Quote
Originally posted by ProtoformX:
**I really liked the playability of EV after you finished a Major Mission string. Without plugs EV was still fun to play after you "beat it". After I finished all the storylines in Nova I just felt that it was sort of empty just going around blasting pirates. I also enjoyed the EV story more. I don't want to be the all powerfull savior of the universe who can kill scores of people with a glance. I want to be the puny star captain who through plain luck and sharp reflexes upsets the entire balance of power.
**
I post on the EV board, not the EVN board right? 
In my opinion, Escape-Velocity was the best of the series. Override comes in a sad, pathetic third but that may just be a personal opinion. The storyline in Nova was way too much to think about the first time playing through it. It also seemed to have a more linear basis than the other games in the series. Vell-Oss ships are fun to fly though =).
There was one thing about Nova that I absolutely loved and hated all at the same time. The Vell-Os mission that throws you to your knees as a slave and then, rather quickly, puts you back on your feet in a whole new game. On the plus side, something like that has never been done in EV. It really hits home when your precious outfitters and shipyards are wrestled away from you. The down side: it makes you incredibly powerful too quickly. The first time I played EV, I was wandering around for hours before I even discovered that there are missions offered in the spaceport bar. Even then, I spent a good solid month working up to the Alien Cruiser Mission.
I fondly remember the first time I bought a laser cannon in EV. "Look! I have a gun!" In my blissfull ignorant glee, I fired upon the first thing I saw: A Confed Frigate. After it whooped my ass, I had a serious fear of the Confederation for quite some time. It wasn't until I was riding around in a decked out Confed Cruiser that I felt comfortable with them again. It's been a long time since then. I've thrashed Confed and Rebel cruisers with Shuttlecraft and Defenders, and I've played through just about every plugin available. (Soul, yours is still the best) The EV universe is mine for the taking. (excepting Sol of course. Proof that sheer numbers will eventually drive a person insane)
When EV:O was released, I was immediately unimpressed. Minor engine changes, crappy graphics (IMHO), horrible balance... You name it, I didn't like it. Don't even get me started on the ship designs. I never really started developing for the EV:O Engine, never posted on the EV:O boards, and never even played through too much of the game. I found that my favorite part was the Emhalga (sp?) mission string. So, after briefly dallying with the sequel to EV, I went back to my humble roots and did a bit of work on some EV-Plugins. I picked up a tiny bit of graphical talent on the way and now, I'm still working on getting New Republic into the hands of the public (We're close.... Very close).
Then, EV:N came out. After checking out the screen shots and movies, I wasn't very impressed. That all changed when I played the actual game. Very crisp, well-done graphics; excelent writing and background; and a more realistic sci-fi nature than the previous games. However, despite it's immediate outward appearance, there were many things that I soon began to have problems with. The first was the sound. I'm not a fan of the nova sound set. In fact, It was just a downright turnoff. Thankfully, I'm not the type to shun a game because of such a simple flaw. I began to trade, of course, to pick up a bit of extra cash. I really enjoyed the pre-modified and damaged ships available in the yard as well as the outfit selection available (on any decent planet). I thought I was doing pretty well in the trading business when I accidently ran into the Vell-Os String. I covered that above and why I enjoyed it so now I'll cover the drawbacks. Suddenly, EV became very linear. All options were stripped away and there wasn't much I could do. I became sick of flying all over the galaxy as an errand boy (Although the hypergates help ALOT) and just started running the special Vell-Os-only available missions in the Mission Computer. (Cargo and Passenger) I did enjoy kicking the crap out of people with the pansy-tree-hugger-named Vell-Os beams but with a simple weapon selection and no way to expand things, it got old quick. Finally, I got as far into the string as the unregistered version would take me and quit playing. I purged the copy from my drive for the time being (although I still have the installer on a CD). When I have more time, I'll send in the registration and start playing it again (which will probably be sooner than later)
Despite all of Nova's strong points, It just doesn't capture the gung-ho feel of the original. In EV, you're a one-man army out to crush an entire empire or an entire rebelion. There are plenty of ships to get in your way and you're worshiped for your accomplishments. Besides, the unprofessional writing and various references throw in through the game gave it a fun, inviting feeling. Nova hits a serious note that doesn't ring very well with me.
Despite that small essay I just wrote that didn't really go anywhere and could have been summed up with "EVO Suck. Nova Good. EV better," I suppose I won't make a final judgement decision quite yet. I have yet to fully explore Nova, so for now, It's got the benefit of the doubt. I'll get back to you on that in a month or so when I decide to pick it up for good.
-AJ
------------------
"I live my life a quarter-mile at a time." - Dominic Toretto, The Fast And The Furious
