JA3D Interview TRANSLATED

<strong>[ Game -> Interview ]</strong>

<p>Metallix, that punk who's supposed to be doing our site and forum design, was kind (or bored) enough to translate this <a title="ddd" target="_self" href="http://www.3dgamers.com/games/jaggedalliance3d/">JA3D</a> interview for us (The interview was originally in russian, and was conducted by the guys at <a title="ddd" target="_self" href="http://www.crpg.ru/">CPRG.ru</a>).</p><p><span class="postbody"><strong>
</strong><strong>CRPG.ru (Alexei Kulyaev)</strong>: Hello. Introduce yourself to our readers, please.
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>: <em>Max Toomin, lead game designer at MiST land-South, and Jagged Alliance 3D lead project manager.
</em>

<strong>CRPG.ru</strong>: I bet most of our
readers got lost in all those numerous "alliances" that miST land-South
is supposedly working on. Could you shed some light on your project
pipeline: is African Alliance cancelled, and what are the odds of
Jagged Alliance 3 getting cancelled as well?
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>:<em> African
Alliance is indeed cancelled. However, JA3 will be released, have no
doubt about it. We are working hard to create a full-fledged sequel, a
true successor to JA2.
</em>

<strong>CRPG.ru</strong>: Could you outline
the story for us? We were previously told that events take place in
Africa -- is that correct? What role will our alter-ego play in all
this?
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>: <em>Yes,
the center of attention will be a small country on the west coast of
Africa. The state, although fictional, is molded after the real nations
of the continent. It is a former European colony, exceptionally rich
with diamonds. Through "democratic elections" a dictator comes to
power, whereas the former ruler, after an unsuccessful attempt to form
an opposition movement, soon flees from the country, with a bounty
placed on his head. In his flight, the unfortunate leader soon comes
across the player, and asks for help. His goal, however, is not to
overthrow the government, but to disturb the stability in the region,
thereby hoping to attract the world's attention to this crisis
situation. A lot of curious facts are about to surface...
</em>

<strong>CRPG.ru</strong>: Could you tell us exactly which region of the African continent was the model for your fictional country?
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>: <em>West
coast, countries like Cote d'Ivoiri, Benin, Liberia. Our fictional
country's history was based on the real events that took place in those
states. Believe it or not, but almost every country of this region
suits JA perfectly. However, in order to avoid contradictions with
reality, we created our own.
</em>


<strong>CRPG.ru</strong>: Combat is turn-based again. In which ways it is different from that of JA2?
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>: <em>The core
of the combat system was left unchanged. We just tweaked the controls a
bit, due to the game being 3D. We also introduced customization of
controls, which would allow the players to adjust them for their own
convenience. In addion to that, I would like to touch on several
important aspects that would affect the combat, and make it more
realistic:
</em>

<em>First off, the 3D landscape. Terrain features -- rocks, hummocks,
mountains, ravines, etc -- will affect the course of the battle. One
could hide behind the rocks to shield himself from enemy's fire. A
combatant positioned on a hilltop will have an advantage over those at
the bottom, and so forth. All these details are calculated during
combat, making the player actually take the terrain into careful
consideration. Second, it's the realistic ballistics and object's
material physics, which was achieved through improving Alpha's engine.
For example, house walls can now be shot through, harming those inside.
However, path of projectiles is affected by the materials the house is
made of, and the shooting range.</em>

<em>Third, every part of the environment, except for the terrain, can
now be destroyed. The enemy took cover behind the fence? Not a problem.
One direct bazooka hit will blow the bastard to shreds, along with the
fence. Using explosives, for instance, a barracks can be quickly
reduced to rubble. Well, you get the idea.
</em>

<em>And to cap it all off, the AI is substantially improved. This is
one feature we're extremely focused on. The enemy will be much more
cunning and skillful than ever before. So, in order to demolish that
goddamn barracks, you have to approach it stealthily first. And oh
don't be surprised if your brave sapper covered with TNT gets ambushed
and shot point-blank from behind.
</em>


<strong>CRPG.ru</strong>: Can we expect a non-linear story? Will the game feature overland travel map?
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>: <em>The
story will be linear in a way that every path will have only one
ending, but there will be several such paths. In the very beginning the
player will already have to decide how to get into the country --
openly or secretly. And so forth, throughout the entire game, the
player will have choices, to some extent. However, I'd like to stress
that the game is mission-based, it was planned that way from the very
beginning. There will be no overland travel map.
</em>


<strong>CRPG.ru</strong>: JA3D's engine is
an improved version of the "flaming core" of the Alpha: Anti-terror.
How much of it was improved, and in what way?
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>:
<em>Graphics department: post-effects, new visual effects module, dynamic
shadows, various modern technologies. The environment destructability
was implemented, the ability to climb through the windows, stationary
weapon systems that can be manned.
</em>


<strong>CRPG.ru</strong>: Originally, the
release was planned for Q1 of 2006, but that seems quite unlikely now.
What's the project status, and when should we expect it released?
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>: <em>No,
actually the release was planned for the second quarter of this year.
The project is currenly in its final stage of development, and I'm
quite sure that the game will be released to time.

</em>

<strong>CRPG.ru</strong>: Thank you very
much for your time. Hopefully, this was not our last feature on Jagged
Alliance 3D, and we would continue covering this potentially
bestselling game.
<strong>MiST land - South</strong>: <em>Thanks for the interview. Good luck!</em></span></p><p>Edit: Because Metallix badgered me so much about it, here's the <a href="http://www.crpg.ru/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=2012" target="_self" title="fagg">link</a> to the original interview which has some greasy-looking screens for you to ogle at. </p><p> </p>

Kind of short and uninteresting. In other words, he could have just said "nothing except OMG SUPAR GRAPHIXÉ11!"

Oh well.

Also, no travel map? What?

I guess there's no travel map since it's all mission-based. The choices you make decide where you go next. I think.

This part is good at least:
"The core of the combat system was left unchanged. We just tweaked the controls a bit, due to the game being 3D. We also introduced customization of controls, which would allow the players to adjust them for their own convenience."

The fact that you can now destroy all those props and houses might actually affect the gameplay a lot, from a tactcal viewpoint. Moreover, the physics system is definately much more realistic now, which is definately a plus.

The graphics are neat, but neat enough to actually bog down the system. At least, I hope so.

But the mission-based story? That's pretty shitty. What I loved about JA is the freeformity, or at least the illusion of non-linearity about it.

Mission based? How the fuck can it be a true successor?

A very good question!

The answer is, of course, is that it's not and Mist-Land South are a buncha fuckwits.

Though I think they're the ones who made Cops: 2170 Power of Law and that was supposed to be pretty good.

Cops blew, and was buggy as fuck.

Anything that shitty publisher(strategylast) touches turns to faeces.

There's a new gallery up on the main JA3D site featuring the weapons and people you'll see in the game.
It also has some interesting descriptions: "Either it is a fight in jungle or just a brawl in a small room – Blood Hanson is of your kind."
Special Forces are always to risk.

I believe the environment coming into a play in much more fleshed out way, especially with the destructable environments, could add nicely to the game, but mission-based levels with no travel map? Commandos with TB combat?

Actually, Commandos with TB combat wouldn't be a bad thing to me. It would be better than that new Commandos fps.

JA3D is a spin-off, not a sequel.

and Cops was pretty decent.