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  • Making a Mercenary

    DevDiary 3 - Making a Mercenary


    Hello and welcome to another DevDiary for Jagged Alliance 3. My name is Boyan Ivanov, and I am the co-Creative Director of Jagged Alliance 3. Yes, another Boyan no to be confused with my dear friend and college Boian, whom you already know through the first DevDiary.

    What made Jagged Alliance 1 and 2 so special was the cast of unique and quirky mercenaries under your command. There were many memorable personalities, and every player had his favorites. Some of mine are Barry, Fox and Tex from the first installment.

    We knew that to make a great Jagged Alliance sequel we had to have a big roster of mercs, and we had to get them right.

     

    Tex – Cowboy of the Rising Sun

    Speaking of Tex, while he was a bit too busy being a B-list movie star in Jagged Alliance 2, he’s back in action in Jagged Alliance 3.

    Tex_Snype.thumb.jpg.2fe245e51cd785c6eb3cc53d03a564ea.jpg
     

    To tackle the challenge of recreating the old mercs like Tex we need to do our research. We began by creating a profile document for each merc with their background and story or at least what was known about them.

    We then extracted all the voice lines from Jag 1 and 2 to get the vibe and feel of the character. Combing all of those for additional information and character quirks and idiosyncrasies. Like Tex calling enemies rustlers and asking you if you prefer Clint Eastwood or John Wayne.

    We knew we wanted to advance the timeline only by a couple of years and we wanted to reflect that in some of the characters. For Tex things weren’t going all that well in Unfinished Business (the expansion to Jagged Alliance 2) and as B-list action movies fell out of fashion he had to don his six shooters once more and sign back up with AIM.

    Text_Bio.thumb.jpg.4040e667d7331d38ca8d00e3d82b7888.jpg

    Suit up!

    The next step was to create a visual concept for the merc. We had to recreate the characters as full 3D models in the game world. This was a big challenge – recreating the faces was the first hurdle. We had portraits from the original games and those portraits managed to convey a lot with just a few pixels. Translating that to a 3D model proved a big challenge.

    One source of inspiration were your discussions and comments. We have been reading and listening to forums, discord and reddit. We greatly enjoyed the fan casting in the thread and tried to imagine the awesome hypothetical Jagged Alliance movie. All of this inspired us to make our character concepts even more detailed and thorough.

    Tex_Development_03.thumb.jpg.b7a14f086f32742834311b4cd73ea9b1.jpg

    Next came the merc’s outfit. Initially we began with a system of combining uniforms, different armor and combat gear pieces. Reflecting what the character had equipped. This didn’t turn out as well as we expected. Mercs were hard to distinguish from enemies and looked very similar to each other. Their uniqueness was completely gone from the visual side of the game. We played around with colors and attachments. Turns out you can’t change the colors of camouflage gear all that much and with too many attachments characters started looking like Christmas trees.

    We decided to go in another direction – each merc has a unique model with his own style. Reflecting the character rather than the situation in which the merc is right now. We designed each outfit based on the personality of the merc to make him or her look instantly recognizable.

    Tex_Development_02.thumb.jpg.30947391a49f941181a89739b45c347e.jpg

    Each character profile was filled with references of what we wanted them to look and small details to make their personality stand out. Tex was easy to figure out – after all he’s a modern-day cowboy, action hero - but some characters were notoriously difficult to pin down. We had to dive back to our memories of the early 2000s and research trends from back then to get the time period correctly.

    Tex_Development_01.thumb.jpg.b2ff5f637dc96b07aab5d509566a4679.jpg
     

    The Newcomers

    As is tradition, a new Jagged Alliance installment brings some new faces to the ranks of AIM. Creating new mercenaries was one of the most fun aspects of developing Jagged Alliance 3. One newcomer you might have seen in the cover art is Fauda.

    Fauda.thumb.png.687045e539c1544b2ce885c0c3133860.png


    Kevi is a veteren heavy weapons and explosives expert. She joined the Peshmerga with her brother Zoran but after his death she was retired and joined AIM as a life of fighting was all she ever knew.


