Month: April 2021

Just Announced Hardware for 12 April 2021

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 | April 12, 2021 |

Bohemia Interactive Announces Major Arma 3 Creator DLC on the Vietnam War

Arma 3 Creator DLC: S.O.G. Prairie Fire, features a 300 km2 terrain, 50+ weapons, 50+ vehicles, co-op campaign, and more

Publisher Bohemia Interactive and third-party developer Savage Game Design are announcing today a major new Creator DLC coming soon to PC’s premier military sim game, Arma 3.

S.O.G. Prairie Fire will transport players back to the Vietnam War and deliver a thrilling and historic military sandbox experience on a scale not seen before in a video game. The S.O.G. Prairie Fire DLC is scheduled for release on Steam in Q2 2021 and will be priced at $22.99 USD (€22.99 EUR / £19.99 GBP). People can already add the Creator DLC to their wishlist by visiting its store page on Steam.

The name S.O.G. Prairie Fire refers to the “Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group” (MACV-SOG), which was a United States Special Forces unit established in 1964 to conduct covert operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. This task force will play a central role in the DLC’s multiplayer co-op campaign. To portray the soldiers’ experiences in a more accurate manner, Savage Game Design has been closely collaborating with US Special Forces veterans who served in MACV-SOG until it was deactivated in 1972, as well as Vietnamese advisors.

Key features of the S.O.G. Prairie Fire Creator DLC include:

Cam Lao Nam Terrain – Explore a unique 300 km2 terrain representing the Vietnam War’s entire Area of Operations, including the Ho Chi Minh Trail which ran from North Vietnam through neighboring Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam.
4 Factions – Fight as the United States Army (including the covert MACV-SOG Special Forces unit), Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) or Viet Cong. All sides come equipped with their own uniforms and gear.
50+ Weapons – Engage the enemy with detailed recreations of pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, grenade launchers, and a diverse range of weapon accessories. Your arsenal is reinforced by deadly grenades, traps, and other special items.
50+ Vehicles & Static Weapons (including variants) – Wage war in the jungles, mountains, cities, rivers, and islands of Vietnam with several variations of armed helicopters, gunboats, light tanks, cars, trucks, static weapons, one jet, five small boats, and two bicycles.
Multiplayer Co-op Campaign – Operate deep within enemy territory as a member of a clandestine MACV-SOG recon team in a fully voice-acted campaign that consists of 6 highly replayable co-op missions for up to 14 players.
9 Multiplayer Scenarios – Play 9 new scenarios in Arma 3′s official End Game, Warlords, Zeus, and Escape game modes. The “Ash & Trash” bonus mission tasks you with flying routine helicopter missions around the beautiful countryside and landmarks of Cam Lao Nam.
5 Single Player Scenarios – Become familiar with the weapons, vehicles, and equipment used during the Vietnam War in two new Showcase scenarios. Additionally, there is a mission for both MACV and PAVN that introduces you to jungle combat from either perspective. The “Ash & Trash” bonus mission can also be enjoyed in single player.
Sounds & Effects – Experience ‘Nam with immersive audio meticulously designed to reproduce the sound of jungle guerrilla warfare: wildlife calls, disturbed vegetation, quiet whispers of “Charlie”, bullet cracks, explosions, and the loud cries of the wounded.
Music – Listen to an atmospheric soundtrack that consists of rock and blues, and a cinematic score composed with Vietnamese instruments. Players can tune into an in-game radio channel that also broadcasts original Armed Forces Vietnam news and adverts that ran at the time.
Additional Content – S.O.G. Prairie Fire is complemented by various modules and objects that are usable when the DLC is loaded. This includes custom systems for battlefield logistics, artillery and air support, melee combat, and more – as well as 100 food, drink, and medicine items and over 150 building structures and fortifications that can be used to support community-made content and game modes.

Creator DLC is a label for original Arma 3 projects made by third-party developers and published by Bohemia Interactive (Arma 3′s official developer). This program enables external talent to earn a financial reward for their work, while players get to enjoy new quality content. The first Creator DLC, Global Mobilization – Cold War Germany, was released in April 2019 and has managed to achieve over 130,000 sales since then. Bohemia Interactive expects to publish more Creator DLC projects in 2021, starting with the release of S.O.G. Prairie Fire in the second quarter of this year.

To ensure an optimal launch of the S.O.G. Prairie Fire DLC, Bohemia Interactive and Savage Game Design will host a small-scale, closed beta test in the next two weeks. Selected members of the Arma 3 community will be invited to report any remaining technical issues and help test the upcoming DLC on a variety of PC configurations.

Furthermore, on the day of the DLC’s full release, Savage Game Design will publish a compatibility data pack for non-owners to the Arma 3 Steam Workshop. Subscribing to this Workshop item will allow those who do not own S.O.G. Prairie Fire to still play on multiplayer servers that make use of the DLC’s assets. It will also let people inspect the new assets in-game before purchasing. Access to the DLC’s premium Cam Lao Nam terrain, campaign, and single player scenarios, however, will remain exclusive to the owners of the S.O.G. Prairie Fire DLC. Restrictions to the in-game use of DLC assets by non-owners also apply.

