Strategy and Wargaming

When Panzer Corps 2 launched in March we saw a very good critical response and we were joined by many thousands of players, all eager to fire up their Panzers and dive into classic WW2 gameplay on a beautiful new game engine. With that launch there was also an offer of a Field Marshal Edition of the game that included the first two DLCs that will be coming to Panzer Corps 2.

Now we’re finally ready to reveal details of the first two of Panzer Corps 2′s exciting post-launch additions. We’re calling them the new Axis Operations campaigns!

The New Axis Operations

Ever since Panzer Corps 2 was announced, a new Grand Campaign was by far the most frequent request which we heard from our players. It was hardly surprising, because the Grand Campaign was the most popular series of DLCs for the original game. We always listen to wishes of our community and give such things top priority. Axis Operations is our response to all of the people who wished for the creation of a new Grand Campaign. Simply put, it will be a series of campaigns that can be linked together, to form one giant, potentially 100+ scenario, behemoth of a campaign.

The Wehrmacht Campaign in Panzer Corps 2 is a good introductory campaign which many players have enjoyed and learnt the basics of Panzer Corps 2 gameplay in the process. But it was not without problems. Some issues which you, the community, raised were: missing mission debriefings, degrees of victory, historical heroes and the need for more varied objectives. In general, some players felt that the campaign did not offer enough storytelling and immersion in historical events.

Axis Operations will address all these issues. There will be more storytelling and interesting characters in these campaigns. There will also be a lot of innovation in terms of gameplay features, mission design, bonus objectives and rewards for fulfilling them, and more. The AI won’t remain the same either, so be prepared for some nasty surprises from your computer opponent!

The original Panzer Corps Grand Campaign stretched from 1939 to 1945, covering a whopping 144 scenarios. Our aim is to go bigger and better for the new Axis Operations. Even though Panzer Corps DLCs covered a lot of historical ground, we will still visit lots of places never explored before, and battles which you’ve never fought in the past. Find it hard to believe? Read on.

The first two DLCs included with the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2 represent the first two links of the Axis Operations chain.

For starters we aren’t going to begin in Poland this time. We’re turning the clock back a bit further and the first campaign of the Axis Operations takes the player to the prelude to World War II, the Spanish Civil War, which we will be releasing on July 16th. This campaign will give players the opportunity to experience content that not even the original Panzer Corps, with its extensive library of DLCs and expansion packs, managed to cover.

In Spanish Civil War you take command of the Condor Legion and in line with the Grand Campaign traditions you will be able to transfer your veterans, hardened by three years of fighting in Spain, to the next campaigns.

A unique and innovative feature of the Spanish Civil War campaign is how you will communicate and coordinate with your AI-controlled allies. Nationalist Spanish troops are not under your direct control, but you will still be able to issue high-level orders to your allies (like “Attack”, “Defend” and “Hold Ground”) so that their actions better match your own strategy. This creates a completely new experience never seen before in a Panzer Corps campaign. We can’t wait to hear your feedback about this new way of playing.

The next part of our future content plans will release on August 27th, and it will be Axis Operations: 1939.

But once again… we’re still not quite in Poland yet. Axis Operations 1939 starts in March of 1939, which I’m sure our history buffs will recognize as the important date when Germany marched into Czechoslovakia.

That scenario, by the way, has some very unusual mechanics attached to it. If you’ve ever wondered why they call them Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t) you’ll found out here.

After that… we’re still not quite getting to Poland just yet. Something else happened in 1939, a battle that might have actually changed the course of history. There was a French invasion of Germany! We’re going to explore that conflict.

To compare with the original Grand Campaign, we’re already looking at more than 20 battles worth of new content before we get to the fighting in Poland in 1939.

After 1939 is completed, once again your CORE force will be saved, so that they will be ready for the next instalment of the Axis Operations.

Field Marshal Edition – 7 days Priority access

As mentioned above, the first two Axis Operations campaigns will release on July 16th and August 27th. We do have an extra surprise for all our Field Marshal Edition owners, though.

All of you who own the Field Marshal Edition will get priority access to the first two Axis Operations campaigns, a full seven days before their release dates!

Field Marshal Edition owners will be able to download, install and play Spanish Civil War on July 9th and 1939 on August 20th.

More information on both DLCs will be available in the future, with a complete description, scenarios list, details on new units and new screenshots!

Get more information on Panzer Corps 2 from its official product page.

Source: Blue’s News

EA announced that the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is now available worldwide on PC via Origin and Steam, and as part of an Origin Access Premier subscription.

Watch the official launch trailer HERE.

