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Having played 1.13 extensively over the last few days, I'm honestly surprised people aren't talking about it on this forum. I'm very impressed by it, and I think thanks and praises are in order. I will try to do so by hopefully getting more members here to look into giving it a go, because this has got to be the deepest tactical experience I've ever had the pleasure of playing. If there are suggestions to improve this thread, feel free to post here or PM and I'll edit accordingly.


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Where can I download 1.13?
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You can find the latest stable build here:
http://ja2v113.pbworks.com/w/page/4218339/FrontPage

You can also find mods built off the 1.13 base here, compiled by Tais:
http://www.ja-galaxy-forum.com/board/ubbthreads.php/topics/301591/Tais_SCI_s_Part_3.html

Also, if you're interested in staying up-to-date with JA2 1.13 news, bookmark this page:
http://www.ja-galaxy-forum.com/board/


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What is Jagged Alliance 2 1.13? Is that the latest version?
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1.13 is not a patch, but a mod. Indeed, it's a mod that adds everything but the kitchen sink into the game. No longer will you be camping for FN-FALs, LAWs and Mustard Gas grenades at Tony's and Bobby Rays to equip your mercs with. 1.13 makes an already complex game even more complex. There are around 300 guns in total, compared to the 60 or so from vanilla Jagged Alliance 2. This is in addition to the fact that there are also new weapon attachments, ammo types (the sheer number of ammo types is will overwhelm a newcomer), armour and other miscellaneous equipment.

But to call it an equipment add-on would be severely understating its capabilities. 1.13 is, as I understand, the culmination of many developers' hard work over the years, with various developers linking up to create the end product. Of note:

- The targeting system has been overhauled thanks to the addition of HAM (Headrock's Assorted Modifications) and the replacement of the Chance to Hit (CTH) system with Headrock's New Chance to Hit (NCTH). No longer will you be able to run and gun with pinpoint accuracy. Expect to miss a lot even when you think you will hit. NCTH is just one of the features of course; HAM adds an unbelievable depth to the game with its assortment of features, including suppression fire, manual cocking of bolt action rifles, fear effects, et cetera.

- The inventory system has been given a facelift - instead of 4 big pouches and 8 small pouches, now you will have to manually collect backpacks and vests that contain their own unique pouches.

- Improved AI means that enemies won't stupidly wander into lit up zones at night.

- MULTIPLAYER!

- ... and a slew of new features, too many in fact to list them all. There are the Improved Interrupts System (IIS), higher resolutions (up to 1024x768), AI Turn Speed Up ...


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Like a real man?
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If you haven't already heard, 1.13 also has a reputation for being way more difficult than JA2. This isn't a false claim. The Drassen attack launched by Deidranna in 1.13 is notorious for being brutally difficult. Until you get long range assault rifles too, you will get slaughtered very easily in the early game, even if you have I.M.P. characters with MP5s. Night missions are no longer a guarantee for your mercs to emerge unscathed.


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I'm a new player! Should I play this first, or JA2?
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If you haven't played JA2, then I recommend you start with that first. Firstly, 1.13 is really very complex and difficult. Playing JA2 on Experienced, at least, is a good start, a sort of tutorial to prep you for 1.13.


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Resources / Solutions
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"I can't hit anything with NCTH. It's really frustrating. Am I doing something wrong?"

This was one of the first few questions I asked when playing. I honestly couldn't get used to not hitting 20 tiles away with an MP5 with an 85 Marksmanship merc. After some Googling, I found this article, which helped explain a great deal to me:
http://ja2v113ham.wikia.com/wiki/New_Chance_To_Hit
Post edited June 05, 2012 by lowyhong
I've actually been playing JA1 and JA2 since they were originally released and I still have yet to try 1.13. It just seems so daunting. I keep looking for a definitive guide but no one seems to have made one. (A guide that not only shows every single step to installing 1.13, but a listing of all guns, mods for the guns, etc).

