Jagged Alliance 3 from Haemimont Games

[spectre]

How much RPG is that? How does it compare to a really good RPG, like, let's say, BG3?

There is none of the fetishist stuff like overt dice rolls or romances (unless you count Fox being very into Wolf, horny teenager style) so this may come a plus for some.
For me, I've played some back in the day (Fallout 1-2, Planetescape, BG1-2, etc.), but recently came to a conclusion that I just don't like RPGs.

I suppose my subjective complaint is that all dialogues and quests interrupt the flow of the strategic game - you come to each new sector and find out it's filled
with shit to do, and some will take days to complete with all sorts of fetching, backtracking and scripted combat (and some are really dumb, like a Karen looking for her passport).
You can of course ignore them, but for an ocd completionist, it's easy to get burned out.

 

[revani]

I suppose my subjective complaint is that all dialogues and quests interrupt the flow of the strategic game - you come to each new sector and find out it's filled
with shit to do, and some will take days to complete with all sorts of fetching, backtracking and scripted combat (and some are really dumb, like a Karen looking for her passport).
You can of course ignore them, but for an ocd completionist, it's easy to get burned out.

I get where you are coming from, it's the reason I dread RPGs nowadays. Original Sin games were the biggest offenders imo. NPCs would speak through paragraphs to reveal very little, with a weird voice acting that sounded unnatural. They would talk with a tone like everything they say is supposed to be funny, while the humour was sub-par at best. I liked those games overall but the amount of stuff that I would told to do after entering a new town was always overwhelming.

That being said it's nowhere near close to what we have in JA3. The quests are mostly about going out there and exploring - which you want to do anyways. Most quests can be triggered or solved without talking to the original quest giver. I thought area to quest ratio was pretty reasonable too. Never felt like I had too much to too - on the contrary you have to sometimes stop what you're doing an focus on that one thing the game forces you to do (it's not mandatory to do these things but they are beneficial and affect the story), and it fits the setting.

Dialogue is fine as well. Conversations are short and to the point. It's obvious that the writers didn't care too much about the writing and just put down stuff they thought was fun. Unlike the wannabe writer english majors of modern game design. I like to play my tactic games while I'm baked, and there's been a lot of ocasions where I laughed thinking "wtf did this guy just say". That's enough for me. Kinda reminds me of ATOM RPG. There's terrible voice acting in some places (can still hear herman going "got damn LÉ-JOHN!") but meh.

Can't say I felt like there's too much backtracking either. Whenever I'm back with my main squad in a town, there's usually a reason to stay there some more (whether it's healing or training or repairing). Later in the game, you can also complete quests and haul stuff with the useless free story mercs if your main squad is too far away.

 

[Stavrophore]

When will serious modding start with this game?

 

[Kaidanovsky]

I really don't understand why people dislike this game

Too much rpg in my tactical game.
Also: fuck scramble turns and whoever thinks it is a good idea.

I could probably sperg all day about the mechanical depth being underwhelming, the spiel basically as old as jagged alliance itself - them's some darn big shoes to fill, not to mention 1.13 sets a pretty high bar,
but what it really boils down to: the mechanical systems just feel too game-ified, as though every modern turn based game needs to be turned into an excum.

How much RPG is that? How does it compare to a really good RPG, like, let's say, BG3?

Well, going by the latest RPG Codex Role Playing Game of the year poll, it beats BG3.

Must be one of the greatest RPGs of all time!

How much RPG is that? How does it compare to a really good RPG, like, let's say, BG3?

There is none of the fetishist stuff like overt dice rolls or romances (unless you count Fox being very into Wolf, horny teenager style) so this may come a plus for some.
For me, I've played some back in the day (Fallout 1-2, Planetescape, BG1-2, etc.), but recently came to a conclusion that I just don't like RPGs.

I suppose my subjective complaint is that all dialogues and quests interrupt the flow of the strategic game - you come to each new sector and find out it's filled
with shit to do, and some will take days to complete with all sorts of fetching, backtracking and scripted combat (and some are really dumb, like a Karen looking for her passport).
You can of course ignore them, but for an ocd completionist, it's easy to get burned out.

Doesn't sound horrible but is there a point to it? Rare rewards, c&c, entertainment value? I mean, there's probably no point in asking since it's one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

 

[Stavrophore]

Grauken? Mortmal? Spit it out already!

