Author: Donster

Firefly Studios has just released a new expansion pack — Stronghold Kingdoms: Island Warfare. Currently available on PC and Mac, with a redesigned mobile version set for release in the coming months, Stronghold Kingdoms has introduced another heavily-requested feature in the form of player ships and a new game mode. View the launch trailer here.

The lords of Stronghold Kingdoms can now turn the ocean red by waging bloody war across 38 tropical islands with new, changing sea conditions! Players must fight for a single kingly throne avoiding rough seas and the occasional hurricane as they attack, scout and trade across 18 provinces and 99 separate counties.

Conditions change daily with tail winds, rough seas, violent storms either slowing or accelerating the progress of attacks, trade ships and scouting parties as they move between islands. Attacking forces may catch a strong tailwind and obliterate their enemies in the blink of an eye. Traders can double their earnings in a single day by all casting off while conditions are favourable. Scouts on the other hand could be so heavily delayed by storms at sea that, upon returning home, find their actions have sparked a conflict that has destroyed their home!

Releasing soon after Stronghold Kingdoms: Global Conflict, Island Warfare introduces fresh changes to the game’s most basic mechanics for hundreds of thousands of monthly active players. The top requested feature by players since the release of the ‘Global Conflict’ world map, Island Warfare renders old strategies irrelevant in a new mode where the movement of your forces is impossible to predict beyond current sea conditions. The first in a series of updates in 2016, Island Warfare paves the way for both a new events system and the release of Stronghold Kingdoms on iOS and Android.

Players can download and play Stronghold Kingdoms: Island Warfare for free at the official Stronghold Kingdoms website.

Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive today revealed several forthcoming updates to Pillars of Eternity, the award-winning title backed by dedicated fans of classic role-playing games (RPGs). Later this month, alongside the release of the game’s second expansion, The White March – Part 2, Obsidian will make new updates to the gameplay and features of Pillars of Eternity available for all players. These updates will include a streamlined combat UI, updates to the in-game Stronghold and portions of the game world, a new “Story Time” game mode, and improvements to a broad variety of in-game features such as knockout injuries that change the difficulty during combat. Version “3.0” of the game will arrive as a free update to all players of Pillars of Eternity on February 16, 2016, the same day as the release of The White March – Part 2. Full details on all upcoming changes are available in a new developer video, available here.

With the forthcoming release of the update and expansion, Obsidian and Paradox bring the exciting first chapter of Pillars of Eternity to a close. “We’re committed to expanding and supporting the Pillars of Eternity experience. We have many stories to tell in this world and this has only been the first one,” said Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart. Gamers who have been waiting for the complete Pillars of Eternity story can now experience the incredible narrative from start to finish, up to and including the exciting conclusion to the story of The White March.

Pillars of Eternity, created by veterans also known for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Fallout: New Vegas, and South Park: The Stick of Truth, is an RPG inspired by classic titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment. Created thanks to over 75,000 crowdfunding backers, Pillars of Eternity has sold over 700,000 units, was released to critical acclaim in March 2015, and is among Metacritic’s 15 Best PC Games of 2015.

For more information on Pillars of Eternity and The White March – Part 2, visit the games official website.

Sim155 Ltd, developer of the flight and naval combat simulator Combat Air Patrol 2, has announced that the DX11 C++ conversion is complete and they are now moving on to steam integration, TrackIR support and gameplay polishing and tweaking. Faye Scio of Sim155 Ltd said the conversion has increased performance noticeably and the development team has it running well on there in house testing laptop. “We are confident it’s going to be a smooth experience, even if you don’t have a top end gaming machine” Faye Scio reported.

Combat Air Patrol 2 (CAP2) is a flight and naval combat simulator game for PC (Steam/Windows) where you pilot the AV8B Harrier II. After initial flight and tactical training you will be pitched into an immersive scenario against aggressive ground, sea and air based enemies. Use your skill as a pilot and your tactical awareness to engage in dogfights, carry out ground attacks and command your fleet to ultimately ensure the safety of your comrades and the final capitulation of the enemy. Strategic decisions such as commanding your fleet on the tactical map and your performance in the air will affect the final outcome: Go ‘gung ho’ with a full out assault and the outcome will be in the balance or plan ahead and the end result will be your ultimate victory.

Find out more about Combat Air Patrol 2 at the games official website.

Source: TechSpot

AMD has released a new set of Radeon Software Crimson Edition graphics card drivers, version 16.1.1 Hotfix, which are optimized for Rise of the Tomb Raider which launched on PC a couple of days ago.

The 16.1.1 Hotfix drivers bring performance optimizations and a Crossfire profile for Rise of the Tomb Raider, as well as a long-awaited Crossfire profile for Fallout 4. Both Nvidia and, to a greater extent, AMD have struggled to get multi-GPU configurations working in Fallout 4, although a recent patch to the game (which also brings HBAO+ and new debris effects) might have improved the situation as well.

