ion , ▁Aur or an , ▁Pol aris , ▁V ell - os , ▁and ▁Pir ate . ▁ ▁These ▁story lines ▁are ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁game . ▁Each ▁story line ▁is ▁a ▁long ▁and ▁involved ▁set ▁of ▁plot - filled ▁miss ions ▁which ▁are ▁like ▁" play ing " ▁a ▁short ▁story ▁written ▁in ▁second ▁person . ▁Each ▁story - line ▁forces ▁pil ots ▁to ▁align ▁themselves ▁with ▁a ▁particular ▁fa ction , ▁restrict ing ▁a ▁player ' s ▁freedom ▁but ▁giving ▁him ▁access ▁to ▁more ▁powerful ▁ships ▁and ▁technology . ▁A ▁single ▁story - line ▁can ▁take ▁anywhere ▁from ▁an ▁hour ▁to ▁several ▁days ▁to ▁play ▁to ▁completion , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁player ' s ▁level ▁of ▁experience ▁and ▁preferred ▁pace . ▁There ▁also ▁exist ▁a ▁few ▁shorter ▁minor ▁stories ▁and ▁miss ions , ▁which ▁are ▁difficult ▁to ▁find ▁but ▁have ▁great ▁re wards , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁old ▁hyper gate ▁system . ▁ ▁Some ▁major ▁and ▁minor ▁story lines ▁branch ▁into ▁others ▁so ▁that , ▁for ▁example , ▁a ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁Federation ▁story - line ▁can , ▁along ▁the ▁way , ▁choose ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Reb ell ion ▁instead . ▁Nova ▁has ▁only ▁a ▁small ▁fraction ▁of ▁the ▁fre el ance ▁miss ions ▁that ▁were ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁previous ▁games ▁in ▁the ▁Es cape ▁Vel ocity ▁series . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁standard ▁game , ▁only ▁a ▁single ▁major ▁story line ▁can ▁be ▁played ▁per ▁pilot , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁previous ▁games