funkman

I truly hope that I am an exception rather than a rule as I backed this product 100% but nearly 6 months of waiting to get a working device is just absolutely unacceptable, I have a patience of a saint but this is running out now. Las communication is on 9th of August that my device has been received and is in a queue not a peep since. Really? Is it going to be a year before I get a working device? Or ever?

Update on the situation, after finally connecting via teamviewer and verifying that I wasn't doing anything stupid as well as having made several of my own cables it seems I've had a dud device. I had to send it back under warranty and their policy is to repair the old units rather than send new ones (which is understandable for a small business). The downside of this is that its been 6 months since I actually ordered the device and sadly i've never been able to use it. I might be prepared to break another Thrustmaster gimball again :joystick: for this kind of wait but they say "good things come to those who wait"

So another week and a bit passed, no parcels, no update about where they are and no promised connection via Teamviewer. It's nice for those who can use the device :cry:

Thank you for reaching out. I'd prefer not to send the device back as it will only take more time away from using it. Will connect via ticket and report back here.

It started fairly well but either they have been busy or something else but after multiple attempts ive had nothing since. No replacement cables either as I say. I fully support the product, thats why I bought it. And i'm prepared to do work myself as clearly evident (many wouldn't) but the fact remains I still cant use it. Device is not bricked. It has exactly the same symptoms as when it arrived. I just wanted to reset it in a hard way just in case. Zero communication doesn't help anyone. Disagree about the quality, clearly can be seen from my photos, sharp edges everywhere, the break in the cable is pretty evident as it broke through heatshrink. Half the screws in the handle wont screw tight after two disassemblies because they are self tappers screwed into plastic. I have gaps in between the two halfs of the handle moulds. Etc etc. Maybe ive been unlucky.

Used both and on different machines. Did you have the same issue? Flickering or all buttons always on?

As you can see from the picture below a reasonable effort has been made in the base to smooth out the edges, however there are plenty of places where a cable can get trapped and pinched or even cut on a sharp edge. I spent a few hours smoothing out the cable route through gimball. As for the connection, you cant get simpler than Pic 2, Handle-> microchip board -> USB nothing else, nothing to interfere. I have even made a JST 5 pin to JST 5 pin cable to avoid all the mini DIN connectors altogether. I fully understand it's a young company which is still finding it's feet but making me wait for a month with total ignorance to all my emails and skype messages is just not on. After all I have paid not a small amount for it (including tax post customs)

I made my order at the beginning of Aril and received the T-50 plus extension and desk mount end of May. However immediately i've had a problem with buttons on the handle either showing as always on or intermittently flickering. Started investigating slowly bit by bit. Identified several potential causes including breaks in cables. Contacted support, was told to connect with their engineer Mega Mozg on Skype which I did, we identified a potential break in Mini DIN to JST (USB) microboard connector cable, was told I'm getting new set of cables. A month passed nothing arrived. Zero communication. Still can't use the device. In frustration I have made my own cables, but the problem continues, I'm a competent engineer so would like to think I know what I'm doing but I've reached the end of my tether with Virpil. Don't get me wrong, I understand there has been a busy process establishing the factory and there is still ongoing R&D happening, this is part of the reason I bought the stick to support the movement away from Thrustmaster (I have been through 3 HOTAS setups). However the service has been simply unacceptable. I will be packing it and sending back to Belarus with my warranty ticket. I bet they will tell me it's invalid because I opened it. I like the device and also you can see there are some quality issues with fit and finish it's fine for what it is. I've made some modifications to smooth out the edges to prevent further cable rubbing as well. As the last try, does anyone know the way to hard reset the device? Shorting pins etc?

As an example. I bough 2 jewel boxes (by friends in russia) and a DVD box (in ukraine) and a download version, all paid for by me. Considering all the hassle I had to go through I think it cost me about £20 each, so thats £80 spent on the product and I will buy the english version as well just to support it. My BS is not hacked to english, I understand russian but do not have a cyrillic keyboard and even if I did, I would sound like a retard typing in russian. So why can't I ask for any support just because i'm british and live in UK? Having 3 activations which you could easily spend in a week or less just tweaking your computer is like buying a car that can only do 3 journeys. I don't need any support at the moment but I'm sure I'm not alone here in this position.

