Here's a free, open source game that is extremely like EV. It's pretty fun actually.
https://endless-sky.github.io/Here's a video:
https://endless-sky.github.io/video/endless-sky.mp4This one follows the formula of EV closely. It doesn't have much sound yet, and the ship designs are a little bit indistinguishable, but it's fun. It's made by one guy so it has a very 'unified' feel to it.
(Edit: hardly played with it so far but it already has ship boarding/plundering mechanics that are fun)
There's an editor too, it's simple to mod, even more so than the original EV- just text files. has a plugin system.
Unfortunately the mission structure seems a bit simple, whereas now in 2015 i think it's ok to incorporate scripting and xml into an EV clone to do more sophisticated things with missions, like NAEV does.
The planets do orbit around the suns in this one too! but not in real time since clock only ticks when you land.
I guess my ultimate EV clone would have:
-Real time clock ticking ala starsector
-Planets with orbits ala SS and this game
-3d models instead of sprites so you can have shadows etc and easily make supporting art assets.
-Dynamic economy ala SS
-Scripting (lua or whatever) for making lots of interesting campaign missions
-Combat not separate from the rest of the game (everyone but SS)
-Real Time limited Fleet tactical control (SS)
-real time, fluid zoom out between tactical and combat (like Ares)
-Some kind of limited multiplayer skirmish perhaps?
-Cool management of turrets, weapons, hardpoints (SS does this the most detailed, but NAEV and this game have it to a limited degree
