GODSPEED

Hitting the nail on the head, pretty much sounds like that. Over the 16-17 years of playing JA2 (I was 'late' to the game), if one thing seems to keep me coming back and almost unanimously is what made it so great: characters with personalities and selecting the "Tons of Guns" option.

Oh common, how do you know me so well?! 😂 +1 in the chamber for all that! Yeah, I was into airsoft for quite a few years.. always hunting the perfectly accurate replica over the "quality" of it's internal mechs. I've also always enjoyed watching Forgotten Weapons, Hickock45, iranqveteran8888... and so many others. By nature, I'm a perfectionist, I really enjoy getting into things and knowing everything about how it works and mechanisms... I guess part of me is just afraid that wanting all these details in JA3 will just lead me to being really disappointed. Maybe I'm just subconsciously compensating? Anyways, you're right, these are just discussions among us fans. So yeah... +1 to +1 rounds in chambers 😇 I keep thinking the devs will see the title of the post and be totally lost and think we're talking about +1 weapons in D&D. Yeah, I want an HK G3KA4 +1 😁

Over 20 years of being a kind of gun nut; the +1 in the chamber is often contested. Simply because you are walking around with a live round in the chamber AT ALL TIMES, when gun security will advise to never leave one in the chamber. I also assumed the ones requesting this feature to be american, which wasn't right of me to do, simply because it's an idea that is really highly promoted by american competitive shooters who deal with controlled environments, or also the more hardcore survivalists and home defence types. I apologize if I came on strong, wasn't my intention. I wrote hastily without re-reading my text much.. again, really sorry. It was also wrong of me to assume being a nationality. All I wanted to say is that it is a little bit too much to expect the +1 round. The VAST majority of video games don't even take their 3D images from actual real guns... but usually from Airsoft/Cheap Replicas and just images they find online. It is unfortunate, I know. I've yet to find games that have very exact recreation of real firearms. JA 2 did it okay, because of them being 2D pictures. Often it's due to licensing issues, but also simple ignorance of the firearms. Where I live, I would never even discuss firearms with anyone.. as 99% of ppl would really think you are weird or "dangerous" because you own or even like guns. I seriously do not disagree with you that those who design them SHOULD know more... but, I think expecting these things from a dev that makes games like Surviving Mars (no violence), and Tropico, and other non-gun games (only exception being Omerta) not too be too inclined on the knowledge of guns. Maybe the fact some of you are pushing for that means someone will care and put it in... I've just seen too many times games tank because of expectations that exceeded what is realistic to expect. Again, I'm sorry if I was a jackass, I hope there is no hard feelings!

JA2 never touted itself as being a realistic recreation of weaponry. I am guessing that most comments here, especially the ones who don't understand why not everyone is a gun nut, come from the USA, with very liberal gun laws. Here, in Canada, owning a pistol is EXTREMELY regulated, the only way to own, transport and use one is to join a gun club with high yearly fees. To bring that pistol to a range, you have to file papers that need to be registered with the RCMP and accepted. You CANNOT even stop,by a drive-thru or gas your car on your way to the gun range. So imagine any other firearms pike assault rifles. And our laws are very far from the strictest in the world. It's real easy to buy, own and have firearms and ammunition here. So expecting a team of devs being required to learn about guns because they like developing games? Be a little realistic please.

Ah yea... others that kind of came to mind because I was thinking of characters with personality.... These might have different settings, themes and even style of gameplay, but they have that unique personality with characters. - Baldur's gate 2 Another incredible labour of love of the late 90's. Yes, the setting is completely different, but the gameplay is relatively tactical. While it does away with turn-based and tried a real-time with pause, in this case, it worked very well. And, just like JA2, it doesn't hold your hand and tell you what to do or where to go. It can be a little overwhelming at first, especially if you don't know the Dungeons & Dragons ruleset. But they are decently well hidden so you can get the game without being a D&D player. It's great strength is a mature theme storytelling and incredible characters that will banter between one another, insult one another, bitch about one another and even go to killing one another and there is nothing you can do but watch. You have characters that have limited patience for other characters and romance and all that. It's still slightly subtle like JA2. Some characters just really make you laugh, sincerely. While Baldur's Gate 1 might have less banter, for story and setting it's almost necessary to start here. 1 & 2 form a complete story. - Dragon Age Like above, but they pushed the whole relationship thing a notch towards romance and friendly team... less of the dislikes and bitching though. It's Mass Effect fantasy style. - Mass Effect ..has good, but cliché character interactions, romance and all that. The Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 and/or Mass Effect 1-3 will keep you busy for a good amount of time until the release of JA3, they will most likely pull you in and grab you by the b@lls.

