Hongweibing

That's the thing - I don't think that the problem is that the JA3 characters are one-dimentional, while the JA2 characters were two-dimentional. Rather, the problem (assuming that it is a problem, of which I am not convinced) is that you take a two-dimentional character, and instead of expressing it in ca. half a page of text, you have to do so in ca. 2.5-3 pages of text. Because in JA2 mercs did not talk so much, one could more easily assume/imagine (often mistakenly, I would argue) that they were more serious/professional etc. and not defined by their quirks. Whereas if you need to stretch that two-dimentionality over much more dialogue, you have to either make the mercs sound generic (which is a problem when you have 40 characters), or lean into their quirkiness, to make them more unique/distinguishable/memorable. The developers chose the latter. This, in turn, leaves little room for doubt regarding their seriousness/professionality (or rather the lack thereof, in many cases). Personally, the JA mercs never felt too professional/serious to me, I always (well, with some exceptions) had the feeling that I'm dealing with a ragtag group of people of questionable professionality (not to be confused with skillfulness) and of even more questionable sanity (admittedly, JA2 was an improvement in that sense compared to JA1 and DG, but not by much, especially if you consider M.E.R.C).

Voted for the vanilla JA2 option. It was definitely an improvement over JA1 and DG, and perhaps my only problem with it was that it was a bit too generous in terms of space, but it's a game, after all. I played JA2 1.13 once, and the system felt too overwhelming for me, didn't have the patience for all that granularity, it reminded me too much of organizing things in real life - not something I wish to see in a game. The problem with the JA3 system is that it doesn't make much sense - the number of slots is defined by one's strength, but obviously, size does not necessarily equal weight. Now, I realize that they are unlikely to change the system, but a fairly easy way to make it more similar to JA2 would be to set the same number of slots for everyone (no need to redesign them), but introduce weight as a factor (which really only requires assigning a weight to all items, and defining how much weight one may carry per point of strength). As for the shared inventory, I'm fine with it for miscellaneous items, quest items, spare parts etc., but ammo and medical kits should be in each merc's inventory.

The starting funds are a bit lower in JA3 (compared to JA2) and IMP is much more expensive, so it would be a bit different: 1) IMP - emphasis on leadership. Perks: negotiator, night-ops, stealthy. 2) Hitman - I always hire him 🙂 - good sniper, high experience level, funny personality, plus - good for training militia and teaching. Admittedly, he's not as good as he was in JA1 and DG, especially with the lower agility compared to JA2, but still, can't see myself not taking him. 3) Kalyna - apart from the fact that she's a new character, she seems a fairly good sniper (and one of the only affordable mercs with a rifle, which is especially nice considering her "armor penetration" perk), a decent mechanic (and there aren't many of those, it seems), and has decent leadership - the low wisdom is a bit of a problem, but one has to compromise. If she's unavailable, I'd go for Livewire instead (who is probably the better option in the long run). 4) Mouse - a nice all-rounder - good for stealth and melee (seems more viable here than in the previous games), OK medic (I don't usually use medics anyway, in JA2, on normal difficulty, I usually manage to avoid getting seriously injured, so there's no need for first-class medics - hopefully, the same will apply here), not a horrible shot + good wisdom, which means that aspect could be improved fairly quickly. If she's unavailable, I'd go for Blood instead. 5) Barry - the most affordable explosives expert, high wisdom, OK mechanic, not a horrible shot - what's not to like for a mere 2,990? Though if I had more funds, I'd go for Red instead. After getting a bit more money, I'd add Ice as no. 6. Or maybe just get an RPC instead.

Yes, just saw that, there the explanation is simple - there are not enough APs (if you're referring to the scene with Fauda). It also shows that if a weapon does not have auto mode - the icon does not appear at all - so that's not the case. Checked a few more videos, indeed, Carmine is right, the explanation is, unfortunately, simpler than I'd hoped - in this case it is just the fact that there are not enough bullets, which I agree, doesn't make a lot of sense. So basically, the icon will (only?) be unavailable if you don't have enough APs or ammo (same would go for the burst, by the way, if you don't have at least 3 bullets, but that makes more sense): Personally, I don't see myself using auto mode, as it seems too wasteful, so I don't mind it too much, but I see no technical reason why it shouldn't be made available even with less than 15 bullets (especially since this is not a real life requirement for auto fire), as long as players are aware they're spending the same number of APs. Let's hope that the devs will address this issue at some point.

