Month: September 2017

Source: Blue’s News

Activision announces multiplayer beta testing of Call of Duty: WWII for Windows will run on Steam from September 29th through October 2nd. The Sledgehammer Games Blog has all the details on what to expect. Here’s a bit, including system specs:

The PC Open Beta is just a small part of the full Call of Duty: WWII Multiplayer experience coming to Steam in November. This test is a critical step on our road to delivering the best possible online experience on Steam at launch in November, with the following key goals:

• Stress test core gameplay systems and online backend infrastructure at scale
• Provide PC fans with their first hands-on experience of the boots-on-the-ground combat coming in Call of Duty: WWII Multiplayer
• Engage with the PC community to fine-tune and optimize the PC experience for November

Here are the minimum PC specs you’ll need to play in the Beta test. Please note that these specs are for the Beta only. In our next update, we’ll share the recommended PC specs for the Beta, since we’re finalizing this part of our testing as we speak.

Min Spec:
OS: Windows 7 64-Bit or later
CPU: Intel® Core™ i3 3225 or equivalent
RAM: 8 GB RAM
HDD: 25 GB HD space
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660 @ 2 GB / AMD Radeon™ HD 7850 @ 2GB or better
DirectX: Version 11.0 compatible video card or equivalent
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible

These specs could change following the PC Open Beta, so we’ll share the final specs closer to launch.

New planes and leaderboards are added in the just released ‘Planes & Ladders’-update for the popular free-to-play World War 2 game Heroes & Generals.

With the addition of new fighter planes all three factions in the game now have two Medium Fighter planes besides a Reconnaissance airplane and a Heavy Fighter. Bringing the total number of planes to 12 – and more are coming.

The three new planes in the ‘Planes & Ladders’-update are:

• The Soviet Medium Fighter Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3
• The German Medium Fighter Messerschmitt Bf 109D-1
• The US Medium Fighter Seversky P-35A

The new planes are placed as the first Medium Fighters players unlock after Reconnaissance planes. They are easier to control, easing the learning curve for new pilots on their path toward higher tier planes.

Introducing leaderboards in Heroes & Generals

Players in Heroes & Generals now get to compare their performance with other players across a wide variety of activities and achievements. More than 30 new leaderboards cover not only classic stats like kills, headshots, etc, but also stats for support roles, tactical actions and how good the Generals are at commanding their troops in the war.

The leaderboard categories are:

• OVERALL – ranking soldiers based on score, kills, headshots, etc.
• SUPPORT – ranking by support activities such as first aid, deploying vehicles, etc.
• TACTICAL – ranking soldiers based on their tactical performance.
• WEAPONS – ranking soldiers by weapon usage.
• VEHICLES – ranking soldiers based on their destruction of enemy vehicles.
• ASSAULT TEAMS – ranking assault team performance and activity in the war.

The leaderboards can be found at www.heroesandgenerals.com/leaderboard/ and they all show player performances from the last 30 days. So to stay on top, you will need to play regularly.

“We’re really excited about giving the players another layer of engagement for Heroes & Generals with the new leaderboards. I’m especially glad that we, besides the usual boards with kills, etc, also give credit to support roles and other aspects of the game.” says Jacob Andersen, Game Director at Reto-Moto: “It is a team effort and eventually we would like to expand the leaderboards to cover enough aspects of the game for every player to find a board where he ranks high on or even for players to set up their own leaderboards using an open API.”

Future updates for Heroes & Generals will provide even more more leaderboard categories.

The full changelog for the 1.08 Update ‘Planes & Ladders’ can be found HERE.

Heroes & Generals is available for free at HeroesAndGenerals.com.

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that its award-winning MMO WWII online game, War Thunder, is commemorating the Anniversary of the Battle of Britain Day with a weekend event and brand a new video from their “Legends” series. Focusing on one of the defenders of the British skies – the Supermarine Spitfire this World War Two fighter was fast, highly maneuverable and played a vital role in defending Britain from constant aerial attack in the summer of 1940. Today you will be able to participate in an exciting tournament dedicated to the Spitfire series – fight valiantly and take your reward!

Check out the “Legends” video HERE.

War Thunder Spitfire Event Details

TODAY is the 77th commemoration of the Battle of Britain – the historic clash between the RAF and the German Luftwaffe during World War Two. On this day in 1940, the Luftwaffe embarked on their largest bombing attack yet, forcing the engagement of the entirety of the the Royal Air Force (RAF) in defence of London and the South East, which resulted in a decisive British victory that proved to mark a turning point in Britain’s favour.

From September 15th 12:00 GMT to September 18th 07:00 GMT
Take part in “Royal joust” event (AB, RB)

All participants are your rivals, only the pilot who is first to destroy 8 enemies wins!

