SimHQ.com - The Simulation Community's = Headquarters

Community News for July 28, = 2006

Air Combat = News

News Contributor: = Doug "Uther"=20 Lawrence.

Battle of Britain 2: Wings = of=20 Victory:

"Buddye1" has announced = the release=20 of a new BoB II Mission Editor. =

European Air War:=20

Sandbagger's latest news has been posted.=20
"Shreck" has posted a = preview of=20 new TMOD projects.=20
Run-Time Error 53 solved. =

Event Photography:=20

"Broamanov" has posted = micellaneous=20 aircraft photos.

F-22 Total Air War:=20

"Polak" has posted = information on=20 material texture. =

Fighter Squadron: Scream 'n = Demons=20 Over Europe:=20

"Major Hippie" has posted = step by=20 step SDOE install instructions with links = to=20 required files.

IL-2 Series: Forgotten = Battles, AEP,=20 Pacific Fighters:=20

"KingAlbert" has posted = an AAR - War Story: Dear Brother.=20

Strike = Fighters /=20 Wings Over Vietnam / Wings Over Europe:=20

"Kesselbrut" has released = a Falklands terrain update.=20
"RussoUK2002" has posted = a preview=20 of the Buccaneer HUD project. =

General News:=20

Air Ace=20 Online is looking for skinners.

Aviation World News:=20

Divers find Hitler's aircraft = carrier.=20 Thanks "Moggy."=20
Navy's Upgraded EP-3 Aircraft Goes to = Full Rate=20 Production.=20
Analysis: USAF adds $1.7B to F-22 costs.=20
U.S. Suggests NATO Allies = Could=20 Pool Money To Buy C-17 Aircraft.=20
Honda Announces Plans to Sell = Light Jet.=20
Avro Arrow test pilot Rogers passes away in T.O..=20
Heavy Smoke Grounds Firefighting Aircraft.=20
Farewell to Queen of the = Skies [Canberra].=20
Second Eurofighter Typhoon for = Austria in=20 Final Assembly.=20
Software to control of hijacked = aircraft .=20
New Garmin cockpit 'suites' touch = down at=20 aircraft fly-in.=20
Eurocopter sees New Zealand = helicopter=20 deal.

Land Combat

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

Announcements:

Bohemia Interactive Australia will be = releasing=20 two stand alone games from their online store within = weeks.=20 It is currently not known if this is via download or = disk=20 purchase. The first is VBS1 Lite, (VBS1 is the = military=20 grade of OFP), VBS1 lite is a lessor product without = all the=20 additional modules and tools. I have been testing = this VBS1=20 Lite for a week now, and it is a very nice stand = alone game,=20 a nice hold over till Armed Assault is officially = released.=20 It is not confirmed yet, but VBS1 Lite is estimated = to be=20 about 25 US dollars. ALSO, They will be releasing = another=20 stand alone game, titled "Australians in Vietnam", = this is=20 based on the same engine. I have been trying it out = for a=20 week now also, and it looks to be a very nicely done = single=20 player (noticed there is no network option) stand = alone=20 game, and for an estimated price of 20 US dollars. = Please be=20 advised that this has not been officially announced = or=20 confirmed yet, but more information is coming very = soon. I=20 have shared a VBS1 Lite AAR titled Convoy Escort and Hostage Rescue. I have also = shared some=20 screenshots from the Australians in Vietnam=20 game.

Game News:

New preview screenies of the upcoming upgrade for = SB Pro PE can be seen at=20 SteelBeasts.com.

Civilization 4: Warlords has been released and in = stores.=20 You can also buy it as a download from FilePlanet.

GameSpot reviews Civilization 4: Warlords.

GameSpot has another preview of = Medieval 2: Total War.

Worthplaying has 9 new = screenshots of Caesar 4.

Worthplaying reports that Birth of America has gone gold = and will be=20 in stores soon.

The Wargamer has news that two games = will be=20 delivered via Steam, Iron Warriors and Birth of America.

10-David asks "will there be a = SWAT 5?"=20 Check it out here.

From the Forums:

Razorback has shared a new Americas Army video, = check it=20 out here.

Naval Combat News

News Contributor: = Tom=20 "NightCrawler" Mauk.

