The Vault Network recently posted a new Q & A session with Hermann Peterscheck, Producer of Jumpgate Evolution. Some interesting tidbits were revealed that I haven't come across before. When asked about role-playing potential, Peterscheck states that they want a game where the players define as much of it as possible, therefore it is very RP friendly. Case in point: there are three playable nations in JGE. While most MMOs don't allow interaction with other groups, that's not the case with JGE. Instead of forcing players into roles by creating three distinct areas, they feel that RP occurs more spontaneously when you give the players a reason to play the role as they see fit.
When asked about how they were planning to handle death penalties, Peterscheck basically sidestepped the issue. He says it will be different from JG:C, which has players lose items upon death. And they seem to be staying away from a death penalty where you drop all your stuff and lose half a level of experience, but a straightforward "this is how we're dealing with death" answer wasn't given.
There are a few more questions worth checking out, such as the prospects of crews, the classless system and home areas.
