JA2 question

[Awor Szurkrarz]

It's on purpose. A way to show the game is Serious_Business

So, basically, the original premise is that the player captures Drassen and then gets fucked up and runs away and tries his luck in other place?

Pity there aren't more counterattacks of that kind.

Pity that there isn't a second counterattack that would be conducted by a whole infantry battalion.

 

[Stavmixer]

Thanks for the answers! I started over on novice but it did not feel right, will try to turn the counterattack of instead.

the game is damn addicting, and a lot of the noob frustration went away when I turned on the "chance to hit indicator". Steep learning curve but rewarding othervice.

Going usualuy with barry and buzz, they seem solid.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Does anyone know a way to make it run fluidly under Wine?

 

[chzr]

http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.p ... n&iId=1273

 

[SCO]

I just tried (unziped and installed - unzipped again is more like it, it asked me to overwrite files - JA2 1.13 3356 exe SVN@1224 Full.exe). Two problems:
first time it ran it bailed out because a file didn't exist (yet)
Second time it started, but the sirtech logo is laggy. Just ignore it, the other movies went fine.
Went ingame.

I'm using the proprietary Ati drivers, but i don't expect any problems with the open source ones since it is a 2d game (even bloodlines works with the opensource 3d drivers now - slower it's true, probably because texture compression is patented grrrrrr).

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

It lags horribly on my comp, making it unplayable. I didn't have any such problems on Windows98.

 

[SCO]

What's your processor? If it's beefy try to put the sound to emulation on winecfg, just to see if it's pulse audio fuckery. I'm using a dual core portable here T6600, and haven't noticed much.

If you want you can use the straticella native port instead, though that is only "pure" JA2.

 

[Topher]

I'm playing it for the first time too. I'm not doing so well.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

What's your processor? If it's beefy try to put the sound to emulation on winecfg, just to see if it's pulse audio fuckery. I'm using a dual core portable here T6600, and haven't noticed much.

I have removed pulse audio some time ago.

It's extremely laggy, even in main menu - basically, I can't even normally move mouse.
My processor is Celeron 2,400.

 

[MetalCraze]

JA2 is the most awesome turn-based squad-level strategy to ever exist. With Silent Storm and its addon being next to it.

 

[Nex]

What do you guys think of Wildfire?

 

[Zero Credibility]

Pity there aren't more counterattacks of that kind.

There can be.

NEW_AGGRESSIVE_AI = TRUE

"This AI is capable of launching massive attacks (with reinforcements) at important sectors. Teams of several dozen enemies will assemble to attack your sector SIMULTANEOUSLY. This is similar to the Drassen Counterattack event, except it happens to every city, possibly several times during the campaign! When set to TRUE, this setting has the potential of making the game considerably harder."

 

[SCO]

Hell yeah.

 

[SCO]

What's your processor? If it's beefy try to put the sound to emulation on winecfg, just to see if it's pulse audio fuckery. I'm using a dual core portable here T6600, and haven't noticed much.

I have removed pulse audio some time ago.

It's extremely laggy, even in main menu - basically, I can't even normally move mouse.
My processor is Celeron 2,400.

It's possible that JA uses DIB engine, that is not that great in wine right now.
If your computer is a little old (and you said you used windows 98 so it probably is), 2d games might give you trouble.
Read this page:
http://wiki.winehq.org/DirectDraw
Resuming:
try "winetricks ddr=opengl" instead of the default (gdi)

It might, or might not help, depending on your video card.

 

[Topher]

I'm doing better now (just took the airport). I'm playing 1.13 and there is so much gear... it's heaven.

 

[MetalCraze]

There will be even more gear. A true gunporn is here my friend

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

What's your processor? If it's beefy try to put the sound to emulation on winecfg, just to see if it's pulse audio fuckery. I'm using a dual core portable here T6600, and haven't noticed much.

I have removed pulse audio some time ago.

It's extremely laggy, even in main menu - basically, I can't even normally move mouse.
My processor is Celeron 2,400.

It's possible that JA uses DIB engine, that is not that great in wine right now.
If your computer is a little old (and you said you used windows 98 so it probably is), 2d games might give you trouble.
Read this page:
http://wiki.winehq.org/DirectDraw
Resuming:
try "winetricks ddr=opengl" instead of the default (gdi)

It might, or might not help, depending on your video card.

Oh. I guess I'll have to wait until they'll finally implement a DIB engine in Wine...

 

[SCO]

Scratch that, first try:
export WINEDIB=ON
wine ja2.exe

on a console in the right dir. It might help if your distro has the dib engine patch applied already. If it doesn't, well, you have a crash course of compiling one of the most complicated software in the linux world ahead of you.
Or you can use something like this ppa (warning found on the net, totally untrustworthy).
https://launchpad.net/~gabriel-thornblad/+archive/ppa
that contains a compiled wine with the patch applied.


You can also edit you xorg.conf file to allow a setting of color depth to 16 bit.

Unfortunately they didn't make a gui for it yet. I wouldn't do it if i were you, since the recent X (in 10.04 and forward if you are using ubuntu) all autodetect a shitload of settings (why you don't have to mess with the file anymore). Unfortunately this also means that the advice on the net is mostly outdated i suspect.

