I found the EVo universe to be my favorite because it is not only extensive, but it is full of stuff. In EVO many of the uninhabited systems have a spob or are common battlegrounds for opposing foces (sometimes both) and a diligent explorer is rewarded with finding something entirely new after a long journy (ie discovering the Miranu), whilst in Nova most of the uninhabited systems are empty and plain with nothing beyond them. The missions in EVO are descriptive, yes, but they don't assume the player's emotions like those in EVN. ANd above all, there are no true superweapons in EVO, everything has its disadvantage. I hope your new plug will beathe new life into the EVO universe, and return the thrill of exploration with it.

P.S. Don't forget that many inhostpitable, uninhabited planets in Zidigar space would make good ritirement spots =P

I want to encourage you and all developers still working on EV and EVO to continue to work on it. Don't do it for us, although I'm sure there will be people who want to see it, do it for yourself. Even if you never release it to the public, or never finish, you'll be glad you worked on it, you'll be proud you stuck with it as long as you did, and in the end that's what matters most. It's better to be creative, to work on something you enjoy, then to think about if anybody else will care. Screw them, story-telling is always about the author, first and foremost.

Plus, um. I'm really kinda hoping to keep EV and EVO development going for a while longer. Nova is flashy and all, but when EVO was the latest and greatest, people still did stuff for EV. EVO should still be worked on after Nova was released, just as EV was worked on after Override.

~vIsitor~, on Nov 7 2005, 09:04 PM, said:

I found the EVo universe to be my favorite because it is not only extensive, but it is full of stuff. In EVO many of the uninhabited systems have a spob or are common battlegrounds for opposing foces (sometimes both) and a diligent explorer is rewarded with finding something entirely new after a long journy (ie discovering the Miranu), whilst in Nova most of the uninhabited systems are empty and plain with nothing beyond them. The missions in EVO are descriptive, yes, but they don't assume the player's emotions like those in EVN. ANd above all, there are no true superweapons in EVO, everything has its disadvantage. I hope your new plug will beathe new life into the EVO universe, and return the thrill of exploration with it.

P.S. Don't forget that many inhostpitable, uninhabited planets in Zidigar space would make good ritirement spots =P
View Post

I have to agree with you. After playing EV, EVO was like a whole new game just because of the way the galaxy was set out and the new ideas incorporated. To me, Nova is just the strand war that has been fleshed out a bit - there isn't any real substance to it. The storylines are all writted like an average fantasy novel, it's just the superior engine that makes the ideas cool. Don't get me wrong, it'sa great game and everything, but I'm afraid the better engine doesn't win me over on EVO's ability to innovate. Also, it left the storylines open enough for developers to do all sorts of crazy s### - remember that ROTV came before ROTUE. ++Bombcat

As to your hopes about my plug, I can garantee you that it does to EVO what EVO did to EV (if that makes sense). It might not flip you out exactly, but you'll feel like it's a different game from EVO certainly. I tried not to twist it too much (i.e by adding completely made up governments) but eventually I couldn't resist and put in my own touches. Most of the original elements are still there though - all of the race's home planets have the same names for instance, and the weapons are the same. I just wish I was hooked up to internet at home and I could send you a galaxy screen shot.

mrxak, on Nov 9 2005, 12:10 PM, said:

I want to encourage you and all developers still working on EV and EVO to continue to work on it. Don't do it for us, although I'm sure there will be people who want to see it, do it for yourself. Even if you never release it to the public, or never finish, you'll be glad you worked on it, you'll be proud you stuck with it as long as you did, and in the end that's what matters most. It's better to be creative, to work on something you enjoy, then to think about if anybody else will care. Screw them, story-telling is always about the author, first and foremost.

Plus, um. I'm really kinda hoping to keep EV and EVO development going for a while longer. Nova is flashy and all, but when EVO was the latest and greatest, people still did stuff for EV. EVO should still be worked on after Nova was released, just as EV was worked on after Override.
View Post

I agree and I don't. I will be very happy that I completed it, but I'd be happier if I brought some Nova playing bods back to the EVO platform for a bit. Who knows, someone may even make a plug for my plug, although that's a bit unlikely. It'd be a good compliment though.

On your second paragraph I agree entirely. Just because something is superior, it doesn't make it necessarily better - sometimes simple is good. I like the way that EVO sent you missions hard and fast, with exciting storylines that you could build your imagination around. EVN (like Ivisitor mentioned) assumes who you are and goes into more detail than necessary. To be honest, I've done that to some degree in the plug by writing it a bit like a book (describing characters and so on) but still leaving enough room to slot your own character in there.

Oh yeah, and one more thing - I CANNOT ######ING WAIT TO RELEASE THIS PLUG! YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAS:kdnasklmvl;a snvfajbnfvoubhaevo !!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...!

--gav

pistgavin, on Nov 9 2005, 03:30 PM, said:

I CANNOT WAIT TO RELEASE THIS PLUG!
--gav
View Post

When are you going to release it?

