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Jumpgate Evolution News - Codemasters Producer Interview
Posted by Jon Wood on Jul 21, 2009 | 6 comments in our forums
MMORPG.com Jumpgate Evolution Correspondent Sean Bamberger had the chance recently to speak with Mike Rowland, Codemasters Producer for the upcoming space MMO.
MMORPG.com:
Having your IP set in space, you are naturally more limited in quest variation than, say, a traditional orcs and goblins fantasy MMO. How will interest be maintained in what is essentially an experience/license based grinding system?
Mike Rowland:
The setting in space opens Jumpgate Evolution up to a much wider variety of scenarios and missions that you wouldn't normally see in other MMOs and we're working extensively to make the mission system as compelling and free-flowing as possible. With a sci-fi universe, anything is possible and as we develop more new technology new ideas come into the fold allowing us to make the player's journey as fun-filled and exciting as possible. As you can see in the screenshots and movies released to date, we have made space vibrant and different to people's perception of a black and empty universe. Couple that with intense battle scenes against capital ships, alien hives and enemy stations, there's a whole lot of variety put into the mix that will keep interest high.
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Read the Codemasters Producer Interview
This game is really getting me excited. Whats the release date?
MMORPG.com: Will there be an option to 'hire' NPC escorts for difficult mining missions in unregulated space?
Mike Rowland: We opted to encourage making friends in-game rather than hiring NPCs, so this kind of role will be something we want real players to fulfil. As a player you can be a professional pilot escort, making a living as miner support, or work with your guild / squad to support each other for commodity runs. This will be one of many player-driven economy roles that pilots will fulfil in Jumpgate Evolution.
As Yoda said to Luke: "That is why you failed..."
In every game where resource collection/transportation has existed along side open PvP, the "miner" cannot afford to pay for escorts. The value of the goods is usually far less than the cost people would want to charge for the service of babysitting a miner for a couple hours of possibly no action whatsoever.
In PotBS, this failed because the only people who'd escort you are society-mates, and they typically would want you to give all your materials to the society itself (no money...). In Eve, its a similar situation, corp-mates want the mats you mine so they can replace the ships they lose guarding you...
Sigh, they always want people who can't fight back to go into the open PvP to be the fodder...
Give me a mining ship that can blast 20 foes simultaneously, and I'll do it.
MMORPG.com: Having your IP set in space, you are naturally more limited in quest variation than, say, a traditional orcs and goblins fantasy MMO.
Bah! Lies!
Someone needs to play less WoW. And the argument that EVE didn't have very creative missions is null- JGE is a dogfighting game. They have the ability to do a lot of things that wouldn't really work in Eve's autotargeting universe, not to metnion they can change a simple 'kill this guy' mission drastically by altering the environment.
Man, I TOTALLY agree. I was going to post the same thing. The interviewer immediately revealed his ignorance (or stupidity) with that foolish statement.
Again, I TOTALLY agree!
Besides which, even if it was worth it, that scenario turns into a very boring hour for the escort(s), because 90% of the time, nothing happens.
This is quite the different Setting here, and lets not forget that there is quite an active Community of Veteran players from Jumpgate Classic.
I did play JC, and I can confirm that Escort Missions were a very viable way of player interaction, this was one of the rare MMORPG Communities where people would actually salute and mission together with complete strangers.
It is my hope that the Vets will serve as the basis and foundation of community ettiquete in JGE that the many new players will build upon.
So do not be so fatalist my friend, things are not that gloomy. Besides, if the escort fails in JGE you would not lose your shirt or your cargo like in POTBS, this is a major difference.