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Jagged Alliance Jagged Alliance: Rage!

Infinitron

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Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
https://wccftech.com/jagged-alliance-rage-preview/

Jagged Alliance: Rage Preview – A Veteran’s Touch



Time hasn’t been kind to Jagged Alliance. At a ripe old age of 23, the series has seen its fair share of ups and downs. To be more accurate, it performed incredibly well when it began, which rose even higher with the second release, to then slump into a drunken stupor offering only a glimmer of hope.

That glimmer of hope, for me, came with Jagged Alliance Online: Reloaded. At least in the case of the reloaded version that was released on Steam, which managed to perform well despite being hamstrung by free-to-play mechanics that impeded free players at the best of times. Cliffhanger Productions, who developed Jagged Alliance Online, are developing the upcoming Jagged Alliance: Rage for THQ Nordic, who acquired the license from then-bankrupt publisher bitComposer Entertainment in 2015.



Set 20 years after the original, one of the major focuses for Jagged Alliance: Rage is showing just how human your ragtag band of mercenaries are. Over the past twenty years, what were strong, almost superhuman fighting machines are showing the effects of constant battles. Ivan, a mainstay of the series is now an alcoholic. Grunty, who idolised Ivan, has lost the heart for the business. Sadly, Grunty also has high blood pressure and is at risk of a heart attack when under strain. Shadow, from Jagged Alliance 2, now prefers to work alone and has a terrible immune system following a friendly-fire gas attack. Others also have their downsides but are still excellent fighting machines when they need to be.

These elements are more than just flavour text to enhance the characters and show the passage of time. Simply put, they have a huge effect on the game. If Ivan doesn’t have a bit of booze, he’ll get the shakes and his accuracy is largely diminished as a result. Shadow, one of my personal favourites, best hope he doesn’t get a wound – infection is a seriously high chance and can lower his HP, making it much easier to kill him. The tradeoffs are interesting and seriously add to the difficulty of Jagged Alliance: Rage, they certainly make you think too.

Another thing that makes you think is the starting crew. You can only pick from two of the six available mercenaries. This does mean that each run will take on a new tactical view. Using Shadow and Vicki allows for a more fluid run, keep yourself moving and do your best to stick to the shadows. Going with Ivan and Grunty, however, means you’ll be relying more on brute force to achieve your objectives. In theory anyway, because stealth is by far the best tactic in Jagged Alliance: Rage.




This is where things become a little more simplified. The objectives have never been extensive, nor are they here. How you went about them was the best part of the earlier Jagged Alliance games. Combat, here, is simplified and borrows from more modern real-time tactics games like XCOM. For the most part, you’ll find that your actions are boiled down to move, shoot, stab, go prone/stand up and perform a few basic actions. These actions can be as simple as using a multi-tool to either cut through a wire fence or pick the lock of a door or possibly just picking up a body to then hide it in long grass.

Streamlined is the best word to describe it, which sadly can’t be said for the enemy. As you only have two mercenaries, your turns can go very quickly. Once enemies notice you, then waiting for your move can feel like an age. There desperately needs to be a way to speed up or skip enemy turns because it’s genuinely painful. Even more so when you want to restart the mission because you can’t even go into the pause screen during an enemy turn.

It’s the same loop that you’ll be used to from other titles. Kill the bad guy, loot him for items that help you to survive and kill the next bad guy. Rinse and repeat. Ideally, you’ll be doing this as quietly as possible though. Stealth kills are, naturally, one hit and are by far the best way for you to get through a mission. Once you get into a firefight, it’s a whole different ball game. You get to use the new rage abilities, gained through adrenaline through either dealing or receiving damage. Firefights are also when you notice just how fragile your characters are, as well as other issues.

One major issue is the fickle whims of the random number generator (RNG) god. The UI is clear enough that it shows you what your percentages are. You can choose to aim at the legs, body or head of an enemy, each with varying percentages. Also, you can use additional action points to increase your percentage. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to matter sometimes. I struggle to believe that I’d miss multiple shots in a row that had above a 90% chance of hitting. One turn which led to me restarting the mission saw me missing four out of 6 shots, leaving me in far too vulnerable of a position. Sadly, I still had to sit through the enemy turn.



