Jagged Alliance 2 Gold (Part 5)

GREAT !!! The latest build solved my crashing problems so I will keep on playing this great game.

I have started a new game on a higher difficulty level and try to do things right from the beginning. Right now I have picked an expensive merc and a very cheap one for backup I will try to build an expert team with the best mercs and some cheap ones for training militia, cure the injured ones and repair stuff.

I occupied Drassen quite easily this time, using cover and dividing the team in two couples. With an income of 8.000$ per day I can start to calm down and begin my strategy, which at this point is completly blank. My expensive merc just quit and didn't want to continue (I was also bad on funds). I have picked up to cheap ones, so right know I have my main characters plus 4 women including Ira, we will see how the ladies perform.

Break (Jagged Alliance 2 - Rally Driving Games)

Lately my JA2 games keeps crashing in some maps, it seems that it is happening to other people also and the latests builds of the v1.13 mod solve it.

I have downloaded the latest build (407) but haven't test it yet.

Meanwhile I have taken an old driving wheel I have from Guillemot and tried a couple of driving games. Richard Burns Rally and Xpand Rally. Both have given me a good taste and if the problems with JA2 continue I will be stick to them for a while.

The first one has a increadible realism and nice driving feeling, true that with the most realistic setting you will break the car with any crash, but you can change that with the ingame settings. It has a nice driving school section that teaches you a lot of driving techniques that seem to be used by real rally drivers. After it I tried Xpand Rally and you can see then how easy it feels. Playing with the simulation setting the car control was really good and pretty realistic, while easier than RBR.

I played a couple of races and with the less powerfull cars I had no problem, the ones with high HP go much much faster and it requires a lot of skill to not have a spin or crash. Anyway, the graphics are really nice, good control and feel, a lot of options, with very good and clear controller settings (RBR seem to be very complete but more complex to understand)... So I think I will have a good time with any of them, still they are also good to be played at the same time with JA2 as they are different genres and have opposed tempos. Only if I can stop JA2 from crashing...

Jagged Alliance 2 Gold (Part 4)

After capturing half the territory money is no longer a problem. Even thought one mine has been declared empty I have enough cash comming in. With v1.13 you have the possibity to sell equipment fast for less money, this gives me enough to have 2 teams of mercs.

I have not follow too much the story, in Alma I confronted another merc called Mike who seems to know my other mercs.

I will try to build an elite team with the best equipment to ocupy the last towns. It seems that long range weapons are very good, if you have line of sight you will have a nearly sure shot with them with good damage.

Probably I will finish this game but I would like to start a new game on a higher difficulty level with more money in the beginning when there are more problems with funds that will let you have more freedom on the choices for the first steps. Maybe simulate some fundings from Enrico, adding money each week or each day.

Jagged Alliance 2 Gold (Part 3)

Wasn't able to play too much lately. I have started new game in a higher difficulty level because my last game was crashing all the time (hope it doesn't happen again). Right now my team has Buzz, Fidel, Malice, Ice and Wolf. I am particular fond of Malice my latest aquisition, he has a sniper weapon and can hit 99% all the time, he can make one shot and move a little bit. The other guys are quite nice, specially Wolf and Ice who are quite tough.

Mod v1.13: The mod allows you to climb on to the roof of buildings, which is very helpfull. There you can lie down for very good cover and rise only to shoot getting down again for the computers turn.


I have hired low cost mercs for training and moving equipment from one place to another. I still have to decide if I am going to pay them or not ;). Right now they are asking me for 5.000$ and I earn more per day so I think I will be a good boy.

My next objective is Cambria's mine and hospital, which will give me more money and time to improve my mercs.

Jagged Alliance 2 Gold (Part 2)

Mod v1.13: It is a mod that maintains the basic gameplay and storyline, while fixing and adding a lot of stuff. I has also made the game more moddable, although not as much as some of the latest games out there. One of the nicest features is that it lets you play at higher resoultions. 800x600 is enough and looks very nice, but you can also get 1024x768.


The way you create your main character in the retail version is with a quiz with personality questions. Depending on the answers you will get certain characteristics for the player. The second time you have to start a game and do it you will be anoyed.

Mod v1.13: With the mod the quiz has been eliminated and you choose directly the characteristics that you want for your main character.


Once you have you team you have to shutdown the laptop and press the arrow at the bottom part of the screen. This will take you right into action, a helicopter leaves your team in a town and you are in real time mode with enemies nearby. If you can react fast try to take up a good position or cover. If this is the first time you play you will be clueless of what to do, but soon an enemy will get close by and the turn based mode will enter. This was what we were looking for right?

I tried to fire as soon as I saw the enemy and things started to go wrong. Most of my mercs had close range weapons and the missed most shots at the prone or crouched enemies. This first battle was my let down the first other times that I tried the game and forgot about it, but it is because there is quite a bit of depth on the tactical side in this game. You have to look for cover, take into account the weapon you have, the merc characteristics, your stance, the enemy you are attacking... So after been more carefull I could eliminate the first few enemies with some dignity.

I am talking about the first 3 minutes into the game and you are allready free to do whatever you want. As the zone is free of enemies you can move in the strategic map to any zone. Yet you should follow a bit of the story line before going wild.

In the first zone map there is a civilian, inside one of the houses of the main map, talk to her and give her the letter that you main character has from Enrico (the one who hired your team). She will take you to a rebel base, just follow here. After some dialogue you are able to recruit Ira for free and then you can choose what to do next. This is my recomendation for the first 10 minutes of game after that enjoy the open nature of JA.

I keep fighting with a kamikaze style and this is not a good idea. There are these maps with few cover places, just a few trees and rock and I forget about them, but they sure make a difference. I picked up one of my crazy mercs with two submachine guns and place her behind a tree crouched, the image was perfect. All the enemies fired at her and a lot of shots hit the tree, while she could fire to them picking them one by one. I was imagining her firing the guns one on each side of the tree while she maintained cover. Cover works... and so do prone and crouch stances.

Jagged Alliance 2 Gold (Part 1)

First contact:

Well not really my first contact with the game, but after two previous installations and removals I have gotten hooked to the game. I am an X-Com fan and a lot of people said that JA was a perfect match for my likes, still 4 years have passed without getting into it. Meanwhile several games similar to X-Com have fullfilled my gaming needs: X-Com several times, Incubation, Silent Storm and sequel Sentinels. Finally I put on with it and I am having a lot of fun with JA, great part of the success comes from a mod for the game on which I will talk about also later.


Installation:

I felt confident while inside I was thinking that something could go wrong with an "old" game in my new WinXp PC. Yet, everything went fine, no installation problems and CD not required to play. The version I have is called "Jagged Alliance 2 Gold", it comes in two CD's. There have been reported errors with some versions that are been distributed now online. I only can tell you that I hope you have good luck with your version.

There is a recomended patch for the game that can be obtained here:

http://www.gamershell.com/download_1050.shtml

I installed the patch before the v1.13 mod but I am not sure if it is really needed.

You can get the mod from here: http://v113.ja2mods.de/


Getting into it:

The interface is good but the first steps to start the game are different from the usual stuff and can let you down a little bit. Still you will create a character and also be able to recruit some mercs to start with, this is a fun part although you will have no idea on what is best to start with. If it is the first time, just pick what you want and enjoy, I think it is better to not think to much about the abilities, numbers, weapon details... And start playing with whatever style you want.