armored_sheep

I think that it should work well for lower difficulty if autohover and autotrim setings are tweeked in XML to work with other new flight model values. I expect that improved values that real pilots help tweek will result in better handling and more predictable behavior of the helicopters.

RTDynamics allowed us to publish part of their documentation related to helicopter flight model config (XML). You can see this now in comunity wiki http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Helicopter_Flight_Model_Config_(XML)

The speed of damaging transmission when torque exceeds given limits (indicated by TRQ warrning light on simple gauges) is the same for all helicopter classes. The difference is only in those limits. Medium helicopter has the limits the lowest.

Real helicopters are controlled just with fingertips. Their controlls are very sensitive and the range you can move the real stick is far greater than any normal joystick handle can offer. If you dont want to buy expensive long stick like Cadet Basic Helicopter System or Flight Link Helicopter Controlls, you should look at least for controller that has no centering forces. Unfortunately Warthog is for jet fighter aircraft and it has very strong centering force that cannot be removed.

For tweeking the autotrim you can try altering values in FCSComponent type="FCSHelicopterAutoTrim100" block in XML. Some basic knowledge about PID controllers can be found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PID_controller

Attached complete pack of XML files for all helicopters. Dampeners at least for yaw control cannot be set to 0 as it brakes autotrim. More investigation is needed at the controlers part of the XML.

400 is training helicopter that has less powerfull engine yes, exactly

Anyone who want to test settings with removed FCSRotationDamper values can try thise XML file. Just unpack it in your TKOH folder on root next to the exe.

I finaly found difference in TKOH flight model and X-Plane that might be your so called "lag on joystick". When I set zero stability agumentation in X-Plane, the helicopter reacts quicker than in TKOH. It seems that some kind of stability agumentation preset is build in RLib settings XML files we have for each helicopter. If real pilots that play TKOH will help with testing here http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?p=2054734#post2054734 the new update can go in next patch.

I have something that might help real pilots to disable what they probably call "lag on joystick". As there is actualy no real pilot available in BI, pls try this and provide your feedback: Remove or replace such entry in your testing XML. If my findings are good, this should remove all stability agumentation build in RLib: <FCSComponent type="FCSRotationDamper"> <YawController P="0" D="0"/> <PitchController P="0" D="0"/> <RollController P="0" D="0"/> </FCSComponent> From my personal tests, values for this "Damper" do slow responses simillar way as stability agumentation slider in X-Plane or stability "autopilot" chanels in Black Shark.

I personaly have played FSX helicopters, DCS:Black shark and also X-Plane helicopters. This so called controller "Lag" you write about is very strange to me. I never experienced anything like that and I dont feel controler response difference between those games. Noone exept real helicopter pilots that fly small helicopters like Robinson 22 mention this "lag" issue. I met personaly other pilots that flew different helicopters who claimed the controlls responds in Take On are fine for a game. Virtual pilots or casual gamers are even confused how much are the helicoptres sensitive compared to other games and fixed wing aircraft they experienced before. I also dont understand how you can compare mouse imput with joystick, as mouse in this game does not work as normal analog controller. It stops responding every time when you stop moving it and it has no "center" like joystick, so it is prety much "digital" response like pressing the keys on keyboard. Also please keep in mind that this software was not developed for training real pilot skills.

Game also simulates wind, so dont expect that each take off / landing will be the same.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=126855

http://soldant.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/take-on-helicopters-review/ "...Do I recommend TOH? You bet I do! If you’re looking for a more casual sim with a decent story mode, I’d say you’ve found your game. The hardcore simmers will want to look elsewhere, and the arcade kids who think BF3′s helicopters are ultra-realistic will get frustrated quickly, but for those who are looking for a sim that isn’t bogged down in technical manuals and procedure, I think Take on Helicopters is fantastic."

You need 3D model (*.p3d) to create such thing as animated object in 3D cockpit in our engine.

It is bug which should be fixed in patch.

Actualy retractible gear and helicopter taxiing is WIP. I cannot tell when, but we believe that our engine and flight model can handle it.

You are right, it is not acurate and yes we used DC meter in cockpit intentionaly to give player feedback about electricity "hitzone". We have simplified the "simulation" of electrical systems (and other systems, as you can notice from the simplified startup sequence). There is no complex simulation of ground power, AC, DC, and other things. We thought it is fine for the game and if there will be some enthuziasts that do care about such fidelity, I believe they can MOD this into the game.

Well in real you have collective lever stick, but users with keyboard dont, so this user interface part was made mostly because of that. Disabling HUD does not make thinqs more real, it will make game only harder. You have to imagine that 3D gauges are not that well readable on screen like in real cockpit, even if you are equiped with TrackIR. Other things like pilot vestibular system and depth perception with two eyes are also missing in game so I do not consider additional user interface to be a cheat ;)

I see in this thread a lot off mess mixing various feedbacks and confusion. I want to help those players who never experienced real flight and have only experiences in simulations available on PC. I agree that flight model isn´t perfect and that it can be improved. We respect the feedback and it will be hopefully possible to improve that part of the game with colegues from RTDynamics who provide the flight model code and XML files for Take On Helicopters.

I am not able to reproduce such behavior. First check your controller mapping if there is no other controller on cyclic that can interfere and add some unexpected imput. Than you can try to check your controller calibration in windows. What should anyway help is to adjust sensitivity and remove deadzones in game controlers setup. I recomend to set sensitivity curve on cyclic to 1/4 of the slider if you find controls too sensitive. Same can be made with anti torque pedals. Collective axis curve should be left linear (1/2 of slider as default).

Another point about TKOH controls setting. TKOH has no stability agumentation help exept "autohover". Virtual pilots know this help from X-Plane (there is a slider next in sensitivity settings) or DCS (simulation of real helicopter systems in Ka-50). Also the sensitivity curve slider in TKOH is designed different way than in other games you might know (FSX, X-Plane, ROF, DCS - each game has different style).

Can you compare controller sensitivity settings in both your games? I was realy surprised how sensitive controlls in real helicopter are. I have experience as a glider pilot in real life, tried few small fixed wing aircraft (Cessna, Metasokol) and I had chance to try R44 and MD520N during developement of the game. I never experienced such controlls sensitivity as in real helicopter in any games before. I flew FSX, X-Plane, DCS, Il-2, ROF, Condor. Helicopter controls sensitivity is also a lot different from fixed wing aircraft too. I was confused during my lessons that helicopter stick in R44 even does not have any feedback on "center" position, so hovering was like trying to stand on a ball and with only one leg. Because of this helicopter natural unstability and controls sensitivity real pilots tend to hold the stick with just fingers and move it just a centimeter most of the time. On the other hand all gamers and virtual pilots are used to hold the stick by whole hand, have stiff center and move a lot. For any virtual pilot that has no experience with controlling real helicopter I suggest to remove all deadzones and set nonlinear "smooth" game curve on cyclic (aprox 1/4 of the slider in game).

Heavy class has rotor, engines and overal performance inspired by NH-90

To BoneBoys: You can learn autorotation in trainings. If you have lower difficulty autohover can help you to stabilise, but you should still keep forward glide in the descent phase.