Hooked=20 Gamers has a preview of the upcoming PC release = of=20 "PT Boats: Knights of the Sea". The game is = being=20 developed by Akella, which is well known in the = strategy and=20 simulation arenas. Read the preview here.

Storm Eagle Studios announced = that its PC=20 release of =93Distant Guns: The Russo-Japanese = War at=20 Sea=94 has gone Gold Master and should be in = retail stores=20 in August. To read more on this "new chapter in = historical=20 gaming" please go here.

Motorsports = News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

Event = Photography:

Alex "Zander" Keep gets up close = with a camera=20 to the latest Grand Prix and sports cars as well as = the=20 older legends at the Festival of Speed at Goodwood = here.

Technology = News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Cases:

Tweaknews=20 checks inside Sansun's Galaxy ATX/BTX Black Computer = Case here.

OCC looks at the Apevia = X-Pleasure Blue=20 Aluminum Case here.

Cooling: =

Guru3D=20 checks out the Nautilus 500 Watercooling System here.

Overclockers Online checks out = the OCZ=20 Tempest Cooler here.

Graphics = Cards:

Legion=20 Hardware checks out Albatron's GeForce 7300GT = Video Card=20 here.

gD=20 Hardware tests out BFG Technologies' GeForce = 7950GX2=20 Video Card here.

Motherboards:

Neoseeker=20 tests out the Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6 Motherboard here.

Storage: =

Anandtech=20 hosts a Western Digital & Seagate 320GB Hard = Drive=20 Grudge Match here.

Tutorials:

HardwareSecrets.com has a new = tutorial=20 with step-by-step procedures on "How to upgrade your system=20 BIOS".

Community = News for July=20 27, 2006

Air Combat = News

News Contributor: = Doug "Uther"=20 Lawrence.

After Action Reports: =

"KingAlbert" has posted a = Falcon AAR - Charging Dragon Day = 2 05:00.=20

Falcon = 4.0: Allied=20 Force:=20

"Ricardo" has posted an = AAR - Korea: Iron Fortress. =

FS2002 / FS2004:=20

"msalama" has posted a = link to a patch for the Hurricane IId by R.=20 Sanderson.

RC and=20 Scale Modeling:=20

"BARKHORN" has posted a = photo of a=20 SBD project.

Strike Fighters / Wings Over = Vietnam /=20 Wings Over Europe:=20

"The Wrench" has posted a = procedure=20 to light up your Fulcrums. =

Aviation World News:=20

USAF tests synthetic fuel at = Tinker Air=20 Force Base. Thanks "Crop-Duster" for the link. =

Land Combat

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

Announcements:

'Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45' Gets Free Trial.=20 Tripwire Interactive is pleased to announce a = free=20 full-game trial for Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45. = From=20 Wednesday August 2 through Monday August 7, players = can=20 download and play the full multiplayer game via = Steam.=20

Matrix Games Announces Forge of = Freedom!=20 Matrix Games and Western Civilization Software=20 (www.west-civ.com) are pleased to announce that = later this=20 summer they will bring a new American Civil War = strategy=20 game based on the Crown of Glory engine to gamer's = around=20 the world. More than seven-score years have passed = since the=20 start of this conflict that pitted state against = state,=20 brother against brother and broke the chains of = slavery.=20

Matrix Games Announces Their = First PDA=20 Wargame. Matrix Games and PlayTek are proud to = announce=20 partnership to bring the war strategy game = Blitzkrieg: War=20 in Europe 1939-1945 to the Matrix Games label. = Blitzkrieg:=20 War in Europe 1939-1945 is a turn-based strategy = game that=20 lets you try your skills as a supreme commander of = Allied,=20 Axis or Soviet troops.

Strategy Game publisher CDV and the History Channel have = teamed up=20 to sponsor a contest. (Thanks to Wargamer=20 for the news.)

Game News:

GameSpot has a new movie of Joint Task Force.

GameSpot also has a preview of = Supreme Commander.

Worthplaying has news that 'Rise & Fall: Civilizations at = War'=20 has been patched.

Armed Assault Zone (and our own=20 "Pvtkramer" in the forums) shares news of a new IR Tracker video for Armed = Assault.=20

From the Forums:

"Magnum" shares an VBS1 Lite: Convoy Escort AAR. = Check it=20 out here.

