Month: June 2020

panzer-corps-2When 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.

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 | |

New cataclysmic Battle Path brings landmark campaign, tanks, camouflage, and more!

A new era of devastation has arrived in modern tank shooter Armored Warfare! The Enigma’s Legacy Battle Path is now live, bringing a campaign that promises to give tank commanders their greatest battle to date. Following the defeat of the powerful and mysterious Enigma Corporation, victory celebrations have been cut short by the sudden eruption of a massive supervolcano! In this latest Battle Path, Commanders will have to rekindle old alliances and race to find shelter if they want to survive this global disaster.

Enigma’s Legacy sees players facing the eve of a ‘volcanic winter.’ They will have to fight to prove their strength, negotiate with former enemies to capture as many resources as possible, and obtain the coordinates of the fallen Enigma Corporation’s last shelter as the end of the world looms. The three-month event is packed with earnable rewards including gold, accelerators, premium time, unique camouflage and equipment and, top of the line Asian-manufactured tanks for commanders to collect and deploy in a new theatre of war!

The Enigma’s Legacy Battle Path features:

New Asian Tanks and Equipment
The Enigma’s Legacy Battle Path features an impressive number of high-end, Asian-manufactured tanks and armored fighting vehicles for Commanders to unlock, customize, and deploy:

  • Type 74: A testament to Japanese design and ingenuity, the Type 74 provides good firepower and mobility, making it the perfect entry level addition to the Enigma’s Legacy campaign.
  • Seon’gun – 915 MBT: Unlocked at Level 10, this North Korean powerhouse is a practical, universal MBT with adequate armor and good mobility that will get players where they need to be, and strike the most effective blows on the battlefield.
  • SBS Pindad: Unlocked at level 30, this Indonesian medium-range fire support vehicle that will require very careful gameplay and planning. In certain situations, it has the potential to be absolutely brutal, but playing it in the ‘traditional’ AFV manner, or even rushing to meet the enemy head on, will lead to its quick demise.
  • Type 10 Hitomaru: Unlocked at level 40, this tank is suitable for skilled players who enjoy aggressive, fast gameplay and strive to quickly achieve battlefield dominance. As matches drag on the vehicle will lose its protection, but skilled players who can effectively balance risk and situational awareness will be able to deliver devastating punches with this little devil.
  • Hunter AFV: A pinnacle of bleeding edge technology with good protection and excellent firepower, this tank is equipped with NERA (Non-Explosive Reactive Armor) type armor, with its extra layer of spaced armor offering superior protection. Its Bushmaster Mk. 44 autocannon fires 500 rounds per minute, and it also has a dual rocket launcher.

Exclusive Skins, Decals, Avatars, and More Rewards!
Alongside new Premium vehicles, players can unlock even more Battle Path rewards like Battle Coin boosters, gold, accelerators, and Enigma’s Legacy exclusive camouflages, decals, and avatars to help players’ armories evolve into massive tank battalions.

New Upgrades Available
The Workshop is making a comeback, allowing players to further improve their prize vehicles by completing Battle Path missions and challenges. The Workshop can also be used to upgrade older vehicles from the Last Patriot Battle Path.

To find out more about Armored Warfare and download the game for free, visit the games official website.

command-conquer-remastered-collectionSource: 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.

silverstone-fara-b1-caseAn Affordable, Stylish PC Case

By Chris Ledenican @ Hot Hardware

SilverStone released a handful of new cases and coolers a few months back, targeting an array of price points for DIY PC builders. One of the more affordable additions to the line-up was the SilverStone Fara B1 mid-tower we’re evaluating today. The Fara B1 is priced to move at about $60, but it has the looks and features of much more expensive cases. Of course, looks can be deceiving, so we decided to get our hands on the Fara B1 to see if its worthy of consideration for your next budget-friendly desktop #PCMasterRace build.

Read the Review Here

Cases Hardware | Donster | |

asus-rog-strix-xg279q-monitorBy Hilbert Hagedoorn @ Guru3D

In this article, we will test the ASUS ROG STRIX XG279Q. This is a 27-inch 2560 x 1440 screen, IPS based with a 170 Hz refresh rate. Oh yes, and some RGB lighting as well as offering FreeSync and GSync compatibility in the form of adaptive sync. All that for € 679,00 / 599 USD.

Read the Review Here

Hardware Monitors | Donster | |

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 | |

command-live-aegean-in-flamesMatrix 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.

asrock-z490-pg-velocitaBy Nate @ TechPowerUp!

The Z490 board I have the privilege to introduce is the ASRock Z490 Velocita. The widely successful Phantom Gaming line is back, and with a new member. ASRock’s Phantom Gaming family of motherboards was introduced with the Z390 platform not much more than a year ago. The product line features black, red, and gray styling, 2.5 Gb/s LAN, and an emphasis on performance. This newest member of the Phantom Gaming family is no exception, even the name “Velocita” translates to “speed.”

Read the Review Here

Hardware Motherboards | Donster | |

gigabyte-z490-aorus-master-moboRefreshing the Upper Mid-Range

By Joe Shields @ Tom’s Hardware

In our first of four upper-midrange Z490 motherboard review, we take a close look at the Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Master to see what sets it apart from the competition around this price point. The $389.99 Gigabyte board is pointed squarely at the enthusiast and gaming markets, and is priced about $130 higher than the ASRock Z490 PG Velocita, the first Z490 board we reviewed.

Read the Review Here

 

Hardware Motherboards | Donster | |