For the first time in this new instalment of the cult strategy game series, players can experience the thrill of dueling against a human counterpart.
Until now, players taking part in closed beta testing of Jagged Alliance Online were able to take part in more than 100 missions against challenging AI opponents. The latest update adds a total of three multiplayer modes and six arenas that have been created especially for them. These are unlocked as honor levels are gained.
Each PvP arena has its own lobby and rankings. An internal ranking system (ELO style) was created for the matchmaking system to determine a player's strength based on a variety of factors such as the mercenaries' level and position in the rankings. This helps reduce the amount of unequal and unfair duels.
The modes:
- Deathmatch: Direct battle, mercenary versus mercenary. The player who is still standing at the end is the winner.
- Bounty Hunter: Who can sneak around the target's guards or take them down best to be the first to eliminate the NPC at the end?
- Search and Destroy: Both players have three objects in this arena. The aim is the destroy the opponent's object while protecting your own.
The arenas:
- Deathmatch #1: North Africa - A warehouse with narrow alleys means fast-paced action on the battlefield.
- Deathmatch #2: Long corridors and narrow passages provide plenty of tactical diversity in this Central American missile base.
- Bounty Hunter #1: Who will be the first to find the drug baron in the South American favela?
- Bounty Hunter #2: Italian blood is being spilled here. Who will be the one to claim the bounty for the general?
- Search and Destroy #1: Morocco - A windy canyon with a bridge in the middle is quite a challenge for both teams.
- Search and Destroy #2: Two abandoned military camps in the midwestern United States that are both under attack from rival mercenary teams.
Battles in Jagged Alliance Online are turn-based, so the length of each turn plays a special role. Players that complete their round especially quickly receive a percentage bonus on their mercenaries' action points in the next round. So in certain situations it certainly makes sense to make decisions quickly for strategic purposes.
