Eve Online: The Butterfly Effect

If this video doesn't get you to sign up, I don't know what will!

Silent Hunter III Supermod - GWX 3.0 Gets a Final Update

I've posted before about my love of Silent Hunter III , but I probably wouldn't be endlessly working on my campaign in Europe if it weren't for the epic, and infinitely detailed/realistic super Mod created by an incredible amount of dedicated modders collectively known as the 'Grey Wolves'.

A few weeks ago, I discovered that they had released yet another major update to this mod, known as "The Grey Wolves Supermod, or GWX 3.0 -moving from v2.1 to 3.0. Well, I went back to the old subsim forums, looking to see what all the hubbub was about, and got sucked right back in.

The big thing that sold me right off the bat, was the including of a newer mod making the water look prettier, more realistic, and smoother, a little closer to the sequel SH4. But the updates are comprehensive, so I suggest if you have ANY interest in submarines, WWII, and simulators...check it out. This is THE game for you. Reading through the downloadable manual, prepare to be awed by the level of work and inclusiveness this mod brings to the game. By most accounts, it is the definitive choice even over its own sequel, for sub sims...

The mod has changed a once pretty 'basic' exercise in pc simulators, into a colossal educational and entertaining historical tool, an immersive account of submarine warfare, as seen through the German perspective. And if that somehow bothers you, I highly suggest parting with any emotional baggage regarding that, as you will find that this game transcends such trivialities. In fact, it is a homage to all whom served in those gritty, dark nights under the Atlantic seas...

I highly suggest you check it out Here at the forums, for some background.

And you can find their website here: http://www.thegreywolves.com/


Good luck!

DCS: Black Shark OWNS me! My Preview-->

Are you good/patient enough?

So it is obvious that I am a pc gamer nerd. I have more games than I can literally, physically play at the moment. I have the best of almost all genre's, and pride my taste in only the best rated of games to fill my time...there is just too much! With finally starting the campaign in the awesome 'Empire: Total War' and late night Left4dead sessions eating away my sleep-time, it is a miracle my wife still remembers that she married some guy..a few years ago...

Add number 146 to the list...DCS: Black shark. An apologetically as-close-to-the-real-thing-as-it-gets actual simulator of the KA-50 Russian attack helicopter that us mere mortals well ever get our hands on.

To tackle such a 'game', is to have a plan of attack, else it will infuriate and scare away those with little patience. You have to do the training missions, you need to either hunt down the manual online, or print it out in it's entirety (as I did, from the disk); you HAVE to have some better than cheap flight control hardware, and now what I am learning, you HAVE to check out the incredible TrackIR 5 device. There is just no going back to normal after you spring for this 150 dollar simulator aid. It sits on your monitor, and moves the in-game POV by your every little head movement and gesture. Completely and naturally, as if sitting in the real thing. Check it out here to see some product videos.
naturalpoint.com

And that manual, what a piece of work that is! All 534 pages of glory. History, operational instructions..color pictures and diagrams of instruments, its is a virtual bible to behold. I printed the thing out [It's B&W Hardcover equivalent expensive and hard to find online] and it is about 2 inches tall of 8x11 paper! And that was double sided!! yeah...
So as I begin my epic quest to master this beast, I'll let you know how it goes. For you sim guys and gals out there, this is truly study-sim nirvana.
wish me luck!

Check the game out here: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/

From the sites description:
"DCS: Black Shark" is a PC game of the Russian Ka-50 attack helicopter and is the first title in a new Eagle Dynamics and The Fighter Collection simulation series: "Digital Combat Simulator" (DCS). Following Eagle Dynamics' tradition of excellence, "DCS: Black Shark" will bring an even more realistic simulation experience than its predecessor "Flaming Cliffs". "DCS: Black Shark" will offer an unprecedented level of realism in regards to flight dynamics, instruments modeling, avionics systems, and weapon systems. The artificial Intelligence of ground vehicles and helicopters has been improved dramatically as well as weapon modeling. A new Mission Editor includes a powerful electronic mapping system that allows user to easily create missions and campaigns. A new campaign system allows the front line of the battlefield to move back and fourth according to your mission success or failure. Due to the increased flexibility of the DCS system, additional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter add-ons will follow shortly."

EMPIRE: Total War Patch 1.4 Released -New Missions!

All I can say is FINALLY, i've been checking the status of this games update literally every single time my steam games list pops up...for what seems like months now.. Finally, patch 1.4 has been released which claims that it has finally resolved some of the biggest issues, namely, the disembarking of ships troops onto shore at any location, and vice-versa, among many other fixes..

Also worth noting-the patch added two new historical missions, which are always a plus.

I've held off continuing the intro campaign, until this patch. I will now resume argueably the prettiest and most ambitious PC game i've seen of recent years. Naval battles here we come!


List of fixes--->>
[-]September 22, 2009 - Empire: Total War Update Released

Updates to Empire: Total War have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

New Content

Two (2) new historical battles: Battle of Rossbach and Battle of Fontenoy. Both available in single player and multi player

Missile cavalry can now fire and reload whilst on the move

Balance Changes

Overhaul of naval balancing

Dragoons are available from higher building levels and now have fire by rank

Light Dragoons have gained longer range guns to allow them to skirmish better

Reworked cavalry costs to better reflect their value on the battlefield

Increase in cost to Windbusche Jaegers and Ferguson Rifles

Some improvements to projectile balancing

Balance improvements made to Road to Independence Episode 3

Fixes

Fix for auto unlimbering causing the attack order to terminate prematurely resulting in an inability to stop the unit from firing

Fix for troops on fort walls not using fort gun range when judging when to fire on enemy troops

Fix for fort guns using wrong targeting formula

Fixes to fort pathfinding and use of ropes

Multiplayer soft lock fixes

Fix crash in quotes table

Improved AI diplomacy

Cumulative updates to improve AI invasion behaviour

Added tooltips for alliance button in diplomacy

Bug fixes and improvements to AI counter offers

Improvements to AI diplomatic valuation of military access and alliances

Fix for wind sounds not working in naval battles

Fixed ship wakes not always working

Fixed disembarking subsets of armies and agents from navies

Fixed potential crash disembarking agents from navies

Fixed armies not being booted out of regions when losing military access gained by joining an ally in war

Improved AI diplomacy valuation of technologies

Fix for bug where general's unit for an upper class rebellion was coming from the region owning faction rather than the faction rebelling

Fixed reinforcements from unreachable positions

Fixed bug preventing disembarking

Balance of power fix for attack of opportunity

Fixed bug that was causing issues with embarking an army containing multiple characters

Minor tweak to stop some ship sails endlessly play furling sound

Fixed path blocked bug

Diplomacy counter-offer improvements

Fix for fast forward not working as intended on some PCs. Will always speed up if camera is still, if camera moves fast forward will be as fast as possible on each PC.

Final Fantasy XIII - Check out the Trailer !

There are other trailers, but this one shows some of the eagerly anticipated game's in-game visuals. Prepare your drool containers. Looks amazing... We probably will not be seeing this until Q4 2010. So don't hold your breath.