Author - Jerry Paxton

Attack on Titan 2 Release Date and New Trailer

2017/12/04

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

Burlingame, Calif. — December 4, 2017 — Today KOEI TECMO America proudly revealed that ATTACK ON TITAN 2 will be released on March 20, 2018 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system; Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft; Nintendo Switch™; and on Windows PC via Steam®!

To celebrate the news KOEI TECMO America shared an action-packed new trailer, giving a taste of the thrilling narrative players can come to expect from ATTACK ON TITAN 2. In addition, they have unveiled new details on additional playable characters: Hitch Dreyse, Marlo Freudenberg, Mina Carolina, Nile Dawk, Thomas Wagner, Annie Leonhart, Bertholdt Hoover, Reiner Braun, the Armored Titan, the Colossal Titan, the Female Titan and a Mysterious Titan form.

Players will be able to create their own custom Scout in ATTACK ON TITAN 2, an all-new addition to the series, offering a fresh perspective on the events of both seasons of the worldwide anime hit, Attack on Titan. With enhanced Titan movements, Scouts will have to strategically use a plethora of new abilities in order to survive; from evade-style attacks like the hook drive ability, to long-rage sneak attacks – carefully strategized with the help of the new monocular tool!

Additional RPG elements have been implemented into ATTACK ON TITAN 2’s Town Life segments; allowing players to build relationships with their favorite characters from the Attack on Titan universe to gain a deeper understanding of their comrades.

To keep up to date with the latest news on ATTACK ON TITAN 2 please visit the official site at www.koeitecmoamerica.com/attackontitan2, Like www.facebook.com/koeitecmous, and Follow us on Twitter @koeitecmous

Plantronics RIG 800LX Wireless Xbox One Headset Review

2017/12/04

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Reviews, seal of excellence, Tech News, Tech Review

Plantronics has been making headsets for a long while, and . The Plantronics RIG 800 series is made up of two models: The 800LX is for PC and Xbox One gamers while the 800LS is for PlayStation 4 gamers. Recently, we got the chance to take a look at the Plantronics RIG 800LX and we were very impressed by its performance. In terms of design, the Plantronics RIG 800LX features dark black, silver, and gray colors and a mostly-plastic frame which lightens up the unit considerably. It features a lot of angular cuts making for a very futuristic look – one that will certainly illicit conversation in your LAN parties or tournaments.

Installing the Plantronics RIG 800LX is very simple. You just plug the wireless dongle into your available USB port – it works this way on both the Xbox One and Windows PC platform. While you don’t need to do so, at that point you should go to your Xbox or Windows store apps and redeem your code for Dolby Atmos. The code is only redeemable once but works on BOTH platforms once redeemed (it’s tied to your Microsoft account)! So that’s a nice bonus for those of you who game on both your Xbox One and PC rigs.

One of the most interesting things about the Plantronics RIG 800LX is that it features an activation code to unlock Dolby Atmos. What is Dolby Atmos? Well, Dolby Atmos is an object-based multi-dimensional surround sound algorithm that not only simulates sound on the horizontal plane, but also sound above and below you. This might sound too good to be true, but I am excited to say it is indeed the case – with games and films that support the technology… Gears of War 4, Battlefield 1, Crackdown 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and Overwatch are some of the games which support the tech and you won’t be disappointed in them. As I understand it, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 also supports the tech, but I have yet to test it with that game. Playing Overwatch on the PC is incredible and the sense of sound above and below you is pretty darn cool to say the least. Even if you don’t use the Dolby Atmos code (which I don’t know why that would be the case) the Plantronics RIG 800LX has some nice, crisp sound that makes for great game and music playing.

With Plantronics advertising a 24 hour battery (more on that later), it is clear that they mean for the gamer to wear the RIG 800LX for a long period of time. Comfort goes, the Plantronics RIG 800LX has numerous features built into the unit to make sure it rests comfortably on your head. First, it has an auto-adjusting fabric headband which conforms to the shape of your head. This is far more comfortable than the hard headband that most headsets subject gamers to. Also, the height of each ear cup can be adjusted to accommodate the gamer’s face. Everyone has different facial measurements and there is a very good chance that you will be able to make the RIG 800LX conform to yours.

