Strategy

Since January, Arcen’s focus has shifted from large-scale development of AI War to our other upcoming titles - with AI War, our intent had been to simply maintain and refine the existing game, while adding a handful of exciting new features every month as free DLC. As you may imagine, therefore, we were quite surprised to realize that this new version, 3.060, is the largest monthly update we’ve ever done.

There aren’t many huge single features here aside from the new Riot Control Starships (which introduce modular ship design to the game). However, the number of small refinements are just staggering (the release notes are over 10,000 words), and we’ve made a number of significant performance improvements, too. Here’s the list of particularly notable features out of the hundreds of changes:

- Simple Formation movement, as well as arc-movement.
- New, modular, riot control starships.
- Many various performance improvements.
- Manufactories now auto-manage themselves by default.
- Transports are now extremely more useful.
- Astro Trains are now much less fearsome.
- Cleanup drones can now remove mines (even perma-mines).

Armchair generals!  Ten-hut!  Standby for some FLASH traffic!

Direct2Drive has announced a sale on strategy titles.  Through March 4, strategy gamers can get “50-75% off Awesome Strategy PC Games”. 

Deals include:

     •    Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim - 75% off
     •    Tropico 3 - 50% off
     •    Cities XL - 50% off
     •    Imperium Romanum - 50% off
     •    Civilization 4 - 50% off
     •    Civilization 4 Colonization - 50% off
     •    Theatre of War - $25 off

Sounds like a good opportunity to stock up on some titles you might have missed!  For more info, go here.
 

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Ntronium Games (www.ntronium.com) have released a major update for their popular turn-based/real time strategy blend, Armada 2526. The new comprehensive 1.024 update comes with many new improvements, tons of bug fixes, and a few major new features.

Specifically, an automatic population transport feature has been added to reduce the micromanagement involved transporting population around the galaxy, the research speed and bureaucracy growth rate have scaled to game size and can now be set manually, improved support for mods has been added, bugs have been fixed, and much more. In addition, there have been several balance changes with the overall aim of promoting bigger, more interesting battles, greater use of ground units, and more research specialization.

This update also includes an updated version of .NET and DirectX, which is required for Armada 2526 to function properly.

It is said that a rising tide lifts all boats and such seems to be the case with gaming.  As our modern world craves more and more entertainment, gaming - in all its forms - seems to be prospering.  You would think that with all these wonderful electronic gadgets with which to game, from the tried and true PC, to the consoles and even cell phones, board games would begin to suffer.  Actually, the opposite has happened as there now seems to be a board gaming renaissance in the works. 

Chess, the king of games, is one such board game that has enjoyed a significant boom in recent years.  By leveraging the social nature of the internet to maximum effect (not surprising since the relationship between chess and computers goes way back), Chess has since become as infectious as a black and white virus.

If I was forced to choose one game from 2010 that I simply cannot wait to get my hands on, it would be – without a doubt – Elemental: War of Magic from Stardock. Quite simply, I believe Elemental will prove to be the definitive turn-based, medieval strategy game of all time. Remember, this is Stardock, the gaming geniuses behind Galactic Civilizations, as well as the publisher of Sins of a Solar Empire. These guys know gaming perhaps like no one else.

Originally, Elemental had a February street date, but clearly that was never going to happen with a community-oriented beta process that is expected to go through five betas and one gamma before release. Just when the game was going to be released was not at all clear, but it looks like we finally have a hard street date: September 1, 2010.

Brad Wardell, CEO & President of Stardock, commented:

“We're feeling pretty confident about the date.

The thing to understand is that the *game play* hookup in Elemental is a relatively minor part of the development. Nearly all of the work goes into the engine which isn't even part of the beta until Beta 3.

Ultimately, the users will be deciding when Beta 3 is.”

THQ today announced Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising, the highly anticipated standalone chapter in the critically acclaimed Real-Time Strategy (RTS) series, has reached the gold master stage of development and entered manufacturing. Developed by award-winning internal studio Relic Entertainment, Chaos Rising features the traitorous Chaos Space Marines army as a playable race, a new single-player campaign, a level cap increase from 20 to 30, more powerful war-gear and a suite of innovative multiplayer options. Scheduled for a nationwide release at all major retail and online outlets on March 11, 2010, Chaos Rising will be available as a Games for Windows LIVE PC title for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

"Chaos Rising is the perfect follow up to Dawn of War II, 2009's RTS Game of the Year, offering an incredible amount of new content for an amazing value," said Travis Plane, Vice President of Global Brand Management, THQ. "Relic Entertainment is the industry's leading RTS developer and will once again deliver bone-crushing action, breathtaking visuals and unprecedented innovation in the genre."