The exact release date of the Arma 3 Creator DLC: S.O.G. Prairie Fire will be shared at a later time. More information about the project can also be found at https://www.sogpf.com. Savage Game Design plans to share more development insights via their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

To learn more about the Arma 3 Creator DLC initiative, and to find answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions, please visit https://arma3.com/dlc/creator.

Arma 3 First-Person Shooters | Donster | April 7, 2021 |

The ‘Future Technology’ Event Rrings Four New Rare Vehicles to War Thunder Players

An experimental Soviet SPG, a high-tech US tank prototype and more prizes await the players.

Gaijin Entertainment announces that the Future Technology event for the military online action War Thunder that gives the opportunity to get new rare vehicles will continue until the 12th of April. The prizes are: the Soviet SU-76D SPG, the Japanese JDS Yūgure destroyer, the US XM8 light tank and an early version of the German F-4F fighter jet.

Future Technology is a crafting event where players participate in regular War Thunder battles to gather resources, ammunition and blueprints that are required to build a futuristic Minotaur tank. These Minotaur tanks can be exchanged for the four new rare vehicles mentioned above.

The SU-76D was an experimental tank destroyer with a low silhouette, an inclined arrangement of armor plates and a diesel engine. It was developed by the Soviet engineers during World War II but was not used in serial production because of the difficulties with the locally produced and sufficiently powerful diesel engine.

Yūgure was originally a Fletcher class US destroyer that Japan received at the end of 1950’s and was modified and used as an anti-submarine and training vessel. Five dual 40mm Bofors cannons allow Yūgure to easily take care of any smaller vessels and aircraft.

The XM8 AGS was an experimental American light tank, developed in the early 1990’s in an effort to replace the Army’s outdated M551 Sheridan tanks but only prototypes of this machine were built. The 105 mm XM35 rifled cannon and a 550 horsepower diesel engine gives XM8 enough firepower and mobility. There is an option to install additional composite screens onto the vehicle, enhancing its protection.

The F-4F was the export version of the famous Phantom fighter jet made for the German Air Force. It’s almost as powerful as the original US variant. The pilot is free to choose from a variety of weapons: bombs up to 2,000 pounds, Mighty Mouse and Zuni rockets, 20mm Vulcan gunpods and three modifications of the deadly Sidewinder air-to-air missiles: AIM-9B FGW-2, AIM-9E and AIM-9J.

The full description of the Future Technology event is available at the official website as well in the tutorial video.

MMORPGs War Thunder | Donster | April 7, 2021 |

To the Stars! World of Tanks Heads for Space with Latest Event

Starting today, tankers can celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first-ever manned spaceflight

This coming Monday will mark 60 years since man’s first foray into space as six decades ago Yuri Gagarin, and his capsule Vostok 1, journeyed into outer space and completed 1 full orbit around Earth. Such an occasion demands a great celebration and World of Tanks is bringing exactly that to its players.

To the Stars! is a two-pronged event which will see players acquire Star Points. By acquiring this special form of in-game currency through daily missions, they themselves will get great rewards, such as a unique 2D style based on Vostok 1 and the man himself, Yuri Gagarin, as well as some other valuable goodies. Gagarin will be an in-game commander, dressed in his iconic orange flightsuit. His voicelines have been specially recorded by a professional voice actor who has mimicked both the diction and intonation of this renowned space hero. This part of the event will run until April 19th.

Alongside the personal progress, players need to join forces to complete a set of common goals: completing stages daily from today to April 12th. Just like personal progress, it will require players to earn Star Points and these will be added to a shared “piggy bank” between all tankers, so everyone’s contribution is crucial. Once the required Star Points have been acquired, more of Gagarin’s story unfolds. Besides more details becoming available, players will also get increased XP multipliers in battles between April 12th and 19th.

During the event, tankers can visit a special event website dedicated to the first-manned spaceflight and this significant astronautical milestone. The World of Tanks team worked closely with Galina Gagarina, daughter of Yuri, during the creation of this event to make sure her father’s story was told as accurately as possible.

“Yuri Gagarin proved that humans can live and operate in space. His flight encouraged and gave hope to all those who dreamed of this! It kickstarted the deep understanding of humanity’s role in preserving and developing our cosmic home—Earth,” says the daughter of the legendary cosmonaut. “I’m happy to know that, through the millions-strong audience of World of Tanks, the memory of mankind’s first foray into space will be preserved for years to come!”

Max Chuvalov, Publishing Director for World of Tanks, adds: “We would like to thank Galina Gagarina for all the help and advice she gave throughout the project. We are happy to share her father’s story with all our players and hopefully by doing so, more people will become inspired!”

Players will be able to track both their own and the shared progress here. For more information about the To the Stars! event, visit worldoftanks.com.