All sorts of opinions out there, but I also think most video games are a labour of love and in a way, a work of art. When making a game, like "creating" anything, so much thought is put into how? why? what? where?.. from the color palette to the art design. Something, or maybe even many things, might not be OUR taste, but I always think a mod is once you've got a good hang of the base game and want to stretch the experience further and longer. I think stock JA2 is a great game, even that game has a steep learning curve because it has such a unique engine and not many games that even compare.. closest would be the old XComs, which are also hard to get into. I usually always play 1.13, basically because of some of the basic features, like resolutions, all the extra guns (and oh so complex LBE pouch supermicroscopicmanagement it brings) and a few other features like the Major Drassen Counter-Attack, which is one of my favorite battles in the game. That said, what is special about 1.13, it doesn't remove anything, it simply adds and builds on the game. They never touched mercs, stats or relationships. They ADDED difficulty and complexity... which you do not need to use, you can simply use 1.13 for the resolutions and weapons. Like I always say, I'd be EXTREMELY happy with a simple "remake" of JA2. Everything with that game is near perfect. The layers of strategy from the capture of key locations and the training of militia. Jagged Alliance 2 has this way to give you quests without having journal entries, without pointing the way. PLENTY of hidden "easter eggs" and parts of gameplay that you HAVE to experience to really enjoy. Like the "simple" matter of finding that video tape to give to that girl who is pissing off Hans. Nowhere does it TELL you to do it, or HOW to go about it. You have NO IDEA there is a black market dealer back there. Randomly finding all that money in an abandonned mine in San Mona, to later get threatening e-mails from Kingpin... with random assassins after you if you fail to comply. Finding Terrorists and needing to cut their heads to bag sweet money.. Bringing Flo to the hillbillies.... I hated myself for leaving that poor fragile girl to those monkeys!!! I came back for all of them. 😄 The bugs.... Damn! This game has SO many interesting locations and surprises! But what is so awesome, is that nothing is ever told to spoil the surprise, you figure those things out on your own! You technically could play the game many times and never come close to figuring out every secret. What's so special about this game too... it never TRIES TOO HARD to be funny, or too serious. Everything is subtle. Everything is detail. It's so easy to miss so much.

Oh yeah! Forming squads is a big part of the fun in JA2. Even after playi,g this game pretty often in over the last 15 years, I think I still have never had every Merc there is. It makes starting a new game exciting and gives me something to look forward to.. not just the individual merc, but the combinations!

Just felt like chipping into this xcom-argument. But before I spill the beans, I would just like to make it clear to all parties involved that opinions are just that, opinions, what I like or dislike doesn't mean I think someone else is stupid for dis/liking that thing. Just in case what I say sounds crude... The most experience I have with the old xcoms, is Apocalypse. I really enjoyed the deep layers of strategic/tactical choices you had when starting a mission/combat/map. You had the choice to try and scout the perimeter, go all in the center, split your squad into small groups, big groups.. etc. There is a positive aspect to simplification of a game. The modern xcoms being a good example. Unfortunately, for me, I completed them once, put them aside and never came back. What I like in a game like JA and old Xcoms are the immense amount of choice and way of going about each and every location. Not only in WHERE I want to be on a map, but in each individual turn. The ability to micro-manage the AP's to really squeeze the maximum I can out of each situation. I remember many big battles I've had in JA2, but I cannot remember a single battle in the modern Xcoms. I remember having my player character down and unconscious while the Drassen Counter-Attack. I was too proud and I decided to move him up too far and he ended up on the brink of death. (I only reload if MY character dies.. and the Drassen Counter-Attack of 1.13 is sooo long). Using pretty much every merc I had, I got them ALL out of covered position in 2 turns, ran to my character, covered with suppressive fire and smoke grenades... just so I could get a Dr. Q to give him a regen and patch him up. That was such an intense battle, I remember it years after. And I remember many other occasions as well, close calls, dangerous situations, near wipeouts.. etc. In new xcom, the battles feel too linear, you can't really use distractions, suppression, smokescreens and imaginative tactics to set yourself up or whatnot. You litteraly WANT to avoid fighting multiple groups of ennemies. Overwatch is just an oversimplified mechanic that really only relies on 'marksmanship' alone. In JA2, interrupts really scaled with the mercs experience. They provided an abstract but realistic way to cover your angles... and like in real life, sometimes you we're simply outgunned, outmaneuvered and outmanned. Okay that was too long, anyone want to buy that book? In short, I enjoy the micromanaging aspect of a system like JA2 and I don't like the board game system like new xcom as much. I love board games though.