As far as controls go, the Plantronics RIG 800LX allows you to adjust both game and chat volume via two dials on the left ear cup. On the left ear cup you will also find the swivel down boom mic, which features noise cancellation and makes for some very clear audio pickup. Your fellow squad mates will be able to hear you, loud and clear. On the bottom of the right ear cup you will find a push button which toggles between the four different equalizer settings: Pure is your basic, balanced sound curve. Seismic increases your bass a lot and can end up making your sound somewhat “muddy”. Intensify was a great way to pump up the lower end sound without the drawbacks of the Seismic mode. Vocal is, as it would seem, be all about the vocals and boosts up the higher end of the spectrum for chat purposes. You can tell what mode you are in as the headset will chime a certain number of “beeps” to indicate each one.

If I could change anything about the Plantronics RIG 800LX it would be to replace the swiveling boom microphone with a plug-in boom micrphone. Even though the mic can swivel up when not in use, you can’t just remove it. It is permanently fixed to the headset. I prefer having the option to remove my boom microphones – however, your mileage may vary on that, it’s my own pet peeve.

Internally, the Plantronics RIG 800LX features a battery capable of a company-rated 24 hours of use. Now, did I stay up for 24 hours straight to test this? NO! I need to get sleep like everyone else. I can say, however, that it did last for four days of evening use before needing to be recharged, so I have no doubt that it can live up to their rated 24 hours. This is very refreshing, as I hate having to plug my wireless peripherals in all the time.

Overall, the Plantronics RIG 800LX is an excellent set of wireless gaming headphones for $149.99 dollars. It is available now at various online retailers and would make for a great holiday present for the gamer in your family.

Plantronics RIG 800LX Review Score

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#0637e8″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#0637e8″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#0637e8″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#0637e8″ type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#0637e8″ type=”fa”] (5 out of 5 Stars)

KWA Ronin 10 Inch SBR Airsoft Gun Review

2017/11/30

Jerry Paxton

Action Sports, Airsoft News, Airsoft Reviews, Articles, Geek News, News, Reviews

Some weeks ago, KWA unveiled a new line of airsoft guns called the Ronin series. This series is made up of both their generation 2.5 and generation 3 AEGs, albeit with a cool-looking M-LOK rail system and some updated features. I picked up the Ronin 10 inch SBR from Evike for $339 so that I could take a closer look at it and see how it stacks up compared to the rest of the KWA family as well as some of the newer AEGs on the market.

KWA’s generation 2.5 airsoft guns feature a rotary hop up which won’t lose its adjustment easily during heated gameplay, a radiused and reinforced gearbox for stability and strength, variable performance system, magazine cut-off system, and a switch life extender unit that prevents trigger contact burnout. The additions to the Ronin line up when compared to KWA’s basic gen 2.5 rifle, the VM4A1, are cosmetic: You’ll find a solid M-LOK rail system, PTS grip, PTS flip up sights, and a PTS Enhanced Polymer Stock. Additionally, this rifle came with one of the new K120c 30/120 magazines equipped with the special follower that interacts with the rifles’s cut-off system. Additionally, the Ronin 10 features an ambidextrous fire select lever for you left-handed shooters out there.

If you have yet to see KWA’s variable performance system in action, it is pretty intriguing. Basically, the airsoft rifle was engineered with a way to mechanically adjust the pressure on the spring. This is accomplished via a screw where the buffer tube attaches to the receiver. KWA is smart and include the long hex driver to accomplish these adjustments right in the box. Each twist of the screw adjusts your velocity by +/- 2.5 FPS. The Ronin 10 is rated at adjustments from 380 all the way to 430 FPS, so it is very flexible if you need to go from, say, many local fields’ rule of a 400 FPS limit to various milsim events’ 450 FPS limit. Sure, you can’t get to the 450 limit, but 430 is a whole lot better than 400, allowing you to shoot heavier BBs and increasing your joule rating. What I like best about the variable performance system is that it is mechanically-driven. It doesn’t need a computer chip to calculate velocity and draw that much more power from your battery.

