An interview with Jumpgate Evolution's producer Hermann Peterscheck is now live at the Polish gaming website Gry.02.pl.
Orignal source
Interview:
Andrzej "Klecha" Klimczuk (Gry.o2.pl): Welcome. To start with tell us what kind of online world will Jumpgate Evolution be? What is the underlying concept of this title?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): Jumpgate Evolution is an action-based space combat MMO. The basic concept is to create a fun and compelling universe that players can lose themselves in.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): How big will be the world of Jumpgate Evolution for the players in the game and what sorts of locations and settings they will be able to explore?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): There are tons of different places to go and things to see. There are three playable races that each have their own sectors in space. Additionally there are two non playable factions and lots of areas in between. While space is really big, we want to make sure players feel like there are a lot of things to see and do. Space games tend to be dark and empty, so we have focused on making space colorful and interesting.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): How will character generation and experience be handled in the game?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): Players can pick from one of three playable factions which are distinct but more or less equal. While players don't directly choose classes, there are roles in the game which are defined by the kind of ship you happen to fly. We have fighters, mining vessels, cargo ships and all kinds of things in between. Progression is very similar to other MMOs. Players gain experience through various activities in the game and gain levels that grant them access to new equipment, game features, and new areas.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): What kinds of missions the game will have?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): The mission system in Jumpgate Evolution is unique in that it is procedural. Individual tasks or mission chains can be dynamically generated to provide players with an endless supply on experiences. Mission types include combat, deliver, mining, scouting, transport and so on. The goal is to give the player a good variety of activities as they advance and explore through the game.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): How extensive and important will non-combat activities be in Jumpgate Evolution?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): The meta-game in Jumpgate Evolution is a huge part of the game. Players can engage in mining, manufacturing, and refining, which are all vital to a player driven economy. There is also a licensing system that allows for multiple paths of advancement so that players are not just fighting all the time. It is important to provide the player with many varied activities so that they do not get bored and feel that the game is doing the same thing over and over again.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): Tell us more about ships that will be available in Jumpgate Evolution.
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): Ships play a huge part in providing distinct experiences in the game. Ship types include light fighters, heavy fighters, mining ships, and cargo haulers. Within each category are all sorts of variations that allow the player to explore what kind of game experience they want to have. It also allows for creative grouping as no one ship can do all things. We expect to keep adding ships through the life of the game to keep the player engaged in all kinds of experiences.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): What types of weapons and items will be available in the game?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): I believe that items are a critical part of MMOs. The player will be able to upgrade their ship with guns, missiles, power plants, radars, jamming devices, shields and special kinds of modules. All these items provide the player with ways of increasing their power in the game. Players can acquire these items through stores, missions and as loot drops. By giving players lots of different ways to improve their ships we ensure that the game has long term appeal.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): How are you handling the aspect of Player vs. Player combat?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): Player vs. Player combat is an important aspect of Jumpgate Evolution. On the one hand there are unregulated areas in space in which PvP can take place. There is a clear separation between safe areas and places that are more dangerous. Each player also has a standing with the other factions and engaging in PvP activities affects that rating. The goal is to give PvP players lots of things to do while still protecting those players who do not wish to engage in PvP.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): Any plans for a tutorial scenarios?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): Our view on tutorials is that people should be able to play the game with a minimum of explanation. We have created a system that explains aspects of the game as players encounter them. This means that you learn as you go as opposed to spending time in a tutorial that doesn't progress you through the game. Also, we want to make sure that the game is intuitive, and relying on a tutorial can lead to lazy design choices; by forcing ourselves to avoid tutorials we also force ourselves to make intuitive game mechanics, which creates a better overall game.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): What do you think makes your game stand above and beyond the current space MMO games?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): Honestly I don't think there is a comparative product out in the market. Eve is the most successful space MMO but it is very much focused on empire building with a point-and-click style of strategy gameplay, whereas Jumpgate Evolution is focused on ship combat and maneuverability just by moving the mouse. The essence of Evolution is that players fly their ship and this is what makes it different than most mainstream space MMOs. For us it's not about being better than any other space game, it's about making the best action-based space MMO possible.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): What are the system requirements likely to be?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): An important goal for Jumpgate Evolution is to make sure as many people can play as possible. To this end, system requirements are comparatively low. We currently run on a Windows machine with 512MB of RAM and a GeForce 2 graphics card, yet the game looks amazing. We thought it was important to support non-pixel shader cards as well since there are many still on the market. The end result is that the game looks great even on low-spec machines.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): At the moment, what is the current status of the game's progress and when do you expect it to be completed?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): We are currently in a pre-alpha state and we expect to release it commercially in the US sometime during 2008, with overseas release shortly thereafter.
Klecha (Gry.o2.pl): Finally is there anything else you wish to say about Jumpgate Evolution before we finish this interview?
Hermann Peterscheck (NetDevil): Just that we are really excited about the product and can't wait to let people play!
