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Guerilla Warfare Mod: A Review[message #59425]

Mon, 22 July 2002 12:58

Alias Smith & Wesson

Messages:6
Registered:January 2001

The "Guerilla Warfare Pack" has been created for those who find the Expert level of JA2 gameplay to be a bore, and is inappropriate for all but the most extreme JA2 players. Its difficulty level is completely over the top, and you should attempt it only if your tactics are superb, your tolerance for merc death high, and your patience long.

Created by Romualdas Arm, Guerilla Warfare is intended for use with the "Wildfire" and "Early Rebel Recruitment" packs created by Serge Popoff and Ivan B, respectively.

The greatest strength of the mod is in its unifying theme. Arulco is now a country in Central America, and the terrain reflects this. Most previously open space is now covered in long grass, adding an interesting tactical dimension. At night the changes are even more profound, with light being used as a defensive advantage. No longer is it easy to sneak up under one of those big perimeter lights!

Romualdas has also extensively modified the AIM mercs, giving them a minimum level of 4 and upping the equipment quality for everyone. This is as it should be: high dollar mercenaries OUGHT to go into battle armed with good equipment.

The various rebels also join with you immediately, which I also approve of. I always wondered if Miguel was being careful or cynical when he let the player win the war for him. Now, with the addition of all 4 rebels at the outset, you have a powerful force early in the game.

And you need it. As good as your squad may be, the enemies are better. Imagine if you would, a squad of 5th level mercs all with a marksmanship of 85+, all sporting Night Goggles and carrying chemical break lights and armed with M870s, SKS and MP5Ks. Pretty good? Those are the weaklings defending DRASSEN. It only gets worse.

Take for example the SAM site near Drassen. The enemies there are backed up by mortars. But this tactical difficulty is only the beginning - the worst part are the mines. These mines are not the dreaded invisible mines - but they are awfully close. Red, a merc with 99 skill in Explosives, finds them about 1/8 the time, and Trevor, 99 mechanical and 88 explosives, about 1/5. Unless you cheat, chances are you are going to step on a mine...or two...or four.

Night, the great advantage of the mercenary, is now his enemy. Although the lighting is now more realistic, it is also inescapable. Too often there are no "holes" in the light to sneak through. Furthermore ALL the enemies have night or UV goggles and carry chemical break lights. Attacking at night is to the complete disadvantage of the mercenary since his enemy is better equipped and generally higher level. Because enemies toss their break lights as their first priority action (even during daylight) you will almost always get lit up...then fired at by hidden enemies...then mortared. Bring plenty of body bags.

I did not attempt to continue after my experiences at the SAM site. Romualdas states that later cities have enemies up to level 9, armored in enhanced spectra armor and wearing UV goggles, backed up by tanks and multiple mortars. It just wasnt worth the frustration to see what fighting that kind of opposition was like.

Oddly enough, Romualdas states on his web site that some of his friends consider this mod to be "too easy" even as it stands now - which boggles me. I cannot recommend Guerilla Warfare to you as it stands now. There is much that is good about the mod, and much I would like to keep - but the author has gone completely over the top in his attempt to add difficulty to an already challenging game.