Tarkov Fixed All These Scopes

(Intro)

In patch 0.15 there were a lot of large and noticeable changes and additions added into Tarkov. Trip mines, Partizan the boss and his associated karma system, the brand-new Factory. There was a ton to wet out palette with and enjoy this go around. Sometimes, the wipes feel kind of lackluster; either because they are devoid of impactful changes or additions, or because we go so long without a wipe that hitting the reset button is almost jarring to many. But this one was on the better end of updates. What also came with this patch was something the community has wanted for quite some time now. And that’s the ability to adjust the zoom level of the different variable optics currently in the game smoothly instead of being on either one zoom level or the other. To be honest, and I’m trying not to be hyperbolic here, but this change is freaking massive for the game. So many optics are now usable and totally viable instead of the two or three that people always gravitated towards. There are so many more opportunities for variety now, it’s awesome. Some scopes were affected more than others, but in general this change was a massive net positive for the game as a whole. As far as I have played around with in terms of the scopes, there isn’t really a bad option or any that can’t be used anymore. Some are still better than others, and I’m sure people will be hesitant to try something else instead of just using what works, but I would encourage anyone watching this to give the scopes that were actual jokes in the game a try and see if you like them. You never know; you might just find an alternative that is just as if not more effective for a cheaper price.

(What exactly changed)

The specific change we are talking about is this one: Added the ability to smoothly adjust zoom for the following optics: and with it, fourteen scopes were given this ability. I won’t be going through all of them, but pretty much any long-range rifle scope that had multiple zoom levels can now go be zoomed in manually instead of just toggling between two fixed levels. So, for example, the Burris, Vudu, Razor, and Schmidt & Bender scopes being the more popular ones can go from their default one times zoom level, slowly all the way to their four, six- or eight-times magnification. What did not get this buff were things like the assault scopes: the HAMR, ELCAN, and BRAVO scopes. These are still the same. And while the pool is relatively small, all that were affected only gained from this change. There are some noticeable differences in how the scopes present some of their optics, however. Like how the Vudu’s 1x reticle is noticeably larger than what it was previously. Whether or not changes like these are a positive one is subjective. But by default, holding down the “Alt” key and then using your mouse wheel, you can go through pretty much every level of zoom that the scope provides. Granted, the level of zoom won’t pop up on your screen unless it’s either or the original default zoom levels, it’s still incredibly nice to spot a target, and then depending on the distance, smoothly zoom into a level that feels more comfortable instead of instantly changing magnifications in a single frame. Something else to note about this change is that say you are using the Vudu as an example again, and you go up to about a three times magnification, if you press whatever your key bind is to toggle the zoom level, the scope will always default to its lowest zoom setting, no matter how much you have zoomed in manually. Just something to remember in case you have someone in your sights and then accidentally toggle your zoom thinking you might go further in. It always resets to the lowest option available.

(Which scopes you should try)

With fourteen scopes getting this awesome feature, the next best question to ask is which scopes should you be trying? Personally, I have two options that I have been using for years even before this change that I think warrant you giving them a shot. The first one is the Hensoldt 4-16x scope. A personal favorite of mine for when you need to be tackling targets at extreme distances. Which to be fair doesn’t happen that often in this game because there aren’t a ton of opportunities to be fighting someone at over five hundred meters, but having that extra level of zoom was always comforting even if it was sometimes disorienting because of how much magnification there was. But now? It’s not a problem anymore. The extra zoom when using the smooth zoom makes this optic extremely useful on maps like Reserve, Lighthouse and especially Shoreline. From the roof of the resort to the power building hitting shots is cake, as long as you zero appropriately. But this scope has been one of my favorites when more practical and popular options became too expensive to run consistently. This scope sells generally anywhere from 25-40k rubles on the flea market will usually come back through insurance because people see the scope and toss it because it’s not what they like. I’ve talked about this scope a long time ago, and genuinely do enjoy using it. Luckily, it’s not the only option that feels better to use after this update.

The other option is the March tactical. You know, that awful scope that for years we had to use for the quest Hunting Trip. And people would just cheese the quest by using the March Tactical with a red dot mounted on top because it still counted. For years this scope was not used by pretty much anyone because it had one zoom level; a staggering twenty-four times magnification. It was genuinely awful, but now the smooth zoom makes getting up to something like a ten or even twelve times zoom level easier and more efficient. Also having a base three times magnification helps too. These levels can be easily taken advantage of without feeling too jarring or out of place because you get one low and one high zoom level. And the low zoom reticle feels natural to what the zoomed in reticle compares to. This scope needed some love, and it was about time it finally got some. Not only with a practical lower magnification, but the extra ability to manually choose a zoom level of your choice. Again, it’s not the only scope to benefit from this update, but it might be the biggest glow-up out of all the scopes that were adjusted.

One more honorable mention is the pair of KMP 159 and 169 scopes. I doubt anyone even knows what these are by name alone, but they are two very similar variable optics specifically designed for the SV-98 and the SVD. Before the update, these scopes had a three times and a ten times zoom level, but with two versions of the reticle. Illuminated sights and non-illuminated. So, while the flexibility was nice, it often led to situations where you need to click through multiple times to get to the correct zoom level and if you wanted your reticle illuminated or not. But now, they streamlined that process so these scopes only have illuminated sights. Before the patch, these scopes worked very similarly to how the PSO scopes worked for a comparison. But now they have smooth zoom and are just generally easier to navigate which is again a huge plus. (Outro)

The ranged optics game in Tarkov had become quite stagnant. People only gravitating towards a couple of options because they were just the best options in the game. And with something as important as your optic of choice dictating your playstyle, having more viable options is critical to allow players to feel like they made the right choice if the go against the grain and choose something different. But now, all fourteen sniper scopes feel good are at the very least good to use than they did previously. My hope is that this change is kind of a call to action for the community and that it gives people the courage to try the other options in the game and at least see if they like them. There are now more options than ever that are both effective for long range encounters, but also more options that just work. Are they perfect? No, but at the very least things like the Nightforce ATACR is technically usable, even if the default seven times and zoomed in thirty-five times magnification are still a little intense. Either way, the ranged game in Tarkov just got a massive shake-up, but in a good way. And now has never been a better time to experiment and see if you find something new you enjoy using. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Let me know in the comment section below your thoughts on this optic update in general, if you’ve found any new scopes you like using and be sure to subscribe for more videos about the first step in Tarkov’s quest to finally have a level of variety of viable options that people take advantage of. I hope to see you in future ones.