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Jumpgate Evolution dev chat to commence June 9th
At 5:00 PM EST on Monday, June 9th, Stratics will host a live chat with several members of the Jumpgate Evolution team -- including producer Hermann Peterscheck, concept artist Kirk Lunsford, community manager Nicole Hamlett, and UI programmer Josh Stefanski. Stratics will also be giving away a beta key and a limited edition print to two lucky participants.The chat will take place in the #straticshoc channel on Stratics IRC. You can use your own IRC client or the Java one provided by the site. A list of servers and ports is included along with further instructions in the announcement, in case you're not a regular.
The devils of NetDevil offer insight into Jumpgate Evolution
Interviews conducted at this month's ION 2008 conference continue to emerge, painting a broader picture about the industry as a whole. Yesterday MMORPG.com posted a discussion with the minds behind NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution. Scott Brown and Hermann Peterscheck offered a taste of the game up to the site's Carolyn Koh, who includes in her writeup that the game almost looks like 'moving concept art'. Their discussion is of a more technical nature, focusing on the game's progress so far. Brown states that the devils have been treating the title 'like a live game', with testers and developers in-world almost from the start. They've already had a very notable public exhibition of the game's new user experience, at the March Connect 08 event.Brown goes on to say that they're currently focusing on the title's infrastructure: auction houses, mining, and mail. Other topics include the role of PvP, the importance of player-created goods in the game's economy, and the many options you'll have on how to control your ship. If you're wondering about power structure, Mr. Peterscheck offers the word that the game will use a very traditional system: "Levels are a symbol of your progress ... Everything you do gives you whether it is crafting or running missions and that builds your level. It will not make you a better pilot or give you more life. You have to build your ship, get better weaponry and shields, get your licenses."
NetDevil's Hermann Peterscheck is awesome
We like the NetDevil guys. Nay, we love them. They always exude an aura of earnestness and child-like enthusiasm that stands out even amongst an industry full of people who work 60 hour weeks for a case of Diet Mountain Dew. That, and almost everybody in the Massively offices is a complete geek for sci-fi, which makes their upcoming Jumpgate Evolution quite the attractive prospect indeed.This is why we couldn't help but link to this video interview that JGE Producer Hermann Peterscheck did with the Gaming Radio Network. The interview is a little old, coming from back during Connect 08, but it's still pretty amusing. Peterscheck just radiates passion for the project, and by the end of the interview you'll find it hard not to buy what he's selling. It helps that the game sounds terrific too.
NetDevil talks about a car wreck and how it evolved Jumpgate
No matter what anyone says, some of us here at Massively actually enjoyed the short lived post-apocalyptic car fragging MMO, Auto Assault. As with everything in life though, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. But as long as you can learn something from each experience, and grow from it... it was worth the ride. Apparently the gang at NetDevil learned a lot about their experience with AA. Herman Peterscheck talked freely and at length about these lesson; lessons that are being applied across the board to all the games they are currently developing, including Jumpgate Evolution. Probably the most important one is to polish the game early and not at the end just before launch. A time when everyone on the team is in full on "fire fighting" mode. Chaos almost always leads to poor execution and ruin. Another is that if you don't have a great looking game that runs well out of the gate it's nigh impossible to evaluate how good it actually is. According to Peterscheck, "The 'law,' if you will, is there's no such thing as a good game with a bad frame rate."
The story behind the original Jumpgate
To this blogger, the cult of celebrity which has risen up in the rest of the gaming community has never really seemed to touch the MMO sphere with quite the same fervor. Sure, we've got a handful of highly-regarded sage figures, whose names alone are often used to sell products, but those are really the exception, and many fans of MMOs casually move from game to game with no concept of the history that underpins every new release. While a lot of it is really extemporaneous to the experience, it can sometimes illuminate design decisions that would otherwise seem alien.It's with this in mind that Kieron Gillen recently reposted an old interview with NetDevil design director Ryan Seabury to shed some light on the company's past projects in light of the of the impending release of Jumpgate Evolution. Some of the things talked about are the trials of developing with a small team, the lessons learned in terms of making a game accessible, and what Jumpgate did well that (hopefully) will translate directly to Jumpgate Evolution.
