Escape Velocity Nova

Escape Velocity Nova

Escape Velocity Nova is the third game in the Escape Velocity series, that thrusts players into a sprawling universe dominated by a myriad of warring factions, each sharing a common bond, but so philosophically different as to make conflict inevitable. Escape Velocity Nova is a computer game by Ambrosia Software, in collaboration with ATMOS. The player starts as a freelance space pilot in a shuttlecraft. There are different ways to play Nova; for example, a starting player seeking funds can become a trader or courier, delivering cargo between worlds; become a pirate or bounty hunter, attacking and disabling ships to steal their money, cargo, or the ships themselves; become involved in one of the main story-lines; or conquer the galaxy by subjugating worlds. This game requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later to play.

Features

The game features six major story-lines that the player can participate in, one for each of the major factions: Federation, Rebellion, Auroran, Polaris, Vell-os, and Pirate. Each storyline involves set of plot-filled missions which are like "playing" a short story written in second person. Each story-line aligns pilots with a particular faction, restricting a player’s freedom but giving access to ships and technology. A single story-line can take anywhere from an hour to several days to play to completion, depending on the player’s level of experience and preferred pace. There are also a few shorter minor stories and missions, which are difficult to find but have great rewards, such as the ability to use the old hypergate system. This game features some major and minor story-lines branch into others so that, for example, a player in the midst of the Federation story-line can, along the way, choose to join the Rebellion instead. Nova has only a small fraction of the freelance missions that were common in the previous games in the Escape Velocity series. In the standard game, only a single major storyline can be played per pilot, as opposed to previous games in the Escape Velocity series where one could play most all missions as one pilot while gathering ever more powerful ships and weapons. There are two minor storylines however, both of which help the player into the major storylines. These include the Bounty Hunter and Wild Geese storylines. The Bounty Hunter storyline can lead to either the Federation, Rebellion, or Auroran storylines. The Wild Geese storyline can lead to either the Auroran or Pirate storyline. Nova allows registered users to create their own plug-ins which can be used to slightly or drastically change stories and technology, or even completely replace the universe. There is a large community at the official Ambrosia forums where players can trade tips, get help, and swap favorite plugins and pilots.