Deputy

Good thing I did a search before duplicating this thread

As far as video cards, 256 meg is probably the minimum. 512 meg is best. I am kinda stuck because my comp only uses an AGP video card, not the newer PCI Express slot. If you have a comp with a PCI Express slot, you can get some awesome video cards. But spectacular performance comes at spectacular prices.

Okay....just tried it out. Pausing/stuttering are almost completely gone with the new RAM. I'll tell you something else that helps a LOT. A widescreen hi-res monitor!!! I've been using a laptop with 17 inch widescreen and my desktop has a 19 inch LCD widesceeen. A world of difference.

I just upgraded from 512 meg to 2 gig of RAM. I was getting a lot of "pauses" during gameplay. Gonna test it out today and see what kind of difference it makes. I also have a Pent 4 3.2 Ghz processor on order. I have a Pent 4 2 Ghz and it's been more than adequate for the games I have. Curious to see which upgrade will have the most dramatic effect. Probably both in combination

Well I'll see how my comp works out with the processor and RAM upgrade. I gotta drag my joystick over there and see what the 2 gig RAM improvement has done. I was getting a lot of hesitation on IL-2 with only 512 meg. With 2 gig of ECC RAM I would hope there is some improvement. My processor right now is a Pent 4 2 Ghz. From what I've read the processer upgrade has more dramatic effect than the RAM. We shall see

Ditto, I was fortunate enough recently to be given a new gfx card and it's improved the game experience considerably without sacrificing fps, but it's still AGP, and although there is still some scope for upgrades, I think I'm better off not spending too much more on it, it's not as if it'll be worth anything. Oh, one thing to bear in mind, although I'm sure you know this already. Even if you're switching to Vista (urgh) the 64-bit versions are the only ones which would be able to use 4Gb, I think the 32-bit versions can't use more than 3 - 3.5Gb? ~S~ Jabo oh CRAP!!! I forgot about the Vista thing . I have XP on a CDROM, but a pre-built will come with Vista. One other thing you might want to check out and to which I am looking into...there are motherboards that let you keep the P4 processor but have all the slots for the newer devices like PCI card and inexpensive RAM.

No dispute there m8, I was just generally agreeing with you. I have a similar problem with my rig as it's a generation (possibly two) out of date - DDR RAM and an AGP gfx slot. Next upgrade will have to be a biggie - mainboard, processor, memory and gfx card(s) ~S~ Jabo Ha! I have the AGP situation too!!! I'm using an Nvidia 256 meg on mine because my monitor still uses the old style VGA plug instead of the newer digital plug. It''s a Proview LCD widescreen monitor and I still get good resolution and performance. Like you my next major upgrade will be full blast with 4 GIG of RAM (that's dirt cheap now) and all the bells and whistles. Heck, I still have a 3.5 inch floppy drive on my comp

The ultimate in rudder pedals for flight sims: http://www.cfipilot.com/Cirrus-USB-Rudder-Pedals-p/asa-cir-usb-pedl.htm

Thanks Klinger

Unfortunately, when I moved from Illinois to NM, I had to sell all my modern assault rifles. I am limited to WW2 rifles now. M1 Carbines, M1 Garands, 1903 Springfields, and the semi-auto Thompsons. I only own one 9MM...the new James Bond pistol (Walther P-99). The rest are all .45ACP. and mainly 1911A1. Here's me in 1968 in Nam.

Snacko hosted yesterday evening and I had an EXCELLENT time. Loved flying my favorite He-111 on torpedo missions. I could do that all day long

Thanks Klinger and Tonar. I guess I got worried about nothing. I apologize if I sounded like an idiot.

Thanks Snack. I was getting pretty worried for a while. From the looks of that video, the TrackIR does the same thing my hat switch does on my joystick. So no real advantage there. HOTAS was never a big plus for me. Most of what I need for actual combat is on the joystick. The MFP would be nice, but it's more of a convenience than a necessity. I guess I am just "old school" and not used to these newfangled gizmos.

Well it's certainly possible I've been spoiled by flying sims like Jane's Fighters Anthology. As Stinger says, much less to do as far as mixture, prop pitch, etc. Modern jets have taken a lot of the tweaking out of flying, and now it's more radar and bomb computers that you are messing with. Quite honestly, in IL-2 I am more interested in the actual air combat, than perfect 3-point landings and adjusting proper fuel mixtures on the engine. That's what I posted at Ubisoft and RG suggested I join his outfit. So I assumed the priority here would be actual air combat. I wasn't aware that all this hi-tech hardware would be mandatory to be a decent pilot. Perhaps I have made a mistake. I may not fit in here at all.

Not for me. HOTAS is nice for jet sims like Jane's FA. But I don't think it's necessary for a WW2 sim. I used to have a CH Pro Throttle. But most of the time I never used most of the buttons and controls on it. I don't much like doing all that fiddling around when I'm flying. And in a WW2 sim especially it shouldn't need all those deluxe controls. Certainly the WW2 pilots didn't have them. I've seen a lot of pros and cons on Track IR. Personally, I don't want to turn a WW2 flight sim into a Star Wars imitation. Plus I wear bifocals and I don't think those viewers would be practical. I never needed them when I flew other sims. There's a limit to how much cash I am going to spend, and how much "immersion" I am willing to commit to to have a good time flight simming. And Track IR and HOTAS aren't on the "must have" list. I list them more as luxuries than necessities. Just my personal preference

Ahhh..... but there is a major downside to the touchscreen that puts it right back into the keyboard catagory...you have to LOOK at the screen to see what you are touching!!!

Snacko: I'm not sure I understand how the Touch Buddy thing works. So I have a few concerns...

My desktop comp was lacking in RAM ever since I switched over to Win Xp...and that was YEARS ago!!!

Nope. It's the same panel in all three pictures. The buttons can be located anywhere on the face of the panel. Anything that has color is the button map under the panel. So it you see red or white or green or blue on the image, that's the underlay that you put under the clear part of the panel. The buttons can be positioned anywhere you want in any pattern or grouping. There are 25 buttons all together. The prices I've seen on it are between $170-$200. Not cheap by any stretch.

I'd suggest a strap lock.

On the Ubi forum I asked if they thought rudder pedals were a good idea. The replies were almost all YES! So I guess next pension check I'll be buying some CH Pro pedals. I had them way back when I was flying Janes Fighters Anthology to crank a banked turn even tighter. But back then I had tons of thrust and not a lot of worries about spin and stall. There aren't many planes in IL-2 that fit that description

Yes it is. Actually, it's a special version that was made in limited production by a company called Century Arms. Insteal of having a stamped steel receiver, it's stainless steel. I wish I still had it.