I've been home for break over the week and I had some time to play the original EV for the first time in probably 4 or 5 years. I was amazed at how entertaining it still was, and all the memories it brought back. It was the first Mac game I ever played, and even though the graphics are old and the storylines short- I was still engrossed in it. Crazy, eh? I'm just curious as to what exactly it is about the old game.. maybe it's just the nostalgia factor, but I think the scenario's got something many other plug-ins that have come later are lacking.. Ideas?

_bomb

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"I want to tell you about a time I almost died...."

It's the only EV game that I've ever felt like I was a pilot striking out on my own. You don't have to play the storylines really to have fun.

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Drugz onli kil teh baad brayn sellz
(url="http://"http://dowism.blogspot.com/")Dowism(/url)
Proud member of WIRP

Ah, yes... I, too, recently played EVC for the first time in years. What's so appealing about it? I think the writing is a big part of it. It's really pretty crappy writing, but it's still very amusing and to-the-point, unlike Nova. I also think there's something about the nostalgia and fond memories that you mentioned; this always makes the game seem a lot better than it is. Next, I find the minimalist, obvious, no-BS quality of the ships, outfits, missions, and the very setting of the game to be enjoyable. EVO and EVN tried to overwhelm the player; EVO failed, and EVN's success at this made the game less fun than it should have been. A final point: in EV, you can do everything. Few, if any, missions cancel each other out or split apart. You can have an über-cool-mega-pilot that's done everything in EV, but not EVO/N. Nova would be my favorite of the trilogy if it didn't have so many damn, confusing, pointless splits in mission strings and bits that cancel each other out. I will never play every Nova mission, simply because you would need to play through each string to completion in seperate pilot files three-five times to do so. Because of this, I am forced to conclude that the original is still the best.

/rambling monologue

EDIT: Oh, and I completely agree with Starkiller.

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Write your complaints here: O
Please don't write out of the space.
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(This message has been edited by Luke (edited 03-23-2003).)

The thing I hate about Nova is what Luke said: The splits. Especially the Vellos' ones.

Anyway, I have my old 6500 in my room that I still play EV on. What I really think it is that drags people back is its arcade-like feel. MB and Ambrosia weren't trying to make an ultrarealistic sequel to a popular game, they simply just made an entertaining, fun, and sometimes lovingly cheesy game. It's more of a mock of being a pilot than a simulator.

An example of something similar is The Sims. The first game is the best selling game ever, because it was like living life without anyone consequences. You could do anything, kinda like in EV. Then, with all the expansions, the made it a life simulator, and it wasn't any fun (It also takes up half of my PC). Similar to EVO and Nova.

Either that, or EV is just a timeless classic.

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<Insert Clever Saying Here>
Uncle Sam asks for a pretty penny to live in his boarding house...
(url="http://"http://www.f1.com")Very Vroooooomish...(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.planan.com/ev/rebel.html") The Escape Velocity Guide (/url) (Not my site)

(This message has been edited by Jimbob (edited 03-23-2003).)

I'm gonna throw my vote in against the splits - they annoyed me, and seemed pointless at times.

However, that's what I really liked about EVO; there were many missions for numerous factions, most of which were not mutually exclusive.

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(url="http://"http://www.thangorodrim.net/")Angband(/url) in action! Constant escalation to new depths to find angrier,
meaner letters and more punctuation! -- Mattneu

Quote

Originally posted by Blackdog:
**I'm gonna throw my vote in against the splits - they annoyed me, and seemed pointless at times.

However, that's what I really liked about EVO; there were many missions for numerous factions, most of which were not mutually exclusive.

**

I agree- EVO is, on most levels- a superior game. However, do you guys like decision points in mission strings, or do you just prefer straight forward, clear cut missions?

_bomb

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"I want to tell you about a time I almost died...."

I like Jimbob's analogy about the Sims. So true.

And yes, that was EVO's main strength: a big load of diverse missions that rarely cancel each other out.

Quote

Originally posted by Bomb:
**I agree- EVO is, on most levels- a superior game. However, do you guys like decision points in mission strings, or do you just prefer straight forward, clear cut missions?

_bomb
**

The latter, definitely. This is why I hated Frozen Heart. You had to friggin' study the plug to finish it, or else be really lucky. This is all unless the major decision is integrated very well into the plot, like in EVN's one and only TC, Polycon EV.