Speaking of batteries, you can easily run a decent-sized 11.1v LiPo battery in the Ronin 10 thanks to its PTS stock with crazy amounts of storage space and the rifle’s switch life extender feature. Putting that extra voltage through the rifle will not burnout your trigger contacts like it can do on airsoft rifles without electronic switches or MOSFET units.

KWA Ronin 10 with Lucid Optics Scope and PTS Foregrip

In play, the KWA Ronin 10 SBR handles beautifully thanks to its shorter length and lighter weight. The outer barrel flash hider sticks out of the 10 inch rail system a tiny bit, making the gun easy to maneuver around corners. It should be noted that if you need a Ronin specifically-built for CQB or indoor purposes, KWA has you covered. You can always pick up the Ronin 6 PDW airsoft gun, or, simply swap out the upper receiver and barrel from your Ronin 10 with the shorter length one! This modularity is one of the hallmarks of the Ronin line, and I can’t wait to pick up extra upper receivers of various lengths whenever they end up selling them. KWA’s tried and true rotary hop up is very accurate and the sheer amount of performance one gets right out of the box with this AEG is remarkable.

If instead of use in CQB games, you would like to have a DMR platform, KWA is releasing a Ronin 3 RECON RM4 airsoft rifle a bit later this year. That rifle will feature a longer handguard and barrel assembly while also featuring KWA’s generation 3 ERG (Electric Recoil Gun) system. Additionally, the new Ronin rifles of the generation 3 variety will ALSO feature the variable performance system.

Overall, the KWA Ronin 10 inch SBR airsoft gun is an excellent airsoft purchase for field play. With its variable performance system, you can adjust it from local field limits to milsim limits with ease and its excellent build quality coupled with light weight make it a breeze to carry around and operate. The KWA Ronin series is available now for $339 dollars from most airsoft retailers!

KWA Ronin 10 inch SBR Airsoft Gun Review

[mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”][mks_icon icon=”fa-star” color=”#1e73be” type=”fa”] (5 out of 5 stars)

Universal Studios Announces EVE New Year’s Eve Event

2017/11/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Universal City, California, November 30, 2017 – Universal Studios Hollywood rings in 2018 with Hollywood’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration, EVE, on Sunday, December 31, 2017, with extended theme park hours to 1:00 a.m.

The New Year’s Eve event, the first ever for Universal Studios Hollywood, is included in the price of theme park admission and invites guests to spend the day and night enjoying its many popular rides and attractions with a special park-wide countdown party featuring multiple entertainment hubs with DJs and live music, starting at 9:00 p.m.

Universal Plaza, Simpsons Plaza located adjacent to “The Simpsons Ride” and an area near “Jurassic Park—The Ride” will transform into three uniquely-themed electrifying party hubs that will culminate simultaneously at midnight with a traditional New Year countdown and a spectacular fireworks display.

Food and beverages, including specialty desserts, champagne, beer and wine, as well as 2018 memorabilia will be available for purchase.

With its festive environment, guests can toast the New Year with the spirit of the holidays already resonating throughout Universal Studios Hollywood. “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry PotterTM” introduces “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts TM Castle.” Several times each night, guests can enjoy amazing images inspires by the Harry Potter films as they come to life in breathtaking digital light projection on the backdrop of Hogwarts castle. And with extended hours on December 31, guests can celebrate the final day of “Grinchmas™” with The Grinch, his faithful dog Max and a roster of Who-ville Whos.

More information is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends Return to Clockwork City Launch Trailer

2017/11/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Mobile News, News, Trailers / Videos

November 30, 2017 – We are pleased to announce The Elder Scrolls: Legends – Return to Clockwork City is available now.

