Month: August 2017

Just Announced Hardware for 11 August 2017

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.

Hardware | Donster | August 11, 2017 |

Historical Article: Screaming Bird of Prey

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…

Military History | Donster | August 8, 2017 |

Sudden Strike 4 – German Forces Trailer

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.

Strategy and Wargaming Sudden Strike 4 | Donster | August 8, 2017 |

Supreme Ruler The Great War Now Available on Steam

supreme-ruler-the-great-war 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.

Strategy and Wargaming Supreme Ruler The Great War | Donster | August 8, 2017 |

Order of Battle: Burma Road Trailer – Preview Live Stream on Twitch

order-of-battle-burma-road 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!

Order of Battle: Burma Road Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | August 8, 2017 |

Antec Mercury 240 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler Review

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

Hardware System Cooling | Donster | August 8, 2017 |

Just Announced Hardware for 8 August 2017

Hardware | Donster | August 8, 2017 |

Gary Grigsby’s War in the West is Out Now on Steam

Gary Grigsby’s War in the West, the most ambitious and detailed computer wargame on the Western Front of World War II ever made, has finally been released on Steam!

Join the fight and lead your troops to victory with this incredibly detailed simulation. Each squad and vehicle will be under your command, waiting for your orders, in a huge 36k hex map with a comprehensive new air game that will allow you to control the skies above the battleground.

While your troops bring chaos and destruction on the field, you will also have to make plans for the logistic side of the battle, including rail usage, depots, trucks, ports and realistic interdictions.

Improve your World War II experience with the expansion “Operation Torch”, that introduces 10 new challenging scenarios, including both historical and what-if operations like the “Battle for Tunisia”, “Operation Dragoon” and “Breach of the Gothic Line”.

So, are you ready to show what you got on the battlefield? Grab Gary Grigsby’s War in the West on Steam now!

Do you think you are not tough enough for this? Then watch the tutorials we just made for new players! They’ll guide you and teach you the core mechanics of the game.

Gary Grigsby’s War in the West 1943-45 Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | August 3, 2017 |

Field of Glory II Developers Diary: Game Modes

Here we are today to have an in-depth look on Field Of Glory II’s Game Modes.

FOG2 has a number of game modes, designed to give the maximum amount of variety and replayability.

Tutorial
The tutorial is in the form of three hypothetical battles between historical opponents – Ancient British vs Romans, King Pyrrhos of Epeiros vs Carthaginians, and Hannibal’s Carthaginians vs Romans. These are actual battles rather than being “on rails” so that the new player can get a real feel for the game. However, they have lots of context-appropriate popups that demonstrate the UI and rules as the game is played.

Read the full Game Modes Developers Diary HERE.

Field of Glory II Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | August 3, 2017 |

Corsair One Pro 1080 Ti Compact Gaming PC Review

By Joe Evans @ Legit Reviews

Just scant days after the announcement that EagleTree Capital bought a majority share of the company, Corsair sent us over one of their new One Pro 1080 Ti gaming system to check out. Unfortunately, we had some delays in the process and were only able to spend a few days with it before the launch so no huge in depth analysis here, but we got enough hands-on time to give it a fair evaluation. It’s got some of the best parts available crammed into a relatively small package that’s visually dazzling. As a follow up to their original Corsair One that was well received in the industry, they’ve upped the ante a bit with some minor upgrades in this iteration. I’ll relieve any suspense up front by saying it’s a kick ass system but I’m pretty sure you could tell that just from the specs and pictures alone and if not, maybe this video will help.

Read The Review Here

Hardware PC Gaming Systems | Donster | August 3, 2017 |