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Please don't write out of the space.
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Judging by the praise and criticism delivered upon the EV series presented here, I'd say we're right on target with New Republic. Now if we could only get the damn thing out the door...

-AJ

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0-60 3.0s...1320ft/9.2s...Head Gasket Bursts...

Quote

Originally posted by AJ:
**Judging by the praise and criticism delivered upon the EV series presented here, I'd say we're right on target with New Republic. Now if we could only get the damn thing out the door...

-AJ

**

Youre still working on it? I thought it went vaporware! Got any news?

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I am eager to try to ansver mission questions

I started playing Ev Classic again last week and I too was suprised by the fact that I enjoyed it so much. The plot wasn't long or particularly engrossing but I found it thoroughly entertaining. i think that perhaps the fact that Overide and Nova (still both great games though) weren't as enjpyable perhaps was because they began as plugins that wanted to do things impossible with the EVC engine.
I don't think nostalga has a lot to do with it but who knows maybe because its been so long I'm just getting sentimental but I think it was so fun because it was there. Everything you knew about you always knew about. Unlike in Overide and Nova where lots of things were kept from you if you did one mission. In EVC no matter what you did you still could learn everything in the game with one pilot.

Thats my two bobs worth
-Starbridge42

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Hey! If I want cheesey poofs, I'll get cheesey poofs!
-Eric Cartman Law Enforcer
"Respect my Authorita!"

Quote

Originally posted by AJ:
**Judging by the praise and criticism delivered upon the EV series presented here, I'd say we're right on target with New Republic. Now if we could only get the damn thing out the door...

-AJ

**

I'm still available to render any assistance you request via e-mail...under the restrictions of the time I have available of course, which isn't very much. I could still probably do something though...and also, it seems like the plug-in is essentially done. What still needs to be finished?

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Mike Lee (Firebird)
Visit Cymltaneous Solutions: (url="http://"http://cs.paching.com/")http://cs.paching.com/(/url)
(hosted by (url="http://"http://www.evula.org")evula.org(/url))

**
Get a mission to go to x from y and blow stuff up and gain credits
Buy a bigger ship and beef it up with weapons
Get a mission to go to x from y and blow stuff up and gain credits
Buy a bigger ship and beef it up with weapons
Repeat until dark rings form under eyes.
**

That's why I liked EV so much

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B-B-B-BGARK!

Quote

Originally posted by Firebird:
**I'm still available to render any assistance you request via e-mail...under the restrictions of the time I have available of course, which isn't very much. I could still probably do something though...and also, it seems like the plug-in is essentially done. What still needs to be finished?

**

Quote

Originally posted by General Cade Smart:
Youre still working on it? I thought it went vaporware! Got any news?

(/B)

I think I can answer both of those with a single, rather long-winded answer:

The New Republic is virtually completed. In fact, it was at a point done and into our testing phase when we discovered a major problem. The major mission strings of two governments clashed horribly with each other. As written, the storylines were butting heads so hard that their integrity had beed reduced to rubble. I've discovered something in the process of fixing this massive mistake: It's harder to fix pre-written missions than it is just to write up new mission strings. However, because I did not create this plugin and because I want it to be as true as possible to it's original owner's conception, I've stuck with the fixing thing. The process usually involves the following cyclic series of events:

Open Plugin
Find conflicting mission
Write down everything about mission
Try to fix
Slam head into desk and wall repeatedly
Get frustrated and smoke a cigarette or 3
Come back downstairs
Try to fix again
More head-banging
Get distracted and read web-comics
Play video games until computer crashes
Repeat process tomrrow

I swear, I'll get it done someday! Don't shoot me yet!

As for any work that you could do, Firebird:
The only thing I can think of that's left is the conversion of those duo-tone target images into the Standard EV color scheme. I can't remember how many are left but there are a few. If you want, I can E-Mail you a link to where you can download a current copy of the plugin.

-AJ

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0-60 3.0s...1320ft/9.2s...Head Gasket Bursts...

Quote

Originally posted by AJ:
**
The New Republic is virtually completed. In fact, it was at a point done and into our testing phase when we discovered a major problem. The major mission strings of two governments clashed horribly with each other. As written, the storylines were butting heads so hard that their integrity had beed reduced to rubble. I've discovered something in the process of fixing this massive mistake: It's harder to fix pre-written missions than it is just to write up new mission strings. However, because I did not create this plugin and because I want it to be as true as possible to it's original owner's conception, I've stuck with the fixing thing.

Slam head into desk and wall repeatedly
Get frustrated and smoke a cigarette or 3
Come back downstairs
Try to fix again
More head-banging
Get distracted and read web-comics
Play video games until computer crashes

I swear, I'll get it done someday! Don't shoot me yet!

-AJ

**

Ah... so its finally almost ready. After years! Major missions strings have no integrity (BTW, funny way you put it: "butting heads" and "rubble") Its done not done by you but you want to keep it original. Aha. /me snickers and wipes tear from eye /me chuckles at just the thought. Sorry, my patience is exhausted! bang

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I am eager to try to ansver mission questions

(This message has been edited by General Cade Smart (edited 03-28-2003).)

Quote

Originally posted by General Cade Smart:
**Ah... so its finally almost ready. After years! Major missions strings have no integrity (BTW, funny way you put it: "butting heads" and "rubble") Its done not done by you but you want to keep it original. Aha. /me snickers and wipes tear from eye /me chuckles at just the thought. Sorry, my patience is exhausted! bang

**

Hence the self-destructive cycle of coffee, bodily mutilation, and cigarettes. Gotta make it short this time though. I've got six hours of slamming my head into a wall to get done.

-AJ

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0-60 3.0s...1320ft/9.2s...Head Gasket Bursts...

Quote

Originally posted by AJ:
**Hence the self-destructive cycle of coffee, bodily mutilation, and cigarettes. Gotta make it short this time though. I've got six hours of slamming my head into a wall to get done.

-AJ

**

Bodily mutilation? You destroy your body? Six hours of slamming? Cant you make that shorther since you get unconscious, and cant progress on your plug-in.

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I am eager to try to ansver mission questions

(This message has been edited by General Cade Smart (edited 03-28-2003).)

(This message has been edited by General Cade Smart (edited 03-28-2003).)

Quote

Originally posted by General Cade Smart:
**Bodily mutilation? You destroy your body? Six hours of slamming? Cant you make that shorther since you get unconscious, and cant progress on your plug-in.

**

I've worked on NR for 3 years. My pain tollerance and abuse limitation levels are incredible. The military should "requisition" all of EV's major plugin programmers for scientific study. They could train the ultimate soldier with the knowledge gained: Tough as nails with dreams of succeeding at anything. They'd have to weed out the severe mental instabilities and chain smoking parts though...

-AJ

Damnit. I can't think of a proper way to word this. It's supposed to be witty, sarcastic, and self-insulting. Use your imagination.

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0-60 3.0s...1320ft/9.2s...Head Gasket Bursts...

I like EV more than EVO (never played EVN), but I do like the part of having a (much) larger map to have fun on. The ships look much different from each other, instead of most all of them being long, gray, cylindrical shapes. Also the larger selection of weapons are fun too.

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You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me!
-Ultimate Rebel

Quote

Originally posted by Ultimate Rebel:
**I like EV more than EVO (never played EVN), but I do like the part of having a (much) larger map to have fun on. The ships look much different from each other, instead of most all of them being long, gray, cylindrical shapes. Also the larger selection of weapons are fun too.

**

Thats what I think too. Although the much larger map is pain to explore each time.

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I am eager to try to ansver mission questions

(This message has been edited by General Cade Smart (edited 03-31-2003).)

Quote

Originally posted by Ultimate Rebel:
I like EV more than EVO (never played EVN), but I do like the part of having a (much) larger map to have fun on. The ships look much different from each other, instead of most all of them being long, gray, cylindrical shapes. Also the larger selection of weapons are fun too.

What's wrong with gray, cylindrical shapes? They were cool and elegant. I didn't like the bizarrely-shaped, multicoloured candy ships in EVO. And the weapons were just the same. Ugly, clunky things, making ugly, clunky noises. Just nostalgia? What rot. Whereas EV was perfect under the eyes of man and God, EVO was the deformed, bastard offspring of Matt Burch's divine creation and a passing barbarian... viva la original!

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"If a God has made this world, I should not like to be that God, for the misery of the world would break my heart." - Schopenhauer