Developed as a labor of love between EA and some of the original Westwood Studios team members at Petroglyph, the Remastered Collection is comprised of Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn, Command & Conquer: Red Alert and their three expansion packs – Covert Ops, Counterstrike and The Aftermath. Veteran fans and those new to the franchise can now experience one of the most beloved real-time strategy games in history with native 4K support, rebuilt multiplayer, enhanced UI, a seven hour remastered soundtrack by Frank Klepacki, modding support and much more.

Built with the community in mind from day-one, an active Community Council has been involved since early pre-production with 24/7 access to the teams at EA and Petroglyph to provide feedback during development. This feedback has helped shape features such as a revamped UI, updated controls, a Map Editor, and a modernized online multiplayer experience, featuring custom games, 1v1 quick match, Elo-based matchmaking, leaderboards, replays and much more.

“Our top priority when developing the Remastered Collection was to make sure the heart of Command & Conquer can be felt from the second you boot up the game,” said Jim Vessella, Lead Producer at EA. “We’ve been working hand-in-hand with the Westwood veterans at Petroglyph to ensure the iconic gameplay remains authentic while adding key features for a modern experience. We could not be more grateful for the C&C community’s support during this journey, and especially the feedback from our Community Council which has been integral in bringing this love-letter to life.”

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection features rebuilt graphics and textures from Lemon Sky Studios with native 4K support. Frank Klepacki, the composer from the original C&C titles, has remastered seven hours of music for the project, which includes over 20 tracks re-recorded with The Tiberian Sons. In addition, Command & Conquer is now one of the first ever major RTS franchises to open source their source code under the GPL. Earlier this week the TiberianDawn.dll and RedAlert.dll and their corresponding source code was released under the GPL version 3.0 license, which will unlock powerful mod support for the Remastered Collection and community projects for years to come.

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is rated Teen by the ESRB and is available worldwide on Steam and Origin for PC for $19.99 USD. Origin Access Premier members will also get full access to the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on PC today for as long as they are subscribed. Origin Access Basic members receive 10% off the full game. For more details, visit origin.com/origin-access.

Matrix Games has announced that Command LIVE – Aegean in Flames will be released next week on June 11th.

A team has been dispatched to the Aegean Sea to catch all info about the escalation between Greece and Turkey.

Check out their latest report from the front.

Command LIVE – Aegean in Flames is the newest LIVE scenario for Command: Modern Operations, depicting a fictional scenario where new tensions between Greece and Turkey escalate to a point of no-return amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

KEY FEATURES

• Playable as Greece (main side) and Turkey (opponent force)
• Vast Theater of Operations covering the whole Eastern Mediterranean from Crete to the shores of Lebanon
• Spec Ops Ground Units for Reckon/Sabotage and Laser Designation (PGM Guidance) missions
• SAR script for downed pilots
• Dense IADS network on both sides including Patriot PAC-3 (MIM-104), S-300 PMU-1 (SA-20), Crotale NG, HAWK (MIM-23), Buk M1(SA-17), OSA AKM (SA-8), Tor M1 (SA-15) on the Greek side and recently delivered S-400 (SA-21b), upgraded Rapier B1X, Altigan and HAWK (MIM-23) on the Turkish side

Get more information from its official Product Page.

Close Combat: The Longest Day is out now on Steam. Revive the first and most crucial days of Operation Overlord, from the first steps on the beaches of Normandy to Carentan and Carpiquet (and more).

This version benefits of many improvements and changes made specifically for this release, including new setting available for HD resolutions and it doesn’t require to run in windowed mode in Win 8/10 anymore!

To celebrate this important event, we have created a Close Combat Collection Bundle (The Bloody First, Gateway to Caen, Panthers in the Fog, Last Stand Arnhem, Wacht am Rhen, Close Combat: The Longest Day) at 30% off! Check it out!

Important note for Matrix users. Close Combat: The Longest Day Matrix version will need to be uninstalled and installed again to get the improvements working.

Source: Blue’s News

SEGA and Creative Assembly announce A Total War Saga: TROY will launch exclusively on the Epic Games Store on August 13th. They also reveal the historical strategy game will be free to keep for all who claim their copy within the first 24 hours of release. There are details on the game in the this FAQ, which says the game will come to Steam in summer 2021. In response to concerns expressed about the exclusivity, they tweet that they have no plans for future Epic exclusives: “We currently have no plans for any future games to be Epic exclusives. We do want to be more platform agnostic moving forward, and we would like future games to be available on the Epic Games Store, but that’s in addition to being available on other platforms such as Steam.” Here’s a new trailer and here’s the news:

Sega Europe Ltd. and The Creative Assembly Ltd today announced that A Total War Saga: TROY™ will launch exclusively via the Epic Games Store on August 13, 2020, free to keep for players who download within the first 24 hours.

