WILDFIRE

A combat system with CTH is simply a percentage puzzle to me. You mostly choose the body part where you get the best percentage numbers. So there is no need to aim at the parts with the lower numbers. With the current system in JA3 you are not limited. You have to choose the right decision depending on the informations you see on the battlefield and how good you know your different mercs. The players have to use their brains and not just look for numbers. That feels way more natural and is more realistic. Aside from that you try strategies and experiment more with the weapons you have.

A believable realistic bullet trajectory is sometimes chaotic, because you can not tell how the bullets will hit the target and environment. Sure there is a chance that you hit the target the way you wanted but you can not be sure, because elements like weapon behavior, weapon condition, the mercs weapon expertise, the weather and so on distort the result. So there should be only vague indicators like the different aiming circles(aiming stages) and that the mercs tell you if they are sure that they will hit the target. But that does not mean that everything is going according to plan and that is what makes a combat system realistic and special.

@Stuurminator: As I mentioned I was talking about rescue missions where you have to protect your team or a VIP character. I think there could be some great intensive missions where you could loose an important character or merc if you can not save him within the time limit. Also maybe randomly one of your mercs gets captured and you have to rescue him. No one is talking about that you have to save a specific merc all the time in every combat situation.

To interrogate enemies for extra info and the possibility to hide bodies are also features I would like to see. I hope that you can solve all fights completely silently. Surrendered enemies that you can use for your own militia is a nice idea. I already mentioned that for mercs. There could be merc boss fights where you have to decide if you kill the enemy merc or if you use him for your own team.

JA3 needs his own heart and soul so not showing the CtH is the right way. As you said there are already many nuXCOM copies so we do not need more of that. To explain the combat mechanics in detail tutorial menus will help. The same goes for the realistic bullet trajectory where you aim for one body part but hit another. All those details are selling points, because they set JA3 apart from all the nuXCOM copies.

@Acid: Great idea! Also for rescue missions where you have to protect your team members and to fight the enemies at the same time. So maybe some missions could have time limits where you have to bring your team to the helicopter/boat or they will bleed to death.

Nice informative dev diary as always. I hope in the end that every combat feels natural. This means it should be chaotic, diversified and things could always go wrong like a jamming weapon or that a merc leaves, because he can not handle the stress. No fight should be the same. I really like that the weather and daytime also influence the combat deeply. The most important aspect of the combat is for sure a realistic bullet trajectory system besides great weapon models and sounds. The impact of the bullets must feel real and the character models must react realistically to the suffered damage.(Body and voice feedback),(Bleeding and visible wounds),(Animations for a wounded status) And the weapon expertise of every merc should also influence the combat noticeably. The legendary mercs should handle the most rifles very well while the rookies can not use every weapon and that could also kill the team morale when the more experienced mercs loose their trust. But also exhaustion, hunger and thirst are important factors, because the hot climate in Africa is one of the first problems I think of when a merc goes into wild territory besides wild animals of course. The weather should also influence the morale status. What if the group runs seven days through dry extremely hot areas? The mind of the mercs could take damage when they get a sun or heatstroke. So places where the mercs can sleep and rest are absolutely needed. Maybe when the travel is too long you can also build tents.(That you have to buy from a merchant) All those details combined could bring JA3 to the next level and I hope in the end that the combat is the best and most hardcore in the turn based games genre.

For Emma Lafontaine a look without glasses and with open hair would suit her better in my opinion. She should be a character that is immediately recognizable on a movie or game poster. Suggestions added to the list: - Animations for a wounded status are needed for mercs and enemies - All enemies should be lootable - Icons that show where and what can be looted should be reduced or deleted - A animated grabbing hand cursor (for loot) like in JA2 would be a nice addition

I think JA3 should not be a game for casual players. I know if you want to sell more copies you sometimes have to please a wide audience but I think JA is not the type of game where you can simplify elements. Sure a better UI for example where you can reach all important gameplay elements very fast and easy is something that works but the combat or the inventory should be complex, clever and deep. The same goes for the humour that can not be streamlined for a casual audience. It is raw and dark but that is JA at its core. What if you take a movie like Commando with Arnold Schwarzenegger and remake it with the current Marvel Humour. It simply does not work. Today hardcore games like Dark Souls can also reach a wide audience and JA3 could be the Dark Souls of strategy turn based games. That does not mean that it has to be super hard but that it is not dumbed down and that you can dive deep into its complexity. So please stop with the argument that we have to show the CTH, because the people may not understand the gameplay. In what times we live in where one successful game has to be copied over and over again, because the players can not learn something new? When you want to please everyone in the end no one will like your game. There must be a heart and a soul in a game not a dumbed down gameplay mix that is forgotten in one or two years. Look at the FromSoftware Games. They created unique and complex games and the players had to change their mind and not the other way around. So I say create the combat as hardcore and complex as possible and only modernize those elements that helps the players to get access to the game and to teach them how the mechanics work. The more JA3 has its own soul and gameplay features the more the people will not see it as a simple copy of XCOM. We already have many of those boring turn based games at the stores and it would be a shame if JA3 will be the next soulless title that only lives in the shadows of the nuXCOMs.

