DCS: Flaming Cliffs 3 DLC

Writing this to prove a point. Whilfe FC3 is a fine intro to DCS. I don't recommend purchasing these products through Steam because ED will give you 50% off the purchase through the direct Beta and you can try modules for two weeks, free, before you buy modules. You'll almost certainly spend more than 2 hours acquainting yourself with a module before flying it so the steam refund policy is not great and these modules are expensive.

This is THE pack to get if you start flying DCS, i highly reccomend this both for beginners and more experienced flyers. Do NOT listen to the people calling it simple, yes it is simple in the sense that not every single thing that are on the aircrafts real life counterparts is modelled and that these modules do not have clickable cockpits. Instead they work the same way as the free included Su-25T wich by the way is one of the very best air to ground aircraft DCS can muster. Instead of 500+ page manuals and years of ground school that you MUST go trough with the high fidelity modules this gets you in the air in a few days, and you can master most of these planes within a few months of purchase. The manuals for each module ranges from 130 to 200 pages. The flight models are ED's PFM(professional flight model)and is fantastic, doing high G maneouvers in the Mig-29 looking out the canopy at your wings and watching them flex, twist, and bend from the forces applied to the airframe is just stunning! You can not go wrong with this pack it gets you in the air, fighting and flying and most importantly having fun much much faster and with a lot less head scratching than anything else, an excellent place to start your DCS adventure. This review is written by someone who currently owns 70% of ALL available modules and have 1000+ hours with DCS World, so you can take my word for it:) Happy landings, and welcome to the skies of DCS World!

Did you play with the free DCS Su25T yet? Did you like it? If you did, then get this pack. These planes all have the same flight model and learning curve of the Su25T, and are constantly getting major updates and overhauls completely for free every few months. You get to play with the world's best two air superiority fighters, two great Cold War era Close Air Support aircraft, and two additional Russian multiroles (one of which is carrier based). Sure, you could buy just the plane you want individually, but really, why would you do that? ALL of these planes are GREAT, you WILL want them eventually, so BUY IT!

So i'll just answer this quick for those who dont like reading long reviews. "Is it worth it?" and the answer is yes, yes it is worth it ..... Well at discount definetly. now with the longer review. ill try to keep it short and review each aircraft Overall: Aircraft are in some ways better then those expensive F/A-18's and A-10C's. They offer good loadouts and weaponry, but still retain the easy to use FC3 format. This DLC is perfect for those who want to start playing DCS alot, but still can be the deadliest aicraft on the battlefield if used correctly by Aces and DCS Masters alike. Alot of long time DCS players still love some of these aircraft, because of their simplicity and effectiveness. F-15C Eagle: Offers great Air-to-Air combat capability's, while being simple to use. Also don't mix it up with the F-15E, which can carry bombs. The C variant can only do Air combat, nothing else. The E variant (which you usually see in F-15 pics with the bombs) Is not PLAYABLE by PLAYERS, only bots(unleas you download mod). A-10A Thunderbolt II: Basiclly the same as the frogfoot, but is American. Give great CAS capability's and definetly give you the A-10 feel. Definitely is like the Flying tank, 1 engine on fire and lost half a wing, no problem just slowly fly to your airfield that is 30 km away. And yes it does come with the Mighty Gau-8 Avenger also known as the Mr. BRRRRRRRRRRRT gun. But keep in mind that this a an A variant. its older and doesnt have a camera pod or the monitors. Only 1 screen for the Mavericks. And also i hope you like the recoil, because the A variant does not have Gun Pack(system that auto adjustes to remove recoil). Definetly fun to fly. Su-33 Flanker-D, Su-27 Flanker, Mig-29 A/S Fulcrum: Im putting all these in one category, because they're all almost identical, but i will mostly talk about the Flanker-D since i have much more experience in it. The Flankers are the opposite from the F-15 Eagle. The Eagle's advantage is speed, the Flanker's is Manuverability. Personally i really like the Flanker-D, because it has all you need. It has good speed and manuverability, it can easily fight back against an enemy, it can carry bombs and rocket pods (unlike the F-15) and (only the Su-33) can land on a aircraft carrier. the only reason I havent flown it as much as I should of is, because ..... well...... let's say i reeeeaaally dislike russians. Su-25: To be honest, I haven't flown this and this is the reason. I see no point in it. It offers less than the T variant (the one you get for free). It has no camera and cant do SEAD missions. Personally I say this is the most useless aircraft in the pack. Not useles as an aircraft, just the most useles in the pack. maybe one day I'll take it for a spin. So should you buy this? Beginner or an Ace, you need to buy this. Definetly worth the money (might be the only DLC worth the money here). Should i buy the FC3 pack (the one im reviewing) or just one of these aircraft by its self for about 10 bucks? Definetly buy the pack and not one by one. You might not fly some of these aircraft(Never flown the Su-25 only the Su-25T and never flown the Fulcrum), but its nice to have them all and if a situation pops up (Mission or just bored) you can just switch to the one you need. There is no other pack DLC in the game, so use this opportunity and buy the relativly cheap pack. Trust me, you wont regret it. Hello, dear user. I can't belive someone still actually reads reviews. This is why im giving you 100 free internet points. Enjoy

