Solaris_Wave

Hyenas hunting in packs and realising the affordability and durability of a pickup truck, with a mounted heavy machine gun, as a necessary step up in their role as predators sounds really disconcerting!

Maybe it is a case of adjusting the timing of the animations just slightly. I don't know whether, when there is group selection, there can be a random adjustment to the timing. That way, not every merc is moving the same leg at the exact same time, and the same arm at the exact same time.

That cat looks like it is saying, "Well, I've got my drinks. Where are yours?"

As much as I like Silent Storm's approach, I agree about the whole Tetris thing! Due to the variety of grenades and mines, it was a real effort to try and pack as much as possible. I still like the idea of a grid system but the amount of space doesn't have to be as large as Silent Storm (backpacks being the largest, ammo bags the next, belts following).

Those weapon stats are what I refer to as 'arbitrary game balance' rather than realistic game balance. You will give a weapon some random stats just to differentiate it from another possible similar weapon. And yet, there will be no rhyme or reason for it. I am not expecting super realistic stats because that is hard to emulate. What I want is a more logical approach, as in what makes more of a realistic sense. If a gun has a longer barrel, it is heavier and less manoeuvrable (meaning a higher action point cost to aim and fire the first shot) but it also has a longer range, better accuracy, more damage per shot due to increased velocity. A heavier gun will recoil less but again will be slower to point and aim with. Then, you have all the different calibres to work out but in terms of numbers and translating it into what a game allows, it isn't that hard. It is things like that that ensure handguns, SMGs and carbines are better weapons in CQB environments, as opposed to longer, heavier and/or more powerful weapons that excel at longer ranges.

That would make sense. A frag grenade will hardly leave a crater. C4 or a 60mm mortar would be more likely to.

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.

That happened for me also. To be honest, despite my appreciation for JA2, I actually favour Silent Storm's inventory system and pushed for that to be in JA3. It was also in the original X-COM games. Having a grid for belts and backpacks meant that you could carry lots of small items or fewer larger ones. With a slot system, it means everything is roughly the same size. Some items can be stacked in quantity, such as magazines, but there are still limitations. Should an FN FAL take up the same size as a M1911? Some magazines are smaller or more narrow than others.

If that is the case, that would suck. Not only that, but it would show that XCOM reboot's influence still reigns supreme. I haven't seen the video yet but I am hoping that if enemy response was low in numbers and only a few were attacking, it might be because your team were using suppressed weapons, which would lower the noise of your gunfire. That said, don't the enemy have radios?

Is this a reference to no Fog Of War (like everyone else has asked) or because the maps may be smaller, or more narrow, that you have an idea of where enemies are?

I will get the game anyway but JA2's demo encouraged me to buy the game. JA1's demo left me unimpressed and I skipped the game but after trying JA2's demo, I couldn't buy the full game fast enough. I tend to avoid Early Access myself. Unless I am specifically bug testing or playtesting so I can provide feedback, I don't want to play a game that is only half done. It is going to be missing content but you will still probably try to play it entirely anyway. You might even get burnt out playing it by the time the full release occurs.

What do you mean? I thought that any weapon in the game can be attempted to be used on anything. Is there a force fire command like in other games, where even if something isn't detected as a potential target, you can still force a shot to be fired on that location your mouse is pointing at? I can't see why an RPG or LAW can't be used to hit any target you choose to shoot at.

I did notice that and wondered whether a 'heavy helmet' was just a figure of speech or a different item. Maybe there was reference to heavier helmets with fixed face plates. I am hoping that to be the case. However, the single head slot suggests otherwise.

Maybe 'dishonour' is going too far. I don't think Haemimont are doing as such. However, there are decisions to simplify things that didn't really need simplification. They were not complex to start with. Two or more headgear slots would not have been difficult to add and they would not have been complicated for people to handle. It is about versatility and as @GODSPEED says, freedom of choice. It is more realistic to have that flexibility and it gives your merc more protection and enhanced combat capability, if you choose to equip them as such. Weight will be a factor. I want to work that out for myself. I don't want to be told that I can't do it when logic dictates that I should be able to.

