General Discussion

hehe Didn't know about this game... IS it like eve?

I would like to thank the editor for mentioning this game.

And no Jumpgate is more like a space flight mmo apart from eve. EVE online is a space RPG. So don't those two mmos are tottaly different games dispite that they have the same settings.

For more information about this game from a fan, goto:
http://jumpgate.cabspace.com (It's got tutorials on how to get started for newcomers.)

The official sites:
http://www.jossh.com

http://www.themis-group.com/jg/

four(or four) things that map help jumpgate get online players back to normal:

1. advertising
2. special offers(like $6.95 for the first three months)
3. revamped jossh site to make it look eye-candy and official video tutorials enbedded in .swf
4. updated graphics to include the following:
* specular light maps
* glow maps
* parallax mapping
* shaders
* anti-aliasing software wise
* glooms
* dynamic lighting
* vertex shading
* or the ability to play in window mode.

and then boom, you have an up-todate mmo here and get a lot more playas that way.

They seriously need to re-do the graphics for the conflux.  My single biggest turn-off when I played Jumpgate was the graphics for those suckers.  Seriously... neon pink seafood flying in space just never did anything for me.

As far as advanced graphics all the stuff people mentioned can be forced at the video card so it's not absolutely essential that the game do it (though it would be nice).

Jumpgate's graphics may appear dated and they are, but like the saying goes, dont judge a book by its cover.

Jumpgate has something in abundance that no other game I have played can boast in the same quantity.

'Gameplay'

Ive been logging in to it for a few months short of four years now and have every intention of continuing to do so. If nearly four years playing the same game seems excessive, there are some active players who date back to Jumpgates early beta testing days and have been a constant presence in the game for nigh on seven years!! Why? Because JG feels right, it fly's right and it will get under your skin too if you let it.

Now I'm no pvp'r, its not my thing but... when it comes to pvp, if "point - click - select - kill target" is your cup of tea then JG wont be to your liking im sure. However, if you like a challenge, if you can handle all the differing complexities of ship to ship combat where skill IS the deciding factor - not level or time earned psuedoskills, then JG could be the game for you. There is no cut and dry outcome to any encounter - IF you have the skills - you will prevail, if you dont - then its just a matter of practice until you do.

Then theres the Conflux to consider... But if you want my opinion on them youll have to log in and ask me. Im easy to spot - just follow the fluxfire.

I tried this game about 1.5 years ago, for about a month total. To be honest, this game has everything that Eve lacks. Eve is one those games that you can play while watching the kids, cooking dinner, reading a book, or whatever, because you spend most of your time in game in-transit from one system to another on autopilot. In Jumpgate, you actually have to fly your ship and the engine they use is absolutely amazing. I looked forward to every time i had to dock because it was fun and challenging. It was even mor fun when you have a bunch of guys chasing you down and you have to dock quickly. Fighting was even more fun, especially the special-event battles that occured in the simulator.

However, Eve has alot of things that Jumpgate should have. For example, I absolutely love Eve's economy. I think EVERY game should learn from Eve's success in having a real economy with all the functions of supply/demand, market volatility, and player-control. Eve also has the graphics, though I would argue that even Eve's could use some updating. They also have the player base, a very large universes, and other great things.

But there are certain things that both lack - missions. Jumpgate's missions are very cookie-cutter in design. If i remember right, there's only like 3 kinds of missions (recon, kill, and transport). Eve isn't much better; there are missions with fairly unique stories but in the end you're doing one of two things, kill and transport.

Both of these games also focus on their strength of PvP battles. The biggest difference between these two games in that respect are that in Eve the battle is determined in many respect on what you are flying (with reason, you still have to tell your ship to shoot or fire missles, but in the end it depends on what ship you have and how you outfit it), where in Jumpgate it's almost entirely determined by HOW you fly your ship. I remember hearing all kinds of stories about someone flying the littlest ship and still being able to take on the big guys, in Jumpgate. Don't get me wrong, you still have to outfit your ship in jumpage, but the best guns are useless if you can't aim.

In the end I think everyone should give Jumpgate a try, and try not to compare it to Eve or any other RPG. The closest thing to jumpgate out there might be Crimson Skies (think that's what it's called, some flight-sim) for Xbox, or some other online flight sim you may find out there. What really makes Jumpgate truly stand out is the fact that it's a spaceflight-sim: no falling to the ground, and no stopping without opposing-thrust. So yeah, try this game. All you WoW/Eve players will enjoy the break, I do.

Jumpgate is an awesome game.  The thing that makes it great and the biggest barrier to success is that it is skill-based.  RPG players are used to "acquiring skills" -- Jumpgate makes you use you own skills:  whether it's combing through data to understand economic needs and opportunities or situational awareness in combat (much more important than "twitch").

The graphics are dated but the flight engine absolutely rocks.  The biggest thing JG needs is an major influx of players.

Yeah, put me in the Jumpgate fanclub. Although I haven't played it since last year (one of these days I'll get back, I swear!), it's a amazingly fun game. None of that point and click rubbish that other games seem to think is "piloting" - JG makes you live or die (or get very wealthy) by your own skills. And the admin-run events are a blast. I'll never forget the great fun we had scrambling to decode encrypted messages from the enemy.