Jagged Alliance Flashback on kickstarter

[Humanoid]

In for minimum game pledge at the moment, but won't really be something I'll think about until release. April's been by some distance the biggest month so far in terms of throwing cash into KS - between the big three titles alone that's $600+ sunk. Just as well there's nothing major on the horizon, and even on the smaller scale I'm not aware of anything else other than maybe Jim Walls' new Police Quest.

 

 

Aside, $150 minimum for a box copy? On the one hand it's probably a sensible thing to keep overheads down, but I like my boxes.

[TrashMan]

Now THIS is a project that I find it difficult to believe they will pull off. I hate turn based games. Period. Yet I loved Jagged Alliance 2. Try to explain that!

 

I still don't know what it was about Jagged Alliance 2 that made me love it so much. I suspect it was the atmosphere and the writing. The humour was fantastic, and that's one of the most difficult things to recreate/follow up. This is where I think they're going to fail.

 

Btw, I've only liked one other turn based game besides Jagged Alliance 2: Silent Storm.

 

Maybe the depth?

The combat and leveling system, the map travel, etc... everything was amazing.

[Hurlshort]

After reading surprisingly positive reaction from the folks at Bear's Pit, I also am going in for the minimum.  Although I was tempted by the $85 tier that lets you write an enemy response.  

[Malcador]

Hopefully it's more fun than BIA was.

[Hurlshort]

Hopefully it's more fun than BIA was.

 

A root canal would be more fun than BIA.

[Vortex]

Still not sure about this. Only reason I backed is due to the BearPit guys. Personally I'm not sure what to think about this developer. I havent seen their Space Hulk game either so hard to judge if this is just a cash grab using the JA name.

 

Then again campaign is going super slow anyway, will probably just make their funding goal. Def cant make a good JA successor for 350k

[Hurlshort]

Still not sure about this. Only reason I backed is due to the BearPit guys. Personally I'm not sure what to think about this developer. I havent seen their Space Hulk game either so hard to judge if this is just a cash grab using the JA name.

 

Then again campaign is going super slow anyway, will probably just make their funding goal. Def cant make a good JA successor for 350k

 

Hey Vortex, did you ask a question about Ian Currie on their comments section?  If it was you, I'm the one who answered it.  I use my real name on kickstarter.    

[Malcador]

A root canal would be more fun than BIA.

Well, wasn't that bad. Sadly I couldn't force myself to finish it (oh if only I could defend places with the 'militia').

[alanschu]

Who are these Bear Pit guys?

[Lexx]

The Bear's Pit is the biggest remaining Jagged Alliance community.

[Forlorn Hope]

I hope they succeed. I think Jagged Alliance: Flashback has potential. A shame that the start has been so slow. I'm actually surprised.

[Purkake]

I hope they succeed. I think Jagged Alliance: Flashback has potential. A shame that the start has been so slow. I'm actually surprised.

It's pretty much an unknown team. They haven't even released Space Hulk yet apparently.

[Hurlshort]

I hope they succeed. I think Jagged Alliance: Flashback has potential. A shame that the start has been so slow. I'm actually surprised.

 

I don't think the Jagged Alliance name carries a lot of weight.  A lot of the goodwill that it did have was also burned over the years, either by dead development cycles or weak entries like the recent real time version.  Couple that with an unknown team with no ties to Sir-Tech and you have a pretty tough sell.  I wish them the best though, I'm imaging something similar to what the Shadowrun Returns team is doing.  

[Majek]

Nothing to be surprised about. There  never were so many people to support it, and especially not many influential people and the franchise was dying already when Sir-Tech died.  Not to mention the years following that and all the failed pitches and crappy imitation projects and no clear direction.  The community was great and mods still keep coming, but they never improved on the most important thing - enemy AI, at least not significantly, even with access to source code. 

[Forlorn Hope]

 

I hope they succeed. I think Jagged Alliance: Flashback has potential. A shame that the start has been so slow. I'm actually surprised.

It's pretty much an unknown team. They haven't even released Space Hulk yet apparently.

