Jagged Alliance 3 (again!)

[Carpet_pissr]

My God. Each one looks better and better. I’m not sure a Civ VII would even get me this excited.

Better be fucking great is all I can say.

[Carpet_pissr]

I really need for this game to not be abysmal.

The fact it is DEEPLY discounted as a pre-order is troubling to me.

https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/ja ... Q4Mw%3D%3D

You consider 20% “DEEPLY” discounted? Personally (and I know I’m in the minority on this) you would have to START at 20% to get me to even consider plonking down for something with zero reviews.

I’m only considering pre-ordering this because it’s one of my top three gaming franchises of all time AND the game play videos look great.

Even then it doesn’t make sense. You save $10 by pre-ordering? Woooo. I suspect anyone not taking advantage of that pre-order price will be able to buy it for that shortly after release.

[jztemple2]

Hmm, I preordered on GMG and got a 36% discount. Do you have an account there? Maybe that's the difference. Anyway, I just looked and there is now a timer on the deal which expires in just over an hour.

[Smoove_B]

Yeah, I saved 36%. Probably because of being an XP member (which really just means you purchase games from them with enough frequency as to earn the right to get better discounts). Would recommend.

Anyway, I just looked and there is now a timer on the deal which expires in just over an hour.

And the Starfield sale timer is now gone. Weird.

[Grifman]

I really need for this game to not be abysmal.

The fact it is DEEPLY discounted as a pre-order is troubling to me.

https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/ja ... Q4Mw%3D%3D

Starfield was discounted on GMG at 20% off. Is that game in trouble?

The fact is that GMG offers discounts of 10-20% on new games all of the time. This says nothing about how good/bad this game will be.

The videos that I have seen look great. That said, I'm still going to wait as no one has been able to catch the JA lightening and bottle it, despite many attempts. But I am hopeful on this one.

[Blackhawk]

The fact it is DEEPLY discounted as a pre-order is troubling to me.

They addressed that. They're not doing preorder bonuses, they're not doing early access, none of the marketing gimmicks that too many companies rely on these days. Instead they're offering a discounted price for early adopters.

[Blackhawk]

Also: I'm glad I'm broke, or I'd be desperately tempted to buy this right here and now.

[baelthazar]

I really need for this game to not be abysmal.

The fact it is DEEPLY discounted as a pre-order is troubling to me.

https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/ja ... Q4Mw%3D%3D

Starfield was discounted on GMG at 20% off. Is that game in trouble?

Maybe. Given what happened with Redfall, I'm not confident in Starfield either. Also, Starfield has the backing of Microsoft behind it. Jagged Alliance 3... well... not really comparable.

[Grifman]

I really need for this game to not be abysmal.

The fact it is DEEPLY discounted as a pre-order is troubling to me.

https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/ja ... Q4Mw%3D%3D

Starfield was discounted on GMG at 20% off. Is that game in trouble?

Maybe. Given what happened with Redfall, I'm not confident in Starfield either. Also, Starfield has the backing of Microsoft behind it. Jagged Alliance 3... well... not really comparable.

And you kind of left out the rest of my post where I said that GMG routinely discounts new games at 10-20%, so the comparison just isn't to Starfield, but almost every other game they sell.

[Max Peck]

One of the main reasons that I'm comfortable pre-purchasing the game is that Ian Currie is involved in the project.

Speaking of which...

Upcoming DevStream #7 with Special Guest Ian Currie

As we’re getting closer to launch, we’re increasing the frequency of DevStreams and will now be streaming every week. To celebrate, our next DevStream will be a special one!

Ian Currie is the creator of the Jagged Alliance franchise and has been working with the Haemimont team on Jagged Alliance 3. He’s been gracious enough to join us on our DevStream next week where we’ll talk about the previous games, chat some about JA3, and answer a bunch of questions. This is a unique opportunity to interact a long time veteran of the game industry, so you don’t want to miss it!

We also might be giving away a few more JA3 team shirts to few lucky viewers as well.

While we can’t promise we’ll get to everyone’s questions, we welcome you to post any questions you’d like to ask Ian here. We’ll be gathering them together and pulling from this question list, as well as questions from chat, during the stream.

