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Shousa

I made a SimDashboard - control SF2 with a tablet

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You press buttons on your Android tablet and it is the same as pressing keyboard keys on your pc.

Response time is fantastic and it doesn't disconnect or crash

https://www.stryder-it.de/simdashboard/

It is for Car Racing sims but if you download the app from google play and purchase ONLY the "Button Box" option for a few dollars then you can download button box templates from the community - these are free. The only other thing to do is to download the PC app.

Note you need to make a SINGLE BUTTON BOX - then put in 3 BLANK PAGES (in Android app search for Strike Fighter 2 (yes I forgot the S)- then for each page choose 1 of the 3 pages. That way a single press will take you to the next page

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Btw I initially made one for the greatest space game Evochron Legacy (like Elite Dangerous but without the time wasting and with far more content) which also works with its sister program Arvoch Alliance (think Wing Commander/Free Space like missions story) - can use TrackIR if you have it and joystick setup is easy - has great dogfighting - also has a community modpack:

https://www.starwraith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=13484

Edited by Shousa
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I can edit it if the community wants changes (I have just installed SF2 for the first time so am a beginner)

Note already setup to use default keyboard setup.

Edited by Shousa
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Found an error the map key on my dashboard is Alt-M instead of just M as it should be.

Edited by Shousa

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out of curiosity, why would this even be necessary? Everyone already has a keyboard for their computer, and 98.6% have a full HOTAS setup (throttle/stick) with hot keys/buttons already mapped?

Please explain in more detail

 

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Ah, yes good idea :smile:

You can swap between games without needing to remember any keys at all as you can set one up for each game.Just run any game and go straight away.

Quicker and easier than using a keyboard (not need to hold shift keys or look for a key).

For me a keyboard breaks immersion.

For Il2-1946, Xplane and Falcon BMS (just starting) I use 3 different third party tablet controllers that were made specifically for each one.

So I prefer using a tablet.

Its a bit like having a customized simpit for each one - if you try it you may agree.

Edited by Shousa
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Interesting ....  I like this.  I do have a full CH pro HOTAS setup,  but  Since I have little  time to fly these days having some of the commands clearly labeled   on a tablet  has a certain appeal.  

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Handy tool for those that use such...I can hardly recall my own name let alone 100`s of different keys  lol

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It could mean now that the whole world of sims etc are open to you, for almost no effort :smile:

That is the whole point for me.

Also gunsight is wrong, oops :stars:

I am saving up a few changes (adding new features also) rather then make the developer need to check my screens multiple times for approval (he's a very nice chappie).

 

 

 

Edited by Shousa

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Ok folks I have fixed the bomb drop issue.

However it turns out sim dashboard cannot do the key command for next air to ground weapon (twas doin nothin), sooooo......I changed it to 1 (number above the letter Q on your keyboard).

So if you use this you will  need to make that single change to the default keyboard.

Will update the first screen shortly (it will add the air to ground button that was missing and unlike the version I have been working on past few days it will work).

Whew!

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Showing updated fixed first screen btw I am posting a full WOFF one here as well:

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On 1/6/2020 at 7:55 PM, Wrench said:

out of curiosity, why would this even be necessary? Everyone already has a keyboard for their computer, and 98.6% have a full HOTAS setup (throttle/stick) with hot keys/buttons already mapped?

Please explain in more detail

 

Because we can Wrench, because we can...LOLOLOLOL!!!! :) 

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      The consequences of 'spray and pray'...


       
       
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      ZOMG! Teh Sexplane!


       
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      I'm the guy in front...


       
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      Missile tactics are probably the most interesting part of the game. Infrared (IR) missiles have a round circle that shows up in your HUD...semi active radar homing (SARH) missiles use a diamond cursor. The cursors are auto targeting and will tend to home in on the closet in parameter target in front of you. To simulate the early IR missiles that were not all aspect, they won't try to track a target if the aspect angle isn't met. Both types of missiles have max and min ranges...outside those parameters, the seekers won't track either. Finally, SARH missiles work like the real thing...if you turn away from your target, the missile will break lock, unlike IR missiles which are fire and forget.
       


      BlueJay 4, do you have the target...?


       
      After all that, there are still more considerations. Once a missile cursor is tracking a bandit, a percentage counter starts winding up, giving you a probability of a hit if the missile was fired at that instant. Once it reaches 99 percent, it and the cursor start flashing. For IR missiles, 99 percent also means the lock 'tone' increases in volume. Most of your shots are guaranteed at this point. The problem is that early missiles have relatively slow cursors that are easy to pull off the target, resulting in the counter resetting. The counter itself is slow in the early missiles. It forces you to be smooth while tracking a bandit...assuming he's agreeable and assuming his friends don't take advantage of the 'rope a dope'. The game also penalizes the launch if you are pulling too hard or if the full up lock is transitory (say if the bandit breaks hard into you just after you fire). Considering some of the aircraft have no guns and not a whole lot of missiles (CF-104), it means every shot needs to count. Later aircraft have all aspect missiles, faster moving cursors and faster countdowns. But all your opponents have the same improvements...and they outnumber you. I have not been able to tell if bandits have expendables.
       
      RWR indications are as noted before but aircraft without RWR will still get a 'Missile Launch!' call and will get the red triangle outline on the missile if it is visible. Aircraft RWR will get the familiar 'lock on' and 'missile launch' tones from the PC version.
       
      Later aircraft have ECM listed, but I have not seen if that makes a difference in gameplay.
       
      Once you are done with your flight, this is the debrief screen.
       


      Guess which aircraft I was in...


       
      Again, very familiar looking. This is also where you will get notified if you have earned new aircraft/progressed in the campaign, etc.
       
      The game uses the Unity 3d engine, and my experience was very stable, no glitches, crashes or force close occurred with all the playing I did. It was smooth, only bogging down sometimes when the number of enemies exceeded 12. This has been fixed in a recent update.
       
       
      Conclusion
       
      Is this game worth getting? Value wise, considering it is free, it is hard to say it isn't worth at least trying. Buying aircraft is a different question. All aircraft can eventually be earned, so you don't have to spend a dime...just a lot of time doing the same kind of mission over and over.
       
      Is this a reasonable simulation? The answer is no...it is more an arcade game, though the missile employment shows some good simulation like aspects. Two excellent examples of flight simulation for mobile are F-Sim Space Shuttle (a shuttle approach and landing sim) and X-Plane. Both are much closer to actual simulators...and X-Plane has multiplayer! But no combat.
       
      Is this a good air combat game? The answer is yes, but with caveats. In some ways, it can be considered more like an 'air Quake' because it's basically you against everyone else, and the type of mission remains the same, with no takeoffs, landings, air to ground missions or cockpit view. But, the variety of aircraft is second to none, with many aircraft you can't find anywhere else on any platform except the PC versions of SF.
       


      ZOMG! Commie planes!


       
      A great example of the features I would like to see in a future mobile version of SFA is Air Navy Fighters for mobile. It has cockpit views, multi cameras, realistic takeoffs and landings, and a terrain/mission creator. The amount of flyables is small (F-18, F-14, and C-2), there are no air to air missions, and the air to ground weapons seem a bit too magic.
       
      In conclusion, for a freshmen attempt to get into the mobile space, SFA is solid offering. Blending arcade action with variety of aircraft that no one else offers, reasonable price to unlock aircraft, and a gaming mechanic that makes you want to earn 'just one more unlock!', you will find SFA a way to have some SF goodness anywhere you have your Android phone.
       
      Now if can just get enough points to unlock that guns only Mystere...
       
      Reviewed on a HP Touchpad running Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
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