Inspired by classic adventure tales, Return to Clockwork City is the latest story expansion for The Elder Scrolls: Legends. Set hundreds of years after Sotha Sil’s demise, embark on an epic journey to the fabled Clockwork City filled with danger, wonder, and riches beyond imagination. The road won’t be easy. Nightmarish abominations, traps, and betrayals all stand between treasure hunters and their fabled loot, as the fate of the lost city hangs in the balance.

Featuring:

More than 50 new collectible cards

35 exciting story missions spread across 3 acts with all-new challenging scenarios

New mechanic:‘Assemble’ – When players play an Assemble creature, they will choose one of two bonuses. That bonus will be bestowed upon both that creature and every Factotum in the player’s hand and deck.

New mechanic:‘Treasure Hunt’ – While in play, these creatures will watch each card the player draws to see if it’s the treasure they’re looking for. Once the player draws everything the hunters want, a reward awaits.

‘Fabricants’– All-new creature born of both flesh and metal that reward players for playing with neutral cards like the Dwemer constructs. These five creatures (one per attribute) offer some serious power, and create some exciting new deckbuilding possibilities.

Watch the brand-new trailer for The Elder Scrolls: Legends – Return to Clockwork City here

Return to Clockwork City is available to download now on PC, iOS, and Android devices. All three acts plus alternate Laaneth card art are available for the bundled price of $19.99. Individual acts are available for $7.99 or 1,000 gold.

Airsoft Holiday Gift Guide 2017

2017/11/30

Jerry Paxton

Action Sports, Airsoft News, Articles, Geek News, News

This holiday gift guide will focus on Airsoft, an action sport/hobby which is gaining popularity around the world.

KWA Ronin SBR 10 AEG

The Ronin line of airsoft electric guns from KWA combines the solid performance of their v2.5 AEG and v3 ERG rifles with a stylish new rail system as well as some nifty PTS furniture. Additionally, the line was designed with modularity in mind, making it easy to change out the various upper receivers to customize your rifle for the game at hand. Finally, these new airsoft rifles feature the variable performance system allowing the user to fine tune their FPS.

The Ronin series is available now and retails between $299 and $399 depending on the model.

KRISS Vector Gen 2 AEG

The KRISS Vector gas blowback rifle is a veritable unicorn among airsoft enthusiasts. Sadly, it’s time in the “new” airsoft market is done, but Krytac has resurrected the rifle in the form of the KRISS Vector Gen 2 AEG. Featuring the same realistic look and feel – as well as an airsoft version of the real rifle’s recoil system – this is a terrific choice for indoor or outdoor play (recommend a minor spring upgrade for outdoor play however). The Kriss Vector Gen 2 AEG also features all the cool stuff you have come to expect from Krytac like a MOSFET, rotary hop up, and tight bore barrel. Additionally, this AEG has a 2-round burst fire mode!

The Kriss Vector Gen 2 AEG is available now for around $450 dollars.

G&G GPM92 Gas Blowback Pistol

G&G has taken a big step to move further into the gas blowback pistol market with their GPM92. Based off of the Beretta 92, this pistol features some really interesting technical modifications over standard gas blowback pistols. First, the GPM92 features a special “whirl” valve that rotates as green gas passes through it. This rotational spin is designed to reduce the build up of frost inside the slide. Additionally, the valves on the GPM92’s magazines have a special filter to remove moisture particles from the output. It is not usual to see this kind of innovation and it is clear that G&G has come to the gas blowback pistol market ready to play.

The G&G GPM92 is available now (although sold out in many places) for $120 dollars.

Odin Innovations M12 Sidewinder Speedloader

After a recent controversy where their design was essentially “ripped-off” by Valken, it is my pleasure to announce the Odin Innovations M12 sidewinder speed loader as part of our gift guide. This speed loader represents some serious ingenuity and it makes loading your STANAG style AEG magazines extremely simple – both on the field and off. The Odin M12 can hold about 1600 rounds and features a nifty cut-off system when your magazine is full. Don’t buy any overseas reproductions if you are in need of a speedloader – go buy the original. The parts are more rugged and you are supporting a deserving business attempting to make our hobby more enjoyable.

