Yes, please don't make jump look awkward or forced, keep that same sort of "build-up/wind-down" fluidity that we have in our other movement animations (ie, how it takes a small amount of time to start running at full speed and a small amount of time to come to a complete stop after running).

Also please keep the height of jumps realistic. By all means, make them equal for all races, but I don't want to be able to jump to the adventurer's guild from the main street in Ul'dah for example.