Jagged Alliance Worth playing JA1 before JA2?

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I'm contemplating playing Jagged Alliance once I finish Freedom Force - 3rd Reich. Is it worth it to be play 1 or should I go straight to 2? Almost everything I read is about JA2.

 

[Blaine]

Almost everything I read is about JA2.

There's a reason for that.

JA1 is still great, but it's the inferior prototype to the immortal legend. You might as well play 1 first, because 2 is the one you'll be playing down the decades.

 

[Abu Antar]

I don't know why this showed up in the alerts, but I would play both if you have the time.

If not, go with th second game.

 

[Strange Fellow]

Not really worth it. Everything 1 does, 2 does better.

 

[Galdred]

Not really worth it. Everything 1 does, 2 does better.

But that's not a reason to not play 1.
1 is still awesome, and if you play both, you'll have more fun than if you had played 2 alone.
I think playing 1 then 2 is better than playing 2 twice.

 

[ValeVelKal]

JA1 is definitely worth playing. Be warned it looks like it is from another era. The 5 years between 1994 and 1999 were huge in terms of video game tech.
JA-Deadly Games on the other hand... meh. I found it mediocre.

 

[Jigby]

JA1 has better map design, the merc selection is more interesting and the cover based/flanking gameplay is more dynamic (JA2 is more about popping moles from a distance/rooftop). It's different from JA2 though, but since you haven't played that one...

 

[Zombra]

Don't miss JA1 and don't miss JA: DG, and play those two in order. It's kind of hard to go back to JA1 after Deadly Games' more refined combat.

 

[Morality Games]

Not really worth it. Everything 1 does, 2 does better.

But that's not a reason to not play 1.
1 is still awesome, and if you play both, you'll have more fun than if you had played 2 alone.
I think playing 1 then 2 is better than playing 2 twice.

The reason not to play 1 is that even just considering the library of old games on GOG (nothing new or declined), there are far better investments of time than Jagged Alliance 1 and you would need years/decades/a lifetime to play them all.

So the real answer is skip Jagged Alliance 1 UNLESS you are a turn-based strategy fiend.

 

[BrotherFrank]

If nothing else, playing JA1 first means you will appreciate the changes the mercs have gone through between games.

 

[ValeVelKal]

Don't miss JA1 and don't miss JA: DG, and play those two in order. It's kind of hard to go back to JA1 after Deadly Games' more refined combat.

It has been a long time - I don't remember any difference in combat between the two.

 

[gaussgunner]

I have both but I never gave JA1 a serious try. Maybe I should... the graphics are all pretty shit by, well not by today's prosper-ous standards, but by 2000's standards.

 

[Zombra]

Don't miss JA1 and don't miss JA: DG, and play those two in order. It's kind of hard to go back to JA1 after Deadly Games' more refined combat.

It has been a long time - I don't remember any difference in combat between the two.

The key difference is that if you are crouching in JA1, you automatically stand up when attacking. In DG, you can fire while crouched so the basic "attack pattern" is move to cover, crouch, then fire. Some quick math will show you that trying to do this in JA1 leads to tons of wasted AP - so if you play DG first and develop the habit, JA1 will be super frustrating (as I find every time I try to replay JA1).

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Why wasn't there a mod to play JA1 in JA2's engine? They can teach a dog to drive a truck but a modder can't make a mod to play JA1 in JA2?

 

[oasis789]

Why wasn't there a mod to play JA1 in JA2's engine? They can teach a dog to drive a truck but a modder can't make a mod to play JA1 in JA2?

https://thepit.ja-galaxy-forum.com/index.php?t=msg&th=20899&start=0&
not sure how playable tho

 

[Galdred]

Not really worth it. Everything 1 does, 2 does better.

But that's not a reason to not play 1.
1 is still awesome, and if you play both, you'll have more fun than if you had played 2 alone.
I think playing 1 then 2 is better than playing 2 twice.

The reason not to play 1 is that even just considering the library of old games on GOG (nothing new or declined), there are far better investments of time than Jagged Alliance 1 and you would need years/decades/a lifetime to play them all.

So the real answer is skip Jagged Alliance 1 UNLESS you are a turn-based strategy fiend.

I don't think so. I think JA1 is the best tactical RPG with modern firearms after JA2.
7.62 and Silent Storm come close, but I still preferred JA1 over them.
It depends on how much the OP likes the modern settings, though.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

For me, someone who played JA2 and JA:DG to death but could never finish a game of the original, its got a few issues that make it difficult to get into after the latter two. While DG is mostly the same as the original, even that has some changes to the parts of JA1 I found too bitter. Your squad flees an unclaimed area if its too late in the day, and this can result in them getting killed, which is very annoying. While DG keeps that time keeping element, I don't think you can even get injured if you run over the timer. If you ever plan on playing it, its probably best to play the original first, just note that its sequels do remove those unpleasant bits.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

once you go ja2 + 1.13 you can't go back.

 

[vota DC]

JA1 is definitely worth playing. Be warned it looks like it is from another era. The 5 years between 1994 and 1999 were huge in terms of video game tech.
JA-Deadly Games on the other hand... meh. I found it mediocre.

You can craft your own campaign in Deadly Games and play multiplayer, with 2 multiplayer was added by fans. Deadly Games is different from the other 2 games because no big campaign of conquest but timed missions and it gives the vibe of "every day life of mercenary" while you have the band of heroes in JA1 and 2.

 

[Galdred]

If nothing else, playing JA1 first means you will appreciate the changes the mercs have gone through between games.

Also, JA1 has a much more affordable Ivan!

 

[Tweed]

I was enjoying JA1 when I played it, but the interface finally got to me and I didn't finish it. Something about endless clicking and dragging or something like that.

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Play Ja1 for the river snakes

 

[Jason]

JA1 is $.59 on GOG (and JA2 is $.99) so it wouldn't hurt to at least try JA1 for a couple hours, unless your time is very limited then go with JA2. I never completed a JA1 playthrough but it did warm me up for JA2.

 

[bionicman]

Just wait for ja3 instead so you can play it on your 4k tv

 

[Papill0n]

Why wasn't there a mod to play JA1 in JA2's engine? They can teach a dog to drive a truck but a modder can't make a mod to play JA1 in JA2?

https://thepit.ja-galaxy-forum.com/index.php?t=msg&th=20899&start=0&
not sure how playable tho

It is fully playable, I played it through a while ago. I think i remember that its cover mechanics are a bit different from normal ja2 in order to maybe mimic ja1's kevlar bushes everywhere

back to topic: if you have the time, go Ja1, DG, Ja2, then Ja2 Mods. if no time: Ja2 or Ja2 stracciatella and only my Ja2 Mods :D