I think the stealth mode should be really diversified. Realistically by daylight it should be really hard to conquer a sector in stealth mode, because the enemies can see you very easy (expect you have a sneaking pro in your team) But at night you have the advantage and with equipment like a night vision device it should be easier to conquer a sector completely silent. I want to point out that the day time should have a big influence on the stealth mode, so that you often have to decide if you wait for the night or if you maybe take a different route to get to your mission goal. Those aspects change the way how you play the game so I hope the devs designed the stealth mode really deep and connected it with the day time and weather.

I want to clarify my example of Emma Lafontaine and Vicki more in detail, because it maybe sounded a little bit harsh or misleading. Both voices for each character are good and should stay as they are. I just wanted to describe that Emmas voice sounds like a mix of French and Jamaican to me so I think a character design that looks more like a Vicki type of character and less like the current Emma design would suit better. But surely Vickis current design and voice that I saw and heard in the Announcement Trailer are good and suit her very well. Maybe just more military elements for her outfit would give her design a more believable look. In this case there is no change needed for the voices. I only think that the character design for Emma Lafontaine could be improved so that she also looks more like a main character and less like a random NPC. Corazon Santiago for example looks really unique and special. Her voice is great by the way. I hope Emma also gets a more noticeable design, because right now she looks like a normal village person to me.(But her design is not bad in my opinion)

@Ivan Dolvich: You summarize very well what I mentioned here very often. First and foremost JA3 has to be serious. The tone should be dark and brutal. The people die and suffer in this war. The unique formula of JA was always the small subtle humour between this overall brutal world. But this special humour has to feel right and the writing has to be clever. Simple goofy one liners do not work here. So I still hope the tone and writing will get an upgrade here and there so that you can take the JA3 world/characters serious and that you do not get the colorful Far Cry atmosphere all the time.

I am still concerned about the art style of JA3. I do not like the design of Emma Lafontaine. The voice does not fit her design and she is not really appealing to me. Emma is one of the main characters and she looks like a random NPC. I think she could look a little bit more special and beautiful. To make something clear she do not has to be a super model but she just do not look like an important main character to me. I know this is subjective but when I hear her voice I think about Vicky and not Emma. Strangely in the intro of JA3 when I just hear her voice I see the face of Vicky in my head and I am confused when her face in the conversations is than totally different. NPCs like Father Tooker are so over the top, cartoony/colorful and Far Cry like that I can not take these characters serious anymore. So please devs rework those characters and the mercs that are too cartoony and colorful. Also maybe think about some voice acting decisions, because some voices do not fit the characters. You can see Father Tooker at the 2 Hour mark(around) here:

Yes I think a big merchant is also a must, because it feels great to organize weapons, ammo and items for your mercs and to send them to your specific home base. You had always the feeling that you are connected to a bigger world outside of the normal game world. This strategic layer kept also the gameplay more diversified. A black marketplace for weapons in the game world where you can make a bid in an auction is also something I would really like. So you can really have fun in your money management.

@Hendrix: Everything is fine, I just added this before in my Known Beta issue thread but have not described everything in detail. So your post was a good addition. I think the combat should always challenge us and that not every plan we make turns out the way we wanted just like in real life. Sometimes you need a plan b and I think the combat should feel exactly like that. Chaotic, diversified and always different.

@Hendrix: I already wrote down the problematic weapon balancing in my Known Beta issue thread exactly because of these overpowered sniper rifles. That balancing destroys the whole combat, because you can cheese your way through the sectors when you got your hands on the good rifles and you upgraded them to the maximum level. That should not be possible even in the latest battles of the campaign. The battles should be chaotic, weapons should sometimes jam, the AI should flank us or should stay behind their cover depending on the weapons our mercs use. They should also force us to change positions when they throw grenades. Every fight should feel new, different and open. I saw in the Beta that enemies also flee when they are afraid and that the weather can influence the trajectory of the bullets. That are great features! But now the enemy AI and the weapon balancing need to be improved a lot.