Aside from optimizations for the two aforementioned games, the 16.1.1 Hotfix drivers are mostly concerned with addressing bugs. These drivers include fixes for the Radeon Settings app, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate on FreeSync setups, Star Wars: Battlefront, Dota 2, and Battlefield Hardline. There are still known issues, but that’s the case with most driver releases.

Download the 16.1.1 Hotfix here.

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.

• Apacer OffersBlade Fire DDR4-3200 32GB Memory Kit
• Logitech Announces New G810 Orion Spectrum RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – VIDEO
• ASUS Announces B150I and B150M Pro Gaming Aura Series Motherboards
• Roccat’s Ryos MK FX Keyboard Available Now, Includes RGB Lighting
• BitFenix Announces the Alchemy 2.0 PSU Cables
• Cooltek Announces the Value 80 Plus EU Series Power Supplies
• NEC Announces MultiSync PA322UHD-2 Ultra HD Monitor
• AMD Offers New Thermal Solutions and Processors for Near-Silent Performance
• Icy Dock Intros ToughArmor MB991U3-1SB Enclosure
• ADATA Reveals HD650X and HD710M USB 3.0 External Hard Drives
• Sony Reveals SLW-M Series of Consumer SSDs
• ASRock A88M-ITX/ac Gives AMD APUs a Fun-sized Foundation
• Lian Li PC-M25 mATX Mini Tower Chassis Released
• OCZ Announces Trion 150 Series Next-Generation SSDs
• Expert Oriented GeForce GTX 980 Ti DuraPro Graphics Card Released
• EK Water Blocks EK-XRES Revo D5 Lineup Gets New Glass Edition Reservoir Pump Combo
• Seagate Hit by Lawsuit Over Faulty 3TB Hard Drives

Specialist wargaming developer The Lordz Games Studio and Check Your 6! board game developer Scott Fisher are happy to announce an exclusive licence deal to bring the multiple award winning and popular set of WWII air combat rules and scenario books to the digital gaming arena.

Check Your 6! was designed to reflect the realities of air combat with the simplest wargame mechanics possible. The CY6! game series will closely reflect the realities of WWII and Modern air combat while allowing for a playable game. Combat is reflected in 3D and the game is the result of years of research into Air-to-Air, Air-to-Ground and Ground-to-air weapons, combat manoeuvres, aircraft statistics and the influence of pilot skill on combat. Statistical analysis was extensively used to find the most efficient game systems. In addition, former US Air Force and US Marine Corps pilots were a part of the design team from the start, greatly influencing the design and playtesting.

“We are extremely proud Scott has trusted us with the task to bring, in my mind the best air combat game board and tabletop game series, to the digital market.“, said Rudolf-Tim van der Moer, CEO of The Lordz Games Studio. “We have been a long-time fan of Scott`s specialist team and their excellent game design. Playing CY6! on digital devices will make a lot of wargamers, air combat fans and armchair generals happy and excited.”

Scott Fisher, CY6! main designer, said: “After eight incredible years as a board/miniatures game, we’re excited to extend CY6 into the digital world. Bringing CY6 to this new domain will further our commitment to not only provide a great game but also allow players worldwide to learn the lessons of real air-combat campaigns. With CY6, it was always our goal to put players in the cockpit, compelling them to deal with the same issues and decisions of historical pilots. What maneuver do I do? Should I shoot? Do I attack the bombers or fighters? How good is my opponent? Do I risk it!?“

“In the digital version of CY6, players will focus even more on the combat situation rather than rule mechanics and, of course, will be surrounded by our trademark historical accuracy. We plan to bring not only a great game system to the digital medium, but also plan to convert our signature air campaigns books to be part of the system. We are very proud of the research that went into these books, in many cases they provide information never before published.“

“I am glad to be working with the Lordz development team on this project. The Lordz team has shown the same commitment to excellence and historical accuracy that we prided ourselves on in developing the original CY6 board/miniatures game. In addition to the dedicated Lordz team, all members of the original CY6 Design Team (including several combat veteran pilots) have agreed to help with this effort. All of us are thrilled to bring the entire CY6 line of rules and scenario books to the digital customer!“

The first game is already well under development at The Lordz Games Studio. The complete current range of rules and scenario books, including any future editions, will be brought to a wide variety of digital game platforms to form a complete digital CY6! game series.

Battalion 1944 recaptures the core of classic multiplayer shooters and propels WW2 into the next generation. Battalion 1944 utilizes the most advanced industry technology to create a visceral and heart-thumping multiplayer experience that has been crafted by the designers who have grown up playing Medal of Honor and Call of Duty 2.

Fight in real world locations such as the streets of Carentan, the forests of Bastogne and many more in our spiritual successor to the great multiplayer shooters of the past. Precise aim with your Kar98, covering fire with your M1 Garand and quick thinking with your Thompson are key to your success, all packaged into a competitive multiplayer environment. In short, Battalion 1944 is an infantry based first person shooter with an emphasis on raw skill. No grinding, no ‘exosuits’, just you and your skill as a player.