Okay, I put up the fix in the "Forums" > "Off Topic" section. Please let me know if it works well for you or not... I've done some testing before posting the fix.

The fix is pretty simple and works on Windows 8, 10 and 11 (currently running butter smooth on Windows 11). Make sure JA2 and whatever version of 1.13 you want are freshly installed. You'll need 7-Zip: https://www.7-zip.org/ Install it. You need 3 .dll files related to Wine3D. You can find them here: https://www.nongnu.org/wined3d/ <- This is legit stuff, not some crack/torrent website. It is safe for work! Follow the instructions below. You want to browse the Full directory (with older versions, patches...) The only version that both contain all 3 DLL's AND also fix the game, is version 1.1.37. I have tested (right before posting this) newer and older versions, and they do not work right. Download the wine3d.exe file under the 1.1.37 folder. Once downloaded, you will need to extract the .exe file using 7zip. Just right click the wine3d.exe file, click 7zip > Extract to "wine3d". Open that folder, select the following files: ddraw.dll libwine.dll wine3d.dll Copy and Paste these 3 files in your Jagged Alliance 2 main folder (where the .exe are located). ENJOY! -PS- To avoid future issues and always have this quick fix handy for any mods you want to try, do the following: Have a basic JA2 + 1.13 folder with these 3 files in them, and when you want to install/test/try a mod, simply copy/paste that entire folder and install the mod in that folder. So your drive might look like this: Z:\Games\Jagged Alliance 2 [1.13] //Never install mods in this directory, you could even zip/rar it and keep it safe on a cd or usb or under your pillow. Z:\Games\Jagged Alliance modnamehere //directory copied from above, install mod here Z:\Games\Jagged Alliance modnamehere //" " Z:\Games\Jagged Alliance modnamehere //you get the idea...

Here are a few similar and oddballs: - Hired Guns The Jagged Edge Kind of a clone of basic JA2 with a 3D Isometric engine. It's quirky, has its flaws, but it's fun to just explore and get into. Same gameplay, 25 AP, you select body parts and aim more or less, similar variety of weapons as stock JA2. You can officially get ot from Matrixgames dot com. Or slitherine (same dev/pub store). - Stirring Abyss Same store as above, and also on steam. It's a re-imagining of Xcom Terror from the Deep. Very "Lovecraftian", also very hard. Unique style and elements. You fix up and build up rooms in a sub instead of underground base. - Hard West Very enjoyable and very unique setting. Turn-based tactics with unique characters, set in the Wild West with a strong Occult theme. They came up with a super neat perk system, instead of permanent perks, you combine poker cards into hands to place in the inventory, which give different buffs. - Battle Brothers "Hardcore" Tactical game set in a low fantasy medieval world. You manage a big squad of mercenaries. - 7,62 High Calibre (with Blue Suns Mod) JA2 beefed up to full 3D with pause and go system. Quirky,,buggy, but a must for gun porn. - Phoenix Point New Xcom, but better. When all fails, just go check out the bear's pit and look up 1.13 mods. I'm currently playing Arulco Vacation 1.12 You can find it on facebook directly under the name Arulco Vacation. Very nice mod. Beefed up vanilla maps kind of how Wildfire did it.

