Thank you for the continued support! Join the Discord: discord.com/invite/YfXzExTXEA Kola Map by ORBX: orbxdirect.com/product/orbx-kola-dcs www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/shop/terrains/kola_terrain/
Nice review! My main gripe is all those little villages that are visible on the satellite imagery textures but have no buildings in game. Performance is not great for me but then again nor is my PC. But the map offers a lot of opportunities for mission makers. On top of my campaign many other missions are coming for it as well…soon ;)
I agree. There are 5 airfields in Finland and Norway that, if ORBX has just laid the concrete and added hangers, would have given mission makers much more to work with.
It should come as no surprise that this map, and South Atlantic have the same initial release state as the person heading this map up is the same person who headed up the SA map... The potential is there, but I'm GENUINELY concerned this map will never be complete. I still bought it in the hope that it actually gets finished... but I wont be surprised if it never does.
One of the things I hope to see highlighted in the Kola map is how it can be used with a focus on helicopters and especially with the upcoming Kiowa and Phantom: a joint recon aspect where not everyone carries their own TGP. There are breaks in the trees everywhere, a motorized platoon could be lurking around every corner, and you're going to have to do your best to find them and not get shot at. Having said that, the terrain is lacking in many ways. Many towns are marked on the map but simply not there. Especially when flying low even inside the already highlighted area it can feel empty because of that.
I feel exactly how you feel at the moment. But I am blown away over the terrain. This is a terrain mask heaven here. Even for helo flyers, mast mounted equipment will blossom here. I have flown over areas and can clearly see where airbase will be added. (Just dirt layouts at the moment). I have all the DCS terrains and I see this becoming one of my goto maps. 150nm is the closest between blue to red airbase areas is a shocker. So, definitely plan your priorities since rear and refueling won't be local. Does it looked rush to release, yes, but it has serious potential.
Took off from Bas 100 in a Strike Eagle with three 2000lb JDAM penitration bombs. No external tanks, hit the aircraft bunkers I had enemy planes stored in. Was able to use afterburner for most of the way back and landed with just around 2000lb of fuel. So, fuel management is a must right now. I still have not mastered A2A refueling yet.
@@ImpendingJoker I have all the maps. South Sinai yes. South Atlantic in the Chili area. Persian Gulf the north half. The Kola map it is like everywhere.
I didn't think about how geographically big this map was until I created a night mission near Murmansk. I cycled the camera to units hanging around Bodo and it was daytime there.
Curious to see what the June update brings as honestly I think that'll be the make it or break it moment for me. Orbyx is so well known from FSX, Xplane, and even MSFS so I expected them to absolutely knock it out of the park. As it stands right now, this map seems really in the beginning stages. It's frustrating because I really want the map. It's great as it highlights so many DCS modules like the Norwegian F-16s, the Swedish Viggen, and the Finnish Hornet, as well as almost every red aircraft like the SU-27, MiG-29, 21, 19, 17, and 15. Not to mention the weather is a challenge so some days you'll have VFR conditions while others you're in very strict IFR conditions, so just navigating can be extremely challenging. As it stands now however, it feels super unfinished and the install size is disappointing.
Thank you a well balanced anaylisis ( i,m dyslexic ) just brought the KOLA map and Flaming Cliffs 2024 a lot to learn , a frustrating 4 hour down load of the DCS base program of the base programe. I,m a Stumovik / MSFS 2020 addict.
Thanks for the review. I agree, it’s fun and has good potential. Bought it the day after it came out. Have flown it in my F-18, Mosquito & Huey. Enjoyed each of those flights. Given the enormous sums I’ve invested in hardware to be able to play DCS, +/- $10-20 either way for Kola is really insignificant at this point.
Nice video Tricker, you got exactly my perplexity, i was hyped for Kola, but after this first week mmm not so much anymore. I dont want to invest in this map and not using it.... Nevada style. Waiting to see if online community is going to use this map or not. As Always awesome professional videos.... Keep it up!!! Bigskill out.
Part of the map are really nice (the fjords are awesome, even with blocky textures up close) but it definitely needs A LOT of work. That said, Kola does look to have immense potential, and it does run very well even on my modest system (i5, 1070, 32GB). Performance is already markedly superior to South Atlantic, which I uninstalled to make room for Kola. So far, I’m happy with the purchase, and I’m optimistic that the necessary improvements will come with time.
great video Tricker, I'll hold back for now from buying it and wait until they are closer to full release and follow their updates but it is definitely the kind of map DCS needed.
I have mixed feelings. I think it's probably more EA than many were expecting, but if you focus on missions in particular areas, it's fine. I think people who were frustrated with the vast wilderness regions of SA will likewise be frustrated with this map. However, I don't think it'll take too much imagination and "what ifs" to come up with some really unique and fun scenarios / campaigns on this map, especially set during the height of the Cold War era. My biggest concern now is indestructible trees. Fortunately, we use the "Splash Damage" script that alleviates that problem, but DCS has the issue with low-level & ground units where the AI can spot you or snipe you through a 2-inch hole in the foliage from 4 miles away, but a single leaf will block a 2000-pound bomb. Once ED solves that problem, Marianas & this map (and a future Vietnam map?) will be much, MUCH better.