Join a Battalion and compete season to season with BattleRank, our global competition system. Contribute to your Battalion’s season objective to earn cosmetic rewards for your character, weapons and accessories within our realistic art style. Flaunt your success through your player profile to become a renowned player within the community. BattleRank’s highly tuned stat tracking system enables Battalion 1944 to go beyond the standard mould of shooters gone by and enables players to compete globally for rewards, glory and honour.

Fuelled by the power of Unreal Engine 4, Battalion 1944 resurges World War 2 back into the modern gaming spotlight in our spiritual successor to the great multiplayer shooters of the past such as Call of Duty 2 and Day of Defeat. On BattleRank, it’s down to skilled soldiers like you to fight for your battalion.

“At Bulkhead Interactive, we’ve all grown up playing classic shooters like COD2 and Medal of Honor. It’s been a decade since we last saw a great WW2 First Person Shooter and I think the genre’s resurgence is long overdue. We’re focusing on community driven development. We want to work with passionate community of players who have a strong connection to the genre like we do.” – Joe Brammer, Producer at Bulkhead Interactive

Bulkhead Interactive have released a reveal trailer for Battalion 1944 alongside launching a Kickstarter campaign to assist with the game’s development. Bulkhead have promised to invest a minimum extra of £100,000 if the project’s funding goal is reached.

More game info available at the Battalion 1944 website.

THE FIRST OF FOUR MAJOR CONTENT UPDATES INTRODUCES NEW OPERATORS, A NEW MAP AND MORE

Ubisoft announce that the Operation Black Ice free update for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege is now available on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

As part of the ongoing commitment to provide new content on a regular basis for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, the Operation Black Ice content pack includes the new yacht map, two new operators, Frost and Buck, from the elite Canadian special operations JTF 2 force, and new weapon skins. Additionally, the Spectator Camera feature will be available online for all platforms in custom games.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege post launch philosophy is to avoid any split in the community, consequently all gameplay elements will be available with no additional costs. Maps and modes will be free and available immediately for everyone. New operators and most weapon skins can be unlocked with earned currency, called Renown, or with R6 Credits.

Season Pass holders will instantly receive the new JTF 2 operators and non-Season Pass owners will be able to unlock them using Renown in-game currency or R6 Credits starting on February 9th.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege is currently available worldwide for Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

Watch the Operation Black Ice trailer here.

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, visit: rainbow6.ubi.com.

To win a war, armies might be not enough. You need political skills as well, allowing you to change the balance of power in your favour, forge new alliances and isolate the enemy.

The endless conflict between Napoleon and the several Coalitions formed against him was fought following exactly this simple rule. Great Britain didn’t have a ground army able to counter alone the capacity of the Revolutionary France and was forced to convince and support potential allies on the Continent.

On the other hand, Napoleon took many risks to manage fighting on multiple fronts at once, stretching his resources and wasting time and materials.

In Victory and Glory: Napoleon, you will face the danger of a situation where alliances could change rapidly, and allies could turn into foes.

Thanks to an innovative Card System, you will be able to alter the course of the War, raising special troops, creating buffer states or preventing minor nations joining a hostile alliance.

Take a look at this nice infographic, giving you a little taste of what you can expect in the game!

For more information, please visit the official product page.

The Meeting is Called to Order: Conclave Has Arrived

Once upon a time there was a king. He had amassed a large kingdom through the assistance and guidance of his wise councilors. Their skill, martial prowess and intelligence were guided by total loyalty to the king’s royal will. But these men, all drawn from the most powerful nobles in the realm, were not immortal. Now their equally powerful children hold their fathers’ seats, and they seem to have ideas of their own.

Crusader Kings II: Conclave, the newest expansion to Paradox Development Studio’s critically acclaimed medieval grand-strategy game, is now available at major digital retailers and the Paradox store. This expansion focuses on the internal dynamics of managing a realm with powerful vassals demanding to be heard on the royal council.

Watch the Crusader Kings 2: Conclave release trailer here.

How much power can you give to your advisers before you stop feeling like a king?

Conclave also includes:

• new realm laws to fine tune the future and culture of your country (including female inheritance)
• fine tuning of how much money or gold you expect from your vassals
• new diplomatic system returns royal marriages to the center of medieval politics
• changes to the military game, including renting your soldiers out as mercenaries

And, we’re releasing a new content pack – the cleverly named Crusader Kings II: Conclave Content Pack, to bring you new cosmetic changes to your game including world wonders, new portraits for some nations, and some new unit designs. It is sold separately.

And, as usual, whether you buy Conclave or not, the release is accompanied by a free, major patch that will improve Crusader Kings II for everyone.

So raise your banners. The council is in session.

For more information on Crusader Kings II, click here.