Past or present tense?

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Which would you (the denizens of WrongPlanet) say is better for a novel, past or present tense? I've been trying to write a novel, I have versions of the chapters I have written in both past and present tense. Past tense is easer to write in, and according to my mom, is easer to read. But present tense (after a LOT of work) seams to flow better, and makes a bit more sense since the novel is taking place from the various characters perspectives as the events are happening, and not from some one's memories. So, which do you prefer?

I first ran across the present-tense style when I read John Updike's "Rabbit" series. It struck me as more vivid, somehow -- there was a sense of "cinematic immediacy" that pervaded the work.

I have since adapted present-tense into much of my own work. But I still use past-tense for some things; to me, it would be awkward to do a first-person narrative in present-tense. "I go to the window. I look outside. There's a car parked in front of the house. I wonder whose it is." So, if I do first-person, I make it past-tense. I have seen first-person present-tense used, occasionally, but it just doesn't really work for me.

Other ways to go:

Concurrent tense - where things happens at the same time, but is described separately in different paragraphs/chapters, culminating in a meeting of the stories in the final chapter.

"Tarantino" tense - Where you jump back and forwards in a story (if you havent seen "Pulp fiction" yet, you may wanna do that)

Ah.
It take place from the point of view of several people on both sides of a war that has been going on for centuries (a little of 600 years to be more specific), between humans and a race called the Valterrans, the Valterrans are immensely more advanced then humans, but number only in the millions to humanities 300 billion. The three main factions are the Empire, which comprises most of humanity, the Outworlders (think space Gipsy's), who are doing there best to stay Independent from the Empire, while being a thorn in it's side, and the Valterrans, who just want to be left alone, which form more then one reason the Empire can't do.
The story is about how the war and the Empire various internal problems effect the characters, and how the characters in tern effect the war and the Empire.

That help?

I have a feeling that with a story told from the point-of-view from several characters, past tense could be clearer for the reader, but I'd say just experiment and go with what feels right to you.

Will do, I just hope I don't end up 100+ pages in and decide that past tense would work better

I hope not, too!

I think that past tense would be more easier for most readers to grasp and understand.