EPT - Information
EPT is a very rare example of a 'lost' game where we have been able to recover a huge amount of design documentation. None of what you read here would have been possible without the genorosity of Ricardo Pinto, who was involved in EPT's development.
The vast majority of information presented here has been derived from the original documents written by Ricardo during 1987/88. EPT was never finished, and so what is described here is the game as it was envisaged on paper by the creators, rather than a reflection of the work-in-progress versions that existed during EPT's development:
EPT is a 3D science fiction space opera for the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga. The game is set in a fictional Solar System consisting of many different planets, moons, asteroids and spacestations. Every heavenly object spins along its own orbital path exactly as you would expect in a real solar system, resulting in interplanetary positional changes over time which can be exploited by space travellers.
Some of the planets are the seats to ancient empires, whilst others are recently colonised and pioneering in spirit. Well developed banking systems fascilitate interplanetary trade, giving the player plenty of opportunities to earn some money as they explore the system, travelling by anything from a mining scow to a plush interplanetary liner.
Docking at moon cities or spacestations gives the player the chance to wander around, travelling on the internal 'tube' systems and visiting well known space ports, bars and stock exchanges.
However, in space as in life, conflict is never far away. Local civil problems and piracy are rife throughout the system. The player can develop their military skills by flying a wide variety of spaceships, from scout crafts and small fighters to controlling fleets of dreadnoughts, engaging other ships in stellar combat.
The player can make allies and enemies (with non-player characters) in equal measure, allowing them to become a leading figure in interplanetary politics, using their wealth or military leverage along the way.
The player begins their journey on Ontology Bay, a moon of the planet Mangoran. Cast in the role of a young worker at a local hydroponics lab, the player is left a box from their Uncle which contains a number of items (which would also have been inside the finished packaging). There first priority is to somehow get to the spaceship that has been left for them in a transit port in orbit over Hallis.
Whilst the player is making their way in the solar system, more shady events are also in motion. Dark, powerful characters are hatching plots for System domination. Multi-planetary corporations are subtley affecting the policies of whole worlds, exploiting the poorer planets and causing wars on others for their own sinister reasons...
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