Using Total War’s BAFTA award-winning marriage of grand turn-based strategy and spectacular real-time battles, A Total War Saga: TROY™ plunges players into the legendary Bronze-Age conflict of the Trojan War, where they assume the roles of Achilles, Hector, and many other legendary heroes as they fight to defend the great city of Troy… or raze it to the ground.

“Thanks to Epic, we’re able to offer a Total War title for free on its launch day. It’s a hugely exciting thing for us to be able to do for our players,” says Tim Heaton, Chief Studios Officer at Sega Europe Ltd. “Not only does this mean that we can bring the tales and legends of TROY to a wide audience through Epic’s massive platform, but it also means new players will get to try Total War for the first time, experiencing the unique gameplay that the series is famous for.”

With Field of Glory: Empires, players conquered the Mediterranean in the Roman era. Now, it’s time to travel further back into the past. Slitherine and AGEOD’s 4X Grand Strategy game, given a “Very Positive” rating by players on Steam, is releasing its very first DLC today, on May 21st: Persia 550-330 BCE will transport players to the era of Persia’s lightning-fast ascension from a humble kingdom to one of the largest empires history has ever known.

To celebrate this important event, Field of Glory: Empires is 30% off for an entire week! Hurry up, the offer ends at 5 pm BST of May 28th.

Like Cyrus the Great, players will overthrow their powerful neighbours: Media, ancient Babylon with her mighty cities, and Lydia, with riches beyond any wildest dream. Not far from Persia, Athens and Sparta are vying for supremacy over the Hellenic world – soon, the Achaemenid Empire will be on a collision course with the Greeks.

Players wishing to take on the ultimate challenge can start as an unknown underdog, maybe a modest Italian city or the newly founded Carthage, still far from being the vast Empire seen in the original game, forging their rise to glory from even the lowliest of beginnings.

Published in July 2019, Field of Glory: Empires is a deeply intricate Grand Strategy game set in the Mediterranean’s Classical Age. The player rules one of the 70+ factions present in the game, from the mighty Rome, Macedonia, or Carthage to the tiny Etruscii, Nabatene or Britonae.

Whichever faction they choose, the player can lead it to conquer the known world, building cities, studying new technologies, and fighting enemies from across antiquity. Field of Glory: Empires is distinct in the genre because of features like “decadence”, undermining even the greatest empire, or the ability to export battles to fight tactically in Field of Glory II, Slitherine’s battle simulator.

Learn what is Field of Glory: Empires in less than two minutes – promised!

Each nation will have a new set of tools to further its goals, and distinct regional decisions particular to each faction. Persia, Athens and Sparta have their own individual choices to make.

Special natural sites can creatively hamper development until the player fixes the issue, whilst boons are the more positive opposite of these impediments – they’re rarer, but make certain regions even more unique.

Do not expect to play Persia as you play Athens or Lydia. Each will play differently, from events, missions and national modifiers to special units and specific buildings.

As in Field of Glory: Empires, players will be able to export their battles to the wargame simulator Field of Glory II and fight them with the deeper, tactical engine.

More information is available on the official Field of Glory: Empires – Persia 550 – 330 BCE webpage.

First Japanese troops, fresh unit abilities, and Chinese Imperial warriors revealed!

BAFTA nominated developer Firefly Studios has revealed new units coming to Stronghold: Warlords, the upcoming entry in their classic ‘castle sim’ series. With the ability to land precision strikes, instantly clear walls of Archers, or simply deal high damage with powerful weapons, each unit introduces a new set of tactics.

See the new units in action HERE.

Samurai
With the ability to charge down enemies foolish enough to stand in their way and eliminate high priority units like Generals with their Precision Strike, Samurai have a unique role to play in the game. True to their historical roots, these disciplined feudal fighters are best used in combat against priority targets or to quickly shut down foes with powerful abilities of their own. With a steady movement speed and weakness to gunpowder, they are however susceptible to swarms of cavalry and gunpowder-fuelled missile fire.

Imperial Guardsman
An expensive but valuable unit, the heavy mace-wielding Imperial Guardsman will make a serious dent in any enemy siege force. Able to build up a Heavy Attack while in combat, the Guardsmen can then deal area damage in a wide arc when triggered. The Guardsmen can quickly tip the scales in your favour mid-siege—use him to clear castle walls, crush unarmoured skirmish troops, or dismantle siege weapons.

Imperial Warrior
While the Imperial Warrior lacks a unique ability like that of the Samurai or Guardsman, he makes up for it with a high armour rating and damage output thanks to his weapons of choice. Resistant to Archer fire, Fire Lancers, and all but the heaviest siege weapons, the Imperial Warrior should form part of the front line in any castle siege or any large scale open field battle.

Scheduled for release on Steam later this year, players can find out more about Stronghold: Warlords by visiting the game’s official website.

