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The Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire is a Add'On for original Jagged Alliance 2.
Modifications were made to all aspects of the original game. Changes were made to all weapons, landscapes, structures, missions, enemies and the AI. All elements within the game were altered to make it more realistic bringing it closer to real-life.
Background:
Arulco's economy has completely collapsed and the country has now become a base for international drug cartels. Export of precious metals, which was the foundation of Arulco’s economy, is now just a cover for the extensive export of drugs into North America
Your mission:
The North American Drug Agency has been unable to affect the export of drugs through regular diplomatic channels due to the cartels’ influence and has been forced to take more specific action to stop the drug trade. You are sent in as a leader of a small band of hired guns for realisation coup d'eta. Your mission is to elimination of all key persons of Arulcan Government and if possible extermination of Cartel itself. If successful, you will be hailed as heroes. If you fail, the Agency will deny all knowledge of the operation.
Features:
- Improvements to all structures within the game to closer match real-life facilities.
- Over 90% of the maps have been modified to create a whole new game experience.
- Added tall grass, bushes, stones, and trees to sections of the map which were barren, which allows for better coverage for units and changes combat tactics.
- All military facilities have increased their defensive capabilities. They have added mine fields, fences, watchtowers, perimeter lighting and alarms.
- All weapons have been rebalanced to better reflect real-life weapon characteristics.
- New weapons have been added: USP, Uzi, UMP, MP5A3, Mini-30, HK33, G36, MP7, MSG90, AN-94, RPK, V-94, VAL, VSS.
- All existing weapons’ graphics and sounds have been replaced to make them more realistic.
- The importance of sub-quests has been increased and now plays a major role in the game's overall flow.
- The Mafia has taken on a new role and is now part of the Arulcan order.
- The number of enemies has increased and they are a lot smarter and more ruthless this time around.
Weapons and other stuff
New balance of weapons, explosives and other game items as close to reality as possible.
Weapons, items, explosives and armour weights directly match real life parameters. High caliber rifle and 3rd class armour is the combination not even mercenary can wear.
Weapons line modified using new principle of damage calculation based on real life weapons and armour balance. Weapon damages strongly affected to kind of ammo it fires and armour it hits.
Each following class of armour gives more protection, but even spectra armour, which gives you very good protection from pistols and 9mm sub machineguns, will save you only from one-two 7.62 Nato rounds and will mostly useless against 12.7mm sniper rifles exactly as it is in real life.
Spectra armour is III class armour, and only armour which gives slightly protection against 12.7mm weapons is IV class armour – this kind not used for regular army due high weight, used by bomb squads only.
Explosives and armour effects on each other are moved to make them more close to real life interaction.
Grenade is not kick down staff like it was in JA2, but deadly weapon.
Mines left in WW2 style, so they still can be found by metal detector, but their damage is as for such a mines in reality. In modern war mines are using for injuring as much enemy personal, as possible. The aim is slower enemy movement. WW2 mines were made for enemy personal extermination, so guess what happens if you mercenary will step over it in game...
Optional gear for weapons modified, Russian and Western weapon’s gear partially separated.
Several non combat items replaced or they kinds changed.
Self made upgrade such a rod-and-spring combination removed from game as absurd.
Rocket rifle replaced by real life weapon.
Maps
The reality is the main direction of changes made in maps.
There are over 210 new or reworked sectors of 260 in original game total.
Main game sectors such as: towns, SAM sites, farms, roads, random locations and some more are newly developed or hardly reworked. Some sectors previously wild have different installations on them. All the rest surface sectors are modified.
Main line of changes:
Settlement areas are more dense constructed than original, there are up to 14-20 buildings per sector
Each sector design based on this sector functional purpose, for example if it is a hospital it is planned to be hospital and it has all necessary services. Military installations are well guarded, and protected by different alarm and defence systems starting from mine fields, and finishing alarm lighting of perimeter. So the easier you get this sector the harder you will to defend it.
Strategic importance defence organisation for sectors used - the more important sector is there more numerous and skilled its guards are and more difficult defence systems there installed.
There are much many locked and trapped doors and stashes in sectors some time not evident from the first look.
Town sectors now full of civilians who live they own life and make you a lot of problems to keep them alive when you defend the sectors.
Reach wild growth outside of settlements shortening view range and making combat more close action.
Game optimised for realistic mode, so there are no changes in underground mine levels.
Game conditions changes
Arulko's population is more loyal to government
The maiority of quests do not so different to JA2, but their role raised greatly – you can’t ignore quest anymore - if you need loyalty you are to pass through quests. Several quests modified and one removed due it not match storyline changes.
Morale penalty in town for civilian death in sectors increased.
Population is not so tolerant to pillaging as in original JA2 – if you stole something and caught be ready citizens start shoot at you.
Economic conditions are harder – save your money there will no mountains of gold to support your dream team.
Mafia plays more role in life of Arulco, it’s numerous and powerful. There are many it’s members all over the country and any your unfriendly step will make them your worst enemy. At the start of the game Mafia will got not much care of you, but the further you will move to victory the more unfriendly they become.
Some AI improvements (in comparison with JA2 Gold)
Enemy number increased. In comparison with JA2 easy difficulty of WildFire has twice more enemies than JA2 hard difficulty.
No more fixed number of guard for sectors - number of garrison troops varies from game to game inside same game difficulty.
Meduna is much more unfriendly, than ever before. In this town you will fight not only militaries, but local militia too, so final number of enemy in Meduna is double to original JA2 number.
Storyline
Storyline corrected to make it more close to real life so there are less altruism and heroism and more pragmatism now.
GUI changes
User interface renewed.
Some clarification based on fans question
Game support both Realistic and Sci-Fi modes with no bugs and/or limitations.
Hikcs civilian group still works properly – not used for imitate militia like it was in DL mod.
Recommended game style is Realistic.
Due real life damage parameters of weapons usage of Iron Man mode for non-hardcore gamer strongly not recommended.
The minimal requirements for game based on average software and hardware we got at current date. The listed configuration will let you play the game (not wait while it’s running yawning wide) under Windows XP. If you are not a nervous person you can still run it on weaker PC than recommended, but do not complain it’s running slow then.
Screenshots:
The capital town of Meduna the real challenge you’ll got at the end of the game. This Small nice looking settlement keeps lot of surprises and very, very hostile environment inside.
Special note for fans played before. There is no chance to go there unspotted as it was in original - to go there alone is 100% suicide.
Let’s take a close look on it:
Here we got some interface changes:
Boys (and Girls of course) and their toys:
Miscs.
"Welcome to Meduna’s suburb!" look at radar map and see how many angry guys wish to kill you. Have in mind that some enemies are dead already in this sector, and there are only those of them on mind who are in radar range…
A Cross road
Requirements
- Windows 98/2000/XP
- Pentium II 300 MHz
- 128 MB RAM
- DirectX 8.0 or later
- Video RAM >= 4mb
- Hard Disk Space >= 1GB
- CD-ROM Speed >= 4x
- Windows compatible sound card
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