 

[Modron]

Doesn't sound horrible but is there a point to it? Rare rewards, c&c, entertainment value? I mean, there's probably no point in asking since it's one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

Yeah there are unique weapons and gear to be found within the world and a number of them at the end of longer quests. Yeah there is c&c with how to handle areas, quests, and for example in the north there are two mutualy exclusive factions to work with and absorb.

 

[Saduj]

Finished the RPG Codex 2023 RPG of the Year last night. The last enemy I took out was the Colonel and decided to try to bring everyone. I wanted to send one squad to the front gate, 1 1/2 squads to the back gate and one squad up into the main building using the underground network. And I was pleasantly surprised that the game allowed me to do exactly that.

Got a very brief, lukewarm ending. It mentioned the president being saved. There was a good ending for one town. And Corazon gets in some trouble but not for war crimes with her accusations against my mercs still being black mark against our reputation (this slide also pictured one merc I used with two I didn't).

I think Corazon got off lightly because I didn't bother to try to rescue Biff. From what I read online, there are four pieces of evidence you need to get the best ending and Biff gives you one of them. Kind of disappointing that the evidence is treated as an interchangeable commodity rather than different pieces representing specific things but whatever.

I skipped stuff that just involved backtracking to areas and clicking on things like finding the farm treasure and fixing all the effigies. I also didn't bother using the token to get into the fight club or whatever it is once I killed Siegfried because I had other stuff to do and by that point it seemed pointless. Other than that, I thought I did everything but I must have missed some stuff. I guess I should have realized I was playing a full fledged RPG, not a tactical game.

 

[Strange Fellow]

The main problem with Corazon's ending is that you can't shoot her in the face and be done with her.

 

[ArchAngel]

I really don't understand why people dislike this game

Too much rpg in my tactical game.
Also: fuck scramble turns and whoever thinks it is a good idea.

I could probably sperg all day about the mechanical depth being underwhelming, the spiel basically as old as jagged alliance itself - them's some darn big shoes to fill, not to mention 1.13 sets a pretty high bar,
but what it really boils down to: the mechanical systems just feel too game-ified, as though every modern turn based game needs to be turned into an excum.

How much RPG is that? How does it compare to a really good RPG, like, let's say, BG3?

Well, going by the latest RPG Codex Role Playing Game of the year poll, it beats BG3.

I guess year 2023 is even worse then one when rolling simulator (TW3) won GOTY.

 

[Lord of Riva]

I really don't understand why people dislike this game

Too much rpg in my tactical game.
Also: fuck scramble turns and whoever thinks it is a good idea.

I could probably sperg all day about the mechanical depth being underwhelming, the spiel basically as old as jagged alliance itself - them's some darn big shoes to fill, not to mention 1.13 sets a pretty high bar,
but what it really boils down to: the mechanical systems just feel too game-ified, as though every modern turn based game needs to be turned into an excum.

How much RPG is that? How does it compare to a really good RPG, like, let's say, BG3?

Well, going by the latest RPG Codex Role Playing Game of the year poll, it beats BG3.

I guess year 2023 is even worse then one when rolling simulator (TW3) won GOTY.

you are a JA2 enthusiast, I really do not know why you have so much beef with JA3. 2 is good, so is 3 (which was a big surprise) you should be happy.

 

[ArchAngel]

I really don't understand why people dislike this game

Too much rpg in my tactical game.
Also: fuck scramble turns and whoever thinks it is a good idea.

I could probably sperg all day about the mechanical depth being underwhelming, the spiel basically as old as jagged alliance itself - them's some darn big shoes to fill, not to mention 1.13 sets a pretty high bar,
but what it really boils down to: the mechanical systems just feel too game-ified, as though every modern turn based game needs to be turned into an excum.

How much RPG is that? How does it compare to a really good RPG, like, let's say, BG3?

Well, going by the latest RPG Codex Role Playing Game of the year poll, it beats BG3.

I guess year 2023 is even worse then one when rolling simulator (TW3) won GOTY.

you are a JA2 enthusiast, I really do not know why you have so much beef with JA3. 2 is good, so is 3 (which was a big surprise) you should be happy.

