Unity of Command II – Barbarossa Announced

unity-of-command-ii-barbarossaSource: Blue’s News

2×2 Games and Croteam announce Barbarossa, new DLC that will come to Steam on April 21st for Unity of Command II. As the title suggests, this is based on Operation Barbarossa, allowing owners of the World War II strategy sequel to recreate Germany’s ill-fated invasion of Soviet Russia. The DLC includes 23 scenarios, new maps, new units, new vehicles, and alternative outcomes that make it possible, if difficult, for Germany’s plan to succeed. Here’s the battle plan:

On 22 June 1941, a Sunday, Nazi Germany set in motion the largest invasion in the history of warfare — the attack on the Soviet Union, codenamed “Barbarossa”. By the time the four-year conflict on the Eastern Front is over, the world will have witnessed a war that’s unfathomable in scale and unparalleled in brutality.

In this DLC, you command Axis forces during Operation Barbarossa, from their summer of roaring victories to the painful halt at the gates of Moscow in the winter of 1941/42.

Key Features of the Barbarossa DLC

  • 23-scenario historical campaign, with battles from the lakes of Karelia in the north to the Black Sea beaches in the south
  • Limited, but still difficult to achieve, alternative historical outcomes, such as capturing Moscow in late 1941
  • Detailed, zoomed-in maps for the hard-fought sieges of Odessa and Sevastopol
  • 20+ new unit types including those from Italy, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Finland, and Spain.
  • Beautiful new vehicle models including BT-7 and T-26 tanks, and the iconic ZIS-5 truck
Strategy and Wargaming Unity of Command II | Donster | |
War in the East 2 Available for Preorder

gary-grigsbys-war-in-the-east-2You can now preorder Gary Grigsby’s upcoming masterpiece by visiting the Product page.

We are only selling the game on the Matrix Games (and Slitherine) site for now, and the game will release on Steam at a later date. Anyone pre-purchasing, or purchasing on the day of release will get a Steam key eventually, when the title launches there.

Both digital only and upgrade to physical are available. The first 1000 copies are coming by air and will begin shipping on April 16th, while the remaining copies will be shipped in May when the next batch of books arrives.

The physical manual is a 520 page hardbound full color volume. The biggest printed manual we’ve ever done. All shipments at this point are from the UK and we recommend carefully reviewing the shipping options (typically Royal Mail or DPD) to determine which iss best for your location.

Royal Mail is a typical mail service, DPD is an air courier service and shipping times, customs/VAT costs and service to special addresses may vary by your location. However, the shipping cost is significant due to the sheer weight of the hardbound manual, which comes in at over 4.5 lbs / 2+ kg.

For more information and clarification on purchase option, please visit the Forum.

Gary Grigsby’s War in the East 2 Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | |
Just Announced Hardware for 3 March 2021

newhardware-iconCheck 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.

Hardware | Donster | |
First Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1941 Battle Video Released

panzer-corps-2-axis-operations-1941It is time for our first Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1941 battle video.

This time, we will be covering one of the most impactful moments of the early war, the breakthrough at Thermopylae.

Speed is vital if you wish to break the retreating British and prevent their escape. Having secured the escaping British, the time will come when you also need to assault the mighty defences of the Thermopylae pass. How you tackle this task, is up to you.

Find out more about Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1941 via the games official webpage.

Panzer Corps 2 Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | |
Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact Review

fractal-design-meshify-2-compactBy Niels Broekhuijsen @ Tom’s Hardware

When Fractal Design launched its Meshify 2 chassis, it impressed us so much that we had no choice but to award it a rare five stars. So you can imagine that I was quite excited when the company reached out asking if I wanted to review the new Meshify 2 Compact. In essence, it’s the same case but a little shorter, cutting back on the extreme storage or radiator setup possibilities, but offering the same basic design.

Because of this, the Meshify 2 Compact is arguably the more mainstream case suited to standard ATX setups that don’t need a ton of space – the vast majority of gaming systems. However, priced at $110, it’s not the most budget-friendly option, and it’s competing in a crowded segment. Let’s find out if Fractal Design has what it takes to earn yet another spot on our Best PC Cases list.

Read the Review Here

Cases Hardware | Donster | |
Just Announced Hardware for 26 February 2021

newhardware-iconCheck 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.

Hardware | Donster | |
Victory At Sea Ironclad launches into Early Access

victory-at-sea-ironcladThe latest in the Victory At Sea franchise hits Early Access today on Steam.

Evil Twin Artworks’ follow up to Victory At Sea Pacific has finally launched in Early Access with a weeklong 10% discount.

“Set in the American Civil War we have taken a different slant to other games out there by looking at this conflict from the naval side of things.” said James Carroll, Director at Evil Twin Artworks. “Battles took place on both the sea and on rivers of the American Civil War, as the navies of both sides supplied their land forces with resources and transport, requiring both to work together for victory. The Battles on the water powerfully affected the course of the war and would be fundamental as to whom would take victory.”

The game enters EA with a fully playable version of the Union campaign. Following on from this will see a Confederate campaign, as well as Modding and a custom battle mode which will launch through Early Access. While the game will launch in EA with a full roster of ports the Evil Twins will be adding more unique port environment designs as well.

