, because I was tired of flying always the F-16.

 

I will have to give this a shot! But last I heard, you needed the original Falcon 4.0 in order for BMS to work? Is this accurate? Also, is the difficulty scalable?

[+MigBuster]

You need the Falcon 4 disk  

 

There is scalable difficulty - but really everything is geared for full realism settings in BMS - no point learning easy systems and then have to start from scratch with harder stuff later on!. 

 

 

If you have just downloaded DCS A-10C then - um..............do you play flights sims full time because you might best to stick to 1 hardcore job for now.

[MrGoTime]

For some reason I am having some issues getting DCS World to run correctly. By all means it should run just fine on my machine, but the SU-25T model just doesn't seem to load correctly. 

 

...so, I am planning on giving it a shot this weekend. Although I am increasingly enticed by Falcon. I have the Falcon Allied Force disc lying around somewhere. How does it compare to Falcon BMS?

[Boresight]

For some reason I am having some issues getting DCS World to run correctly. By all means it should run just fine on my machine, but the SU-25T model just doesn't seem to load correctly. 

 

...so, I am planning on giving it a shot this weekend. Although I am increasingly enticed by Falcon. I have the Falcon Allied Force disc lying around somewhere. How does it compare to Falcon BMS?

 

Basically, with many general similarities, it has a lot more features ("switchology", radio comms, tacan, avionics, data cartridge, JHMCS, radar modes, etc.); improved flight model; more scenarios/campaigns.

And a lot more things I didn't experimented at the time, but already existed.

 

Although a big disappointment to me:

 

The last time I've played Falcon BMS, the enemy fighters AI was MUCH below the aggressiveness and danger of the ones in Allied Force, example: dogfighting against the MiG-29 Fulcrum in Allied Force was in any F-16 version difficult, as the Fulcrum kept always as possible at his best corner speed with high turn rate... on Falcon BMS, forget about it - it's somewhat easy to bear your nose on him (since last time I've played it).

 

However, as said before I believe it's currently the most realistic/complex simulator available today.

 

Concluding, although many highlight the DCS modules complexity, I believe the Falcon BMS is even more 'complex', just because the real life inherent F-16 hardware/software complexity (availability of software/avionics modes for any given task).

Edited November 1, 2013 by Boresight

[Boresight]

EDIT:

 

It has many features more detailed and more realistic (avionics, JHMCS, etc.)

 

Roughly speaking, in an F-16 you have much more info, systems, modes and procedures to manage than in an A-10; Ka-50 or Su-25 for example - and Falcon BMS depicts that.

[+MigBuster]

Falcon 4 Allied Force is of no use to run BMS - you need the original Falcon 4.0 disk tor BMS - although cost should be negligible

 

In response to the above.

 

DCS A-10C is basically the USAF ANG Desktop simulator with a few classified bits taken out from what I understand - and IME although there are less systems on the A-10C but it goes far deeper into the systems than BMS does currently - and you can tell this by comparing IAMs , JDAM, TGP and some other things - the nav systems a nightmare and it uses SPIs 

 

 

If you want something even more challenging than the old Ace MiG-29S in BMS for dogfighting boresight - try the EF2000 or F-22 in guns only..................

[+Wrench]

beware of gateways drugs... you'll never know where they'll take you!!! 

[Do335]

DCS A-10C is basically the USAF ANG Desktop simulator with a few classified bits taken out from what I understand - and IME although there are less systems on the A-10C but it goes far deeper into the systems than BMS does currently - and you can tell this by comparing IAMs , JDAM, TGP and some other things - the nav systems a nightmare and it uses SPIs 

 

BMS 4.33 in development does have all those modeled... IAM, TGP, SPI... in comparable detail vs DCS A10. but heck I'm still finding the F-86 in SF2 more enjoyable these days..

[MrGoTime]

Got Falcon Allied Force installed. It runs just fine (lol) on my system. I tried to fire up an instant action and boy, you're not kidding, I was lost. So...I printed out the entire 20938533 page manual at work today and will start "perusing" it and learn how to fly the viper. 

 

Has anyone tried the Skunkworks mod for Allied Force? 

 

Sidenote: I'd love to give A-10 some more love...but I just can't get it to look nice no matter how I tweak the settings. 

Also - Thanks for all the help/suggestions so far! This seems like a very knowledgeable bunch of flight sim enthusiasts!

[Do335]

Falcon Allied Force

 

good choice! i'm sure some will be along recommending Falcon BMS but AF is much more hassle free and the single player dynamic campaign is second to none.