I hear alot that the ani-torque pedals specifically are poorly done in MSFS
2004.

I am a fixed wing pilot, who probably will never have the funds to justify
getting my helicopter rating, but I do fly the helicopters in MSFS for fu,
and am curious what needs changing. I found the R22 to be way squirrly in
yaw, but the rudder pedals on the Cessnas were way over the top also. Once I
set up my pedals for what felt accurate in the airplanes, I discovered that
I could handle the helicopter WAY better also.

So my question is, am I cheating? In the real R22, are the pedals as touchy
as the sim makes them without adjustment?

How about the collective and cyclic controls. Again, I have everything set
up for what seems closest in reality for the Cessnas, so every thing is a
little toned down from the out of the box settings.