Players should have rank 3 aircraft available for research. You will receive a preset with Spitfires – from the early versions up to the latest. It is up to you in what order you use them though.

Every pilot gives 15,000 Silver Lions when he joins the event, the winner gets 120,000 Silver Lions.

To download War Thunder, please visit the official War Thunder website.

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.

• EK is Releasing a New RGB Monoblock for Several ASUS X299 Based Motherboards
• Gigabyte Announces AORUS H5 Gaming Headset with 50 mm Beryllium Drivers
• Corsair Announces 16GB DDR4-4600 Vengeance LPX DRAM Kits
• ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces ROG Strix Fusion 300 Headset
• ENERMAX Intros MaxTytan 1250 & 1050W PSUs with Wattage Meter & COOLERGENIE
• Lian Li Introduces All-Aluminium Convertible Case Series
• ZOTAC Announces ZBOX MAGNUS EK and ER Series Compact Gaming Desktops
• Arctic Embraces Colours with BioniX Gaming Fans and Freezer 33 eSports Cooler
• SilentiumPC’s Regnum RG4 Chassis Comes In 4 Versions
• TP-Link Launches Budget TL-WR940N Wireless LAN Router
• Colorful Intros a Non-standard Motherboard with Eight PCIe x16 Slots
• Gigabyte Releases Aorus GeForce GTX 1060 with WindForce 3X Cooler
• Jonsbo Now Offering TW Series AIO CPU Coolers
• GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Motherboards Pictured
• Silicon Power Releases DDR4 UDIMM With Heatsink Jacket
• G.SKILL Announces New DDR4-4600 MHz Extreme Performance Trident Z Memory Kit
• ASRock Announces X299 OC Formula Motherboard
• Been There, Done That: HP New Firmware Update Locks Non-Original Ink Cartridges

Following its reveal a few weeks ago (watch trailer), Bohemia Interactive announces the official release of the Laws of War DLC for Arma 3. This new package lets players explore a different perspective on the battlefield in a story-driven singleplayer mini-campaign, and enriches the Arma 3 sandbox via the addition of a humanitarian faction, van, drone, clothing and gear, and more. To further introduce the DLC, Bohemia Interactive shared a new developer diary video, in which Arma 3’s Creative Director Jay Crowe and Project Lead Joris-Jan van ‘t Land examine the new content, discuss the origin of the project and its development process, and talk about the studio’s collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Instead of imposing any gameplay limitations, the Arma 3 Laws of War DLC aims to help players develop their understanding of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by placing a stronger emphasis on the consequences of their actions. This is also one of the central themes in the “Remnants of War” mini-campaign. Here you take on the role of EOD specialist Nathan MacDade, who is tasked with deactivating mines after the war on the Republic of Altis & Stratis has ended. While being interviewed by an investigative journalist, you uncover what happened in the town of Oreokastro via memory fragments that let you experience the perspective of various sides, ranging from a NATO soldier, to a CSAT special operative, FIA guerrilla fighter, and local car mechanic.

On top of the mini-campaign, the Laws of War DLC adds a variety of new premium character outfits, vehicles, and weaponry to Arma 3’s sandbox. This includes the IDAP humanitarian faction (multiple character outfits), a van (multiple variants with over 20 liveries), utility drone (different variants used either for cargo transport or demining operations), the controversial APERS Mine Dispenser weapon system, new vests, bags, head gear and face wear, a paramedic outfit, time trial challenges, and more. The DLC is supported by a major free platform update, which delivers free new content and gameplay feature extensions to everyone who owns Arma 3. Its highlights include refined cluster strikes, the simulation of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), improvements to the identification and deactivation of mines, the ability to drop custom informational leaflets from the sky using the new drone, a wide variety of emergency and medical supplies, faction-specific cluster bombs and bomblets, and many new decorative objects such as shelter tents and new furniture. In line with Bohemia Interactive’s existing DLC strategy for Arma 3, players who do not own the DLC will still be able to join multiplayer servers that make use of its premium content. However, some restrictions to the usage of the premium content will apply.

Last but not least, as part of the free platform update, there are also two free new Showcases available for all Arma 3 players. These individual scenarios serve as an introduction to the DLC’s theme and the new IDAP faction. In Showcase IDAP, you are a reporter visiting one of organization’s open days on Altis. Here you can learn more about IDAP’s history and activities. In Showcase Laws of War, you are a soldier attending one of IDAP’s instructional courses, in which you can run through three virtual training simulations that explain some of the basic principles of International Humanitarian Law.