3 might be good once mods fix it.

 

[Volrath]

I wasn't really following but wow, the year must have been rough for rpggames.

I don't think it was, really. JA 3 is just e genuine good game that we can still identify as an RPG, thats it.

No it isn't lol.

 

[Lord of Riva]

I wasn't really following but wow, the year must have been rough for rpggames.

I don't think it was, really. JA 3 is just e genuine good game that we can still identify as an RPG, thats it.

No it isn't lol.

GOTY poll disagrees.

 

[BlackAdderBG]

I wasn't really following but wow, the year must have been rough for rpggames.

I don't think it was, really. JA 3 is just e genuine good game that we can still identify as an RPG, thats it.

No it isn't lol.

Then what is it? What gameplay mechanics are there that make it not an RPG?

 

[spectre]

Then what is it? What gameplay mechanics are there that make it not an RPG?

No romanceable companions

 

[Shaki]

I wasn't really following but wow, the year must have been rough for rpggames.

I don't think it was, really. JA 3 is just e genuine good game that we can still identify as an RPG, thats it.

No it isn't lol.

It's much closer to an RPG than Disco Elysium and Elden Ring were

 

[BlackAdderBG]

Souls games are defiantly not RPGs

 

[pm_675]

you are a JA2 enthusiast, I really do not know why you have so much beef with JA3. 2 is good, so is 3 (which was a big surprise) you should be happy.

Because he started playing JA2 a couple of year ago max. So of course for maximun codex cool points he praises 1.13 in all its modding bloated autist glory. Like most people here didn't play ja2 for decades and 1.13 for nearly as long.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Souls games are defiantly not RPGs

What's so defiant about not being a RPG?

 

[Raghar]

Hmm, might have to break my rule of waiting for an 80% sale for this game.

Or you can play JA2 first to see how previous version looked like.

 

[ArchAngel]

you are a JA2 enthusiast, I really do not know why you have so much beef with JA3. 2 is good, so is 3 (which was a big surprise) you should be happy.

Because he started playing JA2 a couple of year ago max. So of course for maximun codex cool points he praises 1.13 in all its modding bloated autist glory. Like most people here didn't play ja2 for decades and 1.13 for nearly as long.

Nah, I played JA2 near release. Didn't play it that much, spent way more time playing UFO. Then I finally tried 1.13 last year and loved it.
But my criticism for JA3 is mostly because JA3 does not seem to play very similar, it is more like nuXcom compared to UFO.

 

[Ladonna]

Hmm, might have to break my rule of waiting for an 80% sale for this game.

Or you can play JA2 first to see how previous version looked like.

I got it when it first came out, so I have played it a few times now. Really good game.

 

[Alienman]

But my criticism for JA3 is mostly because JA3 does not seem to play very similar, it is more like nuXcom compared to UFO.

Except that combat is not abstracted like in nuXcom.

 

[pm_675]

Because he started playing JA2 a couple of year ago max. So of course for maximun codex cool points he praises 1.13 in all its modding bloated autist glory. Like most people here didn't play ja2 for decades and 1.13 for nearly as long.

Nah, I played JA2 near release. Didn't play it that much, spent way more time playing UFO. Then I finally tried 1.13 last year and loved it.
But my criticism for JA3 is mostly because JA3 does not seem to play very similar, it is more like nuXcom compared to UFO.

It´s not really like nuxcom compared to UFO since JA3 does have quite a lot of complicated systems under the hood even if sometimes they are half baked.

Let´s not pretend that JA2, 1.13 or not, doesn´t have a whole lot of problems also like gameplay degenerating in prone scoped sniping spam.

Peace out man but it´s kinda is tiresome to get told about a game that I have been playing on and off for 20+ plus years like it´s the second coming of christ, doesn´t have any problems or I don´t know about it. I think that for the majority a people posting in this thread is the same, we already know about Ja2 and 1.13 and perhaps we want something new and slighty different after all this years.

 

[ArchAngel]

But my criticism for JA3 is mostly because JA3 does not seem to play very similar, it is more like nuXcom compared to UFO.

Except that combat is not abstracted like in nuXcom.

I am not saying it is exactly like nuXcom but it is heavily changed compared to JA2 (for the worse) and I used UFO and nuXcom as example where same shit was done.