MMORPGs World of Tanks | Donster | April 7, 2021 |

Warplan Pacific Tour – Episode #4, Hidden Naval and COMINT

warplan-pacific The new episode of the Warplan Pacific Tour is now available. Find out how hidden naval fleets, communications intelligence and encrypted codes were added to Warplan Pacific to better represent the Pacific War.

Episode #4, Hidden Naval and COMINT

Also, the official PDF manual is now available! You can download it here.

If you are hungry for more information on Warplan Pacific, you can check out our product page on Matrix Games.

Warplan Pacific, the second game in the Warplan series, will be released on April 29th.

Strategy and Wargaming WarPlan Pacific | Donster | April 7, 2021 |

Just Announced Hardware for 7 April 2021

Hardware | Donster | April 7, 2021 |

ACE COMBAT 7 – Experimental Aircraft DLC Announced

Source: Blue’s News

BANDAI NAMCO announces new Experimental Aircraft DLC is coming to ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN, offering the chance to be a test pilot with the pack’s titular experimental aircraft. This includes three plans, new skins, and new emblems. The Announcement Trailer offers a look and the brief announcement adds in some details:

The sheer variety of playable aircraft has always been a cornerstone feature of the ACE COMBAT franchise and ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN continues that tradition. This latest incoming delivery of cutting-edge combat aircraft will arrive in spring 2021 and will feature “Experimental Aircraft,” including:

F-15 S/MTD (The Boeing Company)
F-16XL (Lockheed Martin Corporation)
FB-22 Strike Raptor (Lockheed Martin Corporation)

All three experimental aircraft feature enhanced performance and attack capabilities. In addition to these three aircraft, new skins and emblems of enemy pilots and rival units from storied ACE COMBAT chapters of the past will be included with this latest “Experimental Aircraft Series” DLC package.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Combat Flight Sim | Donster | April 5, 2021 |

Corsair K55 RGB PRO XT Gaming Keyboard Review

By Hilbert Hagedoorn @ Guru3D

You know it, Corsair has been dominant with their high-end and flagship gaming keyboards. However, they’re still offering some very desirable keyboards in a far more interesting product category in that sub 70 USD space. With the new K55 RGB Pro (XT), Corsair wants to offer a board keyboard series that aesthetically and technically looks like the high-end models, at a far lower and fair price.

Read the Review Here

Gaming Keyboards Hardware | Donster | April 5, 2021 |

Just Announced Hardware for 5 April 2021

Hardware | Donster | April 5, 2021 |

Field of Glory 2: Medieval – Reconquista Coming Soon

field-of-glory-ii-medieval “Reconquista” The first DLC of Field of Glory II: Medieval brings the battles related to the Middle Ages in South West Europe.

Feudalism did not have such a dominant impact in Spain and Italy as it had in the rest of Europe and both these lands had unique factors which affected the conduct of warfare:

Spain 1050, with more than half of the Iberian peninsula under the rule of Islamic states, the era of Christian Reconquista began. It would last until 1492, after centuries of clashes between Berber Empires (Murabits, Almohads and Hafsids) and Christian Kingdoms (Aragon, Castile y Leon, etc.).
In Northern Italy the big cities formed the Lombard League to counter the attempts of the Holy Roman Emperor to enforce his authority over them. This was a part of the Wars between Ghibellines who supported the Holy Roman Emperor and the Guelfs that supporting the Pope.
In Southern Italy, the Normans rose from humble mercenaries to conquer the whole of southern Italy and establish the great kingdom of Sicily, after conquering the island from the Arabs.

These are the backgrounds, stories and wars that lead to the new DLC, which will include:

20 more nations and factions covering Spain, Italy and North Africa from 1040 AD to 1270 AD. These include Andalusians, Almohads, Arabs, Aragonese, Byzantine Catapanate of Italy, Castilians/Leónese, Catalans, Granadines, Hafsids, Italian Guelfs, Italian Ghibellines, Italo-Normans, Lombards, Marinids, Murabits, Navarrese, Papal, Portuguese, the Kingdom of Sicily and Tuaregs
41 more units and 45 more army lists
8 more historical scenarios covering key engagements of the period on an epic scale. These include Monte Maggiore 1041, Civitate 1053, Cabra 1079, Sagrajas 1086, Legnano 1176, Las Navas De Tolosa 1212, Montaperti 1260 and Benevento 1266.
33 more historical matchups added to Quick Battle mode, increasing the total to 98, playable from either side.
4 more historically-based campaigns covering major leaders and conflicts of the era: El Cid, Muhammad II of Granada, Normans in the South and Frederick II Hohenstaufen.
Sandbox campaign expanded to include all the new army lists, allowing you to lead any nation (and their historical allies) against any other nation (and their allies) – giving thousands of permutations.

Find out more about Field of Glory II Medieval on the games the official product page or via Steam.

Field of Glory II: Medieval Strategy and Wargaming | Donster | April 1, 2021 |