The Odin Innovations M12 Sidewinder is available now for around $40 dollars.

AOC Agon 35 inch Curved Display Review AG352UCG

2017/11/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Recently, we got to borrow one of the 35 inch curved UltraWide displays from AOC’s Agon brand. The AC352UCG features 3440×1440 resolution, up to 100Hz response rate, and the ability to use NVIDIA’s G-SYNC technology. But, does this UltraWide display warrant its $900 price tag? Read on to find out!

Excitedly, I unboxed the AOC Agon 35 inch UltraWide display and was very impressed at both its build quality and its ease of setup. The box contains the stand, display, and even a set of HDMI and DisplayPort cables! The AG352UCG is a behemoth of a display, measuring 33.35 inches wide and featuring a black, thin bezel as to not distract the user from what they are playing. It also weighs about 12 pounds, making it a very stable addition to your desktop. Just for safety purposes, you should double-check your desk to make sure it can physically accommodate the AOC Agon AG352UCG’s size and mass before setting it down. Once I sat the display down on my desk, I connected the DisplayPort cable from my computer to the monitor and started it up. One thing to note about DisplayPort cables that is different than plugging in an HDMI cable is that, with DisplayPort cables, you must push them in fully until you hear an audible click. Once in, however, that clip system helps the cable not fall out by accident. Also of note on this display is a small pylon that folds out of the upper right hand corner. Once deployed, this tiny hook is actually a headphones holder – very smart!

Fallout 4 UltraWide is pretty damn cool

After Windows had booted up, I went to AOC’s website and got the latest monitor drivers then installed the latest NVIDIA display drivers as I was a version behind. After installation, I went into my monitor settings and made sure 3440×1440 was selected and created a new resolution with 100Hz refresh rate. This is technically overclocking the monitor as far as Windows is concerned, but the AOC Agon AC352UCG is rated to handle the refresh rate without issue. Once the custom resolution was created, I applied the settings and went into my NVIDIA control panel to make sure G-SYNC was enabled.

UltraWide screen resolution is not supported by every game out there – sometimes you will have to select a lesser resolution and deal with black bars on each side of your display. But, this is just the nature of the beast. Some games, such as Fallout 4, have third-party mods which enable UltraWide resolutions. So, I installed the mod for Fallout 4 and began a new journey into the Commonwealth. There is some distortion in the image as it gets to the sides of the display – but that is a symptom of UltraWide resolutions in general – even when you go to three display setups. It has to do with how the virtual camera lens translates 3D images on a 2D display. What’s better is that you don’t get the bezel and separation interrupting your experience like you do with those multi-monitor setups. Thanks to the display’s 100Hz refresh rate and NVIDIA’s G-SYNC technology, I barely noticed any screen tearing or ghosting and could not be happier with my time playing on the monitor.

The curve of the display helps not only with immersion but, also the appearance of having a large display than you actually do. After using the AOC Agon AC352UCG for a time, I would wholeheartedly recommend it to any gamer looking for that experience. In fact, it is going to be difficult going back to a regular display after having all that extra real estate! It was nice being able to use half the screen for writing in MS Word and the other half for browsing the Web. Speaking of typing, the display featured some really nice, sharp text and I didn’t notice any eye strain once I got the brightness and contrast settings where I wanted them. There is also one really fun thing about watching movies in UltraWide aspect ratios – no black bars! I watched several movies on the AOC Agon AC352UCG and was very pleased to see Rogue One stretch across my entire screen, uninterrupted!