I see, thanks for clarifying. Though I'm not sure that's related - you can see the option is unavailable in some cases even when there are 30/30 bullets, e.g. here: Whereas here, with the same weapon, it is available: There are AKs without an automatic mode (only semi-automatic and burst), but most regular models (such as standard service rifles) have such a mode, I seriously doubt they went for the exception here, though it is theoretically possible. Of course, only the devs can give a proper answer.

Not sure what you mean by "lack of one bullet" - if you're referring to the semi-automatic mode, it is available, but not selected. If it cannot be selected (for which I see no indicators in the screenshot, but I assume it's part of a video) - it could be because Fidel is a psycho, so he may choose to just go for the burst regardless, as in JA2. As for the automatic mode being unavailable, based on what I saw, it seems to be disabled in situations in which it would be rather unwise to use it (such as the one above) - when your path is obstructed, and bullets are likely to ricochet and/or you'd just end up mostly hitting the object behind which you are taking cover, as you would not be able to properly control the rifle. But I'm no ballistics expert, so perhaps those with more experience would have a better explanation.

I tend to agree - while it doesn't necessarily have to be an easier difficulty, as someone mentioned in a different topic, the devs would have to do quite a bit of rebalancing for those choosing to have CTH (as the game as we saw it was designed around not having CTH). So making it a toggle option that can be changed at any time wouldn't work. If the option is added, it's something that one should choose at the beginning, which would change the balancing, even if not the difficulty as such. Not sure they'd go for it, as it's quite a lot of work, but it could be worth the extra players.

Wouldn't like to exacerbate anyone's paranoia regarding people defending the removal of the CTH, but I also think that its removal is for the best, though I think that commercially, it would be best to simply make it optional. As for the reasons for CTH being fairly useless: - It adds the illusion of knowledge, without adding real knowledge to the player - knowing the exact % doesn't help, as you are never guaranteed to hit, so you can have 90% but still miss, even more than once in the row, creating unnecessary frustration. You can fairly easily deduce what shot is more or less likely to hit based on distance, position (elevation, enemy's cover...), weather conditions, skill, body part etc. - It exacerbates tendencies to exploit certain types of attacks/preferring only some body parts (e.g. headshots). - It makes aiming less realistic - you never know the exact chance in real life, and the point is to estimate it based on the various conditions, while knowing that you can miss even if you do everything right or hit through sheer dumb luck - which is part of the fun in JA games. - There was no CTH in the original games, only in the JA2 1.13 mod - and that's, well, a mod. If the developers claim to remain true to the legacy of the original games, that's certainly part of it. Besides, I think it was rather elegantly done by the original games - a black indicator when you had no chance to hit (and the merc would also say that), a flashing indicator when the chance was low (usually because of the distance), and a regular indicator when the chance to hit was normal or high.

Pretty much everything has been said already, but just I'd like reiterate the point about the additional information regarding critical chance, accuracy, and damage modifiers being overall redundant (most of it is/should be intuitive), possibly confusing (like with the reduced damage modifier for auto/burst), and cluttering the screen. I do, however, understand the logic behind it for those players not used to the JA series, and would certainly not want them to avoid the game due to its absence, so perhaps you could consider making it optional? I've previously suggested in a different topic to have three options for aiming: 1) Show all information (basically, what we saw in the beta version + CTH) 2) Show detailed information (only what we saw in the beta version, without CTH) 3) Show minimal information (similar to JA2 - just choose body part and how many points you spend on aiming - no other details like damage, critical chance, factors increasing/decreasing CTH etc.) And I'd also join the others suggesting to further increase the accuracy penalty for burst/auto fire, instead of reducing damage. To the best of my knowledge, in reality, due to recoil, it is only useful at a (very) close range, against a group of enemies standing close together, or against a (very) large target at a longer range. Though I imagine that it would depend on the weapon, one's strength, and one's skill. (This is based on my very limited experience a long time ago - during my military service we were not even allowed to use auto or burst modes in the M16A1 (which is a fairly accurate rifle, with overall good recoil management) - not even during target practice - as, due to the recoil, you might have more chance of hitting a fellow soldier than a target - but we were not meant for real combat, thankfully, so we were also not particularly skilled, to say the least. I'm sure that more skilled and experienced soldiers would be able to handle it better).

