Unfortunately, Jagged Alliance Online suffers from the inevitable hidden costs of the free-to-play model, which seem particularly intrusive here. It starts early, such as when you need to buy an additional mercenary to help you out right after the tutorial mission, leaving you with the option of buying one limited to 24 real-time hours or a permanent one with outrageously priced premium currency. It seems fine at first, but it soon becomes apparent that the gold cost of mercenaries far outstrips the pace at which you earn gold if you’re playing casually, so eventually you’ll have to spend cash. Then there’s the fuel (which acts as “energy” somewhat) that replenishes over time, but not at a rate that’s fast enough to balance with everything you need it for. Inevitably, you’ll run out, forcing you to run to the cash shop again. And all this before you’ve even tried to expand your inventory.