Flaming Cliffs gives you 5 simplified planes for DCS for a lower price than the professional models. The set is comparable to the SU-25T that comes free with DCS and the way of operating them is very similar. (Most functions use the same key combinations) [b] SU-25: getting back to basics [/b] The early version of the SU-25T, in terms of gamplay it is more limited and you lose out on the precision strike capabilities of the Free version. Slightly faster and more maneuverable due to lighter weight. There is no heads-up display, meaning the navigation and targeting of enemies is now more difficult. Think of it as a more primitive, more challenging SU-25T. NOT recommended if you want/can only afford 1 of the FC3 planes. [b] SU-27: Plane is fine comrade [/b] Soviet air superiority fighter. It takes some time getting used to and handles in a very peculiar way, but with enough training this thing becomes a monster in dogfights. Compared to the F-15 this plane is far more hands-on, firing a missile at long range requires you to use quite a few buttons and the SU is far easier to push over the limit and crash. More challenging than the F-15, but in my opinion, also more fun. If you can only afford or want 1 Flaming Cliffs airplane, I recommend getting the SU-33 over of this one. [b] SU-33: HIGHWAAAAY TO THE KUZNETSOV [/b] Take one SU-27. - Add the ability to take-off and land on an aircraft carrier - Add the ability to refuel in mid-air - Add 2 more weapon pylons - Add canards to make it look even more menacing Tada, SU-33! Getting the F-15 or SU-33 is a matter of personal preference. [b] Mig-29: here for a good time, not a long one [/b] The MIG is the smallest fighter in Flaming Cliffs. It has fewer weapons than the others, is trickier to fly, and it has a far more limited range. What do you get in return? It goes like a bat out of hell on afterburner, in the right hands it will turn circles around the other options, and you will learn to conserve your fuel! Basically an SU-27 on meth. If you think more difficult = more rewarding then this plane is for you. [b] F-15: how to SPAMRAAM 101 [/b] The American Fighter option. Very easy to fly, requires very little in terms of airplane management so you can focus on shooting loads of missiles at your enemy. Add in mid-air refueling and you've got a solid package. Compared to the SU-27/33 the F-15 is easier to handle and more effective at medium to long range. Get this if you want the easiest step into air combat, get the SU or MIG if you want more of a challenge. [b] A-10, BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT [/b] The American counterpart to the SU-25T, with mostly the same capabilities. The A-10 is even more focused on ground attack with lower speed than the SU, whilst being slightly easier to handle in my experience. Unfortunately the above also means that I cannot recommend this if you can only afford or want a single Flaming Cliffs airplane; its gameplay is too similar to the airplane you get for free that your money is probably better spent on one of the fighter jets. Only get this is you absolutely, positively feel the need to BRRRRRRRT every single tank in the AO. (Accept no substitutes)

This reminds me of some of the Janes combat simulators from the late 90's but in modern form. There is a learning curve but that makes this sim great, it's not just an arcade game made to grab money. Anyone who played ATF, USNF, F-15 IAF or the Longbow sims from back in the day would enjoy this. If you are 14 with the attention span of a squirrel stick to COD. Once you figure out how to operate the radar systems and weapons systems this game will bring tons of excitement. Things happen really fast at mach 1.3 Graphics are very good, flight models are realistic. Supports my old Logitech Attack 3 stick. -Fly toward radar contacts -Switch to RWS and AIM-120's -Dump them all at the four targets -Switch to sidewinders -End up in a dogfight with 2 SU-27's -Wingman ejects -Empty sidewinders on SU-27, he ejects -Switch to guns, and go after the last SU-27 all that in 120 seconds.

Absolutely the best most people-friendly simulator out there. It's just complicated enough to make you feel like you're learning something, while remaining basic enough to let a total idiot be a combat pilot for a little while. I'm an idiot, and I had a blast! If you have any interest in aviation, and especially if you're not willing to spend several days learning the systems of a real warplane, this is the one you want.