The developers said in one of the streams that modding shall be available, but that at the moment, they cannot provide additional details. We'll probably know that closer to the actual release date, if not after it.

Doesn't the JA2 Stracciatella mod allow the game to run on Android? Their site says it does (didn't want such a port myself, so didn't try it, but it should work).

First of all, I do hope you understand that what I wrote was a meant as a joke. Second, I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that I decided not to purchase the game when it gets released. I wouldn't even mind donating some money, had it been necessary. Third, I have actually said that this is the best game we could have realistically hoped for, and that on balance, it's not bad at all, provided that the actual issues shall be addressed. Finally, concerning feedback - at this juncture, talking about the next installment is simply premature. Moreover, I believe that at this stage, all the practical feedback and realistic suggestions that could have been made regarding JA3 (based on what we saw in the beta videos), have already been made, and we are already getting into the realm of wishful thinking and fantasy or simply repeating the same things time and again. I'm not sure there's much point to it until we get some response from the developers or see some new progress. Besides, I'm not so sure that it's the developers and producers who actually want/need our feedback, but rather we just want to provide them with it (ego, hope to influence development etc.), while they allow it so as to garner interest in the game and keep potential buyers engaged. But perhaps I'm too cynical.

...along with his severed little finger? It should be part of a pre-order exclusive beta version collector edition. All the beta version problems must be kept, and by default one plays sci-fi mode, wherein one has to assist the stalwart adventurer (new recruitable merc), Lunokhod, in exterminating THQ-morphic giant bugs that are ravaging the local population, causing the locals to ignore exploding barrels and bullets etc. After destroying the bugs, one then switches to the normal version of the game. (Disclaimer: this is by no means a call for Mr. THQ Nordic to inflict harm upon himself. Long may His Corporate Highness reign.)

I'm afraid you're estimate is a bit off here. I certainly cannot claim that I know much about voicing characters in games, but from the little I know, it goes like this: 1) You write the text, and you should make each character sound unique 2) You look for the suitable voice actors, based on samples they record for you and their previous body of work - this seems like the most difficult stage, and it can take months 3) You record the text (you'd also need a studio for that), often more than once, to get small things like intonation, emphasis etc. just right 4) You edit the recordings and match them to the relevant events in the game. All in all, we can be talking about months of extra work and I can only guess how much that would cost. As an example, for some time I used to follow a project to voice JA1 in a different language - so we're talking about much less text than JA3 - it began in 2018 and is still ongoing, with most time and effort spent on finding the right voice actors (for reference, the price for getting a professional voice actor to voice a merc in JA1 - so just a few lines - ranged from 100 to 150 USD - and we're not talking about North America or Western Europe, where it would cost even more). Certainly, a proper company will be more efficient, but it is by no means a quick and easy process. One way or the other, it's up to the developers and producers to decide, and I sure wouldn't mind seeing more IMP and regular mercs. I do agree about preferring ammo management to additional voices 🙂

Oh, I'm not saying you shouldn't have more portraits and voices, I'm just saying that they're unlikely to allot the necessary funds and time for that, considering the fact that they decided to cut the number of regular mercs by about 20 (compared to JA2). One must be realistic in one's expectations, hence my more modest estimate, but as far as I'm concerned - the more the merrier. I could see them adding more portraits/models, but the voices are the bigger problem, because unless you want to have each voice saying the same lines, you have to write new dialogue for each voice (as was the case in JA2, but there was much less one needed to write). For the same reason it is unlikely they would give the option to add one's own voice, as people would have to voice a few pages of text. So I imagine we'd end up with two voices for each gender, though I may hope for more.