@BossWeapons: I personally like the overwatch cones, because I am a fan of animated/lively stuff. Also it shows really directly in detail what area is supervised but I know what you mean. In generell I also like more reduced UI elements so that you can enjoy the detailed maps and that you feel immersed in the game world. So they could turn some effect maybe a little bit down. @Solaris_Wave: When I look at this really detailed weapon modification menu I think its sad that you can upgrade your weapon in detail but the specific scopes are not visible on the battlefield. I know it is some extra work but it will improve the immersion a lot when you aim with the scope that you installed before. Some basic crosshairs for every weapon category is better than nothing I guess. For more stuff we need the modding community.

Now that we have seen that AI is really useful to create lively portraits I hope the devs look into this again and rework the faces, conversations and hire screen. I know when you look at the conversations there is more to do than just using animated faces but I hope we get a better result in the end than just lifeless pictures. Maybe is licensing an AI expensive I do not know but I think that could be a good solution. Some results look amazing (Example in the Known Beta issue thread)

As I saw the modification menu for the weapons and all the different scopes I immediately thought about different combat crosshairs for every scope so that you always know which type of scope every merc is using on the battlefield right now. What do you guys think?

More animations for a wounded status are definitely needed also more sound and voice feedback when a merc/enemy got hit.

I totally agree with you here. I also do not like these shield icons and over present combat grids. The JA3 combat areas really feel more like a tabletop game and not like a natural environment. My suggestion is also too reduce all those elements. I want a realistic feeling and those icons and colorful grids take away the impression that I act in a real world.

I know the mercs and enemies can get tired while in battle but a full stamina bar system is missing or am I wrong? You can run with your mercs through the sectors (out of combat) but no UI element shows exactly (detailed) how tired they are. I know there is an icon in the portraits but not an indicator on the battlefield.(out of combat)

@Acid: I can not give up on the animated portraits, conversations and hire screen, because they were so special to me back in the days. Maybe some do not think that this is important but I think that was one aspect that no other game had. The bond between you and your mercs was something that no other title could replicate. And these lively conversations felt so alive like these people were really your buddies. In my opinion that is one big unique selling point that is simply totally missing and thats so sad. Sure I know the budget is limited and the devs maybe had to made decisions what to keep and what not but still that is something I would never have cancelled. Look at Lunokhods result. That looks so good. You wont miss those lively faces? @Lunokhod: This is a great looking animated portrait! This is what I want for the game also in the conversations and hire screen. Is that really so hard to do? Maybe AI could be the solution. @Grim: I noticed the circle of awareness. What I have heard and saw is that the sneaking does not work properly. The enemies often ring the alarm when you try to ambush them. The devs need to find the perfect balance here so that sneaking is possible and makes fun but surely the AI should also act clever. I have not heard enemies with voice acting or have I missed them? In JA2 the mercs needed sleep and also some streamers think that the bar is a simplified mechanic. I guess the stamina bar is also missing? And where is a weight system for the inventory? When a merc is leaning against a wall or rock they do not peek around the corner as far as I saw. Maybe I am wrong. Add to the list: - Sneaking sometimes does not work properly, ambushes dont work as intended (enemies sound the alarm very fast) - Stamina bar for the mercs and weight system for the inventory/backpacks is missing

Yes maybe some of the issues are already solved but lets wait and see. Guys please feel free to continue the list of known Beta issues in my new topic so that the devs get a compact overview about all the problems that need to be fixed.

Hi guys, I think to give the devs a better overview about all the known issues in the Beta we should write a list to keep everything together in one thread. Write down what you noticed to help the devs(Bugs, problems, needed improvements). We can continue this list until release and beyond: - Explosives do not knock over enemies - Enemies do not notice mercs close by (line of sight does not work) - Inventory needs sort function for weapons and ammo - Enemies and mercs should react more if hit by bullets (body and voice feedback) - Enemies need voices - Mercs should peek around corners before shooting - Mercs should need sleep and not just rest in a bar - Bleeding system needs a rework - Enemy AI sometimes does not act clever (all enemies run into merc gun fire and do not flank) - Militia AI needs a rework (the AI acts chaotic when enemies invade conquered sectors) - Combat auto solve function is often easier than fighting by yourself - Animated portraits, conversations, hire screen are needed - Mercs should interact more with each other in and out of combat - Bullet penetration needs new balancing (snipers are too strong)