Yster is an Escape Velocity plug-in. To use it, move the file labeled "Yster" to the EV Plug-ins folder inside your Escape Velocity folder. The next time you load EV, Yster will be loaded right along with it. Note: if you don't read anything else in this readme, please read the Comments and Credits section at the end.
--===Intro===--
The civil war had been raging for years, with neither side gaining the victory. After a time, many of the weapons engineers of both sides realized the business potential inherent in the situation. A handful of engineers left the Confederation and Rebellion and created a company based on the once-lifeless moon Yster. Selling weapons and ships to anyone who would buy them, the company quickly made a profit. As they turned to weapons research, more engineers joined them. What had begun as a trickle soon became a flood of defectors, all greedy for the filthy lucre a private business might bring.
Seeing their best minds leave, the Rebels and Confeds became concerned, then angry. They clamped restrictions on their engineers, until the stream of engineers died away.
That was years ago. The many competing companies of Yster still exist, and still continue research into weapons and ships. Rumor has it they have created a ship which not even the Confederation can match...
--===What Yster Adds===--
Yster adds several new things to the EV universe:
1) Yster, in the Hawthorne system, home of the renegade engineers. If you're after upgrades for your ship, it's the place to be.
2) Three new weapons: the swarm missile, the rotary proton cannon, and the plasma beam. Not all are available at the beginning, but the skilled (or lucky) starship captain may find a way to purchase them...
3) A new ship, straight from the wizards of Yster. The Charybdis is intended to fall somewhere between a Corvette and a Kestrel, and is designed for toe-to-toe combat.
4) The Yakuza. The Japanese "mafia" was long thought extinct back on Earth; however, they have been biding their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to regain their lost power.
5) Missions, missions, missions. Run missions for the Ysterians. Become a Yakuza courier/extortionist. Help the Confederation learn information about the Yakuza.
--===What Yster Doesn't Add===--
For the most part, Escape Velocity is a well-balanced game. It takes time to learn how to become all-powerful, and no ship or weapon (save the Forklift) gives the player an overwhelming advantage. Following in this spirit, Yster adds no astounding new weapons or almighty ships. The missions are designed to be doable; their rewards worth the trouble. My intention was to design a plug which could be played without upsetting the EV universe. If you feel that something in the Yster plug-in is over- or underbalanced, let me know.
--===Comments and Credits===--
This plug-in was made as a labor of love. All I ask of you is that you let me know if you try it. If you really liked it, tell me why. If you hated it and copied it to a disk just for the pleasure of smashing Yster with a hammer, let me know what you hated. If it didn't interest you after trying it, please explain why. If you find a bug (ESPECIALLY if you find a bug), let me know about it.
I may be reached at sgranade@phy.duke.edu. This is a serious request: e-mail me to tell me what you think.
All graphics were created with POV-Ray freeware 3D modelling software (freeware!) and tidied up using Adobe Photoshop 2.5, except for the Yster landing graphic. The picture of Yster's surface was created by Jon Reisenweaver (acropolis@bullwinkle.uvm.edu) using dark arts known only to himself. (At least, that's what he told *me*.)
Several people helped beta-test Yster. They are:
Will Harrison (What'd'ya mean, the missions have a 100% chance of occurring?)
Marty Gleason (Ok, ok, so you *can't* get the plasma beam yet.)