Vulnerability is something you’ll have to get used to in Jagged Alliance: Rage. Here you’re constantly on the go. You can clear areas to make it easier for you, for example clearing a camp will stop it from sending out troops to attack you, but every bit of damage is persistent. Unlike previous Jagged Alliance games, there’s no home base to return to. You can camp out and recover, or use items to improve your chances, but every time you rest you’ll see more enemy troops closing in on you. Once they reach you, you’ll be ambushed. Though if you’re lucky and good, these can be excellent ways to get gear for your characters.

I doubt that you’ll ever get that lucky. At least not after the first few. The incentive to keep moving is actually one of the best parts of Jagged Alliance: Rage. You’re constantly being harassed and the constant battles take their toll very quickly thanks to the permanence. Take some shrapnel and it’ll be lodged in your mercenary until you’re fortunate enough to make camp and perform a bit of battlefield surgery.

You also need to constantly meet the needs of your little revolution. Keep some bottled water to prevent your people from getting dehydrated, or take over and control a reservoir for an unlimited supply of fresh water. Be careful with dirty water though, as that can lead to infection and reduce your combat capabilities. How you explore the island, what you take over, will be different each playthrough. What matters the most is that everything has been balanced perfectly. You’ll rarely find yourself too far behind nor too far ahead, landing in that sweet spot where the game stays challenging.

There are a few issues to be found in the preview copy I played, but it is a preview copy. Namely the inability to skip or speed up enemy moves. Other issues persist, bugs like enemies disappearing into the ground, and missions not completing. Another issue, which may or may not be fixed, are enemies actually shooting through buildings. Some things won’t be improved, such as the cheesy dialogue and average at best voice acting, but it’s something I can live with when the core game is so engaging.

All things considered, I’ve genuinely enjoyed my time with Jagged Alliance: Rage and I’ll definitely be playing more. Especially so when it finally releases, though when that is I don’t know. It’s a refreshing take on the older series and certainly has the promise to be a strong outing. It may put off fans of the series due to the introduction of new ideas. All I can suggest is that people should give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a go when it comes out. When that is, I couldn’t say – the last date given was in September, which we’ve passed by.
 

Strange Fellow

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I try to resist the temptation to nitpick reviews like this, but

Combat, here, is simplified and borrows from more modern real-time tactics games like XCOM.
One major issue is the fickle whims of the random number generator (RNG) god. ... I struggle to believe that I’d miss multiple shots in a row that had above a 90% chance of hitting.
Unlike previous Jagged Alliance games, there’s no home base to return to.
Come the fuck on.
 

Strange Fellow

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Unlike previous Jagged Alliance games, there’s no home base to return to.
Come the fuck on.
Um, nitpicking the nitpick, JA1 and JADG did indeed return your guys to base at the end of each day/mission.
Put me in my place, why don't you. :oops: Fair enough, I was a bit too trigger-happy. Still, 2 and Back In Action didn't, so it's odd that he makes Rage out to be the exception.
 

mwnn85

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Aug 14, 2017
Messages
210
Looks absolutely diabolical; the complete antithesis of Jagged Alliance (*2) mechanically and aesthetically.
From distant memory I recall Cannon Fodder 3 being equally dire and a complete affront to my memories.

Fuck Firaxis unto eternity for popularizing the square grid, cover/half cover and other boardgame-like rules in what used to be complex, sandbox strategy games.
Practically every newly released game is a carbon copy of nuXCOM in one way or other.

If they really must release shite like this when under duress then go ahead and do so - except there's no good reason to additionally despoil the Jagged Alliance name.
:imperialscum:

EDIT *
 
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mwnn85

Savant
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Aug 14, 2017
Messages
210
Absolutely true.

I never bothered playing the first when the sequel seemed superior in every way possible. (just as a sequel should be)

For backstory purposes, I've got both previous games on my list to play eventually but something newer always appears (i.e. a battle brothers, frozen synapse, xenonauts, etc or another genre entirely)

But if this game is identical, similar or more likely inferior to a game released in 1995/6 then why bother with this?
 
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spectre

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Oct 26, 2008
Messages
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Six characters, two being available for each mission... much tactics, such choice.
Looking at the interface, it's not impossible for the squad size to be increased later in the game,
but I'm seriously doubting if the roster will be expanded.
Obviously, this causes issues with the RNG, unless there are some magical rage abilities to compensate.

