Starting a new game can be daunting. Today’s guide will go over the best tips for beginners in Jagged Alliance 3.
Strategy turn-based RPGs have many different mechanics players will be able to make use of, so for beginners, they can be challenging to follow along.
Worry not though, because these tips will make your experience much smoother, and the challenges far more manageable.
I will give you a quick overview of the tips, I will go in-depth if you want to avoid an information overload.
- Save A Lot!
- Go For Diamond Mines First, Then Secure The Area
- Economy and Money Management
- Operations and Scouting
- Start with the right Mercs
- Enemy Outpost and the Shield Mechanic
If you want to know more about covering, and how to utilize it to its fullest potential, check out our guide on how does cover work, in Jagged Alliance 3.
Save A Lot!
It goes without saying, but even if the game has an auto-save feature at some points you will need to manually save, in Jagged Alliance 3.
There will be moments when a safety save will help you make up for mistakes you make or fix bad dialogue decisions that would lead to losing access to a helpful feature.
A great example would be Bastien who if you play your cards right will smuggle goods into your refugee camp.
Go For Diamond Mines First, Then Secure The Area
When looking at how to tackle your next Conquest, it would be in your best interest to secure the diamond mine first.
After that secure the perimeter, destroy the outpost, and lastly get the settlement under control.
The mine will increase your income making money management much easier, and more expensive purchases feel less like a luxury when you are stretched too thin.
Also, use the militia to defend that settlement in your absence, and that will also make the excess guns you will have more of an asset to your overall territory, and less like something to add to the list you need to scrap.
Economy and Money Management
Managing your income can be a taxing situation especially when you don’t want to be bleeding money.
It’s true that players have an instinct to hoard money in case they need it, but if you go over your Finances on the bottom right you will see your daily income, and your daily spending.
Before your first Diamond Mine things can be a little rough to manage, but as you expand, and take over Diamond Mines you will need to spend money and make sure you have the strength to defend all the areas you have secured.
This is one of the most basic, yet necessary tips for beginners, in Jagged Alliance 3.
Operations and Scouting
In Jagged Alliance 3, the Operations you will have available to you will differ depending on where you start them from.
They will differ if there is a village on that tile, and most of them will cost you money, but they will offer a variety of benefits.
One that can be overlooked compared to the others is Scouting, but Scouting will be one of your greatest strengths when it comes to figuring out how to tackle the challenges up ahead.
Scouting gives you information about the Tactical Area. If you press the “O” key, with intel you will also be able in some situations to see even where the enemies will be coming from.
Start with the right Mercs
At the beginning of the campaign, players will be called to select mercenaries and form their starting squad.
Each mercenary has different perks and stats, which makes some of them more useful in the beginning compared to others.
Later on, you will be able to recruit more mercenaries, but picking the right ones, in the beginning, will make a big difference in how you manage everything the game will try to teach you.
It can be a bit hectic when you are unsure who to pick, so check out our guide on the best mercenaries to start with, in Jagged Alliance 3.
Enemy Outpost and the Shield Mechanic
While you start on the Island of Ernie you will get a small tutorial regarding the shield, but as you explore more of the mainland things will not be as simple.
It is definitely not suggested to tackle Outposts while all their shields are up. Each shield has a story that details how you are supposed to go after them and take them down.
Unless you want a big fight on your hands, and the difficulty that will bring, exploring the surrounding grids will help you out a lot.
Making your big area fight easier as well as giving you an excuse to pillage, and explore for parts, and intel.
Final Thoughts
Difficulty comes in many forms, and seeking help to make an adventure more enjoyable for you is a great first step.
Strategy turn-based RPGs have a high skill ceiling, so it’s all the better for you to ask for help in the beginning to have a better idea of how to progress.
If you want to know more about the characters you will encounter in the game, check out our guide on how to recruit Pierre, in Jagged Alliance 3
With these best beginner tips, your journey through Jagged Alliance 3 will go much smoother. Let us know in the comments down below, how are you enjoying the game so far, and if you are having fun with it.
With thousands of hours played on Nintendo systems since the original Gameboy, Nikiforos is happy to share his endless passion for Nintendo franchises and everything he can get his hands on.
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