If this was released in 2010, i could happily get past the low res textures (wrong trees, airports needing work etc) but for today and asking $56.. think i need to wait for it to be updated a bit, if it gets updated
For me I am excited about playing in the theater, however I am going to have to wait and see how much improvement has going forward, from what I have seen this is below what we have come to expect from early access modules and feels more like a beta map. Some serious questions still remain about the install size, detail and performance of the map after everything is finished
I had no intention on getting this map. I have already bought the full Afghanistan map and I only have 300g left on my M.2 I didn't want to take the risk. Then I wanted a video from a very small RUclips channel I follow and the map was stunning. So I bought it. I have spent hours just flying enjoying the Scenery. I'm only running a RX6700XT and this map is jaw dropped. The clouds look natural. There are no patterns in the clouds. The map is butter smooth from 35 thousand feet to 50ft over the Russian sub base. Is the map perfect? No it's not, but then again it's a early access unfinished map.
bro RX6700XT is god damn struggle for DCS, had that gpu for a while, never again AMD and loud coils experiance, Green power is the way for DCS and now Kola looks even better :)
Getting my new Nvidia 4070 card tomorrow just to lfy F-16s around Lofoten, Norway and Apaches over the coastal cities of Norway. The landscape from Bodø to Tromsø is spectacular.
I had bad fps at the Bodo spawn point in VR, but once I taxiied to the runway, performance was quite good, especially while airborne...from 55-90 fps in VR
I know I'll love this map, but ill give it some time to mature before buying...besides, I have the phantom to spend a while having fun with first! Thanks for your review and recent F4 content ❤
I bought Kola and agree with every single point addressed in this overview. I'm mostly disappointed with the low altitude terrain textures and vegetation. The map still needs a tremendous amount of work... but I hope Orbx can turn this thing into something pretty awesome.
Really need dynamic campaigns so we can do interesting stuff in the maps. Going to hold off until there is a Vietnam map before buying any new ones. Dynamic campaign plus Vietnam, F-4, Mig-21, etc, would be epic.
as someone who is obsessed with south atlantic due to it's MASSIVE size- i am thinking i will be getting this sooner or late,r no doubt I just wish....it was bigger. I'm spoiled on massive map sizes now lol
I don't like buying into a promise that the quality of the ground textures/mountains/low resolution areas will _eventually_ improved. I'll definitely buy it once these areas see some significant improvements, but I'll surely hold off for the time being.
It’s crazy how dual sided these vids are. Jet guys are ok with it, us helo guys think it’s a a dumpster fire 😂. I’ve have high hopes for the map. Someday.
~145gb *without* winter textures? The 4tb 990s are starting to make sense! Even as a Norwegian I'm going to wait until it's properly baked - i.e. missions and such, on top of actually being more complete. I hardly if ever load the South Atlantic map which I bought early.
In comparisons with the Syria map, there is no comparison with the numerous villages and cities in Syria with the cold expanse of the Kola Peninsula. The Kola map can be compared to MSFS where you simply fly at high altitude similar to the South Atlantic Map. So, I do intend to purchase the Kola map sometime in the future - if it pans out to be good with a lot of game play, I have no intention of buying the South Atlantic map, for simply flying over.
I think people wax poetic about Syria a little too much.... Syria's northern reaches have details but also have some MASSIVE bugs... follow the Euphrates up the river and into Turkey and you'll see huge issues with water being angled with the terrain or above it, just like Kola. The SAM sites on Syria are also... massively wrong... both in modelling, layout, and contents. Syria is a great map... certainly in better shape comparatively speaking, but far narrower in overall scope.
My very first impressions came with skepticism and I also was loaded into the low resolution areas. If you go back and watch my stream you can see where I do have positive things to say about but I was also extremely critical in some areas. After spending days thinking about it, these are my current conclusions.
$40usd map, that's my opinion. Even the detailed areas of the map feel and look dated, perhaps not a fault of orbx. I still say South Atlantic map is my favorite in DCS, but this new map is of course a welcome addition and I am specifically looking forward to the new server missions DagiDCS is creating. Plus, he's Finnish, so I am sure he will have profound thoughts, feelings and insights. Cheers!
I bought it on release, coming from BMS flying in the Nordic region has been my most favorite theater and there's so much potential with Kola. Despite the size I was surprised that the performance was not as bad as Syria or South Atlantic at launch, though to some degree the engine improvements and likely lack of 3d models has something to do with that. Everything in DCS seems like a work in progress, but what are we going to do if we want to get our military flight sim fix?
@@TrickerDCS Amazing, I have replayed it a number of times of the years of updates to BMS. Definitely rivals the base Korean Campaign. I haven't done it again since VR support was added, but I'm tempted to.