X-COM (the original series) had/has some great ideas and should be the inspiration for turn-based squad games, just like it was inspired by those games before it. XCOM (the reboot) had some stupid ideas, simplified gameplay and got rid of excellent features for the sake of 'streamlining' and 'modernising' for 'today's generation of gamers'. It was highly regarded, seen as revolutionary by games journalists and for some reason, gave the impression that every squad game before it was somehow crusty, convoluted and only liked by bearded, pipe smoking, middle-aged men called Humphrey. I played and loved the original (along with the sequel and to a lesser extent, X-COM: Apocalypse, which I would have enjoyed more if it had a totally different art direction and not gone with a mix of Flash Gordon and assorted Pick n' Mix sweets). The reboot I tried to like but quickly found it lacking and decided to quit before long, due to its simplicity. And yet, it is the reboot that seems to inspire other games more than the original trilogy. That I don't get. I don't know if it is a case of jumping on the bandwagon and trying to get the same profits and glory. JA3 doesn't seem to be following the reboot as inspiration too closely, thankfully. However, there are design decisions that really don't make sense, such as the shared inventory system and weightless items. The redeployment of enemies sounded really bad (and if people do like the XCOM reboot, they often say they don't like the redeployment of aliens as soon as you spot them). I believe that Haemimont have said that that occurs only when your mercs have been spotted, not if you start combat with the initiative in your favour. I did suggest a randomiser being added so that not every enemy gets to react and some enemies could be caught not paying attention. This randomiser would have greater or lesser effect depending on whether enemies are well trained, are wearing headsets, are in close proximity to one another, are hearing a loud base alarm go off and what the weather is like. Thunderstorms, rain and dust storms would muffle such things. My suggestions were met with positivity but I think that they will only get added as a mod. Whether the redeployment of enemies is moddable or hard coded, I don't know. And no, my real name is not Humphrey. Nor do I smoke or have a beard.

It does sound like an idea to create some tactical option, without it being even necessary. You can have this OR you can have this. It was that line of thinking that made me quickly stop playing the XCOM reboot. I can either have a medkit or a pistol or a grenade. Why not all three? The original X-COM games let me do it. Real life allows you to do it. Why did the XCOM reboot have to make it more complicated by forcing more simplicity? Who is the genius that came up with that idea and why weren't they fired into the Sun? There really needs to be more than one slot for the head. Helmets are common and NVGs can often be clipped onto the front and then pulled down over the eyes. I would have liked to have seen other items too. Standard goggles or eyewear would be handy in the event of dust storms, intense sunlight or lowering the effects of muzzle flashes, especially at night. Ear defenders are another possibility. Gas masks would be important if CS gas or some lethal agent is used. Face masks or shemagh scarves are also useful to protect against dust and smoke.

Weapon realism would be an obvious choice for DLC. That will take some adjustment to make it closer to realism while not being so realistic it leaves everybody dead or out of action in one shot. The enemy AI has to be good enough to compensate for any damage boost. I will more than likely try making a mod like that. More mercs and different outfits is another good choice. Maybe even a serious merc mod with more of a lifelike range of personalities, instead of caricatures. You could make them part of a historical period of Africa. An operation taking place in the 70s for instance, with weapons from that timeline. That would mean no rail attachments, huge lights, no lasers, simple telescopic sights, instead of additional Red Dots and ACOGs. You could create a siege mission where you have to defend a compound on all sides from overwhelming enemy forces. I don't know whether there would be some kind of initial setup phase but if possible, you could use that to set up landmines, tripwires, claymores and sandbags. There might be one or two deployable M2HB heavy machine guns that you could position. You then have to survive until the final turn. Maybe the final turn can show friendlies arriving by vehicle to take over. If JA3's engine allows for it, the first few turns can start off in daylight, followed by dusk and then night time.

I can't say I agree with any of that (and that is okay, we don't all share the same opinion, all the time). I am happy with what has been written and the combat is, to a large degree, something I am pleased with. I am glad that there are environmental effects instead of them just being cosmetic. The portraits are best discussed in threads about the art direction and for some of us, any issue with the portraits are lower down the list of concerns (although I am aware it is serious for some.)

