Strategy Informer: Firstly could you introduce yourself to our readers and let us know your role within the Jazz: Hired Guns Production?
Max Tumin: Hi everyone, my name’s Max Tumin and I’m a leading game-designer of project Jazz: Hired Guns.
Strategy Informer: Game Factory Interactive recently announced a name change for Jagged Allience 3D, that title has now become Jazz: Hired Guns. There has always been a fan-base for Jagged Alliance as it’s a series of games, why did you decide to change the name? Is it because you wanted to make something different this time around?
Max Tumin: Well, as you know, we canceled a contract with Strategy First to which there are a lot of reasons to speak about. First of all, we treated the project in different ways, I mean, we had various points of view on it. We couldn’t agree that this strategy should become something intermediate between 2D Jagged Alliance 2 and JA3. Moreover, Strategy First kept on demanding to remake this or that main feature at the earliest possible date. Besides, we had some financial problems with them which I don’t want to remember now. Thus, there were a lot of prerequisites for such strict measures. What I want to underline is that this withdrawal, on the contrary, has played in our hands and let us embody our own ideas.
Strategy Informer: We’ve got some details on the features of Jazz: Hire guns; are there any which you’ve yet to talk about that you would like to reveal to our readers?
Max Tumin: Ofcourse. Well, we’ve provided the player with complete freedom of maneuvering across the country, made it possible to break up the hirelings into separate detachments, which are ruled independently of one another. We’ve also integrated interaction with the game world, with the capability to form support groups from sector residents you control. By the way, the sector itself is no longer a common static base and financial source, it’s become an area with many upgrade possibilities when we talk both about military and economic operations. As far as setting is concerned, it will remain the same. The scene takes place on an African continent. However, we changed all the names of characters and geographical areas. The same is applied for hireling biographies.
Strategy Informer: What can you tell us about the graphical and physics features?
Max Tumin: To begin with, I’d like to say that the game is based on the improved engine of our project Alfa: Antiterror. It supports breakability, post-effects, all the modern shedders, effect module which make all the images more spectacular. You can judge about all these features from the screenshots. As for physics, as I already mentioned above, all the objects are breakable. For instance, you can blow up any fence, barrier or another shelter where the enemy hid himself that will collapse and kill him.
Strategy Informer: There are a few other turned-based strategy titles out right now which offer excellent support to fans that wish to create addition content for the game. Is this something you’ll be supporting for Jazz: Hired Guns and will you release any tools to help with this?
Max Tumin: Sure, but at first we’ll look at the comments from gamers, we’ll find out what the game lacks from their point of view, their ideas and recommendations and then will make all the necessary patches which will eliminate all the defects.
Strategy Informer: On the subject of support, have you got anything planned to extend the life of Jazz: Hired Guns?
Max Tumin: Yep, besides the patches mentioned above we plan to develop an extension pack that will contain other interesting features and peculiarities.
Strategy Informer: Can you give us an assessment of the health and long-term viability for Jazz: Hired Guns?
Max Tumin: I can say for sure that project Jazz: Hired Guns will attract hundreds of gamers for a long time. I say it not because it’s exceptionally our project. It has many unique features, modern setting, gripping plot and captivating gameplay – everything that can get any player interested in it for at least 2-3 years.
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Strategy Informer: Jazz: Hired Guns will feature over 150 different types of weapons with an extended system of upgrades, could you tell us a bit about some of these weapons and their upgrades?
Max Tumin: Oh, there is a great number of various kinds of weapons to mention all of them is almost impossible in one answer. I’ll just say that there will be more than 100 kinds of fire arms, which include African and domestic models. However, the main weapons are foreign. Moreover, large-caliber guns are presented as stationary tools in places where they should be. We’ve also introduced a wide range of launchers with some of them having a multi-charge functions.
Strategy Informer: As a gamer, what's your favorite part of Jazz: Hired Guns, what makes you proud to have helped create it and why is it a game people will want?
Max Tumin: You know, being a gamer, I like to notice that the most important thing about a game is that it should carry away, it should impress and give much pleasure. Besides, it should be beautiful, qualitative and possess all the modern features and meet all the requirements. Jazz: Hired Guns has all these features and that is why I think it’s the game people are waiting for. Furthermore, as I already mentioned, termination of our contract with Strategy First gave us much freedom and enabled to provide the game with all the unique features we wanted to. We tried to take into consideration all the wishes the gamers expressed for Jagged Alliance 2. We’ve increased tactical opportunities, taught soldiers to peep out from behind obstacles and introduced many other innovations. And after all these changes, how I can like only separate parts? I love its every whit and I’m sure, I’m not alone.
Strategy Informer: Jazz: Hired Guns will be released soon. Do you know when we can expect to see the title in stores across Europe and America?
Max Tumin: You’re right. The game will be released in Russia and CIS countries in a few months, approximately in May. As for the release in western countries, I can’t say for sure when it will take place as we haven’t found a publisher there yet. As soon as it happens, you’ll find out about it from our news-box.
Strategy Informer: The team has been hard at work on Jazz: Hired Guns for a little while now, what has been the hardest challenge for them, development wise?
Max Tumin: The only obstacles we faced during the development are connected with right-holder company Strategy First that I mentioned above. A quick forced change-over to constant demands from the other side and limited terms of their fulfillment reflected on the quality of the project. It greatly hindered the work over it. Moreover, desultory fulfillment of financial obligations and views antipathy are the factors which are already enough to unsettle any developer.
Strategy Informer: Do you plan on releasing a demo so fans can try out the game before it’s released or is this something you’ll leave until after it’s released?
Max Tumin: Well, the development of the strategy is in full swing and we’re very busy with it at the moment, but, nevertheless, we’ll make everything possible to release a demo so that fans could estimate all the advantages and disadvantages of the project.
Strategy Informer: Let us take a look into the future, once Game Factory Interactive has finished production on Jazz: Hired Guns, what do you think you’ll move onto next or can we expect to see a sequel?
Max Tumin: We have a lot of perspective plans and inspiration which we’re going to realize in our upcoming games in the near future, whether it’s a sequel or another brand new project.
Strategy Informer: We've come to our last question, is there anything you'd like to say to the fans of Jazz: Hired Guns which are eagerly awaiting the release of this title?
Max Tumin: I’d like to say to all the fans that we’ll make everything possible to live up to their expectations! It’s a serious game for serious gamers ready to challenge military forces and show your worth.
