Jumpgate: Interview @ MMO Portal

MMO Portal ha kicked up an interview with 'Istvan' from NetDevil on their space combat MMOG, Jumpgate:

MMO Portal: Jumpgate was released in 2001 to critical acclaim and is regarded by your players as the best thing since sliced bread. Can you give us an overview of the game and the unique niche it fills?

Istvan: Jumpgate is novel because it is one of extremely few MMOG flight sims out there. We tend to get thrown in with MMORPGs, but Jumpgate really wasn't designed as one. Rather than having an avatar that you have to "level up" or "skill up" to gain capability or access different parts of the game, Jumpgate is solely based on player skill. You don't point and click and passively watch your ship fight: you have to fly the ship yourself, hands-on, usually with a joystick. That's what seems to excite people the most. The learning curve is fairly fierce, but it's quite possible for a new player who has a feel for flying to defeat in combat a veteran player who's been in the game for years. There's also plenty to do in the game besides fighting, although the flight model and combat are perhaps Jumpgate's most characteristic elements.