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]
The Quantar jump through the gate
Both Ten Ton Hammer and MMORPG.com are sporting exclusive screenshots of a Quantar ship. The Quantar are one of the many playable factions in NetDevil's upcoming space combat MMO, Jumpgate Evolution. These mystics construct their ships according to spiritual principles and believe that the pilot and ship evolve to become a single being. The Quantar are very gifted pilots, which might be due to being raised among asteroids.Ten Ton Hammer has two shots of this goldfish looking starship, while MMORPG has one.
Jumpgate revelations: Massively interviews NetDevil's Scott Brown
NetDevil were previewing their upcoming game Jumpgate Evolution at Connect08, with a series of gamestations set up to let players experience the game for the first time and give their feedback. Jumpgate Evolution is a space-based action MMO firmly centred around action combat, and we managed to snag some time with NetDevil's president, Scott Brown, to fire off some questions about the game.Development's come some way since our last interview in November; as you may have read, our first impressions weren't too hot, so read on behind the jump to find out what Scott thought and to learn more about the game.%Gallery-18375%
First Impressions: Jumpgate Evolution
At Codemasters' Connect08, we had the chance to sit down for a few minutes with upcoming space MMO Jumpgate Evolution and take it for a wee test drive. "Space MMO?" I hear you cry, "Let me guess, it's spaceships flying around shooting at each other and enemies?"In a nutshell, that's exactly what Jumpgate Evolution is. You pilot a spaceship. You shoot stuff. You get a better spaceship. Repeat. But, as with many MMOs that can be distilled to an equally dull one-line summary, there's far more to the game than that. Read on for our gameplay impressions (bearing in mind this is an alpha pre-release, not the final shipped product). %Gallery-18375%
Designing spaceships for Jumpgate Evolution
Steve Hartmeyer (programmer for Jumpgate Evolution) has written another dev diary for MMO Gamer, this time about what goes into designing the ships for their upcoming space combat MMO. According to Steve many of JGE's ship evolved from those in Jumpgate Classic. The process, which usually takes several days, is a very art-intensive exercise that starts with the creation of a style. From there a concept for the ship asset is created, a model is built and then put into a form that the render engine can use. Finally, stats (which won't be considered final until the game releases) that defines the ship are chosen. It's a very detailed entry, so those of you looking to get into the industry as a modeler will definitely want to give it a read.
Jumpgate Evolution: Combat controls
Jumpgate Evolution is a space combat MMO. How players control their ships will be instrumental to the enjoyment of the game. When you think of joysticks and flight sticks you likely think of highly detailed flight simulators and not massively multiplayer games. But if that's all you think about then you've likely never heard of, let alone played, the greatness that was some of the X-Wing, TIE Fighter and Wing Commander games. JGE plans on bringing back the joystick and - as Ten Ton Hammer's Cody "Micajah" Bye calls it - the "strap yourself in" mentality. I couldn't have said it better myself. Bye sat down with NetDevil's Hermann Peterscheck and asked him about their game's combat controls. Aside from the basic keyboard and mouse setup, players with very elaborate control setups will be able to use those as well. But the gaming control goodness doesn't end there. NetDevil is also supporting more advanced input devices such as TrackIR, and will continue to evaluate other brand spanking new hardware as it becomes available. JGE will also provide both third and first person modes, giving players the ultimate choice in how they want to play. So if you can't find a setup you like, well... lighten up. You're too finicky. But won't people with a tricked out setup have an unfair advantage over those with just a lil ole mouse and keyboard? Find out after the break!
Jumping through the Gate: Factions and Missions
Ten Ton Hammer has posted another of their Jumpgate Evolution bi-weekly interviews, this time with Hermann Peterscheck, Producer for JGE. In this installment, Peterscheck answers questions about the game's factions and missions.While reading through the Q&A I was comforted by the fact that Peterscheck continues to push the idea that JGE doesn't have hard and fast rules, and that they are trying to put as much of the game's outcome into the hands of the players (through their choices) as possible. This was something he mentioned during his interview about death and roleplaying as well, so it really does seem like something they intend to follow through with. In this case, while players will have to choose what nation to play (Quantar, Solrain or Octavius) there are no rules about allegiances, thus factions can interact in a myriad of ways with all of them.
