=VG= Kavelenko

The Falklands map is only available on deployment, I had a lot of fun just playing locally and flying the Harriers. Its bugged because you can fly the bots as well. Goose Green is the COOP version for the Falklands and its infantry based, no jets

Hi Brain, Thanks for the advice on the Logitech PRO, I've added dead zones and that has improved my old joystick quite a bit, in fact a lot, the other thing I changed was the sensitivity which was at 50% and way too quick for what I needed, for Helicopter flying especially. My TM HOTAS Warthog throttle and joystick package arrived yesterday and I spent some time trying it out on PR. Now I can understand why the rudder is so important! Without a rudder it makes it next to impossible to fly Helicopters and maneuver them like I'm used to. In fact I was very uncomfortable flying with the TM setup just due to the position of the throttle being three feet from the joystick. Made me feel like I was riding a Harley Davidson Chopper with Ape Hangers!! So until I can get some pedals I'm only going to use the TM Warthog gear on BMS4.33, its so different to flying with the Logitech PRO that its screwing up my game in PR. I'm in the process of mapping my switches and buttons on the TM Warthog, and looked at several setups on the net for it but none of them so far seem to be mapping the buttons to where they should IMO. The first thing I've got to say is the TM Warthog HOTAS throttle and Joystick is awesome with BMS4, it feels a 100% better than the Logitech ever did. Its smooth, precise, and take offs and landings are so much easier to do. I haven't tried to dogfight yet so it will be interesting to see how nimble it will be in that situation but so far it has made simulation flying so much more enjoyable for me. Back to the mapping issue, as I said most BMS setups I've seen or read are not using the buttons and switches for the Warthog as they were intended and that's fair enough considering the simulator is for the F-16 and not the A-10 but the joystick at least should be similar you'd think? Has anyone got a recommended mapping for the Warthog TM throttle and joystick that works as closely to the F-16 controls. I know there will be differences but I'm expecting a lot of common settings as well. cheers,

Good points Double_13, when I came onto the COOP server yesterday I was deluged with requests to kick this guy because he's stealing assets, or kick this other guy because he's been teaming killing. I did neither because I wasn't on when they allegedly did those things. But I did keep an eye out for them doing it again, mostly they settled down or left. My advice to the players is to not retaliate (which is easier said than done when you're angry) and make sure you report the guy when it happens by typing - !r offendername multiple team kills As for admins abusing their powers, I haven't seen evidence of that so far. The rules for admins conduct are quite clear and we have to be fair but often its a judgement call at the time.

I get the impression from the write ups on the TM Warthog HOTAS and TM Cougar is that they are robust and very well engineered. I have noticed in BMS that my Logitech tends to wander a bit when I center it and take my hand off. Its way too sensitive for flying in BMS. I'm hoping that this will not happen to the same degree with a quality stick such as the Warthog. Yes I've realized now that I'm definitely going to need pedals if I'm in a dogfight, I would imagine both hands will be too pre-occupied on throttle and stick to deal with rudder keystrokes via keyboard. Has anyone flown the Apache or Cobra in PR using one of these things? I'd have thought they'd be ideal.

You may have seen this video on the basics of Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM) before but I found it very useful for understanding how to get behind and stay behind an enemy fighter. In a nutshell if someone gets behind you and performs perfect BFM you are dead.

Thanks for your opinions SemlerPDX and Meiz. I was thinking about buying a TM Warthog HOTAS a year ago but couldn't see any advantage with the games (for the price) I was flying hence the cheaper joystick. My Logitech Extreme 3D PRO does the job for PR as it is but this BMS4.33 & Falcon 4.0 flight simulator is something else. I assume all the key flight controls in BMS can be mapped to Warthog HOTAS controls? So having read your views I don't see any negative reason to not go ahead and buy the TM Warthog HOTAS, I have a workstation so room is not an issue for me, there's plenty of room either side of the key board. I'm not too fond of pedals at all but will get them if I must. Initially I'll see if I can get away with mapping them to a key board button. A TM Warthog HOTAS set up with throttle control and joystick will cost me AUD$799 which is fine considering it's kick-ass design. https://www.jbhifi.com.au/games-consoles/platforms/joystick/thrustmaster-hotas-warthog-joystick/275056/ Again thanks for your informed opinion, especially SemlerPDX!

Hey Guys, I'm currently looking at two HOTAS joysticks; the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Joystick and the Saitek Pro Flight X-55 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. Any opinions on the suitability or issues related to using them with PR would be appreciated.

Thanks to Brain and SemlerPDX, I can now do a successful ramp start from memory. The tutorial program Semler gave me was real helpful to get the ball rolling, but eventually I gravitated to the BMS4.33 Manual (pp. 11-20) and completed the following sections including the tests: 1.1 1st Sweep: Before starting the engine 1.2 2nd Sweep: Starting engine & systems 1.3 3rd Sweep: The final sweep For me it definitely helped to give a better understanding of the systems, I'd hate to do this while flying!

Almost completed a ramp start, your tutorial is great but I think there's a couple differences now that we're at BMS 4.33. I've only got one avionics fault showing on my display and then I think I'm close to completing it. Here's a screenshot. Just worked it out, needed to clear the IFF fault by hitting the F-ACK button a few times.

