Old and In the Way.

[PenGun]

Hello all. I'm dipping my toes into this, flying things with intent, gaming type. Just turned 70 and I need some new stuff.

I'm a decent shooter player, Stalker in my favorite game, and leaned to hit stuff in ESO, but I need something else to play. I picked up some of the recent puzzle games, Obduction and Talos Principal and they are great, especially Obduction, but there's only a couple of hours left in it, and Talos does not look like a long game either. I have been watching the rise of the space sims but they don't really pull me in.

Anyway stumbled across some IL 2 B0S, and other youtube vids, and it became obvious that a guy could throw away whole rafts of time in this world. So I'm going to learn to fly. It's new, for me, and looks like a stone joy. I have a VKB Gladiator on the way and I have patched up CloD to 4.312 and it's nice. I have a GTX 1070 and a 301 Sparta so it's real pretty and I am playing around a bit with my keyboard. I'm not gonna do much with config, except think about it, till the Gladiator arrives. This will be my first joystick since Doom came out and I discovered how useless they were for FPS. It does look like TrackIR is very cool, although I supposed on could get used to panning around other ways.

One thing that seems attractive is that, it seems to me, you can use people with poor skills usefully in game. As gunners, then probably bomber pilots and then as fighter cover when one gets good. I plan to get a handle on the mechanics, play some SP campaigns a bit and then jump in.

[DerDa]

Hi PenGun,

And welcome to flight sims.
If you look for a time consuming hobby in which you can really get lost you’ve come the right place.
Any kind of eye tracker is highly recommended, it is a real game changer.
Lots of newcomers try your approach ‘first a bit of single player and when I’m good enough …’. I don’t recommend it for CloD (although I was single player only at other flight sims). Trying to learn the basics all by your self can easily get frustrating in CloD. The learning curve is somewhat steep. It is much, much easier if you find someone online to give you some advise and training (and endlessly more fun!). Just get online and you will find a community that is outstandingly helpful.
See you up there,

Cheers

DerDa

[BOO]

One thing that seems attractive is that, it seems to me, you can use people with poor skills usefully in game. As gunners, then probably bomber pilots and then as fighter cover when one gets good. I plan to get a handle on the mechanics, play some SP campaigns a bit and then jump in.

Welcome PenGun!!

I think you'll find that your about the average age for CLOD and no-one gets in the way here if they join in on Teamspeak. As a largely Ju88 user currently i have a slight slight issue with the above statement though!

But thats the other beauty of this game, nothing is easy and the tools are available to make it as challenging as you want. Shooting down the opposing side is good but lugging your station wagon all the way to London, out thinking the fighters, to put your bombs in a pickle jar, through cloud from 20000ft is also pretty cool (so im told, mind tend to end up in a field in Essex but the auto pilot is good for cigarette breaks ).

See you in the server hopefully and stick at it. The more you can put in, the more you will get out.

Kind Regards

BOO

[ATAG_Dave]

, but there's only a couple of hours left in it, and Talos does not look like a long game either.

Your experience with CloD will be rather different in this regards I predict - I have about 1700 CloD hours logged now over the past 2 .5 years and still learning, there is no end - our 'war' is eternal lol and the challenge it presents significant......so welcome to your new hobby and to the ATAG forums

CloD really shines in multiplayer and if that's what you ultimately aim to do then as DerDa says above you will be better to just jump in with both feet online and on our teamspeak system than start out in single player.


Good luck, have fun and see you up there

[ATAG_Highseas]

I plan to get a handle on the mechanics, play some SP campaigns a bit and then jump in.

And a mighty fine plan it is too sir !

You picked a winner if you are looking for something to immerse yourself in for years to come !!

Welcome to the party !!

'Seas

[farley]

Welcome PenGun.

You live on beautiful Vancouver Island eh! Well as much as you might love the outdoors, you can say goodbye to them cuz now you are enslaved here, and you will find it consuming your every waking moment, to the point where sitting on the toilet you will find yourself checking your 6!

