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Escape Velocity Makes It To Windows
DrStrange66 writes "Escape Velocity: Nova, one of the greatest games to ever come out for the Mac OS, is now available for Windows over at the Ambrosia Software site - try it out!" You'll get 30 days free play before registration is needed for this 2D shareware title, the third in a series, which has a myriad of Mac fans, and has been described in enthusiastic reviews as "equal parts trading sim, action-adventure, strategy game, and even contains elements of an RPG". There's more info in the official FAQ.
Ive been playing this game for the past few days... Truly Escape Velocity is what I missed most (and Res Edit) when I switched from Macs to PCs.. but Glory days have returned!! Everyone should give this game a few hours trial time. It takes a while to get into, but, everyone I know who has given it a few hours has loved it. The Vel-Os missions string isnt all that great, but, aside from that, EV Nova is living up very well to the original Escape Velocity. Even if it didnt, you can download a total conversion for free that lets you play the first 2 EV games on the NOva engine. yes!!
It's different, some things are better and some are worse, but just as much fun (I only plaed elite a few times, but it didn't seem too much different from First Ecounters--Elite III that I played to no end). It's top down with a simulator type of control, not the realistic intertia model from elite. It has a shorter learning curve and a smaller universe, you can hit most of the galaxy in a solid night's play. There are more unique missions, rather than the few "coded missions" and many template types (take this person here, assasinate that ship etc) There aren't as many upgrades for your ship but the ones you can get make it much more powerful, and they are racially specific. It has a lot more political structure more like GTA 2 with respect, as you work for a race's opponents they begin to fear and hate you.
All that said, it is very fun, and was enough to almost convince me to buy a Mac just for that one game.
Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
Here's another game that's a fair bit like Escape Velocity. Vega Strike. It's an award-winning open source 3d flying/trading/fighting/ship improvement game in the style of good ol' Elite and Privateer. It's in the same breed as Freelancer, even!
no thanks
It is a game I don't seem to be able to play in small portions. I sit down, and suddenly a few hours have gone past...
I really really recommend this game to anyone with a bit of free time on their hands - you'll be hooked in just a few minutes, and you will be playing for weeks.
And whoever modded me offtopic, go suck it. That's totally on topic.
-- Bob
1^2=1; (-1)^2=1; 1^2=(-1)^2; 1=-1; 1=0.