Install Steam
login
|
language
简体中文 (Simplified Chinese)
繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese)
日本語 (Japanese)
한국어 (Korean)
ไทย (Thai)
Български (Bulgarian)
Čeština (Czech)
Dansk (Danish)
Deutsch (German)
Español - España (Spanish - Spain)
Español - Latinoamérica (Spanish - Latin America)
Ελληνικά (Greek)
Français (French)
Italiano (Italian)
Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
Magyar (Hungarian)
Nederlands (Dutch)
Norsk (Norwegian)
Polski (Polish)
Português (Portuguese - Portugal)
Português - Brasil (Portuguese - Brazil)
Română (Romanian)
Русский (Russian)
Suomi (Finnish)
Svenska (Swedish)
Türkçe (Turkish)
Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Українська (Ukrainian)
Report a translation problem
Discussions Rules and Guidelines
Report this post
Hard call between the Viggen and the F5e. Mirage F1 is good but I just don't use it, probably because I only play single player and there's not much content for it yet.
Viggen is also fun to fly, and is a dedicated low-altitude strike aircraft that I generally find more useful than the M-2000C. The Mjolnir glide bomb (basically a primitive JSOW) is devastating, and the two anti-ship missiles are (I think) the only such options outside the F/A-18's Harpoons.
The Cold War-era Swedish cockpit looks like something from 1960s sci-fi, and some of its functions are convoluted due to the ancient flight computer. Air-to-air is limited to Fox 2 and pod-mounted guns. However, the Viggen might be the most satisfying aircraft in the game when things go right.
I have no opinion on the F-5 or Mirage F1.
So it is probably safe to assume that you have either the F/A-18C, the F-16, JF-17, or even the F-14. If that is indeed the case, let's look at your choices in terms of what they offer in comparison and how that might impact your enjoyment of them.
1.) Mirage F1. As a module, the F1 is really solid. The developers clearly put a lot of heart and soul into the project and it shows through in the little details. It also helps that this is sold as a sort of "package" that will eventually encompass four different versions with different equipment setups. As a module, this is a really, really good deal both in terms of quality and in terms of what you get in the end.
As an aircraft, it is probably best to see the Mirage F1 as either a dedicated interceptor (with generally acceptable but not exceptional dogfight capability if that is something you are looking for) or a dedicated medium/low altitude ground attack aircraft. It is in that ground attack role that the aircraft seems most at home and where you will get the most interesting overall gameplay experience. With the exception of the more modernized version they are eventually adding, all the F1 versions included are going to be very "hands on" when it comes to precise dive angles, speeds, and bomb pipper settings.
2.) Mirage 2000. As a module, the Mirage 2000 has had a shaky history. At release, it was a pretty big mess and pretty wildly inaccurate in comparison to other modules at the time. It didn't help that RAZBAM (the developer) wasn't exactly open about this until years later when the French Air Force actually helped them and we finally got what we originally payed for. It took a long time but it did eventually become a really good module.
As a plane, the specific version we have is probably best seen as a fairly dedicated interceptor/fighter. It can carry bombs, has CCIP capability, and can (like many other aircraft in DCS) mount laser guided bombs (but has no targeting pod and thus can't guide them itself) but these abilities make it (at the most) a "multi-role" on paper. If you are looking at it as a multi-role aircraft in the way the F/A-18 or F-16 is multi-role, you are in for disappointment. As a fighter it is more interesting but only if you are willing to embrace its limitations and use it in a mission environment where those limitations are not a huge problem.
3.) F-5E. This is where I am going to get pretty controversial. As a module, the F-5E is one of the older releases and hasn't been meaningfully updated to keep up with developments of the platform. It looks pretty dated and even has some visual bugs (especially in regards to the cockpit and its interaction with the new lighting engine).
As a plane, The F-5 is best seen as a low-cost export fighter that also has (perhaps more famously) seen use as a DACT (dissimilar air combat training) aircraft. It is important to understand that this aircraft isn't really intended to be a serious rival to dedicated fighter aircraft of its time (and especially not ones that came later). It isn't exactly quick, doesn't really accelerate very fast due to its relatively weak engines, doesn't have a great radar, and even if it did, it lacks any BVR capable weapons that could make good use of it.
To say something even more controversial. The F-5's popularity in DCS is likely due to the fact that it is so stripped down that it doesn't take a lot of time or effort to really learn how to use it. Obviously more time and effort is required to master it on a technique level but on a systems operation/procedure level, it is pretty simple and thus will naturally be very popular among much of the DCS community.
I know that I have had a lot to say about the F-5 thus far but mostly because I think it is the kind of module that needs to be sold on its real merits and drawbacks in comparison to what other DCS modules provide. If you want the specific flavor of dogfighting and ground attack that the F-5 provides, you should get it. If you want something that gives you an experience that other modules (like the F-16 or F/A-18 for example) can't, the F-5 isn't really going to give you something you don't already have in some form or another.
4.) The Viggen. As a module it is hard not to sing the Viggen praises since it is just so well made. Heatblur put a lot of love into the module and it shows. It really set the standard for a DCS module when it first came out and it still holds up REALLY well to this day.
As an aircraft, the AJS-37 is going to be the most unique experience out of all the options in your list. It is pretty much entirely focused on two main mission types. The first is (very carefully) pre-planned strikes against ground targets where you fly to your target at (typically) low level and pretty high speed and deliver all your weapons in one pass. The second is anti-ship. In this capacity, you have a couple of different anti-ship missiles that are both very interesting to use.
What makes the Viggen really unique in comparison to all the others you have listed really comes through in the ground attack role. The Viggen has a (for its time) very sophisticated navigation system that is VERY tightly integrated with its weapons and radar. When you fly a mission in it, the assumption is that you are going to very precisely and carefully follow your route and follow whatever guidance the system feeds into your HUD as you attack your target. This isn't going to be like the A-10C, F-16, or F/A-18 where you can more freely "hunt" for targets in a given area, the Viggen is more about precision strikes where following the mission planning is key to success.
One really interesting thing about the Viggen is that its ground radar alongside its specific engine design allows for really, really tense, really exciting low-level, high-speed, zero visibility approaches to targets.
To be honest, I feel like out of all the aircraft you listed, the Viggen is the one that offers the most distinct, most unique experience since it is so very different from what you likely already have.
It's a beautiful aircraft to look at inside and out, enjoyable to fly and has reasonable A2A and A2G capability.
I also own the F5-Tiger but not the other two.
The first if you want a really nice plane to fly
The second if you want to (dramatically) improve your ACM and BFM skills.
I've spent more on DCS than I want to acknowledge and have all these modules. I like them all.
The Viggen is probably the highest quality module of the ones youve listed by far. It's absolutely fantastic as a module but the aircraft is so niche, for the options you've highlighted, if it were me I probably wouldn't get it.
If the OP already has a good chunk of aircraft (and likely the more modern multi-roles), the very niche, very specialized nature of the Viggen might make it a really fresh experience in comparison.