Maybe one day I will try it. But for now, I still love my vanilla JA2. Though I have a feeling once I try 1.13 I won;t be going back. :)
Post edited June 19, 2012 by chickenhed
It's actually quite easy to get into. The macromanagement part can get overwhelming due to the huge selection of items to buy, but the initial transition from vanilla JA2 to 1.13 is quite easy if you're familiar with JA2 already. New features are being added regularly, which is why I keep coming back to it. The most recent one is the addition of constructable sandbag defenses.
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chickenhed: It just seems so daunting. I keep looking for a definitive guide but no one seems to have made one.
The beauty of 1.13 is that almost everything there is optional. Anything you don't like can be switched off, so you can make a truly customized experience as you like to play the game. To see a list of the items, you can use the supplied XML Editor, which will also allow you to modify any item as you see fit. Be aware that since JA2 1.13 has moved to a base 100 AP, the costs of shooting and reload may seem way to high, but they are more or less the vanilla ones multiplied by 4, with variations to show that this gun is faster than the other.
Latest stable version is 4870, which you can find here, which is suggested as a first install. It shouldn't crash that much, and it is a very good base for 1.13.
Once you've gotten used to that version, and if you want to try something new, take a look Arulco Revisited in The Bear's Pit for a new experience, with new maps and items, and new strategies, since Bobby Ray won't be available until much longer.
Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to join channel #bearpit at quakenet.org, though be aware that most of us there are Europeans, so we may be sleeping when you join with questions. In case you do not have an irc client, you can always use the webchat
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JMich: Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to join channel #bearpit at quakenet.org, though be aware that most of us there are Europeans, so we may be sleeping when you join with questions. In case you do not have an irc client, you can always use the webchat
I noticed there's a Chinese community for JA2 1.13 modding too. Is it still active?
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lowyhong: I noticed there's a Chinese community for JA2 1.13 modding too. Is it still active?
Instruments of Violence (IoV) is developed by them, and it does get semi-frequent updates. You should probably ask zwoooo about it though, since there is a language barrier preventing me from checking myself :P
The fancy new targeting cursor is a bit odd. WTF if the small crosshair above and to the left of the actual aiming point. It shows up in that spot regardless of angle, distance, weapon.
Attachments:
cross.png (101 Kb)
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grviper: The fancy new targeting cursor is a bit odd. WTF if the small crosshair above and to the left of the actual aiming point. It shows up in that spot regardless of angle, distance, weapon.
The fancy new cursor is the NCTH, which while good in theory, the implementation is a bit off. I'd suggest turning it off (it's either in preferences->next page or in the new game options).
As for the cursor being off center, that is a bug that I'm not sure why it has been happening, I recall it being reported before (in The Bear's Pit forums), but can't recall atm what was causing it, or if it was fixed.
Thanks for the great information, JMich. You have given me even less reasons NOT to try 1.13! :)
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grviper: The fancy new targeting cursor is a bit odd. WTF if the small crosshair above and to the left of the actual aiming point. It shows up in that spot regardless of angle, distance, weapon.
Huh. Definitely a bug, as I never got it before.
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chickenhed: Thanks for the great information, JMich. You have given me even less reasons NOT to try 1.13! :)
You'll love it. The first time you check out Bobby Ray's selection on Awesome will blow you away.
Post edited June 25, 2012 by lowyhong
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lowyhong: The first time you check out Bobby Ray's selection on Awesome will blow you away.
Everyone and their grandmother keeps talking about Bobby Ray and modding Bobby Ray... which baffles me since I never used it. Yep. Of course, now I play with "drop all", but I never shopped there even in vanilla JA2.
You should. If you shop there often enough, you'll get VIP discounts and even stand a chance to win a trip for 2 to the Bahamas. As a valued customer of Bobby Ray's, I should know.
I didn't think I would like it first, because there's just so much change to the game, but now that I've played 1.13 for a while, I have to say that almost everything that has been added are improvements.

Specifically, what I do like is:
- New useful hotkeys
- Merc vision is more realistic.
- Burst fire is much more useful than before.
- Sniper scopes extends vision during the day up to 10 times.
- The militia plays a bigger role now as they can join combat in every sector.
- The AI is smarter; soldiers can sneak behind you and call reinforcement from other sectors.
- Many interesting new skills for the mercs.
- Options for more realism when you start the game.
Post edited July 11, 2012 by potato_head
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lowyhong: You should. If you shop there often enough, you'll get VIP discounts and even stand a chance to win a trip for 2 to the Bahamas. As a valued customer of Bobby Ray's, I should know.
On a more practical note, you can also order fully featured custom loadouts for your mercs. It becomes essential on higher difficulty settings to invest immediately to survive post-Drassen.

Oh, Drassen. In 1.13 the battle to keep it under your control is hellish. I had about eighty enemies pitted against an early game force of six mercs. The only non-frustrating way to get through it is to camp an entrance and lure the enemies in. Lots of loot, though.
I just tested 1.13 out, and the options are overwhelming, even though I completed JA2 5 or 6 times.

Im still not convinced though, mainly because the game crashed 4 times for me in the starter zone. I'll give it anotehr shot and see if it gets better, but nice new features cant help on a crash every 5 minutes .)
Well, make that 6 times, just had 2 more crashed in the starter zone.
Post edited August 24, 2012 by Janus