Need to upgrade to a 4tb ssd before installing, but I might pick it up now on the lower early access price until I can justify the price/wait for a good deal on storage
I'm feeling a bit bored with it atm...i can't put my finger on it, but I'm the same with the South Atlantic which I deleted ages ago. Maybe I'm a desert flyer but it's where I am atm
The thing that holds me back from buying it is actually the huge 140 gb size, however I'm willing to pay more if they're willing to reduce its size (perhaps around 70 gb ish? like syria fyi)
the huge file size is one of the reasons i haven’t bought it yet, i would need a new ssd to handle it 😅 i think i‘ll wait just a bit but eventually buy it 😁
2 quick questions: How long did you practice pronouncing 'fjords' and how many takes did it take you till the final cut? What I like about the Kola map the most is how it's lakes literally suck in @SportDCS .
Unfortunately it’s quite a different experience in VR. While I have a 4090/i13900K and 64Gb DDR5 and the Pimax crystal, I’m getting a near solid 90 fps on mid populated missions on Sinai, Caucasus, Syria, Normandy and Nevada, dipping to around 80-90 with Mariana’s and SA but this, with NOTHING but a wingman and myself, goes down to around 65-80 fps and even lower the further inland you travel. Shelved until the VR experience is optimised. Also, having been to this region, I find the choice of trees an absolute dealbreaker as a ‘tundra’ map. You can’t omit the most prolific form of tree-type vegetation for this region yet still pass it off as a Scandinavian map 🤔
Great review! I've been enjoying the map and also enjoyed your exploration of the map on Twitch. While I agree there is a LOT of vacant land, and a LOT of low-res textures, I am sure that the ORBX team will address in due haste. Also looking forward to Reflected and Baltic's upcoming campaigns. On a final note, Trickr can you just stream DCS and talk 24/7?
Finally bought Kola late last night. I watched dozens of good videos so knew what I was getting myself into with this early access launch. My main reason for the purchase was support for the 2 devs who worked on South Atlantic (in their spare time) and now also on Kola. SA needs work and it looks like Kola is off to a much better start with this release. I am looking forward to seeing all the improvements that should be in the next Kola updates. Exciting for me to see projects improving and moving forward. Unlike what I see from the desperate gaslighting we get from the Canadian Liberal Government...😆
I bought the Kola map having watched no reviews, and love it. (I do acknowledge it is not complete, as Early Access implies) The reviews I've watched have been mostly negative, with such helpful feedback as "There's too much wilderness", and "It's not finished" One youtuber even complained there was a static vehicle in Russia that clearly did not have a Russian license plate! As flight-simmers, we really need to support good developers like ORBX, and even the mediocre ones if we hope this game to have a future. As for the whacko on parliament hill; I've been trying to vote him out since 2015...
I’ve been shitting on new maps for reasons that I still think are valid, and don’t plan on buying this one, but those fjords… fighting in those fjords, especially in helos, damn if that doesn’t look awesome!
For now I like it, but I'm seriously nervous about that file size. It's already double the size of the next largest terrain. I already have a whole 1TB SSD just for DCS and that's still not going to be enough at this rate
Kola has been somewhat of a let down for me, I went in expecting to do a lot of low flying in the Viggen from Hidden airbases deep in the Forests of Sweden However the Texture quality and General Layout of Foliage and trees is very poor. Certain areas do stand out and look good, however for now, I would not recommend it For anyone planning to fly low or from any of the Hidden bases. I am however, looking forward to more support in the future fleshing out these areas so the Viggen may finally do what it was supposed to do 🙏
@@TrickerDCS I will have to do a more thorough flight over the western most areas on the map, Definitely a Promising Launch compared to South Atlantic, Thank you for the high quality Video as always.
The fact that the BAS runways are marked on a map kind of defeats the point doesn't it? They're supposed to be secret and not be a big ass marker that you can just send mud movers towards. :)
Every map is worth your money IMO....Why limit yourself with only certain maps for campaigns, PVE/PVP servers? It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it is my theory. Plus, if map devs are successful, maybe it encourages them to make more maps, i.e. Vietnam, Korea etc.
Maybe it’ll turn into a real sweet map at some point. I’m just sour on the concept of all this stuff coming out 1/2 baked all the time. Maybe if the intro pricing was around $40 it would make sense to dive in early. Even so, I’m happy with the maps that there are atm and my planes fly the same no matter the map.
Most of this map looks like old FSX mesh, it's obviously rushed ! That being said Orbx has a good reputation, and I'm sure it'll be up to speed eventually!
@@TrickerDCS Looks gorgeous. Hopefully they get a lot of the details fleshed out by launch. Those shots zoom between the fjords with wingmen were gorgeous. When I get home from the sandbox we gotta fly sometime man.
It could be worth my money. But with current events and more uncompleted newly released products. with 6+ year product still no end insight. I said it at the beginning of the year my money to dcs is on pause for at least this year.
Even in early access, I think this map is outstanding. Yeah, it's too bad early access is the current standard for buying modules in DCS, but I think EA is the only viable economic model for a 'niche-within-a-niche' product like DCS. Complaining about unfinished EA products is pointless. IF you're sitting on the fence on an EA product, just don't buy it.