While the topic starter mentioned that he played the JA series, but since JA1 was mentioned, I'd also recommend to play/replay JA: Deadly Games. I know that the lack of a strategic element makes it somewhat less interesting/appealing for some, yet the campaign is actually quite nice (just make sure to select it - because in my case that was not the default, and I imagine that at least a few people may have missed it over the years). Combat in DG is more complex than in JA1 and enemies are smarter than in JA2. This, combined with good use of terrain (well, cover - much more than in the other games in the series, at least so it feels), scarcity of ammo, and the turn limits (which I know are not too popular and can be disabled with a patch - but I think they should be kept) reward a more dynamic, high risk - high reward playstyle, as you usually can't just stay in cover indefinitely while waiting for an opportunity and/or shoot indiscriminately at enemies behind cover. Especially if like me, you tend to prefer a more risk averse playstyle, that could be a refreshing challenge. Plus, in DG you have multiple save slots and can shoot while crouching - which makes it less frustrating than JA1. Another notable aspect is the writing and voice acting - while mercs (whose number, by the way, is the highest in the whole series) still don't have that many lines, they have more than they had in JA1, yet those who actually steal the show are Gus and Micky. Both add life to the time between missions, and I'd even venture to say that Micky might be the best character in the whole series in terms of writing and voice acting (though almost useless as a merchant). He manages to evoke such a wide plethora of emotions at the same time: you hate him for trying to swindle you, you marvel at how he manages to swindle you, you feel guilty for not letting him swindle you due to his passive-aggressive attitude, and overall, you are entertained by what he says and how he says it. Frankly, they should have found a way to make him the villain of JA2 instead of Deidranna, who was just plain in comparison 🙂 Makes me wish you could hire him in JA2, alas...

IMP is in JA3, as you can see in the beta videos. Though I wouldn't count on having "25 portraits", let alone "a dozen voices" - as it's not just portraits, but also the 3D models for all the portraits (you can't just recolor a sprite like in JA2), and the voices would be especially costly and time consuming, considering the significantly larger number of lines each merc has in JA3 compared to JA2. I believe in the beta there were 4-5 models, and only one voice for each gender (could be wrong, don't remember right now). I could see them adding a few more, but I doubt they'd reach the number of portraits (models) and voices of JA2. Honestly, I'd much rather have them dedicate those resources to increase the number of regular mercs from just 40 closer to 50 (or more, but that's unlikely - as having only 40 mercs is probably the result of the increased cost of the design and voicing of each merc).

Ah, JA1 will always have a special place in my heart. It was one of the first games I ever played once I got my first (used) PC back in 1997. As I was but a kid back then, and could not understand English (beyond a few basic words - let's just say that the only merc I could fully understand was Ivan 🙂 ), needless to say, I was not good at the game and would fail after capturing no more than a dozen sectors or so (either getting killed by the enemy or running out of funds - and it was the old version, so you could not save during combat, if I recall correctly). Still, the colorful characters with animated portraits made quite an impression, so I played it many times without finishing the game once (certainly, not having many other games helped). The first time I finished JA1 was around 2008, and it was a mix of nostalgia (remembering how some of the JA2 characters were in JA1, and later returning to JA2 to read the AIM alumni section to learn of the fates of those that do not appear in the game) and of frustration (similar to what you described, and I imagine similar to the frustration felt by some people who would these days play JA2, and to a lesser extent JA3, after getting used to the more recent developments in the genre). I have finished JA1 again last year (after seeing that JA3 was in development I figured it'd be a good idea to replay all the games in the series up to UB) - and gained a somewhat different appreciation thereof. That is, all your points are valid - and it certainly shows its age (the graphics certainly don't look too good, but graphics were never a strong point of the series, same goes for JA2, which was graphically unimpressive even for 1999), yet after finishing JA2 so many times, it felt like a fresh challenge, and also helped reassess some of the more questionable choices of JA2. In a sense, the fact that it is more limited also makes it more realistic (of course, some things, like shooting from different positions, and non turn-based mode when not engaging the enemy should have been there), and you don't feel quite as overpowered as you do in JA2 (especially towards the second half of JA2). A few examples: enemies are smarter and will give you a harder time; the inventory is more realistic and you can't carry around the contents of a small apartment around, no matter how strong you are; you can't aim at specific body parts - so you can't just spam headshots as was so convenient in JA2; you can't climb roofs - while I loved the function in JA2, it was overpowered and unrealistic (so many convenient roofs onto which you can simply climb with a small jump, and most buildings happen to be one-storied...), especially combined with the advantages of headshots and pretty stupid enemy AI; there is a feeling of scarcity so that you have to actually think more before you shoot (especially early in the game), as you can't just buy ammo and weapons, which, to be honest, is more realistic considering you're on a faraway island etc. So I would encourage those who haven't played it to give it a go - it's a nice challenge (especially if you're looking for one), plus you get to see how some of the JA2 characters were back in the olden days, and understand the evolution of the series a bit better.

