[Scorch]

OK, I'll take a shot at these:

Is there currently a tag system in Jumpgate Evolution similar to the HG/civ tag system in Jumpgate?
Yes, in fact its exactly the same but that's because we have not worked on this part yet.

Do any of the hauling and/or mining ships currently have turrets?
Not now they don't, in the future, who knows.

Is there any part of space where a player can not shoot another player via game mechanics (i.e. I can put them in my crosshairs and pull the trigger and they take no damage)?

Today it still functions exactly the same, however the future might hold some changes.

Is a level 30 ship "better" than a level 15 ship in every way, or is there a reason a level 30 player might want to fly a level 15 ship?

This is a different question really but I know what you are fishing for. Even in Jumpgate Classic there is a spread of effective level difference in which you can still fight. At some point your weapons are weak enough that alone you just can't get through someones shields. Comparing how this works in Jumpgate Evolution is difficult because we will have totally new equipment and ships, with many more options available throughout the level curve (ie unlike Jumpgate Classic where once you got the ship you wanted there was nothing else for you on the way to opti).

So maybe let me ask the question back, what is the appropriate level difference where a gun should no longer be reasonably usable against a higher level shields recharge rate (in a 1 to 1 case only, there is no artificial level damage changes like in a dice-roll kind of game)? Are you suggesting that basically a level 1 gun do nearly the same damage as a level 50 gun (ie no difference in level)?

[QrazyKermi]

Originally Posted by Scorch

Are you suggesting that basically a level 1 gun do nearly the same damage as a level 50 gun (ie no difference in level)?

I think what he might be asking is can that aforementioned level 15 ship mount that level 50 gun? Or can that level 15 mining ship mount that level 50 turret modx?

Basically are ships AND equipment going to be phased out of use as you level up?

[Karash]

Personally, I think leveling is really a crutch in the game design. Why not have a "Cannon" that has certain attributes...both strengths and drawbacks, and let the player decide if its useful in his upcoming mission/operation.

No equipment or ship should be useless past a certain 'level'. Give me a reason that I need to put light lasers on my Phoenix.

[ELPIRATA]

Scorch:

A simple example of a lvl 50 wanting to use a lvl 9 ship would be me. Everytime I go into battle with a Nix (lvl 26) I die, the enemy notices Im such a threat and they all come to me and kill me pretty fast (the actual reason is that Im such an easy kill all of them want that +1 for their stats), but if I hop into battle with a Raven, its a different story, I may not be able to inflict a lot of damage, but I can survive quite some time and at times I get to finish off some very hurt fella.

I'm not the usual PvPer who will master its Nix or Dragon and that can really stand their ground in a 1 on 1 (last time I was that good was in beta, LF vs LF - ELP vs Blister), I can't, so having an usable ship like the Raven is... allows me to get in and have my fun time as well (I also die btw, but not that much).

ELP

[Desirsar]

Originally Posted by Karash

Personally, I think leveling is really a crutch in the game design. Why not have a "Cannon" that has certain attributes...both strengths and drawbacks, and let the player decide if its useful in his upcoming mission/operation.

No equipment or ship should be useless past a certain 'level'. Give me a reason that I need to put light lasers on my Phoenix.

The lack of a leveling system for equipment would play nicely into my crafting suggestion in the other forum for both ship and module attributes - there would always be some reason to mount something to fit with a piece of custom equipment for a particular effect.

That said, I agree with the point he's getting at about the ships - even with the "speed balancing" (the tow nerf, mostly), there was no reason for a level 50 pilot to fly the smaller transport ships. If the cargo per flight time across most distances was made even, then the desired effect would be achieved. With fighters and miners, there were still at least a couple reasons to fly the smaller ones, but even then a level difference between pilots generally did not mean one had an absolutely better weapon. In that regard, levels were not relied on enough - a level 50 in the level 15 fighter should have weapons and shields that absolutely outclass the level 15 pilot in the same ship, otherwise there's not really a point to the leveling, and we can again most to the open system where you're only limited by availability and price.

Since we're supposedly asking questions in this thread, ooh ooh, I have one. Is a better interface planned, particularly where chat is concerned? Aside from a station interface that doesn't kill the framerate on most computers, having access to multiple chat channels and private communication at once (like the tabbed chat interface of CoX, WoW, etc) would be shiny.

[Jonboy]

I like the 'higher level = more choice model' much more than the 'higher level = better equip = better at PvP' model. I honestly think it's a good selling point for the game. It's so unlike other MMO models. All equipment should have a role, at least as much as possible. Even if there are 2 things with very similar roles, you should have to have discussions over which is better.

I think what GG is really getting at, Scorch, is 'why does the heavy miner do its job better than the light miner, in every way?' IMO for some jobs you should want to get in the LM and for others, the HM.

I realise that this isn't easy to put in. But I think it's worth it. After all, YOU (Netdevil) pay good money for someone to design a light miner. Why invest that money for a ship that noone need ever fly????

This effort was put into the LF/MF/F re-balancing after episode II and I think it payed off. Guns of sizes 1-3 are used here. I think in the end, there was a decision to say 'all combat equip over a certain level should be useful,' rather than 'all' but the point is still good.