    Fauda_Bio.thumb.jpg.73b4b8fea9ce6f85352965cb22294b1a.jpg


    Fauda went through many iterations during development. She began as a young and eager expert sniper but that seemed to similar to other characters in the roster. We decided to switch her specialty to heavy weapons and explosives and with the change Ian Currie came up with the idea of ageing her and giving her a gruffer personality (if you don't know who Ian is, check out the second DevDiary). As the character took shape her story came about with her life as a fighter and the fate of her brother.


    Fauda_exploration3.thumb.jpg.db5c326334fca64f70c4f9c382fce728.jpg


    As you can see her look also went through a lot of iterations and exploration until we found something that fit her character well.


    Fauda_Development_01.thumb.jpg.2390ba2df7f89959013381a47f08f1ce.jpg

     

    Finding a voice

    The vision of the characters is definitely important but what was most striking about the mercs in Jagged Alliance 1 and 2 was their voice. Having fully voiced characters back in ‘97 and ’99 was rare. Having 40+ main characters and NPCs voiced was practically unheard of.

    The mercs and characters in the world of Jagged Alliance 3 are fully voiced once again. And they have a lot to say. As in the previous titles, mercenaries express their quirky personalities throughout the game. They will often chime in with comments about the situation, your actions and their colleagues and teammates.

    Missing a shot in a fight will have some mercs curse, others offer a helpful tip. If a merc thinks that a shot is particularly hard to make they’ll voice their opinions and cheer if they actually hit. They will also praise or complain about the success and failures of other mercs in your team.

     

    Relationships and negotiating

    Mercs have their own likes and dislikes. They have relationships with other members of AIM and these are not static – they can change in the course of the game. Tex for example likes to work with Fox and will often praise her even if she misses an important shot:

    Tex: “Fox make even bad shot look good!”

     

    While Fauda doesn’t really mind Fox initially as a teammate she can begin to really dislike her if let’s say Fox fires a stray shot and hits Fauda.

    Fauda: “Instead of checking your make-up you should check your fire!”

     

    Characters are also not always happy to work with you. They may have specific requests like having one of their friends on your team or proving yourself in combat first. Or they may judge your actions – Fauda won’t be happy to work with you if you haven’t won at least 3 battles in the recent days.

     

    Tex: “Fox is there? She should be fighting in big movies, not little battlefields. She is so talented! I will be honored to work with her again. I will change schedule for this.”

     

    Fauda: “Working for you is dull and pointless. I came to fight and kill the agents of Shaitan. Instead, I sit in camp doing empty work. I spit on this. If I am to be doing nothing you will pay me more!”

     

    Merc’s wants and desires are not static and change and you will experience different events with each playthrough based on the team that you pick and what happens throughout the campaign.

     

    Independent Agents

    AIM isn’t the only place you can find characters ready to take up arms and fight the good fight. As you delve into the world of Jagged Alliance you may find characters that can join your team if you help them with their own woes. Though we will keep their identities on the down low for now to avoid spoilers.

    And there’s one more web site that can help you find a mercenary that fits your specific needs. Yes IMP is making a comeback with a new personality test to make certain that they find the best match for you!


    IMP_LogIn.thumb.jpg.e30767571744c6d3f336fbf5db72fcf2.jpg


    That’s all from us for now. See you soon in the next DevDiary.

    Boyan Ivanov
    Co-creative Director of Jagged Alliance 3


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    THQN Roger



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    I really like Fauda so far from the new mercs and overall as i mentioned she has 1 of the best battlefield outfits, so she will be from Iraq, i was guessing strongly with Syria or Palestine. A Kurdish freedom fighter eeeh, Kurds doesnt really talk english but hope you will give her a strong Kurdish, Arabic accent. Fauda with olive top and black trouser is also nice, made her look Kurdish traditional.

     

    She should be saying some Kurdish, Arabic words now and then as well, would be so cool if she would say "ya hero ya mero", which is a famous Kurdish saying like all or nothing. 

