Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory
Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory — Ardennes Offensive
By Jason Ocampo
Updated: May 13, 2012 9:56 am
Posted: May 3, 2008 2:21 am
The Sudden Strike series has always managed to stand out in the crowded pack of World War II-themed real-time strategy games. That’s largely in part because it veers away from the conventions of the genre, like resource gathering and base building. Another point in its favor is that it features very large battlefields full of interesting terrain, like a large swath of the French countryside or a tropical island in the Pacific. Oh yeah, then there’s the fact that the games in the series can jump around the entire war, from the island hopping campaign of the US Navy and Marine Corps, the sands of Africa, and the frozen steppes of Russia. In many ways, it’s like a gigantic virtual tabletop wargame, an effect that especially comes to mind when taking in the 3D richness of Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory, the latest game in the series. Unfortunately, some really problematic pathfinding combined with other issues put a serious hamper on the fun.
This is basically a huge battle simulator, capable of recreating almost any confrontation from World War II. You want Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jim with the Japanese and the US Marines grinding it out? While the map is smaller than the real thing and not a historically accurate representation, it’s still huge, full of trenches and bunkers to overcome. How about a German and Soviet slugfest? Check. And no World War II game would be complete without a good D-Day campaign, right? Well, it’s here too. Sudden Strike gives you hundreds of units, from different types of infantry, tanks, artillery, and more, and lets you do as you please.
Get used to seeing your tanks burning.
Of course, your job is to complete objectives, and these are presented in a military manner. You often need to cut through enemy territory to seize strategic crossroads or logistical positions. The battles are huge and multistage almost because of the sheer depth of the battlefield.
For example, it’s not enough to just seize the immediate front, but you’ve got to send pincers to drive deep into the enemy rear. To assist you, there’s a wide range of off-board assets to call upon, like artillery and air strikes. The latter need to be carefully hoarded and used, though, as they’re limited in number and aircraft can get shot down if you send them over AA. Real-world tactics matter too. It’s all about trying to maneuver around the strength of an enemy’s defenses and hitting them where they’re vulnerable.
Where Sudden Strike 3 struggles is that while the game gives you these vast battles full of hundreds of men, with vehicles, artillery, and air defense guns scattered around the map, it also requires you to micromanage them to an incredible degree. Ammo trucks need to be dispatched to rearm units and vehicles. Fuel trucks have to continually refuel other vehicles. Medics have to be sent to patch up the wounded. Sure, in a way it’s realistic, but it seems contradictory in this game.
It feels like Sudden Strike wants to give you the epic scope but then immediately mire you in the minutia. It’s too bad that there’s no way to just abstract the supply situation or turn it off entirely. On top of that, it’s very difficult to distinguish and select different units, like trying to pick a medic out of a ground of grunts, and then send him toward a grunt that’s hurting. The interface doesn’t help, and in the end it feels like more effort than it’s worth, especially since simply healing someone to full strength does little help if he can simply get cut down with a short burst of gunfire a moment later. Since the game gives you a pretty much endless stream of reinforces if you take too many losses, it’s just easier to wait for some fresh meat off for the grinder.
Home values in this neighborhood just plummeted.
What really doesn’t help is that the pathfinding and fog of war are so frustrating. If you have a column of tanks on a road and you need to race them up a series of bridges to reinforce the front line, selecting the tanks and giving them a move order will send them all roaming off in different directions instead of racing up the road in column.
Those units will eventually find their way to the destination, but at that point they’re arriving piecemeal instead of as a giant armored fist. And the fog-of-war is almost crippling, as you’ll send men and vehicles forward only to watch them get pounded by enemy units that are dozens of yards away from them in the open, but that you can’t actually see in the game because the officer unit with the binoculars ability isn’t close enough or isn’t looking in the right direction (and yes, you have to micromanage that, too). I set up an excellent defensive position only to watch a dozen of my tanks explode. It turns out that enemy tanks were standing off just outside my tanks’ ridiculously short field of vision. At that point it was simply unfair since the AI didn’t seem to suffer from the same issues.
The pity is that if developer Fireglow could address these issues this could easily become one of the best World War II games out there. The visuals aren’t cutting-edge or particularly fancy or anything, but they still look fantastic.
It’s really feels like a tabletop wargame, but one that moves. The 3D battlefield is almost entirely destructible, which means that you can wreck many of the pastoral landscapes in the game. Fields are littered with craters, buildings do collapse, leaves are blown off trees, and more. And the sound effects are also effective, especially the booming echo of artillery in the distance.
