want to get back into flight sims, have many quesitons

[Venom]

This is my first post here. I registered because I thought this was the best place to start, so here I go...

One of the first games I played on my 386 was F-15 Strike Eagle III followed by F-177A Stealth Fighter. This is where my "sim" experience starts. Later, I moved to ATF Gold, Fighters Anthology, and briefly Longbow 2. FA was the LAST flight sim I played, and that was over 12 years ago. I remember using the 714 lib for FA, really extended the life of that game.

Now, I'd like to get back into combat flight sims. I prefer to play a sim that can be enjoyed multiplayer (co-op or vs.), and where you have the choice of flying at least 5 different aircraft. With that said, here are my questions:

1) What sim would you recommend for me, that has a decent multiplayer community, and meets my requirements above?

2) I have a Radeon 4870x2 with dual DVI outputs, and was wondering if I could hook up 2 more VGA monitors to it, in addition to my current LCD (DVI)?

3) My soundcard is an X-Fi Forte, but I need a gameport for my MS Sidewinder 3d Pro, so I was wondering if installing an old sound card alongside the Forte would mess things up? I only need the gameport really...

4) What's the best HOTAS for combat flight sims? I like the CH fighterstick/throttle and TM Cougar, but I've never tried any of those, and would appreciate suggestions, recommendations, and so on. Probably won't be getting one now (lacking $$$), but I will later this year.

I think I'll stop now...heh.

I appreciate any help and advice you can give. Thanks!

[Flying Officer Jevans]

Welcome!

I'll let other people advise you on which sim... I'm not sure which one has the best MP. I use Falcon 4 AF and Lock On but I really don't know which one has a better online game.

2) You can certainly hook up one of them with a DVI-VGA adaptor, but I don't think you can hook up three to that one without some extra kit.

3) Tricky one... done properly, no, but you'd have to be careful to install the drivers so that Windows still used the X-Fi card. However, most joysticks use USB these days, so if you're going to get a new one at some point, you won't need it.

At the top of the line HOTAS joystick range is something like a Saitek X52 Pro or the X65F. However, they are a bit expensive... CH and Saitek are both well respected( albeit with occasional reliability problems with both)

[Venom]

Thanks!

Even though you're unsure about MP, which do you like better, Falcon 4 AF or Lock On?

About the monitors, my idea was to use my LCD as the main game screen, and the other monitors as different instrument displays, like Radar etc. Do you know if it is possible to configure most flight sims like that, so that the gameplay only takes part on the "main" screen and the others are used for other in-flight info?

Good to know about the sound card. I'll have to take that route until I decide to splurge on a HOTAS. Have a few gameport soundcards lying around, but I don't have a HOTAS lying around haha.

[Flying Officer Jevans]

I like Lock On better - more aircraft, and I get on better with the way it works. I'm also not keen on the flight model in Falcon. It always seems a bit smooth to me, wheas Lock On seems more 'real'. I've never flown either an F16 or an F15, though, so I could be wrong....

As for muti-monitor, you can certainly configure a few like this, including the MSFS series, but I don't think you can do this in Falcon or Lock On. I don't know, though, there may be some external programs that display the instuments for you.

[Venom]

Cool, thanks.

I heard that Windows 7 doesn't support gameport. Is this true, and is there a workaround?

[jeroen79]

AFAIK gameport support went out with XP.
If you wish to keeop your gameport stick then you could get a gameport-to-USB adapter but that will only give the very basic gameport features (4 buttons and 4 axes).
You might as well spend the money on an inexpensive USB stick.

[Flying Officer Jevans]

AFAIK gameport support went out with XP.
If you wish to keeop your gameport stick then you could get a gameport-to-USB adapter but that will only give the very basic gameport features (4 buttons and 4 axes).

With gameport all you get it 4 buttons and 4 axes. That's it. And MIDI, which is pretty much irrelevant to us. AFAIK support is still very much there if you have the driver. I haven't tried it, but I never heard of it going out. In fact, I know for a fact it works in XP, as I have used a gameport to MIDI cable on XP.

[Venom]

Alright, forget that idea.
Time to open up the wallet and get a real HOTAS!

I did some reading and it seems most people don't buy the TM Cougar unless they plan on modding it. I gather the mods are expensive and I'd rather not touch anything myself haha. What are your opinions on that? I was considering it until I started googling...

What do you guys think about Saitek X52 vs Logitech G940 vs CH Fighterstick + Pro Throttle? Right now, the X65F is out because it is too much (imo), and the ones I listed are the only ones I know of (aside from the upcoming A10 TM HOTAS).