EVO Nova port update issues

Dr. Trowel

Well, I hijacked the (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum8/HTML/005039.html")Fire POWER(/url) thread on this board in order to get info on a bug in the Nova port, and then I hijacked it a second time to divert conversation towards discussion of other issues. This morning I started to post to it again and realized that the connection to the topic in the subject line was now pretty much zilch. :redface: Mea culpa. Hence this new thread, with a nice broad subject line. I could have put it over in the Dev Corner, but I figured what the heck -- the topic is still EVO related, I like that threads on this board take longer to get pushed off the page, and the people who followed the drifting "Fire POWER" discussion will find this one if I put it here.

To continue where we were....

Quote

Originally posted by Zacha Pedro (in the "Fire POWER" thread):
**You raise an interesting issue, Dr. Trowel. Should we correct what we think as being bugs? For the repeated marine outfit bug, I think we should correct that, 'cause it has only been added in the 1.0.2, therefore may have not been noticed, as the "marine" modtype and type of outfit has only been added in EVO 1.0.2, to my knowledge (and actually we don't get to keep the marines, just their "equipment", we are being told). For the strange asteroid, we have documented word of the author that it should be replaced, so it should be. For the typos, we should leave them in place. I would also like to make starting missions set "you can't make both storylines" mission bits at mission start so as to prevent making both the UE and Voinian storylines, and both the Igadzra and Zidagar ones. If someones want to cheat, they can download some triple-agent plugs. Anyway, it's what I think.
**

I'd definitely fix the typos (things like repeated words) if fixing the strange asteroid and marine outfit issues. I don't want to argue about what we should or shouldn't change, though, so perhaps the best thing would be for "1.0.2 reimplementation" plugs and "1.0.3 update" plugs to remain separate, at least for now. If "1.0.3" plugs have names starting with "z," I think their resources will take precedence over whatever loads earlier.

So we know whether to class it as 1.0.2 or post-1.0.2, are we certain that original EVO doesn't have plot holes that allow you to do the string combos you mentioned? I've forgotten where we discussed this.

Zacha Pedro

Oops, sorry, I didn't check the EVO board in the last few days. My bad. It hasn't been discussed lately, but it's known (and has been discussed in this board long ago) that one can:
-start one storyline introductive mission (for instance, "aid the Voinians")
-start the "opposing" one ("rescue Voinian defector", in this case)
-complete each mission in whatever order.

Check: no mission bits will prevent that, as the bit that is checked by the opposing mission so as not to have both isn't set before the completion of the opposing mission, therefore if you have two running at the same time you can start both storylines. The Nova scenario uses bits set at the beginning of the mission to prevent that, but I think this feature hasn't been available at first in EVO. Here's a (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum8/HTML/003607.html")result(/url) of a little search (I just knew I discussed of this long ago).

------------------
The (url="http://"https://secure.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/store/hazel.cgi?action=serve&item;=breakdown.html&BREAKDOWN;_SKUID=1480")Ambrosia Mac CD(/url) with other registrations - 5$. Paying for (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/")EV Nova(/url) as it's such a great game - 30$.
The (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/tshirts.html")1337 EV Nova T-shirt(/url) - 22$. The (url="http://"http://w00tware.ev-nova.net/")NovaTools(/url) by wOOtWare to tinker with your Nova - FREE!
The feeling you're a Nova geek - priceless.
There are things money can't buy or that are free, for everything else, there's indeed Mastercard.

(This message has been edited by Zacha Pedro (edited 03-29-2004).)

slouch

As far as storyline loopholes go, I agree that being able to do both the Igadzra and Zidagar misssions should probably be corrected in a non-straight type of port. If I remember correctly, the original Override engine didn't have a StartBitSet field. (I could certainly be wrong here).

Though, I'm not so sure I agree with the Voinian and UE missions being mutually exclusive. From what I can see, its only a one way exclusion, as there was not even an attempt to make the UE missions unavailable (via a bit) after completing the first (or any) Voinian missions. Again, I could be wrong.

I always felt that Override was set up so that any pilot could complete all 3 of the main objectives, with the only obstacle being their legal rating if they chose the life of piracy or Voinian support. To my knowledge, completing the final Voinian mission does not complete one of these objectives.

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U.E. Admiral

Quote

Originally posted by slouch:
**As far as storyline loopholes go, I agree that being able to do both the Igadzra and Zidagar misssions should probably be corrected in a non-straight type of port. If I remember correctly, the original Override engine didn't have a StartBitSet field. (I could certainly be wrong here).

Though, I'm not so sure I agree with the Voinian and UE missions being mutually exclusive. From what I can see, its only a one way exclusion, as there was not even an attempt to make the UE missions unavailable (via a bit) after completing the first (or any) Voinian missions. Again, I could be wrong.

I always felt that Override was set up so that any pilot could complete all 3 of the main objectives, with the only obstacle being their legal rating if they chose the life of piracy or Voinian support. To my knowledge, completing the final Voinian mission does not complete one of these objectives.

**

No, i do not believe that Override has a StartBitSet field. And besides, what's cooler than an Igazra with Phased Beams?

