Jagged Alliance 2 (especially with the 1.13 mod) is the most ludicrously detailed tactical RPG you’ll ever find. It can be a nightmare to actually play until you spend many, many hours learning all its systems, but nothing else comes close immersion-wise. You can customize every mercenary’s loadout down to individual weapon attachments, capturing different parts of the map gives bonuses that actually make sense (like being able to ship in weapons once you’ve taken the airport), you can train militias to hold onto captured sectors for you, and you can even use the in-game internet to send flowers to the main villain.
Just tried it, and it was some other game I was thinking of; I hadn’t played JA3 yet.
While I haven’t finished the game, thoughts:
It’s the strongest of the post-2 Jagged Alliance games that I’ve played.
Still not on par with JA2, at least relative to release year, I’d say also in absolute terms.
My biggest problem — I’m running this under Proton — is some bugginess that I’m a little suspicious is a thread deadlock. When it happens, I never see the targeting options show up when I target an enemy, and trying to go to the map or inventory screen doesn’t update the visible area onscreen, though I can blindly click and hear interactions. The game also doesn’t ever exit if I hit Alt-F4 in that state, just hangs. AFAICT, this can always be resolved by quicksaving (which you can do almost anywhere), stopping the game (I use kill in a terminal on Linux) and reloading the save, but it’s definitely obnoxious. Fortunately, the game starts up pretty quickly. Nobody on ProtonDB talking about it, so maybe it’s just me. I have not noticed bugs other than this one.
So far, not much by way of missions where one has to figure out elaborate ways of getting into areas or the like: more of a combat focus. I have wirecutters, crowbars, lockpicks, and explosives, like in JA2, but thus far, it’s mostly just a matter of clicking on a locked container with someone who has lockpicking skill. Probably more realistic — in real life, an unattended door isn’t going to stop anyone for long — but I kinda miss that.
The maps feel a lot smaller to me, though the higher resolution might be part of that. A lot of 3d modeling to make them look pretty. There’s a lot more verticality, like watchtowers.
The game also feels considerably shorter than JA2, based on the percentage of the strategic map that I’ve taken. That being said, JA2 could get a bit repetitive when one is fighting the umpteenth enemy reinforcement party.
Unique perks for mercs that make them a lot more meaningful than in JA2 (though also limit your builds). For example, Fox can get what is basically a free turn if she initiates combat on a surprised enemy. Barry auto-constructs explosives each day.
Thematic feel of the mercs from JA2 is retained well.
Interesting perk tree.
A bunch of map modifiers like fog that have a major impact.
Bunch of QoL stuff for scheduling concurrent tasks for different mercs.
Pay demands don’t seem to rise with level, though other factors can drive it up (e.g. Fox will demand more pay if you hire Steroid).
Feels easier than JA2, though I haven’t finished it.
I’m pretty sure the keybindings are different.
Tiny thing, but I always liked the start of JA2, where your initial team does a fast-rope helicopter insertion into a hostile sector. Felt like a badass way to set the tone. No real analog in JA3.
I started running into guys with RPGs early on in JA3, much earlier than in JA2.
JA2 has ground vehicles and a helicopter and they require you to obtain fuel. Transport logistics don’t exist in JA3, other than paying to embark on boat trips at a port (and just checked online to confirm that they aren’t just in the late game).
More weapon mods in JA3. Looks like some interesting tradeoffs that one has to make here, rather than just “later-game stuff is better”.
For me, it was a worthwhile purchase — even with the irritating bug I keep hitting — and I would definitely recommend it over the other post-JA2 stuff if you’ve played JA2 and want more. It hasn’t left me giggling at the insane amount of complex interactions that were coded into the game like JA2 did, though, which were kind of a hallmark of the original.
Thanks for the detailed write-up! I’ll have to pick it up at some point; even if it doesn’t hit the same highs as JA2, there hasn’t really been much else that comes close and a more modern coat of polish would be welcome.
What did you think of the new aiming system? I’ve heard mixed things, but it sounded good to me (or at least way better than a flat percentage).