WARNING: This DLC may completely turn you off DCS forever! Many people have gotten this Bundle because of the many planes it contains, only to be severely disappointed. The main reason they were disappointed is that they received something different from what they expect. FC3 *is* a great bundle, no doubt about that. You get some really fun, and easy to fly, planes. The cockpits, even though 'lo-fidelity' (not clickable) look good, and in VR they are a real treat. And there are some great campaigns included. But - for some - it is delivered in a very, very difficult to crack packaging. After my initial experience with FC it took me almost a year to try again, so big was my frustration with it. What FC3 is missing -- and this is what's going against the grain for many of those who are disappointed -- are good training missions to help you get into the cockpits. Because - even though you do get the Flanker, Frogfoot, Fulcrum, Hawg, and Eagle, you only ever get (some ho-hum) training missions for the Flanker. If you expected to just hop into the Eagle and go splash yourself some Migs - well, hope you know how to use those missiles. And if you are looking forward to shoot those cool Mavericks that are hanging off the pylons of your Hog -- keep looking, 'cause FC3 surely will not teach you how to do it. In order to fly any other plane *except* the Flanker (which does have training missions) you are expected not only to read the (extensive) documentation, but also to create your own training missions with the built-in mission editor. I have no explanation why someone would ever release something this good in such an inaccessible form, but I guess that's DCS for you. This is FC3's dirty little secret: you *must* start by learning to fly the Flanker. Starting with the Flanker may not be what you wanted (you probably wanted to kick the eagle's tires) nor expected; sitting in a cockpit filled with switches labelled in cyrillic doesn't help. But if you get FC3 that's simply where you must start to get a grip on all these planes. Worse, if you have a passing knowledge of western HUD symbology, the symbols projected up front in an Eastern plane look positively alien. AND converting KIAS to KPH in your head takes some getting used to. SO, DON'T BUY UNLESS YOU ARE COOL WITH LEARNING THE FLANKER FIRST. This is because the FC3 planes share a lot of how they handle, how their avionics are controlled. Once you can reasonably safely take off and land the Flanker, you are ready to start cross-training with the other planes. Soon, you'll be reading the included documentation to improve your skills. Then, you'll have your ass handed to you when you try your first campaign. Never fear, and keep training. After some (ok, a lot) more flying you'll be acing the campaigns, and perhaps even be switching between multiple planes in a single mission. On the way you'll discover just how much fun can be had, and once you have completed all campaigns you'll probably find yourself ogling at the high-complexity planes. So yes: FC3 is really, really good. It also badly needs to be packaged with better training mission for all planes.

FC3 is a good starting point for intermediate sim pilots looking to break into the world of high fidelity combat flight simulation. Simmers who are just starting out in the genre may become frustrated with the learning curve, though. As a beginner flight sim player, you should not expect to be able to pick this game up and be waxing bandits effectively in one night. On the other hand, the feeling of accomplishment from learning to exeute a difficult task or maneuver is great! FC3 offers a good spread of different aircraft that perform different roles, ranging from air to air combat to close air support and ground attack. I am 25 hours into the game and I am just now starting to feel comfortable flying the F-15. I haven't even had a chance yet to touch the other 6 aircraft included in this title. In that regard, I would consider the replay value very high. The ability to create custom missions and scenarios is also useful. The training modules included in the game range from good to very poor. Tutorials are aircraft specific for the most part, so be ready to seek out a DCS world gaming community or Youtube tutorials to get yourself oriented. I would not recommend this game unless you have a flight control system of some kind. A gamepad probably wont do the trick, either. A simple flight stick may suffice, but you will find yourself having a lot of key bindings to memorize and manage. A separate stick and throttle setup is ideal. Head tracking is also a huge quality of life booster, but not required. I sat on the fence with the decision to purchase this game for months. I am glad that I decided to take the plunge. My experience with the game has been very satisfying thus far. When other DCS modules go on sale I will definitely be picking some of them up!

If you're tired of tooling around in a Frogfoot or a toothless Mustang but also confused on where to start your DCS wallet punishment journey, Flaming Cliffs 3 might be perfect for you. I say "might" because there are a few schools of thought on this, specifically when it comes to the kind of simulation depth you're wanting in your planes (and how much cash you're willing to hand over). Option 1: You like the flying and the shooty pew pew, you like to keep things nice and easy, and you want a good sampling of different craft to work with. The buttons on your HOTAS are all you want to learn, thank you very much. Flaming Cliffs 3 is your huckleberry. 7 planes, all pretty and fun to fly. No fancy 60 step cold start procedures. No programming flight computers on the ramp while you burn JP5. Just take a little time to set up your controllers and you are ready to rock and roll. The planes feel good for the most part, but the A-10A is a bit wonky. If you're looking to go balls deep into "The Hog", however, there are better options than FC3, so I don't really consider it a big enough problem to change my opinion. Option 2: You've seen them fully modeled switch-tastic jets on Youtube and want to let your high-end gaming mouse in on the fun (or you're one of them big-brained VR gods), FC3 probably isn't gonna be for you. While everything is still pretty gawgeous inside the FC3 ladies, your mouse cursor is useless here. Go begin your research on what jet you want to drop a small fortune on and be ready to dedicate your life to it. Nothing wrong with either of these approaches to DCS, of course. I like my FC3 planes but I also like tear-assing around in my Jeff-17 once in a while, as well. The whole point of this review: If you're looking for a good entry point to simplified (but still entirely capable) paid DCS content, Flaming Cliffs 3 is it.