Elite: Dangerous — the essential kit for explorers
By: Jose Antunes
Tags: Space Simulation, Space Exploration, Elite Dangerous, Virtual Reality

X-Plane 11, DCS, and Elite: Dangerous

My friend is a commercial pilot, a captain with many years flying for Air Portugal, going there directly from the Portuguese Air Force, where he was a pilot. I wanted to have his feedback on X-Plane 11, which by chance had just received an updated beta version with some radical changes to the flight model, the day he came to visit. I also promised him a ride in DCS, because of the different experiences, available, and he was amazed with the glimpses of the F/A-18 Hornet, the cockpit of the Aero L-39 Albatros, the visibility of the AV-8B Harrier and the helicopter Bell UH-1H Huey, which is a challenge for pilots of fixed wing aircrafts, and something he wants to explore further in the simulation.

The unanimous approval of DCS came after his son also tried the Huey and flew the Christian Eagle II, which is a nice aerobatic plane but really needs some extra work to make it go up to the level of other DCS modules. It’s a pity the developer has not kept its promises of updating the module. We did not have much time, so these experiences were short, but it was interesting to see a real pilot pick the HOTAS and, even without knowing all the keys and commands in this interface, work in sync with the machine. Great moments of the visit!

X-Plane 11 also received a positive note, both for the scenery and planes — he tried the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, and the VSKYLABS Phoenix Air U15 S-LSA Project, which I acquired recently and its a great flyer, although I would like to see the canopy reflection effects slightly reduced in the new version, or the option to simply remove them. The scenery used was Anacortes and Washington, from Orbx’s TrueEarth series. My friend was so amazed with the views that he decided we will have to visit the area when he flies to the United States. He even said that now he already knew what Anacortes looked like from the air, so it would be easy to land there. Again, it was great to see how he handled the planes, despite being limited to a few controls, as he is not used to a HOTAS system, and the “blindness” that comes with Virtual Reality.

Yes, we used the Oculus Rift S for these flights, because that was the idea. It radically changes the way you fly, and my friend and his son both agreed that after the experience, it is hard to go back to a flat screen for this type of software.

Hooked on Elite:Dangerous

Having worked through the flight simulations, I showed them Elite, using some of the training missions, as they are a good way to show newcomers what ED is all about. The images I’ve captured and the articles I’ve written helped them to make an idea of the potential of the simulation, but when they sat on the cockpit and saw in in VR, they were hooked. They want to try this too…

I promised to give them some hints and suggestions, to make their journey easier, so I picked a series of apps that I use, added the links and sent them the information. Then I looked at it and said; this can be a good guide to anyone wanting to start exploring Elite Dangerous. So, here is my Essential Kit for Explorers. This “explorers” means anyone who wants to take the plunge and buy Elite Dangerous.

One first note, and this is my opinion, for Elite: Dangerous and the other software mentioned here: if you’ve a chance, buy it free from any gaming platform you may be using. In the case of DCS and X-Plane 11, you get updates and access to beta versions earlier, an important aspect for me. I don’t know about Elite Dangerous, but for me, all the simulation software I own — except FSX-SE, which I am not using now — is acquired outside of any gaming platform, even if I have to pay more for it. Just my two cents!

So, after this long intro, here goes the essential kit, with some footnotes to each option.