The AOC Agon AC352UCG’s biggest issue is the 5-way hat control at the bottom of the monitor’s frame. It is what controls the display’s power on/off as well as all the on-screen controls and menus. The problem with the control is that it doesn’t have a high return-to-center pull so it gets kind of “sloppy”. But, I digress. The AOC Agon AC352UCG features the usual on-screen menu commands such as color correction and volume (yes, it has two built-in 2W speakers). Also on the monitor, you will find a headphones jack which allows you to game without disturbing others.

Movies with no black bars?! Awesome!

One interesting thing about the AOC Agon AC352UCG is what they are calling AOC SceneLighting, which is an array of light strips – two on the bottom of the front bezel and four on the back of the display. These can be set to various colors so that, at a tournament you can section off gamers by team color, etc. It also just looks plain cool – and does not take away from the gaming experience at all. My only wish would be that AOC would have implemented that adaptive backlight technology to the SceneLighting system.

Overall, the AOC Agon AC352UCG performs beautifully – especially when the gaming action gets intense. It currently retails for $900 dollars at online retailers like Amazon.com. We’d like to thank AOC for letting us borrow one of these displays for the purposes of reviewing it. You can find the AOC Agon AC352UCG at various online retailers.

Combat Air Patrol 2 Development Updates

2017/11/29

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

November 29, 2017 — We wanted to drop you a round-up of what’s been happening with CAP2 development over the last few months. As you can see from the summary below, update pace is gaining momentum. This is due to continue as we bring you a run of smaller updates, focused on all aspects of aircraft AI.

We are excited about December as we finally start to bring the missions to life!

Current work is focused on all aspects of aircraft AI. This will improve things such as:

Dogfights
AI aircraft mission integration (taxiing, AI flight member roles)
AI airbase traffic
AI aircraft weapon deployment (AA & AG)
AI awareness of aircraft state (fuel, weapon state, radar, RWR)
A2A refueling.

This means for example, in a training mission you might see a tanker takeoff while your flight taxis to the runway. You takeoff, form up and hit training area targets line astern, refuel and return to base. Another example, for the Mach Loop you may be in a flight of four aircraft transiting the loop where you may be lead or following the flight leader.

Live now

We’ve dropped four patches over the past couple of months and the current version (v810.7) is now live across all branches (including VR).

Here’s Ed’s posts from the Steam community hub detailing what these these four patches included:

V810.4

Terrain editor – We’ve completed a lot of background work on the terrain editor which means we can now rapidly improve areas of interest from the base imagery and OSM data. We intend to make the editor available in the future for people to customise and share terrains, together with a mission editor.
Training missions – We’ve used the improved editor to begin building the Yuma training missions. You may discover the newly populated target ranges.
Mission planner Improvements – We’ve fixed some of the issues with the mission planner and it also now shows elevation as well as coast line. You will see that the map now includes most of the UK and the Yuma Map extends up to the Grand Canyon. In the future we will also extend the satellite imagery and OSM data – either through DLC or a future update.
Easter Egg – Many players have now found this in the UK map, well done!
Richer environment – As you can see from the screenshot below of the Harrier leaving Khasab we have added thousands more buildings and lots of additional vegetation. You may be aware (and have contributed – thank you!) that this is done by adding more OpenStreetMap data. It’s been done as an aside and hasn’t impacted general development. Abu Musa and Kaneohe Bay are also now more significantly built up. We’ve also added a host of custom objects including power lines, lighthouses, water tanks, ATC towers, rigs etc.
Fuel Tanks – As you can also see from the screen above, the Harrier now has external fuel tanks, including associated fuel flow logic and displays, you’ll be able to mod them soon.
Terrain Lighting – We’ve added lighting to roads, runways, taxiways and buildings, illuminating villages and cities which really adds to immersion. In case you missed it here’s the promo from a few weeks ago showcasing this. You will also see that we’ve improved vegetation, adding different trees and increasing their density.
Cockpit illumination – As you can see from these before and after shots, the Harrier cockpit now has night illumination. It’s easy to see dials/gauges around sunset. You can separately adjust the lighting intensity for self illuminated instruments and the cockpit floodlights. The full day/night cycle will come in a subsequent update. We’ve got a sky shader to complete which bounces a lot of rays through the atmosphere and produces great sunsets and sky throughout the 24hr cycle.

