Author: Donster

New humanitarian faction, van, drone, mini-campaign, and more

Previously referred to under its codename “Orange DLC”, Bohemia Interactive today revealed the next addition to its military sim-game Arma 3. Available worldwide in the beginning of September, the Arma 3 Laws of War DLC explores a different perspective on the battlefield via the addition of a humanitarian faction, van, drone, mini-campaign, and much more. Some of the basic principles of the laws of war, which are also commonly referred to as International Humanitarian Law (IHL), are further introduced in the DLC’s new reveal trailer.

The Laws of War DLC delivers new playable content, together with many new in-game assets, providing even more opportunities for various types of combat operations and roleplay in Arma 3. Its key features include:

• International Development & Aid Project (IDAP) – This new faction, IDAP, is a non-governmental organization which is specialized in rapidly responding to humanitarian disasters. The faction is composed of new IDAP-branded clothing and gear, including outfits for specialized roles such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists, as well as many other tools, supplies, and other items.
• “Remnants of War” Mini-Campaign – Take on the role of IDAP explosive specialist Nathan MacDade, who is tasked with identifying and deactivating mines after the war in the Republic of Altis & Stratis has ended. While you are being interviewed by an investigative journalist, you will uncover what happened in the town of Oreokastro, experiencing the events from the perspective of various sides, in recollections that span multiple periods of time.
• Van – IDAP makes use of a new van, which comes in multiple variants, with over twenty custom liveries in total. Each variant caters to a specific purpose, such as cargo logistics or the transport of people. There is also an ambulance variant available.
• Utility & Demining Drone – IDAP has a new drone at its disposal to be able to quickly move cargo or supplies to a specific location. A special variant of the drone is used as part of IDAP’s demining operations.
• APERS Mine Dispenser – The APERS Mine Dispenser is an effective but controversial area denial weapon system. It is typically only used in desperate situations, and can have devastating effects even long after a conflict has ended.
• Vests, Bags, Headgear & Facewear – Various pieces of new gear are available to help you carry out your duties. This includes safety vests, messenger bags, hard hats and press helmets, ear protectors, safety goggles, and much more.
• Additional Content – The Laws of War DLC adds a variety of miscellaneous additional content, such as time trial challenges for the new van and drone, a paramedic outfit, and a training mine.

In addition, the Laws of War DLC will be supported by a major free Arma 3 platform update, adding a lot of new content and feature extensions related to the DLC’s assets and theme. This platform update is free for all owners of Arma 3. Its highlights include: refined cluster strikes, the simulation of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), the ability to drop (custom) leaflets from the sky, two new Showcase scenarios (Showcase Laws of War and Faction Showcase IDAP), a wide variety of emergency and medical supplies such as food bags, water bottle packages, blankets, stretchers, and IV bags, plus decorative objects such as shelter tents and new furniture, extra Steam Achievements, and much more. A complete overview of the Laws of War DLC, and its supporting platform update, is available at www.arma3.com/dlc/lawsofwar.

Fourth Entry in Legendary World War II RTS Series is Available Worldwide on Steam and in Europe as a Physical Retail Version

The legendary World War II Real-Time-Strategy series Sudden Strike has returned! Kalypso Media is proud to announce that Sudden Strike 4 is now available digitally worldwide on Steam, with a North American retail and PlayStation® Store release to follow on August 15, 2017. The boxed retail edition for Windows PC, Mac, Linux and PlayStation®4 is also available today across Europe. Today marks the return of a beloved PC strategy series and a groundbreaking moment for PlayStation®4. For the first time in the series’ history, Sudden Strike has received a multi-platform release, positioning the game to become the definitive strategy experience available on consoles.

Sudden Strike 4 on Steam supports Windows PC, Mac and Linux platforms, and includes the ‘Battle of Kursk’ DLC, a digital artbook and a digital soundtrack. These bonuses are also available with the physical Day One Edition for Windows PC, Mac and Linux. The PlayStation®4 Day One Edition is complete with a digital artbook and digital soundtrack. Both versions of the Sudden Strike 4 Day One Edition feature reversible cover artwork designed by Games of Thrones artist Robert Simon.

Watch the Sudden Strike 4 Release Trailer HERE.

Watch the Sudden Strike 4 General’s Handbook #6 Soviet Forces Video HERE.

Afghanistan ’11 is getting an update with many new exciting features, and it’s completely FREE!

Before we talk about it, though, we want to announce that Afghanistan ’11 is now 34% off on our site, so if you still don’t have it and you are interested (of course you are, why else would you be here otherwise?) go grab it RIGHT NOW! The discount will last for a week.

The first and probably most important new feature is the MOAB!

