According to Steve many of JGE's ship evolved from those in Jumpgate Classic. The process, which usually takes several days, is a very art-intensive exercise that starts with the creation of a style. From there a concept for the ship asset is created, a model is built and then put into a form that the render engine can use. Finally, stats (which won't be considered final until the game releases) that defines the ship are chosen.
It's a very detailed entry, so those of you looking to get into the industry as a modeler will definitely want to give it a read.