I had high hopes for this map as I buy many Orbx products for my other flight sims but this does not impress. The mesh does not look like the quality of other Orbx products at low level. I see no variation around shore lines or any water masking. The mountains look awesome from 30,000 feet but down low the valleys look soupy and blurry. It totally reminds me of the poor shape the S/A map was in at launch. Very expensive at almost 80 dollars Canadian DURING the discount with so little detailed areas.
That map looks no better than the ancient Caucasus map at low level. I expected more from ORBX but it is the same team that did the disappointing South Atlantic map, not ORBX core team which I think is disingenuous. Tropical trees, massively downgraded airport textures.....meh. I'll wait and see how this develops. And before anyone chimes in with MUH EARLY ACCESS, yes, but all ED releases are more or less permanently early access, even after nearly a decade.
I wanna buy kso bad but 60 dollars and 140GB for it? Sorry, to much money and to big. 60 dollars is like 650 swedish crowns and I dont have that space on my disk.
NO!!!!! I’m not purchasing anymore modules, campaigns or maps from ED until I have more confidence it what is going on. What with reduced updates and more early access products who knows where it’s all going what with potential of more costs incurred for additional map content in the future like MSFS I’ll leave well alone. I was in my late 50’s when the F-4 was announced I’m now 62, I’ll be too old to fly the thing by the time we have it, WHERE IS MY F-4 😡
If the module is as good as the trailer I’ll be a very happy customer but time will tell, I’m looking to being disappointed and let down, anything better will be a bonus, fingers crossed. What are your expectations Tricker ?
Disappointed ! $55 lost! Apart from the residential textures it's the same as flying in the cocase. Really not fabulous for the price! Due to very bad optimisation. Like Mariana, do not buy Kola if you need good FPS performances in VR. 60FPS not targeted! Drop to 20 or 30. Last time i buy a map befor testing demo !
Thank you for the continued support!
Join the Discord:
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Dear Sir, many thanks for your very balanced review. Your content is always great. Kind regards, Nick
@@nickgrey4136 Appreciate you taking the time to listen Mr. Grey
Great review. I share your opinions. Can see this (eventually) becoming my favorite map. DCSW is better off for having this map available.
It's probably going to be the main map for the DCS Finland community from now on, so there's no doubt.
Nice review! My main gripe is all those little villages that are visible on the satellite imagery textures but have no buildings in game. Performance is not great for me but then again nor is my PC. But the map offers a lot of opportunities for mission makers. On top of my campaign many other missions are coming for it as well…soon ;)
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
@@TrickerDCS it’s gonna be a lot of PHun ;)
@@ReflectedSimulations 👀
I agree. There are 5 airfields in Finland and Norway that, if ORBX has just laid the concrete and added hangers, would have given mission makers much more to work with.
Enigma already told that this map right now it's a nightmare for pvp scenarios.
It should come as no surprise that this map, and South Atlantic have the same initial release state as the person heading this map up is the same person who headed up the SA map... The potential is there, but I'm GENUINELY concerned this map will never be complete. I still bought it in the hope that it actually gets finished... but I wont be surprised if it never does.
One of the things I hope to see highlighted in the Kola map is how it can be used with a focus on helicopters and especially with the upcoming Kiowa and Phantom: a joint recon aspect where not everyone carries their own TGP. There are breaks in the trees everywhere, a motorized platoon could be lurking around every corner, and you're going to have to do your best to find them and not get shot at. Having said that, the terrain is lacking in many ways. Many towns are marked on the map but simply not there. Especially when flying low even inside the already highlighted area it can feel empty because of that.
It's crisp and its clean!
Hahahaha! My man!
I feel exactly how you feel at the moment. But I am blown away over the terrain. This is a terrain mask heaven here. Even for helo flyers, mast mounted equipment will blossom here. I have flown over areas and can clearly see where airbase will be added. (Just dirt layouts at the moment). I have all the DCS terrains and I see this becoming one of my goto maps. 150nm is the closest between blue to red airbase areas is a shocker. So, definitely plan your priorities since rear and refueling won't be local. Does it looked rush to release, yes, but it has serious potential.
This, I’ve almost run out of fuel multiple times lol
Took off from Bas 100 in a Strike Eagle with three 2000lb JDAM penitration bombs. No external tanks, hit the aircraft bunkers I had enemy planes stored in. Was able to use afterburner for most of the way back and landed with just around 2000lb of fuel. So, fuel management is a must right now. I still have not mastered A2A refueling yet.
Allow me to introduce you to South Sinai Penisula. You want terrain masking? You don't need to buy another map to get it.
@@ImpendingJoker I have all the maps. South Sinai yes. South Atlantic in the Chili area. Persian Gulf the north half. The Kola map it is like everywhere.
I think you turned your vocal fry filter to 11 for this one, but awesome points on the map. Well done
Thanks step bro, just taking after you
I didn't think about how geographically big this map was until I created a night mission near Murmansk. I cycled the camera to units hanging around Bodo and it was daytime there.
