When Override came out it was advertised as being so much bigger than the original was... it was advertised as if it was almost impossible to see it all within a few weeks... it was advertised as infinite...
Well it didn't feel any bigger to me. Yes, I'm sure there were more ships and more planets but it just didn't feel that much bigger. It felt, well, finite.

So now we have Nova coming up and once again they're saying it's gonna be HUGE... well i hope you'll all forgive me if i have my doubts about it this time. Yes, I'm sure the universe will have doubled in size and there will be twice the amount of ships and three times the amount of weapons or whatever... but somehow i don't think it's gonna feel that much bigger. After a week or four we'll just start seeing the end of what's left to explore again.

So at that point we'll take to the web, hoping for a few great plugs - only problem, is that the first plugs usually aren't that great. And they never give me the feeling that i have something new to explore.

So what can Ambrosia do about this???
Well they could spend a few more months doing nothing but adding more ships and weapons, more planets and missions, more intrigues... which off course would be a bittersweet solution :-(
Or they could do something about it after the game is released: Do you guys think it might be possible to have list of plugs which are considered 'part of the continuity'? Which plugs are considered 'canon' and which not? :-)

Sarc

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hehe...man you are going to love Mille Terrae...

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The Tides of War
The Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive
Hip Hop Recomendation of the week: Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
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Oh, man. You just wait until the universe starts expanding in front of your eyes...

all the best,

dave @ ATMOS

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The EVO Chronicles: Tales of Life with the Blast Shield Down

they're called missions, the thing the whoel game is based on. don't even thry to tell me you beat both EV and EVO in one to four weeks. you would have had to have played it 24/7, and still wouldn't have done anything. besides, you were just asking for the same sort of things you ripped on earlier (i.e. ships, weapons, planets, etc...). i'd say that if the people designing the game say it will be big, it will. they've had plenty of experience.

sorry to get a little harsh on you.

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truth distorts reality

Why not? Considering i first got it during the long holidays (which means easily over 6 hours a day - it's not as bad as it sounds):
Every corner of the galaxy takes about four days to complete if you go slowly, you can do some (like the Voinians) in one day if you hurry up.

It looks huge but it's really not all that big if you look at it.

So mods - how about that continuity thing? Can it be done or not?

Sarc

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Obviously you have no idea how big the Nova universe is (you've never seen it *shrug*). But I think it will take you more than a few days to explore the universe. As for the continuity, have you ever made a large plug? Have you ever made a total conversion? If you had you would realise that making such a thing takes enormous effort, and we are going one further; we are making an entire new game scenario, replacing literally everything. Do you think we have time to even stop and tell people to make plugs of the nature you are talking about? We couldn't do them ourselves, we don't have the time, and we cannot get other people to do them as the features of the game are changing so constantly during development that we are struggling keep up ourselves, and we know everything that's going on.

I could rabbit on further, but I think you get the idea. No, there is no plan for any 'continuity' plugs to be out at the time of release, or even near the time of release, but please don't judge Nova by EV or EVO; it really is a large leap forward in nearly every department. The graphics are enormously improved, the storylines are enormous and far more involved than anything you have seen previously and in general the entire package is a much more coherent whole than anything you have seen previously.

Plus there are a few features that will surprise you yet I'm sure...

best


Cookie @ ATMOS


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I think you misunderstood me - what i mean is, after the game is released, once plugs are starting to appear, do you think it would be possible to make a list of those plugs that, in your opinion, make the nicest selection to augment the game.

I'm not talking about asking people to make plugs with this or that, or about asking people to start making plugs right now...

just about saying which 'set' of plugs fits the original picture :-)

Sarc

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Why not? Considering i first got it during the long holidays (which means easily over 6 hours a day - it's not as bad as it sounds):
Every corner of the galaxy takes about four days to complete if you go slowly, you can do some (like the Voinians) in one day if you hurry up.

It looks huge but it's really not all that big if you look at it.

So mods - how about that continuity thing? Can it be done or not?

Sarc

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Sarcas, just let me qualify what you are asking.

Do you want a list, AFTER the Nova is released, of the future plugs that we feel "add to the spice" of the stew that is EV:N?

If this is the case, then I can say that I won't be about to spend a mountain of time playing the following plugs. At the moment I can say that I have had enough. By the time Nova is released, I'll probably be all EV'd out. Sorry (plus ATMOS will have new projects to work on...I still hold a candle for "Sky Pirates"...giggle)

But, someday, there might be a "difinitive set" of plugs that best defines the Nova universe. I'm sure that some time down the track I'll look at a plug and say "Bugger...wish we'd thought of doing that"

Nu @ ATMOS

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"When I whet my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold in Judgement,
I shall take vengance upon mine enemies, and re-pay those who hate me.
Oh Lord, raise me to thy right hand, and count me among thy saints."

Well, basically - yeah

The way it is now I go to the EV:O add-ons page, download a few dozen plugs and try to weed out the bad ones - but I'm a lazy guy you know :-)
I want some site saying: this add-on is considered official part of the storyline, this one is, that one too, ... kinda like they do with comic books and star wars stuff

nah, scrap that - i just want Nova :-)

sarc

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The more I think about what you are saying Sarcas, I like it. However, I doubt we'll even consider doing anything about it until we are finished with Nova and it is well and truly released. I'm thinking something along the lines of people would liase with us on making certain plugins, and we could give them a little advice on where ww think certain things should go, and if the plugin is good, we would approve it as an official 'add-on'. Of course, this is all naught but speculation at this stage, and we'll have to wait until well after Nova is released before we do anything else. Something to bear in mond though...

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*ears prick up*

Hmm? What?

and while I'm here, are there any other bozos here lucky enough to have done an UG thesis? I'm printing mine as I write this, woohoo!

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----- cut here to destroy monitor -----8<-----

there was a discussion about this on one of the boards (this one or the developers' board, i believe) in which someone suggested a committee which would review plugs and call them either a continuation of the storyline or not; basically a group which decided how the plot should evolve and whether or not plugs conformed sufficiently to it. i, personally, am opposed to that idea in that it diminishes creativity among developers, but everyone's entitled to their own beliefs. honestly, i don't care if a plug fits in with the storyline or not as long as its good, i just like the results when everyone knows they can step outside the lines without any fear of rejection

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if tin whistles are made of tin, what's a fog horn made of?

Actually, I felt that the EVO and EV (and probably the EV Nova) universes were big enough. They were all just right for their size. But actually, I'm not that much of an explorer. I like to get more credits and get better ships, and definitely destroying enemy ships!! Bwa ha ha ha!

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To Escape Velocity: Nova and Beyond!