The Arma 3 Laws of War DLC is now available for purchase on Steam and the Bohemia Store for € 9.99 / $ 11.99 / £ 8.99. Half of Bohemia Interactive’s net revenue from direct sales (not as part of bundles) of the Arma 3 Laws of War DLC in 2017 will be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The total amount raised will be announced on www.bistudio.com in 2018.

For a complete overview of the Arma 3 Laws of War DLC, please visit the official website at https://arma3.com/dlc/lawsofwar. If you wish to learn more about the project and its development, we also recommend you to read the ’OPREP: Laws of War’ devblog.

About Arma 3
Arma 3 is the latest installment in Bohemia Interactive’s award-winning Arma series, and offers a truly authentic combat experience in a massive military sandbox. Set across richly detailed large scale terrains, the game features a diverse range of official and unofficial singleplayer and multiplayer content, complemented by a wide variety of weapons, gear, equipment, vehicles, and different factions. An in-game scenario editor enables players to create their own scenarios. These custom scenarios can be shared and installed via the Arma 3 Steam Workshop, alongside player-created addons and total conversions. Arma 3 is exclusively available for Windows PC and has sold more than 3 million copies to date. More information about Arma 3 is available at www.arma3.com.

Source: TechPowerUp!

AMD has been on a roll when it comes to consistent driver updates, be it beta or WHQL certified, and with the ninth month of the year comes the release of their Radeon Crimson ReLive Edition 17.9.1 drivers. Given that the last beta driver brought with it game support already, this is more of the usual with bug fixes recognized from last time but also note this has a few bugs of its own discovered during the process. One of the more noteworthy bugs that were fixed with this update is the unresponsiveness of an RX Vega-driven system when woken up from sleep and then playing back videos, which was noted by multiple end users only recently, so it was a quick fix on AMD’s part and credit must be given there.

You can download the Crimson ReLive Edition 17.9.1 drivers here.

Cornered Rat Software has announced that World War II Online is now available on Steam! On September 5, the game became available for all of North and South America (except the USA). It will then be releasing to the USA on September 8, followed by Europe on September 12, Asia on September 15, and finally Oceania and the rest of the world on September 19.

World War II Online is a Massively Multiplayer FPS, simulation game set in the Western Front of WWII. The game offers a strategic and persistent winnable Campaign that is completely player-driven, both in the strategic planning and players fighting to control territory.

Get more game information on the official World War II Online website.

Hi, I’m Luke Hughes project lead On Burden of Command. Our two minute teaser video focused heavily on RPG aspects. But what about tactical combat?! While tactical details are still being worked out, today I can give you a high level impression by pointing to inspirations from cardboard. Hunh? Cardboard? Well IMHO a lot of creativity over the last few decades has come from the physical board game space (a future blog will cover digital influences). I feel privileged to “stand on the shoulders of giants” (well at least crouch). In this blog I will describe those influences and how they shape Burden of Command’s tactical design. The games below are by no means an exhaustive list, there are many other fine designs out there, these are just the ones that have had the most influence on me.

Read on…

A lot has happened in the 14 years since the Nazis have won World War II. It’s now 1961, the Reich has overtaken almost the entire world, and BJ Blazkowicz is returning to his home to rally the resistance and repel the invaders. But this isn’t the America BJ fought for during the war. Not anymore. Check out our latest video for a look at what’s in store for “Terror-Billy” in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.

“This game is all about liberating the U.S. and creating a platform there to liberate the rest of the world,” says Creative Director Jens Matthies. But first BJ needs to shoot, blast, hack and stab his way through New York, New Orleans, New Mexico – and several other locations – all of which have been significantly altered by years of Nazi oppression. From Nazi propaganda to straight-up subjugation, America has changed – but that won’t stop BJ from doing his job to liberate his country… and the rest of the world.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus releases on October 27, 2017, on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Winner of more than 100 awards at E3 2017, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus also received four nominations from the official E3 Game Critics Awards (including Best of Show) and won Best Action Game.

For more information, please visit the official Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus website.

Welcome to this AAR for Field of Glory II, the upcoming sequel of the original Field of Glory and developed by the legendary game designer Richard Bodley Scott (Field of Glory Tabletop, Pike and Shot, Sengoku Jidai).

For this After Action Report, I decided on a Custom Battle, with the AI at the highest difficulty level: Deity (sounds intimidating)!

In Field of Glory II, Custom Battles allow players to build their favourite battle with a wide range of options at their disposal. You can choose between 78 army lists of the period (check here for the entire list!), you can set the force size, the map type, and many other settings. An interesting thing when you select your enemy is that you can restrict the selection to geographical and historical consistency (or you can just go ahead and make the Ancient British fight against the Sarmatians!).

I picked up the Roman Army (219 – 200 BC) and, for my opponent, I decided to face the Macedonians (260-148 BC).

Read the After Action Report HERE.