[Jump]

Several years ago I met up with a few Jumpgate vets at Downtown Disney while on a family trip to Disneyland. So I have experience with the feelings one gets when you first meet up with strangers whom you know real well. I remember how odd I felt when I was walking over to meet them. You get to know people in online games and websites and sometimes you become great friends. But there is always that one missing ingredient with the fact that you have never really met face to face. You have never looked into their eyes, shaken their hands or embraced them with the hug that many long time friends do when they get together. Meeting other Jumpgate players, especially the old timers and the ones you played with, is a wonderful time every time. And this time was no different. I encourage everyone to do this at every opportunity. Breaking bread and a few drinks with friends is what has cemented the bonds of friendship since time began.

We have seen many reviews from players that have met up with the NetDevil staff in Australia, Las Vegas and at their own offices in Colorado. All of which were very well laid out and precise. They have all added their unique brush strokes to the portrait of this game we have been waiting eight years for. Don't expect all that grace and style from me though. I prefer the detailed and unforgiving world of code. Textual communication is just too messy for me. It displays on screen even if it's full of error and lacks good logic. Not so with code. But I will do my best and hopefully you will find some useful tidbit and my own vision will be added to this community portrait of Jumpgate Evolution.

I say work of art because that is what it is. We have all read countless reviews by now. Many have proclaimed it as a beautiful game that words cannot describe. And I must helplessly repeat that sentiment. Until you see this thing with your own eyes, there are no words that convey what the eyes see and the heart feels when you glance at this game for the first time. I was mesmerized at first sight and if I was eagerly awaiting its release before, I am desperate for it now. I have played and beta tested a lot of space games in my time and I have never seen anything quite like this. It's even more astonishing knowing it was displayed on a laptop that was running both client and server. EVE is a pretty game but it is just that, a pretty game. If I had to choose a couple words or coin a phrase to describe what I saw in Jumpgate Evolution then I would have to say it was visual immersion. It's not just another pretty face in the space game genre.

We walked into Jillian's and it was filled with the noise of a staff preparing for a lunch rush. After a quick conversation with an employee we wandered into the pool hall section in the back. There is something about the clicks and clacks of pool balls that draws one in that direction. There they were sitting with their backs to us. We could see the laptop screen from the entry way. We were a few minutes early and they were in a meeting. It was probably meeting number 500 for them at this conference so we didn't interrupt them too much. At first glance from the doorway it was like looking through a magic portal into another universe. Scott Brown's laptop had somehow transformed itself into a Jumpgate and I wanted to go through it right then and there. Luckily for him Awen escorted us over to the table she had for us before I could make my leap.

We were presented with a Jumpgate Evolution T-Shirt and later on Grace brought us a packet with a nice print in it. That one is going on the wall. People started arriving and we had to have tables added and it overflowed into side booths. I wish I could name all the people we met but there were too many. Awen was busy coordinating it all. She seemed to be in her element at that task. At noon the noise level at Jillian's rose tremendously and the conversations became more localized as we strained to hear those around us. To my left was Shelby Cardoza from Curse.com, then Awen. Scorch was across from me. To my right was Hurricane's better half Hcs_Cutie, then Hurricane. Newtron, Herman, skipjack, Josh, and several others filled out the rest of that table. There was much conversation on many topics, too much to ever post here. But I will convey what I can, or what interested me at least.

Hurricane asked Scorch if there would be any penalty for death. His reply was that there would be less than there is now. However, he quickly tempered that statement by telling us that if beta testing demonstrated that it wasn't enough then it would be raised. I got the feeling that the new game engine would allow this parameter to be easily adjusted. After talking to Scorch I am pretty satisfied that this will be decided by beta testing. It's clear they understand that death must have some form of meaning, and it's clear that we will have a voice in the matter. It's more a question of finding the right balance that will satisfy all types of players. It's really up to you and how well you state your opinion when you are in beta. I don't think we can base that opinion on anything from the current Jumpgate. The game play of Jumpgate Evolution, as stated to us, will be far more complex than it's predecessor. So formulas that worked in the past may not apply now. Still, I feel that it is critical to balance the penalty for those that die in combat and those that die in economic endeavors. To be successful Jumpgate Evolution will need to get this right.