Naval Combat News

News Contributor: = Tom=20 "NightCrawler" Mauk.

SUBSIM has a package deal titled = "Naval=20 Combat Pack" which will be available August = 2006. It=20 packages 3 Janes/Sonalysts products, 688i = Hunter/Killer,=20 Fleet Command, and Sub Command. You can view/order = the pack=20 here.

Motorsports = News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

F1 = Challenge:

A 1983 carset for the turbo mod has = been=20 released. Images and download locations can be found = in this=20 thread.

Technology = News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Cooling:

FrostyTech checks out the Verax = Helado=20 PWM-T Low Noise HSF here.

ProClockers looks at the =

Graphics Cards: =

TechSpot=20 compares NVIDIA's GeForce 7300GT against ATi's = Radeon X1600=20 Pro video card here.

LAN=20 Addict checks out Albatron's 7300GT PCI Express = Card here.

Motherboards: =

OCWORKBENCH=20 checks out the ASRock ALIVESATA2-GLAN AM2 = Motherboard here.

bit-tech.net checks out the ECS = KA3 MVP=20 Extreme Motherboard here.

Processors:

LostCircuits tests out Intel's = Pentium=20 Core 2 Duo CPU here.

PCStats=20 goes one better, testing out the Pentium D 940 = 3.2GHz Dual=20 Core CPU here.

Community = News for July=20 26, 2006

Air Combat = News

News Contributor: = Doug "Uther"=20 Lawrence.

EECH / EEAH:

Massive Enemy Engaged 3D Objects = Exporter:=20 Update.

European Air=20 War:=20

"J.Tuma" has released a = HR Bristol Bulldog Mk.II (Type = 105, J-7A).=20
"Pobs" has posted shots = of a harbor being attacked by Stukas = - Channel=20 Ports under siege.

FS2002 / FS2004:=20

"Li'lJugs" has posted a = link to a=20 FS9, FSX DX9, FSX DX10 = comparison.=20

RC and Scale = Modeling:=20

"Skii" has posted new = photos of his=20 Tornado Gr4 project. =

Strike Fighters / Wings Over = Vietnam /=20 Wings Over Europe:=20

"allenjb422" is looking = for help with the He-111 project.=20

General = News:=20

"Aladar" has posted a = link to a=20 trailer of the upcoming movie - Fly Boys.

Land Combat

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

PC.IGN reports on = Battlefield 2142=20 - Weapon Tests. Read here.

Naval Combat News

News Contributor: = Tom=20 "NightCrawler" Mauk.

HookedGamers has a preview of PT Boats: Knights = of the=20 Sea here.

Motorsports = News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

GPL:

According to information in this thread, creating new = carshapes for=20 Grand Prix Legends might "soon" become less=20 difficult.
New tracks for GPL keep pouring in. The latest = adition=20 is Aut=F3dromo de Monterrey = (Apodaca).

rFactor:

A very important parameter concerning controller = set-up=20 has been documented in the plr file. Read more about = it here.
An unofficial, alternative sound pack for the = Skoda=20 Octavia Mod has been released by Klaatu127. The = download is=20 available here.

Technology = News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Cases:

Phoronix peeks into the Cooler = Master=20 Mystique 631 Case here.
3DGameMan checks out the NZXT = Lexa &=20 Apollo ATX Cases here.

Cooling:

ThinkComputers checks out the = Nmedia=20 ICETANK CPU Cooler here.
ProClockers tests out OCZ's = Tempest CPU=20 Cooler here.

Graphics Cards: =

A piece of graphics card news that has = nothing to=20 do with the ATi-AMD merger. TechSpot=20 gauges the SLI performance of the NVIDIA GeForce = 7300GT card=20 here.
TechDomain checks out the BFG = 6800GT OC=20 video card here.

Motherboards: =

Overclockers Online checks out = the FoxConn=20 C51XEM2AA 8EKRS2H Motherboard here.

Weird News:

10 South Koreans Died From Game Addiction In = 2005. Read=20 here.

Community News for July 25, = 2006

Air Combat = News

News Contributor: = Doug "Uther"=20 Lawrence.

