WILDFIRE

Extraction with Chris Hemsworth is also a really good raw mercenary movie. He looks a little bit like Wolf in this. Part 2 is also coming this year!

Yes it seems so that even the smallest YouTubers got access to the Beta. Maybe the dedicated fans here will also get access before release. I guess more feedback is always a good thing.

I also think the release date could be end of august or autumn. But sadly that maybe means we will not see many changes for the game I guess. Some stuff like the portraits, conversations, characters, combat and AI definitely need some improvements. I hope the game will get better until august and that the devs not only do bug fixing and balancing from now on.

For me I like many aspects of JA3. I want a modernized and advanced version of JA2. But the more elements they use from JA2 the better, because JA2 was nearly perfect so they can not go wrong if they copy some stuff from the past. But surely not everything works in 2023. I think what JA3 does very well is the world building. The maps look great and there are so many details there. Maybe I am wrong but I saw new gameplay and I noticed that the mercs even get dirty if they crawl across the ground and the dirt is also diversified depending on how the weather is (muddy or dusty). In the water you can see fish or an anchor and we have wild animals like hyenas that can attack enemy soldiers. Lovely details! But I do not like the nuXCOM games (compared to JA2) and JA3 sometimes feels a little bit like that. The nuXCOM games have this console feeling where many stuff is simplified or just clean so that it works also on console.(UI, inventory, aiming system) So the more JA3 gets its own identity and the less it tries to be the next XCOM the better.

Thought about the current crosshair with the body part icons again and maybe one big crosshair on the whole body looks and works better than moving the camera to the specific body part while you choose the icons. Either the devs integrate a crosshair where you can freely aim at the different body parts or they use the current crosshair with the icons. I am afraid a mix between both could feel and look cheap, because clicking on a body part icon and than the crosshair/camera moves to the body part would not feel natural I guess. But maybe I am wrong. I hope a crosshair where you can freely aim is maybe working and the devs rethink the whole system and choose what feels really natural and good. I guess that is something you can only test when you directly play the game. We do not know how the game mechanics feel right now, because we can not test it.

Guys I think I found out why some portraits feel so out of place. It is fairly simple. The mercs with the good looking portraits wear a outfit and have a facial expression that suits a soldier, the others have casual outfits that no merc usually would wear. We as JA2 players simply expect serious soldier uniforms or tank tops. Most of the casual outfits in JA2 were not visible or color reduced, so in JA3 they are really something new that in my opinion do not fit in the concept. Either all mercs wear soldier outfits or the casual outfits have military elements so that they fit on the battlefield. This mix between casual and military outfits gives the impression that some mercs are on a vacation and the others fight for their lives. That is the reason why some outfits are so distracting. My suggestion is to rework these casual outfits and happy facial expressions and to give these characters a military look. They can still keep their casual outfit but should get equipment on it. For example Vicky: Give her a belt with grenades or just something that gives you the feeling that she is fighting on the battlefield. Right now she looks like a normal mechanic that is working in a car workshop. Some mercs really need a rework so that they also fit in the Africa setting. Ivan for example wears that jacket and hat when it is extremely hot? Not very realistic. I know the devs want to keep the mercs special characteristics and that is good but maybe some can get smaller changes so that they really fit in the setting and on the battlefield.

I think color technical all mercs should look the same but right now it looks like the artist changed in the development process. Blood and Gus as an example look the same artistically but Scully, Magic and Vicky are more cartoony and feel out of place. Now I know why I do not like some portraits. Artistically some fit in well like Gus while others like Vicky could be from another game. I hope some portraits get a rework so that they are in line with the good portraits. @LoboNocturno: I saw some later combat sectors of the game. I agree they are very small. I hope they will get way bigger and more open in the second half of the game.

@BossWeapons: Yes I agree with you. I think the current crosshair is a fixed menu, because it has to work also on consoles and here is the problem for me. The game should feel more like a pc game and not the other way around. That is also a reason why it feels more like nuXCOM. I know a console port is also important for sales and that is totally fine but JA3 right now feels a little bit simplified in some aspects like the inventory or aiming system. Maybe the current crosshair is also there to avoid misclicks that is understandable. But if it will stay in the game like that the bare minimum I need is that the crosshair has to move over the head, torso, arms or legs when you click through the menu icons. Right now it just stays on the whole body. Dont get me wrong the current crosshair is good but the inner JA2 hardcore fanboy in me wants more freedom and so I like the idea of the free aiming of JA2 v1.13 (including the three aiming circles).

I saw more gameplay of the later sectors now and I have to repeat how beautiful the music and maps are! I am still missing the more lively portraits and conversations but besides that the game looks gorgeous. Hopefully mercs like Shadow, Gus and Reaper get raw and deep voices that fit their characters. The voice acting is really important here. They must get badass voices or there will be no atmosphere in the team.

@Solaris_Wave: It is fairly simple. I think the best crosshair is from JA2 v1.13. With the cursor you can freely aim at the head, torso or legs and you click through the three aiming circles(stages). The smallest circle will be mostly a sure hit.(not always) A good solution could be that the distance and the specific weapon/scope will decide if the merc can see the body part good enough for a save shot. A professional soldier is absolutely capable of hitting different body parts, it just depends on different factors like distance, weather, weapon/scope. Right now we can aim at the whole body and can choose the different body parts(icons). But I want a crosshair where you can directly aim at the head, torso or legs with the three aiming circles(stages). I want the freedom of choice and not be restricted by a static menu and crosshair. The JA2 v1.13 crosshair is also more dynamic and with it the aiming will be more natural than just clicking through a menu. Overall the current crosshair is good, I just want to aim with it freely and directly at the different body parts without the small icons.

