Scott Brown elaborates on design philosophy behind Jumpgate Evolution
Gamasutra caught up with NetDevil president Scott Brownto play a demo of and talk about his upcoming space MMO, Jumpgate Evolution. Fans already know about the various ships, career paths, and large-scale battles from recent interviews and part one of a "making of" production video, so they decided to discuss more of the design philophy behind the game instead.
Scott says his 13-person team has been trying to concoct the perfect "easy to learn, difficult to master" formula that will provide an accessible but challenging experience for players. He also believes players should be able to solo in JGE, but be encouraged to group as well. One feature he hints at is a "soft grouping" mechanic that will prevent solo players hunting in the same area from stealing each others' kills.
Instead of trying to incorporate fantasy-based MMO roles like tanking, healing, and DPSing, NetDevil gained their inspiration for careers from modern air and naval combat. Scott also believes that PvE- and PvP-oriented players may not mix, so the team has been considering a special PvE PvP-only server-type. Ultimately, beta testing will determine whether or not this happens. Speaking of beta, don't miss your chance to sign up because the game is set to launch in June.