Mark you calendars for June 22nd at 11:00 AM EDT / 5 PM CEST on the THQ Nordic Twitch Channel: http://twitch.tv/thqnordic
See you there!

[jztemple2]

I'm glad some of you folks are watching the streams and reporting. I'm not much interested in sitting and watching someone talk about a game. And I have my pre-order in, so I'm rather committed anyway

[Max Peck]

I haven't actually watched any of them, but this one caught my eye and I Plan™ to watch the livestream if I can.

[Carpet_pissr]

One of the main reasons that I'm comfortable pre-purchasing the game is that Ian Currie is involved in the project.

Same. Doesn’t ensure a great game, but probably significantly increases the odds that it will be.

[jztemple2]

Hmm, this video is actually a couple of months old but I just came across it. I like what I see

[jztemple2]

DevDiary 11 - Guns Guns Guns

Hey everyone, my name is Pavel Peychev, Producer at Haemimont Games and I am thrilled to share with you this DevDiary on a topic near and dear to my heart - the Guns of Jagged Alliance 3! We'll go over the types of weapons, how they fit into the overall gameplay and how we managed to represent the look and feel in the game itself.

Weapons are an important part of the Jagged Alliance legacy. Whereas other games in the genre use high-level abstractions, JA games aimed to faithfully reproduce real life weapons in a turn based tactical game by introducing things like selective fire, ammo types, penetration, effective range and more.

In Jagged Alliance 3 we wanted the weapons to open up playstyles and feel different in the hands of different mercs while still keeping them grounded in reality.

[jztemple2]

[Blackhawk]

Dammit, I think I'm going to be in. My kids got me a Steam card for Father's Day (this was the first FD with them both adults and employed, so the first time that they made the effort themselves, so it's kind of special.) I think I'm going to apply it to this.

You hear that, Haemimont Games? You screw this up and you've ruined Father's Day! What kind of dick would ruin Father's Day? The pressure is on!

[Carpet_pissr]

Gah, with every video I get more excited. This is not good. Expectations vs reality and all that.

Also, Raven looks so different! :/ I guess we’ve all aged considerably since JA2.

[Max Peck]

IIRC, the game is set in the early '00s, so she shouldn't have aged as badly as we have.

[coopasonic]

...a week and a half until disappointment lands!

[Carpet_pissr]

...a week and a half until disappointment lands!

Stop.

[coopasonic]

After so many disappointments, I refuse to get my hopes up. I am terrified of seeing reviews for this.

This may be the only game where nostalgia could actually see me through though.

[Carpet_pissr]

After so many disappointments, I refuse to get my hopes up. I am terrified of seeing reviews for this.

This may be the only game where nostalgia could actually see me through though.

1. Ian Curry
2. While there have been some stinkers, revered old game franchises (say 15-20+ years old) that are revived have a pretty good success rate I think:
X-Com
Fallout
Baldur's Gate (from early reports at least)
Wasteland
Bard's Tale
(I also admit that THIS franchise's success rate has not been good)
3. Ian Curry

I'll personally be happy if this is 75% as fun/great as JA2.

[coopasonic]

Currie

Also, counter-point. Julian Gollop and Phoenix Point, just because you got it right before doesn't mean you have still have the magic decades later.

[Carpet_pissr]

Currie

Also, counter-point. Julian Gollop and Phoenix Point, just because you got it right before doesn't mean you have still have the magic decades later.

Counter-counter point: Hero-U, Lori/Corey Cole. Plus numerous other (better, really) examples above including Wasteland and Bard's Tale.

[coopasonic]

Currie

Also, counter-point. Julian Gollop and Phoenix Point, just because you got it right before doesn't mean you have still have the magic decades later.

Counter-counter point: Hero-U, Lori/Corey Cole. Plus numerous other (better, really) examples above including Wasteland and Bard's Tale.

You are citing Hero U as a positive? I think we'll just have to agree to disagree. I will carry my pessimism with pride.

[Carpet_pissr]

Currie

Also, counter-point. Julian Gollop and Phoenix Point, just because you got it right before doesn't mean you have still have the magic decades later.

Counter-counter point: Hero-U, Lori/Corey Cole. Plus numerous other (better, really) examples above including Wasteland and Bard's Tale.