About Stronghold: Warlords

The latest ‘castle sim’ RTS from Firefly Studios, Stronghold: Warlords allows you to recruit, upgrade and command AI warlords across the battlefield. Each warlord under your command boosts your strategic prowess with their own unique perks, characteristics and upgradeable abilities. Use them to boost your industry, fortify defences or team up for a pincer attack! Each campaign mission, skirmish game and multiplayer battle means a fresh set of warlords to command and new strategic depth. Stronghold: Warlords is Firefly’s first game to recreate the castle economies of the Far East, allowing you to command Mongol hordes, imperial warriors and samurai clansmen as you lay siege to Japanese castles and fortified Chinese cities. Besiege historical warlords using new gunpowder-fuelled siege weapons and a completely new way to play Stronghold.

The Battle of the Bulge or Hitler’s last gambit is the bloodiest battle fought by American soldiers in WWII. If it had succeeded, it would have led to the destruction of 4 Allied armies and, possibly, a separate peace with Germany. Wehrmacht codenamed it Wacht am Rhein.

Close Combat: Wacht am Rhein, originally released in 2011, is landed on Steam! This version benefits of many improvements and changes made specifically for this release, including new setting available for HD resolutions.

Revive the battle the could have changed World War II.

To celebrate this important event, we have created a Close Combat Collection Bundle (The Bloody First, Gateway to Caen, Panthers in the Fog, Last Stand Arnhem, Wacht am Rhen) at 30% off! Check it out!

Important note for Matrix users. Close Combat: Wacht am Rhein Matrix version will need to be uninstalled and installed again to get the improvements working.

Mark the date as The rising falcon is coming soon. Field of Glory: Empires – Persia 550 – 330 BCE will be out on May 21st!

The first DLC for the acclaimed grand strategy game Field of Glory: Empires showcases the epic journey of Persia, from its humble origins surrounded by older and bigger kingdoms to be one of the largest Empire in the Ancient World.

New Regional decisions, Units, Faction Perks and Special content awaits you. When the Gods call, how will you answer?

More information is available on the official Field of Glory: Empires – Persia  550 – 330 BCE webpage.

Paradox’s Medieval Grand Strategy Game to Release This Fall

The herald rides forth to make the announcement all have awaited. Court and commoners hold their breath in anticipation. Jealous rivals, thwarted in their plots, sulk in the shadows, for the glorious day is coming. Crusader Kings III, the heir to the crown of grand strategy gaming, will take its throne on September 1, 2020.

Now available for pre-order, Crusader Kings III is a medieval grand strategy role-playing game from Paradox Development Studio. Guide a royal dynasty through the centuries. Claim new lands through diplomacy and marriage, or use your armies to conquer your neighbors or unite a divided realm. When swords and seduction fail, however, spies and poison may still be effective.

Crusader Kings III is the sequel to one of the world’s most beloved strategy games. Rich with new historical content and character options, it has never been easier to wrap yourself in the ermine cloaks of power, writing your own story of castles, knights, crusades, and murder.

Watch the Crusader Kings III – Story Trailer – Real Strategy Requires Cunning trailer HERE.

Features of Crusader Kings III include:

• Character Focused Gameplay: Every character you play or interact with has their own unique personality. Events and options in the game are largely determined by the type of person you are.
• Infinite Possibilities: Play as any noble house from Iceland to India, Finland to Central Africa over five centuries. Interact with wandering guests, stubborn children, devious spymasters and saintly holy men in an elaborate tapestry of medieval life.
• Waging War: Rally your vassals and raise your men-at-arms to besiege enemy castles or put down rebellions. Personal prowess on the battlefield can win you great honor, but strategic planning is the path to victory.
• Royal Marriages: Spread your dynastic DNA throughout the world, stamping your royal seal on the crests of kingdoms and duchies far and wide. Marry for power and raise children to press claims on new lands.
• Saints and Sinners: Keep faith with your religious leaders or perform great crimes in the interest of the state. When the going gets tough, you can always embrace a heresy or craft a new religion more in line with your character’s priorities.
• Schemes and Skulduggery: Learn the secrets of your courtiers and vassals so you can blackmail them for their support. Seduce your way into a superior’s good books, or plot the untimely demise of an unfortunate relative.
• Events Inspired By History: Experience great holy wars, peasant revolts, cadet branches of dynasties, heretics, superstition, castles, knights and wars over inheritance.
• 3D Character Portraits: Characters age and change appearance as their traits take a toll on their body. The higher the rank, the fancier the clothing.
• And much more: Holy Orders, mercenaries, pagan and Viking raiders, easily customized rule sets and a beautiful new map to play on.

Crusader Kings III is available for pre-order at major online retailers and the Paradox store for a suggested retail price of $49.99/ £41.99/ €49.99 and will be available to desktop monarchs on September 1, 2020.