I have never been involved with any other online communities and other than off line earlier IL2 flying have not done other flying really, but I would guess that you will find the folks here to be, overall the best bunch in terms of friendliness and helpfulness and all of that. Truly a lovely bunch of guys...... Well except for Boosterdog and Highseas and a few others. Ha ha........

I would suggest learning the basics of flying and then just getting in the air and getting into the action. For sure you will be target practice for others for quite a while, but every time up you will learn and improve, and if flying on the server and using teamspeak you will improve quickly, and eventually make it back to base and even land without cracking up. At times you will feel extreme frustration, but keep on going, as getting past that stage just makes the sim all the sweeter. You are just in time for the soon to be released TF 5 as well, which will open a whole new world for all of us, and should generate a ton of excitement. Maybe they will release it on Christmas day!

Keep going through the forms here to learn what you need to know. I find that if you want to ask questions here it is best to do it earlier in the day, as at times, if you ask later, because of your time zone, your questions might not be picked up by the others.

Sounds like you have a bit of spare cash, and if you do I would recommend what you have already noted, which is to get a head tracking device because I think most feel that it really helps with the immersion. Having said that, I believe that some of the best fliers here do not use head tracking. I went from freetrack to EDTracker, and I am very pleased with it. I just ordered the EDTracker Pro and with shipping it cost a wee bit less than $75 Canadian.

I feel that you can happily spend the next 25 years flying here and stil have things to learn, and I hope that you will feel the same way.

Welcome.

farley

[PenGun]

Thanks for the nice welcome. I did not mean to disparage bomber pilots, it's just that from my point of view, it seems easier to hit something that's not moving, the ground, as opposed to another plane.

Rich I ain't. The Gladiator is this month's only possible purchase, and that because I have a bit of birthday money from my mom. I get by on a Canadian pension, which is better than most countries, but $1500 a month does not go far after normal expenses. I can spend about $200 in a month but I'll be scratching by the end of it. My machinery is old. An i5 750 on a Lynnfield board and I would like to replace it this year but it will probably be in 2017 by the time I get that all together. I will spring for a TrackIR somehow though.

I have about 1000 meters of up out back and I do love my mountains. I get to see what 3000' looks like:98348270.jpg.

Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome.

[ATAG_Dave]

I will spring for a TrackIR somehow though.

Many players here use something called edtracker which is much more affordable than track IR - here is a thread with much info about it http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.co...ad.php?t=18389

S!

[ATAG_Laser]

Hi there PenGun, and welcome to Cliffs of Dover and the ATAG community. I have been here since the beginning of the year and I only intended to install the patches and play in single player. As I was completely new to flight sims, and there are some very good and experienced players online, it was very daunting for me to jump into multi player, but I took the plunge and haven't looked back. Eight months in I am still struggling to get to grips with this, still I haven't managed a kill on the main ATAG server, still I crash a lot, but I am loving every minute of it so far and I have become friends with people who I now fly with but have never met from all over the world, as well as in the UK where Iive.
Come on in and join us buddy, you are in for a treat.
By the way, I have recently purchased an EdTracker. Takes a bit of getting used to like any tracker would if like me you haven't used one before, but I would recommend it as a good, and much cheaper alternative to Track IR.

Hope to see you in the virtual skies soon, laser

[ATAG_Lewis]

Welcome to the community and forums PenGun...~S~

A couple things....First off...Checkout our age poll...to realise you are not alone as an experienced lifer here in this forum and sim..:

ATAG Forum Age Poll Results

Secondly...get on TS if you can even if its just to listen...its a great way to get up to speed and entertaining to say the least...We have a mature community here who pride themselves in being amateur historians too...and you don't have to be the best pilot in the world like a lot of us who enjoy the camaraderie of missions in the multiplayer arena...We get players who have not touched a computer game before let alone a flight sim so jump in and have fun...and the best is we have one of the most helpful and friendly communities within these forums you will find in the world of online gaming...Enjoy it for what it is..Don't be shy in asking questions even if you think them beginners questions...We enjoy helping...~S~

So...