JGE, PvP and you
MMORPG.com has a new interview with Steve Hartmeyer about Jumpgate Evolution's PvP component. As my "hero" Donnie Baker (a frequent caller to the Bob & Tom Radio Show) would say, "I can't wait to play this game! I swear to God I can't!"However, PvP in JGE will be... different. And that fact alone has the original game's community all hot and bothered. Understandable. Take a "small" game replete with a die-hard fan base, give it a major overhaul to appeal to a bunch of "n00bs" and you got yourself a recipe for a nice slice of Pissed Off pie. But it's inevitable... that is, if you want to make a game that appeals to more players. And that's what the folks at NetDevil want most desperately. A game, any game, is made to make money. Period.In this particular case though, Hartmeyer likens the community discussions on the subject to "religious warfare" with two very polarizing sides. One side says "No place in the game should be safe from PvP", while the other demands "Don't push your RP on me." Yikes! Talk about a thin line. But at some point the community can only have so much input and the developers have to go down the path they feel will garner the most players. Hartmeyer's journal entry is fascinating. and as you read it you can feel the sincerity emanating from the screen. It it is an absolute must read for anyone interested in this particular upcoming sci-fi MMO.
Jumpgate's evolution(ary) inspiration
By now you know I'm a sci-fi geek, reporting on everything even remotely interesting (and some of our readers would say, not even that on occasion) about Tabula Rasa, Jumpgate Evolution, Stargate Worlds, Earthrise, etc. I also have a fondness for the guys and gals at NetDevil, makers of the now defunct and often criticized (yet loved by it's core of loyal fans, myself included) Auto Assault. In a new dev diary posted on MMO Gamer, NetDevil programmer Steve Hartmeyer talks about the inspiration behind the evolution of Jumpgate. We've reported before that the space combat in JGE will be reminiscent of X-Wing vs. TIE fighter, but until now I didn't know what the impetus behind that comparison was. Apparently Scott Brown (founder of NetDevil) is a lot like me (and many others I'm sure). In 1977 both of us saw Star Wars - and it changed our lives indescribably. JGE stems from his passion for that masterpiece, but it's not the only ingredient. Hartmeyer goes on to include Battlestar Galactica as another key inspiration. Apparently the original Jumpgate development team was inspired by other shows I watched (and obsessed over), such as Space: Above and Beyond and Babylon 5. They had me at Star Wars. With the addition of these other sci-fi franchises which I loved so much, well... The rest of the entry is chock full of inspirational goodness. If you've been sitting on the fence about this game, it might be the very thing that makes you finally say: Hells ya!
Jumpgate Times Volume 1 on "newstands" now
Jumpgate Times is a new source for all your Jumpgate Evolution info needs (just don't forget about Massively). The first edition of this slick newsletter just hit the virtual newsstands and provides readers with a nifty summary of JGE community activity, news and screen shots.The premiere volume features an entry from Scott "Scorch" Brown's diary -- which I commented on a few days ago, and includes a very cool feature called "Jumpgate Underground" written by Awen. This mysterious lore piece is written as if it were in-game and will provide insider news about the game. Convenient wrap ups like this are always a good idea for those of us with hectic lives, so be sure to check it out.
New "Name That Ship" contest at Joystick Required
Do you like to enter contests (i.e., the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes)? Do you enjoy having your ideas immortalized for ever and ever and ever? If so, get your contest entry groove on and head on over to Joystick Required, the fan-site dedicated to all things Jumpgate Evolution. The fine folks at NetDevil are giving the JR community the chance to name their Octavian Light Fighter. If your entry is chosen the name will stick for the game's entire life cycle. Bragging rights are beyond description, and worth the effort of entry alone. But winners will also receive an autographed piece of concept art of the fighter.Bounce over to the JR website and check out the official contest thread for all the details. You'll have to join the community (and you should anyway), but that's a small price to pay. Entries must follow an Avian theme (i.e., things that fly - like Hawk, Hummingbird, or Northern Spotted Wood Owl). The contest started on February 1, and will run at least two weeks. Only 3 entries are allowed per person so make sure they're smokin'. Good luck!