Overall, valid points, just a few remarks: - Regarding the writing - I think that you formulated the problems with it quite well. I do, however, think that we should also point to some of the reasons why it feels this way: first, I think that reading those lines (as many/most characters are not yet voiced in the beta version) feels much more awkward than listening to a professional voice actor saying them - I do believe that once all the characters are voiced, it won't feel so bad (I mean, try reading the script of a B-action movie - you'd probably cringe to death, while it usually is not so bad in the film itself). Second, this is an almost inevitable result of the significantly increased volume of dialogue compared to JA2 (and certainly compared to the older games) combined with the inherently (at least somewhat) caricaturistic and one-dimensional portrayal of the mercs (as has always been the case). It worked fine when each merc had about half a page of dialogue - you could distill his/her personality into that dialogue, without it being too direct and on the nose. Once you add so much dialogue to each merc, you find yourself in a tight spot - how do you keep each character recognizable, and fundamentally one-dimensional, without it becoming tasteless and redundant? You offer some good suggestions, and one could also move a bit further away form one-dimensional characters to more complex ones - make them quirky and recognizable, but not defined entirely by their quirkiness, then you'd have more room for interesting dialogue. That is, of course, easier said than done - so in practice, all we can do is hope that fully voiced characters will sound better, mediocre dialogue notwithstanding. I do think that if we try to make an objective analysis of the writing in the previous games (detached from the nostalgia value and our familiarity with it), we'd probably find that it was not so great on balance (and, arguably, it did not have to be), but it was helped immensely by (mostly) solid voice acting. - Regarding the game mechanics - I fundamentally agree, but as you said, since gameplay is largely built around those elements, they are unlikely to be significantly altered. I hope that as some people have suggested, the developers could add more customization of battle, which could allow people to adjust the options to their preferred playstyle, without requiring an overhaul of the whole system. Then again, while I'm not a fan of the new system, I am fine with it - though it does need some serious rebalancing and adjustments. The reason I think it is fine is that the developers have their own vision of the game, and to the extent that gameplay (specifically, combat) is consistent (some work still needed here), deep, and engaging that's good enough, and we may grow to like it, even if it is not quite the same as in JA2. As an example, I was really surprised to see so many people (mostly not here) complaining in frustration about the lack of a CTH indicator (because they are used to it from other games), saying that it limits their ability to make informed decisions as players. I never thought of it as necessary, and even consider it redundant, as it creates a false sense of knowledge, without adding any real knowledge to the player. But then I remembered how I felt when I recently replayed JA1 - it was a very similar sense of frustration of having options to which you are used from JA2 taken away from you (aiming at different body parts despite it not being particularly realistic, shooting while crouching, having a significantly increased and not too realistic inventory space, not having to constantly be in turn-based mode, having more than one save slot, not being limited to playing during daytime, being able to climb roofs, having weapon vendors and quite a few other things). I don't know/remember how people felt about the changes made by JA2 (and some introduced in DG), but those are some significant changes, and most of them ended improving the sequel (though from the perspective of realism, not all were justifiable, and I'd say made the game significantly easier). So, perhaps after a few years we might see the JA3 system as natural (even if less realistic in some ways), and feel somewhat frustrated when going back to JA2 for not having some of them.