Curious to see what the June update brings as honestly I think that'll be the make it or break it moment for me. Orbyx is so well known from FSX, Xplane, and even MSFS so I expected them to absolutely knock it out of the park. As it stands right now, this map seems really in the beginning stages. It's frustrating because I really want the map. It's great as it highlights so many DCS modules like the Norwegian F-16s, the Swedish Viggen, and the Finnish Hornet, as well as almost every red aircraft like the SU-27, MiG-29, 21, 19, 17, and 15. Not to mention the weather is a challenge so some days you'll have VFR conditions while others you're in very strict IFR conditions, so just navigating can be extremely challenging. As it stands now however, it feels super unfinished and the install size is disappointing.
These low-level flights in fjords and valleys bring back joyful memories of Super EF2000 from the late 1990s.... was a great fun back then.
Thank you a well balanced anaylisis ( i,m dyslexic ) just brought the KOLA map and Flaming Cliffs 2024 a lot to learn , a frustrating 4 hour down load of the DCS base program of the base programe. I,m a Stumovik / MSFS 2020 addict.
Picked it up, love it. I understand it’s early access and improvements will come in time.
Thanks for the review. I agree, it’s fun and has good potential.
Bought it the day after it came out. Have flown it in my F-18, Mosquito & Huey. Enjoyed each of those flights.
Given the enormous sums I’ve invested in hardware to be able to play DCS, +/- $10-20 either way for Kola is really insignificant at this point.
Nice video Tricker, you got exactly my perplexity, i was hyped for Kola, but after this first week mmm not so much anymore. I dont want to invest in this map and not using it.... Nevada style. Waiting to see if online community is going to use this map or not. As Always awesome professional videos.... Keep it up!!! Bigskill out.
Part of the map are really nice (the fjords are awesome, even with blocky textures up close) but it definitely needs A LOT of work. That said, Kola does look to have immense potential, and it does run very well even on my modest system (i5, 1070, 32GB). Performance is already markedly superior to South Atlantic, which I uninstalled to make room for Kola. So far, I’m happy with the purchase, and I’m optimistic that the necessary improvements will come with time.
I uninstalled South Atlantic as well to make room!
great video Tricker, I'll hold back for now from buying it and wait until they are closer to full release and follow their updates but it is definitely the kind of map DCS needed.
I have mixed feelings. I think it's probably more EA than many were expecting, but if you focus on missions in particular areas, it's fine. I think people who were frustrated with the vast wilderness regions of SA will likewise be frustrated with this map. However, I don't think it'll take too much imagination and "what ifs" to come up with some really unique and fun scenarios / campaigns on this map, especially set during the height of the Cold War era. My biggest concern now is indestructible trees. Fortunately, we use the "Splash Damage" script that alleviates that problem, but DCS has the issue with low-level & ground units where the AI can spot you or snipe you through a 2-inch hole in the foliage from 4 miles away, but a single leaf will block a 2000-pound bomb. Once ED solves that problem, Marianas & this map (and a future Vietnam map?) will be much, MUCH better.
If this was released in 2010, i could happily get past the low res textures (wrong trees, airports needing work etc) but for today and asking $56.. think i need to wait for it to be updated a bit, if it gets updated
For me I am excited about playing in the theater, however I am going to have to wait and see how much improvement has going forward, from what I have seen this is below what we have come to expect from early access modules and feels more like a beta map. Some serious questions still remain about the install size, detail and performance of the map after everything is finished
Something you didn't mention. The same map builders who built Razbam's SA, were on this project under the ORBX marketing label. Just an FYI
This is a true story
I had no intention on getting this map. I have already bought the full Afghanistan map and I only have 300g left on my M.2 I didn't want to take the risk. Then I wanted a video from a very small RUclips channel I follow and the map was stunning. So I bought it. I have spent hours just flying enjoying the Scenery.
I'm only running a RX6700XT and this map is jaw dropped. The clouds look natural. There are no patterns in the clouds. The map is butter smooth from 35 thousand feet to 50ft over the Russian sub base.
Is the map perfect? No it's not, but then again it's a early access unfinished map.
bro RX6700XT is god damn struggle for DCS, had that gpu for a while, never again AMD and loud coils experiance, Green power is the way for DCS and now Kola looks even better :)
Getting my new Nvidia 4070 card tomorrow just to lfy F-16s around Lofoten, Norway and Apaches over the coastal cities of Norway. The landscape from Bodø to Tromsø is spectacular.
I had bad fps at the Bodo spawn point in VR, but once I taxiied to the runway, performance was quite good, especially while airborne...from 55-90 fps in VR
The comparisons of Kola to South Atlantic are apt because both are made by the same individuals.
Yes they are
Pretty sure only some of them are SA guys and not all of them. Though SA isn't that bad anyway these days from what I've heard
@@bird.9346 Kola will be like SA in the sense that it will improve over time.
I know I'll love this map, but ill give it some time to mature before buying...besides, I have the phantom to spend a while having fun with first! Thanks for your review and recent F4 content ❤
I bought Kola and agree with every single point addressed in this overview. I'm mostly disappointed with the low altitude terrain textures and vegetation. The map still needs a tremendous amount of work... but I hope Orbx can turn this thing into something pretty awesome.