I saw the Expendables 3 last week again since its release in the year 2014. The first half of the movie feels like it was the direct inspiration for JA3 with its setting, enemies and so on. It is really funny to watch that. Could be called Jagged Alliance 3 the movie. My favourite is still part 2. This is one of the best action movies ever. Remember guys Expendables 4 is also coming this year!

I still think the crosshair should be reworked. I want to aim freely and directly on the specific body part. It should be just like it was in JA2 but advanced. I want to move the cursor directly on the head, arm and so on. The crosshair should move to the specific body part and should not be static on the whole body. Maybe it could also be more dynamic, so that it moves a little bit over the target and is not just a static menu. Different crosshair types for the different weapons would be a nice addition.

I also like a more zoomed out camera. It gives a feel of scale. This close up camera setting often creates the impression that you play a console or mobile title. I do not like limited prefabricated combat areas. The sectors should be big and natural. Also the combat grid with it shield icons screams nuXCOM. The Enemies also look way too colorful and cartoony. With these Halloween face paints you can not take them seriously. The animation when a enemy or a merc got hit by a bullet should also be more diversified. They should react to wounds and should also hold their body. In general there must be more commentaries by the mercs and enemies when they get hurt and enemy soldiers should also get voices. Maybe some of this is simply not finished yet.

@scope112: I agree with you 100%. All these points need to be fixed by the devs. The combination of the very colorful cartoony art with the lifeless portraits/conversations really kill the JA atmosphere for me. I hope this can be improved also color technical so that the game and the characters will get a more serious tone.

I wanted to add to my post that when I talk about interactive comic I mean all the conversations with the NPCs or story characters. It feels like a picture book and not like a real lively conversation. The animated faces from JA2 are really missing. But there are also many great elements in the Beta that I wanted to point out. The detailed animated character models, the sound design, music, weather, stealth mode and reactive game world are simply amazing. You can find my whole feedback in the latest dev diary.

Now that I brought out my unfiltered thoughts about the beta with some criticism I will also give my feedback about the good elements in the game. The animations of the character models and the sound design are great. It seems like you heard some of my feedback or it was always in the game but the mercs really move their body/arms with their weapon now as if they were really aiming while they wait for orders. They also roll over objects or slide into cover and the movement from position to position while shooting a weapon looks so much more fluid and smooth now. When a weapon was shot you can hear scared birds that fly away and overall the diversified music is outstanding. All this details really bring this world alive. Very well done! That you can sneak through all sectors and that you can kill all enemies quietly is also amazing. That will give us some extra challenges. Can you beat the campaign completely in stealth mode? If this is possible we get a really diversified experience. And the weather is also implemented and is important on the battlefield. It will influence all combat situations. This is also amazing! Now that the game world will also react to all our actions and will change through the playthrough with all the decisions we have to make the whole experience will feel much more realistic and natural. I have just one thing in the combat that came to my mind that needs to be fixed. The whole crosshair should be directly on the body part that you aim in that moment, so that it feels like real aiming and not just a menu. Also the crosshair maybe could move a little bit so that it simulates real aiming.

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.

When you look at the animated JA2 portraits, hire screen and conversations you could see and feel the emotions of the characters. Sorry that I sound like a broken record but that still beats every conversation in JA3 by far. Static lifeless pictures can never replace lively faces that are angry, happy and so on. That is what I loved about JA2. Sadly no one can recreate that even over 20 years later.

I have to be totally honest, I have mixed feelings. The world and music are really lovely and detailed. But I do not get the JA flair when I look at the characters. All the cartoony and colorful lifeless faces kill most of the JA atmosphere for me. Now I know what the problem is. It feels like an interactive comic with cartoony heroes. But the JA world is not colorful or cartoony when you think about JA2. It is a tough mostly realistic world and this extremely colorful cartoony art does not fit very well. Also the UI and combat camera angles scream nuXCOM. The UI is so clean and simplified that it feels like a console or mobile title. The voice acting is ok but in combination with the lifeless faces/portraits I can not get the special JA atmosphere. All that feels a little bit soulless. Sorry to be honest here but that are my impressions so far.

The world design and music are really lovely. You can feel the African vibes everywhere. The lively towns with all the villagers are great. I hope in the end our choices really matter and will have a big impact on our mercs, the combat and the story so that every playthrough will be totally different. But I am still missing some kind of animation or cutscene how the mercs arrive with their helicopter or boat. Hopefully such details will be in the final build. Also I hope that we can loot more enemies and objects. Exploring is really important and random loot could help to create a more fascinating and diversified world. I have to be honest but right now the portraits, conversations and comments of the mercs really feel lifeless. I really miss the lively animated faces and all the funny comments. Maybe the comments are reduced and not finished yet but there must be more dialogues between the mercs and in the combat situations. Sadly the stiff pictures of the characters (portraits, conversations) can not transport the JA2 atmosphere. It feels like XCOM with JA3 characters. A flickering hire screen is also missing. That does not feel like real conversations with someone on the other side of the planet. Lifeless pictures kill most of the atmosphere for me. It just feels like an interactive comic when I look at the conversations. The very colorful and cartoony art is also reducing the feeling that I act in a serious and brutal world. So please get more life in the portraits, conversations, hire screen and dialogues between the mercs. It is so important for a JA title or it will be a nice game but not a real JA2 successor.

The Youtuber also mentioned that his livestream on Twitch will contain around six hours of pure gameplay. So this will be a huge first preview!

Hi guys, this Youtuber here will play the JA3 Beta live tomorrow! He says that the game is nearly finished and will get a release date maybe this summer!

@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.

Please be a Canadian merc in JA3. That humor fits nicely.

@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.