Great idea, it's a bit difficult to separate personal preferences from actual issues that can and should be addressed, but I'd suggest the following: Actual issues (I think): - There should be an option to enter turn-based mode whenever you wish, and (possibly) make it the default once you spot an enemy (yes, I probably sound like a broken record by now, but since I don't think the repositioning round is going away, that might be the next best thing). Personal preferences: - Think about changing the inventory management system, making it more realistic/weight based, and reconsider having a shared ammo inventory (it's okay for repair parts and similar resources to be there, but having ammo there seems odd) - If we won't have animated portraits (quite likely), perhaps it would be enough to adjust the portrait angles and tone down the smiles a bit. Not critical, either way. - Add an option for less information displayed upon aiming (I know CTH may be controversial, but certainly removing the critical chance, damage and factors affecting CTH shouldn't be too hard/significantly affect the balance in the game) - Any additional customization of combat deemed viable by the developers (see some suggestions in this topic) is welcome. - Add Hamous to the game Consider adding more mercs in the future (preferably from the previous games), even if there's no chance of getting to the 60+ mercs of JA2 (or the 70 of DG), but even 5-10 more would add quite a bit of replay value to the game.

I agree, it's not particularly realistic, the old system made more sense to me. I mean, I understand why they have the repositioning round (so that you wouldn't just massacre them every time you initiate an attack), and why they're not allowed to attack during that round (so that they won't massacre your mercs as part of the repositioning round). I do not, however, understand, why create a such situation in the first place, so that you'd have to artificially balance it out by these (arguably) awkward means? I guess we can only hope that the developers will take this into consideration (though since it seems that there's a whole system that replaces the old interrupts, I'm not particularly hopeful they'd just bring them back).

That's the thing, isn't it? Do they even have a separate interrupt system, or does the repositioning round (and overwatch) replace the old interrupt system? Honestly, I didn't see there being any interrupts, so I guess there is no such system, but maybe I just didn't notice. If you need to create the system from scratch then yes, chances are we won't get one, because cancelling the repositioning round without introducing an interrupt system would just make the enemies sitting ducks, while you massacre them for a whole turn before they can react. In that case, a toggle turn-based mode button is probably all we can realistically expect.

Good idea, and it's also probably smarter to organize all such suggestions is a single topic. Regarding the CTH, while I'm fine with it either way, I'd suggest having three options regarding aiming in general, rather than just CTH (having more might be confusing): 1) Show all information (basically, what we saw in the beta version + CTH) 2) Show detailed information (only what we saw in the beta version, without CTH) 3) Show minimal information (similar to JA2 - just choose body part and how many points you spend on aiming - no other details like damage, critical chance, factors increasing/decreasing CTH etc. - especially since those factors seem obvious to me - I mean, you don't have to be a genius to understand that if you spend more points aiming, have high marksmanship, shoot from an elevated position etc. your chance to hit is higher, while if your gun is in poor condition, you aim at the head, the range is not optimal etc. your chance to hit is lower - but that's a separate debate) Here I think the issue is not so much the repositioning as such, but rather that it applies to all enemies once spotted. So rather than simply not allowing repositioning as the second option, I'd suggest the following: 1) New mode: basically, what we saw in the beta - enemies get a repositioning round once they spot you. 2) Classic mode: like in JA2 - switch to turn-based mode upon spotting an enemy, and repositioning is allowed based on an "interrupt" action of sorts once the enemies spot you - if the enemies' stats allow them to interrupt (higher level etc.), they can reposition, or even attack you, but otherwise, you get to finish the round uninterrupted. (regardless, I think that there has to be an option to manually enter turn-based mode whenever you want)