As much as I'd consider giving up my grandmother to get 100 ap in the game, you are right, it is not realistic. 1.13 is a mod made for only the hardcore fans, not your average normal player (and there is nothing wrong with a normal average player). This is where, speaking for myself only, the nostalgia hits that wall. I won't lie, I've played the modern xcoms, enjoyed them, but never went back to them. Over-simplified system. They went for an approach that could serve to also easily be played on console. I don't think we were more intelligent in 1999 than we are now, vice-versa. The interrupt system might seem a little abstract in concept, because, you don't see the numbers. It isn't quantified as a hard stat. But, that also serves as a natural extension of the experience your merc has. The difference between an experienced merc in combat makes an incredible difference, even if both would have the same marksmanship stat, simply because that interrupt can save you. Having overwatch, just feels like over-simplified mechanic. It's a lazy implementation, meaning I have my doubts on the RPG elements this game will have. I seriously wish they would leave the tried and true rpg elements from the JA series. They don't need to be reworked or re-imagined!

Nah, it works perfectly, you just have to add the right libwine.dll amd a couple other files to the folder and it runs butter smooth. When I get home this evening, I'll come post up the details in the forums.

Yeah, I mean, I REALLY wish we could get Jagged Alliance 3 as a modern JA2 1.13. But realistically speaking, we're not dealing with a dev/pub that has that track history. Amd as much as I love 1.13 like nothing else, it is NOT newbie friendly. It is even common to NOT recommend 1.13 to new players, but let them get their feet wet in 1.12 and once they get to know the mechanics and system, they can jump to 1.13. Here, the publisher and the dev team need to work on something that is accessible,to the widest possible audience. It is NOT what I want, but simply what I'm pretty certain must be for them. Again, I really wish they could take cues from 1.13, but to expect the level of detail - like various ammunitions, LBE, MOLLE, etc - it's just giving yourself unrealistic expectations that WILL hurt the game even if it ends up being a decent JA2 clone.

Jagged Alliance is a little "dated", so I won't compare to that too much. But I will compare my thoughts with JA2. Where I find it is difficult to make ideas in my mind, is that we've been so well treated with the 1.13 mod. To me, it has become unimaginable to play JA2 without the basic features of 1.13, like the resolutions and incredible amount of weapon choices. I remember when Flashback came out, how empty it felt; as much for lack of character, as for lack of items. Yes, I know, they actually wanted to "remake" JA1, not JA2. But, as a big fan of JA2 1.13, it is hard to swallow to go back to such a low-tech style as JA1. I would hope that JA3 would expand on the choice of weaponry found in stock JA2, more attachments, various ammo types, more guns, more liberty in the way I approach the map. 7,62 High Calibre was a gun nuts wet dream. 1.13 gave us something similar, but in the world of JA2. I am afraid, like you said, with current cancel culture, the we get something very "lite" like Xcom. Jagged Alliance 2 managed to have some sense of humour, but at the same time, it was able to talk about, and show a gritty world. While graphically basic, hie many games have you beheading a terrorists head to go cash it in for some sweet money!? Or finding crows eating the remains of all the bodies your team left in a small village? To the be treated to a funny video of that totalitarian Deidranna smacking Elliot around.. ..anyways, I'm ranting too. I also always disabled the portrait gear stuff. With modern resolutions, I can't see how they can't manage to show little icons next to portraits for effects and worn gear. Like Baldur's Gate. I do really like the simple UI in JA2 though. How you can easily expand the mercs equipment with the right click. It was simple, efficient and it meant I didn't have to contantly fumble around ooening an inventory window. I want more of that. I don't want an inventory window that overlay over the game world. I think it would just be natural for equipment to show on the merc as well, almost necessary, no more excuses nowadays. Anyways, it is complicated to have realistic expectations after seeing how far 1.13 has brought the tactical side of JA2. I wonder if they even take notice of 1.13, or if they only compare to base JA2. What do you think?

It is hard for us to know where you're at in the development of JA3. While I am not asking a release date or anything of the sort (because I rather a proper game than the same mess as previously released many times over), it would be great if the community could at least have SOME input in the form of polls. Most of us old-time veterans and crazy nutjobs that go to bed each night with our boxed copies of JA 2, we tend to get excited and want to request EVERYTHING. I think we have to realize the extent of what is possible and not possible. POLLS PLEASE! Anyways, I wish the best for the team working on this and hope whoever is in charge of this forum won't get too discouraged with all the complaining, demands, outcries and furious passion. We're simply Jagged alliance fans down to the core.

