If Matrix asked your opinion....

[Bishop746]

If a game design company wanted input on a similar game or sequal to Hired Guns: Jagged Edge what would you recommend and what do you think of these ideas:

1. A custom mission builder using any map available in the game and unlimited resources for weapons and equipment. The ability to set AI stances like defend, attack and random locations would be nice. Also, a PBEM function would extend replay value.

2. Options to select how realistic ranged fire and damage from weapons should be.

3. A character that expends all of his movement points while running, should be considered "in motion" for targeting purposes. In game we would see the character come to a stop but any ranged attacks against him would suffer a penalty to reflect hitting a moving target.

4. A near-miss should cause a character to have to perform some kind of check to see if he becomes "pinned". Pinned status could be a loss of AP's for that turn or a negative penalty if that character attempts an attack. This would give the game another ranged fire result other than a minor hit (which can get frustrating) and it allows for suppression fire particullary when one character is running for cover but needs two turns to get there. Another character could fire on the enemy and hopefully keep the enemies head down.

5. Options to allow more money and weapons sooner. I know a game should be challenging but if a player enjoys the action of a game versus gathering resources; he should be allowed to play it as he wants.

I'm interesting in your opinions. The turn-based,tactical community is a relatively small group and we dont get the number of options like RTS gamers get.

[Lützow]

I'd suggest to redo JA2 / Wildfire with a new story and engine. This game was superior in every aspect but the visuals.

[ezzler]

Don't get too rose tinted. The final Ja2 missions were insanely hard.

[Lützow]

Well, I just reinstalled Wildfire after years, so my memories are not tinted. Economic system, strategic layer, real day/night cycles, mercs are bound to enter a sector from where they approached - even at first glance there are many things better implemented here. In summary JA2 required more thinking, offered a higher challenge and played at a slower pace. If Hired Guns had simply adopted the whole system instead of modifying and reducing details, it would have been a better game.

[ShadoWarrior]

Which is much of the reasoning behind why Strategy First yanked GFI's license to make JA3.

[Sinjen]

both things have good and bad...   having the interrupt or opportunity fire system tweaked a bit would be nice.

[JohnRamboPT]

Make This games Real Time Strategy , like Commandos behind enemy lines series , that would rocked

[ShadoWarrior]

If they made this game another RTS (like the world needs yet another RTS) it would lose most of its audience. Really really really bad idea.

[Bishop746]

Brigade E5 New Jagged Something or the other had some sort of hybrid pausable system that didnt quite work that well. It was based on real-time seconds and you could give orders and see them on a ghost character before you unpaused . While it may have been more realistic; it really lacked in the simple enjoyment of plotting out your moves and the comprimised that makes a game like this fun. Any of the advantages of a RTS/hybrid game can be duplicated by in-game controls or abstractions, e.g: Interupts.

Also the game was tough. I spent most of the game with a rusty .45 and one mercenary fighting unbelievable odds.

[Tactics]

I'm downloading Wildfire from GamersGate for $10. It seemed like a safer bet to satisfy my urge for this type of game.

[ShadoWarrior]

Wildfire is intolerably buggy. You'd do far better to get JA2 gold (v1.12) and then apply the v1.13 mod to it.

[Lützow]

Beware of Wildfire if you run Vista on your machine. You can't enter the key during installation process but have to modify your registry subsequently. Took me one hour to make it work.

[Terl]

ORIGINAL: Lützow

Beware of Wildfire if you run Vista on your machine. You can't enter the key during installation process but have to modify your registry subsequently. Took me one hour to make it work.

Gamersgate has a fix for download for Vista users. I got the game from them as well...got JA2 also. Of courseI bought Hired guns too.

[bartholimew]

ORIGINAL: Bishop746
Brigade E5 New Jagged Something or the other had some sort of hybrid pausable system that didnt quite work that well. It was based on real-time seconds and you could give orders and see them on a ghost character before you unpaused . While it may have been more realistic; it really lacked in the simple enjoyment of plotting out your moves and the comprimised that makes a game like this fun. Any of the advantages of a RTS/hybrid game can be duplicated by in-game controls or abstractions, e.g: Interupts.
Also the game was tough. I spent most of the game with a rusty .45 and one mercenary fighting unbelievable odds.

Wow disagree the one thing IMO that did work in BE5 was the real time pausable combat system, it was difficult to control a large team tho. But factoring milliseconds into reaction made sense. In CQ battles you better have kept a pistol cause that barret .50 cal is too slow to aim, and the 9 mm wins the day as it is in real life. Advantages and disadvantages dont mind turn based either. Easier to control large squads.

As for improvements in HG, bigger maps, the terrain is pretty good graphically but I hate battling on floating islands in space, its seems the map engine is unfinished.

[Tactics]

I'm having fun with Wildfire. For 10bux it was a good deal. I also noticed the JA2 Gold selling as a download for $4.99.
 
In all honesty, I would have bought this one, but games like this from Matrix seem to dissappoint more than they please...and for $39 it wasn't worth the risk.

[Bishop746]

One thing Brigade E5 had that did work was a "fast-turn" around a corner.  Very cool and it could be used in a game like HGs.
 
I would like to see a Move/Shoot command.  So much of tactical training is based on the ability to hit a target accuratly while moving but creating a moving target for the enemy.  Accuracy should decrease of course but if the targets are in close its very do able.  Room clearing and CQB is what I had in mind.