Die to live!
Hey all,
I joined the official forums primarily for one reason, to tell you of a plug-in currently under development for EV Nova. I have recieved a good reaction from the public of ev-nova.net recently and have gathered a community consisting of 14 or so users on the official forum (see bottom for details).
It is called Rigante and is a small extension of the gameplay, outfit variety and navy of the galaxy. It adds a new government, a new navy consisting of 5 new ships (one of them has new graphics), a range of new outfits, 4 new systems and a minor storyline (still in the brainstorming area of development).
So, who are these Rigante? I hear you ask. They are a militant force employed by the federation to take care of far-reached operations, assasination and primarily the offensive against the Pirate threat plaguing northern space. They are almost a re-incarnation of the Scottish clans of the early 8th - 14th centuries AD. The social structure is a united nation consisting of many of the original Scottish clans, and the people are a race of courage, cunning intelligence and battle-hardiness.
The Navy is a small one, yet is composed of some of the most advanced technology to date. Most of the ships so far use Pirate graphics except one - The Midnight Falcon, a heavy weapons platform IDA Frigate with sweet graphics and an abundance of Rigantean technology. Below it is the Waylander, a heavily gunned yet slower Pirate Starbridge variant. Then there is the Braefar, a Pirate Valkyrie variant armed to the teeth and boasting excellent manouverability. Then there is the Phantom, a very fast Pirate viper missile variant. Then the lowest of the lot - The Hurricane. It is essentially a dive-bomber and is a bay fighter, 2 bays equipped as default for the Midnight Falcon. They are slow, tiny fighters that fire four unguided freefall bombs that deal immense armour damage and petty sheild damage. Useful for taking chunks out of the bigger opponent.
The navy will regularly patrol Federation space, hunting down pirates and criminals alike with no mercy. Fleets vary in sizes of a mere two Phantoms to a full battle squadron consisting of 5-6 heavily armed Rigantean craft.
The new weaponry and outfits are not uber technology, they have their disadvantages but are effective enough to balance the Rigantean fleet's small numbers. They consist of several jammers, many new missile types and variants of previous Federation technology. New graphics for most of them too.
The systems all have new landing pictures and a well placed location. They branch off near vell-os abandoned space into the open space the far western parts occupy.
But the one thing that will be the centerpiece of this plug-in is the storyline - A tale of treachery, cunning stratagem and daring battle it may be something to look forward to. Here is a little intro you may want to have a look at:
_Just like the blooming of a flower in spring, inter-galactic politics rose and fell in state. In bloom, politics would keep war at bay and peace could settle across humanity - the economy would thrive and new cultures, businesses and people would rise from a seemingly tortured and twisted ruins of the galactic battlefield, scoping so many of the people we know and love, and treasure.. But, as winter would come, so would the great cold that lashed at this tranquil and stately sentiment. The great frost as i like to call it, malicious and condescending in it's nature would raise once more the bitter hostilities of a past time - like a child's handprint, re-appearing on a frosted window pane. The great tundra that proceeded towards it's destiny was to be of the (whichever government is most practical:) ), ancient and loathing abbhorence of the (whoever fits) was to be re-incarnated by an act so spiteful that it once more left the galaxy under the great freeze that provoked inter-galactic war. The thawing of a great cold had only begun, what was to preceed it's results would change the course of mankind, and the future of it's kin alike.... _
Of course all of the storyline is still being patched together in a rough plan but this may just be the basis of the one i proceed with. It could be a minor storyline, it could be major - At the moment it all depends on what i come up with soon and how much time i have on my hands.
There is an official forum for Rigante, and the recently finished NTNG (Nova Trade Network Guide - see topic) I will put a link in my signature as soon as possible for those willing to join the community.
Thanks for reading the colossal post,
Your comments, please 
