Fighter Ace 3 is going out of business!?!

[Wraith_TMS]

Yeah, don't get the impression you need TrackIR. Most people don't use it.

Spot on.  I use head-tracking, as do several of my squaddies, but you absolutely do not need it to play AH.  It's just a nice way to get more immersion in the game.  Aces High's view system is pretty darned good as it is, with huge customization capability, so your hat switch will still get plenty of use. 

You're also not locked into using it if you hook one up.  You can turn head-tracking off and on with one key press.  In addition, AH's hat views work well in tandem with head-tracking, so that you can run TrackIR, and if you're just too busy to move your head or whatever, just hit your rear view on the hat switch and AH will momentarily override the TIR system.  Let go the hat switch, and you're back to head-tracking.  Best of both worlds.

Also, TrackIR is the standard for this stuff, but if you're on a budget, you can download a free system called FreeTrack (just google it).  It's not as slick as TIR, but it's free. You have to do-it-yourself a bit, but it'll save you a lot of money.  I use Freetrack in combination with a TrackIR LED headclip ($35 if bought separately).   Works fine for me, but YMMV.

You'll find that AH, by design or happy accident, is highly configurable, customizable, scalable, and offers lots of side-activities to keep you busy, even when you're not playing the game itself.  You can make historical a/c skins, maps and terrains, develop offline missions, cobble together video AARs and machinimas, create custom soundpacks, organize or participate in scenarios and mini-scenarios, join a racing league... and... and... (what'd I forget?).  Lots of folks build simpits for this addiction, and AH works great with 3-monitor+head-tracking systems.  I cobbled mine together for pennies on the dollar.  In short, if you get bored with arena play, you'll find a lot to do on the side.

Welcome to Aces High.   

...

[Ack-Ack]

For the FA guys, another important thing when setting up your controllers is scaling your stick within AH.  Go to the Help forums and search for "stick scaling" and you'll find a few threads with screenshots of different stick scale settings as well as some with instructions on how to manually edit your stick scale settings in the joystick config file.


ack-ack

[TWC_Jaxx]

For the FA guys, another important thing when setting up your controllers is scaling your stick within AH. 

ack-ack

Yeah, that's gonna be HUGE.  No such thing existed in FA. 

I finally got in the air a bit last night and absolutely loved it.  There is so much to learn, though.  Almost overwhelming...   

[Lusche]

There is so much to learn, though.  Almost overwhelming...   

Relish this time, it is the best one you can have... everything is new and exciting, you will learn something each sortie, you will notice quick improvements in many areas, and there are still so many things you haven't done yet. Each sortie brings something new.
I wish I could be that "new" again. 

[gpwurzel]

Lusche, have a short term memory problem like me, every day is a new adventure lol......

I have real problems remembering stuff from a couple of days ago, but can remember from years ago...go figure.


Wurzel

[Babalonian]

Again I'd like to emphasize that one of the last things on the to-do list for you new FA players to AH is to concern yourself with track-IR.  I personaly don't use it, I find the hatbutton+keypad very compfy and adequate for my purposes, and as others have described themselves I'm a natural head-mover (and I like watching some TV when autoclimbing above 10k).

On the top of the list should be just getting the game up in offline mode and tweaking with your flight options and joystick configurations (stick scaleing (remember for each axis), dampening, button assignments, etc.).  Also take this time to disable your stall limitier in your flight options.  This is a handy tool for newcomers to flight simming where stalling ones plane isn't a major factor in other games.  In short with it turned off you can turn tighter and pull more "agressive" manuversm you also however can put your plane into a stall... not saying it won't be fun but if you're gonna dive into getting some experience recovering from stalls, no better time than now if you think it wont overwhelm you.  Last thing I'd do in offline mode before diving into some player vs player action is experiment with various gun packages and convergences and shooting down the unmanned drones in offline mode at various ranges with those various converges.  Figure out what distances you like taking your kill shots and adjust your selection of weaponry and convergences for that weaponry accordingly.

Don't hesitate diving into the multiplayer arenas once you feel compfy with the basics of this game.  If you have a good fight with someone (win or loose), try to send them a private whisper in the arena thanking them for a good fight, and then prod around for any feedback/input from them for improvement to your flying.  Most people are constructive enough in this community to help twords your benefit (if they have the time and aren't otherwise occupied in the game).  You're sure to run into some bad apples too in our community (it's inevitable), but it'll be easy to figure out whos wasting your time and who is willing to go outa their way and take some of their time to try and help you (and there are many that will help you if you ask and break teh water, from those offering a couple helpful words to a couple helpful hours in the TA with you).