You are citing Hero U as a positive? I think we'll just have to agree to disagree. I will carry my pessimism with pride.

Right - minus the almost comical delays. Only referring to the reaction to the game by reviewers and gamers once it was actually ready. Probably a terrible example though.

[jztemple2]

Back to the game this time . DevDiary 12 - Combat, Part 2

Hello and welcome to our second DevDiary dedicated to combat. In case you have missed it, here is Combat Part 1. I am Boian Spasov, Lead Designer, and I will tell you about some of the remaining combat mechanics. As usual, we will follow-up with a DevStream this Thursday where we will discuss all these combat elements, and more!

Combat Start

Although combat in Jagged Alliance 3 is turn-based, the game flows in real time outside of combat. Internally we call this “exploration mode”, since it is most often used when exploring maps either before or after combat encounters. While you are in exploration mode, combat might start for several reasons – the enemies might notice you or one of your allies; they might hear a suspicious sound like a gunshot, explosion or a cry of pain; they might also see something alarming, like a fire starting nearby. All of these lead to a transition to the turn-based “combat mode”.

There's a lot more to the article, give it a look. The weather conditions are especially interesting.

[jztemple2]

[Carpet_pissr]

Man, that is quite graphically violent. I don’t think I’ve ever turned ‘blood level’ down in a game’s settings, but I might for this if those animations are representative of the game.

[jztemple2]

DevDiary 13 - Co-op mode & Mod support

Yo, gamers! I'm Vlad Abadzhiev-Jahn, a programmer and designer at Haemimont Games. Today, I want to talk to you about two major features - our two-player online co-op multiplayer and modding!

Ticket for One That Seats Two

Multiplayer brings a whole other energy to a game's campaign. It allows you to explore tactical differences with your partner and devise strategies together, experience and discuss the story side by side, and it also adds replayability.

Translating the single player experience as closely as possible while accommodating two people frictionlessly was a challenge both technically and design wise. Fortunately, we at Haemimont Games have some prior experience which gave us a strong foundation to draw from.

Let's start with getting you and your buddy to Grand Chien. One player is designated the “host” and the other the “partner”. The host is the one who initiates the game and the partner is the player who joins the host’s game. When creating a game the host has the option of starting a new campaign with their partner or inviting them into an ongoing playthrough.

We aimed to make the co-op gameplay as seamless as possible. The host can save and load games at any time as if they were playing alone and their partner will be there along for the ride. Additionally there is no functional difference between a save made in a co-op and single player, and the host can continue the game in single player if their buddy drops out. Both players can also load any of the saves (auto-saves or manual saves) created during co-op gameplay and continue them in singleplayer.

Your Game, Your Rules - Modding in JA3

Modding has played a significant part in the history of Jagged Alliance as community made mods have ensured the game's continued longevity. Long after its original release in 1999, Jagged Alliance 2's torch keeps burning thanks to mods such as the popular 1.13 mod. From the get-go we knew how important it was to build the game with modding in mind for players and creators alike, and enable modders to create JA3's equivalent of the renowned 1.13 mod and much more!

Modders will have access to the tools we use internally to create content such as mercs, weapons, items, quests, voice responses, and can even add support for new languages.

[baelthazar]

Well, being able to get this for $28 at Green Man was low enough risk for me to preorder. I still worry it is going to be trash, but at least it was fairly inexpensive.

[Max Peck]

Even setting aside my enthusiasm for Ian Currie's involvement, Haemimont Games has a pretty solid track record. My expectation is that the worst case scenario is a mechanically competent but uninspired game (I'm looking at you, Omerta), rather than complete trash. We'll know one way or the other in a few days.

[coopasonic]

I am refusing to get my hopes up, but I will absolutely be playing this weekend.

[Madmarcus]

I decided to jump on BG3 and wait on JA3. It almost went the other way though.

[Blackhawk]

I am refusing to get my hopes up, but I will absolutely be playing this weekend.

What him say. Unless the early reviews are awful, in which case I'll be refunding my preorder.

[Smoove_B]

60+ minute stream (recorded) with Ian Currie



EDIT: Unfortunately his microphone failed so he's using the one from his laptop and at times, it turns into a potato. But there are some great stories and insights regarding the creation of the original (including having or not having a hit % visible to players); it was nice to have on in the background and just listen in.