    Edited by LoboNocturno
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    I'm so glad they kept a focus on the mercs individuality/personality. Having mercs say different lines and interact differently depending on the people and situation was a nice touch in the original and I'm happy to see it carry over in JA3. Also, IMP was a must for me so I'm glad they confirmed it. I mean, I gotta put myself in the game and be a hero of course. 😁 

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    Other than that Fauda also has really nice overall stats, could be still mid of the game a absolute elite merc that you could keep on your team still the final.

     

    Another point i directly noticed and talk about is the evolution of the Iraqi flag, the 1 on Fauda`s profile with only 3 stars was the Iraqi flag from 1963 to 1991 which doesnt suit to the Jagged Alliance 3 timeline.

    Evolution of Iraqi Flag.jpg

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    OMG!!! Just reading this post gives me the chills, i can't wait to play the game, it's one of my all time favorites, i have no idea how many times i played and replayed these games.

     

    Like the article says, the mercs were the heart and soul of the game, the voice over, the interactions, IMP OMG!!!! can't wait.

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    That was an enjoyable read.

    How each merc looks has been a regular point of debate in these forums. I, myself have expressed concern about the appearance and fashion choices of some of the characters. However, I also did recognise the fact that their uniqueness was paramount in conveying their personality and ease of identification. On one hand, you want a merc to look loaded and ready for the battles they are fighting in, and with modular equipment and attire changing, depending on what is worn. As you say, it did cause them to blend in with each other. Therefore, you have preferred to go for the 'personality over practicality' look for each of them.

    Saying that, however, would it run the risk of making the battlefield and the mercs on it, look a little cartoonish? Having one person in a cowboy suit, another looking like a rapper with big gold chains and another looking like a senior citizen on holiday in Greece could make everything look a little less serious. I can appreciate the very real challenge of trying to make each character look unique and not alike, but they might look a little detached from the environment because they could be too colourful.

    Fashion affectation is actually ok but I think the character needs to look like they are taking the situation they are in seriously, and to appear at least slightly tooled up. Tex, as it happens, doesn't look necessarily out of place because there are cowboys who take that look seriously and with dedication. It also reminds me of a film called Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man, starring Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson. One dressed like a biker and the other insisted dressing as a cowboy, even though the setting was a slightly futuristic urban environment.

    Some of the other characters I have seen, I am not sure about. Is there a way to show uniqueness while having a business-like nature to them? When I was an '80s kid, I was into the Action Force toys (a.k.a. G.I. Joe for Americans - although the sole Americanisation of their version killed the international theme). Each character in Action Force or Cobra definitely looked like a toy and had individuality. Yet, at the same time, they all looked like they could be on the same battlefield together, because they had berets, hats, helmets, pouches, grenades and fatigues. 'Flint' looked a lot different to 'Footloose', who again looked different to 'Beach Head' and 'Snake Eyes'. They still looked somehow coherent and battle-ready.

    Fauda looks excellent and I really like her paramilitary look. I also like her other illustrations, such as the 4th one on the top row. She reminds me of the female Kurdish soldiers who were willing to fight Islamic State in recent years.

    As all of her different illustrations look good, how about another suggestion that some of us made and have a series of preset models to choose from, for each merc? There could be three or four different looks to choose between. Instead of trying to change each character model depending on their equipment (which you quite rightly said, causes them to look alike), you can choose a preferred look that somehow keeps their theme present between those preset models?

     

    The voices and how each merc comments depending on the event experienced by themselves or another merc is a great addition, especially if an attempted shot is either risky or beyond their means. It was something else we suggested, so I am glad that is in the game!

    Relationships and the mercs' negotiations with you are another excellent feature. It is also vital in going towards the fact that these mercs are individuals with backgrounds and experience. As the player and their employer, the mercs are, in effect, 'letting' us control them. You might control the merc in battle, but it is almost as if they are letting you do so, as opposed to them being drones collectively doing your bidding.

    Finally, I am happy to see I.M.P. in the game again to create custom mercs. I enjoyed that in JA2 and it was often funny with the questions and answer options. While probably not verbatim, I always remember the question that said something like, "It is Summertime and you think…" and one of the answers you could choose was, "And that is more than what could be said for the other seasons."

