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Jumpgate Evolution - A Look at the Evolution of Evolution
Recently, Managing Editor Jon Wood had the opportunity to sit down with Produceer Hermann Peterscheck to take a look at the progress of NetDevil's upcoming MMORPG, Jumpgate Evolution.
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down and take a look at a quick demo of NetDevil’s upcoming MMORPG, Jumpgate Evolution. For those of you out there who have been salivating for some hands-on time with this game, no need to worry. I wasn’t driving this demo, but instead stood behind JGE Producer Hermann Peterscheck and it was in his capable hands that the ship was controlled.
Since our own Donna Desborough is currently attending Codemasters Connct ‘08, where she will undoubtedly get even newer info on this game, I will throw my own opinions into this report of my demo and interview:
Personally, I like the way that this game is coming along. The look of the game alone is rather striking, as the guys from NetDevil seem to have succeeded in their attempt to create a space environment that is colorful and interesting. Watching the ship fly around, you can believe that you’re in space, but it doesn’t leave you with the same dark and isolated feeling that is often produced in a more “realistic” spacescape.
“Another area is "realism".” Hermann said to me as we discussed the subject of the game’s look and feel, “I kind of think that games are escapism. I know space is black and empty and silent and void of things. But I wish it wasn’t. I wish it was full of cool stuff to do and nice things to look at.”
“If you watch PBS specials you'll notice that they show space as full of asteroids and colorful nebulas... giant flaming suns and so on,” he continued, “they don't show the 99.999% part of space that is empty vaccum.”
The developers succeed in creating a more interesting and vibrant spacescape than strict realism might dictate, without making the game look cartoony and over-done. In the end, from what I’ve seen, the team seems to be striking a nice balance.
While I was sight-seeing and let’s be honest, drooling a little bit over the look of the game, the actual purpose of the demo was to show off JGE’s battle stations. There are two different kinds of station in JGE.
The first is the “Core Station”. Core Stations are where players go to “transact non-combat related activities: missions, buying and selling, trading, stuff like that”. Basically, these stations serve as cities for players.
The second station, and the focus of the demo, is the Battle Station. Battle Stations, as you might imagine, are well-defended fightable enemies. These stations are kind of like raid bosses that you might find in other games. They require skill and thought, people working together, and all of the elements that make MMOs grand:
“Battle Stations are staged combat encounters, the one I showed had 3 stages: 1) kill turrets which reveals a shield core 2) destroy the shield core which reveals the energy core 3) Destroy the energy core which ends in a large explosion and loot fountain.”
I think now might be a good time to explain what Hermann means when he says “loot fountain”. During the interview, we talked a little bit about his philosophies on player rewards, with specific attention to loot:
I don't really understand why game designers get so caught up on holding back rewards,” he said on the subject of in-game reward for players. “real life is frustrating enough, in games I want to be the badass!”
“I like loot,” he continued, “I hate nothing more than taking out some massive beast and getting nothing for it. I’d rather have 100 useless items and 1 great item than no useless items and 1 great item.”
What Hermann means is that when it comes to loot, it’s always better to have too much for players than too little.
“I also like it when there is "clever" loot, like pirates dropping crates of ‘drink’, stuff like that. So I think you can use loot for not only appealing to cleptomania but also to bring home the story some. I think JGE players can expect a lot of it [loot].”
Overall, I’ve enjoyed watching the progress of this game. It seems as though it is going to offer sci-fi fans an alternative to the games that are currently filling the genre. While there are many who might compare this game to EVE Online, I think that there are significant differences between the two that, even though they’re both sci-fi games where you control a space ship, make them totally different games.
As an example, and then my times of comparing JGE and EVE are over, one of the more unique features of JGE is going to be the variety of control available. While EVE makes excellent use of a point and click interface, JGE will allow players to fly their ships using the WSAD keys, or even a joystick. Manual flight plays a huge part in the way that this game operates, requiring pilots to fly and fight at the same time.
In the end, this was just a very quick peek at this game, but for those of you who might be out there wondering, development is definitely progressing, and what they have so far is looking great. Keep your eyes peeled for more JGE info in the future.
"The good lord must have loved vaccum 'cause he made an awful lot of it." -Old Spacer Saying
I like the idea of having a more varied background in a spaceship MMO as long as it doesn't go over board.
I like the way this guy thinks about loot. Story-evoking "roleplaying" loot is always a nice touch. It doesn't have to all be uber - a big pile of small stuff, so long as its stackable in inventory, is just as nice.
To put it in terms of what I'm playing now, I've gotten rich in LotRO off piles of crap mob trophies, and despite the fact that I can't use them (wrong crafter class), I've saved all the unique cooking recipes I got from quests in the Shire.
nice interview, apparently the game will be playable at Connect'08 in B'ham UK for the public.
Loot a few cases of burbon off the pirates,Go back to station, Get plastard, All in All a good Day.
Huh? There are no games filling the genre. There's what... 2? EVE and Jumpgate itself.
The loot thing sounds very interesting. Looks like someone finally is getting past the anal retentiveness in MMOs. let's hope it catches on (Which is most likely won't because it's a good idea).
Thanks for the update!
He said sci-fi, not space ( which there are 3 "major" space games at least when you count SWG:JTL). There are more than 2 sci-fi games (Anarchy Online being the most worthwile. but there is also SWG, Neocron 2, etc.).
Why do I get the feeling this is just going to be exactly like Auto Assault but in space....
