Thoughts on Jagged Alliance?

JudgeDredd · April 21, 2013, 02:40:09 AM

The Jagged Alliance set is up on Steam for £23. It seems like alot of game...but I have no prior experience of it.

I was a fan a long time ago of the Commando series but lost interest in later developments.

So...I'm wondering what this has? If it's the same as Commandos, then it probably doesn't hold anything for me. But if it's got new stuff...I might jump in.

I am hoping someone tells me there are a couple of things I hope it's got...
1) an RPG element where you can improve your characters abilities
2) a financial element...where you get paid for missions which allows you to buy kit

I don't know if anyone remembers Strike Commander from 1993? It was a groupf of mercenary fighter jocks with F-16s and in order to buy kit, you had to do missions and earn money.

I know X-Com has that element...but one thing that stopped me in X-Com was having to deal with everything else. I really just want to worry about making money and buying weapons and ammo. I'm not interested in researching my own stuff...

So...any thoughts on the game? I watched a video on Steam before I got kicked off so my daughter could go on WoW!

I'll check RPS and others as well...but I'm always interested in normal gamers thoughts who have actually played it

Ta

JudgeDredd · April 21, 2013, 02:43:51 AM

oh...and I'd like to point out to Matrix and Slitherine and all companies that think sales don't work...

I'm thinking on picking this up because it's on sale. It'll unlikely get any time devoted to it immediately because I've no time...and it's a genre I'm not overly keen on (RPG) BUT IT'S ON SALE and I'm thinking about picking it up.

Sales work boys.

GJK · April 21, 2013, 08:55:48 AM

I just posted last night in a thread that I dug up about JA: Back in Action. It's pretty bad ass - very much an RPG where you hire merc's, get paid for jobs and (I think) increase your abilities as time goes on. I say I think because I haven't lived long enough to find out - it's a hard game!

For JA: BIA, you *have* to get the patch which corrected some major issues that the game had at release. I see also that there's a total conversion mod that is getting high praise. I'm going to try that out after I post this message.

KyzBP · April 21, 2013, 10:04:14 AM

I can only speak to Jagged Alliance 2. I'm actually playing it right now. If you go to the Bear Pit (http://www.ja-galaxy-forum.com/board/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm&c=11) and download the 1.13 mod you will have everything you could want and more. There's RPG and financial management. You can loot the dead or steal from the living. There are a few stories running at the same time as well as quests if you choose to go for those. To me, it's nearly a perfect game although I am having some stability issues with WIN7 right now it's still well worth the time invested. Save often and enjoy.

Nefaro · April 21, 2013, 12:09:16 PM

Quote from: GJK on April 21, 2013, 08:55:48 AM
I just posted last night in a thread that I dug up about JA: Back in Action. It's pretty bad ass - very much an RPG where you hire merc's, get paid for jobs and (I think) increase your abilities as time goes on. I say I think because I haven't lived long enough to find out - it's a hard game!

For JA: BIA, you *have* to get the patch which corrected some major issues that the game had at release. I see also that there's a total conversion mod that is getting high praise. I'm going to try that out after I post this message.

I'd like to check out JA:BIA sometime, once I get out from underneath the mountain of games I've not played yet.

The thing that made me hesitate before was the mention of it's combat having some real-time parts IIRC. Do you have to jockey a pause button or TBS/RTS switch all the time?

JudgeDredd · April 21, 2013, 02:26:03 PM

There's actually a demo - so I've downloaded that to see what the game gives...though I don't know why I bother - demos don't work :D

GJK · April 21, 2013, 02:45:16 PM

In JA:BIA, the action point system only kicks in when you enter "plan and go" combat mode by tapping on the spacebar. So, your MERC's will move and even shoot as if it were an RTS game if you want to play it that way. It's quicker and easier than in the original game where you plot a move and they get half way there and then run out of action points and you plot the rest of the move, over and over again. At the first sign of trouble (your MERC's will say something once they've picked up a visual), you tap the spacebar and then you get into the mode that is more like the original. You plot your actions, tap the spacebar and they complete them. However, the action doesn't pause - you need to follow along closely so that you can tap the spacebar again once they've completed those actions (and you can plot a thousand actions but you'll want to modify that as events unfold).

The reviews that I read about the original release dogged it for the camera controls and dumb AI. The patch fixed the camera controls (mostly - you can spin 360 degrees and in/out but you can't get a directly overhead view nor a view from the MERC's perspective). The AI is TOUGH now. I've tried 5 times now to complete just the first mission and I haven't been able to do it. I'm close though - I have a saved game with two healthy MERC's near the end.

If you do get the game, get the "Combat Evolved" mod for it: http://www.moddb.com/mods/ce-mod-jabia

The mod adds many more weapons and gives the baddies camo uniforms instead of the street clothes that they were wearing. Other fixes as well.

jomni · April 21, 2013, 06:00:30 PM

It's fun. But don't let the streamlined gameplay put you off like most JA purists.

Silent Disapproval Robot · April 22, 2013, 03:44:53 AM

Gamersgate has it on sale for $13.58/£10.18 now.

JudgeDredd · April 22, 2013, 03:50:06 AM

^oh - nice spot.

Nefaro · April 22, 2013, 11:41:35 AM

Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on April 22, 2013, 03:44:53 AM
Gamersgate has it on sale for $13.58/£10.18 now.

Dammit.

This is how they get ya to buy stuff you can't even play for awhile.

Tuna · April 22, 2013, 12:22:44 PM

Making you buy stuff you don't even really want!.. Yeah, those low priced sales really don't work!

Nefaro · April 22, 2013, 06:26:14 PM

Quote from: Tuna on April 22, 2013, 12:22:44 PM
Making you buy stuff you don't even really want!.. Yeah, those low priced sales really don't work!

Hahah! Yeah. ;D

JasonPratt · April 22, 2013, 09:30:16 PM

Quote from: GJK on April 21, 2013, 02:45:16 PM
If you do get the game, get the "Combat Evolved" mod for it: http://www.moddb.com/mods/ce-mod-jabia

Is that the Total Conversion mod?

I've been holding off for a while, but with sale on, and many problems apparently fixed...

Also, what does Crossfire have to do with it?

JasonPratt · April 22, 2013, 09:54:00 PM

Quote from: KyzBP on April 21, 2013, 10:04:14 AM
I can only speak to Jagged Alliance 2. I'm actually playing it right now. If you go to the Bear Pit (http://www.ja-galaxy-forum.com/board/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm&c=11) and download the 1.13 mod you will have everything you could want and more.

I picked up the current 1.13 mod from there a few years ago, but obviously it should be more current now.

Problem is, that link goes to the main overview of the Bear Pit but after poking around for a few minutes I still have no idea where to download the actual 1.13 current version. (.4056 or something like that I think? I have version .22somethingsomething.)