    Edited by Solaris_Wave
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    10 hours ago, THQN Roger said:

    Initially we began with a system of combining uniforms, different armor and combat gear pieces. Reflecting what the character had equipped. This didn’t turn out as well as we expected. Mercs were hard to distinguish from enemies and looked very similar to each other. Their uniqueness was completely gone from the visual side of the game. We played around with colors and attachments.

    Are we talking about avatar or figure in the game? First is perfect, second is questionable. In JA2 they change with camouflage, for example - and it IS great! 

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    5 minutes ago, Solaris_Wave said:

    Saying that, however, would it run the risk of making the battlefield and the mercs on it, look a little cartoonish? Having one person in a cowboy suit, another looking like a rapper with big gold chains and another looking like a senior citizen on holiday in Greece could make everything look a little less serious. I can appreciate the very real challenge of trying to make each character look unique and not alike, but they might look a little detached from the environment because they could be too colourful.

    That is a good point, maybe the mercs can have their civilian looks while in base but when in battle they have their battle gear and looks, because indeed would look weird to see characters not taking the battlefield serious.

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    • Developers

    Just wanted to drop in and share that I am very happy with the reaction I am seeing here. Fauda is one of my favorite new mercs as well and I think she fits the gritty world of Jagged Alliance very well. We needed several rounds of casting to get her voice right and I am pretty happy with the end result and can't wait for you guys to hear it.

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    Awesome to read that you have taken your time to actually investigate the characters and the lore around them!

    I think the largest mistake done by earlier tries to re-invent the IP is to not make the mercs unique enough. In my opinion the personalaties of the mercs and npcs was always JA's biggest strenght. 

    It will be really interesting so see how the dynamic approach to merc's relations to eachother works in a playtrough.

    I understand your choice of equipment not altering the appearance of the mercs, because everyone would end up looking the same (JA:BiA). But it would have been really cool to see some kind of development/changes of the gear the mercs carries throughout a playtrough. Just to get a feeling of progress.

    Great to see IMP is coming back. I am looking forward to take the questions for the first time! 😅

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    22 hours ago, Solaris_Wave said:

    Some of the other characters I have seen, I am not sure about. Is there a way to show uniqueness while having a business-like nature to them? When I was an '80s kid, I was into the Action Force toys (a.k.a. G.I. Joe for Americans - although the sole Americanisation of their version killed the international theme). Each character in Action Force or Cobra definitely looked like a toy and had individuality. Yet, at the same time, they all looked like they could be on the same battlefield together, because they had berets, hats, helmets, pouches, grenades and fatigues. 'Flint' looked a lot different to 'Footloose', who again looked different to 'Beach Head' and 'Snake Eyes'. They still looked somehow coherent and battle-ready.

    Fauda looks excellent and I really like her paramilitary look. I also like her other illustrations, such as the 4th one on the top row. She reminds me of the female Kurdish soldiers who were willing to fight Islamic State in recent years.

    As all of her different illustrations look good, how about another suggestion that some of us made and have a series of preset models to choose from, for each merc? There could be three or four different looks to choose between. Instead of trying to change each character model depending on their equipment (which you quite rightly said, causes them to look alike), you can choose a preferred look that somehow keeps their theme present between those preset models?

    I call it democracy, if they could throw us as example 8 (or even less) models of 1 character and we do the voting, which model receives the most likes will be chosen, what do you guys think ?

     

    Or a 2. option would be we can choice in game for each character should be 2 or 3 different outfits which would be also pretty cool but for each and every character only 1 single outfits is unilateral.

     

    And yes G.I. Joe wasnt bad even if it was more for children and teens, always liked the villains as they looked even cooler, they were kinda similar to the characters in the cartoon of Rambo - The Force of Freedom was also a mid 80s cartoon series.

    22 hours ago, Solaris_Wave said:

     

     

     

    Rambo The Force of Freedom Action Figures.jpg

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    5 minutes ago, LoboNocturno said:

    1. we vote for an outfit out of a panel.

    2. 2 outfits ingame

     

    Those are very good options. I had similar wishes but can Haemimont do it at this stage of development? I don't know.

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    BTW if i also have to mention about Tex (he is not my type of character and never will be since its a silly merc imo) here, they really raised up his marksmanship from 65 to 88, a major boost which i agree a decent cowboy should have a good marksmanship but maybe less effective with rifles and heavy weapons. I was always wondering since JA1 Tex is a Japanese guy but has a english surname, i mean how come ? Its not usual at all, then again making a Japanese a cowboy is also something very odd, cowboy is more a typical American culture or even a little in Mexico (yes we finally want also a Mexican merc, cowboy or cartel sicario like, would be mega epic) or in northern Latin America we call them vaqueros. For a Japanese merc, i would give him personally more a Yakuza mafia background or Samurai fighter like (Omryn looks somehow like a Samurai lol).

     

    I mean the characters should also match a little from where they come from, they made it perfectly well with Fauda, hope her voice acting will really suit her character and background as well with the accent.

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    Well, you said it, it's a 'silly merc', or a wanabe merc like many in deadly games. The term wanabe suits him well, actually. He was a wanabe cowboy, wanabe actor, wanabe merc, etc. He's in his fantasy world.
    Giving him 88 mrk imo will make him playable, but honestly he shouldn't have that, and should die on the field, or with a lot of luck go through. He's so funny though 🙂
    There always was this type of mercs in the roster, so bad but cheap, there because they had their own harsh reason (mad, broke, delusional, outlaw...). They were not supposed to survive the day, but god, how it was delightful to assemble a team of loosers like that and make it to the end anyway. I loved that way more than playing with the top heads. To each their own I guess.

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    20 hours ago, Wigen said:

    Very cool and interesting latest developer diary. I am very happy that the IMP has been officially confirmed.

    Without it, it would be a huge minus so i was pretty sure it will come but the real question is how deep will be our option this time to create our own merc ? I mean in Jagged Alliance 2 it was a unique and cool stuff but the selection was very very limited you could choice from 6 or 7 portraits and had only 3 voice selections, hopefully this time the creation will be very selective, a selection at least from 15 to 20 (male and female each) portraits and have more voice options also with different accents cause in JA2 you had only American accent, they should do the selection at least like in XCom 2 where you had like 40 to 50 different voices in different languages. If possibly also choice our self from different variations of tops and trousers in different colours and patterns.

     

    And not last but lease our IMP character should have a portrait, cause in the JA3 Legacy Trailer you can see a merc with blank portrait called Time.

    Edited by LoboNocturno
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    1 hour ago, Grim said:

    Those are very good options. I had similar wishes but can Haemimont do it at this stage of development? I don't know.

    If you look to Fauda`s concept art well there is also a date, April 7th, possibly it was made in 7th of April 2021, cause in September 2021 when the very first trailer released the outfits were already made.

    So we are seeing here a work from at least 2 years ago, hopefully the development is not that very far and they will give us at least for some mercs a fan voting (which would be very fun and also the right choice) from several different outfits or like i said option 2 would be they will offer us 2 or 3 outfits for each merc. Otherwise we the fans will always have something to say or complain how they were made and some are really overrated in a unserious way.

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    I'm curious, did you consider a "middle ground" of giving each merc two models, unarmoured and armoured one, not reflecting as much the actual gear used, but only whether the character is wearing decent armour or not while keeping their style? For example, Tex would have a light, sleeveless flak jacket worn over his shirt, but still retain hat, jeans, six-shooters and scarf, and that wouldn't change no matter what armour he's actually wearing. Fauda would get heavy mil-spec webbing with bunch of magazines, Ivan would sport professional body armour but keep his ushanka and so on.

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    As there have been many posts since my last, I will try to add my responses but without quotes.