Dcs need new tree model
Looks pretty good. Thanks for the detailed flyover man. I'm probably going to pick this up soon.
I might consider buying the map, but it needs some more time in the oven before I go for it. I don't like the idea of early access.
Totally understandable
Vaseline on the lens that will smooth out all the bugs .......Great video Tricker im so proud of you. 🧐
Imo it is, it'll be great. The cold war implications are very interesting and intriguing.
Really need dynamic campaigns so we can do interesting stuff in the maps. Going to hold off until there is a Vietnam map before buying any new ones. Dynamic campaign plus Vietnam, F-4, Mig-21, etc, would be epic.
Agreed on the campaign
My Syria install is 69GB
nice
Rawr!
as someone who is obsessed with south atlantic due to it's MASSIVE size- i am thinking i will be getting this sooner or late,r no doubt
I just wish....it was bigger. I'm spoiled on massive map sizes now lol
I don't like buying into a promise that the quality of the ground textures/mountains/low resolution areas will _eventually_ improved.
I'll definitely buy it once these areas see some significant improvements, but I'll surely hold off for the time being.
Totally understand
It’s crazy how dual sided these vids are. Jet guys are ok with it, us helo guys think it’s a a dumpster fire 😂. I’ve have high hopes for the map. Someday.
I fly helicopters too, and I can totally understand your criticism. The low level flying is not ideal outside the fjords.
@@TrickerDCS I need to explore more but having been to this part of the world the lack of Nordic spruce trees burns… hope that’s fixed later.
Great review. I'm still on the fence with this one. I don't know if I want palm tress with my snow when flying helos.
lol you and me both, it took me by surprise
~145gb *without* winter textures? The 4tb 990s are starting to make sense!
Even as a Norwegian I'm going to wait until it's properly baked - i.e. missions and such, on top of actually being more complete. I hardly if ever load the South Atlantic map which I bought early.
In comparisons with the Syria map, there is no comparison with the numerous villages and cities in Syria with the cold expanse of the Kola Peninsula. The Kola map can be compared to MSFS where you simply fly at high altitude similar to the South Atlantic Map. So, I do intend to purchase the Kola map sometime in the future - if it pans out to be good with a lot of game play, I have no intention of buying the South Atlantic map, for simply flying over.
I think people wax poetic about Syria a little too much.... Syria's northern reaches have details but also have some MASSIVE bugs... follow the Euphrates up the river and into Turkey and you'll see huge issues with water being angled with the terrain or above it, just like Kola. The SAM sites on Syria are also... massively wrong... both in modelling, layout, and contents. Syria is a great map... certainly in better shape comparatively speaking, but far narrower in overall scope.
Well this review is rather different from your live stream first impressions, which seemed more brutally honest.
My very first impressions came with skepticism and I also was loaded into the low resolution areas. If you go back and watch my stream you can see where I do have positive things to say about but I was also extremely critical in some areas. After spending days thinking about it, these are my current conclusions.
Whats the odds they start selling airports seperately like the MSFS model :(
I think there would be some serious pushback
That won't happen as the airports are not detailed enough to warrant that, and they likely never will be.
@@PluckyUnderdog also this 👆
It looks like a map from 2008 running on a modern 2.9 engine
Fair criticism
Because Orbix does not accept MILES, I will wait until the price eventually goes below what the early access price is. I will wait for a year or so.
Probably next 2 year and hope there're won't be a nuclear war, deadly pandemic, asteroid attack and ultimately apocalypse lol
$40usd map, that's my opinion. Even the detailed areas of the map feel and look dated, perhaps not a fault of orbx.
I still say South Atlantic map is my favorite in DCS, but this new map is of course a welcome addition and I am specifically looking forward to the new server missions DagiDCS is creating. Plus, he's Finnish, so I am sure he will have profound thoughts, feelings and insights.
Cheers!
Dagi is a great guy, can’t wait to see what he comes up with
I bought it on release, coming from BMS flying in the Nordic region has been my most favorite theater and there's so much potential with Kola. Despite the size I was surprised that the performance was not as bad as Syria or South Atlantic at launch, though to some degree the engine improvements and likely lack of 3d models has something to do with that. Everything in DCS seems like a work in progress, but what are we going to do if we want to get our military flight sim fix?
How is the BMS Nordic campaign?
@@TrickerDCS Amazing, I have replayed it a number of times of the years of updates to BMS. Definitely rivals the base Korean Campaign. I haven't done it again since VR support was added, but I'm tempted to.
@@sevenifive I’ll need to try it out, haven’t done it yet
@@TrickerDCS It's not as pretty as DCS, but it should be fun.
Need to upgrade to a 4tb ssd before installing, but I might pick it up now on the lower early access price until I can justify the price/wait for a good deal on storage
I'm feeling a bit bored with it atm...i can't put my finger on it, but I'm the same with the South Atlantic which I deleted ages ago.
Maybe I'm a desert flyer but it's where I am atm
Doesn’t help that Eagle Dynamics didn’t provide any missions ether
Also the distances atm between bases i jyst havent the time unkess i start in the air
To escape the desert sandy maps from DCS, I actually like the South America map from Razbam. Sadly it's not more popular among the community.