[Baroquen]

The $28 price at Greenman is really tempting for me too. I didn't pull the trigger, but I left the tab open... only a matter of time, I suspect.

[Max Peck]

How's your German?

Jagged Alliance 3 im Test: Auf dieses Spiel habt ihr zu Recht 24 Jahre gewartet

Wenn ein Entwickler nach über 20 Jahren ein Kultspiel fortsetzt, tanzt er durch ein Minenfeld. Denn die Erwartungshaltung der alten Fans ist hoch, jede Änderung wird penibel beäugt, und gleichzeitig sollen auch neue Spieler zu Fans werden. Haemimont Games ist das Wagnis eingegangen – und hat es tatsächlich geschafft, mit Jagged Alliance 3 einen mehr als würdigen Nachfolger abzuliefern.

Rund 60 Stunden haben wir mittlerweile in der Preview- und Testversion verbracht, und uns keine Minute gelangweilt, ganz im Gegenteil. Das Beste daran: Nach diesen 60 Stunden haben wir immer noch das Gefühl, gerade mal angefangen zu haben. Denn Jagged Alliance 3 ist richtig schön umfangreich, ihr könnt hier je nach Spielweise und Schwierigkeitsgrad locker 100 Stunden verbringen.
Passt zu euch, wenn ...

… ihr dramatische Rundengefechte und dynamische Kampagnen liebt
… ihr die Serie mögt, vor allem Jagged Alliance 2
… euch als Jagged-Einsteiger eine steile Lernkurve nicht abschreckt

Passt nicht zu euch, wenn ...

… euch ein Spiel an die Hand nehmen soll
… ihr zwingend deutsche Sprachausgabe braucht
… ihr nicht viel Zeit zum Spielen habt

Strategie, Taktik, Rollenspiel – und ein Klassentreffen

Grundsätzlich spielt sich Jagged Alliance 3 wie sein Vorgänger von 1999. Ihr heuert Söldnerinnen und Söldner an, zieht sie auf einer strategischen Sektorenkarte in Echtzeit durch das fiktive Land Grand Chien, und befreit unter anderem Dörfer, Städte und Diamantminen vor der Terrortruppe »Die Legion«.

Rund 80 Prozent der Spielzeit verbringt ihr in taktischen Rundengefechten – und die sind richtig, richtig spannend! Was auch daran liegt, dass eure Söldner kein austauschbares Kanonenfutter sind, sondern echte Typen, die Stärken und Schwächen haben, laufend das Geschehen kommentieren, sich entwickeln und uns ans Herz wachsen.

Spoiler:

Jagged Alliance 3 in the test: You've rightly been waiting for this game for 24 years

If a developer continues a cult game after more than 20 years, he is dancing through a minefield. Because the expectations of the old fans are high, every change is scrutinized meticulously, and at the same time new players should also become fans. Haemimont Games took the risk - and actually managed to deliver a more than worthy successor with Jagged Alliance 3.

We've now spent around 60 hours in the preview and test version, and we haven't been bored for a minute, quite the opposite. Best of all, after 60 hours, we still feel like we've only just started. Because Jagged Alliance 3 is really extensive, you can easily spend 100 hours here, depending on the way you play and the level of difficulty.
Suits you if...

… you love dramatic turn-based battles and dynamic campaigns
... you like the series, especially Jagged Alliance 2
... you as a Jagged beginner will not be put off by a steep learning curve

Doesn't suit you if...

... to take you by the hand a game
... you absolutely need German voice output
... you don't have much time to play

Strategy, tactics, role play - and a class reunion

Basically, Jagged Alliance 3 plays like its predecessor from 1999. You hire mercenaries, drag them through the fictional country of Grand Chien on a strategic sector map in real time, and liberate villages, towns and diamond mines, among other things, from the terrorist group "The Legion". .

You spend around 80 percent of the game time in tactical round battles - and they are really, really exciting! This is also due to the fact that your mercenaries are not interchangeable cannon fodder, but real guys who have strengths and weaknesses, constantly comment on what is happening, develop and grow on us.

[dbt1949]

Danke.