Game News Brigade E5 goes Gold

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Brigade E5: New Jagged Union

Since we cover Jagged Alliance games, I might as well inform you that <a href=http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/games/BrigadeE5>Brigade E5: New Jagged Union</a> (I guess that's as close as you can get to the Jagged Alliance name without getting into legal troubles) has gone gold and will hit the North American stores in October, courtesy of <a href=http://www.strategyfirst.com>Strategy First</a>.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote>Montreal, Canada, September 28th, 2006 -- Software publisher Strategy First Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Silverstar Holdings, Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSTR), is pleased to announce that the PC game “Brigade E5: New Jagged Union,” developed by Apeiron Co, has officially gone gold. “Brigade E5: New Jagged Union” is due to hit stores in North America October, 2006.
<br>
<br>
“‘Brigade E5: New Jagged Union’ offers our players a fresh view of a classical turn-based combat system. The Smart Pause Mode (SPM®) blends together advantages of both turn-based and real-time and lets the player experience realistic tactical combats in real-time but still have the comfort feeling of turn-based.” says Dmitry Ivashkin, lead Programmer for Apeiron Co. “In addition to the innovative game mechanics, players enjoy a rich arsenal of firearms, ammunition, advanced AI and an incredible variety of tactical solutions in single and multiplayer modes”, continues Dmitry Ivashkin.
<br>
<br>
“I am proud to announce the launch of ‘Brigade E5: New Jagged Union’ to North America. We have seen a lack of tactical strategy games in this market; it feels great to revitalize this category. The mercenaries in Palinero are officially ready for hire”, says Brock Beaubien, Strategy First’s Producer.
<br>
<br>
About Brigade E 5: New Jagged Union “Brigade E5: New Jagged Union” is set in the fictional, small tropical country of Palinero. Players are required to assemble a band of mercenaries and take control of a rapidly deteriorating situation in order to survive the imminent civil war and avoid having their country left in complete ruins.
<br>
<br>
As a tactical strategy title, “Brigade E5: New Jagged Union” offers players the opportunity to experience three different viewpoints of the conflict, or work outside the political structure to achieve their own goals towards global domination. Game play for the title is based on an innovative combat system called SPM (Smart Pause Mode) that successfully blends together the elements of both real-time and turn-based games.
<br>
<br>
Features:
<br>
<br>
•Innovative combat system called “Smart Pause Mode” that blends together the elements of both RTS and TBS games.
<br>
•Storyline and scripts of the game are written by Shaun Lyng, co-designer in the famous ‘Jagged Alliance’ series.
<br>
•More than 100 accurately modeled firearms.
<br>
•Varied ammunition types: grenades, body armor and specialized equipment.
<br>
•Option to upgrade and modify weapons by adding various gadgets, sniper scopes, bayonets, mini grenade launchers, etc.
<br>
•Selection of specially balanced maps for Death match (up to 4 players, up to 6 players per party)
<br>
•Provides extensive LAN and Internet Multiplayer modes, with CTF, Death match and Fortress dynamic gameplay.
<br>
<br>
“Brigade E5: New Jagged Union” is due to be released in October, 2006. The game is rated M for Mature by ESRB. </blockquote>Recommended reading:
<br>
<a href=http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6169>Discussion of the game with the developers at the Codex</a>
<br>
<a href=http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=10091>Discussion of the demo</a>
<br>
<br>

 

[Texas Red]

"Innovative combat system called “Smart Pause Mode” that blends together the elements of both RTS and TBS games."

How is this innovative?

 

[suibhne]

I know this is low-hanging fruit, but..."lets the player experience realistic tactical combats in real-time but still have the comfort feeling of turn-based"? Wtf?

EDIT: Just read those old threads. Looks like I missed the "WTF" boat awhile back.

 

[callehe]

is it going to use starforce?

 

[RadioGnome Invisible]

The best way to understand how this system works is to try it. Demo (russian one had tutorial and short mission, not sure if english version is available) should be enough to get the basics. I think, this one is the only successful RT/TB blend so far.

 

[Frau Bishop]

is it going to use starforce?

Yes.

 

[obediah]

is it going to use starforce?

Yes.

bummer, I was interested in seeing how they fared with RTwP.

 

[Balor]

The best way to understand how this system works is to try it. Demo (russian one had tutorial and short mission, not sure if english version is available) should be enough to get the basics. I think, this one is the only successful RT/TB blend so far.

Exactly. A lot of people who was sceptical about it ether liked it, or at least admitted that it does it's job rather well.

Yea, for people that like TB just because it's TB, and either dismiss it's flaws, or consider them features - yea, those people will not like SPM no matter how good it is. Tastes differ and all that.
But, to quote myself in an other thead, it's a game for intelligent players from devs that CARE. And I don't mean about money .

 

[Jason]

is it going to use starforce?

No, the North American release won't.

 

[obediah]

is it going to use starforce?

No, the North American release won't.

