NovaSwift for Linux, Steam Deck & Windows 1.0.0-beta.1

Multiplayer fixes

• Ships pointing the wrong way: if you joined while another player was already in the system, your ship could show at the wrong angle for them, thrust sideways, and refuse to jump. Fixed.
• Your ship on the other player's screen: your outfits, shields, armor and weapons now count. Before, the other player saw a stock hull, and your shields could drop to stock numbers.
• Dying: you now actually die if you're destroyed in someone else's system. Before, you could pop back at full health.
• Kills count: kills, bounties and "destroy" missions now count for both players, not just the one hosting the system.
• Landing: you no longer leave a ghost ship floating in space while you're docked. Repairs you pay for while landed stick when you take off.
• Escorts and mission ships: they stay with you when you fly into a system with another player.
• Freezes and drops:
  • Fixed the system freezing for everyone if the player running it landed.
  • Fixed players getting kicked during big fights.
  • Fixed a ship flickering out after a lot of turning in one direction.
• Mixed versions: a new ship you bought shows up for everyone, and the Steam Deck and the Apple app now run at the same game speed.
• IPv6: servers and the Apple app now work on IPv6 networks.

Controller fixes

• Turning without thrusting: pushing the left stick hard sideways no longer fires your engines by accident. Thrust only kicks in when the stick points mostly up or down.
• Galaxy map: push the cursor off the edge of the map and it moves onto the buttons around it (Done, Find, Clear Route, zoom), so you can reach them with the pad.
• On-screen pointer: hovering over something with the pad pointer no longer selects it or switches tabs. You have to press A.

Other fixes

• Importing game data and plug-ins on Linux and Windows no longer trips over file-name capitalization.
• Title music loads properly on Linux and Windows.

NovaSwift Dedicated Server 1.0.0-beta.1 (beta)

Changes

• IPv6: the server now accepts players over IPv6 as well as IPv4. Nothing to set up. To bind to a specific address, set the new bind_address option under [server].
• Fairer reports: one player can no longer get someone kicked by spamming reports. It takes reports from several different players, and reports never lead to an IP ban.
• Fewer drops: important messages (who's online, chat, trades) get their own allowance, so a busy fight can't crowd them out. Players' online status is also refreshed every few seconds.
• Lighter load: the server no longer unpacks game traffic it just passes along, and the chat history is capped.
• Updates: the update check now orders versions properly, so beta servers will see the final release when it comes out.
• Hardening: connections that never finish joining get blocked, and bad player IDs are rejected.

NovaSwift for Linux, Steam Deck & Windows 0.7.0-beta.2

Yep, another one already. Beta 1 went out a few hours ago, but multiplayer was nearly done, so it's in this build instead of waiting for the next one.

Windows is here too. This is the first Windows build. It's the same game as the Linux build, so it's just as new: expect rough edges and tell me what breaks.

What's new

Multiplayer. You can now fly with other people over your LAN, by typing in an IP address, or on public servers. Open the Multiplayer menu and Browse shows everything in one list: your saved servers, games on your network, and public servers, with player counts and ping. Quick Connect is there if you just have an address. There's one public server up right now, "NovaSwift Official West", if you want to try it.

A few things to know:

• Plug-ins:
  • If a server uses plug-ins you don't have, you'll get an "Install & Join" button. It grabs them from the catalog for that session and puts your own setup back when you leave.
  • Art-only plug-ins don't matter; you can play with or without them.
• Mixed games: you can play with people on the Apple app if they host or join by IP.
• Extras: there's trading between players, chat, and the usual block / report / vote-kick if someone's being a pain.

It's brand new, so expect bugs. If something breaks, tell me.

Fixes

• Spaceport: you could get stuck when a mission-complete message refused to close.
• Errors: instead of a broken screen, you now get an error page with a Report a Bug button.
• Hint popups: they no longer cover the dialog you're trying to read.
• Pause menu: it fits on the Steam Deck screen now and shows your ship and system.
• Classic screens: small layout fixes to Key Settings, New Pilot and the Flight Training text.
• Stars: they no longer show up darker than space in foggy systems.

Updating from beta 1
Beta 1's updater only offers this if you've turned on Experimental updates (Settings → Support). Otherwise grab it from the downloads below. Future updates will show up in the game for everyone. Your pilots and game data aren't touched either way.

Downloads

• NovaSwift-linux-x86_64.tar.gz: Linux and Steam Deck
• NovaSwift-windows-x86_64.zip: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• NovaSwift-macos-arm64.zip: Mac test build. Use the native Mac app if you can. If you do try this one, right-click → Open the first time.
• update.json / update.json.sig: used by the in-game updater, you don't need these

First time?