If you are courageous, remember you can enter safe mode at any reboot by keeping SHIFT pressed. You will be given the option to reset the xorg config to working defaults.

 

[Topher]

Ok so now I have a question. Does setting the store to "Amazing Selection" mean that he sells all guns both high-end and low-end or does he only stock higher-end guns? Will I be missing out on being able to purchase any weapons (to keep progression intact) by setting his selection too high?

* Also is suppression on by default in 1.13 or will I need to enable that (do I want to enable that?).

 

[zeitgeist]

Ok so now I have a question. Does setting the store to "Amazing Selection" mean that he sells all guns both high-end and low-end or does he only stock higher-end guns? Will I be missing out on being able to purchase any weapons (to keep progression intact) by setting his selection too high?

This is a basic explanation of how Bobby Ray's settings work, it's pretty old so I'm not sure if they changed anything in the meantime, but it should be along those lines still. Setting it too high just means you'll get a better selection earlier, you won't miss out on low-end weapons (but it will be a bit pointless to use them with so many better options at your disposal - money stops being a limiting factor very quickly - unless you tweak the mine output settings and such to limit the money influx).

* Also is suppression on by default in 1.13 or will I need to enable that (do I want to enable that?).

In my 1.13 (newest vanilla SCI), the default setting was SUPPRESSION_EFFECTIVENESS = 75, check out Ja2_Options.ini for other more detailed suppression-related options. It's a pretty neat system that makes low marksmanship mercs useful, when equipped with automatic weapons, and encourages tactical positioning of the mercs instead of blob combat. Here's the .ini description:

; SUPPRESSION BASICS
;
; Suppression Fire is a way of controlling a battlefield. When under heavy fire, a character accumulates suppression.
; He will then lose APs proportionally. The goal is to SUCK OUT THE ENEMY'S APs, so he can't move or fire back.
;
; Characters have a TOLERANCE value that helps them resist suppression fire. A higher value decreases AP loss, Shock,
; and morale loss. This value is based on the character's Experience and Morale, among other things.
;
; In addition to AP loss, Suppression SHOCK can also be accumulated. This makes the character less useful, by reducing
; his Chance-to-Hit considerably. It also makes the character harder to hit himself.
;
; Characters with too much SHOCK are said to be COWERING. They are now even more vulnerable to suppression than normal!
;
; Characters can go into negative APs when under suppression fire. This means they lose APs off their NEXT turn as well.
; A character who has lost all APs off his NEXT turn is said to be PINNED DOWN. This is the best result from suppression
; fire, it means that the character is useless of a whole turn and can be assaulted safely.
;
; Use suppression fire to prevent enemies from approaching, pin them down, and then advance and kill them while they are
; hiding.
; Note that they will try to do the same thing to you!

 

[Topher]

I just set my suppression for both guns and explosions to 100. Any other recommended settings changes?

*Ira died during a counter attack on the Airport. No big deal I assume?

**Also how can I see my unwanted gear. I've got quite a lot of it and don't know what to do with it all.

 

[Zero Credibility]

I just set my suppression for both guns and explosions to 100. Any other recommended settings changes?

Set INCREASE_AI_WILLINGNESS_TO_SUPPRESS to true if it isn't already. It's exactly what it says on the tin - makes the AI use suppression fire.

*Ira died during a counter attack on the Airport. No big deal I assume?

Other then loosing a free high wisdom teaching expert at the beginning of the game? No problem.

**Also how can I see my unwanted gear. I've got quite a lot of it and don't know what to do with it all.

You can sell the loot in shops or directly to the locals. Shops pay good money (especially Tony for weapons), but first you must find one and then carry all the stuff there. Selling to the locals is easy - go to sector inventory and just sell with Alt+LMB - but it pays peanuts.

 

[Topher]

You can sell the loot in shops or directly to the locals. Shops pay good money (especially Tony for weapons), but first you must find one and then carry all the stuff there. Selling to the locals is easy - go to sector inventory and just sell with Alt+LMB - but it pays peanuts.

I never would have figured that out (I only skimmed the manual because it's PDF)... thanks so much.

 

[GarfunkeL]

If you have DROP_ALL=TRUE then even the Alt+LMB selling trick will get you shitloads of money.

Pity that there isn't a second counterattack that would be conducted by a whole infantry battalion.

Add heavy machine guns and automatic grenade launchers plus the ability to create sandbag-pillboxes and it would HAEVAN!!!

 

[desocupado]

Ok so now I have a question. Does setting the store to "Amazing Selection" mean that he sells all guns both high-end and low-end or does he only stock higher-end guns? Will I be missing out on being able to purchase any weapons (to keep progression intact) by setting his selection too high?

* Also is suppression on by default in 1.13 or will I need to enable that (do I want to enable that?).

It's made obvious by her marksmanship that Ira isn't supposed to see combat. However, she's extremely useful, because she's a great militia trainer, and since she is about useless in combat anyway, can be a dedicated one.

Trust me, it's better you reload. Sometimes you mercs are on the other side of the map, and the enemy attack and destroys almost all you militia in a city. You don't want to go back. You send Ira on the chopper to retrain it.