Some gamers were disheartened when NetDevil opted to delay the Jumpgate Evolution launch in order to refine some aspects of gameplay, but we're hoping the extra time they've bought for themselves will equate to a more polished release. One of those aspects of the game they're improving is Jumpgate Evolution's economy, which is the subject of an interview that producer Hermann Peterscheck gave to JGERadio's "Tikigod."
Throughout the interview, Peterscheck emphasizes that Jumpgate Evolution's economy should, by design, function in ways similar to a real world economy (but hopefully with a lot less fail) -- a far more dynamic system than one driven by NPC vendors. Peterscheck says, "I actually think the changes make the economy more alive. What we have done is moved away from an AI-based economy to a player-driven economy."
He adds that items in Jumpgate Evolution will have positional value, meaning they're actually fixed in that location in-game until the players transport them. "If an item is put on the auction house in Solrain core, then when it is bought, you have to go pick it up there," Peterscheck says. (Hence, we assume there will be no in-game emailing of ore, ships, or modules.)
In addition, some items in-game can only be manufactured at specific locations, thus raw materials which exist in one area of Jumpgate Evolution's setting may need to be transported long distances to a manufacturing facility. This should provide ample opportunities for players to turn a profit as haulers or traders in the game.
As most coverage of the game tends to focus on the dynamic combat aspects of JGE, it's good to see another angle on this sci-fi MMO. The JGERadio interview with Jumpgate Evolution producer Hermann Peterscheck has plenty more info about the game's economy and highlights the things the changes they're making before the title launches.