v810.5

Mostly a bug fix build, notable changes include:

Controls: Control and shift on mapped control keys are now saved.
Controls: OEM keys are labelled correctly.
Controls: Added default mappings for keyboard, gamepad, joystick.
HARM: firing crash fixed.
HARM Mission: mission starts.
Terrain LOD: settings bug fixed. You can select Low, Medium, High, Ultra.
Flight model: fix for a drag calculation.
Time Of Day controls: added to adjust current time and environment lighting.

V810.6

Added fixes for fullscreen monitor selection. When in fullscreen mode, changing the selected output monitor is immediate. Also the monitor label has an index added to distinguish between identically named monitors (generic pnp display…)
While working on default controls I realised none of the controller manufacturers seem to use the correct USB usage codes for controller buttons or axes/sliders which have a specific function. There are codes defined for controls such as throttle, chaff, flaps, trim etc. It’d be great if they used them where relevant as auto mapping a controller would be pretty simple. Anyway, I’m adding default settings for common controllers which will be included in coming updates. I’ve also begun work on the axis response curves UI.
The TOD/lighting controls are pretty cool. Give them a try, you’ll probably find yourself constantly tweaking the light levels. Once the updated day/night sky shader is complete you’ll be able to adjust the full 24hr cycle, plus advancing mission time will be added.
The terrain LOD settings fix/update improves the appearance of distant lights popping into view and fixes an issue where extra scenery was being drawn.

v810.7

The debug keys for time shifting and cloud regeneration are available in Controls->Misc
You can accelerate time from 4x to /32 (decelerating 32x was useful for testing things like gear animations)
A crash on starting Hawaii free flight is fixed.
You can now add your own cockpit photo. There’s a directory ‘Mods – Examples’ in the game folder which details how to add your photo.

Should you buy CAP2 now?

If you don’t yet own CAP2 obviously we’d love for you to join the crew. We encourage you to read the store page details carefully first, particularly with reference to what features are currently enabled so that you have the correct expectation from the current build.

Reviews

If you are enjoying CAP2 we would appreciate a quick Steam review as it greatly increases visibility within the store.

SpellForce 3 Orc Faction Trailer

2017/11/29

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

MUNICH, Germany / VIENNA, Austria – Nov. 29, 2017 – At the heart of existence, there is conflict. The wolves hunt the deer, the deer run from the wolves; if there were no deer, the wolves would starve, and if there were no wolves, the deer would breed with no constraint, until there’s nothing left for them to eat.

The orcs of SpellForce 3 live for the fight. They believe that strength only comes from conflict, and that peace is a sign of weakness. It is no wonder, then, that the orcs count on brutal tactics on the battlefield. They come with fierce fighters, fearsome wolf-raiders, devastating magic and giant trolls to smash any resistance without mercy.

SpellForce 3 returns to the roots of the SpellForce saga. Taking place before the acclaimed SpellForce: The Order of Dawn, players will unravel a deep and epic story in the SpellForce universe with over 30 hours of single-player campaign, also playable in co-op. Additional multiplayer modes offer competitive battles for up to six players. Create your own heroes, develop your skillset and build your army to fight in legendary battles with gameplay that expertly blends the RTS and top-down RPG genres together.

SpellForce 3 is launching on Dec. 7, 2017, on Windows PC and will be available with English and German voice over plus full text localization in French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian and simplified Chinese. For more information, please visit the official website, like the game on Facebook or follow THQ Nordic on Twitter.