[Bronk]

Welcome FA castaways. Get the most out of your 2 weeks free.
1.Set up off line. Test and retest views and joystick mapping till it feels like home.
2.Ask a bunch of dumb arsed questions in the designated forum. We were all new and asked so someone knows.
3.Do fly the off line missions. While not the best ACM it will give you practice with the FM.
4.Ack Ack is not evil incarnate... that is my job.
Again welcome.. once you become use to this place you'll wonder why you didn't switch sooner.

[Ack-Ack]

4.Ack Ack is not evil incarnate... that is my job.

I agree.  I'm not evil, I'm just misunderstood. 


ack-ack

[Airwolf]

Ok...A real dumb-ass question.....Really....I`m slowly getting the joystick calibration right....Hat switches, check.....Start in offline and crash...No prob, but,(sheepishly) how do you re-set to fly again?..I`m sitting there, like a fool, waiting for the game to automatically put me back in a new plane to fly again, but I just sit there with a bent prop and crumbled wing .....I downloaded the quick reference guide but I guess I`m just a stunned individual....Also, is there a detailed manual to download?.....And explain "scaling"....Told you....

[Bronk]

Ok...A real dumb-ass question.....Really....I`m slowly getting the joystick calibration right....Hat switches, check.....Start in offline and crash...No prob, but,(sheepishly) how do you re-set to fly again?..I`m sitting there, like a fool, waiting for the game to automatically put me back in a new plane to fly again, but I just sit there with a bent prop and crumbled wing .....I downloaded the quick reference guide but I guess I`m just a stunned individual....Also, is there a detailed manual to download?.....And explain "scaling"....Told you....

/ brings up text bar  then .ef    .

[dunnrite]

click "End Sortie" on the clipboard map will put you back in the tower

Welcome  

Edit:  And what bronk said 

Beat me to it

[Lusche]

ESC for clipboard, click "end sortie" to get back into tower. from there, spawn again or just click on "hangar" to select any other plane

Among tons of other useful information, you will find also a Quick Reference Sheet on the Aces High Trainer Corps Website

[trax1]

Bring up your clipboard by hitting the ESC key & hit "End Sortie", or you can bring up the radio by hitting the "/" key and type in ".ef" to end flight.

The game uses a lot of dot commands you type into the radio, you should read up on these.

[Babalonian]

Scaling is a balancing act.

Too much scaling can indeed cause nose bounce, too little and your stick can be too responsive to be able to fly with comfortably. However the opposite end of the spectrum can also cause nose bounce. Where you have a sensitive stick, and scaling maxed, any input can cause the plane to veer almost violently from where it was heading with the slightest touch.

As a general rule old wise hands with CH gear can often do without scaling, or have them set where Mtnman has.
Newer hands or more sensitive sticks take some scaling to dial down the input.
Mtnman is I believe the exception not the rule.  Most players probably do not have the control to be able to fly well with pitch scaled across the top on most sticks.

On the plus side, yes, that gives you the greatest amount of control possible.  But it leaves it all up to you, a single twitch of the stick too hard can cause you to stall and lose the fight.

On the negative side it can be very hard for a new pilot to learn to fly smoothly that way.
Almost impossible with some sticks I would say.

The right answer for most people, especially new pilots is going to lay somewhere in the middle.
Good stick + Good hands = aggressive upward curve.

      = = = = = = = = =
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=

Twitchy stick + new hands = progressive low curve
              =
            =
         =
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=

Whats right for you only you can say.

And this should about cover it:
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,218269.msg2621619.html#msg2621619

(   Ghost)

Edit: Actually lets hear what AckAck has to input on this, he's put effort into the past in explaining/helping with stick scaling more than i have.

[Skuzzy]

Airwolf, there really are no dumb questions.  I would rather deal with a 1,000 questions upfront, than one person aggravated by continually trying to figure out by themselves and waiting until they are ready to explode before asking a question.

You know.  The difference between:

"Hey guys, how to restart after you crash?"

or

"This is the most fraked up piece of shizz software I have ever dealt with!  How the frakin hell do you start another flight?!?!?!?!"

Do you really need to guess which person is more fun to deal with?


I know, I know, expecting a guy to ask for directions is counter to everything we have been taught as men.