[netburnr]

Originally Posted by Scorch

OK, I'll take a shot at these:

Is there currently a tag system in Jumpgate Evolution similar to the HG/civ tag system in Jumpgate?
Yes, in fact its exactly the same but that's because we have not worked on this part yet.

Its only got civ/HG, no half MT system? Leave it there I know, I know, j/k there are a ton of ideas to try.

Originally Posted by Scorch

Do any of the hauling and/or mining ships currently have turrets?
Not now they don't, in the future, who knows.

Make sure those turrets launch Pies, kthnx

Originally Posted by Scorch

Is there any part of space where a player can not shoot another player via game mechanics (i.e. I can put them in my crosshairs and pull the trigger and they take no damage)?

Today it still functions exactly the same, however the future might hold some changes.

Right now if you park a ship next to the docking tube to camp someone while they dock, it disables the guns (which I think is new, I dont remember it doing that), with the new bigger stations and bigger docking tube, has this restriction been removed, or will it?

Originally Posted by Karash

Personally, I think leveling is really a crutch in the game design. Why not have a "Cannon" that has certain attributes...both strengths and drawbacks, and let the player decide if its useful in his upcoming mission/operation.

No equipment or ship should be useless past a certain 'level'. Give me a reason that I need to put light lasers on my Phoenix.

Easier said then done, but I'd like to try it

Originally Posted by Desirsar

That said, I agree with the point he's getting at about the ships - even with the "speed balancing" (the tow nerf, mostly), there was no reason for a level 50 pilot to fly the smaller transport ships. If the cargo per flight time across most distances was made even, then the desired effect would be achieved. With fighters and miners, there were still at least a couple reasons to fly the smaller ones, but even then a level difference between pilots generally did not mean one had an absolutely better weapon. In that regard, levels were not relied on enough - a level 50 in the level 15 fighter should have weapons and shields that absolutely outclass the level 15 pilot in the same ship, otherwise there's not really a point to the leveling, and we can again most to the open system where you're only limited by availability and price.

Being a level 50 pilot, I can attest to this, especially being an Oct. I never fly a MF or LF, I never fly the fast transport, and now I don't even fly the tow. So that leaves me with Scout, Ranger, Nix, and Freighter. Kinda sad really. Of coarse the Sols have an awesome MF, so for that faction the point becomes moot a bit. Basically each class of ship needs to have a purpose, and required multiple ship types to be effective in a PvP battle instead of just a numbers game of who has the most fighters. That way if someone jumps in with 20 fighters, and you have 10 fighters and 10 MFs, the group with multiple ship types would actually have an advantage instead of being at a disadvantage because half their fleet is in "smaller" ships.

This would help bring "newbs" into the battles.

[GrimGriz]

Originally Posted by Scorch

So maybe let me ask the question back, what is the appropriate level difference where a gun should no longer be reasonably usable against a higher level shields recharge rate (in a 1 to 1 case only, there is no artificial level damage changes like in a dice-roll kind of game)? Are you suggesting that basically a level 1 gun do nearly the same damage as a level 50 gun (ie no difference in level)?

Well, I have no problem with difference in level dictating who can purchase the gun. The thing is, Jumpgate is supposed to be (unless I'm mistaken, feel free to correct me Mr. President) a SKILL-BASED game. 2 pilots of equal skill with different level of equipment should have really close fights. A lower level pilot with more skill should be able to best a higher level pilot with less skill.

Ugh...I'd love to go into more detail but I really have to go to work. I give you more when I can. Let me just say, level should equal choice, not better, or skill becomes less important, and skill is what makes Jumpgate different.

[GrimGriz]

Oh, and in my hurry to get here (work) I forgot to say thanks so much for answering those. That should spark some lively discussions.

Here's some more reason why I feel the way I feel:
In Jumpgate, for the longest time, people had to level to 26 before they were taken seriously in PvP. Istvan played with the stats of the LFs and MFs, and that number changed (arguably to 9, but definitely to 18).

In WoW, pvp is pretty much for level 50 people or people who know level 50 people. Even in the battle grounds for level 19 people, the people who did the most "pwning" were the ones that used the money they made at level 50 to buy the uberest level 19 gear on the Auction House. An honest to god level 19 player didn't really stand much of a chance.

In CoH, they had less issues but still had some balance problems when converting levels (and other issues entirely), but I at least felt like I had a fighting chance in their level-adjusted battlegrounds.

It took me about 3 years to get to level 50 in Jumpgate, which wouldn't have happened except I was viable long before that (26). If I had to make it to lvl 50 before I could have the l33t gear to pvp with the hardcore gamers, I wouldn't have stayed with the game as long as I have (probably never would have made it to 50).

So...that's why I'm not a fan of lvl = better, especially in pvp. Level = choice is a better way to go in all things really....

[halley_dooken]

I have some questions to ask for the Evo devs.

Will Evo start out with the basic style system where civ/HG tags and reg/unreg only exists and then eventually some tweaks and changes to be made in the future?

Believe me, it will require a lot less hard work worth of development if you stick with just that. It's sandbox game play beneficiary to the player base as well.

Will there also be AIs to protect low levels in regulated space? And tougher restriction for people who kill low levels?

[netburnr]

+1 for tougher penalties for killing nubs, that crap pisses me off.