Baby Arm and Frau Bishop are fighting over my heart.

I'll pay cash money for a copy of the game I can own that doesn't also install nasty low-level shit on my machine.

 

[Grog]

So is this the rename of Jagged Alliance 3D? Or is this a completely different game?

 

[RadioGnome Invisible]

So is this the rename of Jagged Alliance 3D? Or is this a completely different game?

Completely different game.

 

[Frau Bishop]

No, the North American release won't.

That's good news if true. :wink:

 

[Jason]

Hey man, would I lie to you?

(answer: possibly)

 

[Twinfalls]

is it going to use starforce?

No, the North American release won't.

Baby Arm and Frau Bishop are fighting over my heart.

I'll pay cash money for a copy of the game I can own that doesn't also install nasty low-level shit on my machine.

Oh, get real. You own nothing.

Everything is low-level shit.

Stop being afraid. If they fuck you up, you can sue them, probably. So what? Be a man, get the game, suck starforce up like you've sucked up everything 'invasive' else in your life so far. We all have.

 

[Vidder]

The best way to understand how this system works is to try it. Demo (russian one had tutorial and short mission, not sure if english version is available) should be enough to get the basics. I think, this one is the only successful RT/TB blend so far.

if you like this system you also have to love the one from "ufo: aftershock". its really not bad, once you accept that there won´t be as much tb games as before.
you can go into every detail of combat planing with it, "just like" tb.
sadly the game (ufo: as) gets repetitive after the 30th mission or so, because they only offer so much different maps. but that was still much more fun, than much other games have to offer nowadays. also i like the "fresh" setting of ufo:as.

 

[obediah]

is it going to use starforce?

No, the North American release won't.

Baby Arm and Frau Bishop are fighting over my heart.

I'll pay cash money for a copy of the game I can own that doesn't also install nasty low-level shit on my machine.

Oh, get real. You own nothing.

Everything is low-level shit.

Stop being afraid. If they fuck you up, you can sue them, probably. So what? Be a man, get the game, suck starforce up like you've sucked up everything 'invasive' else in your life so far. We all have.

Oh noes, Twinfalls has given up the fight. Considering other recent posts, I think he/she must be suicidal. Don't do it! I can help you ... set up a domain and web cam so I can make some money off of it.

 

[Jason]

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

CHORUS:
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For we kill with the skill to survive

CHORUS

Risin' up, straight to the top
Have the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive

CHORUS

The eye of the tiger...

 

[Jim Kata]

I am a little skeptical, since I have never seen rtwp that didn't suck, but since balor has talked it up so much there much be something to it. Unless he has been posting all this time to be an online guerilla marketer

 

[Balor]

Well, it's rather pointless to advertise about a mostly tactcal game with minor RPG elements on an RPG board... expecially since it's loaded with TB lovers, and E5 is RTwP. Not that I have something against TB myself, but...
However, I still inclined to think (and it's a first-person impression) that it has indeed innovative system - RTwPtdnS - Real Time with Pause that does not Suck.

And they incorporated not just because they wanted to have it 'fast and easy', but vice versa - because they wanted to incorporate a level of realism that would be simply impossible in TB system, which involve a large doze of abstraction.

 

[suibhne]

I have yet to see a RT system that didn't also "involve a large doze of abstraction", tho developers typically like to pretend it's more "realistic". But I'll withhold judgment in this case and give it a shot. :wink:

 

[Jim Kata]

Well, I suspect starforce destroyed my LAST computer. i did not realize this had it or I may have thought twice before preordering. Oh well. I will get the remover before I play it....

 

[mlc82]

"Innovative combat system called “Smart Pause Mode” that blends together the elements of both RTS and TBS games."

How is this innovative?

Oh shit. If it's Baldur's Gate style combat all over again, count me out.

 

[obediah]

"Innovative combat system called “Smart Pause Mode” that blends together the elements of both RTS and TBS games."

How is this innovative?

Oh shit. If it's Baldur's Gate style combat all over again, count me out.

It's most definitely not BG style combat. I think the engine captures every aspect of tactical combat that either x-com or JA:2 or do.

I'm not at all worried about a E5 providing a rich tactical experience. My worries are:

1) That maintaining good tactics will be too micro-managy. If it takes 30 minutes to move across half a map in a tactically sound manner, that's probably too long for me.

2) That the engine won't be forgiving of my clusterfuck inability to click where I want when I want. With aftershock, I often ended up in pause-unpase loops where I couldn't get my fingers synced up with the game.The little delay in implementing the pause didn't help.

 

[Deacdo]

I tried the demo and didn't enjoy it at all. They should have made it turn-based. They packed a lot of detail in there for a RT game...but it all seems to be wasted without proper turns. All the detail just becomes annoying, while in a TBed game it is practically a necessity. Combat has no flow whatsoever and the anxiety that comes with things being out of your hands (during the enemy "turn") just isn't there.