DCS: Black Shark Helo Sim

I just ordered it today from Amazon.com as all the reviews i've read have been stellar. My main concern was the DRM as it uses Starforce but after reading that it uses online activation only and doesn't use a DVD check or installs drivers and that you can deactivate a comp before upgrading I bit.

Anyone else buy this flight sim?

 

DCS: Black Shark is way too complicated for me!

 

Bought it last year via their website.

It's great. Literally sets the benchmark for all hardcore flight/combat sims.

Edit--here's an older thread about it; in post #12, I cover my initial thoughts on the game:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=4333020#post4333020

 

Thanks Mr. T, btw it appears the Devs have followed the deauthentication route by allowing the user to claim install slots by deactivating their hardware. Oh I recently bought this flight stick, will I have trouble getting to grips with the sim?

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A0785840

 

Looks like an awesome sim. Was looking to buy it around the time it was about to be released, but unfortunately work got in the way. It is definetly not a game to just pickup and play!

 

The only trouble you might have is (believe it or not) not enough buttons. Especially without a separate throttle.

My current HOTAS setup is a CH Fighterstick and separate CH Pro Throttle, yet even with all the buttons,; 6-4way switches; and 3-8+way switches I wish they had more.

The good thing is Black Shark allows "modifiers" to use the same button for more than one function, but even then, remembering the combination for everything is can be a little tough.

 

Is the only option mapping everything to the keyboard?

 

With the CH Products stuff, you can add a "shift" key so that you can double your amount of commands. I used all of mine with Falcon 4, and there, I wish I had a few more, but bought a Saitek PC Dash 2 (or P8000 in UK) to cover all the rest of my easy access button needs:

 

I don't know whether to buy it or not. Lock On was pure frustration for me. I am kinda bit real life experienced (glider plane pilot) and fascinated by anything related to flying, and the KA-50 is one of my favorite combat helicopters and I am willing to study, but what I do not want to do is a pilot license by myself!

In Lock On the tutorials were crap. You were just watching a video and reading subtitles. Besides it being extremely boring, you were not really learning anything. The tutorials just scratched on the surface of the basic controls, however you still did not get how to shot someone down, because you are not able to practice during the tutorial, you have to memorize everything just from a video and a small text and this is not possible.

FS X is a really good example, how it can be done, however Black Shark does not seem to be an improvement to Lock On, except that you have a voice instead of text. (That is what I heard)

So you will only be able to enjoy the game, if you study the manual and that scares me. I want this kind of game to be as complex as possible, but that is IMO not an excuse for that kind of game only being able to be enjoyed if you study the manual.

However, Black Shark apparently needs that, because it is all it got. The Helicopter is impressively realistic from what I read and saw. The controls, flight mechanics, everything seems to be awesome.

But everything except the helicopter does not make me wanna buy this game.

E.g.: The terrain is not only important for graphics, but also for gameplay, but the environment is the same as in Lock-On: FLAT! How can a terrain for a heli-sim be even worse, than just flat surfaces, with one angle to represent a mountain?

This, I fear, probably leads to a rather boring flying experience and combat, once you figured out every control of the helicopter.

Maybe I am wrong and Black Shark is an awesome game, but with my knowledge right now, I have the feeling, that the only fun thing about this Sim is to figure out how to control the heli, not the actual flying or fighting.

 

it actually is a really fun sim, and even on arcade mode it's a blast, yet simple enough to just pick up and play once ya get down the basics. I have a ball just flying around and watching the damage model do it's thing... very cool

 

I know what you are saying xedi. I have been a long time PC flight sim nerd (mainly combat sims), and also have my PP-ASEL. I enjoyed Lo-Mac. But nothing compares to Longbow 2. It's too bad the graphics are so dated, and probably never have the likes of the Jane's series again, unless money loosens up again and developers are worth taking less profit than they get from recycling the same sports game year after year. But Longbow 2 was great for pop up strikes, and the terrain was varied. Enemy Engaged series is also great, but their graphics are dated as well, but still great fun to play.

I have DCS Black Shark but haven't spent a whole lot of time with it yet. It looks pretty good though.

 

Best civilian sim ever made, if you enjoy sims that take hours to study all the instruments and avionics, and spend countless hours trying to master flight, this sim is for you. Without a doubt the most entertaining sim I ever played. Be SURE to get Trackir, its a head tracking device, its 70 bucks but you will feel like you are inside the cockpit. Happy flying!

 

I've got TrackIR 4. Just have to dig it out from wherever I stored it. I love that device, but haven't had the time to devote to sims much in the last year or so. I ended up where I couldn't play IL-2 at all without it because it was so immersive with the real time head movement.

 

LOL--agreed.

I've mainly been playing racing sims lately, but it's gotten to where I just can't play them properly anymore without using my TrackIR 4.

Anyone out there upgrade to the new TrackIR 5?

Been wondering if there's a real-world/noticeable difference over the 4 series.