Bought the Viggen

[Dav IRL]

So I purchased the Viggen last night and it looks very interesting however I won't be purchasing the F14 in advance and I am disappointed to say this but here is the reasons why:

 

 

1. The mirrors don't fold in and it doesn't look great at all to be honest, other modules have folding mirrors.

 

2. Some controls can't be programmed in the controls menu.

 

3. The graphics and cockpit textures, especially the maverick sight, don't look particularly well done.

 

4. Doesn't feel as smooth as other modules.

 

Now in saying all of this, I am speaking from a consumer perspective, I just bought it at full price and although I love the radar and weapons (I did a ship strike last night) I am not sold on the quality of the visuals. For instance there is a green blob in the hud? What the hell is that?

 

All the talk about the F14 which I was going to pre order and yet this module feels half finished from an aesthetics point of view. I am aware that Heatblur are updating the Viggen but you can't expect people to buy the Tomcat when you haven't even got the Viggen out of alpha a few years into alpha release.

 

if the F14 is released in this state dont say I didn't warn ya.

[some1]

1. Yep, mirrors WIP

2. Yep, people have been asking for this since the beginning. There's a thread where users added some controls themselves, but not everything can be done this way.

3. The graphics were very good (if not the best) in the old DCS, but in 2.5 it could use some balancing and Mav sight has some issues. The blob on the HUD sounds like a baked reflection that was ok in the 1.5, but got more prominent after shading changes in 2.5.

4. When I tested it in 1.5 it was on the lower end of FPS scale compared to the other aircraft, but nothing game breaking, a few FPS less than in A-10. Did not make any benchmarks in 2.5 though.

Edited February 6, 2018 by some1

[QuiGon]

Although the Viggen is my favorite DCS module so far I can understand your criticism. I actually share some of it. The mirrors are still WIP and don't work yet, which is why they are not foldable as they have zero impact on performance. Regarding graphics, there are indeed some blurry textures, even on high settings (e.g. the countermeassure release knob), but overall they are great imho. The green blob on the HUD is a result of the new lighting that came with 2.5 and should be fixed soon (the Viggen is not the only aircraft with this problem currently).

 

So, yeah, it's indeed a bit rough around the edges and although the early access release was not a few years ago as you say, but rather 14 months ago, it is still a lot of time and there is quite a number of bugs waiting to be fixed. As annoying as it is, it is not game breaking (at least for me) and I'm happy to buy the Tomcat (especially if the remaining Viggen bugs will be fixed till then).

Edited February 6, 2018 by QuiGon

[some1]

One more thing, IIRC if your texture resolution in DCS options is not set to High, you will see some blurry textures in the cockpit.

[=Pedro=]

One more thing, IIRC if your texture resolution in DCS options is not set to High, you will see some blurry textures in the cockpit.

 

I saw that on few YT videos...

[Shimonu]

You bought an Early Access product and complain it's not finished? Well duh.

[Jester986]

The cockpit looks great to me in VR...

[JIMJAM]

Just bought it last night also.

Is this only me or a known issue? When turning toward the sun the entire side of the canopy glass looks like its fogging up and then becomes white. Not glare opaque looking that sunglasses would take care of but someone hit it with a coat of white spray paint or that fake snow in a can.

[QuiGon]

Just bought it last night also.

Is this only me or a known issue? When turning toward the sun the entire side of the canopy glass looks like its fogging up and then becomes white. Not glare opaque looking that sunglasses would take care of but someone hit it with a coat of white spray paint or that fake snow in a can.

Haven't noticed such a thing yet.

[Buckeye]

All the talk about the F14 which I was going to pre order and yet this module feels half finished from an aesthetics point of view. I am aware that Heatblur are updating the Viggen but you can't expect people to buy the Tomcat when you haven't even got the Viggen out of alpha a few years into alpha release.

 

if the F14 is released in this state dont say I didn't warn ya.

 

Actually, plenty of people bought the Harrier from RAZBAM when the Mirage was still a WIP.

 

Also, hasn't the Viggen only been out a year (maybe not even a year yet?). That strays a bit from your "few years into alpha release" comment.

 

I'd recommend to calm down a little and not buy products still in EA, unless you're prepared to deal with your purchased product being in EA status :thumbup:

[Martini]

Buys EA module>A few textures seem off less than a week after 2.5 update changed the way lighting/shading works>Logs on forums>Complains

 

Man, being a dev must be fun.

[grunf]

Just bought it last night also.

Is this only me or a known issue? When turning toward the sun the entire side of the canopy glass looks like its fogging up and then becomes white. Not glare opaque looking that sunglasses would take care of but someone hit it with a coat of white spray paint or that fake snow in a can.

Do you have Flat shadows? Try Low or better and see if it makes any difference.