While it's pretty easy to get lost in requests and things we want in JA3... one thing that I believe most real veterans of JA2 would like, are the personalities. This is one of the major element that made JA1&2 so special. While most games simply have a male/female with stats and maybe the option to kit out differently, Sir-Tech brought us a wide variety of cutlures, stereotypes, caricatures and takes on all sorts of personalities, from the humouristic, to the psycho, to the soldier, the loser and everything in between. They weren't afraid to touch on feminism, sexism, racism and complete weirdos. All this, plus the fact they were all fully voiced by someone with a pretty accurate culture to the merc being portrayed gave us some realism and feeling of attachment. We could shape a team based on our own personal biases, personalities, stats and ideals. That said, where I differ from you, and maybe from most, is in the use of all these mercs from JA2. I think using old mercs we've grown to love and hate, all with unique dialogs, voices and personalities makes it near impossible to "replicate" with precision. Thus, when you will play this new game, seeing/using these mercs will feel "off". It won't be right. I really liekd how Jagged Alliance 2 introduced fresh new faces, while retaining a few old ones. Gus being a veteran. Mike being on the other side... etc... Seeing these old faces in the video, as if they had not even aged feels weird. I mean, 22 years since those characters. I am not certain if it is simply to ease us into this game, just because of nostalgia? (or a complete lack of understanding the original games)? Let those old dogs sleep. Keep a couple of the young faces of JA2 be old retired mercs in the new game.. or old timer vets like Gus was. Not only for the modern-day social drama, but for the sake of just getting on with new stories, new INTERESTING and FULLY VOICED personalities that will keep us coming to get a hang of the chemistry between them. I would also love to go on about having realistic weaponry and loadouts... but I feel like, unfortunately for JA, that is NOT Heamimont games' strong point.

I don't even care about ETA anymore. I think JA "successors" have really destroyed most hope to a good JA3. THE ABSOLUTE LAST THING I WANT FOR JA3, IS ANYTHING REMOTELY CLOSE TO THE MODERN XCOM! <- NO XCOM 2-PART TURNS!!!!!! Looting system played such an integral role in the rich diversity of closely replicated toys (weapons, gear, accessories) that it is an important factor. But. Yes, BUT, I would like to say something, because us JA2 fans, especially the ones who have really got themselves into 1.13 mod... we have to be realistic and NOT EXPECT 1.13-like features. 1.13 was a labor of love by the most devoted fans and a thing of love for JA2. It is incredibly important not to put those expectations on devs that: 1. most likely NEVER even played JA2, 2. aren't necessarily in love with the type of setting in JA2, 3. don't necessarily care for "realism" and 4. aren't necessarily weapon buffs or gun nuts. You cannot expect 1.13 level of dedication that is STILL being worked on by ppl who are making a game for work. The passion, commitment, love and dedication is NOT that same, regardless how they market it.

Jagged Alliance at its best! So many memories of intense battles... funny one-liners... interesting characters. No matter how many times I play this game, I always seem to find a new gem of a merc and something he says that makes me smirk. Well, I am due to start another game soon. Haven't played in over 9 months!!!

For myself (and many other fans of JA2), what seems to really have hit home in JA2 compared to many other Strategy or TBS games, were the individual personalities each merc came with. Those individual traits weren't all written down on a spreadsheet for you as a "statistic". These traits, qualities, flaws & parts of what make a "person", were slowly revealed through sublte, but simple, commentary when faced with a particular situation, when seeing something they liked or didn't like. These we're "told" through some mercs quitting on you because they couldn't stand another merc. Or a merc beign flirty with another. I am really just skinning the surface here, as for each and every merc was his own. They didn't all talk as much as one another, some were deranged, some we're liek soldiers. You had users, losers, nutjobs, professionals, killers and everything in between. While strategy, tactics and a very nice arsenal or REALISTIC toys played a big role in our appreciation for the game, I assume that these aren't the hard parts to integrate in modern games. What 'gun game' doesn't have a multitude of attachments and tacticool stuff, right? But having a stiff game without character will take out all the joy and bring another "spinoff" on the JA theme to its knees.