This game is actually much better then the 1st one :)

I haven't played this for over 10 years, so this comes from memory:
The game is stand-alone, so you don't need JA itself.
Main difference in gameplay between JA and singleplayer JA:DG is the fact that you have to finish the missions within a given amount of turns and that the missions are 1 map big.
That adds an extra difficulty, yet it's still not that hard to finish the missions in time.
I never played JA:DG multiplayer.
As for singleplayer I have to agree I liked JA better.
Nevertheless JA:DG is still a fun game and I never regretted buying it.

I bought JA2 from gog and this is my first time playing anything in the series. I think JA2 is a great game, but I am not interested in any other version myself.

A lot of us JA2 players started with JA (and probably other turn based games).
You made a great choice with JA2 which can keep you busy for a very long time.
With all the mods and the open structure it has a high replayability.

Thanks, that is good to know. I am having both a fun time and a hard time playing (and staying alive!). It is a very well done game and you can tell the developers put a lot of care into the game.

My only problem with JA2 is the pathetic effective ranges of the pistols and the surprisingly GOOD effective range of the enemy shotguns. I hope I can get in touch with their suppliers

I actually quite strongly disagree...Deadly Games was a LOT of fun as a multiplayer experience, and it wasn't half bad as a SP game, either (especially with downloaded extra maps).

I couldn't disagree more. While Deadly Games lacks the coherence of Jagged Alliance's campaign across Metavira, the multiplayer options more than makes up for it. I've been having an absolute blast playing co-op campaigns and scenarios with a pal. We've made extensive use of the Mercenary Contracting Center's numberous fan-submitted maps.
It's fine if you don't enjoy the game, but please don't write it off for everyone else too.