[JIMJAM]

Flat

[firmek]

So I purchased the Viggen last night and it looks very interesting however I won't be purchasing the F14 in advance and I am disappointed to say this but here is the reasons why:

 

 

1. The mirrors don't fold in and it doesn't look great at all to be honest, other modules have folding mirrors.

 

2. Some controls can't be programmed in the controls menu.

 

3. The graphics and cockpit textures, especially the maverick sight, don't look particularly well done.

 

4. Doesn't feel as smooth as other modules.

...

As many said Viggen is in-work before the official release. Still it's quite feature complete and overall a stable module. Yes there are things that need to be looked into but really nothing game breaking. HB is also maintaining a good support with steady flow of fixes (just look at the latest update log :thumbup:).

If the 4 concerns are expressed with such attention you should begin with staying away from the Harrier. Comparing to other early access, Viggen looks almost like a complete module. I wouldn't be supprised, hell based on recent statements from Cobra I'm sure the F-14 will be really polished for a DCS EA standards.

 

 

Ad 1. It's a striker, not a fighter so IMO it's perfectly fine to give mirrors a lower priority.

 

Ad 2. Unfortunatelly that's an issue with almost every single module. It's possible to create own bindings by editing the lua or just using the file maintained on the forum. Not everything however is possible especailly if the actions are not defined.

I wish every devellopper would ship their modules with a full list of 2 and 3 way bindings for every single switch in the cockpit.

 

Ad 3. There are some parts that could use a higher resolution texture but really, the Viggen cockpit is one of the if not the best at the moment.

 

Ad 4. All devs are facing a challange with DCS moving to PBR. Not every cockpit is optimized and Viggen has some extensive lightning due to the radar screen. Just compare it with some other modules where the radar screen does not light the cockpit at all.

[SGT Coyle]

I love the Viggen. It was the first high fidelity fast mover I bought. Moved over to the F5 to get more basics down. I will return to the Viggen maybe after a couple of update cycles.

I plan on buying the F14, but I guess I'm old school, I would prefer to get further along the Viggen path before getting distracted with another project.

[Bad Idea Hat]

I feel like the Viggen is now the only jet where the George of the Jungle theme song is extremely appropriate.

 

I love the Viggen. It was the first high fidelity fast mover I bought. Moved over to the F5 to get more basics down. I will return to the Viggen maybe after a couple of update cycles.

I plan on buying the F14, but I guess I'm old school, I would prefer to get further along the Viggen path before getting distracted with another project.

 

I'm in your same boat. I would love to own the F/A-18, but I feel like it would end up being a waste of money, given that I'm probably going to be in the F-14 nonstop once it releases.

[Captain Spears]

I'll gladly trade a few early access bugs for the chance to take this lethal weapon on a tree top joyride armed to the teeth with missiles that can sink ships! This is part of DCS and early access, for the price of a pizza you get to support literally years of work, and help them finish it.

[Dav IRL]

The harrier texture resolution is on another scale in comparison to the Viggen and I am not having a go at anyone. I bought it for 60.00 and some of the text textures are low res like the weapons selector for example. It stutters more than any other module too, little micro stutters on take off for example, the harrier in early access does not. It's not my graphic settings I play at 60fps high textures in 3k. Stop making excuses, the cockpit needs a complete overhaul and could potentially look way better and the lights look like bitmaps as opposed to actual lighting. I also want to say that yes the plane is feature complete and hats off to the devs for achieving such, it really is a great effort but the standard of polish is not and I won't be pre purchasing the Tomcat on that basis, until I see the devs polish this baby up properly to the level it currently has not reached. I am not just throwing money at the next module without polishing, at the end of the day I am the consumer, I know it's in alpha and i have bought lots of DCS products in alpha such as the harrier without complaint. It is annoying seeing such a feature rich module fall aesthetically when all I read about is the F14. I'm just saying, I just bought it and here is my point of view.

[TOViper]

I bought the Viggen 1 year ago, at the very beginning of time.

 

I now fly the Viggen in DCS, as the only aircraft.

I love the Viggen.

I love its attitude, the flying characteristics, the acceleration, the sound, the feeling, and its look-alike. I am in love, yes :helpsmilie:

 

I fly it for my own sometimes, and sometimes on ACG-Server if mission Ossetia is active.

 

This module is THE REAL FUN, and a dream (from 1993) became true.

So ... nothing more to add here :)

 

And yeah, sometimes I do get a little annoyed about small bugs, but in fact it is a more or less stable thing.

Looking back, many things have been improved so far, and the guys from HB really rock this machine to its best.

 

The Viggen is a beast, and you can feel the soul only if you fly it.

Then it kicks your ass forward at M0.8 when going for zone 3 :D .