This game will succeed even if they did a 50% improvement on Jumpgate. I have some amazing memories from Jumpgate and I will purchase the new game in a heartbeat and I will still keep playing EVE because both games are very different. I do remember I could only play JG for a period of 2-3 hours max because having full control over flying with all structures being hard meant you really had to concentrate. You learn the hard way when you ram into a jumpgate or station but that is where this game is special. Its ultra realistic and the dog fights were heart pounding affairs that required mass amount of skill. I hope they keep some of my favourite stuff in the game such as earning badges for completing certain targets and alien motherships blocking jumpgates so players had to group and repel the attack. Bring it on is all I can say!
The biggest hurdle they have to overcome is their past history. Autoassault was a fun game for a little while, but it wasn't meant to be a MMO. But far more problematic is their own hardcore small fanbase in JGC. These people won't accept any derivation from the JGC mold, and mercilessly flame and ridicule anyone who has the audacity to suggest a change or improvement to the game. NetDevil obviously learned their lesson about PvP and is trying to make a game similar to many others that has PvE areas and PvP areas so that a player can choose whether or not to partake in PvP. This drives that tiny group of JGC fans crazy. It is unfortunate that ND has to live with that history always there flaming them (Hermann himself has been vigorously flamed for his PvE and PvP ideas) at any sign of a change from JGC.
I think ND wants to make a successful MMO third time around. Not another failure. To do this, they must learn from their mistakes and not repeat them.
Do not forget Vendetta Online. That game is comparable to Jumpgate.
LOSE YOURSELF IN VASTNESS OF SPACE
Nothing can prepare you for the adventure that is about to unfold - your own. The Galaxy is in a fragile state, balancing on the edge of War and Peace. New threats are emerging from the infinite darkness of space and with threats come opportunity.
Will you aid your faction when duty calls or will you serve only your own needs? Do you fight with your fearless friends in an epic struggle against a hardened opponent or do you go it alone, facing the dangers as they come? Do you long for the thrill of combat or do you prefer the call of merchant - always on the look out for a quick opportunity trade.
Your decisions are your own, and the rewards are yours to do with as you please. As you begin your adventure, know that the true saga has just begun.
courtesy of jumpgate
The advantage ND has this time around is the experience of what really worked and what didn't. Jumpgate is a hard core and niche type of game. The old galaxy is a blimp compared to the universe of EVE so there will be some very large challenges trying to make a game that appeals to the masses and not 3000 JG freaks. Me being one of them. I do see some issues over lag. Not sure but I presume a lot of games are click and point because it uses less bandwith etc. If JG has 10,000 players online and not the old 500. Then that is a lot of players flying spaceships in a simulator. Just a thought but either way this game is on my PC from day one regardless of previews.
Damn, you beat me to it...
I have a very hard time believing anything NetDevil says (especially Herman) after playing Auto Assault untill they pulled the plug on the servers...
Not being a game developer I can't say whether NcSoft or NetDevil deserves the blame for the AA disaster, so I play it safe and avoid games from both companies.
Has worked out pretty well, saved me from wasting time and money on Tabula Rasa...
ncsoft pulled the plug. it was mostly their game. Netdevil is certenly one of the best mmo developers out there.. You can say AA was a dissaster, and therefore everything that comes from Netdevil would be. But would a company like LEGO, known for quality in their products, hire Netdevil to make Lego universe?
Now, give me the name of one developer who has more then 1 mmo and 100% succesrate.
Lego isn't the best example in the world. This once highly succesfull company is still recovering from being on the edge of bankruptcy recently. So it kinda makes sense that Lego and ND work together...
And playing AA from preorder headstart untill the plug was told, it was quite obvious that ND as well gave up on the game, long before the plug was pulled. True, it might have been because NcSoft made things impossible, but then why are Lineage II, City of X and GuildWars going strong?
So for those that are going to invest their time and money into this game, let's hope ND has learned from AA (and with Hermann in charge, I personally doubt it, I am however proven wrong more often than I am proven right)
Myself, I continue to avoid both NcSoft and NetDevil games, but to each their own
Can't name one developer you ask, but I can name one with two games and 0% succesrate...
FYI Scott Brown is in charge not Hermann. And he is PASSIONATE about this game like i have never seen before, because Jumpgate is his baby, that say's it all to me.
Yes I did play AA from day 1 till 2nd update, and i think ND weren't passionate like they are with this one.
also I'm sure it was stated somewhere that NCsoft pulled the plug on AAnot ND, and if ND wanted to, im sure they probably could hosted AA themselves quite happily, but why bother wasting resources on a game that thats been and gone, when those resources can be used to make a better game even better.
And Eric_WW, the JGC fanbase doesn't flame everything thats different in JG:E than JG:C, most of us have accepted this game will be a less "hardcore" game than the previous, the ones that don't will no doubt contine to play JGC and even then it's only a select few with the etiqette of a fly that really make any kind of silly remarks, you should ignore it like the rest of us do, and try not to tar everyone from jumpgate community with the same brush.
P.s
You shoulda seen what PlanetJumpGate was like back in the day when JGC launched.... way worse then.
Scott Brown being in charge IS good news. Who is publishing the game? I'm assuming not NcSoft (thank heavens), and with any luck (for those that will play the game) the publisher will be......eh slightly more supportive than NcSoft was...
From what I've heard, EVE Online is more of a point-and-click, whereas you have more abundant time to strategize more, and JGE is more fast-paced twitch and reaction type jet game?
Is that correct?
In a very small nutshell:
JumpGate is FreeSpace / TIE Fighter, EVE is Homeworld / Nexus: The Jupiter Incident (if you never had more than one ship).
Codemasters are publishing this globally, and yes there will be a boxed version for sale in the shops.