Jagged Alliance (original)

[Radiane]

When JA2 was released in the late 90s, I spent quite a bit of time playing it like most of you probably(though I only played it for the first time during the 00s), and I initially thought back then that "the old-fashioned" JA1 has become more or less obsolete. But back then, it was pretty impressive having a wide selection of mercs all with their own "personalities" and voiced lines. It is even great today, and this is just proof of how much effort was put into making this gem of a game.

Well, in the light of the newest JA, once again I felt the urge to play the original game, and again realized just how great the original one is. I like dos games in general, and this one just stands out. Just look at the pixel graphics, for example all the various items which can lie on the ground. Even Reuban's clock has a neatly graphic though you don't find (or need) that thing somewhere else in the game (I think)!

Also, the difficulty of this game has often amazed me, for example when one of your mercs gets hit (good), which happens more often than one would like, he can spend quite a few days resting where he won't be available to your team (or you command another one of your mercs proficient in medic skill to doctor the wounded one, but then again, medical supplies are quite rare on Metavira). That's the thing in this game, be it med supplies, ammo, armor or anything really, you have to manage your whole operation with what you can find and scavenge from the battle field.

Do you have any fond memories of the first Jagged Alliance? Are you maybe even playing this game nowadays?? Share your experiences!

 

[Grampy_Bone]

JA1 was one of the first games I downloaded from Home of the Underdogs over 20 years ago when I first got into PC gaming. I recall it was hard to figure out without a manual and since the characters were all pre-made I assumed they were static and couldn't level up, so I lost interest in it fast. I wasn't plugged in to PC gaming mags or websites so I totally missed JA2 when it came out (I would just go to gaming stores and browse what was on the shelf) and didn't hear about it until years later, it's been on my play list for a long time but never quite got the urge.

I went back and installed JA1 after playing through JA3 and I agree it's a neat little game but it's really a dead branch on the UI and game design tree. Having to equip vests to even have inventory space and apparently not having a reload button sucks ass. No drag select and cumbersome controls are generally not ideal. Battlefields consist of hiding behind trees and trading bullets endlessly which isn't super interesting, but I've only cleared a few sectors. The merc barks and personality remain a highlight of the game. I might try to play the rest of the way through it but I'm kind of burnt out on strategy games at the moment.

 

[Darth Roxor]

I have fond memories of JA1 because it was one of the first games I played on the PC, even though I sucked at it terribly because I didn't understand English and played it like an RTS (that is, considered units expendable) which quickly led to everyone deserting.

Nevertheless, I replayed it this or last year, and I will say it with full conviction that if there ever was a game that was just obsolete relative to its sequel, it's JA1. I can see no reason to play it over JA2 except if you want a history lesson, because JA2 simply does everything better and also expands upon everything.

However, I will say I quite enjoyed Deadly Games and think it's still very well worth playing, primarily because it's just a mission pack, so it doesn't suffer from the same negative comparison vis a vis JA2 because it doesn't have the big campaign map and such.

 

[zool]

I will say it with full conviction that if there ever was a game that was just obsolete relative to its sequel, it's JA1. I can see no reason to play it over JA2 except if you want a history lesson, because JA2 simply does everything better and also expands upon everything.

I had the same experience and with my limited knowledge of PC games back then, I formed the silly idea that a sequel was always sort an 'improved' version of the previous game in a series. So when I got my hands on a pack with two CDs of Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 the following year, I decided to play Fallout 2 first since I thought it would necessarily be better than Fallout 1, much like JA2 was an improved version of JA1. Enjoyed Fallout 2 a lot but only got around to playing Fallout 1 years later when I finally understood that a sequel did not necessarily make its predecessor obsolete.

I also made the same mistake with BG1 and BG2, playing BG2 first (it was a blast) and only playing BG1 years later.

 

[AdamReith]

JA1 is extremely playable today.

The only criticism I see levelled against it is JA2 is better but why not enjoy both scenarios. Well I guess the answer is that both games can equally devour your time.

If you do play, be sure to set up MT-32 emulation properly in dosbox.

 

[Radiane]

I recall it was hard to figure out without a manual and since the characters were all pre-made I assumed they were static and couldn't level up, so I lost interest in it fast.

Yes, I didn't have the (official) manual either, the rpg-elements are indeed a bit different than from the usual crpg.

Having to equip vests to even have inventory space and apparently not having a reload button sucks ass. No drag select and cumbersome controls are generally not ideal. Battlefields consist of hiding behind trees and trading bullets endlessly which isn't super interesting, but I've only cleared a few sectors. The merc barks and personality remain a highlight of the game. I might try to play the rest of the way through it but I'm kind of burnt out on strategy games at the moment.

The different vests-thingie is a bit strange, but once you get used to them, it isn't really half bad. You get plenty of four/five pocket vests pretty early in the game anyway, so it's really only a (minor) hindrance in the very beginning. Regarding the actual battles, I think bullets flying around your mercs and them shooting back is one of the exciting parts of the game, though sneaking up at the enemy's flank with a clearer line of sight can also be very fun.
The battle tactics may sound a bit simple in theory, but I had the impression that the longer you play this game, the more you eventually are able to refine your tactics, and it's impressive how the gameplay hardly gets stale...

Edit: There is a reload button via quicksave/quickload, just select "quicksave anytime" when starting a new game and that's it... Outside of battles (when your mercs don't move in turn-based modus) you can quicksave anytime anyway, and when you alt-x to desktop, you are also always asked if you want to quicksave (even if you didn't select "quicksave anytime" at the beginning)

JA1 is extremely playable today.

The only criticism I see levelled against it is JA2 is better but why not enjoy both scenarios. Well I guess the answer is that both games can equally devour your time.

If you do play, be sure to set up MT-32 emulation properly in dosbox.

Yeah, Metavira just has its own charm. I also thought that JA2 would have made JA1 obsolote (like I wrote in the OP), but the more I play the original JA, the more I realize how unique (and enjoyable) the world of JA1 is...

 

[Radiane]

However, I will say I quite enjoyed Deadly Games and think it's still very well worth playing, primarily because it's just a mission pack, so it doesn't suffer from the same negative comparison vis a vis JA2 because it doesn't have the big campaign map and such.

I didn't have access to JA:DG back then, only tried it in recent years through GOG. I probably would have loved that expansion back then, but then again, I'm not too sure, because no matter the inevitably useful features JA:DG has, it simply misses the strategic layer of the original game for me. But beautiful game on its own, for sure.

 

[Lagi]

My fond memory is that I made custom map for ja1. A prison. each merc start in cell block and you need to collect keys to open the doors.