Much of the conversation centered on the many paths that players will be able to choose in Jumpgate Evolution. For example, for me as a Solrain. I can please many Solrain groups with my actions, but I will not be able to make them all like me. While pleasing one faction within the Solrain Nation, I may piss off another. The same goes for my relationship with other factions. While much of another Nation might want to have my head on a platter, there will be factions within that nation that want good relations and wish to deal with me. It sounded very engaging and it was clear that my character will have to make good decisions about it's dealings and behavior in this new universe. I walked away realizing I am going to have to put much more thought into any missions I accept or refuse. I found it all very intriguing. Shall I take the dark path, or strive for Solrain Supremacy? Only time will tell

We sat and talked with Scorch for some time. Another question was asked of Scorch that is important to those of us that made a career out of hauling goods. The question was asked again by Hurricane who was on a roll by then. “Will I be able to haul equipment from one faction station to another for profit?” Scorch's answer came quick and it was “No, there is no equipment to haul”. At first I was kind of stunned by the answer. He went on to explain that we will have to make equipment and sell it. Which is very cool and ads a lot of interaction to the game. So is that the end of the cargo squad? We'll see, I am sure we will come up with something. Faction stations have a different purpose in this new game. Perhaps the old cargo squad will evolve into a crafting and delivery enterprise. I am not going to look at it as something removed that I liked to do. More things have been added that I always wanted to do.

It was about then that the whole group seemed to shift around. I had finished my lunch and my beer so I got up as well. I made my way over to the huddle behind Hermann who was sitting at an adjacent booth. I don't think I moved more than a few feet from that spot until we left to go home. Looking at that game just draws me in. The rocks are incredible. I have never seen rocks rendered that well in any space game I have played. I was mesmerized to the point that I even considered changing my citizenship to Quantar. They are absolutely beautiful as Herman maneuvered the little Halcyon back and forth between the rocks. I later asked Scorch how the mining would be handled and he made it apparent that it would be nothing like the current mining in Jumpgate. Asteroids will have veins of ore and you will have to find those veins and mine them out of the rock. And no, the rocks will not turn purple. I was glad to hear that mining would be more realistic than what we have now. I think the days of afk mining are over in Jumpgate. I just hope I don't have to do to much of it. I'm Solrain to the bone.

It would have been nice if they had something more than a starter ship implemented for the demo. But the Halcyon did ok for it's size. We watched Herman shoot up some stuff. The best part was when he attacked the Battle Station. There are some cool new features with that behemoth. It had turrets that did their best to ruin his conquest goals. Obviously this was a demo setup so no, Liet didn't launch from the station and turn his ship into a cloud of debris. He only had the turrets to contend with but it was a good demonstration of the new AI. He explained that they are experimenting with varied degrees of skill for the turrets. They seem to hone in on you as you linger too long. So they may not get good hits in when you first attack but if you take too long they will begin to pick away at you with greater accuracy. And they will also start hitting you in tandem. That will leave a mark I'm sure. It's all still experimental so what we saw may evolve far more by the time it's released. I'm sure beta will hash a lot of it out. It will be a whole different story with Nazgul on your ass. But without such defenders Herman went straight for the turrets. Maneuvering around trying to avoid their shots while picking away at their armor. They were taken out one by one in a ball of flame. Once he took out all the turrets he went after the shield array and then the power plant. And when the power plant went the whole thing went. Now this wasn't just a big boom and flash, even though it had that and it looked spectacular. There was also a cascade of explosions as various parts of the station ended in violence. That was quite a climactic finish to the battle. When the game is live and there are glorious fur balls fighting to protect or destroy a battle station, there will be no doubt when the attackers have won.

As the cascade of explosions from the dieing station dissipated into the cold vacuum of space, loot appeared in their place on the HUD. There were a lot of little green squares to pick from. Don't get all semantic with me when you read this. You can call it loot, debris, spoils of war, cow patties, call it what you want, it's not important. There was a lot of it so bring your haulers. Loot objects can be fun as long as their acquisition is not to complicated. If I have to target it, hit the L button then “alt ctrl t” while holding my breath to grab each one then that would be a bit much for my taste. He seemed to click on them and get some sort of pop up with the item. It wasn't too clear as I was in a discussion with someone as I glanced at the monitor. I would hope that a loot button will open a pop up with a list of all loot within range and you pick as much as you can contain. It wasn't really clear other than the fact that there would be spoils of war. That's another thing I am sure will be worked out in beta. It was encouraging to see that not only can you win a battle but you could profit from it. I don't think the PVP'ers are going to have any problem earning a living in this game.

