ShadowMagic

Just look at my other post in a different thread. I too feel they completely misfired when it comes down to character portraying and modelling enemies. We went from a serious mercenary business (Ja/JA2) to a costumed bal on Monkey Island (Tropico Alliance 3). I can't understand Ian would ever approve this. Once again I'd dare to say it was a budgetary thing; instead of putting effort in upgrading the classic characters, they picked an existing game from the shelve and sort of tried to get as close as possible.

Then what would be the reason they kind of neglected character portraying in this game? They even had Ian Currie on board. How many of the characters got through Q&A dep. is puzzling me. Also, those Snype dialogues that are intended to bring back some of the JA humor? It all feels over the top to me. Take Igor (the mime player) for example. Yes, we know that he likes to drink liquor but no need to constantly emphasize it, hence stereotype it. There has been put so much weight on it that it ain't even funny any more at some point. Hope you know what I mean? In JA2 he didnt need to say he would open up a bottle of Vodka to celebrate his contract. He was just straight professional and to the point. It feels a bit clownesque this way and basically the problem with characters in Tropico Alliance 3 in general. Kinda the same with the first Dumb and Dumber movie, versus Dumb and Dumberer. Both had the same main actors but the second movie simply sucked big time and flopped because they 'exaggerated' it. Eventually the audience just be like "yeah, yeah, now we know already". I don't know man, it all feels really amateuristic for what I have seen so far. Perhaps it's Balkan humor which is generally hard to grasp for outsiders. Hopefully they will surprise us upon release and remodeled the characters enough.

Would say Snake, stating: He was not K.I.A. but 'adopted' by Kyle Simmons to be trained extensively as a professional Ranger, boosting his skills remarkably. Also got tought how to best use camouflage technics to stay unnoticed making him a deadly night hunter. But that area has already been covered enough by existing MERCS. So perhaps Jimmy Upton would be a nice addition as his story could be he broke out of prison (again) and seeks refugee in this country. Who knows, even working for the bad guys this time. Maybe running a gang with Patrick Phillips as they kind of match. 3rd option would be Lt. Bud. Hellar. Someone with high leadership and simply one of the more classic characters from JA1.

double post

Exactly that.

In JA: Vanilla, Rocket Rifles are also available in realistic mode. Only difference with Sci-Fi is those Critters terrorizing the mines. I prefer the FN-FAL over the C7 for the stronger Mercs though. It has the highest damage output of all assault rifles, long range and the lowest AP costs for firing.

Well in these LBHTIQABCDEFG+-#% times, everybody wants to be a little gay or at least different to get some attention they don't get from their parents 😄

How many peeps in here will actually make use of COOP? Any of you guys play JA together with friends or relatives or in some active TS/Vent or (gayish) Discord channels?

I can't really see the added value of a COOP mode in a TBS game... Just wished they put all that effort and resources in a complete rework of the art style and make some decent Merc characters that actually resemble the original ones instead of having Scully looking like Harry from Dumb and Dumber.

The m14 in JA2 ain't that heavy but still delivers quite a punch.

Let me tell you I never felt the need for hiring most of the low skilled AIM's nor mediocre mercs such as Q or Meltdown in JA2 for example. I basically always pick the same characters for a starting team, that mostly consists of 1 highly skilled merc (Scope/Shadow/Ivan), contracted for a week, alongside my IMP and a high potential such as Igor and Grunty that cost basically nothing. Adding Ira for med and training militia. Within a week having enough cashflow for hiring 1 or 2 moree mediocre mercs such as Ice, Raven, Raider etc and within two weeks basically hiring med+ to high skilled mercs only. Just now, during my current JA2 session, I hired Barry for the first time ever 😄 Comes in handy for quickly training militia and repairing stuff against low cost.

I always go for high leadership high wisdom along a decent amount of agility (for action points) and basic medical knowledge (35 was the minimum in JA2) + explosives for them to at least treat themselves on the battlefield and able to tell if doors/crates are trapped or they encounter landmines. Mostly keep strength at a moderate 70-75 for them to be able to carry some gear, just making sure they get an M14 or C7 equipped ASAP to cut on weight. Same with health; around 75 for them to be able to take enough beating before becoming absolete. Markmanship at around 75-80, with high wisdom and enough practicing they will grow like cabbage on that skill. Mechanical at 0, just making sure they have gear in a good state. I'll let door picking to others. Dexterity is also less important, just enough to be able to properly throw a grenade.

