MacGamer has completed a three-part series on Ambrosia Software's upcoming "threequel" Escape Velocity: Nova. This radical makeover of the original space combat/RPG hybrid is currently nearing the end of development, and this three-part preview will get fans and those new to the series up to speed on what this title will offer.

The three-part article discusses the history of the series and covers some of the information released in "preamble" form by Ambrosia Software, as well as providing new screen shots and details. If you haven't playe the original or have a bit of nostalgia for the series, the articles are a quick refresher course. Here's an excerpt from an included interview with the game designers:

How did ATMOS enter the picture, and who are these people, anyway?

The following people make up the 'ATMOS Software Productions' collective: Phill Chick (pstan), Steve Chick (-8-), Jason Cook (frandall), Paul Pentecost (Dal Soth), Jarrod Rainsford (Wooly_Mammoth), Luke Smart (Nuada), Gail Vardy, Scott Vardy (Eyeya) and David Williams (pipeline). Those of you who hang out at the Ambrosia Software webboards might be familiar with a few of us.

How did it all start? Well, ATMOS originally started as a group of guys interested in making Marathon net maps and running around shooting each other. We finally ended up trying to make a plugin for the incredibly addictive follow-up to Escape Velocity, EV Override. We wanted to push the engine to its limits in a number of areas, and create the best ever plugin.

For around two years we toiled away at this plugin we called Nova, and we nearly completed it too. But then, Matt Burch started updating the EV/O engine, and we asked for a couple of things to allow our scenario to work better. He ended up getting a copy of Nova, and seemed to like it, and brought it to the attention of Andrew Welch, el presidente of Ambrosia Software. To cut a long story short, he liked it enough to ask if we were interested in converting it to the scenario for the long wished-for EV3, and thus EV Nova was born.

Ambrosia Software

Escape Velocity: Nova Preview at MacGamer (Part 3)

Escape Velocity: Nova Preview at MacGamer (Part 2)

Escape Velocity: Nova Preview at MacGamer (Part 1)

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