We watched Herman blow the thing up twice as various people sat down with him to view the game up close. Then we watched Scorch do it again when Herman went to do an interview. It did not grow tiring watching that thing go boom. I was sitting right next to Scott Brown as he crashed into every roid and got owned by a C-1. Just kidding. You could tell that they had been playing this game a lot by how well they handled that little Halcyon. No point an click, it was all pilot controlled. Just the way I like it.

I witnessed a docking at the Oct station. While it was beautiful and impressive, there was no skill involved at all. I wasn't to impressed with the game play of docking. Hopefully this will only be the case in learning sectors and pilots won't be able to run and hide in their battle station quite so easy. I could easily imagine the lameness that would spoil the fun with easy dock to avoid a battle death. I hope they think this one through and let us beta test that feature. I don't think it's a good idea for a combat oriented game.

I want to touch on something sensitive here. I know a lot of people have been attacking Hermann because of his wow statements and the many interviewers that have made statements in his interviews. While I don't want wow in space, I think we need to take all these reviews, including this one, with a grain of salt. I specifically asked Herman about features I have seen in other space combat games I have played and am playing. And each time he blurted out what game that was from. While he may have played wow, like many of you, he has also done his homework on this genre. So give the guy a break will ya? He is very much in to Jumpgate Evolution as a space combat oriented game and so far, he has a masterpiece in the making. At least that was my impression, take it or leave it but I think it's dangerous for us to read to much into the silence and various quotes on the Internet. He seemed like a pretty sharp guy to me.

There was just so much that crossed our eyes in that 2 ½ hours we spent with NetDevil and the horde that flowed over from the convention. My mind is still trying to take it all in and I haven't covered much of it. I'm sure the others that were there with me will fill in the gaps or give their own views of what we saw. As more and more of us Jumpgate alumni see this game unfold we will paint a more complete portrait of what this game is and what it will mean to the Jumpgate community. We have waited and fought long and hard to keep Jumpgate from drifting into space with the hope of a new game with new life. Don't give up now just because it's taking time or because you heard this quote or that statement. This game is progressing, you do have a voice and they are committed to the beta feedback process. That's what I saw, that's what I heard, and that's how I feel.

I would like to thank Scott Brown and the folks at NetDevil for taking time out of that hectic convention and devoting it to Jumpgate fans. To me that speaks louder than any quote or interview. And thanks for picking up the tab Scorch. I was looking for my bill and found out that Scott had grabbed them all up. It wasn't expected of you but it was much appreciated. Of course, had I known, I may have had a few more beers.

I would also like to say how excited I was to meet Hurricane and Hcs_Cutie. We have talked about meeting up since the early days of -=MACK=-. I hope it doesn't take that long till the next time. It was also great to meet skipjack who only lives a few blocks from me. Newtron who lives on that cool houseboat not too far from us and of course Pyrophred, a fellow -=MACK=- alumni. It was great meeting you all and I hope to again someday. It was nice to meet all the folks from NetDevil and others I had never heard of before. I now have faces to go with names which is cool in my opinion. Meet and greets are a good thing.

[Jump]

There ya go, some of my observations from GDC. I hope I don't bore you to death.

I will probably add more to this thread as things come to mind. Hopefully many of the others there will add their observations as well.

First pic: From left to right that is Pyrophred, HCs_Cutie, Newtron, Hurricane, Scorch and Jump.
Second pic: Another pic of Jump's Beer, Shelby from curse.com, Awen and Scorch at GDC 2008
Third pic: Scorch, IceMan (at the back table), Newtron, Herman, skipjack, ND's Josh, no not the old Josh, and the back of Hurricanes head.

[Hurricane]

Awesome read Jump, now I will add a couple for nuts and bolts I heard while chatting with Scorch and Herman. I'm an even worse writer than Jump, so all you get are raw details from me.

One thing I heard that I thought was really cool for the game, is the PvP aspect they are trying to put into Jumpgate Evolution that will allow a PvP'er to fight, and not have to mine, do missions, or hunt flux in order to make cash. From my understanding, when Liet blows up a Sol Navy guy, that ship will drop loot (or whatever you want to call it). This loot can ONLY be acquired from PvP conduct, and will be needed in some of the (I'm gonna say this word because I'm not sure what it will be called) crafting. So basically (here is the word again) crafting squads will be buying some of there items from the PvP squads.