I finally managed to play it over the weekend. Most of the things have been already said so I'm not going to repeat them. There is a real sense that you are flying a real attack helicopter the simulation is breathtaking. Took me a few hours before I could start the engine with switches and fly around, by the end of my stint I was practicing hovering as it seems to be the key to everything. As I am a developer myself, several pointers in terms of how in my view a Western publisher would see the game and would help the game to sell more units to a broader market. Good idea about installing with the arcade settings as a default. The interface is really clean, simple and looks great but is very static, I would introduce something simple and perhaps gimmicky but visualy pleasing, perhaps the rotor blades could follow the cursor movement or maybe the entire background helicopter could have a hovering effect and would turn to where you point. I know the tutorial system probably can not be changed at this stage but it would have been so much easier with "I tell you what to do and show you how then you repeat" system. The biggest put off for me and I would imagine to any publisher would be the fact that the separation from the interface to the game is far from smooth, I was forced to look at my desktop for up to 5 min wondering if it has crashed or is anything happening at all, I bet casual user would have tried to launch it again or reset the computer by that time. Overall awesome game and worth every minute of my many years of waiting.

I installed it once at work and once at home so I'm down to 1 activation as well. Doesn't feel too good :(

I used Ukraine. Worked no problem. Try not to use the translator when ordering.

After a LOT of messing about I finally managed to buy the online version. Donwloading now :thumbup: That was some quest I tell you, big up REPENT for providing a guide. Guys if you can't get the UKASH voucher at PayPoint outlets because its failing, keep harassing them, it will go through eventualy! P.S. I already bought 1 jewel box, 1 DVD box and a downloadable version :) The boxes are being posted from Russia and ukraine.

Tried in 3 places, failed 3 times in each of them :cry:

I've been running like a headless chicken trying to get Ukash somewhere in London, I only got blank stares from people. So I got the barcode thingy they have on their site and that didn't help either, the transactions just kept failing. :cry:

Dutch how did you manage to buy the downloadable version? I've been messing around with Webmoney\Paypal for days now and still haven't got anywhere.

The only viable option to pay for us is Webmoney or Yandex Dengi. Webmoney has english version so a bit easier but I havent managed to transfer any money onto webmoney as yet. Aparently it is possible to transfer PayPal to Webmoney I haven't managed it just yet.

It is usualy a requisite from a publisher to put certain copy protection rather then a choice of the developer, in DCS case it might be differen. There is nothing wrong with having a limited amount of activations and then providing extra if needed, however this is not selling the product this is RENTAL. The whole point of purchase is that you own the item, it's yours, forever and in 200 years your great grand children would still own it. You never own a product with limited activations, you are Renting it and in my opinion it should be clearly marketed as so. Just like the licenses for big software packages are (photshop, 3dmax etc). I believe this is something that is being addressed by the game at the moment but the argument is that a lot less people would buy the product which they will never own.

As I have already stated before I will buy every version that would be available and probably at least several times, all ED products deserve support. Just a question to clarify something, what happens with support if someone buys me a copy of the russian version in russia and sends it here to me (UK) or if I buy a copy in Russia\Ukraine myself (you dont need a visa for Ukraine). I can understand russian to a degree but when it comes to posting questions I'm affraid I will be stuck.

I know EB, my bad, it was just some frustration coming out :smilewink: Thats a good extra update, thanks for that. Hope all goes well for the western release, I shall definitely buy every version that is possible to buy 10 fold, this product is worth supporting and that is part of the reason for frustration - concern for the future.

Running my own successful game dev studio I understand and sympathize with the problems associated with releasing a product successfuly especialy worldwide but it really isn't difficult to put a downloadable version up, considering it is probably most profitable for the developer. Unless its some weird and wonderful contract with 1C where ED have no say in anything at all. Considering how amazing this sim is, very little is known about it outside the hardcore community. I have not seen anything about it in any game related magazines, including the developer only mags. Certain other russian flight sims were on every page of the press to make sure public and developers worldwide know about it. Considering how difficult it is to get the game even in Russia after the release and how little marketing has been done it no suprise the west is forgotten completely. It took my friend in Novosibirsk 4 days of running around to buy 2 jewel case copies. Either bad management, bad contract, bad publisher relationship or who knows what else but the potential is enourmous. Hopefuly it's just a question of time.

In the best communist tranditions of policed state :music_whistling:

Running my own successful game dev studion I understand and sympathize with the problems associated with releasing a product successfuly especialy worldwide but it really isn't difficult to put a downloadable version up, considering it is probably most profitable for the developer. Unless its some weird and wonderful contract with 1C where ED have no say in anything at all. Considering how amazing this sim is, very little is known about it outside the hardcore community. I have not seen anything about it in any game related magazines, including the developer only mags. Certain other russian flight sims were on every page of the press to make sure public and developers worldwide know about it. Considering how difficult it is to get the game even in Russia after the release and how little marketing has been done it no suprise the west is forgotten completely. It took my friend in Novosibirsk 4 days of running around to buy 2 jewel case copies. Either bad management, bad contract, bad publisher relationship or who knows what else but the potential is enourmous. Hopefuly it's just a question of time.

And whats more important - we are ready to pay for it :thumbup:

Sigh* Doesn't look like we will get anything soon :( I'm willing to pay any money to get a copy but alas no one is willing to help :cry: