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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.

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    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.

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    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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    @Haemimont_Boian: Dont get me wrong I really love your work so far, I just want to point out that dark humor is definitely needed and a big part of JA but in the right dose. If too many characters are too quirky or cartoony that can drift in a goofy direction were it will be no adult story anymore.

     

    Sure the characters/mercs must be fun and should also have their funny characteristics but in the end you as a player should take them serious for the most part. JA2 had the perfect balance between serious and humorous. So please keep the JA2 formula that is perfect in character design.

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    22 hours ago, WILDFIRE said:

    Rainbow Six Siege for example had mostly realistic operators that were grounded in reality in the first years but later they added colorful characters with crazy abilities that did not fit in the world anymore.

    Agree. It was disappointing when it shifted from "yeah, this could actually happen" to "this is near future fiction" and finally "all backgrounds and personalities have their place in an elite counter-terrorist sports tournament with forced lore about family drama".

    The very first year was amazing both as very intense gameplay and more serious tone aesthetics. Back then I thought their kind of roster could make an awesome JA style spin off game.

    Then it wanted to be more like Overwatch... I could guess some of their reasons, but I don't think they apply to the JA universe.

    I think characters should be on the serious side, especially when in combat. Maybe some will have a more casual attitude when relaxed, but that should be because they haven't had much experience with... war... veterans should behave professionally and that doesn't have to subtract from their personality and flavor.

    The ironman mode is one of the best ways to play. Real consequences for the player AND for the character. This should be reflected in their voices and behavior however colorful they might have been.

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    @WILDFIREThinking %100 like you on this 1, but like i just posted in the Merc Changes topic even the enemy types arent looking serious to be honest so from this point of view its no secret anymore it will be somehow cartoony (of course if they doesnt make any changes on the looks).

    JA2 gave us more or less a real world feeling, we never really see the characters outfits though (only can imagine and speculate how they were really looking) cause in the minifigs was just a tank top with trouser and the female model had a t-shirt on.

    I liked somehow how they look in Rage especially cause the gear was showing.

     

    But i know very well what you mean, i will throw in some different mercenary models soon as LEGO minifigs on my Instagram Page, just opened the account, it called "Jagged Alliance Bricks", there is only few posts so far but feel free to follow my page there, lots of great content will be coming soon, mainly battlefield outfits & weapons, mercenaries and surely also some of the Jagged Alliance characters will be there.

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    As you say, the outfits in JA2 were basic tank top and combat trousers, which were generic enough to work and yet allow enough flexibility to wonder what they actually were, in fact wearing.

    As for R6: Siege, it just looks like another character-based multiplayer game that wants to be in the e-sports scene.

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    @SWi74: I am also a Rainbow Six veteran since over 20 years so I like the grounded realistic combat and outfits from the beginning of this series.

     

    The first years of Siege were really great. Intense battles and mostly realistic operators. As you said some soldiers would fit in the JA universe.

     

    But later on they created colorful over the top characters which do not fit in a realistic setting. The balance must be right and the same applies to JA3.

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    22 minutes ago, WILDFIRE said:

    @SWi74: I am also a Rainbow Six veteran since over 20 years so I like the grounded realistic combat and outfits from the beginning of this series.

     

    The first years of Siege were really great. Intense battles and mostly realistic operators. As you said some soldiers would fit in the JA universe.

     

    But later on they created colorful over the top characters which do not fit in a realistic setting. The balance must be right and the same applies to JA3.

    It had a lot to do with the dev exhausting viable ideas AND player behavior. Dev announced pretty early on that they are planning 100 operators within a 10-year-long roadmap. You can only keep it realistic with the characters for so long, before adding more "distinct" faces and outfits. The other factor that shifted direction are the players. From slow, clever, flanking, avoiding direct firefights to rush and die, twitch crouching, spawn peaking, high-risk play styles... and if dead... alt+tab to watch youtube... in a game where killed players can support their team with surveillance...

    It's sad, but in a way the player base deserves the game they end up with.

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    6 minutes ago, SWi74 said:

    10-year-long roadmap

    It's Longevity versus Staying True to the initial vision. That risk applies to JA, too. Especially with post launch content... 4 yearly season passes and bunches of DLC... the Firaxis way with both Civ and Xcom. I hate it, but it sells.

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    @SWi74: Yes they should have kept it simple. A small realistic and grounded selection of soldiers. Maybe one new operator per season from the beginning. I say do not oversaturate the game. Every soldier should fit in the gameplay balance and the world.

     

    I like it slow, clever and tactical so the first years were really great and I also liked the sweating in ranked mode. But now it is mostly a game for kids with all kind of colorful skins, outfits, abilities and so on.

     

    I hope JA3 will be a game for adults who like it realistic, serious and tactical but can also appreciate the nice dark humor from the 80s/90s.

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    • Developers
    On 4/2/2023 at 7:24 PM, WILDFIRE said:

    @Haemimont_Boian: I still hope that most mercs will have a serious background and look?! Sure some quirky characters are ok but overall you as a player must take the mercs serious.

     

    Its a gritty, brutal and tough world JA takes place. The mercs are soldiers who risk their lives for money and they are on a serious mission. So I hope you find the right balance.

    I agree with you 100%. It is a delicate balancing act and we want the players to take the mercs seriously. Overall, we aim for the same balance as in JA2 - some "very quirky" characters but they are the exception, rather than the rule. 

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    9 hours ago, Haemimont_Boian said:

    I agree with you 100%. It is a delicate balancing act and we want the players to take the mercs seriously. Overall, we aim for the same balance as in JA2 - some "very quirky" characters but they are the exception, rather than the rule. 

    Great to hear that. I know it is not easy to create new characters and to find the right balance between serious and quirky mercs but in the end it is important that you as a player can take the world serious but also have a laugh here and there that lightens the mood. I think the Expendables movies with Stallone have the same vibe that suits Jagged Alliance very well. Overall the mission is serious and brutal but the jokes should not be neglected.

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    It is just a very quick test made in a minute, and yet it looks and sounds very good.
    With D-ID, you can input a portrait, text to be voiced, or even an existing audio. It will make a video of it, as you can see in my example. It isn't even heavy (approx. 500ko).

    I don't know if it can be done for JA3, either by the dev team or by modding, but this kind of technology offers great possibilities for the future of gaming. I got interested in this firt for tabletop RPG. With tools like midjourney or this you can put images, voices, and more (thing ai dungeon or chatgpt to find ideas) on your imagined world. This is impressive.
     

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    I like the new mercs. In my opinion they represent the idea of JA very well.

    Jagged Alliance mercs and nps were always cartoonished, archetyped and overdrawn. Thats the reason so many loved them, i suppose. The new might look different from the original ones, but also very well, in my opinion. I wondered about some choices, but im okay with them.

    You have to keep in mind..devs decided against interchangebable looking warsim soldiers, instead watched 80/90 actionmovies & expandables for development of JA3..so its no wonder, if mercs are cartoonished. I like this fact and i think Sir Tech had the same ideas in mind, at that time..and also they were not so overly accurate, concerning authenticity of merc-descriptions, as some assume, i think.

    Maybe haemimont devs were also inspired by movie Tropic Thunder.. 😆 For example, that guy with perhaps swedish ancestors, named Len Anderson, is looking a like hes an afroamerican now.
    With that permanent grin, Scully is looking like a stoned lunatic maybe, Nails is looking way younger & like a hipster.

    Some of new old mercs looking better than before..for my taste. Raider and Shadow f.e.

    Anyway i like the new artwork very much, resembles action-heros much more and is more lively, than some sort of military uniform apperance, some players might have wished.

    And that the sizes of their heads are not the same, is completly logical for me,..while berets moves out of frame gaves the artwork more contrast, in my opinion.

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    Some mercs definitely look better than others in JA3. I think Raider now looks like a cross between Stan Lee and Reed Richards from The Fantastic Four. Shadow's new hairstyle doesn't look very military. He looks like he just stepped out of the salon.

    My main criticism though was seeing the amount of tilted heads in all of the portraits.

    I have said all of this before though, with more or less the exact same words.

    Edited by Solaris_Wave
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    For me Shadow was always a bit like CPT Willard😁

    Screenshot_20230707-0839242.png.e9be2cf9f037e8aff4a1476733bef7a7.png

    Screenshot_20230707-0847462.png.553e9afa0e3fdd1cd6feb54f7591523f.png

    Old Shadow hair appears at least long as new one. Also he is no active military.

    Besides that no real pro would go out in fields, wearing no headgear..

    Funfact: Back in the 90s specops often got critized by generals being undisciplined because of their hairstyles.
    In bloody Afghanistan was the same with all the taliban-beards. So they gave out new policys, when generality had enough of trend.

     

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    Btw military-backrounds in JA are good example to see, why Jagged 1&2 characterbio are not so consistent and a bit more random you might guess.
    For example ranks.. Some ex soldiers had ranks (even when Corporal is a rather low one, specially for an Green Berett), some hadnt (non americans & also shadow).

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    I was hoping this was going to be about what goes into making our own merc through IMP but this is interesting too. I enjoy knowing that some serious thought went in to the look and feel of the mercs. Afterall, if this game is nearly as good as JA2 we'll be looking at these guys for another 20 years

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    22 minutes ago, Reedwhistle said:

    I was hoping this was going to be about what goes into making our own merc through IMP but this is interesting too. I enjoy knowing that some serious thought went in to the look and feel of the mercs. Afterall, if this game is nearly as good as JA2 we'll be looking at these guys for another 20 years

    Raeven just wrote something to this..

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