Still, the battlefield looks pitifully small, 15x15 squares and I think I am being generous, so it may just be designed for 2 vs. 8 at best.
So, we are getting a glorified tablet game this time? Shit.

At least there are action points, but that's not much consolation.
 

Lonely Vazdru

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modern real-time tactics games like XCOM.
7bcKzkc.jpg
 

Infinitron

I post news
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Messages
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Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
https://gamingbolt.com/jagged-allia...r-roster-gameplay-changes-difficulty-and-more

Jagged Alliance: Rage! Interview – Character Roster, Gameplay Changes, Difficulty, and More
Jagged Alliance: Rage! developers Cliffhanger Productions answer some of out most burning questions about the upcoming turn based tactics title.

jagged-alliance-rage-cover-image.jpg

There is no shortage of turn based tactical games on the market, but Jagged Alliance has always held a special place in the hearts of a great many people. It’s been some time since we last saw a proper, mainline Jagged Alliance instalment, and even though Jagged Alliance: Rage! is technically a spinoff, it seems to be harkening to the classic strategy games quite a bit. Recently, we sent across several of our questions about the game to developers Cliffhanger Productions, about everything from accessibility and difficulty to the game’s character roster and how it connects with the events of previous games, and it’s fair to say Michael Paeck, Head of Studio, came up with some pretty interesting responses.



"Overall the biggest changes is that you are fighting against a huge army with just a small group of Mercs, with no HQ support you are on your own staying alive out there."

How have the twenty long years since the last game’s events changed the characters in this game?

All the characters aged and developed certain habits and specialties. The impressively large Ivan for example can now be used as mobile cover by other Mercs. However over the years he also got bad knees which hurt when he drops down from high ground. Or Dr Q: He has mentally trained to focus, allowing him to gain additional action points, but over the years also his eyesight got worse making him a poor gunner.

What are some of the major gameplay changes that we’ll be seeing in Jagged Alliance: Rage?

Overall the biggest changes is that you are fighting against a huge army with just a small group of Mercs, with no HQ support you are on your own staying alive out there.

On the strategy level, the game is quite similar to previous titles and remains to offer a deep strategic challenge with plenty of options on how to approach a target. You can invest additional AP to aim more precisely, change stances, use elevations, etc. But there are also new additions like special skills that are unique to each character, or new stealth features, e.g. you can kill enemies instantly if you manage to sneak behind them without being noticed.

On the tactical level there are major changes since you are cut off from your HQ, and therefore you must try to survive and escape from the island. This results in different economics where you manage various survival aspects. So you take care of your group on a more personal level, which will link you much closer to your small group of mercenaries. This is for example thirst that can lead to dehydration, or wounds that bleed and can become inflamed or even crafting weapon mods from parts.

Can you elaborate about some of the survival and adventure elements players can expect to see in the game?

Survival example: If your characters get wounded and catch a shrapnel, there is a chance of getting an infection if the shrapnel isn’t removed from the body. An infected wound will lower the overall performance of that Merc. All Mercs also have a hydration level, which dictates how well they can perform in combat and how well their immune system works.

Adventure: Over the course of the game your characters meet several NPCs they can talk to via multiple choice. Without spoiling the story, there are situations where the player has to decide whether to help an ally or stay out of it. Further there are plenty of funny dialogues when you Mercs start picking on each other.

How accessible is this game going to be, and how challenging can it get? Tell us more about the difficulty settings available to players in the game.

The game aims to be more accessible than previous titles. This is achieved by a more clear user interface, less complicated inventory management and also plenty of “learning by doing” situations during the first hour of gameplay. However, once this first hour has passed, the game opens up and the challenge increases continuously over the course of the game. There are certain missions which are really really tough, but when beaten they offer great rewards.

There are 3 difficulty settings available: Easy for the casual players that are mainly interested in following the story. Here the enemies are easier to kill and your own Mercs have better chances to survive. But on Medium and Hard difficulty this changes drastically, making it significantly harder to kill enemy foes and keep your Mercs healthy.



"Making this game more accessible means it takes less time to understand the basic rules & mechanics of the game, but this doesn’t mean it will become a dumbed down experience."

In a game like this, it seems like reducing the difficulty would get in the way of the overall experience. How does the game achieve a balance of being accessible while still bringing tense gameplay?