That's better.. But I was more thinking about: 1: Laurence Fishburne (pretty damn sure they used his portrait as a reference in early JA 😄 ) 2: Samuel L. Jackson. Imagine these portraits with the original voice acting and you got a 100% match.

Neah, I'll wait a little longer. Not impressed with what I've seen so far. Too much Tropico, too little JA. Pretty sure the game will be available on Steam sale later this year. I've done several pre-orders before and most of them were mistakes where devs failed to deliver. Besides, no offence, but a professional company that can't even write their website description in proper English (mind you, it's not my native language either but I ain't no professional) doesn't convince me these guys will be able to fix all current shortcomings too.

Magic simply doesn't have the 'build' for him being some sort of light-weight Asian Ninja like Blood. Some Martial Arts skills would be fine and completely logical assuming he has a background in specialized warfare of course. In all previous games Magic was a pretty big build guy you know and not the most agile player. Not even close to Shadow who would be more likely to wear a gimp/ninja suit as you have shown 😉

Don't get too excited. Seeing what they did with portraits I don't have high hopes they will do any better with voice acting. Unless they hire the exact same actors from the early days (even then, voices won't completely sound alike over time but could live with that). I'd expect Magic to sound like DJ Jazzy Jazz and won't be suprised they will have Scope sounding like Janice from Friends. "Ooooh myyyyy Goooood, I just killed an enemyyyyjj" 😄 I mean, lets just face it. Characters look clownesque already, might as well match their voices accordingly. Would be really odd to suddenly hear James Earl Jones voicing Gus won't it? After all, this is more like a Tropico type of game instead of JA so who cares 😉

No, just no. Magic is the type of ex specops / deltaforce guy that got a dishonorable discharge due to crime convictions. Then joined some sort of Wagner group and dissapeared from the public radar. Active on the dark web and very reluctant in taking on job offers unless you know the deal and he has heared about you. Not some anime fantasy ninja that looks like Shredder from the Turtles. C'moooon.

I beg to differ. Pointing out flaws (lets just agree many portraits are badly done) can lead to fruitfull discussions. Also, it's a developers job to really understand a game's franchise, what did and did not make them successful and act accordingly. If they did, they would pay a lot of attention to things like (interactive) portraits and details of characters that made them memorable (thus not some 'minor' thing) and it would not be a discussion at all. Stuff like this will make the difference between a 5 bucks game from Steam sale or the next tribute to the JA franchise. Serving both the JA 'veterans' that simply want nostalgia, those that like to see new stuff and potential new customers gives the biggest chance to success. How many failed attempts have we seen before where devs tossed their own sauce over a classic game and seeing the project failing miserably? JA BIA? JA online? JA: Rage? JA: FB (did not even make it through KS). Just saying...

typo. Accidentally wrote Haerimont 😄 (sounds better though)

Just can't express myself to often. They really NEED to up the art work.for this game to be taken any serious. Ice: Looks like a hybrid from Bruno Mars and the Fresh Prince of Bell Air. Magic: Don't even start about him. The biggest failed portrait I have seen in any game so far. Igor: a mime or accordion player. Complete joke. Livewire = Mia Kalifa. Enough said. Guarantees enough 'explosions' i bet 😄 Raven = A housewife from the 50's. Meltdown = an office clerk. Grunty = a house DJ from the 90's that now works in a snackbar. Wolf: a former p*rn star, stuck in his second youth. Probably drives an old Saab with soft top. Fidel: A Scottish drunk highlander (Yo Haerimont, wake up this dude is Arabian!) Hopefully modders will be able to do what Haerimont is uncapable of.

Good find. Basically JA3 but with a more realistic approach and better art style (less goofy like JA3). Also, the WW2 setting is always interesting to me.

Yeah similarities are astounishing. Probably a sister from another mother...

Pretty much like putting a random female head on a male body. Proportions don't match 😄

Aye, that's probably as close as it can get. Nice to see 'Rasta' Vicki and 'Housewife' Raven in here though.. Too bad they completely ruined most characters 😕