Gonna install classic just for this

pistgavin, on Nov 9 2005, 04:30 AM, said:

YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAS:kdnasklmvl;a snvfajbnfvoubhaevo !!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeeeeehaaaaaw. Your enthusiasm is contagious.

points to General Cade Smart Good to see your avie, you haven't posted on the EVO boards for a long time.

This post has been edited by wondergirl : 14 November 2005 - 01:54 PM

That's true, Cade has not been around for a while. Didn't he used to be a moderator?

Releasing... is a tricky one. There is still a LOT of work to do, the project is so ambitious that I could work on it forever. I definately want to make a large bulk of missions before I release it, but there is enough galaxy to make a hundred storylines.

Let us put it this way - this project will NEVER be vapourware. There is enough completed to release it NOW. But I won't, because it is nowhere near completed yet. Nearly 400 systems and I haven't made a single Strand, Miranu or any kind of alien planet whatsoever. I'm currently doing the renegade and UE mission strings, these will take some time. The Voinian ones will need some thinking.

I may just release it with three major mission packs (UE, Voinian, Renegade) and then release mission packs in the future for Azdgari, Miranu and so on.

I will wait until I'm ready or until I get clubbed over the head by an impatient mob of EVO fans.

One or the other.

--gav

Ah-what do you have in mind for the Voinians, in particular? I assume you're not going to go with the "evil incarnate" form Cartwright provided, and as long as that's the case, it'll be fine.

-Bob

Weeerrrrllll, it depends on how you look at it. In my universe, nearly everyone is an evil incarnate. The Voinians just happen to be a more obvious one, that's all.

The renegade missions are coming along nicely. Only another 300 to go.

Ha ha.

--gav

Ah. I had/have an interesting concept of my own, regarding a universe with evil people. Perhaps you could drop by and ask me about it sometime.

-Bob

Well, all the storylines and planet descs are already drawn up. But I could have work for you in -

*Voinian Missions
*Crescent space
*Crescent missions
*Anything else you care to do

If you feel like getting back into a bit of old skool programming, please let me know and I'll hook you up with the project. I'm taking care of the human mission strings because I have very specific ideas about them, but the Voinians don't have a fixed storyline so I would let you unleash your imagination on it. I'm not fussy about what kind of ideas you have so long as they fit into the general attitude of the plug.

Bell me if you are interested.

--gav

Well, actually, it was more for a universe of its own-nothing that could flow into yours, I'm afraid. And due to time/other projects, I'm afraid I wouldn't be available for general operations with this plugin. But I wouldn't be above dropping some advice here and there-particularly, even though everyone, or almost everyone, is supposed to be "evil" in this universe of yours, outline some positive traits as well, particularly for the poorly-written Voinians. They were outlined rather poorly in EVO, and it would be good to see something positive about them-as opposed to the standard "evil, baby-eating monster" version portrayed in the normal game.

-Bob

Hah, I didn't mean that everyone was evil as such, its just that everyone has their own agenda despite their official causes. For instance the UE government seeks to unite and protect its peoples, but mostly the people are just exploited by huge corporations while a select few become massively wealthy. There is just a lot of corruption around in my galaxy, and the player will have to decide whether they want to fight for 'good' or 'evil', although the two usually get confused (similar to real life).

Which reminds me, I've been slacking quite a lot and I need to start pressing on. Thing is, what with this and that, it's hard to find any solid time to do programming in. An hour here or there doesn't really do much in the long run.

--gav

I hope you make the renegade missions better than before,they always left something to be desired.
Anyway,good luck!

The renegade missions are likely to be the best, I just have to be careful with the swearing! ######!

Heh.--gav

Glad to hear it.

Any new stuff that you wanna tell us?
any updates on your project?
I'm truly looking forward to test it.

So far -

65 missions

20 are storyline the rest are just farting around with trading/bounty hunting

i have started on a storyline for a government which i added (the only major change i made to the core workings of EVO) and will soon begin UE storylines.

something else has seriously distracted me from my work, but if i can get my head around it i'll get working again soon

--gav

pistgavin, on Nov 17 2005, 10:00 AM, said:

Let us put it this way - this project will NEVER be vapourware...View Post

I disagree. There is a very real danger that a project of this size will never get finished. Better to lob it out there sooner (while there are still a few people playing EV:O) than holding on to it in the hope of getting enough time to do more.

It's a shame it wasn't modularised, so you could release it in phases. If nothing else, a well-executed first phase makes people take you more seriously. Including those who might have had something to contribute.

So... 500 new places to visit. I'd enjoy it, but I understand enough about software development to know that most projects reach "80% complete" quite quickly, and that "last 20%" can break you, because it isn't really 20% at all. Proof-reading? Play-testing? Bug fixing? Who can say how much will be needed.

Lob your work out into the EVx community, and somebody else can tinker with it if you (understandably) lose interest or become too busy with real life.

i like that point.

because of my new job, it has been very hard to find any time to work on the project.

When i said it will never be vapour ware, what i mean is that i have enough to release at any time - i just much rather not until i've got more missions done. A load of planets is just boring.

I'll have to think about what i'm going to do with this...

--gav