Learning curve

[CaptainDoggles]

If you are new to flight sims this might be like jumping in the deep end of the pool.

There is a lot of information, enough to cause an overload.

At a minimum, to play this game properly, you need:

1) a keyboard and mouse
2) a joystick with a twist-axis for rudders

Other things like TrackIR and rudder pedals and a separate throttle quadrant are nice but not necessary.

Start on the easy difficulty settings and just practice shooting, and tracking other aircraft with your views. Stick with an easy aircraft until you become intimately familiar with it, then you can start branching out and increasing the difficulty.