Fundamentally, Jumpgate Evolution takes the best aspects from Jumpgate and builds on them. Jumpgate was one of the few online space combat games other than X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter that really delivered, combining aspects of Privateer, Freespace, and the original Wing Commander. And, in what was even more impressive, they did so while still offering a decent leveling system, mature flight controls, and a rock-solid online system. Not bad for three guys in a garage.
Space combat is still very much the focus in Jumpgate Evolution, and in what is likely to get hearts beating for those who love their space sims, there's a definite feel of Wing Commander and X-Wing sprinkled throughout. One of the core design tenets was to allow players to band together to experience cinematic events on par with taking down the Death Star, and it shows. And, as a bonus, get ready to crack out the old joystick - pseudo-Newtonian physics is back, baby. Remember the afterburner slide? Well, not only can you use it, you'll be able to own your mates too.
Red squadron, attack!
A big focus in the sequel is greater accessibility. The original, while offering quite a dynamic and powerful control system, was also extremely unforgiving. The first experience most had with it was crashing into their space station repeatedly while trying to dock, killing themselves in the process. To ease new players into the cockpit, the game will feature 'traction control for the stars' (so to speak), a switch that toggles between the more traditional 'point the ship where you want to go' flight dynamics and 'maintain my forward momentum but let me kill the guy on my tail, cap'n' dynamics. Physical contact also no longer does damage, allowing players to focus on playing the game rather than practicing landing runs for hours on end.
AI is playing a massive role within the sequel - one of the major problems is that space is big. As in, really really big. That's a lot of space to fill, pardon the pun. To help players experience a thriving galactic community even with low local player numbers, the AI is being designed to play traditional player support roles ranging from creating large-scale faction battles to delivering cargo runs to running pirate bases and raids. As a practical example, space stations are intended to communicate with each other, signalling when they're running low on essential commodities. If players don't then pick up the slack and help out, the AI will step in and assist by carrying cargo, on one hand keeping stock high for purchase while on the other giving more nefarious players the opportunity to play pirate.
Ship go boom.
Developer controlled gamemaster events are still a core feature of the game, just as in the original Jumpgate. This time however, stories and plotlines are being built to be more dynamic, taking into account faction status, locations, and local / global events. NetDevil's intentions are to create a more story-like experience within missions, moving away from the highly simplistic template-based mission structure featured in other online games. Player vs. player is still fairly undeveloped thus far, but there's going to be a mission system featuring a military backdrop where players gain access to exclusive features available only to those willing to risk death at the hands of someone else.
From what we saw, the graphics are very impressive, as is the scale. We ran through a space battle, travelling through a jumpgate, and just generally 'illin in space. In what was probably the most impressive moment of the whole preview, we flew onto the surface of a space station and just had a look around. Words can't describe the sheer scale of these models - we actually flew in-between various struts of the space station with just enough room left-over to hold a very tight dogfight / chase. Think the trench run in Star Wars, except in an online world with other players and freedom to go where-ever you want, and you're not far off. Seriously.
You're an insignificant speck on the face of the galaxy, and you'd better get used to it.
The game feels quite different to other existing online space games like EVE Online. While there are some superficial similarities, the biggest difference is that there's not such a huge economic focus. While the economy is still player-driven requiring players to craft the more powerful weapons, the focus is very much on the space combat and exploration. There are no attributes, no dice rolls, and no skills to speak of - it's all about the size and speed of your ship, the quality of your weapons, and what you have access to via your current level.
The graphics are looking good thus far. While it isn't Unreal Tournament 3, it's still very attractive to the eye. Think X3 but a bit better, and you're probably on the mark. The engine's also extremely scalable - their target range runs from GeForce 2 right through to the latest video cards.
While the game itself looked quite impressive, what was even more impressive was the level of commitment and enthusiasm NetDevil's CEO, Scott Brown, and Jumpgate Evolution's Lead Developer, Hermann Peterscheck, showed during the preview session. The game is clearly a labour of love to them, and while it doesn't really come across as a World of Warcraft killer, what it does do is give hope to those waiting forlornly for a real, joystick-controlled, online space combat sim. No release dates have been set yet, but they're gearing up for a 2008 release. As we continue to see the game develop, we'll provide more information, but thus far, it's looking pretty darn good.
Loading...