After Action Reports: =

"KingAlbert" has posted a = Falcon AAR - Charging Dragon Day = 2 03:00=20

Battle of = Britain 2:=20 Wings of Victory:=20

"Johan EAF274" has posted = a fix for the Campaign days end at = 22:00=20 bug.

European Air=20 War:=20

Sandbagger's latest news has been posted.=20
"FlyRight" has posted a = preview of=20 a unique Stuka model.=20
"GunsUp" has released a = Hurricane Mk.IIc ('Night = Reaper', Flt. Lt.=20 K.M. Kuttlewascher, Tangmere 1942) skin. =

Event Photography:=20

"Top Gun" has posted Rhode Island & Westfield = Airshow=20 online reports.=20
"SGT_Rock" has posted = 2006 Farnborough Airshow photos.=20
"Col. Gibbon" has posted = Farnborough 2006 photos. =

FS2002 / FS2004:=20

FSHost 3.1 Beta 25 has been = released.=20 Thanks "Chappy USVN" for the heads up. =

IL-2 Series: Forgotten = Battles, AEP,=20 Pacific Fighters:=20

F16_Petter" has released = Swedish skins.=20
"RONNCO" has released a = F6F-3 ('My Own Joan II', Lt C.K. = Hildebrandt, VF-33, Ondonga, Solomons 1943) skin.=20
"WarWolfe_1" has released = a P-47D-2RE ('Fair Dinkum', 340th = FS, 348th=20 FG) skin.=20
"UF_Zargos" has released = a Fw-190A-8/R8 (6./JG300, Lt. = Victor=20 Heinmann, 1945) skin.=20
"vpmedia" has released a = P-51D (Horace S. Hudson) skin.=20
"Shadow_12TFS" has = released a P-51D wallpaper - Wingie, = Roomie, and=20 Friend.

Strike=20 Fighters / Wings Over Vietnam / Wings Over = Europe:=20

"The Wrench" has = announced the=20 release of the Douglas A-26B Invader.=20
"Dlink" has posted a = preview of Hawk One Canada.=20
"Jarink" has released a = F-4F (20th FS, Holloman AFB) = skin.=20

Land Combat

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

Announcements:

Matrix Games Announces Forge of Freedom!

July 25th , 2006 - Matrix Games = (www.matrixgames.com=20 and Western Civilization Software (www.west-civ.com = ) are=20 pleased to announce that later this summer they will = bring a=20 new American Civil War strategy game based on the = Crown of=20 Glory engine to gamers around the world. More than=20 seven-score years have passed since the start of = this=20 conflict that pitted state against state, brother = against=20 brother and broke the chains of slavery. Forge of = Freedom=20 gives you a chance to relive history from either = side in a=20 work of grand strategy. Read here.=20

Game News:

GameSpot has the faces of War demo for = download.

Worthplaying has the Crysis system requirements.

GhostRecon.net is hosting more = and more=20 GRAW map packs.

Hot=20 SWAT Mods has a new 11-99 Enhancement mod for SWAT=20 4.

From the Forums:

Radooh shares an America's Army video. Check it = out here.

Magnum shares a video of the AAR tool in VBS1. = Check it=20 out here.

Real World:

telegraph.co.uk: Lieutenant-Colonel Terence = Otway, who=20 died on Sunday aged 92, led the 9th Parachute = Battalion in=20 operations on D-Day and was awarded the DSO. = Read the=20 recount of the battle here.

Naval Combat = News

"Herman" posts AAR: Indian Ocean here=20 [Spoiler Alert].

We're = looking for a=20 newshound for Naval Combat. If you'd like to help = out,=20 please contact "guod".

Motorsports = News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

rFactor:

A Skoda Octavia mod for rFactor has been = released. More=20 information and download as usual at rFactor Central. =

Technology = News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Cases:

PCApex=20 checks out the Kingwin Supernova SN-213HTS Micro ATX = Case here.

ModTheBox=20 looks into the NMediaPC HTPC 180BA Case here.

Cooling: =

TechPowerUp checks out the = Thermaltake Big=20 Typhoon here.

Pro-Clockers tests the OCZ = Tempest CPU=20 Cooler here.

Graphics = Cards:

It's official. ATi = and AMD have merged. More details = are=20 available HERE, courtesy of [H]ardOCP=20
Hi-Techreviews checks out the = HIS X1900XTX=20 IceQ3 here.

