Missiles will be sailing through the Jumpgate
Steve Hartmeyer dropped another Jumpgate Evolution developer diary onto MMO Gamer, this one in regards to all the wonderful missiles flying around during combat.
Jumpgate Evolution is built on the codebase from the original 2001 game Jumpgate (sometimes referred to as Jumpgate Classic). While some of it was simply modified, other parts had to be completely rewritten. Such is the case with the missile system. JC's missile system was simplistic in that each ship only had a certain number of hardpoints, and there was no lock-on process. Pilots usually had to launch all their ordinance quickly, which became known as "missile spam." JGE's system is being completely reworked to include a new lock-on system. This will not only eliminate "missile spam" but bring a similar style of space combat comparable to Freespace, X-Wing, and Wing Commander.
Furthermore, this missile system revamp will let NetDevil include features in JGE that they couldn't put into the original. Missiles will now be defined as independently persistent objects. A suite of active antimissile countermeasures will also be available (i.e., chaff dispensers or decoys). Thankfully, the gang at NetDevil realize that for all this to be effective, it has to be easy to use. HUD elements will be clear and easy to understand, and most importantly it must be fun.
Let's hope so!
[Via MMO Gamer]
