Jumpgate Evolution: Cross-Nation Communication
Executive Producer Lance Robertson recently delved into the topic of cross-nation communication within NetDevil’s upcoming space MMORPG Jumpgate Evolution (JGE).
The ability to speak to nations (The Solrain Commonwealth, Quantar Paths, The Octavian Empire) other than your own has become a topic of interest within the JGE forums. Currently, nations are unable to engage in communications with other nations, in his forum post, Lance explains that this is a very intentional exclusion within the game. These nations are basically in all out war and only interact with each other through combat. If given the ability to speak to other nations, the feel of the game would be completely different, nations would have a tougher time being prideful, which is an integral part of the game.
Lance reflected upon successful MMORPG’s such as Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC) and World of Warcraft (WoW). Midgard vs. Hibernia vs. Albion in DAoC created battles of epic proportions in the Realm vs. Realm system, and the great rivalry between Alliance and Horde in WoW is only better fueled because players cannot speak to their enemies.
“We also don’t want to provide any in-game tools that could allow for any sort of “espionage game.” Rampant paranoia, defection or collusion weakens nations and undermines the team feeling of ‘we’re all in this together.’ If you prefer a game that provides for spying and back-stabbing then JGE may simply not be for you. Jumpgate is about the war, and about being part of a strong nation. Anything that goes on outside of the game will obviously be beyond our ability to police, but we’re not going to provide any in-game mechanisms for this undesired behavior.”
For more information on JGE communication you can visit their forums.