What did you think of the new aiming system? I’ve heard mixed things, but it sounded good to me (or at least way better than a flat percentage).
I don’t know what the internal mechanics are like, haven’t read material about it. From a user standpoint, I have just a list of positive and negative factors impacting my hit chance, so less information about my hit chance. I guess I’d vaguely prefer the percentage — I generally am not a huge fan of games that have the player rely on mechanics trying to hide the details of those mechanics — but it’s nice to know what inputs are present. It hasn’t been a huge factor to me one way or the other, honestly; I mean, I feel like I’ve got a solid-enough idea of roughly what the chances are.
even if it doesn’t hit the same highs as JA2, there hasn’t really been much else that comes close and a more modern coat of polish would be welcome.
Yeah, I don’t know of other things that have the strategic aspect. For the squad-based tactical turn-based combat, there are some options that I’ve liked playing in the past.
And there’s X-Com. I didn’t like the new ones, which are glitzy, lots of time spent doing dramatic animations and stuff, but maybe I should go back and give them another chance.
Enter the Matrix, I loved the slowmo effects and the fights, the first hallway scene felt like it was straight from the movie. Using the computer terminal to unlock stuff felt magical. Only later I learned that Path of Neo was supposed to be a better Matrix game while Enter the Matrix was universally panned. And I’ve played it too, but didn’t get as much enjoyment out of it, it just didn’t have as much soul
Same, as a kid i had no idea if the controversy to and was still waiting on a sequel for some time after. I thought it was a novel idea and it was my first proper foray into Norse mythology.
That scared the crap out of me as a child. Absolutely no warning that it was coming.
Also its not anywhere because the company that made it doesnt exist any more so technically nobody has the rights to sell it. There’s going to be a lot more legal technicalities than that but that’s basically it.
Yeah, it terrified me too! It was also just one of those things that kind of made it seem like games were magic, in a way? Like, it was so unexpected and it expanded what a game could do in my child mind to such an extent that suddenly they could do almost anything! I miss that.
Ugh, sucks to hear it’s unlisted due to some legal technicalities. That’s a shame.
I’m a total dullard when it comes to these things but like, if you disconnect your machine from the internet so no outside checks can be made… Wouldn’t it just run as usual?
I believe it uses DRM that doesn’t work on newer Windows versions. There’s a fan patch that removes the drm and the game should run. Online (being connected to the internet) is probably not an issue.
Does DRM work without an internet connection? I always assumed that sort of thing needed to be able to communicate with a server somewhere to check… Something? 😅 Or is it just that the DRM used in this case actually just breaks in an unintentional way when running on new Windows systems and locks the game into not being able to boot?
If you remember the “glory days” pre ubiquitous constant internet connections, you had to enter a big long code when installing any software. I think the principle is that the license key is some sort of decryption key that unlocks a core part of the software which would otherwise prevent it running.
I do! I see okay, so it’s like the private key is stored within the ROM somewhere, and that activation code is like a public key that just decrypts based on the locally stored private key, making anti-piracy software work whether online or offline. Quite clever, really! Thanks 😊
In the first one at least it would whisper “deaaath” if a follower died and there was no graveyard built. Terrified me hearing that the first time playing at night
Haha that’s the kind of thing I love!! the developers that stopped water being a limitation and turned it into some kind of feature
For example, in the infamous games, you’re an electric man so waist high water kills you, and shallower water conducts your electricity. If an enemy also stands in that water, it’s an instant kill on them
Made up instantly for the fact you couldn’t swim lol.
My evil run in Infamous, I would just find a group of people next to a puddle and just walk right onto it. Then I’d just watch as people would panic and run right into the water. Fun times.
Although I haven’t played a lot of gam es you play, at least not enough to have a discussion, I upvote every time out of sheer admiration for your dedication to post every day. Most days I have to remind myself multiple times to brush my teeth.
But the Steam Deck isn’t a console? And a game running through a compatibility layer isn’t a port.
A Linux laptop with a controller instead of a keyboard isn’t a console. Thats similar to the Atari VCS, which isnt a console either, just a Linux PC that comes with controllers. Both can run unmodified or barely modified Linux software, which a game console would require ports of.