About SpellForce 3

RTS/RPG mix: Unique gameplay that combines the genres of real-time strategy and top-down roleplaying games.
Create and customize: Create your group of heroes and choose a number of different combos with a range of skill structures.
Boost and command your army: Prepare your troops and fight the greatest of all battles. You can also exploit numerous strategic aspects (e.g., terrain, troop formations, visibility, exploration, etc.) that would make Sun Tzu proud!
Epic storyline: Unravel a deep and complex plot that eventually leads up to the events that trigger the convocation ritual, which will change the whole world.
Extensive universe and lots of loot: Explore the world of Eo, discover intrigue and secrets, and collect a whole load of loot for your hero.
Complex single-player campaign: Over 30 hours of gameplay time, and even more if you’re able to discover everything Grimlore Games has incorporated into the game world.
Strong multiplayer component with various modes: Play in versus battles with up to six players or master the single-player campaign with a friend in co-op mode.

Civilization VI: Rise and Fall Expansion Announcement Trailer

2017/11/28

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

New York, NY – November 28, 2017– 2K and Firaxis Games announced today that Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI: Rise and Fall, the expansion pack for the critically acclaimed and award-winning strategy title, will be available for Windows PC on February 8, 2018.

Civilization VI: Rise and Fall brings new choices, strategies, and challenges for players as they guide a civilization through the ages. The expansion introduces new Great Ages, a new city loyalty system, and Governors while expanding existing Diplomacy and Government systems; and adds nine new leaders and eight new civilizations, a variety of new units, districts, wonders, buildings, and more. Players can now lead their empire into a Golden Age of prosperity or emerge triumphantly from a Dark Age into a memorable Heroic Age.

“Sid Meier’s Civilization is 2K’s longest running franchise and we’re thrilled to reveal this exciting and dynamic expansion for fans to experience Civilization VI in all new ways,” said Matt Gorman, VP of Marketing at 2K. “The Civilization VI: Rise and Fall expansion comes after a year of content and updates to Civilization VI, and marks the perfect time for both veterans and newcomers to take one more turn at building their empire.”

“With the new Great Ages system in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Rise and Fall, players can experience the ebb and flow of building empires amidst the challenges of history, either to lasting greatness or the dust of antiquity,” added Anton Strenger, Lead Designer at Firaxis Games. “With this expansion’s new features, players will be both challenged and rewarded in ways never seen before in the 26 years of the Civilization franchise.”

Key features for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Rise and Fall include:

GREAT AGES: As your civilization ebbs and flows, and you reach milestone Historic Moments, you will experience Dark Ages or Golden Ages, each providing specific challenges or bonuses based on your actions in-game. Rise triumphantly from a Dark Age, and your next Golden Age will be even stronger – a Heroic Age.
LOYALTY: Cities now have individual Loyalty to your leadership – let it fall too low, and face the consequences of low yields, revolts, and the potential to lose your city to another civilization, or its own independence. But one civilization’s loss can be your gain as you inspire Loyalty among cities throughout the map and further expand your borders.
GOVERNORS: Recruit, appoint, and upgrade powerful characters with unique specialization bonuses and promotion trees to customize your cities, and reinforce Loyalty.
ENHANCED ALLIANCES: An enhanced alliances system allows players to form different types of alliances and build bonuses over time.
EMERGENCIES: When a civilization grows too powerful, other civilizations can join a pact against the threatening civilization and earn rewards, or penalties, when the Emergency ends.
TIMELINE: Review your civilization’s history at any time with the new Timeline feature, a visual journey through the Historic Moments that you encountered on your path to victory.
NEW LEADERS AND CIVS: Nine leaders and eight new civilizations are introduced. Each brings unique bonuses and gameplay, as well as a total of eight unique units, two unique buildings, four unique improvements, and two unique districts.
NEW GLOBAL CONTENT: Eight new world wonders, seven natural wonders, four new units, two new tile improvements, two new districts, fourteen new buildings, and three new resources have been added.
IMPROVED GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS: The Government system has been enhanced with new Policies and additional improvements have been made to existing systems.

Developed by Firaxis Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and up by the ESRB, and is available now on Windows PC. Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI: Rise and Fall will be available on February 8, 2018 for Windows PC.

For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI, visit www.civilization.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow Civilization on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe on YouTube.

Firaxis Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).