Probably because the context. Kola map has more believable scenario for mission. 3 NATO countries vs Russia.
The thing that holds me back from buying it is actually the huge 140 gb size, however I'm willing to pay more if they're willing to reduce its size (perhaps around 70 gb ish? like syria fyi)
the huge file size is one of the reasons i haven’t bought it yet, i would need a new ssd to handle it 😅 i think i‘ll wait just a bit but eventually buy it 😁
Yah it’s big, and will be there in the future for you to get it if you wish
2 quick questions: How long did you practice pronouncing 'fjords' and how many takes did it take you till the final cut?
What I like about the Kola map the most is how it's lakes literally suck in @SportDCS .
I’ve always been able to say that but it took me several attempts to say architectural 🥲
Unfortunately it’s quite a different experience in VR. While I have a 4090/i13900K and 64Gb DDR5 and the Pimax crystal, I’m getting a near solid 90 fps on mid populated missions on Sinai, Caucasus, Syria, Normandy and Nevada, dipping to around 80-90 with Mariana’s and SA but this, with NOTHING but a wingman and myself, goes down to around 65-80 fps and even lower the further inland you travel. Shelved until the VR experience is optimised.
Also, having been to this region, I find the choice of trees an absolute dealbreaker as a ‘tundra’ map. You can’t omit the most prolific form of tree-type vegetation for this region yet still pass it off as a Scandinavian map 🤔
would love it if every map didn't cost the same as any other modern game.
Really wish we could make our own maps to play and share.
Great review! I've been enjoying the map and also enjoyed your exploration of the map on Twitch. While I agree there is a LOT of vacant land, and a LOT of low-res textures, I am sure that the ORBX team will address in due haste. Also looking forward to Reflected and Baltic's upcoming campaigns. On a final note, Trickr can you just stream DCS and talk 24/7?
LOL I wouldn't wanna burn myself out, gotta find that healthy balance, but I appreciate the compliment!
Great video Tricker. Informative and fair. I really have enjoyed my time on the Kola map.
Glad you enjoyed it!
my Phantom will fly in Kola im loving it😊
No my phantom!
Finally bought Kola late last night. I watched dozens of good videos so knew what I was getting myself into with this early access launch. My main reason for the purchase was support for the 2 devs who worked on South Atlantic (in their spare time) and now also on Kola. SA needs work and it looks like Kola is off to a much better start with this release. I am looking forward to seeing all the improvements that should be in the next Kola updates. Exciting for me to see projects improving and moving forward. Unlike what I see from the desperate gaslighting we get from the Canadian Liberal Government...😆
I bought the Kola map having watched no reviews, and love it. (I do acknowledge it is not complete, as Early Access implies)
The reviews I've watched have been mostly negative, with such helpful feedback as "There's too much wilderness", and "It's not finished"
One youtuber even complained there was a static vehicle in Russia that clearly did not have a Russian license plate!
As flight-simmers, we really need to support good developers like ORBX, and even the mediocre ones if we hope this game to have a future.
As for the whacko on parliament hill; I've been trying to vote him out since 2015...
I at least agree with your last sentence.
A smooth voice and smooth flyin...
Thanks Rob 🇨🇦
Nice video.
Not sure if I go for it. Too much big. Let’s see.
145 GB?? I have a dedicated 1 TB SSD just for DCS and MSFS, and that is still a tough pill to swallow.
I need my snow and epic “cold” war scenarios
Two weeks
I need mission for this map. Actually need lot of mission and more airbases
I’ve been shitting on new maps for reasons that I still think are valid, and don’t plan on buying this one, but those fjords… fighting in those fjords, especially in helos, damn if that doesn’t look awesome!
When they get the textures down it will be one of the best maps. But still 145GB.. how?
Yah it’s YUGE
For now I like it, but I'm seriously nervous about that file size. It's already double the size of the next largest terrain. I already have a whole 1TB SSD just for DCS and that's still not going to be enough at this rate
I had to uninstall south Atlantic map to make room for Kola
@@TrickerDCS I did the same. They kind of fill a similar niche.
@@TrickerDCS I moved South Atlantic to my Hard drive. It's been moved to the backup of the backup. Now that's map has been a disappointment.
Sale purchase only atm.
Crisp, concise, nice video!
full price for 25% high quality scenery.... question is will it EVER be complete.....
Kola has been somewhat of a let down for me, I went in expecting to do a lot of low flying in the Viggen from Hidden airbases deep in the Forests of Sweden However the Texture quality and General Layout of Foliage and trees is very poor. Certain areas do stand out and look good, however for now, I would not recommend it For anyone planning to fly low or from any of the Hidden bases. I am however, looking forward to more support in the future fleshing out these areas so the Viggen may finally do what it was supposed to do 🙏
I too did did the Viggen, and there’s some fantastic looking areas, and also some areas that definitely need work
@@TrickerDCS I will have to do a more thorough flight over the western most areas on the map, Definitely a Promising Launch compared to South Atlantic, Thank you for the high quality Video as always.