I mean, if that logic held up, then the Xbox wouldn’t count as a console either—because it literally runs a customized version of Windows under the hood. It boots into a UI shell, but it’s still Windows at the core, running DirectX just like a PC.
By that same standard, the PlayStation wouldn’t be a console either, since it’s running a customized BSD-based OS that can support a lot of traditional software frameworks.
The idea that a console must run completely proprietary software or require deep code rewrites for every game is just outdated. These days, the distinction is more about the delivery method and user experience than the underlying OS. Steam Deck boots into a curated interface, runs games with gamepad-first optimization, and delivers a console-like experience out of the box. Whether it’s using Proton or not doesn’t change that—it’s still targeting the exact use case of a console: plug in, pick a game, play.
So if the Xbox qualifies despite being a glorified Windows PC with a gamepad and a skin, then so does the Steam Deck. You don’t get to move the goalposts just because it runs Linux.
You cannot take a full unmodified Windows program and directly run it on the Xbox, even in Developer Mode. You have to make changes to the software for the Xbox to run it. Xbox runs a modified version of Windows, but it cannot run software built for the full unmodified version of Windows. I have no experience with developing for PlayStation, but I imagine it is the same, it probably does not run unmodified BSD software. Likewise, Nintendo software needs to be modified in order to run on Nintendo console operating systems. The Switch cannot run unmodified Android software, unless you hack it to install unmodified Android onto the console.
But you CAN take a full unmodified Linux program and directly run it on the Steam Deck, without needing to modify the software at all. Same with the Atari VCS.
Goalposts were not moved. The Steam Deck is a Linux laptop with a controller attached to it, its not a game console.
The claim that the Steam Deck runs unmodified Linux software “out of the box” glosses over a lot of caveats.
Sure, it’s possible—but only if the software is compatible with SteamOS’s Arch-based flavor of Linux, its dependencies, and its sandboxing. And to even attempt that, you have to exit Gaming Mode entirely and boot into Desktop Mode. From there, you’re dealing with a mouse-and-keyboard interface, and many apps require terminal commands, sudo access, or specific library versions to even launch. That’s not something you casually do with a game controller from your couch.
More importantly, I reject this narrow definition that “console” must mean a closed, locked-down system incapable of running general-purpose software. That might describe a traditional console, but it’s not a requirement. Plenty of recognized consoles have been open or hackable: the Ouya ran Android. The Miyoo Mini running OnionOS is basically a retro Linux handheld, yet it’s absolutely treated as a console by its user base. A Raspberry Pi running Batocera, plugged into a TV with a controller, is a console experience. Even the Nintendo DS, when booting homebrew off a flashcart, operates in the same way.
What actually defines a console isn’t the OS or whether it can run unmodified desktop software. It’s the user experience: you turn it on, pick a game, play with a controller, and everything revolves around gaming. The Steam Deck nails that. You don’t need to know it runs Linux. You don’t have to touch Desktop Mode. For the average user, it’s as much a console as a Switch or Xbox—just with a lot more flexibility if you go looking for it.
I was born in the same year, 1976, and I really don’t feel the same way. Pretty much every era has bangers and also really bad games.
I have really good memories from the '80s (games like Pitfall II or the MSX Konami games), the '90s (playing MUDs with my college pals, the classic SNES JRPGs like Chrono Trigger or the classic PC CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate and its ilk), the '00s (games like Silent Hill 2, Morrowind or GTA: San Andreas), the '10s (pretty much every FromSoft game from that decade, NieR:Automata or the Rocksteady Batman games) and the '20s (games like Elden Ring, Hades, etc.). And many more games I didn’t mention.
Some decades have been better than others, but there are incredible games in all of them.
I started on the first PSP game and it was heavily more obtuse, with almost zero direction, tutorial, hints, anything hahaha. It got a LITTLE better with later “old style” games but it was still pretty obtuse. World NEEDED a tutorial that explained every little detail and held yer hand, otherwise new players would be hella turned off by the game and it wouldn’t have blown up like it did.
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