Another aspect that Scorch touched on (it was really LOUD at Jillian's so details are only bit and pieces that I could hear) was that mining will not be like Jumpgate Classic were you can get every type of ore in empire space. There will be some types of ore that will require miners to go out to (lets call it) unreg space to get. Higher risk / higher rewards. WOOOTTT!!!! He also mentioned that some items would HAVE to be made in Unreg space, so unreg, escorts, players working together will be a big part of Jumpgate Evolution.

There was talk about "licenses" for mining. But details I could not hear. Another idea they are trying to develop for the game, but I couldn't see that it was implemented yet.

Missions will also be much more in-depth that have some meaning to them, rather than take Z from A to B station and we give you cash and faction rating. From what I heard they will be more like little stories for those of us that like the RP side of playing online games. Right now in Jumpgate Classic running missions in not a real to log in, in Jumpgate Evolution I have a feeling they will be much more interesting, and provide many players something to do.

I have to agree with Jump that Herman shouldn't be getting the bad (OMG HE"S BUILDING A WOW IN SPACE) rap that many seem to be pinning on him. From what I heard they are in no way making WOW in space. They are making Jumpgate Evolution, something many of us again will give years of time to playing all hours of the night. One of the interviews I read suggested that missions would lead you to an end boss (aka battlestations) and that is NOT the impression I got.

One thing I did hear Scorch say more than once was "we will be able to tweak that in beta" I mean he said it enough time to make me feel that, yes they have their idea of what they want in the game, but..... they will also be using beta to flesh out anything that doesn't work quite the way it should if it causes players to not have fun. Basically until they say "time to start paying", whatever I hear from interviews and player accounts of what they saw or heard at a meet and greet is all subject to change in the beta.

I gotta thank Herman, Scorch, and Awen for having us. Although a bit to noisy, I enjoyed meeting you all. I wish we had had more time to take you up on the offer to sit down and play the game for a bit, but the press interviews and noise just seemed to make time go by in a blink of an eye.

[Jump]

Good because there were so many side conversations going on that it will take all of us to piece it together. That place was so loud.

One thing I forgot was target acquisition. I mentioned to Herman that in another game I am playing you can click a button and get a clickable pop up list of all targets in sector. Stationary on the right, killable on the left.

He knew already that it was from Taikodom and said they were working on making target acquisition more fluid in Jumpgate Evolution. You could already see on the left side of the screen a list of targets. He said that was new and there was still much to develop there. It's good to know that it will be better than the one at a time cycling of the current Jumpgate.

[Newtron]

It was great finally meeting all of you; Jump, Skipjack, Hurricane and Hcs_Cutie and Pyrophred, to put faces with the names and the ship avatars I've watched flit across my computer monitor.

It was also nice to finally see Scott, Herman, Awen and Josh and to see the excitement in their faces and hear it in their voices as the talked about the future of Jumpgate.

I'm glad I've stuck around, still playing, and to see where this is all headed.

From the demo we saw, I'd say all of those suggestions we made in the Jumpgate forums were far from ignored.

I can hardly wait.

[dahalb]

Nice job All. Basically everything you posted mirrors our experience in Oz (except the battlestations as they werent ready yet - doh!).

Sounds like you guys had a blast. I just wish we had more of these things in Australia Oh well

[Jump]

I covered the awesome detail in the rocks but I forgot the ships. You could see the light and shadows shimmer over them as they passed. if you got real close you could see gouges and scratches in the metal. They looked battle scarred and they looked pretty cool.


The in station shots were nice but if they are going to have that big bay window that views into space then I would have ships and such flying by to add to the feel of activity and life.

Another new thing that comes to mind is the missile lock. Herman said that was only a few days old. It's still rudimentary but you could see the beginnings of this feature. Missile lock is cool in space and flight games but I hope they don't make it annoying like so many games have done over the years. I hope they add an off switch on any missile lock sound.

[Lordopic]

Now why cant they portray the feeling I got from reading the above on to the Jumpgate Evolution forums?

Can you post this on there please?

Thanks guys again it go’s to show that the stuff from the fans is clear and concise and doesn’t have me running around like a headless chicken with an Uzi ready to lay waste to the nearest shopping mall.

[Eraser55]

thanks jump & hurricane

Jump ur a liar.. that was very well written article.. I was expecting something like Feature1: Mining rocks, will be different.
Feature2: Loot, etc...

[GrimGriz]

bah, sounds like WoW in space to me