New Jumpgate Evolution developer log from Scott Brown
Scott Brown is one of the founders of NetDevil, makers of Jumpgate Classic, Auto Assault and the upcoming Jumpgate Evolution. In a new developer log posted on the JGE site Scott waxes philosophical on the burning question: Why Jumpgate Evolution? OK, maybe it's not a "burning" question to everyone, but it is to me since I so enjoyed Auto Assault and actually raised a pint in an honorary toast when it came to a crashing halt last year. In Scott's reflections on the past he says that even though AA didn't perform to everyone's expectations they still learned a lot from the experience. They took that knowledge and applied it to evolving the Jumpgate franchise into what is looking to be a spectacular space frag-fest. Additionally, Scott talks a little about the development process of JGE and reveals some insightful tidbits about how NetDevil evolved that will surely warm the hearts of even the most k001 "jaded" gamers (and there are many of those, something I've never quite understood - they're games, but that's a topic for another time). Heartfelt honestly in this industry is few and far between. Give it a read and tell me you aren't more stoked about JGE!
Codemasters looks to outer space for next MMO with Jumpgate Evolution
Codemasters' love affair with all things MMO seems to have no bounds, with the company continuing to throw money and people at the genre like a kind of catapult gone mad. Though like a clueless homeowner who perpetually waters his plants into an early grave, Codemasters' track record with keeping the MMOs under its stead alive is spotty at best.Its latest target is NetDevil's re-engineered space-combat MMO Jumpgate Evolution, which Codemasters announced today that it will publish across both North America and Europe in "late 2008." While the game's North American release will be handled by both NetDevil and Codemasters' online devision in tandem, the publisher/developer will be calling the shots all by its lonesome for the title's European debut. Given Jumpgate's lineage, the title tracing its roots all the way back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth in 2001, this is a game that many have been waiting to offer up subscription fees to play for some time -- though given Codemasters' history we predict that players may be playing the game for free before it's all said and done.
Jumpgate's A.I. evolves
More details have emerged from the jumpgate via Steve Hartmeyer's Dev Journal over on MMORPG.com. Steve is a programmer at NetDevil working on the hotly anticipated (at least it is for many of us here at Massively) space combat MMO, Jumpgate Evolution.Steve's latest entry, AI System: Nuts & Bolts, takes us on an amazing detailed journey through the evolution of Jumpgate's artificial intelligence system. He explains how it morphed from "simply" populating space and simulating everyday tasks of an immense number of AI ships to a system that ultimately allows players to react to and participate in spontaneous events originated by the AI itself! Uh... holy crap! No wonder the dev team is so stoked about this game's AI system. Between the comparison to X-wing games we heard about yesterday, and now learning of the off the charts Intelligence Quotient of the AI... the needle just done popped off my Hot Meter! But there's more to it then the pure glee of such a cool game on the horizon. When you realize the capabilities of today's gaming AI (not just in JE, but where gaming AI is at right now and where it will likely lead), it all actually gets a bit creepy-cool in the "Wow, this sounds a lot like the theoretical beginnings of the Matrix or Cyberdyne Systems' development of Skynet" sort of way. Things that make ya go hmmm...
Jumpgate Evolution flight dynamics devlog
It's always great when we start getting solid information about new games, especially ones that aren't the norm. There's a new developer log over at MMORPG.com where NetDevil programmer Steve Hartmeyer writes about flight in the upcoming Jumpgate Evolution. What we find most compelling about the whole read is the talk of two modes of flight; one being the original flight-style from Jumpgate and the other being the new style. For Jumpgate Evolution NetDevil looked back at the original flight model so they could create a better one -- because the old model wasn't very accessible. Sure it worked, but the problem was that the casual player couldn't jump into the game and enjoy themselves with ease. We were happy to hear that not only does Jumpgate Evolution let you toggle your ship's flight mode on-the-fly between original style and the new style -- which features more drag and therefore control over your ship -- the game is also designed for mouse and keyboard play (as well as joysticks and gamepads). Lore-wise, this toggling feature are the ship's "inertial dampers" which is quite brilliant of NetDevil. Oh yeah and did we mention strafing and flying backwards while shooting at your enemies? You can call us a little excited for Jumpgate Evolution now, go ahead.