BytePress=20 tests the ATI X550 XT 128MB Video Card here.

Motherboards:

XYZ=20 Computing checks out the Asus M2N32-SlI Deluxe = Wireless=20 Edition Motherboard here.

HEXUS.net=20 tests out the Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6 Motherboard here.

Overclockers Online tests the = Foxconn=20 C51XEM2AA 8EKRS2H board here.

Community = News for July=20 24, 2006

Air Combat = News

News Contributor: = Doug "Uther"=20 Lawrence.

Battle of Britain 2: = Wings of=20 Victory

Grab some popcorn; it's 2.04 Picture time here.

=93SeaVee=94 posts a link to the New BoBII Game Manual Vers 2.04.=20

EAW:

Sandbagger's Latest News thread - updated July 23, = 2006.

Real World:

OttawaSun.com: The last surviving Canadian = plotter in=20 =93The Great Escape=94 from Stalag 111 has died. = Read about=20 his participation in the escape here.

GrandForksHerald.com: Thunder Over the Red River = airshow recount=20 with photos.

Land Combat

News Contributor: = Chuck=20 "Magnum" Ankenbauer.

Announcements:

Bohemia Interactive Studios has = there new=20 wiki section up and running, covering OFP, Armed = Assault,=20 Game 2, and VBS1 & VBS2.

In a recent press release, It was learned that Red Orchestra: OstFront 41-45, = would be=20 getting a major update that includes a free "booster = pack".=20

Game News:

The WarGamer has launched two = microsites=20 for Glory of the Roman Empire and Cossacks 2: Napoleonic Wars. =

GameSpot has a review of Glory of the Roman Empire and Cossacks 2: Battle for Europe. =

FilePlanet has the new trailer = for Team Fortress 2 showing off the = character=20 models.

Worthplaying has 8 new Armed Assault screenshots.

Worthplaying also has news on = the next PC GRAW update.

ArmChair General has a interview = with Battlefront. The article covers = all the=20 games and has some new info and screens about Shock = Force.=20

The Armed Assault Zone web site has = scans and=20 news of a recent preview for Armed Assault in PC = Zone=20 magazine.

Tank Sims has a developer = interview with=20 the makers of T-34 vs Tiger.

Tactical Gamer announces the = next features=20 in there Tactical Mod for Battlefield 2.=20

From the Forums:

Jaguar shares a new video of his sky mod for = Steel Beasts=20 Professional PE. Check it out here.

Naval Combat = News

Distant = Guns: The=20 Russo-Japanese War 1904-05:

The latest = Storm Eagle=20 Studios announces they have gone to release = candidate status=20 and could be releasing the debut title Distant Guns = anytime. The=20 official site is here and the SimHQ pre-review is = here. Thanks, =93Maserati=94. =

We're=20 looking for a newshound for Naval Combat. If you'd = like to=20 help out, please contact "guod".

Motorsports = News

News Contributor: = Jens=20 "McGonigle" Lindblad.

rFactor:

Our friends at = rFactorCentral have a=20 nice preview of the next update here.

The Lawnmower racing mod has been released,=20 Spa-Francochamps 1988 has been released, and a = preview of=20 the upcoming update has been published. All = available=20 through rFactor = Central.

GTR2:

The demo has been released and is available from = the GTR2=20 site here.

Technology = News

News Contributor: = Bob=20 "KnightRyder" Nielsen.

Cases/Enclosures: =

Overclocker's Club looks inside = the Apevia=20 X-Pleasure Blue Aluminum Case here.

For those who use a laptop = for=20 gaming (or anything else), techFEAR=20 checks out the OtterBox Rugged Laptop Case here.

Cooling:

PCModding checks out the = Thermaltake Big=20 Typhoon VX here.

Club = OC=20 tests the Corsair Nautilus 500 here.

Graphics Cards: =

TechReport=20 checks out Sapphire's liquid-cooled Toxic X1900 XTX = card here.

CPU3D tests=20 the Gainward Bliss 7900GT Golden Sample 512MB card = here.

Motherboards: =

ViperLair=20 tests the Foxconn 975X7AA-8EKRS2H Intel 975 = motherboard here.

Motherboards.org checks out = ABIT's AW8D=20 Motherboard here.