Continuum in 3D, Freelancer 2, AKA JUMPGATE EVOLUTION!

[Xog]

I've been watching this game's development since 2007. I've been a big fan of the original Jumpgate newtonian space flight combat simulator since 2000. I still have an active subscription to this day. Heck I even got Kaiten to try it out. Jumpgate: Evolution was originally a project that was supposed to just improve the graphics engine for Jumpgate Classic.

I'm going to be honest with you right from the start. This version of JGE was a remake of a failed attempt from a year ago when they were devastated by news from their Friends & Family testing period. There was some big issues that made them strip the game of many excellent features and basically go back to the drawing board about a year ago. However, now they've got an excellent game development team in progress on their new version and they've been working their asses off for the past year. They made a spectacular impression to the E3 crowd.

About a month ago, on their forums, the Forum Moderators made a thread explaining that due to the disappointment of their gaming community from the years of waiting around for some news, they were going to have FREE (a limited number of) special VIP passes for E3. Anyone who had a forum account was able to go if they could get there. All expenses paid. I honestly could have gone if I had the vacation time off from work, and I was very disappointed in that.

Anyways, enough rambling. Here's a shitload of reviews from the press from E3, screenshots and videos as well as the forum's "Crashing E3" collaborative blog. Let me start off by saying that there are NO instances in this game, and the servers have been tested with up to 700 AI fighting eachother in one area and there was almost no lag. A key feature that I almost jizzed my pants over was the fact that if there's a lack of players in a certain area, AI friendly ships spawn to help you out until more people come. This can actually run without ANY problems on a notebook with an integrated graphics chip. It was specifically designed to run on almost ANY computer. What you see in these videos is the first missions you receive - explains how to play the game. Literally. You create a character and BAM you're in the action. And the game's not even done yet. And the starting area you see STILL has features that aren't complete nor is it even polished. Stunning, to say the least.

The goodies
GAMEPLAY:
(HD) gameplay part 1: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3...olution/700627
(HD) gameplay part 2: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3...olution/700635
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JGE-Gameplay preview - youtube
Q&A session (from the forum community)


HANDS ON EXPERIENCE AND IMPRESSIONS:
http://www.lotd.org/showthread.php?p=226777#post226777
Gameinformer - JGE Impresses at E3
Gamepro - E3 2010 JGE Hands on
RPGfan - E3: JGE impressions
spinksville - best of E3
Nfamous - First impressions (and Risk vs reward)
Gamespot -we just played Jumpgate Evolution
Icrontic - JGE imperessionS @ E3
Gamerzenith - Hands On Preview – Jumpgate: Evolution
Massively - E3 2010: Hands-on with Jumpgate Evolution
Awesomegameblog - E3 2010: Jumpgate Evolution
short articlel + oct starting screens
IGN - E3 2010: Jumpgate Evolution Returns



PICTURES!:
http://ve3dmedia.ign.com/images/04/0...olution-03.jpg
http://www.gamoholic.net/images/stor...olution_12.jpg
http://i.neoseeker.com/p/Games/PC/Ro...ofilelarge.jpg
http://www.theoldergamers.com/images.../jge-shot2.jpg
http://twitpic.com/1x19y0
http://twitpic.com/1x18u8
http://twitpic.com/1x247k
http://twitpic.com/1x44xk

Community Blog from E3:
http://crashinge3.blogspot.com/

[Nockm]

Can I say 'meh'?

[Xog]

Can I say 'meh'?

http://www.awesomegameblog.com/admin...epic_mural.jpg

[kthx]

looks gay, like you. stfu about this stupid shit already.

[Xog]

shtu up this game's awesome

[kthx]

your a faggot. stfu about retarded 3d spaceship games.

[Xog]

you're a dumbass hick, stfu about your obsession with calling people faggots

[kthx]

quiet already you uppity faggot.

[riske]

This is not a game that can be done in 3d. You need a very large 360 degree view around your ship. Even with 'behind cameras' or whatever it wouldn't work right, you cant see bullets etc coming at you like you can with a top down view.

Thats not to say 3d aerial combat games don't have their place.

[Xog]

kthx with the faggot comeback once again, 3 hours later

riske, I don't quite understand what you mean - elaborate?

[kthx]

He means you are an annoying faggot and should stfu.

[Xog]

why is this hillbilly in my thread

[riske]

I mean you need to be able to see around your ship in 360 degrees from a top down view. Otherwise you cant see how the shots are coming towards you, you wouldn't be able to do bank shots, bursts, it would be extremely hard to judge how close things are too you. Itd be like playing a FPS, you cant dodge shit, you have to constantly stay out of the line of fire. Not to say that that isnt fun in itself, but the way it works in this game is amazing.

You also wouldn't be able to coordinate teaming like you could(but few do) in this game. You would have to 'plan' strategies before hand(thats not necessarily bad again) but you cant adapt to situations in the way you can in this game, because you know EXACTLY where your team mates are. This game is more 'real time' I suppose, a 3d version would be more plan strategies before you ever start playing. And hope everyone sticks to them.

But again, a game like that does have its place, but tw settings/style of games would not work at all(for the most part)

[Xog]

I mean you need to be able to see around your ship in 360 degrees from a top down view. Otherwise you cant see how the shots are coming towards you, you wouldn't be able to do bank shots, bursts, it would be extremely hard to judge how close things are too you. Itd be like playing a FPS, you cant dodge shit, you have to constantly stay out of the line of fire. Not to say that that isnt fun in itself, but the way it works in this game is amazing.

You also wouldn't be able to coordinate teaming like you could(but few do) in this game. You would have to 'plan' strategies before hand(thats not necessarily bad again) but you cant adapt to situations in the way you can in this game, because you know EXACTLY where your team mates are. This game is more 'real time' I suppose, a 3d version would be more plan strategies before you ever start playing. And hope everyone sticks to them.

But again, a game like that does have its place, but tw settings/style of games would not work at all(for the most part)

Games like this require a completely different strategy in fighting. For instance if you're entering a sector with 400 NPC enemies and you've got 3 people in your group, you fly in a formation. You know what's going to be behind you because you will have a radar (not implemented yet), and also your teammates will be working together and advising eachother of the location of your enemies, "Xog, bogie on your 6" for instance. So I turn around and shoot him down. This is how it worked in JGc, it's a different style than Continuum for sure, and it's not top-down. If you were in your own ship, would you really be able to see who was behind you? I don't think they'd have rear-view mirrors in space ships! LOL

[saetep]

Radar in 3d? How would you know where exactly the enemy ship is (down or behind you). The game looks like X3: Terran Conflict but with more spaceship fighting, and the radar was terrible in that game too. I couldn't even imagine trying to use a 3d radar with 300 other players in the same area as you MMO style while trying to fight enemies. Would be chaotic.