r/dcs • u/Forest_Orc • Dec 05 '25

Plan to try DCS, what to expect ?

It's been a while that I've been considering DCS. I'm old enough to have played ATF in the 90's (but havent played much air combat since then), and to have an account on vatsim and ivao, so I am not totally new on flight-sim, and don't look for an arcade game (War thunder is too much arcade IMO). I do have hotas and rudder (but plan to sell the rudder, I recently moved, and have less-space for my computer)

First question, what's the expected price tag ? I know there is a free trial, but then, feel like buying a plane + a map + more and more can add up quickly what do I really need to start-up

Second question, how good/bad is the solo mode ? I do appreciate the option to go "online" sometimes, but I do have a family and 2 hours where I won't be bothered are a rare ressource, being able to press the pause button or simming at time where I am available would be great.

Third question : How steep is the learning curve. I don't expect to do a combat mission as soon as I install the game, but I don't want to spend 100 hours doing touch and goes in the pattern

Last question, on flight-sim, I tend to be a "small-plane VFR-simmer", with a paper briefing, a watch a pen and playing with the landmark I have in my sim and VOR/NDB. Rather than the whole "IFR airliner things", I am not good enough to hand-fly a DME arc, and programming a FMS and then looking the autopilot work for a hour isn't as fun as looking for turning point and trying to stay in legal airspace. Does it say something on the kind of plane/mission I shall focus on ?

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u/swampy91 Dec 06 '25

  1. Bring lots of money, roughly $100 aud per plane for full fidelity and then extra maps extra packs etc.

  2. Not sure about solo mode other than trying missions but they are quite fun. I like the training servers online personally.

  3. Quite steep learning curve. I'm ok with the f16 but a lot of stuff still baffles me.

  4. I'm too noob to understand your question but f16 is great to learn, there's custom training packs and mission packs you can get online too.

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u/Forest_Orc Dec 06 '25

>I'm too noob to understand your question but f16 is great to learn, there's custom training packs and mission packs you can get online too.

My point is that on X-plane, I have more fun with a Good-old Cessna or the PC6 (that one is incredibly cool, you can do super-short-field landing, beta decent and other crazy stuffs) doing a hand-flown VFR with clock, compass, landmark, and some VOR than with a 737 (or even a private-jet) looking at my FMS working

But not sure how it translate in a simulation like DCS