Jumpgate Evolution Hands On

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My next objective in this session was a courier mission that took me out of the newbie zone and into the wider galaxy, via the titular jumpgate. This new zone was a little less colourful, perhaps implying that the game was getting harder, although what I was seeing of the missions suggested that Jumpgate is going to be quite forgiving.

While the various areas I explored were small and clearly bounded, the lure of the galaxy beyond is certainly a potent tractor beam, dragging you into continued play. The playtest also rapidly dispelled any lingering illusion there might have been that Jumpgate will be anything like EVE Online. The very similar space station interior, with its modular ship layouts and auction systems, might fool you - but Jumpgate is a light, easy MMO on a small scale. It's about speedy action and continuous questing, and I suspect that's going to be the mainstay of the game, and the appeal for most of the people who play it.

However, it's not all Jumpgate has to offer. The outer edge of the galaxy is a free player-versus-player zone, where pilots can test their combat skills against each other and in dangerous environments. Quite how the free-form PVP will work isn't yet clear, but I'm keen to see it, especially after being a little disappointed with the PVP scenario we did get to play.

That scenario saw us take arms as the three factions, each with its own capital ship. It was - at least, without anything in the world at stake - relatively uninteresting. The capital ships were near-static targets with massive hit-point reservoirs, and other players popped back into space mere moments after being destroyed. It was not a particularly compelling combat sequence, and it leaves me concerned about the Jumpgate's PVP side.

Weapons mix lasers with homing missiles and potent counter-measures.

I'm certain that the game's "twitch" combat will be of enormous appeal to some gamers in PVP, but I don't think it'll hook me - unless I get to see how it links to the game-world as a whole, something that might well be addressed closer to launch. In isolation, it didn't make much sense, and wasn't dramatic enough to sell itself on sheer spectacle.

Jumpgate will enter beta testing soon, and I suspect it's going to prove a popular attraction, particularly for those who don't want the complexity and imagination-roasting depth of EVE Online. For that reason, I expect the PVP to remain at the periphery of the game, while exploring the galaxy and pottering back and forth on quests and crafting missions will keep most players entertained. Whether the mass of missions available will be enough to keep them occupied we won't know until launch, but my fingers are quietly crossed.