Escape Velocity

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Escape Velocity (abbreviated EV, English for " Escape Speed ") is a computer game series for Mac OS and Mac OS X by the US game developer and publisher Ambrosia Software Inc. The three titles Escape Velocity , Escape Velocity Override and Escape , published from 1996 to 2002 Velocity Nova are space adventure games in which a single player acts in a mixture of trading simulation and role-playing in a science fiction world with interstellar space travel .

Escape Velocity is considered a classic Mac game. A trading card game is available for Nova . An active online community develops and maintains numerous modifications .

Game action

The player steers his ship in plan view through a two-dimensional game world with objects rendered from three-dimensional models in a slightly isometric view. The game is evidently very similar to the three years older title Maelstrom , also developed by Ambrosia ; The game mechanics are ultimately based on those of the classic arcade game Asteroids : The player can turn his ship and accelerate it forward and fire weapons while moving on a two-dimensional playing field. In the middle of this field, which represents a star system, there are partly planets that can be interacted with in an extensive dialogue system (trade, refueling, refitting, etc.).

The player can work as an explorer, as a trader and freight forwarder, fight battles with other ships and hijack defeated ships. The game is non-linear and offers complete freedom of action and (with the exception of Nova more or less) an open, unclear ending, with assignments that contain several storylines can also be accepted on various occasions.

Development and sales

Escape Velocity was released on May 5, 1996 for Mac OS, Escape Velocity Override 1998 for Mac OS, and Escape Velocity Nova in March 2002 for Mac OS and Mac OS X. Contraband Entertainment began porting Part 3 to Microsoft Windows in June 2002 which was released in July 2003.

All three titles were programmed in C by the American Matt Burch , who also created the content for the first part. The development of the two successors began as an extension to the respective predecessor, which Ambrosia then developed into independent games and marketed. The content of the second part Override was designed by Peter Cartwright, the third part Nova by the Australian ATMOS Software Productions Pty. Ltd. The planets were created with Bryce .

The games were marketed as time-limited shareware , the unregistered copies of which were largely allowed to be freely distributed and restrictions were activated after the test phase of 30 days had expired. Today, adapted versions of the game content of the two older titles are available as total conversions for Nova free of charge.

reception

The English edition of Macwelt magazine praises the “delightful combination” of spaceship battles and adventure games, which has already proven itself in the first two incarnations of the Escape Velocity series and which also works in the third part. Nova offers "a revised engine with improved graphics and completely new storylines, but Ambrosia was wise enough not to change anything that worked" (4/5 stars). Mac gamers called Escape Velocity Nova as "compulsory for those who are the common Warcraft / Quake / Diablo / Civilization - clones tired" were (98%). Applelinks is "based on the number of plug-ins for Escape Velocity and Escape Velocity Override" sure that new missions and stories will be created for the third part after a short time (4/5 stars).

References to other titles

The similar Star Control , published in 1990, can be seen as a model due to its older age and itself is based on the concept of Spacewar! on. The free game NAEV was modeled after Escape Velocity .

Modifications

To Nova is active has Modding - Community formed.

The game content is packaged in Mac Resource Fork files using ResEdit . There are special editors for creating and modifying game content (Mission Computer, EVONE, EVNEW, ResEdit with NovaTools). The 3D models from which the graphics of Override were generated are available on the manufacturer's website.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Escape Velocity Nova in the MobyGames catalog
  2. NAEV - official website
  3. Add-ons for Escape Velocity Override at Ambrosia Software