Thanks a lot for the ramp start program SemlerPDX , that was a huge help. I have created my own set of notes to do a ramp start based on your program. Biggest problem for me was trying to remember where the switches were and on which console so the current view map was real helpful too. Managed to get through my first ramp start, so the next bit is getting permission from the tower to takeoff and doing it. cheers,

I spent about two hours trying to find the switch to close the canopy! I finally found its location in one of the manuals so now at least I can close the lid and get some privacy while I mess around with the cockpit controls. Blooming heck this simulator is not for cowboys who just want to get in and fly that's for sure. I'm happy to go through all the checklists and familiarize myself with the controls/switches/buttons but committing this all to memory seems like a huge task right now. I'm sure it must get easier if I just keep plugging away. I hear you Cobalt but I wouldn't want to put someone on the server through the kind of hell I'm enjoying at the moment. "Anvil are you ready for takeoff?" "Sure squadron leader, gimme another week!!"

Excellent advice SemlerPDX, exactly what I was looking for! Yes, I'll work my way through the tutorials and get myself familiar before tackling a mission on a live server. Its a lot of info to take in but us newbies gotta start somewhere. I'm using an old Logitech Extreme 3D PRO stick for now but if I really enjoy the simulator I'll invest in a HOTAS joystick later.

Just throwing this out there. Last night I bought myself a $6.99 copy of Falcon 4.0, and installed that as a well as BMS 4.33. So I've got my joystick connected and ready to rock and roll! My question is where in this website do we go to discuss this game, I'm going through manuals (and there are heaps of them) but the best I've found so far are some YouTube videos on the basics. I realize this game is a hugely complex one but that's the challenge and fun of it. Can anyone of the Veterans-Gaming community who plays BMS 4.33 recommend my next steps? cheers, Kavelenko Call Sign: ANVIL Royal Australian Air force - RAAF

This discussion has raised some great points regarding Mechanized Infantry tactics but I still would like to see some teams try the concept of using APC's as a full fighting tactical force especially on maps where there are a huge number of IFVs (Bradleys, Warriors, etc). And rather than having one squad named APC, have IFV-1, IFV-2, IFV-3 as separate squads but commanded by IFV-3 or the lead APC commander. That way the vehicles are more likely to be full of infantry (manned by 24 personnel instead of the usual 6). I'm not advocating changing the squad naming rules either but I am throwing ideas out there for people to contemplate. In my opinion APC squads currently are under-utilized but I'm more interested in exploiting the potential of getting 24 soldiers into a flag and capping it within minutes. I think this could work, but only if it is organized well. It would mean having a very disciplined group. Food for thought. Kav

Yes predominately that's what happens in most games, that's why I'd like to run with a squad who really knows how to run a Mechanized Infantry Squad to see for myself whether it is more effective than loner APCs or Infantry squads on foot. I recently downloaded a manual on US Mechanized Infantry Tactics using the Bradley BFV, very interesting read but seems massively complicated. Its 430 pages! Their idea is the Platoon structure as depicted in the image from the manual: Obviously for COOP PR this may not be possible, but I'd love to see this type of force in action!. Wouldn't that be a sight! Kav

Hi InchPincherTwo, Just to add to this discussion, I've run a Mechanized Infantry Squad on the Beirut [STD] map using an APC from the Carrier but I asked the APC squad if that was ok with them and which one (single or two man) APC they preferred my squad to use. That particular APC squad was quite ok with but the impression I got was that they weren't too sure themselves about how to handle such a request. I forget who I was talking to about the APC role last night in teamspeak but the subject came up about APC, IFV, and AAVP assets being primarily direct fire vehicles that are supposed to be used to support infantry. As we often see its not uncommon for APC squads to race off from a base with a paired driver and gunner leaving infantry squads at the base to fight over left-over HMVs and small transport vehicles. Having said that I also come across APC squads in the field who are happy to let stranded squads catch a ride in their vehicle, but mostly I see a lot of camped APCs on various strategic hill-side positions racking up the kills. No wonder it takes so long to cap flags sometimes. What is the consensus of opinion among experienced Mechanized Infantry Squad leaders? I'm not complaining about this btw, just hoping to read some opinions of others. cheers, Kav

Its not so straight forward to install these packs. I had to unpack into a folder then copy the levels across to my PR installation due to administrator privileges blocking my attempts to unzip into the PR folder. So its not always easy to do when something like that occurs for non computer geeks. No offense. cheers, Kav

I currently play PR on a beat up laptop that is long overdue for replacement, and I live with the slow login times but I will have my revenge when I update to a new speccy machine next year!!! Kav

Just played three of these on local. All of these maps would be fun initially but the proof is in the playing. Be interesting to see how they play online. Dcon Weapon Bunkers: USMC attacking one MEC Base. Could be over in minutes Mercs Desert Wars : Feels similar to Operation Marlin, mainly infantry and APCs, two transport Helos. Siege at Ochamchira: Infantry map with a couple boats, I liked this one because a lot of the flags could be accessed by sea. Could be fun too. cheers, Kav

I think the CAS and TRANS squad is critical, so just because a person spawns in before everyone else shouldnt mean that they can create a TRANS squad and then spend the next ten minutes learning how to fly the asset. I'm all for people earning a reputation before they fly in important supporting role type squads. Nothing worse than a TRANS squad that cannot do its job properly. If you're going to make rules on this please consider the guys on the ground who have to put up with players operating assets they are not competent to operate. just my 2 cents, Kav