     

    1) For Tex's name and chosen profession, I can see him as being either Japanese American or just purely Japanese but with a lifelong fascination with cowboys and cowboy movies. He watched them as a kid, read about them, dressed up as one as a child and had toy guns. By the time he was older, he became an actor for both movies and stage shows. He changed his name to something more appropriately Western sounding and really tried to live the dream he always had. He learned how to shoot older revolvers and how to quickdraw from the hip and shoot targets. He trained often with lever-action rifles and shotguns. While not particularly strong, he certainly became agile for the movie roles, being able to quickly move from cover to cover and to quickly aim at the bad guys who were in multiple places on the studio sets.

     

    2) I definitely like the idea of having more than one preset model appearance to choose from, as myself and others have spoken about. Looking at Fauda's different styles, there are so many good ones that it seems a shame to not enjoy those in the game. They all clearly look like her and the change of clothes wouldn't make her harder to identify (especially as I am sure you can zoom in and out, and possibly rotate the camera). A change of attire wouldn't be unreasonable either.

    Some of those presets could possibly only become available if she was wearing body armour and/or a load-bearing vest. We could assume she would already be wearing some military gear, judging by her overall look but she might not have started with body armour.

    It would be a further elaboration on @Sarin's post and could apply to every merc where there are several presets and if armour is worn, further presets can be chosen. I like what @Sarin suggested about Tex having body armour over his attire. He would still look like a cowboy but would have sensibly worn armour for something more serious than movies and stage shows. Also, in reality there are plenty of police in the southern states of the U.S. that wear a cowboy hat as part of their uniform, even when gearing up.

     

    3) Something that had been on my mind before and has come up again, after reading @Grim's post, is the singular Marksmanship rating. I seriously think (and previously stated in a post) that there should be more than one Marksmanship rating, depending on the weapon type. Just because somebody is a good shot with handguns, doesn't mean they are good with every other type of weapon. Tex himself wouldn't necessarily know how to fire accurately with light or heavy machine guns. All that time learning how to be a gunslinger with revolvers would suggest that he might not be all that great with assault rifles or SMGs. We can assume he would be capable of accurately using any pistol or revolver. Due to his background, we can also assume he would be good with lever-action rifles, bolt-action rifles and shotguns. That still makes him a valid and viable merc to choose, as he can use medium to large calibre rifles throughout the game and be one of the go-to mercs for shotguns. Sniper rifles he might be able to use but it wouldn't simply be expected that he knows how to take long range shots and compensate for bullet drop, wind and so on.

    There really needs to be a range of Marksmanship skills: Marksmanship - Handguns, Marksmanship - Automatics, Marksmanship - Shotguns, Marksmanship - Sniper Rifles.

    Alongside those, perks or proficiency skills would be a good suggestion:

    Training up through Handguns could unlock a perk that lets you fire faster and use less action points, or another perk that means the merc can comfortably fire larger calibre pistols and revolvers.

    Training up through Automatics (which covers SMGs, assault rifles, battle rifles and machine guns) could, among other possible perks, allow the merc to become useful in using heavier automatic weapons accurately.

    Training up through Sniper Rifles is probably the most important and hence why I thought of having perks learned in the first place. Sniper Rifles can cover all non-automatic rifles, whether it is semi-auto only, bolt-action or lever-action. To actually become skilled as a long range sniper, using a rifle with a high power scope, should take more training than using one for close and medium ranges. This would prevent the situation I would frequently see in JA2, where everyone could just use a rifle with a scope and get headshot after headshot (which was easier than it should be and also necessary, considering how strong body armour is in the game).

     

    As an alternative to gaining perks (if it makes everything too complicated), there could be Weapon Familiarisation. Using a particular weapon would give a bonus to the merc, reducing action points needed to perform an action, whether it is aiming, reloading or clearing a jam. Tex would be good with almost all handguns but would be exceptional with revolvers.

    The more a particular weapon is used, the more the familiarisation skill goes up. The bonuses aren't huge but let's say you get one less action point cost needed for every 10%-20% skill increase. The skill stays with the merc as well. If they start using a different gun, the skill doesn't begin to drop.

     

    Perks and Weapon Familiarisation were in the game, Silent Storm and I thought they worked really well (it also had a good inventory system). I did think that the Weapon Familiarisation shouldn't drop in that game though. You wouldn't start to forget the little things about one gun that quickly.