The fact that the BAS runways are marked on a map kind of defeats the point doesn't it? They're supposed to be secret and not be a big ass marker that you can just send mud movers towards. :)
Hi. Has the map been updated since this video?
Every map is worth your money IMO....Why limit yourself with only certain maps for campaigns, PVE/PVP servers? It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it is my theory. Plus, if map devs are successful, maybe it encourages them to make more maps, i.e. Vietnam, Korea etc.
Thanks for the video. I'm still on the fence, but the video almost sold me. Also, you need to start making ASMR videos. Just saying :p
I’ve been impressed with it, it has some downfalls but all I see is potential in the end. What’s my next topic for ASMR?
@@TrickerDCS Dont care what the subject is, as long as you use big words ;)
Pass. No longer interested in spending money on a product's future promises or potential.
Totally understand
Maybe it’ll turn into a real sweet map at some point. I’m just sour on the concept of all this stuff coming out 1/2 baked all the time. Maybe if the intro pricing was around $40 it would make sense to dive in early. Even so, I’m happy with the maps that there are atm and my planes fly the same no matter the map.
Welcome home Viggen.
Good review; thanks
Thanks for watching!
Most of this map looks like old FSX mesh, it's obviously rushed ! That being said Orbx has a good reputation, and I'm sure it'll be up to speed eventually!
Nice review styvbror.
We be jammin
130GB? Wow..... can be an issue with every coming update....
I have it I love it. Just wish to have RTX 5090 to turn on all those trees!
Kola = best map :)
I want west europe map (poland etc)
"Is the DCS Kola Map Worth Buying?" Not yet and not for this price.
*ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE GIGABYTES OF SPACE*
It’s yuge
@@TrickerDCS Looks gorgeous. Hopefully they get a lot of the details fleshed out by launch. Those shots zoom between the fjords with wingmen were gorgeous. When I get home from the sandbox we gotta fly sometime man.
Shame that we won't get FS2020 terrain in DCS due to its limitations. DCS looks plain in comparison.
Yes, worth It.
It could be worth my money. But with current events and more uncompleted newly released products. with 6+ year product still no end insight. I said it at the beginning of the year my money to dcs is on pause for at least this year.
I know exactly where you’re coming from
They literally made it an air combat only map. That satellite textures look just shit from down low.
Even in early access, I think this map is outstanding. Yeah, it's too bad early access is the current standard for buying modules in DCS, but I think EA is the only viable economic model for a 'niche-within-a-niche' product like DCS. Complaining about unfinished EA products is pointless.
IF you're sitting on the fence on an EA product, just don't buy it.
is theere sale for this?
still nees time to bake imo, and enigms CW server wont be adopting it till its more complete, so i can wait on this one
Definitely needs time to bake
Not buying Kola until i see multiplayer servers running it.
It still has some distance to go to be 100% but it was worth it to me. I’m sooooo sick of Desert maps. This is a nice European map.
I had high hopes for this map as I buy many Orbx products for my other flight sims but this does not impress. The mesh does not look like the quality of other Orbx products at low level. I see no variation around shore lines or any water masking. The mountains look awesome from 30,000 feet but down low the valleys look soupy and blurry. It totally reminds me of the poor shape the S/A map was in at launch. Very expensive at almost 80 dollars Canadian DURING the discount with so little detailed areas.
Fair criticism
That map looks no better than the ancient Caucasus map at low level. I expected more from ORBX but it is the same team that did the disappointing South Atlantic map, not ORBX core team which I think is disingenuous. Tropical trees, massively downgraded airport textures.....meh. I'll wait and see how this develops. And before anyone chimes in with MUH EARLY ACCESS, yes, but all ED releases are more or less permanently early access, even after nearly a decade.
I wanna buy kso bad but 60 dollars and 140GB for it? Sorry, to much money and to big. 60 dollars is like 650 swedish crowns and I dont have that space on my disk.
It isn't worth it now. Give it a year or two, when it is more fleshed out.
NO!!!!! I’m not purchasing anymore modules, campaigns or maps from ED until I have more confidence it what is going on. What with reduced updates and more early access products who knows where it’s all going what with potential of more costs incurred for additional map content in the future like MSFS I’ll leave well alone. I was in my late 50’s when the F-4 was announced I’m now 62, I’ll be too old to fly the thing by the time we have it, WHERE IS MY F-4 😡
The announcement trailer came out yesterday if you haven’t seen it. May 21st is the set date for the release.
If the module is as good as the trailer I’ll be a very happy customer but time will tell, I’m looking to being disappointed and let down, anything better will be a bonus, fingers crossed. What are your expectations Tricker ?
@@Rogeroverandout61 I think you will be pleasantly surprised, heatblur always puts out solid work, I’m looking forward to it!
Disappointed ! $55 lost! Apart from the residential textures it's the same as flying in the cocase. Really not fabulous for the price! Due to very bad optimisation. Like Mariana, do not buy Kola if you need good FPS performances in VR. 60FPS not targeted! Drop to 20 or 30. Last time i buy a map befor testing demo !
Can you play a Russian plane in this map ?
Yes