The MOAB is a very interesting weapon: it costs a lot in terms of PP and HM but if used correctly it can be a huge asset. It disables the Taliban and Militia caves and kills enemy units in the bomb radius. High risk – High reward!

The second new feature helps your logistics: it carries your troops and vehicles around the map in a safer and more efficient way!

With Convoys you will be able to link up to 6 vehicles and move them together around the map while having the possibility to move each of these vehicles away from the convoy whenever you want. Are you mad because enemy mines blow up your “Buffalo” every single time you move it out of the base? Are you sick of having to move each one of your 24 vehicles? This one is for you!

There are also many more features that will help to enhance your in-game experience, so let’s take a rapid look at them:

• You can now drop Emergency UN Aid on villages
• Explosions adjacent or on villages reduces HM
• Helicopters can now rank up and have higher chance of surviving RPG fire
• Added exit ambush stance to Infantry
• Added hotkeys for Load (L) and Unload (U) actions
• NATO icon colours changes after handover
• Intel from villages now appear at less predictable intervals
• There is no handover penalty if PP is negative
• Repatriating units while PP is negative returns more PP
• Added rappelling animation to SF unloading from helicopters in mountains
• Units low on rations or fuel now warn the player before ending the turn
• Units low on rations will leave ambush, observation point or sentry
• Next / Previous unit buttons will work relative to the last unit selected

You can download the MOAB Update from the Members’ Area. Check out the MOAB Update trailer HERE.

AMD has released two models of its highly anticipated, Ryzen Threadripper high-end desktop processors, AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X and AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X. Built around the new AMD x86 “Zen” core architecture, Ryzen Threadripper delivers overwhelming power, unrestrained potential, and indisputable supremacy over comparable products in the market. We have collected a number of reviews on AMD’s new Ryzen Threadripper CPU’s and you can read them via the links provided below.

• HARDOCP
• ANANDTECH
• TOM’S HARDWARE
• HARDWARE CANUCKS
• GURU3D – 1950x
• GURU3D – 1920x
• BIT-TECH
• HEXUS
• THE TECH REPORT
• HOT HARDWARE
• KITGURU

Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• AMD Launches the Ryzen Threadripper High End Desktop Processors
• BitFenix Launches Nova TG Chassis
• G.SKILL Announces New DDR4 Specifications for AMD Ryzen Threadripper Processors
• Sapphire Announces RX Vega 64 Graphics Card Lineup
• EK Water Blocks Announces Dedicated AMD Threadripper Supremacy EVO Water Blocks
• CORSAIR Launches the Neutron NX500 NVMe PCIe AIC SSD
• Thermaltake Announces Floe Riing RGB TT Premium Edition Coolers
• Daisy-Chainable InWin Aurora RGB LED Fans Now Available
• Thermaltake’s Water 3.0 Riing RGB AIO Coolers Are Threadripper Ready
• Phanteks Launches Enthoo Pro M Special Edition Chassis
• Deepcool Captain 240 EX RGB AIO Now Available in White
• Phanteks Announces Halos Series RGB Fan Frames
• ENERMAX Launches LIQTECH TR4 AIO Liquid Cooler for AMD Threadripper
• BYKSKI Showcases First Waterblock for Ryzen Threadripper
• Fractal Design Launches New Meshify C Chassis – VIDEO

Although obsolescent even before World War II began, the Ju-87 Stuka terrorized ground troops and found a late-war niche as a tank-buster.

By Stephan Wilkinson @ Historynet.com

Never has a warplane so obsolete, vulnerable and technologically basic wrought so much damage to its enemies as did the Junkers Ju-87 Stuka. Even as Germany invaded Poland and triggered World War II, its Ministry of Aviation (ministerium, or RLM) was hard at work on a replace- Reichsluftfahrtment for its dive bomber, and the early Ju-87B was intended to be the last model made. No surprise, since typically an air force begins development of the next-generation aircraft the instant the current machine goes into service. But hard as they tried, the Germans never came up with a Stuka successor, so the angular, archaic “little bomber,” as the Luftwaffe called it, was the airplane that on September 1, 1939, dropped the first bombs of the war, and on May 4, 1945, flew the final Luftwaffe ground-assault mission. The very last propaganda film made by the Luftwaffe showed Stukas attacking Soviet tanks on the outskirts of Berlin, smoke streaming from their big antitank cannons. That’s 5½ years of nonstop combat by an airplane adjudged by some to be too primitive, too slow and too vulnerable before the war even began.

