The Vault Hub had the opportunity to ask Hermann Peterscheck, Producer of Jumpgate Evolution, a few questions to get to know more about this exciting up coming game. Check it out on the original source here at Vault Network
Or here at Swat:
What sets this game aside from other space games on the market today?
Hermann: Jumpgate is different from other Sci-Fi genre MMOs in that is has a free-form combat system. The game supports both joystick as well as mouse and keyboard combinations; so that we support as many control configurations as possible. We're relying on the skill of the player rather than a dice roll to determine how combat is going to be played out.
Similar to other games, we have a very detailed universe. Our writer Keith Baker (of Ebberon fame) has spent a great deal of time creating a rich and compelling world. There are three major nations and many factions within each nation that help bring the player into the story.
We're also focusing on the fact that this is YOU flying this ship; as opposed to a click to move kind of game. We want the player to feel completely immersed in a game that he or she is the primary component.
How RP friendly do you hope to make JGE, if at all?
Hermann: We want a game where players can define as much of the game as possible and in that sense it's very RP friendly. As an example, although players choose from one of the three playable nations, they are not locked into a relationship per se. As a Quantar I can fly missions, form squads and interact with other major nations. Most games don't let you interact with other groups as a way of forcing the sense that "they" are the "bad guys;" we want to put that in the player's hands. It creates some interesting game play possibilities; for example I can be hostile to Octavius, but you can be friendly with them. Separate from this is that Octavius and Quantar could be at war, but my personal rating could compensate for this. What we wanted to avoid was cutting the game into three distinct areas and forcing players into roles. Obviously the nations have their own personalities, but there is a lot of room for personalization in there. We feel that RP tends to happen more when you give players a reason to play the kind of role they want to; and then tie game play elements to that. Some people are very creative and will RP no matter what, but isn't it more fun to RP a hard driving cargo hauler if you are actually flying a huge cargo hauler filled with tons of stuff than if you are flying a little ship filled with a few blocks of ore?
Can I have my own crew, either NPC or players?
Hermann: There will certainly be Squads, which are equivalent to guilds in a fantasy game. There will also be "Wings" which are similar to groups. If what you mean by "crew" is a group of people that work together to fly the same ship, we aren't planning anything like that for launch. It's an interesting feature that we have discussed but there are many logistical problems. For one thing, do you really want to be the guy who manages the engine? The other thing is if you are firing a gun on a ship that I am flying, how do you handle the fact that you don't know why I will be turning - when you add latency to that, the problem is magnified. They are certainly solvable problems so we'll have to see what we can do. Having NPCs man your guns is another feature which seems really cool but also has large gameplay implications. For example, if it's AI shooting at other players, does the action/skill potion of the game get compromised?
Can you tell us more about the tradeskills in JG:E, are they all available to all classes, or limited?
Hermann: Another way that Jumpgate is different from other traditional MMO's is that we don't have classes. Everyone is a pilot. There are different classes of ships of course: haulers, light and heavy combat ships , mining vessles and so on, but it's not the case that you choose to be a "miner" and therefore can not fly a combat ship. "Tradeskills" will be handled in a similar fashion. For example if you want to mine, you need a ship that can equip a mining laser and then you must also possess a mining license. Anyone can get either one of those things, but to get more advanced mining lasers and more advanced licenses will require a certain amount of dedication. We haven't decided if we are going to limit the number of licenses you can have - for example, could everyone have all the licenses which opens the game vs. limiting the number of licenses which forces cooperation. It once again raises the ugly spectre that each design choice implies that you are choosing to NOT do something, and it's always important to keep that in mind.
This is a feature that we're putting a lot of thought into so that we can make it fun and useful for everyone.
How are you planning to handle death penalties, similiar to JG:C, or a new system totally?
Hermann: It will be quite different for all kinds of reasons. As said above, when you change some part of the design, it implies changes in other areas. As an example Evolution will give you rewards for completing certain missions - if you lose those items on death, as you would in Classic, how can you get them back? Also, if we put more emphasis on getting "rare" objects, then taking them away becomes a very steep penalty. Also, I think that taking items from people is a major way to get people to never want to play again. It was fun for the murderer in Ultima Online that when you killed someone all their stuff dropped - it was a bit less fun for the victim; and, of course, the murderer to victim ratio is what will end up defining the number of people playing the game. If enough people leave the game is "empty" and then "no one wants to play an empty game" syndrome sets in. So as you can see, the choice of death penalty has all these implications. Also, as MMOs have advanced the death penalty mechanics have changed which, in turn, changes player expectations. I think it would be hard to get away with a death penalty where you drop all your stuff and lose half a level of experience, since there are these other games out there where that doesn't happen.
On the other side we have the horrible problem of death being meaningful. If I die and I just click a button and pick up exactly where I left off with all my stuff and no time sink, then I'm not really motivated by a sense of danger. Although FPSes do this, are you really afraid of dying in Quake beyond how it affects your score? In counterstrike, on the other hand, you REALLY care about dying because once you die you have to wait until the next match. So I feel that death penalty should sting enough to make people want to get back in and succeed but not hurt so much that it makes them want to quit. It's a tricky thing, now isn't it?
Can I stay around a place I call home in the game, or do I have to explore further and futher in order to further advance my character/ship/etc?
Hermann: Each Nation has a Core area where there will be trading and whatnot, but we'd like our players to explore. We'll make it interesting and rewarding for you to Jump into other sectors of space. With that said, nothing FORCES you to do anything. If you want to hang out in the station and chat with friends, or play the economy in a small area of space, go ahead! Making further places as "harder" is a game mechanic that seems to work well, and it's what people expect. I don't think a game that put the hardest enemies right in the beginning and then made them easier the further you went would make much sense :. Thus the rewards for going "deeper" into the game should be commensurate with the time and challenge value. That being said we are acutely aware that you want to have central areas where players of all levels congregate. This is important for both the envy factor "WOW! Look at that guy's ship! I want one of those" as well as population distribution. You don't want your game to feel empty after 3 weeks because all the early players are off doing cool things and all the new players are stuck in the empty areas.
This really ties into the RP experience as well. As an Octavian pilot, you will want to complete missions and try to further advance your Nation for the glory of Octavius! Where that takes you is anyone's guess, but you will certainly have a place to call home.