Checkout the 'Beginners Guide'...for info and tips...It will save you a heap of time in getting up to scratch.....and its a really fun learning curve anyway..

Beginners Guide Link Here

Windows Management Guide

Also try youtube for startup procedures on all the aircraft...

I recommend getting in the online server as soon as you can take off if that's ultimately where you'd like to fly...I flew single player for 30 minutes before I took the plunge...The ATAG online server is a great environment to learn and there's not really any damage you can do in there as a new player.....It is also mission based just with real players trying to foil your objectives...If you are concerned then pick an airstrip furthest from the front line (there always is one or two on every map) and get some alt before you go hunting...You'll get tagged a lot but there are tricks you learn out of pure desperation in those first few weeks that you'll be able to use later...I know cos I still use the same tricks I learned then too because they work...and never underestimate the stall to get you out of a tight fix...That sometimes works too...

TeamSpeak is optional but you'll learn a whole lot faster with it even if you say very little once you are on the server...You are quite welcome to just listen if you feel more comfortable with that....so you don't actually need a mic either...Try it and see!...

How to set up Teamspeak


Here are a few fun, helpful and interesting links amongst these forums

Most Watched CLOD Videos

Easy Allied CEM for New Players

Joystick and Hardware Thread

Nvidea Control Panel Settings

Downloads

Contact Spotting Test

and....Don't forget to keep up with the latest on the TeamFusion new aircraft and patch news...You could well be AMAZED!

TeamFusion Facebook Updates


Any questions then you've come to the right place....

Good to have you with us buddy...and remember its all about the Fun!!!

...Lew...

[No.401_Speed (YO-R)]

post deleted

[ATAG_Lewis]

Sorry to go against someones pov...but we do have evidence from a few very experienced players that a headtracker is not essential for being highly competitive in online CLOD....I don"t want someone spending money on a headtracker for use with CLOD believing its essential when it is not...that would be a mistake and a waste of money if thats the reason you invest in one especially if you go for a TrackIR which is the most pricey headtracker on the market at present...What we do know for certain is that most folks here use them....and that they do add an element of immersion for those that have them...and that a lot of folks recommend them for this reason...

Its worth trolling these forums if you are serious about CLOD to find folks opinions as there are a few different versions of headtrackers which vary in price...and DIY versions which can be just as good and cheap...

Important to read different opinions before investing.....

...Lew...

[PenGun]

I have been looking around. I'll be able to buy a trackir probably at the end of the month, and I'll do so. I have some nice stuff but each bit was hard won. Not really, but I often have to save up a couple of months of 'extra', to get some device or other, and I'll always err on the side of quality, well within reason. The trackir will work in many games, maybe all, with mouse and key emulation shenanigans.

I'll have my stick in a couple of days, UPS willing, and I'll work on getting familiar with that first. It seems, on looking at what I have, I need to have the stick lower than my normal FPS setup, trackball and keyboard on an office desk. It's above, by a couple of inches, the arms on my chair, and I can rest my elbows and play for a long time. That looks to be too high. Do you hold your stick at chest height? That seems about right, just fooling around. I can build something once I figure out where things should go.

I suspect a throttle would be next then maybe pedals if I get bitten bad. The Gladiator twists for rudder and has a throttle so it will do for a while. I like the look around, the well set up trackir seems to provide, and really that seems to be a huge part of the game. Seeing first if you can and not getting suckered seems important. As well I have enough buttons etc to deal with, and time gaining skill with look-around, might be time better spent elsewhere.

I won't be competitive for a while. I'm a sneaky old man though and I have been watching youtube a bit. I'll get the stick and get somewhat comfortable, and then come give you guys another juicy target.

EDIT: I bought a PS3 cam, it was $20 delivered and I'll give the Freetrack thing a try. Seems so cheap, I'd be a fool not to at least try it.