JA3 still without basic tactical pause or/and TB set option after first patch

[Melliores]

It is not only about quests, stealth, explosives and the like. When an enemy attacks a sector, you can deploy and arrange your mercs within the deployment zone(s). However you cannot issue orders, even to make them crouch, during this deployment phase.

You will have to do this in real time while the enemy is approaching you. Thus preparing a good ambush is really an effort with no active pause. Add the option to pause at any time and issue orders to all of your mercs and it will make defense battles a lot easier as the enemy will be always walking into a well prepared ambush, possibly with overwatch cones set up by you.

Add active pause and they will have to change how the whole deployment phase and sector defense works. Possibly they will need to start all sector defense encounters from turn-based to avoid you having a big advantage when using the pause button.

Edited August 4, 2023 by Melliores

[marcinl0]

3 hours ago, sandman25dcsss said:

Because it breaks balance. See what devs say about Show CtH mod.

OK understand gama balance - but it can be done reasonably like in JA2 (especially Night Operations hotkey) and JA1.

[Raeven]

7 hours ago, marcinl0 said:

OK understand gama balance - but it can be done reasonably like in JA2 (especially Night Operations hotkey) and JA1.

JA2 did not have the option to enter turn based mode manually. Only in modded versions.

This game is designed differently than JA2. Enemies do not notice you immediately when you approach, instead it's based on a real time timer. If it was turn based as soon as you saw an enemy, but the enemy did not see you, you'd kill everyone easily before they could even react.

It's a different game. Try setting up simultaneous stealth kills in real time, if you pull it off it's fun as hell!

[D13]

3 minutes ago, Raeven said:

If it was turn based as soon as you saw an enemy, but the enemy did not see you, you'd kill everyone easily before they could even react.

Not everyone - at most those who your mercs manage to sneak up on. If enemies are mobile and well distributed across the sector, then it would be next to impossible to have every merc sneak up on every enemy and kill them within that one turn during which the player chooses to engage.

And after that turn, well, it's the enemy's turn, and they will come after mercs who are now without APs and on their own because they were spread out all over the map.

Also, seeing an enemy does not mean you can easily kill them, as vision range exceeds the effective range of most rifles and also the movement range of one turn (assuming we want to end movement with an attack). Sure, you can sneak closer during turn-based, but that comes with the risk of the enemy walking towards you during their turn, spotting you first.

 

[Raeven]

2 minutes ago, D13 said:

but that comes with the risk of the enemy walking towards you during their turn, spotting you first.

 

My point is that in JA3 it takes time for the enemy to spot you, it doesn't happen right away like in JA2. So the only way to make this system work would be for the game to be redesigned to be like JA2.

Try pulling off some simultaneous real time stealth kills, it's fun. It's different than JA2.

[D13]

3 minutes ago, Raeven said:

My point is that in JA3 it takes time for the enemy to spot you, it doesn't happen right away like in JA2.

In JA2 enemies do not always spot you right away. You go into turn-based as soon as you spot them, but from within turn-based you can watch them doing their patrolling without them ever noticing you. You can even move around, but it increases the chances of them noticing you. Enemies might step closer during their turn and spot you, and then you're in trouble. What happens based on time in JA3, and very gradually, happens based on actions in JA2, just not quite as gradually due to the missing timer.

 

4 minutes ago, Raeven said:

Try pulling off some simultaneous real time stealth kills, it's fun.

I don't think it's fun, I find it frustrating because I'm usually unable to move the mouse pointer fast and precise enough.

Personal preferences aside, the question is whether or not real-time combat at a tactically crucial stage has a place in a game that is supposed to offer "deep turn-based combat", and I see no justification for this design decision.