I have to agree with the preference of slightly muted colours. Like I mentioned earlier, Haemimont did say in one of their videos that they first went with muted colours and then went for African vibrancy. Maybe they reversed their decision or decided to tone it down somewhat. Yes, Africa is full of colour but I am glad that they haven't gone with the kind of palette you see on some online hero multiplayer shooter, such as Fortnite or Overwatch.

2 (or now 5) hours for a Steam refund is too narrow a time frame. Not every game is an immediately accessible arcade game. Lots are slow burning, story driven games with long tutorials or starting locations. You might enjoy that part, only to find the rest of the game not to your liking (too hard maybe). Or, once the game actually lets you play and see what is all about, the time limit is up for a refund. The time frame for a refund is only good if you are immediately aware of technical problems, or like I said earlier, immediately accessible games like multiplayer shooters, arcade driving games, platformers and so on. RPGs and open world games (of which there are so many now) can't give you a decent impression within 5 hours. Even AAA games with huge budgets don't ensure an optimised game. Some recent PC versions of console games have been atrocious, no matter what PC hardware you might have. Even some AAA console games have suffered, despite using fixed hardware.

I would like to see a walking animation for movement throughout safe areas and after the battle is over. You can always force them to run by holding down a key on the keyboard, if you want. After the battles were over in JA2, I liked how everything would then go at a slower pace. Your mercs would walk and be upright. They could relax more and so could you, the player. Also, it would make sense for your mercs to walk short distances, especially inside buildings or moving from one NPC to another, to speak with them. If they were running (and crouching low) everywhere, it would be silly. Save that for the sectors where enemies might be present, not for when you are in a safe village.

That was one of the most noticeable things in the preview videos when it came to those animations. They were all synchronised with their animations.

I would like to know this also. In addition, do explosions cause a stun effect, due to the shockwave? Likewise, does dust and smoke from very recent destruction affect visibility and breathing at all?

That isn't always a good indicator. Time and time again, one game will work fine on one system and struggle on another, even if one system is supposedly more powerful. Some games might crash or freeze or might not even start at all. That last point is nowhere near as common these days but games can still crash, freeze or stutter, even if the PC in question is capable of running more demanding games. If no demos exist, watching a gameplay vid can be the next best thing. However, at the very least they can irritate as you watch the person playing the game faff about, and you feel compelled to push them out of the way so you can take over and do it more efficiently (and everybody will probably think they would do a better job than the next person). At the most, watching a person play a game won't give you that important feedback where you 'interface' with a game. A game might look good but when you actually play it, using whatever control method, it might be there where you feel that it is lacking. That is a bit harsh, saying that nobody cares. Also, like I mentioned above, games videos don't give you all the info. You don't know how well it will work on your own PC, only how well it works on theirs. You don't know how clunky the controls might be either.

Demos are such a rare thing now, which is a shame. In the past, there were several demos I played that turned a game from being a curiosity or a pass, into something I really wanted to buy and play. There were even demos that came out that left me eager for the main release and I played them repeatedly. There were drawbacks to demos, on a personal level. Some games took so long to get released after the demo, you kind of felt you were getting bored of the game. You had played the demo repeatedly and then found that the full game wouldn't be out for another month or two. There were also some really bad demos. The kind that treated you like scum for even wanting to try such a thing. You might get just 60 seconds to play it before the demo ended, slowly showed an advert for it, then happily went back to the Desktop. Instead of trying to tempt you into buying the game, they would insult you and say buy the game anyway. Those demos were rare but they never encouraged anything other than to ignore the full game (which probably sucked anyway and the big fat games corporation knew it). From the publisher's standpoint, their argument was that making demos took time and possibly delayed the main release as developers were spending time making the demo. They also said that they were sometimes hard to make as they revealed gameplay they wanted to keep secret. They also said that making a demo would actually hurt sales because people would simply play the demo for their fun and not bother with the full game. I don't agree with the latter point as, like I initially pointed out, a demo has often encouraged me to buy a game I wouldn't normally be interested in, or was unsure whether I wanted to spend a lot of money on. These days, with the costs of games being as high as they are, and sales not always affecting some games (or despite being old games, are never on a good sale price), demos shouldn't be written off.