There’s so much potential in Sudden Strike 3, which is why it can break your heart so easily. Imagine taking a bunch of Shermans and pitting them against a bunch of Panzers on a huge, detailed, destructible battlefield and not having to worry about your soldiers chopping down trees or mining ore. However, your virtual units move and act so dumbly that you’ll watch all your carefully drawn-up plans and dreams get dashed before your eyes when your tanks fail to return fire against a foe that’s practically sitting right next to them.
In This Article
Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory — Ardennes Offensive
Fireglow Games
Rating
ESRB: Teen
Platforms
Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory
mediocre
Jason Ocampo
Sudden Strike 3: Arms For Victory system requirements
Check Pricing
Can I Run Sudden Strike 3: Arms For Victory
Check the Sudden Strike 3: Arms For Victory system requirements.
Can I Run it? Test your specs and rate your gaming PC. System requirements Lab runs millions of PC requirements tests on over 8,500 games a month.
Can You Run It?
Here are the
Sudden Strike 3: Arms For Victory System Requirements (Minimum)
- CPU: P4 2.8 GHz/AMD Athlon 64 3200+
- CPU SPEED: Info
- RAM: 1 GB
- OS: Windows XP/Vista
- VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 6600/ATI Radeon 9800, 128 MB
- PIXEL SHADER: 3.0
- VERTEX SHADER: 3.0
- SOUND CARD: Yes
- FREE DISK SPACE: 1 GB
- DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 128 MB
Click here to see Recommended Computer
Sudden Strike 3: Arms For Victory Recommended Requirements
- CPU: P4 3.
2 GHz/AMD Athlon 64 3500+ - CPU SPEED: Info
- RAM: 2 GB
- OS: Windows XP/Vista
- VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 6800/ATI Radeon X800, 256 MB
- PIXEL SHADER: 3.0
- VERTEX SHADER: 3.0
- SOUND CARD: Yes
- FREE DISK SPACE: 1 GB
- DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 256 MB
Latest Graphic Cards
Click here for the latest video card drivers
Online games
Test Latency
Below are some gaming computers with images that show how many games will run on each.
Each computer was tested against the minimum and recommended requirements of over 8,500 of the latest PC games.
Click here for more options.
System Requirements Lab may earn affiliate commissions from qualifying purchases via Amazon Associates, eBay Affiliates and other programs
Test on Recent History First World War Grade 9
Test on Recent History First World War Grade 9 with answers. The test consists of 15 tasks.
1. When did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand take place?
1) August 17, 1913
2) June 28, 1914
3) August 1, 1914
4) October 20, 1914
2. What was Serbia’s response to Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum?
1) Serbia rejected all demands of Austria-Hungary
2) Serbia, on the advice of Russia, accepted all the demands of Austria-Hungary
3) Serbia, on the advice of Russia, accepted almost all the demands of Austria-Hungary
4) Serbia, in response to the ultimatum, declared war on Austria-Hungary
3.
What was the plan Schliefen?
1) in the lightning defeat of France and the prevention of a war on two fronts
2) in the defeat of Russia, followed by the defeat of France
3) in the simultaneous attack on France and Russia
4) in the capture of Belgium and the defeat of England
4. Read the extract from the government document that defined the goals of the war, and indicate the state that put them forward.
“…We need unconditional freedom of the seas, colonies with convenient harbors that can be defended — colonies that supply us with raw materials and can become markets for sale, colonies that can live their own economy and are distinguished by … solidarity and freedom of movement … We can use the areas of coal and ore adjacent directly to our border. From a military point of view, it is desirable to improve the East Prussian frontier. Finally, we need a military indemnity that would bind France economically for a long time and would deprive her of the opportunity to develop financial activities in other parts of the world to our detriment.
nine0003
1) Austria-Hungary
2) Great Britain
3) Germany
4) Russia
5. Which of the following was one of the reasons for the success of the French counteroffensive on the Marne in September 1914?
1) surprise attack by British troops in Belgium
2) arrival of American troops at the front
3) insufficient armament of German troops
4) offensive of the Russian army in East Prussia and Galicia
6. What was the consequence of the failure of the Schlieffen plan? nine0003
1) the positional nature of the war
2) the rapid defeat of Germany
3) the transfer of the main military operations to the Transcaucasian front
4) the entry into the war of Great Britain
7. What are raiders?
1) ships capable of conducting independent battles on sea lanes
2) mobile German cavalry detachments
3) units of German submarines operating in the oceans
4) special units of the British troops
8.
Which of the following countries entered the war on the side of Germany in September 1915?
1) Italy
2) Bulgaria
3) Turkey
4) USA
9. Read the extract from the letter to the American President and determine the name of the vessel mentioned in it.
“It is now known beyond a doubt that many Americans perished in the sinking of __________. I think it is necessary to demand a promise from Germany that this will not happen again. If she does not make this promise, I would inform her that our government will take all measures necessary to ensure the safety of American citizens. nine0003
If war follows, it will not be a new war, but an attempt to end the old one as soon as possible. Our intervention will not increase, but rather reduce the loss of human life.