On Easy mode the difficulty is reduced. However on medium and hard difficulty, the challenge is more in line with the series’ predecessors. You’ll have to make sure to use any bit of help you can get and plan carefully before you strike. However, since this game does some things different compared to its predecessors, a 1:1 comparison is not really possible.

Making this game more accessible means it takes less time to understand the basic rules & mechanics of the game, but this doesn’t mean it will become a dumbed down experience. The player will often be surprised, be it by development of a battle or by story elements. In this game it will happen often that you come up with a good plan but then something goes wrong and hell breaks loose!

How large will the game’s roster of characters be?

There are 7 characters the player can control, each with their unique strengths, weaknesses and special abilities.

On a related note, what are some of the unique traits and personal conflicts of these characters, and how do these impact gameplay?

A few examples:

Ivan Dolvich, the former highly decorated Soviet Army Major, is so large that he works as mobile cover for other Mercs, but due to his size he can only hide while being prone. Also he has a bigger inventory and really good with assault rifles and shotguns. When he gets enraged, he can withstand more damage than any other Merc. But he is also an alcoholic, so he needs alcohol to function properly. So overall Ivan is more like a tank and a good choice for players that enjoy direct conflict

Kyle “Shadow” Simmons is an ex-Ranger and stealth expert, making less noise overall and only he can throw knifes for stealth kills. Further he is always concealed when in cover and really good with SMGs. But he is also a bleeder with higher chances to get infections. He is a good choice for players that like stealth gameplay and clever strategies to trick the enemies.

Carlene “Raven” Higgens is a former SWAT team sniper, therefore really good with pistols and rifles. She can is not restricted by own sight range and has a special precision shot that ignores armor. If an enemy gets close, she can disarm them and grab their guns. But since she is also not the strongest person and therefore unable to use heavy weapons. She is a good choice for players that enjoy sniping and striking where it really hurts.

The list goes on for the remaining characters, where each one has really strong differences and supports certain playstyles. Choosing the right Mercs for your playstyle is key to success!

Will the game feature Xbox One X specific enhancements? What can players expect if they are playing the game on Xbox One X? Is 4K/60fps on the cards?

4K is on the cards, but at 30fps. For a turn based game we felt reaching 60fps is less critical than e.g. in a racing game.

And how will the PS4 Pro version turn out in terms of resolution and frame rate?

The game runs slightly better on a PS4 Pro, however there are no differences in terms of resolution and framerate.



"Most turn based games are naturally limited by CPU power, since the underlying battle simulation must do insane amounts of background calculations to provide accurate and believable combat situations. In our case this results that 4K support was quite easy, but since CPU is the limiting factor achieving 60FPS would have been a really major undertaking especially for a smaller developer like us."

From a development perspective, how do you find the Xbox One X to be? With so much GPU power, we are sure you must be doing some amazing things.

This really depends on the type of game and the size of the developer. Most turn based games are naturally limited by CPU power, since the underlying battle simulation must do insane amounts of background calculations to provide accurate and believable combat situations. In our case this results that 4K support was quite easy, but since CPU is the limiting factor achieving 60FPS would have been a really major undertaking especially for a smaller developer like us.

How is the game running on the original Xbox One and PS4, frame rate and resolution wise?

The game runs in 1080p with 30fps on the regular PS4 and on 900p with 30fps on base Xbox models.

Are there any plans to bring the game to the Switch? If not, why?

Unfortunately, it’s too early to speak about this now.

Next gen is coming sooner or later. From a development perspective, what is your biggest expectation from PS5 and Xbox Scarlett?

If 4K gaming will be the norm by then, of course much faster GPU and CPU power will be the key, along with significantly faster hard drives. For smaller development teams like us it is beneficial to have less different variants of a console, as this means we can focus much more on one platform.
 

EverlastingLove

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Lol everything looks so serious, there is completely no charm in this game. End State already feels like a far better game than this garbage and a true successor to Jagged Alliance 2
 

Haba

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Codex 2012 MCA Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2
Jan Wagner from Cliffhanger Games said in an interview that they went bankrupt because of the failure of jagged alliance online and the shadowrun game they made. They are now down to some core employees and are doing only paid work to keep them alive. No time for "passion" work. They tried to cater more towards an "action" audience with the title "rage" this in it self speaks volumes.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/463170/discussions/0/1743353798882892796/

Looking good!
 

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