 

 

 

I don't think the Jagged Alliance name carries a lot of weight.  A lot of the goodwill that it did have was also burned over the years, either by dead development cycles or weak entries like the recent real time version.  Couple that with an unknown team with no ties to Sir-Tech and you have a pretty tough sell.  I wish them the best though, I'm imaging something similar to what the Shadowrun Returns team is doing.  

 

 

 

Nothing to be surprised about. There  never were so many people to support it, and especially not many influential people and the franchise was dying already when Sir-Tech died.  Not to mention the years following that and all the failed pitches and crappy imitation projects and no clear direction.  The community was great and mods still keep coming, but they never improved on the most important thing - enemy AI, at least not significantly, even with access to source code. 

 

Acknowledged. Maybe I thought (hoped) the name "Jagged Alliance" would carry more weight because people who've played JA2 are so passionate about it. And of course there's Kickstarter fatigue kicking in etc.. We'll see how it goes.

[Zoraptor]

Their timing is also a bit unfortunate- they have a publisher association at a time when the memories of the Shadowrun/ HBS/ MS issues are still fresh. And whatever else people may say about how HBS handled things they certainly did damage for anyone bringing a licensed game to the table- even if this KS has directly addressed the most proximal part of that issue in the pitch.

[Monte Carlo]

I will wait and see... but if I do pitch in it will be $85.00 whereupon I will choose a suitably cheesy response from an 80's action flick.

[TrashMan]

 

A root canal would be more fun than BIA.

Well, wasn't that bad. Sadly I couldn't force myself to finish it (oh if only I could defend places with the 'militia').

 

 

As someone who considers JA2 the greatest game in the history of forever, I can only shake my head at the undeserved trashing JA:BIA recieves.

 

It's nowhere near as good as the original, but it's not that bad either.

Also, they patched the game up, so a lot of the interface and usabiltiy issues are fixed. Milita handling and item managment is far easier.

[Vortex]

Pretty impressed by this on Bear Pit forums: (RE a list of the most inlencial JA2modders)

 

"Thanks for the list!

The reason for the question is rather simple. We are right now discussing about giving some people even access to the tools or the game during the development (in that special case under NDA as you can imagine). Cause with 350k, as we said, we won't be able to realize modding tools as well, but if fans, especially JA die hard fans, feel that they could develop modding tools while we develop the game, that'd be an option.

It's not carved in stone, we are still discussing this. Please keep that in mind. We still need to figure out how to do this best. But it's an idea we have right now."

[Hurlshort]

That would be cool.  The JA2 modders are phenomenal, but I don't know how active guys like Batman are anymore.

[mkreku]

 

Btw, I've only liked one other turn based game besides Jagged Alliance 2: Silent Storm.

Wasn't wasteland turn based?

 

 

I guess you could call it that. It was basically a scrolling wall of text that paused in turns. It's such a crude system though, nothing like what we usually refer to as turn based combat.

[Hurlshort]

The latest update adds some good tiers, including a physical boxed game for $65.  I also like that t-shirt and I'm thinking about throwing in for it.  Even if the game doesn't turn out great, a Jagged Alliance shirt would be sweet.

 

They are also in talks with some of the modding community behind 1.13, so that could be a cool addition.  My excitement for this project has notched up a bit, and I'm looking forward to hearing more about their progress.

[Majek]

Bah 1.13 modders are ok, but they can't tackle the biggest problem. Enemy AI.

[Hurlshort]

Bah 1.13 modders are ok, but they can't tackle the biggest problem. Enemy AI.

 

I've noticed you really are hung up on this.  I agree it should be something that is worked on, but it was improved in 1.13.  AI is a weakness in the entire genre, Xcom was horrible and the new one is only a slight improvement.  That being said, I don't consider it the most important aspect of the game, it just needs to be passable.

[Vortex]

Looks like they might be in talks with Ian Carrie and some of the old Sir-Tech Canada folks....So hopefully that goes well and will gve the project a boost. Shame to see this not beign funded yet.