Evil Twin Artworks recently played another round of Victory At Sea Ironclad in a Live stream on the Steam store and you can view it here.

Victory at Sea Ironclad features:

  • Search and destroy enemy fleets during the American Civil War
  • Effortlessly switch between commanding the entire theatre of war and controlling the fate of individual vessels and fleets.
  • Use Resources to build new structures and ships
  • Upgrade Ports
  • Build shipyards
  • Build farms and factories
  • Harass shipping and starve ports of vital supplies
  • Organize large scale amphibious assaults on major ports
  • Control unique vessels such as the formidable Ironclads
  • Pausable gameplay allows you to order fleets and then continue the action
  • Play as North or South (Play as the South will become available through Early Access)
  • Create customisable battles (Will become available through Early Access)

From small skirmishes involving single ships and hunting down merchantmen, to the clashing of massive fleets against implacable enemies, Victory at Sea Ironclad is your ticket to exciting battles that take place on the dangerous seas of the American Civil War.

You can check out the new Steam page for Victory At Sea Ironclad HERE.

Victory At Sea Ironclad Official Website

Strategy and Wargaming Victory At Sea Ironclad | Donster | |
Fates Divided Comes to Total War: Three Kingdoms on March 11TH

total-war-three-kingdomsFRIENDSHIP, ALLEGIANCE, BETRAYAL

Out March 11th, Fates Divided is the next dynasty-defining Chapter Pack for Total War: Three Kingdoms. Set ten years after the turbulent events of the main campaign, players will bear witness to the bitter end of a once great friendship between two of the foremost warlords of the period as they fight to control the future of China.

Forge a new empire with an army headed by two of China’s mightiest warlords, the merciless Cao Cao and the powerful Yuan Shao, each with their own unique motivations and stories to tell from the 200 CE timeline. Following them into the battle is a multitude of era-defining warriors such as Ye Vanguard Spearmen, Xiongnu Noble Cavalry and Qingzhou Halberds, as well as the chance to control the elite Northern Army should you claim victory over your adversaries.

Players can also embark on a new cross-generational campaign as Liu Yan, a man of great ambition and strategy, as he attempts to establish a legacy for his family in the shadow of the Han Empire. Use his unique aspiration mechanic to set the stage for his son Liu Zhang’s eventual inheritance, and reap the rewards of your father’s hard work, or watch as his best laid plans crumble under your care.

The release of Fates Divided will usher in a sizeable free content update to all players of Three Kingdoms including faction reworks for Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, a new Imperial Intrigue mechanic, improvements to the Faction Council and much more.

Watch the Total War: Three Kingdoms - Fates Divided Announcement Trailer here.

More information on the Fates Divided Chapter Pack can be found on the official FAQ here.

Click here to pre-order Fates Divided and receive 10% off.

Strategy and Wargaming Total War: Three Kingdoms | Donster | |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Reviews

nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060NVIDIA today released its new Geforce RTX 3060 graphics card. The review embargo has been lifted, and we have gathered together a number of reviews on various Custom cards from different manufactures. Here’s a bit from NVIDIA:

Having been built using the same NVIDIA Ampere Architecture as the rest of the GeForce RTX 30 Series, the new GeForce RTX 3060 offers all the same advancements, benefits and features, improving your gaming, live streaming, content creation, and work.

2nd Generation Ray Tracing Cores give you the hardware to run the latest ray-traced titles with solid performance. 3rd Generation Tensor Cores power NVIDIA DLSS to boost frame rates in ray-traced and rasterized games.

NVIDIA Reflex reduces system latency in competitive multiplayer games, helping get shots off faster, which can make all the difference between success and defeat. NVIDIA Broadcast uses Tensor Cores and AI to enhance your live streaming and conference calls with near-magical noise removal, virtual green screens, and more features that transform your space into a home studio. And the GeForce RTX 3060 also includes our initial support for Resizable BAR on desktop GPUs.

Check out the reviews via the links listed below.

Hardware Video Cards | Donster | |
NVIDIA Releases GeForce 461.72 Game Ready Drivers

nvidia-geforce-logoSource: TechPowerUp!

NVIDIA today released the latest version of GeForce drivers. Version 461.72 WHQL introduces support for the new GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, and adds optimization for “Outriders” demo. In addition DLSS support is added for “Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition” and “Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord.” NVIDIA Reflex support is added for “Rainbow Six Siege.” Among the issues fixed are stuttering noticed with “Hitman 2″ and “Edge of Eternity” with G-SYNC enabled and in windowed mode; a performance drop noticed in Vulkan apps when switching between windowed and fullscreen modes with G-SYNC enabled; an application crash for “X4: Foundations” with Windows 10 1803; a legacy bug with Blu-ray playback flickering with HDMI display output; Chrome and Edge experiencing random TDR on “Ampere” graphics cards; and LG CX OLED TVs not being recognized as being G-SYNC capable.

You can download the GeForce 461.72 WHQL Game Ready drivers via GeForce.com.

Hardware Video Cards | Donster | |