1) Titanic
2) Maine
3) Lusitania
4) Queen Mary
10. What changes have taken place in the internal situation of the warring countries?
1) incomes of the population grew and the domestic market expanded
2) all industry was nationalized
3) civil rights were expanded and state control weakened
4) increased state regulation and control over production
11.
Which of the following types of weapons were used during the First World War?
1) matchlock guns, sailing ships, knightly cavalry
2) attack aircraft, aircraft carriers, rocketry
3) self-propelled artillery pieces, automatic weapons, helicopters
4) tanks, aircraft, poison gases
12. Set chronological sequence of events. Write down the letters that represent the events in the correct order. nine0003
A) Britain’s entry into the war
B) Germany’s declaration of war on Russia
C) German invasion of Belgium
D) Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war on Serbia
13. Match events with their dates. Write the chosen numbers under the corresponding letters.
Event
A) Battle of the Marne
B) Battle of Jutland
C) Battle of Amiens
D) Battle of the Somme
Dates
1) autumn 1916
2) August 1915
3) September 1914
4) August 1918
5) May 1916
16 the date (month and year) of the beginning of the military operation undertaken by Germany.
“Meanwhile, the situation on the Western Front was changing not in favor of Germany. The attempt by the German command to achieve a decisive turning point in the war before the main part of the American troops arrived only hastened the denouement. The German army went on the offensive in the direction of the English Channel, trying to strike at the junction of the British and French units. The massive use of the latest military equipment did not change the overall tactical picture — the artillery preparation was followed by an infantry offensive, which broke against the powerful defensive lines of the enemy. Dozens of kilometers traveled forward were paid for by tens of thousands of dead. Despite the lack of human reserves, the German troops continuously attacked the French positions, managing to again reach the borders of the Marne River in the immediate vicinity of Paris. nine0003
15. Set the chronological order of the following events. Write the letters of the events in the correct order.
A) the beginning of the revolution in Germany
C) the truce in the forest of Compiègne
C) the battle of Amiens
D) the exit of Bulgaria from the war
Answers to the Modern History test First World War Grade 9
1-2
2-3
3-1
4-3
5-4
6-1
7-1
8-2
3
10-4
11-4
12-GBVA
13-3541
March 14, 1918
15-VGAB
Download
Test First World War 9th class
(101 Kb, pdf 3) 9000 : a new group infection of hundreds of tourists can put an end to the whole industry
This week, global tourism received a new sudden blow that could put an end to the whole industry — the industry of sea cruises: after covid «stories» tourists are already shying away from cruises, but here a new, and grandiose image blow. So, the other day a new “covid ship” moored in Sydney: we are talking about the Majestic Princess liner, on which hundreds of tourists infected with COVID were recorded.
Tourists are being tested and isolated, while — as expected — they are blamed for the mass infection. Experts recall that the practice of mass lockdowns and worldwide hysteria started in 2020 with “covid liners”, and again give pessimistic forecasts for cruise operators. nine0003
«The cruise ship is on the highest possible COVID alert for those on board with a Level 3 Alert,» the New South Wales Health Authority in Australia said. This means that at least 20% of the people on it are infected with the coronavirus. And since there are more than 3 thousand passengers and 1 thousand crew members on the liner, at least several hundred are infected. The local press operates with data on 800 cases.
About 800 people, mostly tourists, have been infected, Marguerite Fitzgerald, president of cruise operator Carnival Australia, added. “This is a 12-day flight and we started noticing cases about halfway through,” she said. She also added that infected tourists are mostly mildly ill or asymptomatic and are isolated in their cabins.
According to the representative of the company, the result of several hundred infected was revealed after mass testing of tourists. At the same time, unlike the practice of 2020, tourists whose test turned out to be negative are released from the ship. nine0003
One such released tourist added that he thought the cruise operator had handled the protocols well, but the passengers had not followed instructions. “We got scared when we heard about the mass infections and quarantine, but we had a negative result and Princess Majestic did a really good job with the protocols. We have been wearing masks for the last seven days and were very careful when we went ashore, but some people just don’t pay attention to the safety rules, and that was the problem, people just don’t take COVID seriously,» the passenger of the covid liner said. nine0003
Recall that after the tragic story of quarantine in Japan on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in February 2020, as well as less well-known similar stories of “covid ships”, cruise operators fell into a serious crisis: tourists began to shy away from ships as potential coronavirus quarantine hotbeds .
