As a long-time, obsessed JA2 fan, and someone who backed at a higher level, I have to say that I'm really disappointed with this release in its current form. That said, Full Control has vowed to continue supporting it and add features, presumably funded by what they take in from sales. In addition, the modding community is eager to get its hands on it, and after several months, I have little doubt we'll see a very decent game.
The game is playable now and in a way it is still a 'fun' turn-based tactical game— just not JA2 fun, and it lacks much of the complexity and nuances that make Jagged Alliance a classic franchise. There are also bugs, but I'm sure these will be taken care of.
The problem here was both money and the fact that, for whatever reason, Full Control decided to change a number of features and systems found in JA2. Many have called this "reinventing the wheel", which as you know takes unnecessary time and resources. Some would argue that, had they not done that or focused so heavily on 3D environments (or cool commercials, or a website…), they could have easily made a game similar to JA2 with the budget they had. After all, modders made JA2 a far better game in essence for free with the tools provided. Others would argue that Full Control was just in way over their head.
For now, I'll call this Kickstart a salvageable fail, and yet another reason to check yourself when you look at throwing money down the rabbit hole on a project. It's really critical to bet on the developer moreso than the concept. It really is all about pedigree.