As far as the UE and Voinian strings being exclusive, yes they did make an effort. They made the UE string easier to get into (available on all UE planets, whereas the Voinian String is available only on Pax) and then the bit set thingy that makes the UE missions unavailable if you do the first Voinian mission (and vise versa).
The mistake they made here, is that both the first mission for the UE and first mission for the Voinians can be gotten more or less within the same 30 seconds.
By accepting both missions you can play both sides of the war.

Completing the final Voinian mission does not give you an Override Central objective message. However, many people feel that there should be. Any pilot can complete the 3 Central Objectives. Legal status can be changed easily on most planets simply by blasting the hell out of their enemies.

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Insanity has its advantages
"I- I Swear Officer.. The Dwarf was on fire when I got here!"
Sorry -REDCHIGH-, It just fit so well.

John Porter

I have a major bug bug to report. With the EVO Nova port for Windows, if you have a big ship with a 3 day jump and you buy a small ship like a fighter or shuttle, you keep the 3 day jump. this makes at least 1 important mission impossible. Check out this thread for further details (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum8/HTML/005046.html#")http://www.ambrosias...ML/005046.html#(/url)

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"The only thing we know about Henry Porter is his name isn't Henry Porter." -Bob Dylan

Zacha Pedro

Quote

Originally posted by John Porter:
**I have a major bug bug to report. With the EVO Nova port for Windows, if you have a big ship with a 3 day jump and you buy a small ship like a fighter or shuttle, you keep the 3 day jump. this makes at least 1 important mission impossible. Check out this thread for further detailshttp://www.ambrosias...ML/005046.html#

**

Update for those worrying about this: problem has been found to be inexistant (escorts slow down your jumps in the Nova engine).

I checked, and it seems (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/webboard/Forum18/HTML/000002.html#mburch04-10-200012:31AM")EVO did not have a StartBitSet before the 1.0.2 update(/url).

------------------
The (url="http://"https://secure.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/store/hazel.cgi?action=serve&item;=breakdown.html&BREAKDOWN;_SKUID=1480")Ambrosia Mac CD(/url) with other registrations - 5$. Paying for (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/")EV Nova(/url) as it's such a great game - 30$.
The (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/tshirts.html")1337 EV Nova T-shirt(/url) - 22$. The (url="http://"http://w00tware.ev-nova.net/")NovaTools(/url) by wOOtWare to tinker with your Nova - FREE!
The feeling you're a Nova geek - priceless.
There are things money can't buy or that are free, for everything else, there's indeed Mastercard.

Zacha Pedro

*Bump for Dr. Trowel (and others) to see.

------------------
The (url="http://"https://secure.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/store/hazel.cgi?action=serve&item;=breakdown.html&BREAKDOWN;_SKUID=1480")Ambrosia Mac CD(/url) with other registrations - 5$. Paying for (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/")EV Nova(/url) as it's such a great game - 30$.
The (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/tshirts.html")1337 EV Nova T-shirt(/url) - 22$. The (url="http://"http://w00tware.ev-nova.net/")NovaTools(/url) by wOOtWare to tinker with your Nova - FREE!
The feeling you're a Nova geek - priceless.
There are things money can't buy or that are free, for everything else, there's indeed Mastercard.

Dr. Trowel

Nice spotting on the historical reasons for the start-multiple-strings-almost-simultaneously loophole, Zacha Pedro.

I haven't been giving much attention to the Override port issues lately -- real life has kept me from devoting any largish blocks of time to any EV issues.

I think U.E. Admiral is right that the Voinian mission string should end with a "central objective completed" message (in this case, it's effectively a "hey you traitorous knucklehead, we're gonna stop play now instead of letting you complete the destruction of your own species" message). That would be an Override 1.0.3 kind of thing.

Zacha Pedro

Heh. I've been editing things in EV a looooong time ago, and I played EVO 1.0.1 and made plugs for it before having to update my version, my pilots (pilots are incompatible between EVO 1.0.1 and 1.0.2) and my plug editing skills to 1.0.2, and remembered the StartBitSet was likely to be a new thing in 1.0.2. I read the progress log for the 1.0.2 update, and found the information.

Ah, RealLife... No problem with that, just wanted you to see my findings. I'm sorry I can't give any advice on the Voinian string, as just like the renegade ones, I've never ever been able to get myself to renounce my ethics enough to complete or even start those. I indeed think the Voinian string should end with a central objective (even if just to please the Voinian scum out there...)

I think that we're planning to change is big enough indeed to warrant some version number change.

------------------
The (url="http://"https://secure.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/store/hazel.cgi?action=serve&item;=breakdown.html&BREAKDOWN;_SKUID=1480")Ambrosia Mac CD(/url) with other registrations - 5$. Paying for (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/")EV Nova(/url) as it's such a great game - 30$.
The (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/tshirts.html")1337 EV Nova T-shirt(/url) - 22$. The (url="http://"http://w00tware.ev-nova.net/")NovaTools(/url) by wOOtWare to tinker with your Nova - FREE!
The feeling you're a Nova geek - priceless.
There are things money can't buy or that are free, for everything else, there's indeed Mastercard.

(This message has been edited by Zacha Pedro (edited 04-22-2004).)

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EVO Nova port update issues