    Even if JA3 doesn't have perks and familiarisation, I feel that it absolutely needs to have various Marksmanship skills for all the weapon types. It is definitely not a universal attribute.

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    I guess they are dealing with weapon preferences more like in JA2, via perks and other stats.
    It is more about having boni at certain weapon handlings (auto weapons, ambidextruous, heavy weapons...) rather than channeling in specific marksmanships.
    You can still use the weapon you want with a character, but he would be better using another since he has that perk improving it.
    Stats influence that too. With high dex you can aim better (sniper), with high agi you can be more mobile (handgun, smg, shotgun), etc.

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    @Solaris_Wave I myself think it would be better to have perks/skills and other stats effect what weapons a merc is skilled with than a whole bunch of marksmanship stats.

    Marksmanship could then be a base stat and the rest applying like a bonus.

    Marksmanship + Strenght + skills/perks could then be calculated to how effective a merc is with maybe assault rifles, machineguns and heavy weapons.

    Marksmanship + Dexterity + skills/perks for one handed guns.

    Marksmanship + Agility + skills/perks, for shotguns and smgs.

    Even wisdom could come in to play for sniper rifles (needed to calculate shots).

    Just writing these as examples, I am not saying this is the way to go necessary.

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    This is why I am particularly looking forward to the Developer Combat Diary in the future. The mechanics of combat are my greatest interest because as much as I love JA2, I really hope there will be advancements on the combat system, even if it makes it more complex. Each weapon type can stay relevant throughout JA3 if the complexity is there. I never liked how you would start with handguns, move onto SMGs and then move onto assault rifles and sniper rifles, leaving previous guns behind. Single shot, high accuracy aiming to the head of each enemy dominated play and full auto was only useful if you were up close and could guarantee all the bullets would hit one enemy, finishing them off before they could counter-attack.

    That is why having various Marksmanship skills would make sense both from a game perspective and real-life perspective. You might train all day with pistols and be excellent with them, knowing how to quickly aim, how to reload smoothly, how to go for those follow-up shots. Does that automatically make you a capable sniper, hitting targets much farther away? A sniper rifle handles differently, is obviously longer and weighs more. You need to fire it resting on a surface to make that one bullet accurate. Sure, soldiers aren't always trained for purely one weapon type and the greater your experience, the obvious likelihood of having trained in various weapon types. However, being a marksman isn't an all-encompassing skill that automatically grants you experience with every weapon you pick up.

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    I was looking at the list of mercenaries on the Jagged Alliance fandom page and noticed that the overwhelming majority of mercs are American. Hopefully, there will be more from other countries. There were only a few British (although one was classed separately as Scottish), hardly any French, no Irish and even Central and South America didn't have much to show for it (Arulco not included).

    Surely, anyone who served in the French Foreign Legion could have potential interest as a mercenary, French soldiers themselves who could have previously been in Africa. Then, because of the timeline, more British who could have been in Africa. I am thinking of old-school, slightly refined British who insist on wearing a beret and mesh scarf or a more modern no-nonsense talking Brit.

    There are lots of regions that could have generated mercenaries because they gained a lot of experience fighting but the wars are over, so they don't need to stay within the country (many revolutionaries wouldn't have time to go elsewhere, unless they are like Ché Guevara and went looking for revolutions to fight in).

    Edited by Solaris_Wave
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    I will be very disappointed if microtransactions are used to personalize the mercenary.

    At the same time, I am sure that will be exactly the case.

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    3 hours ago, Solaris_Wave said:

    Surely, anyone who served in the French Foreign Legion could have potential interest as a mercenary, French soldiers themselves who could have previously been in Africa. Then, because of the timeline, more British who could have been in Africa. I am thinking of old-school, slightly refined British who insist on wearing a beret and mesh scarf or a more modern no-nonsense talking Brit.

    Sorry coz, gonna have to wait for the MERC Expansion before we get Gaston back.  And who even knows if they're going to go the length of adding in Frederick, too.

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