Information and updates can be found at http://www.geocities.com/ev_scourge/.

What it contains and how to use it:

This plugin contains several files:

• Galactic Scourge --The primary plugin. This is absolutely necessary.
• GS Graphics -- The images for the plugin. This is also absolutely necessary.
• GS Extra Systems -- Systems in alien space. These systems expand the breadth of the game and are essential to only a few scenarios. Some older Macs have trouble if this is in used. Try it on your computer and see what happens.
• GS Display -- An enhanced display screen. This is very small, useful, and can be used with the standard game or most other plugins.
• GS Music -- Adds custom startup music to the game. This is nice, but at 1.1 Mb you may not wish to use it routinely.
• GS Turning Fix -- If you have a very fast Mac or very slow reaction times, you may need to set the speed to <100%. If you do this, all ships with a turning of 1 (e.g. Confed Cruiser) cannot turn at all. This increases the turning of the slowest ships by 1 without changing the others. This results in a certain change in balance in the game so it should be avoided when possible. Also note that any deviation from a value of 100% may result in odd ship and weapon behavior.
• GS Cheat -- This gives a complete picture of what the galaxy holds by removing all bits from systems, outfits, and ships. The resulting galactic map is informative, but may be confusing as some systems have two or three different incarnations depending on which missions are completed.
• GS Super Cheat -- Makes all ships and outfits available on Levo and allows the purchase of vessels and items not normally for sale. The comination of GS Cheat and GS Super Cheat will make every item and ship in the game sold on Levo. It also makes javelins cost 100,000 credits each, but that makes the game boring. Using these with the Lazy Bastard pilot (who is a billionaire) makes the game really boring, but some people like that.
• GS Turning Fix for Cheaters -- If you cheat and you have set the speed to < 100% then you need this too.
• Lazy Bastard -- This is a pilot file that starts you off with obscene amount of money (billions).

We strongly suggest that you start the game from the beginning with a shuttle and join either the Confeds, Rebels and/or Pirates, see below for more details.

The plugs load alphabetically, so make sure you don't change the names to upset the loading order.

What's in the plug:

This plug contains >15 new governments, >140 new missions, >70 new items (>35 of them weapons), 38 new ships, >>100 new systems, new junk, and improves or adjusts several existing ships, items, and missions. It also contains lots of new graphics including NASA photos of astronomical objects such as the Serpens Nebula and space objects such as Mars and Jupiter.

What we stole:

In addition, the Serpens Nebula and Trugatti Asteroid Belt are from http://tycho.la.asu.edu/scowen.html and http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m016-017-018_more.html.

Images are also taken from NASA (and sites therein such as JPL, JSC, Ames, and headquarters).

There are also an images from:

Palisades Amusement Park,Bay Area Waverider,

The Naughty Jolly Roger,

NRA Members Council of LA,

Central Ohio Unorganized Miltia,

United Nations,

Sierrra Club, and

Martha Sterwart.We stole the music from Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Ballet performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Seiji Ozawa and recorded in 1987 by Polydor International for Deutche Grammophon.

Naturally several images and sounds have been taken from Ambrosia's Escape Velocity.

Standard Disclaimer:

Any similarity of the names of pirates, or other characters, with actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental and not to be taken too seriously. Lighten up.

Observations and advice:

Escape Velocity does not behave properly if the game speed is set below 100%. Ships (other than the player's) with a turning of 1 (bulk freighters for example) cannot turn at all. This makes fighting them difficult and annoying, since they tend to just drift off the edge of flyable space. For individuals who really want to set the speed below 100% we have included "GS Turning fix." This changes the turning of all ships with a turning of 1 to a turning of 2. While this will alter the balance of the game, it is the best compramise. The file "GS Turning fix for cheaters" is to be used only if "GS Cheat" is installed.

The galaxy is a dangerous place and sudden death can come without warning from invading fleets. Use of strict play and an escape pod is noble, but foolish. If you like, play normal mode with an escape pod but no auto-eject. You can then judge if the destruction of your ship was due to your own stupidity or the whim of a random and uncaring universe.

Alien technology stolen from a disabled ship may or may not be sellable (until you sell your ship) and may occupy weapons space on your ship.

 

Good missions are in the mission computers as well as the bars.

 

If you sell the extra weapons on a special ship (e.g. the 5 torpedo launchers on a PT Boat) you may not be able to buy them all back.

 

If you hold down the option and/or apple keys you can buy outfits 5, 10, or 50 at a time.

 

Do missions early. Don't wait until you have a kestrel. There are many early (bar and mission computer) missions which allow you to buy restricted ships and weapons at a discount.

Several ships and missions are the same as in the standard EV, but we have greatly altered some. Don't assume you know the sequence of events or the behavior of a ship.

The scene:

We have tried to preserve the flavor of Escape Velocity with more ships to fill in some of the gaps. Many of these ships can only be obtained as you move up in rank (by doing missions) with the Confeds, Rebels and/or Pirates. The game is much more fun if you start from the beginning and work your way up. Do missions, don't wait until you get a kestrel before you do anything. The Diphidians, Astex, NASA, and Cydonians are also significant powers. After the great war with the Aliens in red ships, several other alien races have moved into their old territory.

Bugs:

In the very unlikely event that you find any bugs don't tell anyone about it or we'll kill you. No, just kidding. Let us know (at the email address below) and if we don't know about it and can reproduce and fix it then we will be happy to give you a personality (in the game).