• You need your own copy of EV Nova. The setup wizard walks you through importing it (how to get it).
• Linux: extract it anywhere and run NovaSwift.sh.
• Windows: extract the zip anywhere and run NovaSwift.exe (not from inside the zip). It isn't code-signed yet, so if SmartScreen warns, choose More info, then Run anyway. Movies work without installing anything.
• Steam Deck: add NovaSwift.sh as a non-Steam game in Desktop Mode, and it'll launch from Game Mode.
• Movies (Linux): install ffmpeg if you want the original game's movies.

Want to run your own server? See the NovaSwift Dedicated Server release; it doesn't need the game at all.

NovaSwift for Linux & Steam Deck 0.7.0-beta.1 (Godot, experimental)

NovaSwift for Linux and Steam Deck — first beta (Godot build 0.7.0-beta.1)

This is an experimental pre-release of NovaSwift's Godot version: the same game engine as the Apple app, packaged for Linux and the Steam Deck. On a Mac, iPhone, iPad or Apple TV, use the native app instead (see the README). Expect bugs; reports are very welcome.

Downloads

File	For
NovaSwift-linux-x86_64.tar.gz	Linux (x86_64) and Steam Deck
NovaSwift-macos-arm64.zip	Apple Silicon Macs, for testing only (the native Mac app is recommended)
update.json, update.json.sig	Signed update manifest used by the in-game updater (no need to download)

Windows is not built yet.

First run

You need your own copy of EV Nova. NovaSwift does not include the game data. On first launch, a setup wizard finds your EV Nova files, checks them and imports them. See Get the data.

Linux / Steam Deck

1. Extract the archive anywhere, for example ~/Games/NovaSwift.
2. Run NovaSwift.sh.
3. On the Steam Deck (Desktop Mode), add NovaSwift.sh to Steam as a non-Steam game to play it from Game Mode. In its controller settings, choose the Gamepad template.

macOS (test build): unzip, then right-click NovaSwift.app and choose Open the first time. The build isn't notarised by Apple.

Optional: install ffmpeg to see the original game's movies (race betting, story clips, total-conversion intros). Without it, the movies are skipped.

Updates

The game can update itself on Linux and the Steam Deck: Settings → Support → Updates. This beta is an experimental build. Turn on Experimental updates to be offered future betas. With it off, you'll be offered a return to the next stable release once there is one. Your pilots, settings and game data are never touched by an update.

Known limitations

• First public build: not yet tested on real Steam Deck hardware or a wide range of Linux distributions.
• Windows package not available yet.
• Some recent fidelity work is new in this build and may have rough edges.
• Found a problem? Settings → Support → Report a Bug builds a report you can attach to a GitHub issue.

NovaSwift Dedicated Server 0.1.0 (beta)

This is the first build of the dedicated server. I've been putting it together alongside the multiplayer work in beta 2, and it's ready enough for people to start running servers.

What it is

A small program you leave running on a VPS, a spare PC or a Raspberry Pi so people always have somewhere to play. It doesn't need the game or any EV Nova data. Players on the Linux / Steam Deck build and on the Apple app (direct IP) can join it.

You manage it from your browser:

• Setup: a short wizard the first time you run it.
• Day to day: a panel for players (kick, ban, mute), settings, plug-ins, logs, and getting listed on the public server list.

Plug-ins. Turn on plug-ins from the catalog right in the panel; the server doesn't need the game for this. Players who don't have them get a one-click install when they join.

Security. It's meant to sit on the open internet:

• The admin panel only listens on the machine itself unless you change that.
• It has limits against floods and spam.
• On Linux it runs locked down as a service.
• Updates have to be signed.

There's more detail in SECURITY.md.

Getting it running

On a Linux VPS:

1. Open UDP 53735-53736 in your provider's firewall.
2. Run:

   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SirStig/NovaSwift/main/packaging/server/install-server.sh | sudo bash
   

   It prints your admin password.
3. Connect from your computer with ssh -L 53737:localhost:53737 you@your-server, then open http://localhost:53737 and finish the setup.

On your own computer:

1. Unzip it and run NovaSwiftServer. On a Mac, use Start Server.command.
2. Your browser opens on the setup screen.
3. Forward UDP 53735-53736 on your router, or try the UPnP option.

The full walkthrough is on the dedicated server page.

Downloads

• NovaSwiftServer-linux-x86_64.tar.gz: most VPSes and Linux PCs
• NovaSwiftServer-linux-arm64.tar.gz: Raspberry Pi, ARM servers
• NovaSwiftServer-macos-arm64.zip: Apple Silicon Macs

No Windows build yet, sorry. It's coming.

It's early, so if something's confusing or broken, open an issue and I'll fix it.