 

And by the way: congratulations for buying the best module for DCS :)

Edited February 6, 2018 by TOViper

[Cobra847]

The harrier texture resolution is on another scale in comparison to the Viggen and I am not having a go at anyone. I bought it for 60.00 and some of the text textures are low res like the weapons selector for example. It stutters more than any other module too, little micro stutters on take off for example, the harrier in early access does not. It's not my graphic settings I play at 60fps high textures in 3k. Stop making excuses, the cockpit needs a complete overhaul and could potentially look way better and the lights look like bitmaps as opposed to actual lighting. I also want to say that yes the plane is feature complete and hats off to the devs for achieving such, it really is a great effort but the standard of polish is not and I won't be pre purchasing the Tomcat on that basis, until I see the devs polish this baby up properly to the level it currently has not reached. I am not just throwing money at the next module without polishing, at the end of the day I am the consumer, I know it's in alpha and i have bought lots of DCS products in alpha such as the harrier without complaint. It is annoying seeing such a feature rich module fall aesthetically when all I read about is the F14. I'm just saying, I just bought it and here is my point of view.

 

I'm sorry that you feel that way.

 

Generally, most consider our Viggen cockpit to be one of the best, graphically, in DCS - something that we take great pride in.

 

As for the Harrier's texture resolution, you'll note that it uses almost significantly more VRAM in contrast to the Viggen cockpit.

We cannot justify such a massive increase in VRAM usage for seemingly no benefit.

 

The sole exception here is the two weapon selector dials, which will increase in clarity in a coming patch.

Edited February 6, 2018 by Cobra847

[JIMJAM]

Thanks. I tell ya, I am right up there with the fastest computers and shadows puts a world of hurt in VR. I can basically max most things out and tbo it looks about the same. But if I go from flat to even LOW shadows my computer starts choking. I would imagine the majority of VR users are really struggling. I am not even flying missions but just enjoying VR and the flight models.

I have Normandy and Nevada and might need to head back out to the desert. TBO I am not that impressed with the latest map.

[TOViper]

Thanks. I tell ya, I am right up there with the fastest computers and shadows puts a world of hurt in VR. I can basically max most things out and tbo it looks about the same. But if I go from flat to even LOW shadows my computer starts choking. I would imagine the majority of VR users are really struggling. I am not even flying missions but just enjoying VR and the flight models.

I have Normandy and Nevada and might need to head back out to the desert. TBO I am not that impressed with the latest map.

 

IMHO flying missions makes the whole experience more intense. During the last weeks I spent some time flying mission Ossetia on ACG. This is what brings me in front of my PC, instead of calling my girlfriend :D.

When flying from Beslan to Kobuleti I find my way through small valleys, which are now "filled with trees", instead of seeing "some trees here and there" (and you can crash into them ... ;) ).

Firstly I thought, OK, new Caucasus is ... hmm .. yeah nice, but when flying in 5 Meters above ground to avoid the damn radars and the damn MiG-21's :music_whistling: I have to dig deeper and deeper. And this is the point where the "new" Caucasus plays an important role in terms of perception and pure enjoyment, even though I "only" use a 24" flat screen.

BTW: Sometimes I dont fly above trees, I fly beside them. :joystick:

 

9.0 for DCS

9.5 for Heatblur's Viggen

 

... and a :smartass: for the damn MiG-21s on ACG ... :D, since last evening I got three of them ... muhaaaaaa

Edited February 7, 2018 by TOViper

[droopy114]

Textures, exterior or cockpit, are for me the best looking in DCS, no complain about this. But i agree with the shadows, going from flat to low, it take a massive hit.

[Dav IRL]

I'm sorry that you feel that way.

 

Generally, most consider our Viggen cockpit to be one of the best, graphically, in DCS - something that we take great pride in.

 

As for the Harrier's texture resolution, you'll note that it uses almost significantly more VRAM in contrast to the Viggen cockpit.

We cannot justify such a massive increase in VRAM usage for seemingly no benefit.

 

The sole exception here is the two weapon selector dials, which will increase in clarity in a coming patch.

 

Cobra 847, looking forward to the next patch sounds very promising, VRAM shouldn't be a reason to improving what is already a highly functional product. I know its awesome overall it just seems that the textures could be higher quality in the front of the cockpit, the sides of the cockpit look amazing in fairness.

 

Keep up the good work i will watch the Tomcat closely, those screens for the tom cat texture resolution look higher then the Viggen, is it a case of one level of detail for the Tomcat and a lower level of texture quality for the Viggen?

[QuiGon]

The sole exception here is the two weapon selector dials, which will increase in clarity in a coming patch.

Indeed, as well as the CM release switch on the canopy frame which has text on it that is barely readable and wrong anyways ;)

 

Apart from these two texture issues, the Viggen cockpit is indeed well done! The model itself, the textures (apart from the weapon dials and CM-switch) and especially the lighting is really a great piece of art! :thumbup: