View source for Escape Velocity Nova

{{good article}}
{{short description|2002 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Escape Velocity Nova
| image = [[File:Escape Velocity Nova logo.png|250px]]
| developer = [[Ambrosia Software]] and ATMOS
| publisher = Ambrosia Software
| series = ''[[Escape Velocity (video game)|Escape Velocity]]''
| designer = Matt Burch
| released = {{Vgr|WW|March 19, 2002}}
| genre = [[Space trading and combat game]]
| modes = [[Single player]]
| platforms = [[Mac OS 9]], [[Mac OS X]] and [[Microsoft Windows]]
| director = Andrew Welch
}}

'''''Escape Velocity Nova''''' (a.k.a. '''''EV Nova''''' or '''''EVN''''') is a [[video game]] developed by [[Ambrosia Software]] in collaboration with ATMOS. It is the third game in the ''[[Escape Velocity (video game)|Escape Velocity]]'' series of [[Space flight simulator game#Space trading and combat game|space trading and combat games]]. It was released on March 19, 2002 for [[Mac OS X]] and [[Mac OS 9]], and later ported to [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] and released on July 11, 2003.  The game's premise, set in a time period after mankind has discovered [[hyperspace]] technology, grants the player freedom to take missions, trade goods, steal from other ships, and enter one of six storylines.

Originally a [[Plug-in (computing)|plug-in]] for ''[[Escape Velocity Override]]'' created by ATMOS, ''Nova'' development began with Ambrosia contracting ATMOS to make the plug-in the scenario for a new game. ATMOS developed the scenario and graphics, while Matt Burch developed the [[game engine]]. The game features six different mutually exclusive plot lines, but players have control to act as they will from the start of the game. Reception to the game praised the gameplay, plot, and ability to be replayed, but was critical of the lack of a soundtrack, repetitiveness, and pace and difficulty of the storylines.

==Gameplay and plot==
[[File:Escape_Velocity_Nova_Gameplay.jpg|alt=A field of space with ships in it and an interface on the right|thumb|A typical in-game screen of ''Escape Velocity Nova''. The player's shuttle is in the center, while a Federation ship is in battle above and to the left. At the right is a player interface.]]
In ''Escape Velocity Nova'', the player is placed in command of a shuttlecraft in space.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Cohen|first=Peter|date=June 30, 2002|title=The Game Room|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1001518/gameroom.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107151108/https://www.macworld.com/article/1001518/gameroom.html|archive-date=November 7, 2018|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[Macworld]]}}</ref> The game is played from a top-down perspective in [[2D computer graphics|2D]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> A tutorial is offered, but players are granted freedom to act as they will at the start. Players can earn money by purchasing and trading goods, taking missions transporting people or goods to various locations,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Porcher|first=Richard|date=March 25, 2002|title=Review: Escape Velocity: Nova|url=http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=241&Page=1|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511181204/http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=241&Page=1|archive-date=May 11, 2013|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[Inside Mac Games]]}}</ref> or by stealing from other ships.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> The player's ship moves between systems of planets by using a [[hyperspace]] jump. At various planets, the player can take on missions and trade goods, buy new ships, or outfit their current ship with new weapons and accessories.<ref name=":2" /> Ship classes vary from shuttlecraft to large frigates.<ref name=":1" /> There are six different storylines within the game that can be played; each one is mutually exclusive and a new game must be begun to play a different story. A player's choices in the plot can impact the political alignment of the entire map.<ref name=":2" /> If players become strong enough, they can demand tribute from a system.  Doing so will cause the system to deploy its fleet of ships, but should the player defeat the fleet, the system recognizes the player as its warlord and pays tribute.<ref name=":4" />

''Escape Velocity Nova'' is a [[shareware]] game. Its status is enforced in game by a character named Captain Hector, who will continuously remind the player to pay their shareware fee.  The game also supports [[Plug-in (computing)|plug-ins]], allowing players to create their own ships and campaigns, but access to do so is disallowed if the shareware fee is not paid.<ref name=":4" />

Set in the year 1177 N.C., ''Escape Velocity Nova'''s plot begins long after mankind has begun to explore outer space. Years before, a person named Omata Kane designed a "hypergate" system connecting systems of human-inhabited worlds that had been discovered by colonists from Earth. Terrorists destroyed the hypergate in the Sol system, which damaged the entire network. With this isolation, warlords arose and fell in the various disconnected systems. The later invention of hyperspace technology allowed for the lost systems to be reconnected, and resulted in order. Centered around Earth and the Sol system is the Federation, while to the south is the Auroran Empire, categorized as "a savage race". Another group, called the Polaris, hold the east, while the north and west are unexplored territory. The player, having just purchased a shuttle, is cast out to begin a life as the captain of their own ship.

==Development==
''Nova'' began as a plug-in for [[Ambrosia Software]]'s ''[[Escape Velocity Override]]'' in July 1998.<ref name="FAQ" /> A group of students from [[Tasmania]]: Dafydd Williams, Jason Cook, and Scott Vardy were fans of ''Override'' and began working on a [[modding]] project called ''Override Nova''.  Their updates on the project were shared on Ambrosia Software's website forums, which caught the attention of Ambrosia employee Andrew Welch.  Shortly afterward, the student group took the name ATMOS Software and signed a contract with Ambrosia to work on a new game.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Moss|first=Richard|title=The Secret History of Mac Gaming|publisher=[[Unbound (publisher)|Unbound]]|year=2018|isbn=9781783524877}}</ref> Ambrosia Software's Matt Burch developed the [[game engine]], while Welch managed the project and ATMOS developed the graphics and scenario.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Who was a part of the EV Nova development team?|url=http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/products/ev-nova/Who-was-a-part-of-the-EV-Nova-development-team|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623145107/http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/products/ev-nova/Who-was-a-part-of-the-EV-Nova-development-team|archive-date=June 23, 2019|access-date=July 18, 2020|publisher=[[Ambrosia Software]]}}</ref>  Burch, who had programmed ''[[Escape Velocity (video game)|Escape Velocity]]'' and ''Override'', programmed ''Nova'' while also working a second job as an engineer.<ref name=":3" /> In July 2000, Ambrosia contracted ATMOS to convert the plug-in into the scenario for ''Nova''. Development of the game from ''Override'' took approximately 12 months, with an additional 8 months of [[beta testing]].<ref name="FAQ">{{cite web|title=How long did it take to create EV Nova?|url=http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/products/ev-nova/How-long-did-it-take-to-create-EV-Nova|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306061128/http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/products/ev-nova/How-long-did-it-take-to-create-EV-Nova|archive-date=March 6, 2014|access-date=June 3, 2013|publisher=[[Ambrosia Software]]}}</ref> ''Escape Velocity Nova'' was released on March&nbsp;19, 2002 for Mac,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cohen|first=Peter|date=March 19, 2002|title=Ambrosia releases Escape Velocity Nova|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1004007/evnova.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930041415/http://www.macworld.com/article/1004007/evnova.html|archive-date=September 30, 2014|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[Macworld]]}}</ref> and received both [[MacOS|OS X]] and [[Mac OS 9|OS 9]] releases.<ref name=":4" /> Later that year was announced to be receiving a Windows port,<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 18, 2002|title=2 Mac game titles ported to Windows|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/007/G000739/20021118112949/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926003407/https://www.4gamer.net/games/007/G000739/20021118112949/|archive-date=September 26, 2020|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[4Gamer.net]]|language=ja}}</ref> which was released on July 11, 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Escape Velocity Nova|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/007/G000739/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926003407/https://www.4gamer.net/games/007/G000739/|archive-date=September 26, 2020|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[4Gamer.net]]|language=ja}}</ref> A 2008 update for Mac was built as a [[universal binary]] with native support for [[Intel]] processors.<ref>{{cite web|last=Moren|first=Dan|date=December 30, 2008|title=Ambrosia's EV Nova makes the jump to Universal Binary|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1137823/evnova.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211031108/https://www.macworld.com/article/1137823/evnova.html|archive-date=February 11, 2020|access-date=February 10, 2020|website=[[Macworld]]}}</ref>

== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
| rev1 = ''[[Macworld]]''
| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}
| PCGUK = 71%
| rev2 = ''[[Inside Mac Games]]''
| rev2Score = 8.0/10
| rev3 = ''Absolute Games'' (RU)
| rev3Score = 82%
| rev4 = ''[[MacAddict]]''
| rev4Score = {{rating|4|5}}
}}
''Escape Velocity Nova'' received praise for its gameplay and game design, especially in light of it being a shareware game. [[MacADDICT|''MacAddict'']] gave ''Escape Velocity Nova'' its Editor's Choice Award.  Reviewer Chris Barylick stated that the gameplay is essentially the same as its predecessors, ''[[Escape Velocity (video game)|Escape Velocity]]'' and ''Override''. He called the game "more beautifully designed than you could expect a shareware game to be".<ref name=":4">{{Cite magazine|last=Barylick|first=Chris|date=September 2002|title=Escape Velocity: Nova|url=https://archive.org/details/MacAddict-073-200209/page/n49/mode/2up|magazine=[[MacADDICT|MacAddict]]|issue=73|page=48}}</ref> Two years after the game's release, Barylick said the game was still worth the download.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Barylick|first=Chris|date=December 30, 2005|title=The Slacker's Guide - Escape Velocity: Nova and Ragdoll Masters 3.0|url=https://www.macobserver.com/columns/slackersguide/2005/20051230.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002001002/https://www.macobserver.com/columns/slackersguide/2005/20051230.shtml|archive-date=October 2, 2019|access-date=September 25, 2020|website=MacObserver}}</ref>  In a review for ''[[Inside Mac Games]]'', Richard Porcher expressed that ''Nova''<nowiki/>'s graphics were superior for a shareware game.<ref name=":2" /> ''[[Macworld]]''{{'}}s Peter Cohen lauded the combination of action-based space battles with adventure-style gaming. He noted the game made improvements over ''Nova''<nowiki/>'s predecessors while stating that Ambrosia Software "has wisely left alone what ain't broken."<ref name=":0" />

The game's story and game length received more mixed reviews. Porcher stated that ''Nova''<nowiki/>'s strongest point is its ability to be replayed repeatedly, especially with support for plug-ins in the game. He also pointed out flaws with the storylines being too easy and the plot lines being mutually exclusive, but felt all would be addressed with plug-ins.<ref name=":2" /> ''[[PC Gamer]]''<nowiki/>'s J.T. Trollman gave praise for the game's story writing but was critical of the game's lengthy repetition and time span between points in the story.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Trollman|first=J.T.|date=July 2005|title=Escape Velocity Nova|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/escape_velocity.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315144726/https://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/escape_velocity.html|archive-date=March 15, 2006|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref>  NomaD of Russian website ''Absolute Games'' praised the game's large map and scenario, while also critical of the game's lack of a soundtrack.<ref>{{Cite web|last=NomaD|date=August 21, 2003|title=Рецензия на игру Escape Velocity: Nova|url=https://ag.ru/games/escape-velocity-nova/review|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513213641/http://www.ag.ru/games/escape-velocity-nova/review|archive-date=May 13, 2019|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=Absolute Games|language=ru}}</ref> By contrast, ''MacNN'' was critical of the small universe size and dialogue, though it called the game "extraordinary" and praised the game's replayability.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 23, 2002|title=Review - Escape Velocity Nova|url=http://www.macnn.com/reviews/escape-velocity-nova.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726231353/http://www.macnn.com/reviews/escape-velocity-nova.html|archive-date=July 26, 2017|access-date=September 25, 2020|website=MacNN}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Video games}}
*''[[Endless Sky]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017124337/http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/ |date=17 October 2006 |title=Official website}}
* {{MobyGames|/escape-velocity-nova}}
* {{IMDb title |id=0322122 |title=EV Nova}}
* [http://macgamefiles.com/item/17107/Escape-Velocity-Nova/ MacGameFiles: Escape Velocity Nova]
{{Ambrosia Software}}

[[Category:2002 video games]]
[[Category:Role-playing video games]]
[[Category:Classic Mac OS games]]
[[Category:MacOS games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Ambrosia Software games]]
[[Category:Space trading and combat simulators]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Australia]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Space opera video games]]
[[Category:Adventure games set in space]]
[[Category:Fiction set around Polaris]]
[[Category:Fiction set around Wolf 359]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]