You took the words out of my, eh, keyboard. Exactly, while I feel that most of the criticism is important and constructive (and at the very least, it seems that the developers are reading, and trying to act upon it to the extent it is viable), one should not overlook the larger picture. Put simply, had I been an evil game corporation, I would not even look in the general direction of JA - it has seemed cursed, and the expectations of much of the hardcore fanbase were raised to such a seemingly impossible standard (sometimes quite justifiably - it is, after all, a very good game, but sometimes, it seems to me, just to revel in the feeling that JA2 is so unique and nobody could possibly create a worthy successor - in a word, to elevate one's own self-esteem as a fan of JA2 by elevating JA2), that it's just not worth the trouble. Remember the famous quote by Thomas Dunning? "Capital eschews no profit, or very small profit, just as Nature was formerly said to abhor a vacuum" - I'm convinced that had it been profitable to do something like many here want, it would have been done - alas, it probably wasn't. In that sense, it is quite possible that having JA3 created in the "image and likeness" of JA2 (as each and every one of us saw/imagined it) was little more than a pipe dream. The developers have no chance of really making everyone happy - if they make it exactly like JA2 (whether vanilla or 1.13), then it would appeal only to a rather limited and I'd venture to say, shrinking, demographic (my estimate is that the vast majority is at least in their 30s, and quite a few are 40+, this means that many people stop having the time, interest, and patience to play games), which would never justify the costs of a serious project (such as the current JA3). They could also just use the IP to do something different altogether, which would look and feel like most other recent games in the increasingly popular genre (to me this is what happened to the Fallout franchise, mutatis mutandis, starting from Fallout 3, which made it just uninteresting for me, despite preserving some elements from the original two games) - it could potentially make it quite popular with a wider and younger audience, and would enable them to make more money, but would kill the franchise for most of the original fans. I think that the current project is, roughly, 70% JA2, and 30% new elements (not necessarily bad ones, by the way) - and, honestly, I believe this should not be taken for granted, since it is quite a risk commercially. Indeed, as we have seen in the preview-reviews of some of the larger websites, many might not understand/appreciate the JA2 elements as much as we do. I do believe that this is just about the right balance that could keep much of the original fanbase by maintaining the essential legacy of the franchise, while also attracting new demographics (likewise, JA2 was not 100% like JA1 or DG, it was better because it changed some elements, while keeping others - and let's be honest, many of us here wouldn't have become fans of the franchise had it been exactly like the older games). Sure, there will always be malcontents on both extremes of the spectrum - for some it's not going to be close enough to JA2 (1.13), while for others it's not going to be X-COM - and some may like it more than others. I do think that this is, realistically, the best deal we were ever going to get. In the end, as Claudius33 has suggested above, I think the key to making more players happy is to lean into customization of gameplay - e.g., allow people to choose for themselves what kind of gameplay they want - something very similar to JA2 (minimalistic aiming, classic turn management, limited information etc.), or something that is closer to the more recent standard in the genre (a more simplified system etc. that would be easier for new players to grasp, and maybe later they can try the other one), and of course anything in-between. Of course, one should still address some of the real issues mentioned in this thread, but sometimes, the best choice is to just let people choose, rather to force a single standard upon them.

Can't say that the models/portraits look bad (I feared something much worse could happen in the process of transitioning to 3D, as happend to quite a few games) - I like most of them, even if I'd prefer them to be a bit darker/more "serious" on the whole. One could certainly nitpick some of them, though, as has been already done. So just a few notes: - As for Vicki - I wouldn't say it's great, but it's not bad - seems quite similar to her JA1 and DG portrait, just from a different angle (and, well, plus the somewhat excessive use of trinkets, which looks like the result of a midlife crisis - though it does match her character and manner of speech better than the somewhat more restrained portraits in the past). - Magic's portrait reminds me too much of the protagonist of an old musical/movie (this one), as seen on this poster: So thanks Haemimont - you managed to ruin the badass image of Magic for me forever 🙂 (kidding - just make him less smiley though) - Scully looks a bit off with the smile at that angle, as in I wouldn't let him stay in the same room alone with a female merc. But I really think it's just a combination of the smile and the angle. - At first, Thor looked bad to me, but then I realized that it fits his "alternative medicine" and spirituality schtick quite well - feels like I've seen a bunch of guys like him in India and SE Asia. The rest look fine, really.