Read on…

Source: Blue’s News

A new General’s Handbook trailer #4 from Sudden Strike 4 takes a look at the German forces in the upcoming World War II strategy sequel. This is hosted by producer Christian Schlütter, who is poorly mixed, so the audio is a little muddy. The game is due for release on August 11th, so they plan on quickly bringing out the other installments in the series to cover the Allied and Soviet campaigns. Here are more details:

To prepare you for the final push to the frontlines, Kalypso has released the first of three new videos in the official “General’s Handbook” developer series hosted by Sudden Strike 4 producer Christian Schlütter. The new series introduces the three main factions of Sudden Strike 4 — the German, Allied and Soviet forces. Each video is packed with exciting details from the developers, with close examinations of the various units each faction will command. You can also pick up some strategic tips ahead of launch to get ahead of the curve when you take on Sudden Strike 4’s 20+ missions over its three campaigns!

To find out more about Sudden Strike 4, and to pre-purchase, please visit the official game page on Steam.

BattleGoat Studios is pleased to announce the release of their Real Time Geopolitical Strategy/Wargame, Supreme Ruler The Great War. Game Designer and Project Lead Christian Latour commented, “The Supreme Ruler franchise has given our community members deep tactical combat and nation management from World War II to the present day, but previously offered nothing for the beginning of the century. The First World War was such a milestone in shaping modern warfare that we’ve had frequent community requests for a game in this period since our last release. Having developed the later eras already, we have been able to add the earlier time frame while still offering a game which can be played into modern times“.

BattleGoat’s Lead Programmer and Co-Founder George Geczy added, “Supreme Ruler The Great War adds a new era to the franchise, building upon a game system which has evolved over more than a decade. The combat, diplomatic and economic systems developed for the series continue to offer a unique strategy experience, one which has always been well suited to global conflicts. The First World War remains a topic of great interest to historians and gamers alike, although few games model the strategic challenges that the great powers faced during that era. Adding a World War I title to the series fills a gap in both the franchise and within the PC strategy genre.”

About Supreme Ruler The Great War
Expanding on sixteen years of development on the Supreme Ruler series of Real Time Geo-Political Military Strategy Games for PC and Mac. Supreme Ruler The Great War brings players back to 1914, to a world that has little understanding of the devastation that will be unleashed as long-time alliances and animosities drive ever-growing conflicts. Whether leading a major power or a minor nation, players can experience the tensions of a world descending into chaos. Campaigns follow paths similar to historical events while allowing players control of their own destiny, with the opportunity to change those events and chart their own course. Set-Piece Scenarios will provide for a shorter game focused on specific events from the era. As well, the ever popular sandbox mode allows players to customize their gaming experience by picking any nation and choosing their own preferred Victory Condition. With the further option of multiplayer matches, Supreme Ruler The Great War provides incredible amounts of replayability.

• World War I Campaigns for various major powers from the era.
• Take Control of any Nation in Sandbox Mode and impact the outcome of the conflict.
• Start in 1914 and progress well into the 21st century for an Epic Game-play experience.
• Challenge yourself with Set-Piece Scenarios for a faster-paced game.
• The butterfly effect… Influence the timeline and outcome of thousands of historical events.
• Use Diplomacy, Trade, Espionage, and Intimidation to influence the policies of other nations.
• Guide your Nation through the first war waged on a global scale.
• Modernize your economy to support whatever social and military policies you choose.
• Comprehensive Tech Tree features over 100 years of technology and equipment advances.
• Sophisticated Real-Time Strategic and Tactical Control of your Military Forces.
• Detailed historically-accurate Armies down to the Battalion level.
• Choose your level of control. Make all decisions or use your Cabinet Ministers to help.
• Battle the elements! Fully integrated weather model influences battlefield outcomes.
• Up to 16 players in Multiplayer over local network or Internet.

Supreme Ruler The Great War is now available for purchase on Steam. Visit the BattleGoat Studios official website for more information.

Matrix Games has released a new trailer for Order of Battle: Burma Road, showing many of the new features and additions coming with this new expansion pack, ranging from units to scenarios and specializations. You will have to adapt to a new unfamiliar terrain if you want to prevail!

Matrix Games will be showing a live stream of Order of Battle: Burma Road for the first time on Twitch!

Come say hello and enjoy the live stream with us the 11th of August, 11.00AM EDT / 4.00PM BST / 5.00PM CEST!

Order of Battle: Burma Road will be released on the Matrix Games store and on Steam on the 17th of August!

By Dominic Moass @ KitGuru

Given its price of just under £80, Antec’s Mercury 240 liquid cooler is clearly targeting those after some AIO action without breaking the bank. The addition of two LED fans, plus a LED pump, will certainly help its appeal as well. Whether or not the Mercury 240’s performance and noise levels justify the price is another thing, though.

Read The Review Here